The Lycan Princess' True Mate

Chapter 3

The minute I called out Brahn’s name he pretended that I didn't just see him at our table. And tried to play it off like he wasn't himself. I was not going to let him get away that easily.

I told Brahn that I knew exactly who he was, I asked him to give me a second because I had some pressing questions that I wanted immediate answers to. I said in a hushed tone to make sure no one else heard me, and my eyes fixed on him.

Brahn, who was standing a few feet away, looked at me with suspicion. "What are you planning to do? Use your royal status to force me to comply with your demands?" he asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. I shook my head and told him that I never use my royal tone on anyone. That is not how I like to get things done.

.

Brahn seemed taken back by my response, and for a moment, he was lost for words. I seized the opportunity to press on with my questions.

"Now, will you please answer my question?" I asked, my tone firm and unwavering.

Brahn hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "What do you want to know?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Why did you look at me like that when your parents introduced you to all of us?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Brahn's face darkened, and he looked away, refusing to meet my gaze. "I can't answer that question," he muttered, his voice barely audible.

I was not about to let him off the hook that easily. "Why not?" I demanded, my voice rising in frustration.

Brahn's eyes flashed with anger, and he took a step forward. "I just can't, okay? So drop it!" he snapped.

But I was not one to back down from a challenge. "I will not drop it," I said firmly. "And I am not going to let you leave this spot until you tell me what I need to know."

Brahn seemed to be considering his options before finally speaking up. The only thing that he asked for was to be my friend, And then he will tell me.

Gaining new friends is not an issue for me, but Brahn seems overly eager to be friends. It's concerning, but it doesn't hurt to make new friends. However, I know that one person might not approve of this new friendship, so I need to show that Brahn and I are just friends. When I invited Brahn back to my table to meet my group of friends, Heath became angry at the sight of us holding hands. I only had his hand in mine to pull him along with me. Heath got so pissed he gave me a dirty look and left. I followed Heath outside to explain that Brahn is just a friend, but Heath's fear of losing me as a potential mate caused him to jump to conclusions. Despite this, I reassured Heath that I love him and that our friendship is unbreakable, even if I end up with someone else as my mate.

This brought tears to Heath’s eyes. That's one thing I really do love about him. He is not afraid to show how he is feeling or to say what is on his mind. Just this alone is stressing me out a little more than I would like. But I am dealing with it the best that I can.

Heath must not discover the extent of my distress, I don't want him to see me like this and himself lose hope. The hope that I have been trying to help him build regarding begging mates, the hope that I feel like I am slowly losing. What is going to happen, has already been made in stone by the Moon Goddess. Upon returning to the table with Heath, he approached Brahn. Our table fell silent, and the only audible sound was that of crickets. Heath extended his hand, and Brahn reciprocated the handshake. Heath then occupied the seat beside me, and everyone resumed conversing with each other. It is almost time to head out for graduation, which will be brief, since fewer than 100 students will be graduating this year. As we were winding our conversations down, so we could head out, Brahn shared his phone number with everyone present, and before departing, Chris Jr. fist-bumped Brahn and welcomed him to the family.

It's truly baffling to me how Brahn has managed to worm his way into our family. I'm especially curious as to why Chris Jr. would even suggest such a thing. Could he be hiding something from us? The whole situation is incredibly perplexing, and I'm struggling to make sense of it all. Despite this, there's a growing sense that Brahn belongs here, and it's making me feel uneasy. I can't quite put my finger on why, but something just doesn't feel right.

To make matters worse, I'm also grappling with the possibility that Heath may not be my mate. It's a stressful thought that's been weighing heavily on my mind.

But enough about that for now. Today is a big day - it's graduation day! As soon as we arrived at the high school, I eagerly pulled out my phone and sent a message to our group chat.

"Heath and I are finally here! Where are all of you?"

Within seconds, my phone was buzzing with responses from everyone.

Darrow was the first to chime in. "It's about damn time the two of you showed up!"

Danon had saved us seats next to him and his family, while Mel's mom had reserved spots for us closest to the stage. Colton had even gone the extra mile and put our caps and gowns on our chairs so we wouldn't have to search for them. And Rain had made sure we were all sitting in the same spots we had during practice.

I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement as we made our way towards our friends. Today was going to be a day to remember, and I couldn't wait to celebrate with the people I loved most.

I kissed my mother and told her where everyone could go and sit. She was already starting to tear up. Gotta love my mother's hormones. She gets overly emotional. It has only been like this though, since she became pregnant.

Once we got to our seats, the Principal was already finishing up his speech and introducing the senior class counselor.

“Now please welcome Ms. Windstrum, our Senior Class Counselor.”

“Thank you Principal Matthews,

“As I look out at each one of your faces, a tear falls from my eye. I have worked with each and everyone of you, leading up to today. The skies are the limit, when it comes to where

you all go from here. It’s hard to believe that we are here celebrating the achievements of all you bright young minds in the crowd today. Can you believe it? You’ve all made it to the end of this chapter and the beginning of something new. You are all like a well seasoned cast iron skillet, strong, resilient, and ready for whatever comes your way.

I hope your dreams take all of you to the corners of the earth. To the highest of your hopes and to the most special places your heart has ever known. Make a difference. Live the dream, Relish the adventure and leave your mark.Hats off to all of you for achieving this milestone. Your hard work and dedication sure paid off.

Now go out there and take the world by storm.”

Now it was time for them to start calling up the graduates and hand them their diploma. And, of course, when my name gets called, everyone yelled, cheered, whistled and clapped. I shook the principal's and the counselor's hands. They handed me my diploma, and I exited the stage and went back to my seat.

After everyone got their diploma, the principal went back up to the podium, and introduced the final speaker.

“In conclusion of this graduation ceremony, I would like to call your Valedictorian, Ms. Brittaney Johnson, up to the podium”

“Thank you Principal Matthews,

I promise to keep this short. I know that we are all super excited about leaving this place for the last time tonight. My fellow graduates, Over the last four years here at Grimfur High School, we have learned a lot. Mr. Lawrence taught us how to support our own positions, interpretations and analyses. Ms. Andrews taught us ‘It's always something to know you've done the most you could. But, don't leave off hoping, or it's of no use doing anything’ By: Charles Dickens. And Mr. Sawyer taught us that being different is one of everyone's best qualities. And not to mention learning a few curse words in Gnommish.

So now we’re high school graduates. And soon we’re going to be signing each others’ yearbooks and saying goodbye. There will be hugs and tears. We’ll do our best to stay in touch. But we’ll be living our lives and doing our best.

As a final thought going forward, I’d like to leave you with a quote from Mark Twain. He said,'Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.'

Thank you all.”

After Brittaney's speech, we all chucked our caps into the air like we were trying to hit the moon. It was a bittersweet moment, but most of us were looking forward to my party this weekend, so the goodbyes weren't too tearful. High school was finally over, and I was ready to take on the world.

We piled into the SUV, exhausted from the long day. As we drove back to the castle, I found myself lost in thought. Wait a minute, Heath and I have been together for five years. That's practically a lifetime. We can't just throw it all away now.

I continued to mull over my thoughts until the car came to a stop, signaling our arrival home. Heath and I walked up the stairs together, but as soon as my foot hit the fourth step, I froze. Suddenly, I heard a voice say,

“Yes, it is a long time to be with someone. But trust me, when you see what fate has in store for you, it will be all worth it.”

Heath's concerned gaze bore into me as he questioned my actions. Without a word, I resumed my ascent up the stairs. His inquiry only confirmed my suspicions - he hadn't heard what I had. The implications of this realization left me with more questions than answers. If Heath couldn't hear it, then he couldn't provide any insight into what was happening. And just as suddenly as before, it happened again.

“Everything will soon make sense.”

In that moment, I knew I needed to speak with my mother. Moon might be able to shed some light on the situation, but I needed my mother's guidance. When we reached the top of the staircase, he kissed me goodnight and I rushed to my room to shower and change into my pajamas.

I made my way to my parents' room and knocked gently on the door. My mother's voice called out, "Come in!" I entered the room and closed the door behind me. My mother could sense my emotions, and I knew I couldn't hide anything from her.

I explained everything that had happened, every word that had been said to me. My father chuckled, and I demanded to know what was so funny. He revealed that he had gone through the same thing with his wolf, Vilks.

He shared a secret with me, one that he had never told anyone before. As he approached his coming of age, his father took him to the dungeon where rouges were kept. He was tasked with deciding whether they should live or die. In that moment, a voice spoke to him, guiding him towards the right decision. It was the voice of his wolf, Vilks.

I listened intently, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. My wolf was going to be powerful, just like my father's. I couldn't wait to see what the future held for me and my wolf.

I couldn't bring myself to reveal the truth about the voice. It was too risky. So, I spun a lie to end the conversation and retreated to my room. But I knew I couldn't keep this to myself forever. I had to talk to Heath, my confidant, and make sure we were on the same page. I made a mental note to bring it up in the morning.

As I bid my parents goodnight and closed their bedroom door, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. But it was short-lived. My mind was still racing with questions and doubts. I needed some distraction, so I turned on the TV and grabbed my phone.

It was past midnight, but I couldn't resist checking my messages. And there it was, a notification from Brahn. I replied with a polite message back and said goodnight and then put my phone away.

As I lay in bed, surrounded by the comforting hum of the TV, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. The voice, the message, the secrets...they all seemed to be connected. But how? And why? I drifted off to sleep, hoping to find some answers in my dreams.