The Alpha Kings Fairy Princess

Chapter 3

“What do you mean you went for a run in the dark forest?!” My father booms from across the dinner table.

“It’s fine! I do it all the time!” I shouted back.

“You what?” My mother gasps.

“I don’t go far. I make sure I can see daylight. I don’t go in at night.”

“Illy, it’s 7pm. It’s practically dark out.” My father reminds me.

“I know. That part doesn’t make any sense.”

“What do you mean?” My mother comes to my side.

“I left the clinic at 3. I went straight to the forest, and I swear I only ran the paths for about an hour. It was still daylight through the tree line when I started to head back. As soon as I emerged, it was like I stepped through a vale, and it was sunset.” I explained. There’s no way I was in there for four hours.

“Strange things happen in that forest. That’s why no one goes in there. Don’t you feel a sense of foreboding when you go near?” Andy chimes in.

“No.”

Everyone looks at me with a different expression. My mother’s face held fear, my father’s worry. My brother’s expression was one of confusion, confusion as to why I would do this. I’ve heard the stories. Everyone, and I mean everyone in this pack gets the same sense of dread coming from that forest, everyone but me.

“Why would you risk your life like that, and more than once!? Why would you go there, of all places, to run? Please Illy, please. Help us understand!” My father’s voice cracks at the end.

I know he’s just worried, especially since I don’t have a wolf. I still live at home, at my parents’ insistence, for the same reason. I’m almost 21 years old but without my wolf I’m safer living at home or moving to human towns, which I don’t wish to do. My life is here, my work is here. They’re terrified of me living on my own. Andy moved into the pack house last year to start taking more of a prominent role as a Gamma, he’s still training but the Ascension Ceremony is the week after my birthday.

“Dad. I promise you, if I thought I was in danger, I would not go in there.”

“Lilly! You don’t have a wolf! You don’t have the same instincts we do. You don’t feel the same feeling we all feel, what all pack members feel when it comes to that place.” My father shouted. I’m stunned in place. My mother gasps at my fathers words.

Tears start to well up in my eyes, but I fight to hold them back. My father’s face immediately falls at the sight of me about to cry. He knows my not having a wolf is a sore subject and I already feel useless because of that. He knows how many nights I stayed up crying, praying to the Moon Goddess to finally grant me my wolf. Never once has he used me being wolf-less in an argument.

“s**t. Lillianna, please. I’m sorry I said that, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s true and it makes us worry for you more.” My father comes to me and embraces me in a hug. I just stand there in his arms feeling dejected.

“I just want to go get cleaned up and go to bed.”

“What about dinner? Would you like me to heat something up for you and bring it up?”

I nod to my mother and turn to head upstairs, leaving my family without another word.

I walk into my private bathroom once I reach my room and turn the water on hot. It’s not until I step into the water that I finally let the tears fall.

“What did I do to deserve this, Moon Goddess? Why? What did I do to not deserve my wolf?”

After my shower I dress in my fluffy pjs and enter my room to the smell of dinner. Seems my father grilled out tonight. My mother brought up two plates piled high with an assortment of food. Corn on the cob, two all-beef hot-dogs, one bratwurst, two of the biggest chicken wings I’ve ever seen, macaroni and a double stacked angus cheeseburger. She knows my appetite, another thing I seem to have in common with every other wolf.

“Mother is a saint.” I say as I dig into my plate.

Once I’m done, I rinse the plates off in my bathroom sink and set them down on my desk, I’ll take them to the kitchen in the morning. Sleep doesn’t take long to come once I lay down. However, just like the last few weeks, it’s a restless sleep.

I find myself plunged into the middle of the dark forest again, running through the trees. Only I don’t feel like I’m being chased like I have in other dreams. Once I’m sure I’m not being followed, I slow down and take in my surroundings. It’s daytime, that’s new, normally this dream happens in the dark of night. I can see just a little sunlight far ahead of me signaling the edge of the forest.

As I take in my surroundings, I realize I’m not far from the waterfall. A strong gust of wind comes through the trees, and I stand allowing it to blow past me, flinging my silver-blonde hair behind me in waves. A faint smell of chocolate and coffee lingers in the breeze.

Suddenly, I hear a gentle voice, whispering in the breeze, “Lillianna.”

I feel a pull towards the clearing I’ve come to think of as my sanctuary, and I let the feeling guide me. In an instant, I’m transported to the clearing. I look around, inspecting my favorite place for anything out of order. Everything looks normal until I turn towards the waterfall. Off in the distance, sitting on a boulder close to the water’s edge sit two figures, but I can’t make them out.

Taking slow, hesitant steps towards them, I can feel my heart racing and the sound of my blood rushing through my body becomes eerily clear. As I get closer to the figures by the water, I realize that they’re both women.

The woman on the left had long silver-white hair that had a blue glow to it, pale skin and a small frame. The woman on the right had olive skin, curly, chocolate colored, waist length brown hair braided with vines, flowers and leaves. They seem ethereal, the glow radiating from both has me stunned.

“H-Hello?” I say timidly, both women turning to face me with smiles on their faces.

“Ah, you’ve finally arrived.” The silver haired woman says, standing and reaching her hand towards me. As soon as I reach out and touch her hand, I know who she is. Like something deep inside me knows, this is the moon goddess.

“Y-You’re…”

“Yes, my child. It’s lovely to meet you.”

The warmth radiating from her is strong, her aura caresses me in a hug, inviting and it feels almost like home. Almost as soon as the feeling hits me, it starts to fade. I start to sway a little bit and my vision blurs for a moment before coming back into focus.

“Sel, she’s waking up.” The other woman says, and I look at her in confusion.

“Well, shoot. I thought we'd have more time.”

“What? What does she mean?” I ask, still in shock.

“We’ll see each other again, real soon. There’s much to discuss, child.” Selene responds, reaching her hand up to cup my cheek. Her voice sounded distant. The clearing started to look hazy and slip away until there was only darkness left.

I sit up with a start, looking around my room frantically.

“It was just another dream.”

Reaching for my phone to check the time I see that I have five missed calls and about twenty text messages from Macy, worried about me, I hadn’t even noticed them earlier. Seeing it’s still before midnight I shoot her a quick text letting her know I’m alright and that I’ll both explain and see her tomorrow.

I threw on a random show on Netflix, something about cake, I wasn’t really paying attention. I just needed some background noise to fall asleep again. I gave up after a while and tried to watch the show I put on. I must have found it boring because the next thing I know my alarm is going off for the day. I don’t even remember being tired enough to fall back to sleep.