My Royal Wolf Blood

Letting The Wolf Free

"Hey."

"Hey," I mutter as Anna nudges me.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" She stops me from moving things out of my locker, I look at her. I catch my breath, I don't want to move, I don't want to scare Anna. In the corner of my eye, a white cloak, a shadow maybe. I look towards it, and before it notices me, I look down, avoiding everyone's eyes, what do I do?

I grab Anna and tell her to walk faster, faster away from the shadow, away from the thing that follows me, my claws break free, and my eyes glow to the beast I am, Anna screams catches everyone's attention, she breaks from my grip and falls to the floor, the shadow smiles, the shadow laughs, my hands soaked with blood, Annas throat ripped from her body, what have I done? ...

"Like that." Anna snapped me out of it, I had sprung to her eyes, "Vi, please. You did this in class too."

"I am okay. I'm just tired."

"You're crazy."

"That makes two of us, sister." ... "What no comeback?"

"Luka."

"Yeah, I don't want to talk about him." His scent caught my attention, I squinted, grinning as I swirled around.

"Should I leave?" He glows.

"No, please." Anna stood there chuckling at him, and the both of us. I tapped the side of her hip with my elbow, snapping her out of it. He laughs, a laugh that feels strange to me.

"Can I have your help?" He spoke.

"My help? With what?"

"School, I'm still getting lost." His smile grew, and the sparkle in his eyes took over Anna.

"No, sorry I am a little busy." I sound thoughtless. I lock my locker and flip my bag over my shoulder. "I will see you later." I hope so.

"Sure, he smiles." Maybe a fake smile.

"Yes, I on the other hand..."

"We. Are busy." I pull Anna back. I felt bad, but I do need to stay away from him, something I need to do. It's too dangerous. My grip on Anna, I understand and trying to control my strength, I am meeting Hunter tonight to help me, I think.

"We are?" Anna shrieks, I drag her with me, "Bye Luka." She pushes her lips out as if she were a sad puppy, and her small hand flops up and back down again, as they both wave.

"What do you think you are doing?" I squint at her. "Have you lost your mind?" Her eyes filled with suspicion and sadness at the same time.

"Why are you avoiding him?"

"I'm not." ... "Okay, I think I should stay away. You know?"

"No, I don't know." She mumbles.

"Okay okay, I don't like him."

"That's a lie." She snorts. "Fine." She throws her hands in the air.

"Fine?"

"I will go then." Oh, no you don't. The side of her lip turns into a smirk and as she takes one step to her left, I stop her and walk in the direction he went. "You will thank me later." She giggles, why? Why am I doing this? Of all things today, my lip might bleed from this stress, I cannot deal with men right now, werewolves, I have too much on my hands already. The urge to bite something has a constant hold over me. I am screwed.

My phone buzzed for a second time, and for the second time, I lost the chance to answer it to an unknown number. The phone buzzed again but a text was left. 'I'm outside in the gardens, L.'

"L?".

The gardens are run by students of all ages; the scent of warmth leads me to the fountains where he sits. I wait, leaning my back against the nearest tree.

"What do I say? I'm sorry. It was my fault. Are you the guy? Do you seem like the guy? But what if he thinks I'm stalking him? Telling him that he showed up in my dreams is not a good thing. He may think I'm crazy. Fate, Ha, means nothing."

"Fate?" He stood behind me, startling me as he did. His eyes smiled upon me, his body distant from me. His warmth.

"We are bonded by fate, not by love, but by a link. I have the privilege to be your guardian. My father and the pack have faith in me, that I'll bring you up to be the most courageous werewolf of all time." He says happily and enchantingly.

"No pressure then?" A laugh slips from his mouth. "Oh, so he can laugh?" He coughed out the rest and stood straight. "Okay okay sorry, I'll let you carry on." I waited, but he couldn't look me in the eye, his next line would be coming soon, maybe he took a while to rehearse it all.

"Never mind," He sighs. "Do you have any questions?"

"Hmm, question time." I grin. I thought, and I thought hard, thousands and thousands of questions throughout my whole life, why is it that I cannot think of one now? Wait. "My father." He froze, a topic that looks sensitive, but why?

"Your father?" He mumbles.

"Yes, my father. Do you know him?"

"No. He went missing centuries ago."

"So, you do know him? He is still alive?"

"Maybe." Maybe it is good enough.

"Have you met him before?" I whisper.

"He was a leader. Your father has a kind heart. He Is the most powerful and oldest werewolf among many. Your father is a white wolf, I'm sure you are the same." I agree. He must be beautiful. "Your father is a warrior, fought like brothers, with my father, in the war."

"When you say war. Which one, one or two?"

"Neither."

"Neither?" He did say war, right?

"It was a war against vampires. We didn't want to interfere but too many people were being slaughtered. The wolves helped the vampires, back then we were allies."

"How do you know so much? Humans don't"

"I was there."

"When?"

"1947." I chock.

"No. That would make you at least fifty." His laugh was amazing. But he only laughs when I don't know anything, like he is almost mocking me.

"I'm not that old!" He scoffs. "Werewolves age slowly, not like vampires, vampires are immortal, kind of. But we do age, very slowly, the oldest werewolf I would say five hundred, but no one has managed to live past that. We just have the power to live a long time." So, will I stop ageing? What about my family? My friends?

"So, what broke the alliance between the vampires and werewolves around here?"

"A vampire had bitten one of our own, one bite from a vampire is lethal for a werewolf, Violetta, so stay away." He mumbles.

"Oh." I didn't know that, I mean, how could I? I have just found out vampires exist like five minutes ago. "Why do you keep calling me Violetta?"

"Your father gave you that name." He spoke as if it was normal while holding the branches back, for me.

"Wait." I lost him, through the trees, "He did? Wow." I stood there, not paying any attention to anything else, my father gave me this name, how come, my mother, my mother knows nothing about this? About any of this? "And Luka."

"Luka?" He questions, now in front of me. I pointed at him. He looked down, "Oh, is that his name? Just a loose end."

"But how did you know what he looked like, he just moved here?"

"So, did I. It was a great opportunity; I didn't think that he would end up at your school." ... "Have you spoken to him?"

"I have tried, I asked him about you. But I don't think he noticed."

"He didn't?" I shook my head, the branches broke, the dream felt real, but felt a little empty.

"So, what do you look like?"

"Handsome. Smart, gorgeous, fierce..."

"Okay." I scoff, he is so full of himself. "What about my father? Can you explain my father? I want to know."

"He has long black dreadlocks, he has pattern sleeve tattoos that go to his chest, his beard has small plaits and sometimes beads in from the children. He has your eyes."

"He does?" I whisper.

"Yes, and your ears, small, and pointy." I chuckle something that I hope I could see one day. I thought that was just a wolf thing, but it seems it runs in the family, my strange Elf wolf ears, I hide with my springy hair.

"Does he have any more children?" He pauses. Silence for a moment.

"No."...

"No, sorry I mean. Never mind." I walk away from the tree, it may make it less awkward, but it doesn't. As I try and snap out of it.

"Who are you looking at?" My eyes travel down to a small book in his hands.

"Romeo and Juliet?" It's a good excuse to change the subject. "I didn't know you were such a romantic" I leave the tree as he sneers at my words, hiding his smile.

"Dodging the question, are we?" He brings it back around.

"Not just curious?" I play along. He laughs showing off his pearly teeth.

"Did you get my text?" he mumbles.

"So that was you? 'L.'"

"Luka." he says, I shook my head trying to contain my stupid snigger. "It's for English," He persuades as he waves the book. I roll my eyes; I know we are taking Frankenstein. As I walk further into the field. "Okay, maybe I have read it a couple of times, But..." I interrupted him with a loud laugh, but I soon regretted it.

"I have an excellent reason." He tries to convince me. I walked over towards a bench and sat.

"And what may that reason be, Sir" I grin at my words.

"My mother's favourite. She used to read it all the time..." He laughs while looking at the front cover, "She said it reminded her of the love between my father and her." His smile fades along with mine.

"So, how many times did you say you have read it?" I push out a whisper.

"More than I want to admit." He laughs. I slowly take the book out of his lost hands and delicately turn the page. 'Love always, Joanna'. I smiled as I ran my fingers across the gentle handwriting. "So, what do you think about it?"

"A beautiful story between two people, sometimes I think it is a bit ridiculous too. Where their story began. The first time Romeo sees Juliet, was the start of their tragic doom." I twizzle the book in my hand, his eyes seem powerful, sad, and full of trauma.

"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear; Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! So shows a Tinkle's dove trooping with crows, as the younger lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, And, touching hers, bless my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night... If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss..." The time felt as if it stopped, I couldn't look away, and my heart burst out of my chest and flew into him, I didn't realize how profound it got. I have read it once but forgotten the words as my cheeks turn bright pink. I twizzle the book in my hand, trying to avoid the awkwardness.

"Violet!" I stood, caught the air that was trapped, and watched as Jake came towards us.

"Jake." I beam, thank God. The birds flew past as if the time had stopped once again, why does this keep happening? The tension between Jake and Luka makes me want to just leave them to it, it is unbearable, unable to breathe through their thick tension, something is wrong.

"Do you two sit next to each other, in English?"

"Yes." Luka breathes.

"Mostly all the time," Jake mutters.

"But I thought it was History?"

"Yes. Both." The silence dragged for a moment. Jake and Luka seem as if they are fighting with their eyes. It is ridiculous.

"Okay let's go," I mutter, grabbing Jake's arm and pulling him away from the stiff spot. "I will see you later." Luka smiles, waving goodbye. I hope he doesn't think I'm being rude.

"Your boyfriend?"

"Why? Are you jealous?"

"He has got a nice as..." I punched him just before we hit the forest.

"It's fine, violet, I have the same strength you know," He comes closer to me and pushes me too, as I stumble over my two feet, I stare deep into his eyes gobsmacked, how dare he push me so hard.

"Hmm. Excuse me, sir. Just because we were childhood friends, you cannot treat me this way" I stand my ground.

"You want to bet?" He dares me, his deep sparkling eyes crossing mine. I shake my head in a playful fear.

"No." laughter escapes my lips. His eyebrows jumped and danced on his face. "No" my high-pitched voice fills around me. As soon as he placed a foot in front of him, I was off. Running, feeling the trees around me, the branches scraping the side of my cheeks, leaving small cuts that heals by the time I can feel the pain, the heat draining on both of us. The full speed we hide from everyone explodes around us. Jumping from one trunk to the other, sliding and spinning, dodging the nature we are free in. Behind me, a human howl of pleasure escapes Jake's mouth underneath the resting sun.

We stop, breathing in the air surrounding us. The deep inhales and exhales, the burning desire in our throats, make me feel alive. "So," I said, panting, "You and Luka," I interrogated him as he rested his body on his knees.

"What about him?" He stands straight and turns as if to avoid the conversation.

"I know you know that I know, you know each other from somewhere else." I grin.

"Do you want to talk about the wolf or your boyfriend?" He teases.

"He isn't..." I clear my throat. "He isn't my boyfriend. And okay, wolf."

"So, what do you want to know?" He slaps himself down beside a tree that looks over a cliff.

"How do you control your wolf?" I spoke.

"What do you mean?" I slumped myself down.

"I feel like I am going to lash out all the time," I mumble.

"Oh, you just need to understand that your wolf is a part of yourself that needs time as well. Like you need to let everything go, like today, let the wolf free now and then."

"And my father?" I changed the subject quickly. Too quickly.

"Your-"my side pocket began to vibrate, "You may want to answer that." I held the phone to my ear.

"Hello."

"Where the hell are you!" The voice screams through the speakers.

"I'm out." I moan.

"Well, I need you not out, I need you here!" Anna whispers.

"Why?" My dream that I had, made me worry. "Is everything okay?" I fear.

"Yes." She stops.

"Anna?"

"Luka. Is. Here." She spoke between her teeth. I felt relieved, the stupid woman could have told me that first.

"I'm coming."

"Where are you?" I looked around, and at Jake as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Somewhere, I'll be back." I hung up and stood to my feet, holding my hand out to his.

"Walk and talk?"

"I think we should run." He moans, "At least we will find our way back." ...

We finally made it back, the moon brightened above us, and the run was silent, even though I had so many questions running through my mind. His firm body came against mine, its intoxicating wolf scent smothered my nostrils and buzzed me, he felt like family, his lips pressed against my forehead, "I will see you tomorrow."

"But, I have so many questions."

"Tomorrow." He assures as he heads off. I exhaled a lot, a lot of air that I felt dizzy as I turned to go towards my dorms.

The stairs bring back memories of the night of my nightmare, and my flower dress I am wearing now fights between my thoughts about I should change. But it is a harmless dress. A dress that has a low-cut v-neck and back showing off a harmless bit of skin and cleavage, silky lace sleeves that travel down my arms and stop at my elbows. The harmless dress that I believe will not prove my dream will become reality. The harmless dress stops just above my knees with a touch of lace running around the bottom. I cannot believe I avoided wearing this dress for a long time. Running in it and changing in it is no problem at all. I wear adjustable panty boxers, like the Hulk, but fancy women's ones.

My white wedges tap quietly up the dorm stairs as I walk towards my room. I stopped; a small sense of movement caught my eye. I pulled to my sight and if I was closer, I would have pounced. I am glad I did not. Jessica walks by and into her room. Calm down. Violet. It was just a dream.

I grab the handle, as flashes of the dream spring to mind, and I flinch to open the door, but as I do a small but loud screech comes towards me.