FLASHBACK
"Mom? Dad?", Elizabeth was getting terrified. Her parents were supposed to be home.
"Mom?", She called out while brushing away a curved leaf. Damn being brave, she thought as she allowed fear seep into her voice. What can her seventeen-year-old self-do without her brother who was enjoying his time with his friends.
"Dad", She called as she got to the clearing. It was the place the Eleanor's first found her, the place where wars in the Chosen Lightning pack were arranged.
"Move a step closer and your parents will die", A man said breathing in her ear.
When did he get here? How did he get here? She wondered as she remained frozen on the spot.
"Child, run!", Her father shouted. She could, she wanted to but she couldn't. She didn't want to leave them and her body seems to agree with her.
"Well, it seems your daughter is going to be on the chess board", The man smiled while brushing a strand of hair from her face harshly.
"Please no! Not her. Please, we will do anything", Her mother pleaded while trying to free herself from the man who held her captive. Elizabeth could feel her mother's pain as the silver knife was slowly making its way into her neck.
"Mom, no!", Elizabeth shouted while trying to save her mother. Her feet were rooted firmly on the floor as the silent tears turned to a full sob. She couldn't comprehend anything except the pool of blood five feet away from her. Her legs buckled underneath her as she slumped down and fell unconscious.
END OF FLASHBACK.
"Elizabeth!", She could feel and hear the panic in that person's voice. Where was she? Who was that? She could not tell but after several minutes of trying, she opened her eyes.
"She is awake, thank God", That person whispered. She looked and saw her worried best friend with a frown etched on his face.
The tears were falling freely as she sobbed on the shoulder of the man that held her earlier. She closed her eyes and images of her past kept replaying. She remembers every single details from the hospital, her discharge, the rejection as well as the abuse. She couldn't take it any longer as she continued sobbing on Paul's shoulder.
"Shhhh!!", He was comforting her. Why wasn't he her brother? Why can't she find her mate in him but she couldn't blame anyone as she untangled herself and gave him a little smile.
"What am I doing here?", She asked.
"You fainted on your way to the pack house", Elizabeth turned to face him and nodded. Paul went to his backpack to fetch out his head set from his bag and played the song, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger by Kelly Clarkson and took the second book of the After series, giving it to her to read.
~ TWO~
Elizabeth was released three days later from the hospital. She was thankful that she had one person who really cared for her, Paul. Paul was with her at the hospital, never leaving her sight except times where she had to use the toilet or dress herself.
"You know Kyle is coming tomorrow. I don't know why that son of a bitch can't just stay in his pack, must he poke his nose because he rules the whole pack in the world?", Paul whined.
Elizabeth had started a full blown laughter by the time he had completed his last sentence. Luckily for them, Elizabeth was done with her chores so she decided to stay in her room with Paul.
"I appreciate that Paul but you don't need to do that", Elizabeth said smiling. Ever since she told Paul what had transpired between herself and Kyle at the hospital, Paul's hatred for the Alpha Prince has increased to infinity. Elizabeth would have cheered him on if only Kyle's rejection had completely destroyed the mate's bond. Elizabeth knew sooner or later this will all be over.
"Thanks Paul", She said after pouncing on him in a childish manner.
"Get off me now", He said sternly. If Elizabeth hadn't known better, she would have started trembling in fear.
"Ahh! Ahhh! darling, that voice is a no! no!!", She said emphasizing on the 'no' with her second finger.
She was enjoying the playful banter but nature would forever run its course as she stood up from Paul and went to the bathroom to pee. She got out and saw Paul seated with his head buried in his palm.
"Are you okay?", Elizabeth asked while kneeling in front of him and removed his hands from his face.
"I need to tell you something Elizabeth, something extremely important", He said and sighed. He stood up and started pacing.
Elizabeth was worried, she was expecting him to talk when Paul stopped abruptly and left the room. Elizabeth didn't follow him and retired for bed. She didn't want to dwell on negative thoughts.
The next day, no one called her. No one, not even one person asked her to cook or said any form of insult. She felt alarmed. Do they know about her and Kyle? She thought. She was praying as she was walking silently down the stairs.
She was a step closer to the end of the stairs when her favorite nightmare walked in, "It's Prince Kyle", Luna Claire announced as he flashed her his heart breaking smile. Elizabeth breathe in while she scrambled to make herself scarce but unfortunately she was called by Luna Claire.
She could feel Kyle gaze on her as they were walking to Alpha Max's office, which was designed with bricks and a bookshelf at the left hand side of Alpha Max seat. "Welcome", Alpha Max greeted with a handshake and offered him a seat, treating him with royalty which to them he was one.
"Get him a fruit juice", Marianne commanded as she was trying to get his attention by moving closer to him. Even though she felt a pang of jealousy, she has decided a long time ago to stay strong.
"Don't worry, I am fine", Kyle immediately dismissed the offer. His wolf wasn't happy with the way Elizabeth was treated neither was he. He had missed her ever since he found and rejected her, he was never happy with himself but his pride won't allow him to ask for forgiveness.
He was so lost in thought that he never realized he was being addressed, "I am sorry, what did you say?", He asked kindly while faking a smile. "I asked for the date of the coronation", Alpha Max said annoyingly but he can't show the Prince that or else the consequences would be so grievous.
"My father said three months from now", He replied while trying to inhale Elizabeth scent as he had just noticed she left few minutes ago.
"My daughter is the Queen.....", Luna Claire squealed but couldn't complete the sentence before she was cut off by Kyle.
"Correction, Queen Regent. Your daughter is not my mate and will never be", He said bluntly. Marianne frowned and Alpha Max bit his tongue to prevent himself from making an utterance that could get him killed.
Kyle had enough. He made a mistake cheating on his mate and he accepted his faults but it's expected of him to favour the next Queen Regent more as his mate than a convicted murderer.
"My daughter will show you the way to your room and if you ever need help with anything, you are free to call on me", Marianne rose up delightfully as she tried linking their arms together but Kyle was having none of it.
The Chosen Lightning pack is the fifth according to the ranking. The ranking consists of the royals as the first then the remaining nine head Alphas. They are ranked according to their connections, strength, numbers, power and wealth. The royals rule over all the packs in the world even though werewolves community only extended to five countries, that is, the UNITED STATES, UNITED KINGDOM, CANADA, FRANCE and SPAIN. Each country has two Head Alphas ruling and has appointed at least five Alphas whom are called neighboring Alphas.
"This is your room darling", She purred while dragging her finger down his abs. Kyle felt irritated and angry so he pushed and asked her to get out.
Elizabeth couldn't find Paul in his room, "This is weird", She murmured as she continued her search for him. She couldn't find him anywhere and was about to give up when she heard a whisper, 'The meadow'. Elizabeth's heart was beating rapidly, her thoughts filled with her parent's death and hoped Paul was safe and sound. She got to the meadow in record speed when she saw a white paper at the entrance of the cave beside the meadow. She laughed temporarily forgetting her worries as she thought,' this is stupid, what if someone has seen the paper'. She had gotten closer to the cave and bent down to pick the paper when she felt a burn. She hissed as she pulled her hand away.
"What's happening?", She tried mind linking Paul but he had put up his walls. She looked around until she remembered him telling her during one of his visits at the hospital about witches.
FLASHBACK
"What do you mean by witches are evil? Not all of them are", Elizabeth said pouting as she crossed her arms on her chest. They have been arguing over the powers of the witches for the past five minutes.
Paul scoffed and said," Okay, I agree", He said to make her happy. They were silent for two minutes trying to enjoy the silence. Paul broke the silence as he moved closer to her. "Do you know that if a witch casts a blockage spell, the solution is ashes".
"What do you mean?", Elizabeth said raising her eyebrows. He was acting weird discussing about witches to her but she decided to keep quiet.
"This invisible spell witches do to ban anyone from moving closer, the solution is by spraying ashes around it", He said explaining it slowly to her.
"Anyone would know this", Elizabeth said clueless.
Paul laughed, "Are you this clueless? This is a top secret, Elizabeth. Do not tell anyone, not even my brother".
"As if we are that close but okay!", Elizabeth answered.
END OF FLASBACK
She did as she remembered and waited five minutes before she retrieved the paper. Paul had thought it through by placing the bottle closer to the fallen wood which took her two minutes to find. She opened it and the content surprised her as well as left her confused, "Sorry", It simply reads.
Elizabeth took the paper with her. She was closer to the pack house before she bumped into a wall, "Ouch!", She was about to look up when she came face to face with Kyle.
He was angry because she never told him where she was heading to. He had waited two hours and when he saw no signs of her, he decided to search himself, "Where the fuck have you been?", He shouted.
Elizabeth flinched. He noticed and his face softened as he was about to reach her, "Don't please", She whispered as she sidestepped him to go to her room. Immediately she broke down in tears, she knew sooner or later, this has to stop.
The next day at about 6:30 am, Elizabeth heard a howl which was similar to that of Paul's as she ran to that direction. Disappointment could not fully describe her emotions when she didn't find him there. It was raining and she was partially blinded by her tears. She could hear the howls of her pack and she was about to walk away when she noticed a piece of paper flowing away. Elizabeth ran to pick it up and read the faded content which says, "Be well, he will be back. That I promise".
Elizabeth squeezed the paper in her hand and fell down in tears.
The pack fighters as well as Alpha Max and Alpha Prince Kyle got there and saw Elizabeth sitting on the floor as she cried silently.
Kyle wanted to run to her, to make the pain go away but he knew he would be rejected so he stood there and watched the love of his life in pain.
"What are you doing here?", Alpha Max said with his Alpha voice suspiciously. Kyle growled silently but luckily no one seems to notice.
Elizabeth wasn't bothered, in fact the Alpha voice didn't have any effect on her so she stood up and went to the meadow, plucked out a rose and placed it in the flowing water where she found the paper. She ensured it was gone before she walked in the direction of the fighters and looked at Alpha Max in the eye, "You don't know who I truly am and I have never asked for a favour but now this is my last request to you, bring Paul back!", Her face was blank with only her dried tears as evidence of the pain she was feeling.
His eyes widened. She has never done this nor has ever been like this and that made him fearful of who she really was.
Kyle growled louder than before as he heard Paul's name. The fighters by his sides were the only ones to hear but they pretended not to. Who was he? Why did he have that effect on her? He was jealous when he saw how broken she was. He could remember she never showed him signs of how affected she was when he rejected her except begging him to try them out for once before he made that reckless decision.
When Elizabeth left, Alpha Max turned to Kyle and said, "She has never been like this, not when she was abused by the pack. She looked so broken and I have to help her since he's her mate".
Kyle immediately replied as he clenched his fist, "He is not her mate", He said sternly. No one could question him so they ran back to the pack house. Kyle made up his mind. Give or take, he will get her back.