Run! The Lost Princess of the Black Wolves

Chapter 2 - Blueberry pancakes

6 months before Wake up…

”Good morning!” Isabel smiled when Chloe entered the Great room with a yawn.

“Good morning,” Chloe suppressed another yawn with her hand and chuckled. “You look rudely fresh! And here am I, dead tired… and I’m not even pregnant.”

“Was it hard to go to sleep last night?” Isabel gave her an understanding gaze, stirring her cup of tea before she lifted it to her lips. “A lot on your mind?”

She perched gracefully by one of the coffee tables, her long blonde hair falling down her back in golden waves, absentmindedly patting her perfectly round baby bump. Her laptop was open but she cleared it away, making room for Chloe to come join her.

“I could hardly sleep at all,” Chloe sighed as she poured herself a cup of coffee before settling down next to her sister-in-law, flipping her smooth and long ebony black hair to one side. “I feel so foolish for leaving everything until the last minute. You know, packing all my stuff. It's insane, especially since I'm leaving for months!”

Isabel nodded, plucking up a few leftover crumbs of Jenna's famous scones with her fingertips. "And not only that, but you’re also off to so many different places," she added. “I guess you have to pack your winter boots and your down jacket, as well as shorts and summer dresses…”

“Not to forget all my evening gowns,” Chloe took a sip of her coffee, trying to calm her nerves. “Oh Goddess, what am I getting myself into? I might have to ask for a private jet just to haul all my outfits!” she chuckled as the absurdity of it all hit her, letting out a snort. Isabel joined in, the two of them giggling over the image of a plane stuffed to the brim with designer dresses.

"Oh, Chloe," Isabel said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "You always manage to make things so exciting. I'm almost jealous of your adventure."

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited," Chloe admitted. "But at the same time, I'm nervous as hell as well. And the thought of not being here, it's just..." She trailed off, lost in thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Anyway, how's Mini doing today?" she asked, eyeing Isabel’s big, beautiful baby bump.

Isabel's face lit up as she caressed her growing belly. "She's doing great," she beamed. "She's been quite active lately. Do you want to feel it?" she asked, taking Chloe's hand and placing it on her abdomen, letting her feel the little kicks and brushes on the other side.

"Hi, little one," Chloe whispered with a smile. However, her green eyes widened with surprise as the baby kicked right into her hand with impressive force.

"Looks like she's saying Hi back to you, Auntie," Isabel laughed.

"Wow, she's so strong!" Chloe exclaimed as she felt another kick from Isabel's belly, marveling at how it stretched and bulged in several different places at the same time. "Are you sure there's just one baby in there? It looks like you might have an octopus on your hands," she teased fondly.

“Naah, I think it’s a wolf,” Isabel grinned. “But who knows? We’ll see when she comes out!”

“I can’t wait,” Chloe smiled, removing her hand when Ica, one of the pack's young omegas, entered the room, carrying a tray with delicious pancakes, fresh blueberries and maple syrup. “Thank you,” Chloe accepted the tray. “Tell Jenna they smell delicious!”

“I will,” Ica smiled before turning towards Isabel. “Luna, would you like anything else?”

“No, I’m good, thank you,” Isabel smiled. “Or wait, you know what? I think I’ll have some of those as well…” she gazed at the mouthwatering pancakes on Chloe’s plate.

“Of course, Luna,” Ica curtsied and left.

“Second breakfast?” Chloe chuckled as Ica left the room.

"Third!" Isabel laughed as she snatched a corner of Chloe's pancakes and popped it into her mouth with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Chloe shook her head in disbelief. "You and your love for food," she scoffed. "I've never met anyone who can eat as much as you do and still look so skinny."

“You can’t exactly call me skinny now, though,” Isabel gestured to her belly. “And mini needs her pancakes. She’s growing insanely fast!”

Chloe chortled. "When you put it that way, you can have my pancakes if you want," she offered, pushing the plate closer to Isabel.

“Naaah, I’ll wait for mine,” Isabel grinned. “You go ahead.”

Chloe dug in and closed her eyes, letting out a contented sigh as she savored the pancakes melting in her mouth, the fluffy texture mixing perfectly with the syrup and the freshness of the blueberries.

“Mmm, I’m going to miss Jenna’s cuisine,” she opened her eyes, meeting Isabel’s amused gaze. “And I’m going to miss you!” her voice trailed off as she lowered her gaze. "I might not be here when you give birth," she continued, fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. “I feel so stupid…”

“Don’t,” Isabel raised a finger in warning. "We’ve been through this before," her smile was gentle, but her gaze was firm. "I want you to go. You've been planning this for months… Years even! You need it. You're young and it's time for you to spread your wings and explore the world, to roam freely for the first time in your life."

“But I want to be here for you! And for John… And for Mini, of course,” Chloe's voice quivered as her eyes filled with tears.

Isabel gave her a reassuring pat on the knee. "And you will be, but you need to go do your own thing first. It's not like you'll be having a blast with her when she's a newborn anyway! It takes a while before they even start interacting,” she added with a wry smile. “You'll have plenty of time to come back and be with us. But first, you need to go have fun and explore life… And to get things sorted with Marcus.”

Chloe let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. "Marcus," she groaned. "I swear, I don't know what to do with him. Can you believe he's coming with me and Freya on the trip? It was our parents' condition for letting us go..."

”I don’t blame them,” Isabel shrugged. “I would have done the same, honestly… Considering what’s going on up in the north…” She suddenly brightened up as the omega returned to the room, carrying a tray of freshly made pancakes adorned with strawberries and whipped cream. "Thank you, Ica!" Isabel beamed at her. "These are just the way I like them."

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Chloe pouted before she stuffed her mouth with a large chunk of pancakes. "And honestly, I think it's just our parents' way of trying to get us back together again… Not that we ever were a thing to start with.”

“Oh, come on!” Isabel laughed. "You can't fool me, Chloe. It was obvious to everyone that you and Marcus had a fling."

“Well, apparently, he had a fling with Emma as well!” Chloe furrowed her brows, her eyes turning black as she recalled how Isabel’s friend Emma had wrapped her arms around Marcus and kissed him passionately at John and Isabel’s wedding… And he hadn’t even attempted to stop her.

Isabel playfully jabbed her fork in Chloe's direction. "Let's not forget that you were hardly glued to Marcus that night either," she smirked, quirking up a brow. "You seemed more interested in Helen's wedding date,” she said meaningly before helping herself to another pancake, her hazel eyes sparkling.

“That’s not fair!” Chloe objected, her cheeks blushing. "He was the one staring at me!" She paused, lost in thought for a moment, "And there was just something about him that I couldn't place. But never mind,” she continued with a shrug. “He’s obviously taken, so I’m not going waste my energy on thinking about him.”

“Yes, he’s taken, and I did not like the way he looked at you,” Isabel frowned. “No one did…”

“No one but me…” Chloe’s inner wolf whispered, but Chloe quickly silenced her.

However, there was no way to deny it. The truth remained that she couldn't shake him off her mind... Oliver.

Ever since their first and only encounter at the wedding, when their gazes met and the whole world seemed to stop spinning, her mind had been obsessing over him. It was so odd that he was with that woman, Helen. What could he possibly see in her? Sure, she was undeniably pretty, but still… Human. Why would a wolf like him want to be with an ordinary human? With his looks, she was sure any female wolf would eagerly throw themselves at his feet.

Chloe had secretly tried to find out more about him, this mystical man who had captured her attention, but nothing. John was tight-lipped and had only shrugged, the rest of the pack didn’t even seem to be aware of his existence, and she couldn't bring herself to pry too much with Isabel - after all, he was her friend Helen's boyfriend! Yet, Chloe couldn't get him off her mind.

The only person who had shed some light on Oliver's background was her father, Warren. He had mentioned that Oliver was the son of a highly respected Eastern Alpha, but had chosen to leave pack life to live among humans. Warren, who was notoriously disdainful of those who preferred the human world and abandoned their pack, had spoken with spite about it, but despite her father's opinion, Chloe couldn't help but to be intrigued. What had driven Oliver away from his pack? And what was he doing in the human world? The mystery around him only fueled her curiosity, and she found herself daydreaming about him more often than she wanted to admit…

The biggest problem, however, was the nights. Every time she closed her eyes, she was plagued by vivid, irrational dreams that left her tossing and turning until dawn. In one of them, she found herself swaying in Oliver’s arms in a sensual dance, his alluring scent enveloping her and his captivating gaze penetrating her soul. He had his hands on her waist, and his firm touch made her heart race as she yearned for his kiss… But just as their lips were about to meet, Marcus and Helen appeared, shooting her cold stares that made her shiver and stop dead in her tracks.

In another dream, Marcus was the one, standing by a bonfire, his voice low and coaxing as he beckoned her to join him. The next second, her fated mate Nolan showed up, completely naked and drenched in Nicholas' blood, claiming her as his mate with a fierce look in his eyes. Her wolf howled, urging her to accept him, but her mind screamed in resistance, telling her that it was wrong! Then, Nolan was heading for Marcus, trying to kill him. Grabbing her crossbow, she aimed at Nolan, but her hand shook so much that the arrows missed their mark over and over again until she eventually woke up screaming with agony and despair.

But the worst dreams were still the ones where she was in bed with Nolan at some unknown place, and his hands roamed over her nude body, igniting a flame burning within her, making her crave him like a drug. Her mind fought against the desire, trying to utter the words to reject him as her mate, but her body betrayed her as she surrendered to his touch… And then Marcus or Oliver would appear, their presence sending her into a spiral of confusion and arousal. And every time she would wake up feeling utterly guilty and ashamed.

What was wrong with her? Just the thought of these dreams made her cheeks flush with embarrassment, making her wish she could vanish from the face of the earth. There was no way she could tell anyone about these dreams! Not even Isabel.

“Hello, earth calling!” Isabel waved her hand in front of Chloe’s face to grab her attention.

“Sorry,” Chloe flinched and looked up apologetically. “I zoomed out. My mind is so consumed these days, it feels like it’s going to burst!”

“No worries,” Isabel replied with a sympathetic smile. "Still thinking about Nolan, huh?"

“How can I not?” Chloe shuddered. “Knowing he’s still out there somewhere… He said he would come back for me. Part of me can't wait to finally reject him and be rid of him for good. But another part of me is terrified."

“Well John and Warren are not giving up on finding him, and when they do, they’ll lock him up and make sure that next time, you will be able to reject him properly.” Isabel caressed her arm reassuringly. “And it's good that you're getting away from all this. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to walk around here waiting for Nolan to show up. You definitely need some distraction! And, as I said before, I think it’ll be good for you to talk things out with Marcus… To clear the air between the two of you..”

“Marcus and I are just friends,” Chloe stated firmly, pressing her lips together. "And I won't be getting involved with anyone until I've officially rejected Nolan. I want a fresh start, a clean slate."

Isabel leaned back in her plush armchair, her hands resting on her baby bump. "That's great," she smiled. "Enjoy being single! As a wise friend once told me, there is plenty of fish in the sea," she added with a playful wink.

"Who's going fishing?" John's dark voice made them turn their heads. He walked over to Isabel and planted a kiss on the top of her head as he embraced her from behind. “And how are my girls?”

“We’re good,” Isabel beamed back up at him as he slid his hands down her chest and Chloe couldn't help but look away as they shared a steamy kiss. Seriously, these two! Could they not get a room already?

John finally released Isabel and ran his hand through his unruly black hair as he turned to Chloe. "And how about you, sis? Ready for your adventure?"

"More than ready," Chloe replied, rolling her eyes. "I'll do anything to escape you two lovebirds," she teased, unable to hide her smile.

“Just be careful,” John's expression turned grave. “Our world is not like it was before. I’m not sure going to the North is such a good idea at the moment.”

“Relax, brother,” Chloe stood up and flipped her sleek black hair to her back. “I’ll be staying at Emerald Pack with Marcus and Freya. I will only go up north for the Winter’s ball. Besides, it’s going to be at our cousin’s castle so I’m sure I’ll be safe. Even father approves!”

“He does,” Warren’s dark voice boomed as he entered the Great Room along with Rebecca, who was looking less enthusiastic. “Someone has to cultivate our relations with the northern packs and tribes! I believe that Chloe is the best fit for the job," Warren stated.

“Thank you, father,” Chloe smiled. “I’m happy to have your faith in me.”

Rebecca, on the other hand, seemed far from thrilled. Tears glistened in her bright blue eyes, and she pursed her lips tightly. "I won't lie, I don't like this one bit," she said, her voice laced with worry. “But you’re an adult now, and I won't stop you from living your life. If this is what you want to do, then I'll support you. Just promise me that you'll keep us updated and that you'll come back if you need to. OK?"

“Of course, mother,” Chloe said, planting a tender kiss on Rebecca's cheek. "I'll make sure to stay in touch."

Rebecca's expression softened. "I just can't help worrying about you," she admitted. "It's what becoming a parent does to you." She gave a faint smile to Isabel, who was listening in.

"I guess I'll know soon enough," Isabel replied softly.

"Not too soon, though," Chloe grinned. "At least not before I've been to the Winter's ball in the North and the Spring fiest in the South!"

"You forgot the Blossom festival in the East," Isabel pointed out.

"We'll see about that one," Chloe grimaced. "It seems so stiff."

"We need to do business with the eastern packs as well, you know," Warren raised a brow. "I'm sure you'll manage."

"Whatever you feel up to," Rebecca glanced at him annoyingly before she gazed back at Chloe. "Don't listen to him. And remember..."

"I'll come home if it doesn't feel safe. Yes mother, I promise," Chloe gave her a long and warm embrace.

"I love you, Chloe," Rebecca smiled through the tears. "Be safe."