The Alpha King and His Mysterious Mate

The other side of the coin

[ Blake's pov ]

Here we go again. I rushed to my best friend's and roommate's bedside. Elisabeth is seeing that nightmare again, the one she had yet to tell me about, although we have been best friends since we were 7. We are now 15 and I still don't know what scares her to death almost every night, but I don't push her, she will tell me when she is ready. To be fair, I have a huge secret myself, that I haven't had the courage to tell her yet, because she is a human. I am afraid she will leave me, like everyone else in my life, once she knows that I am a werewolf.

"- Lizzy, wake up! It's just a dream! I am here, listen to my voice, wake up!" I pushed her gently, trying not to overwhelm her already perspiring and shaking body. Lizzy doesn't seem to respond at first to any of my attempts. I keep on shaking her and talking to her, hoping my voice will reach her. Eventually, I started to see some signs of response, indicating she may have exited the deep sleep stage. In my life, I have never seen a person who cannot wake up from their nightmares on their own. Sometimes she can scream her lungs out for hours, unable to wake up no matter how much I try. Finally, her eyes flew open, all red from exhaustion, crying and stress and she threw her trembling arms around me, sobbing. "It is OK, I got you, it was just a dream" I tried to reassure her.

"- You are going to be fine, no one is going to harm you. It is only you and me in here. Calm down" I said, as I gently struck her hair. After giving her a minute to calm down, I decided to do the one thing I said I would never do.

"- Lizzy, you have to talk to someone about it. If it is not to me, then let's find a doctor or a school nurse, but you have to talk to someone. You cannot let it haunt you for the rest of your life. I don't mean to force you, you know I never did before, but you have to unburden yourself at some point and sooner rather than later" I finally gave up on being patient and silent and spoke my mind. I decided that I will try to make her open up, at least to a doctor. It hurts me deeply to see her this shaken and this often.

"- You are right, but I don't want to talk to a doctor, I want to talk to you if you don't mind" Lizzy said, as she lowered her eyes and that was the greatest news she ever gave me "I have been considering it for a while now to be honest.. The only nights I get to sleep is when I see him in my dreams, the guy of my dreams. You know this because these are the only nights you get to sleep too, instead of rushing to my side" she said as she smiled bitterly, once again, lowering her full-of-shame gaze.

"- Now with the high school's demanding curriculum and my new job, I need all the sleep I can get and so do you; and the only way I think I can achieve this, is by sharing my secret. But B, are you sure you want to know? It is a disturbing and dark dream, after all, full of monsters".

Not even a heartbeat passed before I replied, showing Lizzy how certain I was of my decision.

"- Lizzy, of course, I want to know, you are my best friend, your burdens are mine. You are my family and I want to share everything with you, the good, the bad, and the ugly. No matter what, I am here for you, so whenever you are ready" I told her, while I took a seat on the bed next to her. Besides, monsters do not scare me because I sort of am one, I thought as I took her hand in mine.

She looked at me, obviously relieved by my answer and, with a full of determination look on her face, she started talking.

"- It is always the same dream. I am just a baby, maybe 6 or 7 years old. I am playing in a beautiful, purple room in a castle, with all my favorite toys. It seems like I lived there and there are pictures of all my favorite Disney princesses on the wallpapers, because obviously, even then, I was not good at choosing just one.

My nanny was in my room with me, I think her name was Maria, and my parents, also, but I couldn't see their faces. They were blank and shapeless. That didn't scare me though, because a warm feeling engulfed me when they were close by. I felt safe next to them, even if I couldn't seem to remember their faces, no matter how hard I tried. And that is when everything turned sour.

An explosion was heard and there was a commotion outside the door. Somebody rushed into my room and told my father that werewolves were attacking. My mum gave me to the nanny and ordered her to lock the door behind them as they left. She ordered Maria to protect me with her life. I started crying because I didn't want my mother to leave as the fear took over me, due to all the commotion. My pleadings for them to stay, mixed with sobbing and the horrific screams coming from outside, filled the room, but they both abandoned me anyway. Leaving me behind with the nanny.

I understand that they had to defend their people because they were the owners of the palace, but I wish they would leave everyone and protect me. I wish they were my parents first.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Maria took me in her arms and held me tightly. She kept trying to comfort me, she tried to sing to me and play with me, but all I could do was listen to the screams as they became louder and louder. Soon after, the commotion was just outside the door. I could hear the guards stationed on the other side, struggling. There was definitely a fight happening and fear was devouring me once more. What didn't help the situation were my nanny's actions. Maria stopped hugging me and instead she put me in the crate. She asked me to close my eyes and not to open them nor move, no matter what. We are going to play a hide and seek game, she said with a shaky voice. I kept on crying and telling her that I didn't want to play now, that I was scared, but she promised me that if we played, my parents would come back faster. So I let Maria hide me under the blanket.

I was so scared B, but I didn't move, even when I heard the door burst open and someone rushing in. Even when I heard her screams, I didn't move. I was trying to do as I was told. I was trying to be a good girl and then finally it was quiet. I thought it was over. I thought my parents had come back, as Maria told me, and then my blanket was pulled off. I thought it was my nanny, but when I opened my eyes in excitement, I saw a huge, angry wolf covered in blood, instead of her. I started screaming and crying, but he covered my mouth with a human hand."

Lizzy started crying and having a panic attack. It seemed like she couldn't continue te story so I wanted to let her know that it was OK.

"- Liz, don't push yourself if you want, we can discuss the rest tomorrow" I told her as I passed her a Kleenex tissue to wipe her tears and hugged her tightly.

"- No, Blake, I am fine. I just need a minute. Besides, if I don't finish the story today, I don't think I will ever find the courage to discuss it again with you or anyone else. Can you please just get me some water in the meanwhile?"

"- Sure thing hun, be right back."

As I was walking to the kitchen, I couldn't help but think, werewolves, huh? What is the probability of that? She is scared to death of them, even though she believes they don't exist.. Can you imagine how she would react if I told her that I actually am one? She will be terrified of me... I was thinking of telling her someday, but I don't think I ever will, after this. I can't lose my best friend. I opened the fridge, poured her a glass of water and headed back.

"- Thanks" she said as she took the glass and drank the water in one go "I feel much better and I am ready to continue..."

"- Go ahead Lizzy"

«- Let's hope there won't be anymore bloody werewolves in it » my wolf Rosalie, voiced in my head. «No matter what you say B, I still would like to tell our best friend about us someday. It is not true friendship if we cannot be completely who we are with her. I am tired of lying about our changing eye color when we are angry. I am tired of blaming it on refraction and any other physics theory we can think of.»

«- I know, Rose, I am tired too, but it is what it is, at least for now» I added, not wanting to totally shatter my wolf's hopes.

"- Where was I? Hmmm so like I said, I saw a giant wolf and I wanted to scream, but the monster turned into a human and covered my mouth. He was still covered in blood, from head to toe and had many scars all over his body. I swear this man was the scariest man I have ever seen. I will never forget his face, not till the day I die. He told me not to scream and that everything would be over soon, but although his mouth was saying one thing, his malicious look, a distraught face and a sinister laugh, were telling another story.

Soon after, my intuition proved me right, his canines extended and he bit me, his bite forceful, hateful and full of venom. It was painful, so painful B. I have never experienced anything like it. Like my whole body was on fire, like someone was burning me, from the inside out, and this is where I wake up every time. Still feeling the excruciating pain in my neck, where he bit me." she said as she pointed out her neck, but there was nothing there. As though she read my mind, she added "I know there is no scar, I know it is just a dream, but I can't shake it off. Even now, I can feel the excruciating, throbbing pain like it wasn't just a dream. You probably think I am crazy, huh?" she asked bitterly as she stared at me with eyes full of worry.

"- No Liz, I don't believe you are crazy and thank you for finally telling me" I said as I passed her a tissue, to clean her, not so fancy-looking nose, after all the crying. She gladly accepted the tissue once again and blew her nose.

"- God woman! You may not be crazy, but you do sound like a tractor. I have never heard a person blow their nose so loudly. What are you? Military's new weapon?"

"- Shut up, it is cute" she laughed, looking all fake-offended.

"- Yeah noo. Not in a million years, piggy" I responded with a chuckle. You almost deafened Rosalie, I wanted to add.. The mood in the room was light once again and our friendship grew that day a hundred times stronger.