Love to Love

The Queen

"Werewolf? I'm a werewolf? You and dad are werewolves?" Nadia stared out the window. Her eyes started to water from not blinking.

"Yes, sweetheart." Helena placed her hand on Nadia's knee. "I wanted to tell you sooner. King Aiden, I mean Alpha Aiden decided it was safest."

"I can't believe it…" Lizbeth whispered.

"Safest? Safest from what mom?" Nadia finally closed her eyes and squeezed them tight. Tears streaming down her face.

"From protesting humans. Vampires. Witches. We may have strengths but we're still… unwanted. We are still feared." Helena slunk back in her chair in defeat.

"Witches? Unwanted? I don't get it...how… when…" Nadia found words hard to form. Her mind was racing.

"It's a long story. You see King Kenneth, his Keeper, his Beta Maxwell turned us. You're father and I. You were born a werewolf."

"What? King Kenneth? Ryan's… dad? Maxwell is his Beta!? What is going on?!" Nadia seemed to snap back into reality with this information. Lizbeth still seemed frozen in shock. Ryan did reveal his dad was the Alpha but this information was deeper.

"Ok, ok...I'll tell you everything…" Helena sat up, placed her hand on her forehead and told the tale of Maxwell turning them back in 2071.

...

POV Helena

…

We should have told her sooner. We should have told her when she was 18. 16. 10! This never should have been a secret from her. It's her birthright, her blood, her DNA, her life! Damn it Aiden why did I let you decide? Just because you gave us a home, food and money didn't give you the right to choose this. Not even making us Royalty in your pack! He's made all the decisions for us! From the very moment Kenneth saw us in the woods. His mistake has become much bigger than him. He feels guilty, he rarely looks me in the eyes. That isn't enough. It will never be enough! Nadia is my daughter! It was MY life he stole. My family. My future. Now it's my fault. I didn't stand up for her. I'm her mother. I will not let my mistake ruin her life and her future. Not anymore"

...

"So Kenneth finds you in the woods, Maxwell turns you and dad. You become werewolves, learn their ways, get married. Aiden makes you honorary King and Queen, you move away and you have me? You pretend to be human, you pretend I'm human? You suppress my instincts? You…" Nadia's tears are now from emotion, not just from blank stares.

"Yes."

"How… how could you lie to me? All this time? I'm a werewolf and a fake princess and a…"

"You're not a fake princess sweetheart! King Aiden had full authority to give us this title and our own Kingdom. We just don't have noble blood and that's ok. Before you were born we moved away from the pack to keep you safe. We opened our kingdom to rogue wolves, lone fairies and trolls. Mostly though, we have humans that escaped violent communities. We were a safe haven for many people. We still are. Your father and I built that. Kenneth gave us the means but we did the how. We have never turned anyone. We have tried to maintain a normal human lifestyle."

…

POV Helena

…

After being turned at 13, you can probably imagine how scared I was. I was on my first date with William. He had just turned 16 and got his driver's license. I lied to my parents on where I was going and who I would be with. I trusted William, he was and still is an honorable man. He had zero intentions on taking advantage of the situation of us alone in the woods. I think he was more nervous than I was! So when our fate arrived and everything changed in an instant I was very thankful William was with me. He was my protector.

Things move so fast in this world of Wolves. I'd get used to one thing and then something else changed! Beth, my sweet Bethany was a true angel. She was such a great mentor. She was born a wolf but could empathize with my situation. She never pushed and gave me extra time. It was her idea for a double wedding when we turned 18.

"We're going to be each other's maid-of-honors right? We may as well be standing next to each other as brides! We can walk each other down the aisle! Oh please say yes Hel!" Bethany practically planned the whole wedding in her mind.

"You've always been right Beth, of course..yes!" I held her hands and we squealed!

...

"The wedding was the biggest event the pack had ever seen! That is until Witches ruined everything!" Helena said through clenched teeth.

Nadia's fingers began to tingle. Her powers felt threatened, something she had minimal control over! She shifted her weight and sat on her hands.

When the Salem Coven outed sub-humans, it was catastrophic. The Great Divide caused so much destruction, death and darkness. So many young wolves that hadn't yet shifted did under many full moons in that year. William and Helena would shift for the first time too. They had been wolf for years by then but shifting comes when the Moon Goddess decides. Because they were turned and not born wolves, it's always later. A newborn wolf is given time to learn the wolf world before they get your strength. Alpha Aiden was impressed with the newborns. Their humanity remained and their Werewolf instincts were mature. He decided they would help the pack grow, not by number of wolves but by number of bodies, sub-human and human. This would also keep any pups they have safe and away from pack life.

"There is a town nearby that needs help. I have spoken to their leader and he is desperate. They have about 100 residents. Their homes are in need of repairs. They have no supplies, no electricity. Very little food, water and clothing. He and his people gathered from various places to form a human community that was safe. Non violent. Accepting. Even sub-humans that are also peaceful, mostly trolls and fairies. He and I have made a deal. He will allow us to absorb the town as a suburb to our Kingdom in exchange for our protection. He understands some of us are Werewolf and has sworn to secrecy. Our new honorary Human King and Queen will serve as their authority " Alpha spoke with absolute trust and faith.

William and Helena became Human King and Queen of Suburbia. Their wolf identity was hidden.

"You did an excellent job mother. Excellent. I've never felt any wolf strength. I still don't." Nadia began to tremble.

"You should start to feel it soon, especially since Ryan marked you. Wait, where is your mark?" Helena had casually approached her and looked at her neck.

"Right, my mark, from my mate. Did you know I was Ryan's mate? Does Ryan know I'm a wolf?!"

"No he doesn't know you're a wolf but yes, I knew you were his mate. He told us when you were just kids. He felt it back then." Helena said.

"Wait, he and I have met before?!" Nadia was fuming.

"Oh no, he saw your picture! Your father had a meeting at the Kingdom. Bethany asked him to see a photo of you. Since your birth she hadn't seen you either. He saw the phone with the picture in her hand, looked at your face and whispered "mate". Your father, Kenneth and Bethany all heard. It was even more important then that we kept you two separate till you were older and ready to marry. Like you, Ryan was always told you were human. It's not uncommon for a wolf's mate to be human, especially since the Great Divide. The Moon Goddess makes her decision for a reason and we're not to question it. But since you technically are a wolf, we knew we couldn't keep you two separate."

Nadia lifted her hand to her neck and touched her hidden mark. Lizbeth, who has been nearly silent this whole time, coughed.

"Excuse me, your Majesty. If Maxwell is Kenneth's Beta, does that make Kie Ryan's Beta?" Lizbeth questioned.

"Yes, Lizbeth. Once Ryan has his Alpha Ceremony, Kie will be his Beta." Helena said.

"But I'm not Nadia's Beta?" Lizbeth also questioned.

"Correct, Nadia is not an Alpha. We are technically Omegas in the pack. We have no noble wolf blood or true royalty blood. We've simply just been given all our titles." Helena said.

"Ok, I understand." There was a hint of disappointment in Lizbeth's voice.

"Yes, let's discuss titles now mother. I'm an omega wolf, that's all? Except…" Nadia's mother cut her off again.

"Until Alpha Kenneth makes any decisions about titles, you are a human Queen and I suppose, a soon to be Luna Wolf." Helena had grown tired.

"NO WITCH WILL EVER BE A LUNA IN MY PACK!" Kenneth's deep Alpha voice roared as he broke open the chamber door. He pointed at Nadia and charged for her.