The Silent Princess

Chapter 2 - 18 Years and Growing

Elizabeth’s POV

Eight years have passed since the Silver Falls pack was attacked. We lived in the caves for a few weeks, hoping whatever threat was against us was gone. Uncle Steven had kept up appearances when we were around, but he was struggling with the loss of his mate and what happened that day. He confided in Josie he felt ashamed that he had left to go to the annual update meeting with King Isaac on behalf of our father and wasn’t there to help when the pack was attacked. We all have our issues about that day, and that is his. I, myself, have nightmares occasionally when something triggers them. It’s normally the smell of burning wood.

Uncle Steven said he needed to be strong, regardless of how he felt. He became the sole caregiver of five pups. Three of them were 10 years old; Josie, Helen and I. Two 12-year-olds; Lucus and Peter. And one 13-year-old; Eden. Eden and Peter both found their mates and moved to the Grey Moon pack to be with them. We still get to see them on occasion, which is nice. It’s not as often as I would like.

About a week after ‘it’ happened, Uncle Steven left to see my grandfather Horice in the Lillivan Coven to figure out what happened to Lucas, Helen and me. Grandpa worked out, we were enchanted and not cursed on that fateful day. He said Mum and possibly Aunty Lucinda placed the enchantment on us. It concealed our witch side and, as a result, we each lost one of our senses. I am guessing the one we relied on the most because Dad used to joke; I could talk under five feet of wet cement with a mouthful of water.

Uncle Steven and Grandpa said we aren’t rogues because we are still together and even though there are only seven of us, we are still a part of the Silver Falls Pack. Uncle Steven will tell us he is only acting Alpha until Lucas can take his rightful place to rebuild the pack.

We live in a house on the edge of our old packland, near the coven, when we weren’t in school. We were all sent to a human boarding school for children with disabilities to learn how to deal with our new life of living without our hearing, voice and sight. Lucas and I learned how to speak using sign language. Humans don’t realize we can easily communicate via mind link. However, Uncle Steven said since only a selected few can mind link Helen, Lucas and me, and that’s our family; there are times when I need to communicate with others, and it would be good to learn.

Our other senses have become more dominant since that day. Even though Helen can’t see, her instincts of people and other things around her are scary. If you didn’t know she was blind, you would never guess. She was offered a seeing eye dog; a black Labrador called Marshall. She declined, and he went to a human, Matthew. Matthew and his sister Bridget have become close friends. Helen and Matthew went out a few times but decided to keep their relationship platonic. Bridget and Lucas were hot and heavy for a few years. They called it off when Bridget had to return home just after they turned 16. Lucas hasn’t really been dating anyone since; it was probably for the best. They are human and we are not.

Speaking of Matthew; he figured out we weren’t human. I put it down to him being blind, and he could smell our werewolves since his sense of smell is heightened due to the lack of sight. Uncle Steven wasn’t impressed, but Matthew promised to keep it a secret. Oh, and I have a secret; I got my wolf a few years ago. “I am not a secret,” Lacey complained with a grumble.

“I wasn’t talking about you specifically. I was talking about how you can speak when you come forward in my body,” I reminded, as she rolled her eyes and sat up in my mind.

“That’s not the secret,” she huffed playfully, wagging her tail back and forth.

“No. The secret is our witch abilities aren’t dormant. Only concealed,” I explained as Lacey gives me a huge wolfy grin.

Lacey is a grey wolf. Bruce, Caitlyn and her confirmed we were able to use our witch abilities. Grandpa and Uncle Steven told us to keep it secret. At least while Helen, Josie and I finish our last year of schooling. Human schools are so different to a werewolf or witch school because we don’t learn about supernatural existence. Uncle Steven and grandpa have been making up for that whenever we go home, practicing our magic and learning about the hierarchy of shifters. I’m a healer, so I’ve discovered. Grandpa said witch abilities show themselves when we are ready to receive it. If I have other abilities, I don’t know it yet.

About school? We finished our finals three days ago, and we are packing up our off-campus apartment we own before heading back to the house. Uncle Steven and Lucas said they have a surprise for us when we get there. I wonder what it could be?

“Is this everything?” a male voice called from the front doorway.

“Petey,” Josie squealed, running to the door to give our big brother a hug. After everything happened, Uncle Steven told us to look at one another as siblings, even though only three of us were technically related. “What are you doing here? Are you our surprise?” she banters, linking Peter’s arm in hers, bringing him into the living room.

“Yeah; I guess I am in a way,” Peter answered, unlinking his arm and sitting down on the couch. I forgot how handsome he was with his six-foot-two physique; long chestnut brown hair, styled back in a ponytail and deep blue eyes. Not that I ever saw him as more than a brother. His mate Shelby is very lucky because his personality matches his handsomeness. “I will let Uncle Steven and Lucas tell you the finer details.”

“We are only taking our clothes and personal belongings,” Helen explained, walking into the living room, tying her blonde hair into a messy bun. “We are leaving the rest for Matt since he is renting it from us. It’s already equipped for a blind person and is dog friendly for Marshall.”

“Well, let’s get this stuff in the back of the SUV. We should make it back to the coven by sundown,” Peter replied, picking up Helen’s suitcase and heading out the door. Out of all three of us ladies, Peter had a soft spot for Helen. He was always there to teach her how to do day to day stuff without her eyesight and was the one to help her develop her instincts to sense people.

I sat quietly at the back, contemplating my final exams. I think I passed but won’t know for another two months when the results are emailed to us. I plan on going to university to study business and marketing. If Lucas is to rebuild the Silver Falls Pack, he will need help with developing new businesses to fund the pack. I know Uncle Steven kept the ones we had going; it would be good to learn how to give him a helping hand.

After leaving school, Lucas was whisked away to learn how to be an Alpha and never got a chance to go to university and went to the Kingdom Pack instead. King Isaac Jackman, Queen Maxine, their son Kyle and their leadership are the only other people who know our predicament. They knew we were there and let us do what we needed to do to stay hidden; because to this day, we don’t know who it was that attacked us.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Helen asked me through a mind link. She must have sensed how quiet I was, because she couldn’t see me. Everyone knows how I get caught up in my own thoughts and they often question me about what I’m thinking, so I don’t overthink things. I tend to do that a lot.

“Just thinking about what Uncle Steven and Lucas have in store for us. I wonder if he is finished with learning to be an Alpha,” I answered, looking out the window.

“Maybe,” Helen replied, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. Regardless of what the two of us have been through separately; we have always remained close. In fact, we have become close to Lucas, Jodie, Eden and Peter too. I couldn’t imagine what my life would be like without them in it.

I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I remember, Lucas was tickling my nose with a feather to wake me up. I told him to ‘f**k Off,’ the only way I could, by flipping him off. He chuckled before wrapping me in a huge bear hug. “I love you, too, Lizzy,” he said, whispering in my ear.

Lucas and I are like chalk and cheese when it comes to our appearance. Don’t get me wrong, Goddess Selene equipped both of us with what is needed for the opposite s*x. I have mum’s dark brown hair and green eyes, while Lucas has dad’s sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. I have curves in all the right places on my 5-foot 8 body, whereas Lucas has built more muscles that any she-wolf would love on his 6-foot 6 body, since he went to the Kingdom Pack.

“What have you been doing lately?” I asked Lucas through a mind link.

“Finishing with my Alpha lessons,” he answers excitedly. I can sense he is relieved they are almost over. Lucas retrieved my suitcase from the rear of the SUV, and we started walking to the front of the house. “Uncle Steven is waiting inside. We need to talk to everyone about what we propose to do with rebuilding the Silver Falls Pack.”

Once we get inside, Uncle Steven greeted me at the doorway, giving me a huge hug. “I’ve missed you,” he said with a big grin on his face.

“Me too,” I signed back, returning his smile.

“Why doesn’t everyone freshen up and meet us down here in ten minutes,” Uncle Steven said and signed at the same time, as everyone bolted up the stairs to our bedrooms.

I quickly showered and changed into my grey sweatpants and light blue tank top, before heading back downstairs to see what Uncle Steven wanted to talk to us about. I picked up a plate of lasagna and chips on my way past and sat at the dining room table to wait for the others. Yum; this is as good as I remember it.

When Peter and Shelby finally came downstairs and sat at the table, Uncle Steven cleared his throat. “Now everyone is here,” he started, signing at the same time for Lucas. “Lucas has finished his training with King Isaac, and they believe he is ready to rebuild the Silver Falls Pack.”

“I have been asked to find a suitable Beta and Gamma,” Lucas said, putting a chip in his mouth and swallowing. “I have asked Pete to be my Beta, and he has graciously accepted.”

“That’s wonderful, congratulations,” Helen said with pride in her voice, giving Peter a side hug next to her.

“As for my gamma,” Lucas continued, glancing over at Josie who was scrolling through her phone. “I would like to ask Josie if she would accept the position?”

Josie looked up when the question was posed, her mouth gaping open in surprise. “Me?” she queried with utter shock. I’m not sure why she was surprised. She had always hoped to be given a post when Lucas rebuilt the pack and trained harder than anyone I know.

“Yes you,” Uncle Steven spoke with annoyance in his voice. “You train just as hard as anyone else, and you have the knowledge and know how to be a beta as well as a gamma.”

“Um,” she stammered, a tear rolling down her face. She thought she would be overlooked for a leadership position because she was female. “I would be honored,” she announced, stepping up from her seat to give Lucas a hug.

“Now that is settled,” Uncle Steven continued, making sure he signed for Lucas, even though he wasn’t paying attention to him. “We will be leaving tomorrow morning for the Kingdom Pack to finalise everything for Lucas to become Alpha of the Silver Falls pack. It’s a five-hour drive, so make sure you are prepared.”

There were cheers and whistles around the dinner table, while I clapped my hands together and reached over to give my brother a hug because I was truly happy for him.