The Onyx Stone

CHAPTER ONE ******* Rena stood in front of the mirror, a 19 year old with light red-hair. She had fair-beige skin and green eyes like her mom, Luna, who was at her back, dressing her up and tightening the corset of her cream-brown dress. "You look pretty darling" Her mom reiterated for the umpteenth time, raking her fingers through her hair. Rena rolled her eyes. "You've said that so many times Luna. Can I be on my way already? " She always called her mom Luna, which her mother permitted. She felt closer to her in that way. However strange it sounded. "And where might you be off to?" Luna asked. "No where in particular" Rena replied, twitching her lips. Luna raised a brow. "Rena, you're royalty, you do not have to be up and running round the four borders of the Onyx Lands just for fun. It's unbecoming-- " "I'm not. You know I'm headed for the Black-woods. I won't be long " "There's a reason we stay on our own, and we don't mingle much with other Clans... There's danger out there sweetheart " Her mom said, concerned. "I know. And trust that I'm not headed towards danger, neither I'm I going to another Clan " Luna reviewed her through the mirror ."You've been going out much frequently these days... Perhaps a handsome wolf that I don't know about?" "Luna!!" Rena exclaimed, a little embarrassed. Luna chuckled, and nudged her away. "Off you go now. Don't forget to tell Priscilla you're going out. Don't have your elder sister worried." The brown marble door opened and a beautiful tall girl with the same light-red hair, but with brown eyes walked in . "Have me worried about what?" She wore an elegant, sparkling brown-green precious stone on her red-spotted neck. "Right. She knows now Luna. See you later Priscilla" Rena hurried away, waving briefly at her sister as a form of curt greeting. Since they hadn't seen since the day began. But a brief and pointless reunion with her sister wasn’t Rena's concern, she had somewhere to be, the castle was boring enough. 4 hours later. ****** Rena snapped a twig from a branch of black oak in the woods. Her handmaid Lyra--a fair girl with light blonde hair, brown eyes and tiny red dots on her chin--was with her. The trees here were large with huge buttresses and canopy, blackened barks and trunks that stretched as wide as almost the horizon. The sky had turned shades of grey and dark clouds, with the sun long gone to bed, heralding the night. Three large brown wolves stood a distance, guarding them. Then one trotted away back towards the castle looming far away. "You're sure he's going to come?" Rena asked her handmaid, disappointment clouding her face. "He said he would." Lyra tried reassuring her, but not looking sure herself. "I mean, he kept saying he was your mate, and he needed to see you. " "And you're sure he's not one of those opportunity-gobblers? Lying dimwits looking for a golden chance to mate with a princess." Rena scoffed, frowning deeply. "He looked regal enough. Alpha blooded, if I might dare to say... maybe a prince from the White Snow Clan. " Lyra responded. "And I'm sure you'll recognize him if he's your mate, even though you can't shape shift yet. The mate-bond is always stronger than that. " Some while later, the other wolf that had gone off, was coming back, but he was running with intense speed that the two wolves at once we're on alert, their hairs standing on their backs. Rena and Lyra were also on alert, there was always a danger to watch out for in these woods. The wolf reached them and communicated at once to Lyra what was going on. There was intense fear in Lyra's eyes when she turned to Rena. "The castle is under attack" Rena’s thoughts tumbled into a confused haze in her mind as panic threatened to overtake her, but she attempted calming down. Alpha, her dad had always thought her to calm herself even in the worst of situations, but this was beyond her, because she was becoming more hysteric by the minute. “Who could it be Lyra? What’s going on?” Rena asked, fear edging every word. “Lake doesn’t know Rena, but Luna has given strict orders to take you away, and not bring you back to the Castle.” “No. No! I have to go back!” Rena shouted, already making to leave but Lyra held her. “There’s nothing you can do now Rena! Whatever it is, it is worse than it seems for the Queen to have given orders to take you away. You're the last of the Onyx Royals now. It is my responsibility to protect you and keep you safe. ” Lyra’s voice quavered with the tears that was forming in her eyes. But Rena was not going to have it any other way. She wouldn’t be able to live with the fact that she left her family back there to be slaughtered. That she ran, instead of staying and fighting. Who could it be that had attacked them? And how had they managed to evade the guards at the fortress without a warning signal being sent back to the Onyx people? No, she couldn’t leave her family. She knew they would try to stop her. So the chance she had to do what she wanted to do was now. She made to run but they were already a step ahead of her. The wolves blocked her from moving any further in the Castle’s direction. “Rena pls” Lyra begged. Rena took in a shaky breath, her heart thudding in her heart that she almost couldn’t hear herself when she spoke.” I’m Princess of the Onyx Clan,and I command you to get out of my path!” The wolves bowed their heads in deference and obediently moved out of the way. “Rena pls” Lyra begged, almost choking on her words. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you” “Then you can either come with me, or you can run, but don’t stand in my way.” She ran off then.