Chapter 8

I wake up to the warm sun shinning down on me. I realized that I am still in my wolf forum, so I pad over to the pool to get a better look at myself. I have jet black fur covering most of my body. My paws and up to my elbows they are covered in white fur. On my chest I noticed a white patch that kind of resembles a star. My eyes are a vibrant piercing green color. *I look pretty good, if I do say so for myself. Haha. *

I realized that my hearing is still gone, my touch in the pads of my feet has grown 10xs more powerful. I can feel the vibrations of animals walking on the grass plain. I felt the scurry of a chipmunk that raced across my path and ran up the tree. The trotting of deer not too far from where I am standing. The hopping of a bunny burrowing into it's rabbits hole. Even to the smallest touch of a snail leisurely crawling over to a flower.

I feel a different set of foot prints coming this way. Feels like a humans because of the heaviness and long strides that go with them. I couldn't tell if it was a male or female. But I was on guard, my hackles started to rise and I started a low growl to form in the back of my throat.

The footsteps kept coming steadily closer and my growls started to become pronounced as well as the hackles rising up. I wasn't sure the person that was coming to the clearing was either a friend or foe.

There was a slight breeze that picked up and I sniffed the air. I realized now who the person was and it was the one person I didn't want to see right now. It was Aiden Costella and I was not happy to see him but I would say he smelled really good.

His steps were getting closer and closer and my growls were getting louder. I know he hears me, but he's just ignoring my warnings like his ears went deaf. Haha. My hackles have become very prominent on the back of my neck and saliva is starting to form from my mouth.

I see the bushes moving and see a hand pop out from the bushes. I see his hands pushing the bushes aside and stepping out into the clearing with his hands raised in surrender. He has this apologetic look on his face, as well as I also spot a picnic basket hanging off of his right arm.

*Mmmm…. Food. * I missed lunch and dinner and now it's a new day and I'm starving. The only food I had was the breakfast from yesterday morning and the day before that I hardly ate anything as well.

*Ugh, I sure am not getting the proper nutrients into my system the past 3 days now. At least no cramps are happening. I don't know how a period works with me being a wolf now…. Hmmmm…*

All of a sudden, I feel this pressure inside my head. Like pressing in on my mind, wanting me to break down my walls. I'm a little frightened on what is happening, so I look towards Aiden.

'Open up your mind, so can communicate through mind link.' Aiden signs to me, while setting the picnic basket down. He is still doing everything slowly and is far from me to give me space. I glance at him warily not knowing if I believe him or not. He hasn't really shown much that I can trust in him, especially with the little incident that happened yesterday.

'I know there is no way for you to believe in me, let alone trust in me. For the way I behaved yesterday, I am truly sorry and that's probably not enough. I want to explain my behavior to you, when you open up your mind. Because it would go a lot faster explaining to you why I acted like that in mind link instead of sign language.' He try's and explains to me. 'Also, I brought some food, knowing you might be hungry from the lack of food you have had yesterday.'

At that moment my stomach deceives me of how hungry I really am, by grumbling so loudly that I thought the people at the castle could hear it from all the way here. He is very observant as well, as I noted that. Knowing how little food I have had in the past few days. So, I give a slight nod to him that I am willing to open up my mind to do the mind link.

'All you have to do is close your mind off from other distractions. Keep it empty and open. If you have a lot of walls built up around your mind, look inside yourself to try and break them down. I won't go deep inside your mind to places you don't want me to go and the same will go for me. I'm going to open up my mind as well and allow you in, but I won't let you access all of my mind. I'm just getting it so we can get it at the communication stage.

Once you are able to communicate with me, then you are able to communicate with anyone you want to that are in your pack and are your family of course. They will have to ask permission first before barging in on your mind, as well as you'll have to ask permission to be in their mind as well. The royals are able to communicate with everyone around the world, since we are that powerful.' Aiden explains to me.

*All right, all I have to do is clear my mind. Not hard, this should be easy. *

I close my eyes, take a deep breath and try to clear my mind. A lot harder than I expected. I feel silly trying to do this while Aiden is watching me and the noises of nature isn't really helping either.

*All right concentrate, I probably look stupid sitting here with my eyes closed in my wolf forum. Wonder what a wolf looks like when they are concentrating? How do I get back into my human forum? Will it hurt as much as it did when I transformed into a wolf? If that is the case then, I'll just stay a wolf forever. But human food is so delicious, and I don't think I can kill innocent animals that are too cute.*

(MacKenna, listen to me.) *Who said that? * I give a start when I hear something inside my head besides my own thoughts. I glance at Aiden and he has a little smirk on his face.

(Good, it works you can hear me.) Aiden says inside my head. It feels so foreign to me to be able to hear someone let alone inside my head.

(You should really shift back; I am sure you don't want to stay as a wolf for forever.) Aiden says.

(But what I want to stay in my wolf forum. I don't want to shift back.) I respond with a huff and stick out my tongue in my wolf forum.

(You sure are stubborn.) He chuckles. It was a lovely sound. It was a rich and deep sound. I feel like he doesn't laugh very often. (Then you don't get to enjoy this lovely lunch that I brought with me.) He indicates towards the basket that he set on the ground next to him. Then again, my stupid stomach deceives me. He chuckles even more; I could listen to his laugh for forever.

(It's going to hurt, yeah, I'm not going to sugar coat it. But once you do it enough times shifting between your wolf and human forums you won't notice the lain as much. It'll feel like someone is pinching you or a mosquito bite, just a little irritated. All you have to do is picture your human forum and you'll be back.)

I give a big huff and try and picture my human forum. I feel this tingling sensation starting in my legs. Next, I feel my bones breaking, it's not as excruciating as it was last night but I was still crying. I collapse to the ground from all the energy I use up.

(Woah, woah, woah, I got you.) Aiden rushes over to me before I hit the ground. I am startled by the sudden contact that I glanced up looking in his eyes. I got lost in those hazel green brown eyes. Some say that eyes are the windows to one's soul, I would say they weren't too far off from the truth.

Looking into them, I sure got lost in them. Not the starry-eyed doe look I would get if I found my mate kind of lost in them. I see the: pain, the hurt, the suffering, the anger, the sadness, and the anguish. All that, was what I felt when I first met him, but amplified ten times surrounding his aura. His aura isn't as dark and black like it was 4 days ago, like it's slowly fading away. He masks his pain so well, but he shouldn't have to bottle it up and keep it to himself.

I reach up and cup his strong jawline in my hands, feeling the stubble that has formed there. I just want to take all the pain away, everything away. Make him whole again and I don't know why I feel this much emotion for him. Especially for a guy I just met and was about to kill me yesterday.

Startled by my touch, he just drops me to the ground. At least I wasn't high up, but my butt has a bruise now.

(Oof, oh don't worry, I'm fine.) I say sarcastically to him through mind link. I roll my eyes and walk over to the basket to investigate what he brought, while rubbing my butt.

I'd say he brought the whole kitchen with him. What with so much food and drinks that was packed in this basket. We got: apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, kiwis, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, American cheese, pepper jack cheese, smoked gouda, celery, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, pickles, potato salad, green leaf salad, pasta salad, potato chips, Pringles, Doritos, white bread, wheat bread, rye bread, pumpernickel bread, sourdough, croissants, ham lunch meat, turkey lunch meat, beef lunch meat, pepperoni spices, salami slices, honey mustard, mustard, mayo, pumpkin pie, blueberry pie, apple pie, cookies, muffins, and last cupcakes. As well as it had; all the juices you could name, several different kinds of sodas, regular water, sparkling waters, and different ice teas. How did he mange to lug this basket around with him, let alone be able to stuff so much in it. *Mind blown. *

(Did you steal from a grocery store? Are you expecting more people?) I turn towards Aiden who was walking up behind me.

(Uh, you see I didn't know what you liked to eat so I brought everything with me. Also when you first shift, I know you would be starving. And you didn't seem to have eaten a lot of food the past couple of days.) He trails off while scratching the back of his neck and looking any where but at me.

*That's adorable. Is his neck getting a bit red? Haha *

Of course at that moment I had to embarrass myself as well. My sneezes attacked me at full force. When I am done sneezing, I cautiously glance towards Aiden to see his reaction to my sneezes.

(Uh, bless you. Are you okay?) He asks awkwardly while handing me a Kleenex.

*Ugh, how embarrassing. * To make matters worse, I sure don't blow my nose like a lady. It sounds like an elephant is coming from my nose. Now who is turning red. *Let's have a contest to see who can get the reddest in the face. Haha*

I'm beet red by the time I turn towards Aiden. He hands me hand sanitizer while he starts setting up the picnic. Nice of him to be considerate and not stare at me being a mess.

*He sure is prepared, he's got like everything. Wonder if he was in Boy Scouts. *

(As a matter of fact I was in Boy Scouts.) Aiden smirks with a nod towards me.

*Ugh, kill me now. * I forgot about the mind link. I need to find a way to close it and not end up embarrassing myself even more. *Please ground, just swallow me up now. *

(Don't worry, in time you'll be able to control to close it. You just need practice, just don't think about stuff you wouldn't want others to hear about.) Aiden says, while indicating that the food was ready.

*Easier said than done. * I sit down with a huff and start making myself a sandwich with all the ingredients that he has brought. He is right about one thing, I am starving.

(It's going to storm tonight.) I comment to Aiden.

He cocks his head to the side, looking at me weirdly. (It's not going to rain, there's not a cloud in the sky.) Aiden says, nodding towards the sky.

(I just know it; I also can smell it in the air.) I state to him with a pointed look. (By the end of tonight, it's going to storm, trust me.)

(Mmmm… okay, whatever you say.) Aiden says with a skeptical look on his face.

(I will start to explain my behavior from yesterday. I am very sorry for the way I reacted towards you and scarring you again. God, it feels like I've been scarring you for the past few days.

That gazebo was dedicated to my mate Sarah. It's hard for me to talk about her, so bear with me.

Where to start…)

He has this far away look in his eyes. I don't pressure him into continuing, it must be very hard for him to talk about. I myself wouldn't know how hard it is, seeing as I never lost my mate but I do know how hard it is to lose a person. I hope I never go through something like, to lose a mate. It was hard enough to lose my parents, let alone watching them die right in front of me at a young age. It's still hard for me to talk about them some days, let alone to even think about them.

(I've known Sarah my entire life. We grew up as childhood friends. Went to the same school, had to be tortured to attend the same fancy parties. You see Sarah was Jeeves daughter.) *POW, mind blown. *

(Jeeves is not as old as many people may have perceived him to be. He came into his position when my grandparents stepped down from the throne and his father stepped down from his position. He really isn't a bad guy, but he lost his wife and daughter and he has changed as well.) Aiden comments about Jeeves.

*Wow, that's some major stuff.*

(Sarah and I are were inseparable, we did all sorts of things together. As we got older, I realized she was my mate. Royals know at a young age who their mate will be before they turn 18. I knew she was my mate when I was 12, at the time I certainly didn't tell her. At 12 I shifted into my wolf forum; Royals are also able to shift at a young age as well.

I knew I would probably frighten her if I told her and I didn't want to ruin the friendship we had. As we grew, she started dating other guy's, which I took in stride. It was really hard for me to not tell her, but I waited until she turned 18. I didn't date any girl's, I was willing to wait for Sarah, she was worth it.) Aiden says while he has the far away look of reminiscing in the memories.

*What a great mate, he truly loved her. I wish the mate that I found would have done the same for me. I wonder what my mate even looks like. * I said mate again, and Aiden has that jealous look in his eyes. It quickly vanishes just as quickly as it came. *I wonder what's up with that. *

(At a young age Sarah loved helping other's. Always putting other's needs before her own. She never said no to even the silliest little requests someone asked her. Always friendly and welcoming when there was a new family that moved in or a new student. Sarah went out of her way to even show the new student around the school and would save them a seat at the lunch table. She was well liked by everyone, no one had one negative thing to say about her and she wasn't fake.

She was a lot like her mom, her mom was the same way. I told her it might get her into trouble one day and she retorts that she would always have me to be there to get her out of trouble. She was sort of right in that sense, I was always around to help her get out of trouble. She was a rule breaker and I was the rule follower. She told me that I needed to loosen up and live a little, seeing as I was only in my teens. I was too young to start forming frown lines.

At 16 she did volunteer work: volunteering for the Red Cross, Humane Society, elderly homes, food gathers, Habitat for Humanity, recycling. As well as she was on the field hockey team, soccer team rowing team, National Honor Society, and Key Club. She was a well rounded person.

At age 18, she found out we were mates, like everyone else at that age. We were inseparable after that; I was the happiest that I have ever been. Loving the fact that she was my mate and we were perfect for each other. I couldn't wait to start a family with her and grow old with her. We both volunteered for the Peace Corps. We wanted to do a lot for the community as well as for the other countries. Show them that we would be fit to be their King and Queen one day. Show them that we are interested in others and helping out where we were needed.

We traveled to different countries volunteering as well as being able to learn from them. Being enriched in their heritage and immersing ourselves in their cultures. Assisting them in anything they needed, besides what the Peace Corps had us doing. We wanted to show the people that the future King and Queen can get down and dirty and listen to what they need. Not having people think the worst of us, but actually getting to know us and know that we care about them.) Aiden takes a break from talking.

I realized what he was going to say next is probably difficult for him to say. I let him take all the time he needed, I cleaned up the picnic. Then I just laid down on the blanket watching the sun that is now above us. Looking at the clouds and trying to guess the shapes forming from them. I was getting sleepy what with a full belly, the nice breeze blowing around us and the sun shining down on us. I was just about to close my eyes when I hear Aiden speaking ever so quietly through the mind link. I gave him the courtesy of not looking at his face while he told me what happened next.

(We were 21 when my world fell apart. It was during one of these events that it happened. The event that has everyone come together to find their mates. Sarah got a notice that she was going to volunteer in Mexico for the Peace Corps and the event was going to be held in Ireland that year. I couldn't go because The Royals have to be here for the whole event. She got a pass because she wasn't really a Royal yet and we weren't King and Queen.

I told her not to go, that something wasn't right this time around. She said not to be a worry wart and just because I wasn't going, doesn't mean something bad was going to happen. She said if I was so worried about her safety, she'll even take her mom with her. I sent Kyle with them to be on the safe side. Kyle Andrew's was my best friend I would have considered him as another brother to me at the time. I thought I knew him well and I thought he would be able to protect them.

They were supposed to come home the day the humans showed up to the event. The day before the ball happened and we were both supposed to be present at that. I get a text from Sarah saying that they are going to be delayed a few more days before they came back. That they ran into some issues while finishing up building the school for the children down in Mexico. I didn't really think too much into it, since the missions sometimes were longer than they said they were going to be.

The night of the ball, I had a terrible feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. I tried calling and texting Sarah, her mom, and even Kyle. But no one answered and it wasn't like I could mind link with them, seeing as they were well out of range for me to even reach that far.

My mother said I must be coming down with something since my stomach was in knots and I didn't look so great. I told her that wasn't the issue and something was very wrong, she blew me off. I went to find Jeeves if he heard anything from Sarah or his wife, but I wasn't able to find him that day. Apparently, he was ill in bed, Sebastian told me later that day. So, he knew something wasn't right as well and he couldn't get in contact with them as well.

I was literally about to go hop on a plane and go down to Mexico. But my mother wouldn't have any of that. She said that I should wait until tomorrow morning to go rushing off to something that may or may not be happening. That I needed to be here to greet these guests and the newly mated pairs as I was the future King at the ball and it was my duty to be here.

I should have trusted in my gut. I should not have stayed there. I should have gone to Mexico that night. I should have done a lot of things that night. But I did not listen to my gut, no I listened to my mother instead.

The next day, we hear banging on the doors. I open them up and see Kyle there; all bloody, with soot everywhere, and his clothes torn to bits. Looked like he came off of a battlefield or something. I knew then and there that I was never going to see Sarah again.

Kyle said that they were putting the finishing touches up on the school that night. When all of a sudden, they heard shouting coming from the entrance of the village they were staying in. It was rogues and nomads tearing apart that village. I guess they have had issues in the past from these guy's as well so it wasn't like it was a new thing. In that area, we were told that rogues and nomads were over populating the area.

They were throwing torches into the homes and business stores that they passed by. Throwing stones into the windows and shooting people down who ever got in their way. They are a vicious bunch that was hard to control them. We believed that they have a leader that they follow who tells them who to terrorize and who to kill. The leader that made more rogues and had nomads believing in whatever he had to say to them. At the time, we didn't know who the leader was.

Sarah and I were trying to get everyone out of the school and trying to get them to safety. Kyle continues to tell us what was happening.

Sarah's mother was at the hotel we were staying at because she had a headache. She went to the hotel early to lay down and rest before dinner time. We thought we got everyone out of the school. Sarah and I were about to head to the hotel to get Sarah's mother to get to safety. When we heard this small cry out for help from the school. The school was slowly burning from one of the torches the nomad threw in there. I told Sarah I would get the child and meet them later. But she insisted that she will go in and that I should get her mother instead. She said I was the fastest out of the two of them and that I would get to her mother in time.

I shouldn't have listened to her; I should have just gone into there instead and got the child myself. At least I would have known that one of them would have still been alive. I'm sorry Jeeves, I didn't make it in time to save your wife.

I got to the hotel and realized that something was off. I see someone stumbling out of the hotel and so I rush over to them. They were coughing and practically hacking their lungs up. Saying that there was a carbon monoxide poisoning leak in the hotel and that I should not go in there.

I knew that Sarah and her mom's room was located on the first floor. So, I rushed around the hotel, looking for their room. I found it and threw a rock at the sliding glass door. I rushed inside and found Amelia, Sarah's mother on the bed. I tried to look for her pulse but it was in vain, she passed away while she was asleep.

I rushed back to the school as fast as I could possibly go. And when I was a few yards away from the school, a giant explosion goes off right in front of me. I was about to rush in there when there were a couple of people holding me back from being burned alive.

I'm so sorry man, it should have been me and not Sarah. The firefighters were finally able to put the giant fire out. I rushed inside, dread in the pit my of stomach of what I was going to find. I found them, they were in a classroom, underneath a desk. Sarah had her body protectively over the child's body. She saved the child; she shielded the child from the most part of being burned. The child had some 3rd degree burns. But if Sarah hadn't protected the child with her body, that kid would have died as well.

Kyle was able to bring both their bodies back to us. We returned to the states to have a proper burial for them. After the burial, I never saw Kyle again. He said he felt so guilty of what happened to them, saying it was his fault that he should have done more. He said he didn't want to be a disappointment to me and that he was going to hunt down the rogues and nomads that did this. I said that he didn't need to do this and that I was great full that he was even there, but he didn't listen and left.

It took me a while to go back to Mexico and see how they were doing. I also wanted to see how the child was who Sarah risked her life to save. I don't blame her for going back into saving the child. She would have done it for an adult or even an animal, because that was who Sarah was.

When I was down there, I heard some disturbing news. The people down there said that Kyle was the one that unleashed the rogues and nomads on the village. I didn't understand why they were accusing Kyle of such treasoning.

Kyle had an alliance with the leader of the rogues and nomads. Because I guess the leader took his pregnant wife hostage. He took her because he wanted Kyle to exchange Sarah. So, Sarah would be held for ransom and he would deal with me instead. The leader wanted to have power, assuming that I would do anything to get Sarah back. That's what the people told me while I was down there. I don't know what happened to the plan or how Kyle was going to do it. Because Kyle disappeared on me before I was able to confront him about any of this.) Aiden concludes his story.

I give him a sideways glance and notice his eyes have tears in them. I quickly look away, knowing that he wanted privacy and not be seen that he is crying.

I have nothing against a guy showing his heart on his sleeve. It just shows how deeply he really cared about Sarah.

(So how is the child that Sarah saved?) I ask Aiden after some time has passed and I figured he was done crying over there.

(What?) Aiden asks, confusion showing on his face.

(You said you went down there to see how the child was.) I comment.

(Oh, right. She's great. They were able to rebuild the school. They dedicated one of the wings in honor of Sarah. I was truly blown away with what they did. I met the child; her name is Leah. She was recovering slowly from the third-degree burns.

Every year, since the passing of Sarah I go down there to visit Leah. She is starting 4th grade this year. As well as visiting Leah, I have been hunting for; Kyle, the rogues, the nomads, and the location where I could find the leader.

I tell my family that I am just continuing on what Sarah and I were doing before her passing. Which is partially true. I don't want to worry my family of my true intentions until I have actually found something. My family chucks it up to me just grieving in my own way and I'll come around when I am ready.

I have been helping people in need. I have also been hunting Kyle and his leader down. I have gotten a couple of leads, but every time I get there the trail goes stone cold. I've tracked down the nomads and rogues but it's really hard to get anything out of them. Rogues since their humanity is gone and the nomads are too faithful to their leader to even talk about him.

I come to the mate ceremony for the week of it, but then I leave as soon as it ends. It is my duty to be here and that's all that is, most of the time I just hide away until the night of the ball. Then I make nice and welcome the newly mated couples at the ball. When the ball is over, I leave until the next mating ceremony.

As for my reaction yesterday. That was Sarah's favorite place to go every time she wanted to unwind. I would catch her on the swing so many times with a book in her hand and a cup of tea in the other hand. Or she would be curled up on the swing taking a nap. That was where we had our; first kiss, where I proposed to her, and where we had our wedding ceremony. Her favorite flowers were the white lilies and calla lilies. So that gazebo and place holds a lot of memories. I had it so a fence surrounds it so the guests don't go and disturb it.) Aiden explains to me.

*Wow, I should be the one to apologize for intruding onto a place that holds so many memories. No wonder he reacted the way he did, but it still doesn't give him an excuse for hurting my arm. He may have overreacted just a bit. He should have just explained to me and I would have been understanding. *

I notice that the sun is going down. Realizing that it was getting late and we were out here for a very long time. I get up and stretch, ready to head back even though I don't know which way to go.

(Ummm…) I start to say to Aiden.

(You don't know how to get back.) Aiden says chuckling, reading the lost look on my face.

(All right let's, head back.) He gets up and I start to follow him back to the castle.

*Wow, I don't know what to say after all that. *