Realm of Wolves

Blain

Blain and I took our time and caught up. Before my mother became Coven Queen of Sky Tower she was a healer for the Greenwood pack. It was there she meet my father and lived for several years. Though I was born at Sky Tower and spent most of my infancy there. I grew up among the tall evergreen trees of Greenwood Forest. 

I met Blain when I was 5 years old. Even thought he was the alphas son, everyone kept him at arms length. Blain should have been playing with other 8 year old boys but instead he was kept out of the loop. I was curious as to why he didn't want to play. My first day at the pack i played with all the children my age. They accepted me despite the fact that I was more witch than wolf. I do not have a wolf form but I do posses all the abilities of one. Heighten hearing, sense of smell, eye sight, and strength. I was faster than some of the kids my age even though I only had two legs to run on. I was stronger than most even though I did not have a wolf form, and  had a better sense of smell and my vision was beyond perfect. I could track a bunny on a foggy day after a thunderstorm. Everyone adult and children alike accepted me with open arms.

So why didn't they accept the alphas son?

 One day my curiosity got the better of me I went up to him and asked. 

“Why are you always by yourself?” My high pitched voice could be heard for miles and drew the attention of several adults in the area. 

“I’m going to die soon. No one wants to get close to me.” He said 

"Is that all?" I asked. What a silly reason to excommunicate someone.

Blain looked up at me and grunted "What do you want little girl?" 

I wasted no time in my reply to him “You want to play?”

Blain looked at me shocked and confused “Didn’t you hear me. I’m dying!”

“So. I am too we all are. Do you want to play?”

“Yes.” He said tears in his eyes 

“Are you hurt?”

“No” he said wiping his tears “let’s play tag!”

Even though I left for a formal education at the age of 11. Blain and I never stopped being friends. I visited in between breaks and on holidays. I even skipped classes to be by his side. Whenever Blain needed me  was there in a hurry. My mother never scolded me for it, my teachers on the other hand didn't understand my sense of loyalty to Blain.

It was a on a particular bad day four years ago Blain called me crying. He was sad and alone his parents rather attend meetings than keep him company. 

"Why do you always come when I call" Blain asked

"Because you need me and I'm your friend. I will always come when you call me."

Blain smiled at me "Marry me so that you can always be by my side"

I smiled at Blain he was high on whatever medication the healer had given him "Sure Blain that way I won't have to travel from school to the pack house and back. That transport spell knocks the wind out of me"

"Will you be by my side forever"

"Yes, forever and ever"

I never heard from him again after that day. I tried asking around for him but no one wanted to tell me anything. I assumed he passed away. 

“I know what your guilty face looks like” Blain teased “you have no reason to be guilty”

“I should have looked for you instead of assuming you passed away” I said

Blaine placed his hands in his pockets and sighed “It's my fault for not keeping in touch. I kept having really bad days my parents and I where just waiting... I didn’t want you to wait to.”

I placed a hand on his elbow and smiled up at him “I’ll never forgive you” I said teasingly

Blaine shook his head and laughed “Mange broke it in our pack. We suspect foul play but not a direct attack on our family. Since your mother is now Queen Quinntessa we had to employ another healer. It was her who noticed the curse mark on my buttock.”

“On your butt?”

Blain nodded “Yes! My parents thought it was a beauty mark.”

I laughed “Mange saved your life!”

“Yes indeed it did”

Blain held open the doors to the tower “Ladies first”

I giggled and stepped inside the tower. Blain held the door open for a few other ladies before stepping g inside himself. 

“Is this your first year at Silver Castle?”

Blain shakes his head “No. This will be my second year.”

I frowned “Would you have never contacted me, if we hadn’t bumped into each other on campus?”

Blain mimicked my frown “I’m really sorry”

“I’m never going to forgive you” I said this time. Little more hurt in my voice. 

“After the mange outbreak our pack was weak. We got taken over by a neighboring pack. A lot of us got mated off to keep the peace.”

“Did you?”

“I was to weak” he said “I was to afraid to mention you, for fear they would....”

“Try to mate me off? I’m a goddamn princess how would they go about doing that?”

Blain chuckled “You may be a princess but your father was an Alpha wolf and you're a registered member of our pack. Your mother has other heirs.”

I sighed “let’s finish this at later”

A little dejected I skipped off to my freshman seminar class. I could feel Blaine’s eyes follow me as I dodge students and teachers in the hallway. His eyes burned into back, I could feel his hope and anticipation. He wants me to turn around and look at him, give some reassurance that things between us will be ok. And so I did. I turned and smiled at him. His face soften as all his worries melt away. With a silent wave he turned and jogged down the hall, I rounded the corner and headed up a flight of stairs.