Mates

The warm light that fell on her eyes guided her back to consciousness. Her eyes darted beneath her eyelids, alerting the two figures who had hovered over her sleeping form in worry all night. The two sat on both sides of her queen-sized oval-shaped bed as they took it upon themselves to make sure they were the first set of people she saw when she was brought back home sleeping peacefully on the Alpha King's back.

When Evangeline found her mate after she turned eighteen, it was a memorable celebration between the three. They danced under the warm light of the moon all night until they were all drunk. The last days before she got sent to her mate's pack to complete the mating ceremony by marking each other as destined mates were the most painful days of their lives.

Evangeline found her mate and is set to take up her father's throne, leading the entire werewolf community. This leaves no time for the friendship they once cherished. It's heartbreaking to realize that what they thought would last forever as young pups must now be set aside as she steps into the next stage of her life.

It was scary and confusing, instead of their union, her mate fled to the Crimson Ridge Pack, raising the alarm that Evangeline had rejected him and was angrily heading into the devil's territory.

They all thought she was satisfied with her mate being Alpha Jack from the Jaggering Teeth Pack of the west. She had always been an ambitious one among the three. She wanted to be strong and prayed to the moon goddess all night to be blessed with the strongest mate there is. If she was going to succeed the throne of the Alpha King, her people needed proof. They had to see her not only as their leader and protector from the demons but also as a powerful werewolf. Together with her mate, their strength would be so great that demons would flee back to their dark origins in fear.

Her dream was to be able to land a strong blow to the devil god in charge of the demons with her mate standing strong by her side. She aimed to set records and make the Moon Goddess proud by defeating the fearsome Devil God in battle, marking a historic victory.

''Oh, she is waking up, Layla!''

''Shhh,'' Layla quickly brought a finger to her lips, urging her other twin to keep it down. Her twin covered her lips and nodded in understanding. They must not know that they snuck into the princess room to watch over her all night when they were warned by the queen Luna not to.

''Ah, got it. I won't make any sound.''

Charlotte stirred with a soft moan at the sound of two voices whispering over her face. The soft feel of the mattress against her skin begging her to sleep more and indulge herself in the comfy goodness.

''Eva,'' Layla watched her twin move her face so close to the princess while breathing her name softly on her face. ''Open your eyes—''

''Don't do that, Sisi!'' Layla grabbed her finger that was inching close to poking the princess' face. ''You are just going to scare her and make her feel more nervous than she already is.''

Sisi blinked confused at how urging her to open her eyes faster would make the princess nervous.

The sounds and whispers confused Charlotte enough to flutter her eyes open to be met with two ghost-like apparitions staring at each other. They were so damn pale that she thought it was physically impossible to be that pale. They looked so much alike—like they were twins, but one's hair was longer than the other.

Charlotte's eyes moved around, trying to make sense of which world she has woken up into again. Her mind reeling with all she'd encountered, and she wouldn't lie when she said it gave her a minor headache.

Has she finally returned to her world?

Is she back in her room and has now gained the supernatural ability to see ghosts?

She struggled to sit up with her head pounding as she felt slightly light-headed. The white locks of hair that fell over her face like a curtain confirmed she was still in this mess she woke up in last night.

Charlotte sighed as she stared down at her fingers and at the body that wasn't hers.

Maybe they have already buried her body in the real, sane world, that's why it must be so hard to return. Does that now mean she would be stuck in this weird version of the afterlife forever? And forced to live in this body?

Her eyes widened along with her heart racing in fear.

''Ree-ree…'' She sobbed out, causing the twins that were on the same bed with her to freeze, their head turning slowly in her direction and eyes widening that she was fully awake—although looking disturbed, but she was awake and fine!

''Eva!!!'' They both chorused in a loud voice forgetting the plan to be as quiet as possible. Charlotte stiffened when the ghosts threw themselves at her in a tight hug, both sobbing quietly as they buried their faces in her shoulders.

She didn't know what to do or expect but remained on that large bed, blinking at space at the strange feeling of warmth their hugs brought upon her.

When they finally loosened their grip, they released her and stared with tear-streaked faces, their pale features filled with relief.

''I am so glad that you are back with us and okay,'' Sisi nodded in agreement with her sister's words. ''We were so worried and scared when your mate came to us saying you left before he came up to mark you as his. He led his wolves to look everywhere for you, but then was terrified when he saw you running towards the forbidden realm of demons.''

Charlotte blinked.

Whaaaat…?

It was Sisi's turn to add to the false account of what really happened to her with the caveman that night when she woke up in this body. She had finally come to terms with the fact that these people might be shape-shifters, and their specialty was imitating the form and nature of wolves.

Then they have mates…

''He said he tried to stop you, but you shouted at him and rejected him, hurting his feelings. Despite his pain, he had no choice but to call us to stop you from running into danger,'' Sisi sniffed as she reached out to hold one of her hands resting on her laps.

Charlotte stared at her touch unmoved by the lies of the caveman. What matters the most to her right now is how to safely return to her world and be reunited with Ree-ree as soon as possible before she loses her mind.