Chapter 3
2306 Words
Emma is busy checking every detail all through the night, moving through the back passages to make sure nobody notices her. She put her gown safely back in the pink bag, but her mind keeps drifting back to the tear in the dress.
She will have to fix it or confess to it. If she tells the Queen, she just knows that she is going to be bombarded about how it happened and why she would jump out of a window of all things to save a wolf she doesn’t know. A WOLF!
The moon goddess must have a very cruel sense of humor to pair her up with a werewolf! To pair her up at all! Couldn’t she just leave her alone to live her life out in peace in the castle?
She is just praying that the patrols won’t tell the king about the wolf that almost crossed his border! Oh, hell! Why did this have to happen to her? Why now? Why this week?
She checks the dining room for the third time when Edgar walks in.
“I was looking for you.” His smooth voice frightened her.
“Sorry, my dear, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Sorry, I’m just a little stressed with everything. I just want everything to be perfect.” Walking around the enormous table, checking each setting's measurements.
“Emma, stop.” He takes her by her shoulders. “Everything IS perfect. I don’t think this castle has ever seen an event this perfect. When are you going to relax? When did you last feed? I didn’t see you drinking at all last night.” Concern filling his eyes.
“I… I… My stomach is in a knot! I can’t get anything in.” Her eyes pleading for help.
“That’s it! You are coming to the kitchens with me right now. We can’t have you hungry around our guests.” He puts his arm around her shoulders, guiding her out of the dining room and to the kitchens.
***
As the sun rises, there is a knock on Christiaan’s door, but he hasn’t stopped pacing the length of his room all night.
“Come!”
“Well, good morning to you too.” Erik walks in with excitement radiating off his entire being.
“Oh, shut up! Why are you so happy anyway?”
“Why aren’t you? We are in a castle, dude. There are gorgeous women around us, literally of every flavor you can dream of. They have sports planned for today, apparently, which I’m looking forward to. What more can a guy ask for? Oh, and they are feeding us as if we were royalty. Why AREN’T you happy?”
“You know why. I have better things to do than hang around here playing.”
“I don’t know what ate your breakfast,” Erik flops down on the couch. “But you need to check your priorities.”
“Don’t be stupid. You know my mother made me come to this damn thing, and who are you to talk, huh. You like our single life if I’m not mistaken. What if you meet your mate here? Then that fun single life is a goner!” Christiaan smiles with one eyebrow raised.
“Hey! Don’t you go and burst my bubble. I was having fun here. I don’t want to join your miserable party. Did you hear that Elizabeth is getting hitched?”
“What? Already?”
“Yup, some rich Alpha from the city.” He sighs. “You Alpha’s get all the good ones.”
“Well, I don’t want a good one. I don’t want one. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m here to find out if you felt like going for a run with the rest of us before breakfast?”
“Why didn’t you start with that, i***t?”
“You were just a great target to joke with first.” Erik gets up and runs for the door. “Front gates in an hour?”
“Yes, but we have to stick to the castle grounds, apparently, or get permission from the King to run in his territory.” Christiaan rolls his eyes, and Erik’s expression has a huge question mark on his face.
“Don’t ask. I’ll see you in an hour, and then we will figure it out.”
***
Emma hates being outside. She used to love sitting in the sun and feeling its rays baking her skin, but since she was turned, she can’t feel them anymore, and it’s just a bad reminder of what happened to her.
But today, she has to spend time on the training grounds with their guests. She is busy setting up the running track when she smells a wolf nearby.
“May I help you?” She asks without turning around to see who it is.
“I thought your kind didn’t walk around in the sunlight.”
She turns around and looks into those green eyes she was hoping to avoid.
“There seems to be a lot you don’t know, like where your place is. What do you want?”
“My pack and I want to know where we are allowed to train. Your Highness.” He adds the last bit in a sarcastic tone.
“You are standing on it. This is the training grounds and also where most of the events will be taking place. I’m setting up the starting point for the track. If you have trouble reading. Do you see those little boards all along there,”
She points at little red boards marking the distance around the track from the start all the way around the training grounds back to where they are standing. “Those mark the track.” Smiling when she looks at him again.
Picking up some paperwork, she walks away without another word.
***
Erik walks up to him.
“So, what did she say?”
“Follow the red boards.” He growls, not taking his eyes off the pale girl who is making her way back to the castle.
“Are you sure that’s all she said?”
Christiaan looks at Erik.
“Okay, okay, I won’t ask any more questions…” He backs off seeing the anger in his friend’s eyes.
“This way, guys.” Erik waves at the others and looks back to where Christiaan is still standing looking at the young girl who enters the castle, before turning his attention to the task at hand.
He doesn’t waste time and shifts running in his Lycan form, taking the lead.
***
Emma feels like she can breathe for the first time when she is inside the castle walls. How is she going to survive this week with that… That thing breathing down her neck each time she turns around?
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Queen Lucille needs you.” Edgar comes walking down the main staircase just before she can disappear into one of the secret passageways.
“I was outside setting everything up for the morning. What’s wrong?” She looks panicked.
“Oh, sweetie. Why would something be wrong?” They appear in front of Lucille’s bedroom door and he knocks, disappearing.
“Come in, Emma.”
Emma walks in giving her a quick curtsy.
“Where were you hiding? Poor Edgar was looking all over for you.” Lucille laughs.
“I wasn’t hiding.” Emma gasps. “I explained, I was preparing things outside…”
Lucille holds up her hand for Emma to stop talking.
“Emma, you are going to be the princess. Will you please start delegating those tasks to some of the others. I know you are a perfectionist, but will it make such a difference if it isn’t perfect?”
“Apparently, it will.” Pearl appears at the door, laughing.
“Do you know what our girl did last night when she disappeared?”
“No, but I hope you are going to tell me because I’m quite curious.”
“The border patrol saw her with the Lycan boy. She apparently told him he wasn’t allowed to cross into our territory without Magnus’ permission.” Pearl bursts out laughing.
“GREAT! Bunch of traitors!” Emma thinks to herself. The guys probably couldn’t wait to tell Magnus about seeing her with that damn wolf!
“WHAT? The Lycan?” Lucille’s wide-eyed expression forcing Emma to say something.
“I just thought it would be disrespectful to cross the border without asking permission. It didn’t mean anything. I wasn’t following him or anything. I saw him while I was on my way to my room. So don’t you two get any ideas.” She points her finger at the two of them.
“Wow, she is definitely princess material if she can change from shy personal assistant to bossy princess that quickly!” Lucille laughs.
Emma realizing that her quick response might have been too quick and probably too much.
“No, nothing of the sort, Your… Lucille. I’m just saying. I was simply trying to help a guest.”
“What was he doing out there in the first place?” Pearl asks.
This is the point where Emma is glad that she is classified as undead because if her heart was beating, it would stop right then and there.
“He, uhm, wanted some fresh air, I think. I’m not sure, I can’t really remember. You were looking for me, Your Highness.” She tries to change the subject.
“Lucille, and yes. Your outfit for today. I was thinking something sporty.” Lucille grins, and there are some outfits packed out on the bed.
They are all yoga pants and tight-fitting sports tops! There is nothing Emma hates more than something tight-fitting and figure-hugging! But these two aren’t going to let her get out of anything this week!
She has a choice between bright red, blue, or black.
“Black please.”
“Perfect, because the red one is Pearl’s size and the blue one is mine.” Lucille laughs. “I told you black is her color!”
Lucille walks over to her cupboard and pulls out a jacket bag.
“I have another surprise for you.”
“Oh, dear moon goddess, what now?” It slips out, and they both look at her in surprise then burst out laughing.
Lucille opens the zipper and takes out a black hoodie.
“I know you don’t like showing the bite marks on your arms, so I got you this.” She grins, and when she turns it around, the clam emblem is embroidered on the back in silver.
“It’s beautiful!” Emma gasps. “Thank you.”
“I thought you would like it.” Lucille winks. “Now go get dressed, we have guests to entertain.”
***
Freshly showered and dressed, he joins his pack on the training grounds. This morning is all about “getting endorphins flowing” according to the schedule Erik told him about and from what he can see… They need less of that!
More and more couples are forming as people come across their mates, and it is making him seriously uncomfortable.
The loudspeaker was screaming for a second, making most of them cover their ears.
“Sorry about that!” King Magnus puts it down. “I don’t think we will need that. I’m sure all you young people can hear me just fine. Welcome to our own small Olympics. Today is not about testing your strength against your friends. It’s about making new friends or maybe finding that special someone. Your chaperones are all over the course as you can see and will be there to help guide the different groups through the events if there is something you would like to try that you haven’t done before. This is also designed for the ones who have found new mates. We want you to take this time to get to know each other. Don’t think because you have found your mate you can’t take part in the festivities. So, let the games begin!”
Matt waves them over to the track event.
“Hi, guys and girls, you have been grouped with the vampires from the royals for the first hour. You are on the track even here.” He grins as if he is enjoying it.
“Let’s start with… Erik and… Amber.”
Erik eagerly greets the girl and Christiaan folds his arms across his chest rolling his eyes.
Then he feels her presence nearby.
“Let me guess, the future Alpha of the Shadow pack is too good to take part in peasant games.” She whispers near his ear, and when he looks at her to say something, she is gone.
“Next up… Christiaan and Emma,” Matt calls their names.
“I’m sorry, I…” Emma starts to protest.
“What? Don’t princesses know how to run?” He challenges her smiling.
“No, it’s not that, I just don’t want to hurt your ego when I beat you.”
“Now, you two, remember the rules! No super speed, Your Highness, and NO biting Christiaan!” Matt looks at the two of them feeling concerned with the energy they are giving off.
The entire course falls silent wanting to watch the princess taking on the Lycan.
Lucille and Pearl were watching from their vantage point in the middle of the field.
“I hope we are doing the right thing.” Pearl holds her thumbs.
“Honey, it’s the only way to get that soon-to-be daughter of mine out of her shell.”
“On your marks… Get set… GO!!!”
- Writer
