The Alpha and His Queen

f o u r

I must have made a sound somehow because the next thing I know, Kaleb was staring at me with his wide terrified caramel eyes.

“Liz,” He choked out.

A mixture of rage and horror swept through me. Not knowing what to do, I turned away from him. I could hear the girl call back to him but Kaleb ignores her and makes a run for me.

I suck in a few deep breaths, continuing my walk back to the castle. I still… I still didn’t understand. Kaleb’s panic was ever present behind me as he shouted my name over and over. He doesn’t dare touch or reach for me, knowing I will rain down hell if he so much as comes close. 

Right as I make it to the end of the tree line, the rage decides to overwhelm me and I whirl back to face him. “Is it true?”

Kaleb halted a few steps away from me, his eyes bloodshot and his breathing erratic. “I… Liz…”

I knew he wasn’t going to respond. The urge to smack him across the face is so very tempting but I hold myself back. “How long have you known?”

The way he uncharacteristically trembled made my mind become a never ending ribbon of thoughts that haunt me. 

In my mind, I begged for it not to be true. That it was all a lie. Of course Kaleb didn’t find his mate. I was his. He said as much to me every day since we were kids. I almost wanted him to lie. To say everything is alright and that the girl was merely one of his many admirers. 

“A while.” He admitted, destroying whatever else that kept me in one piece.

A while? 

He’s known about his soulmate for a while? Was that yesterday? Last month? Last year? What was a while for him? 

“How long?” I sternly repeated, my nails digging into the palms of my hands until it stung.

“When I was fifteen.” He flinched back from his own words.

I let out a bitter scoff as I backed away from him, ignoring the burning sensation pressing against my chest. Three years. He’s known about her for three years. It also meant that the girl was also a shifted wolf. It was the only way they would know they’re mates without being of age.

The need to scream, to shout, to curse made me see red but the rational side of me… stopped all that. I closed my eyes in defeat. 

This is what heartbreak felt like. The feeling was akin to the devil dancing on my chest but also like something tearing me apart from the inside by an unspeakable monster, creating a piercing and crushing pain from within. I’m so wretched that I think if I wasn’t so surprised by what happened, I’d be balling my eyes out until there was nothing left for me to give. Years of harboring a crush on him… of loving him— it was all wrong and now it was coming back to destroy me. 

I felt so empty. Wasn’t he just telling me how it was us? 

My Kaleb… wasn’t my Kaleb anymore.

No words seem to come out from the both of us. All I could think about was the betrayal. He’s known for so long and didn’t utter a single word about it. We’re supposed to be best friends and partners. He’s been hiding this…

Tears pricked at my eyes as I took a shaky breath. “Who else knows?”

“No one.” Kaleb whimpered and tried to come closer. “Liz, please.”

I shake my head. The tears are falling rapidly now. “What you did was wrong.”

He dropped his head, unable to keep eye contact. “I know. I’m sorry but it's not as if I can control it. I tried. I really did.”

“I’m not blaming you for having a mate! But finding her? You should have told me. That’s really big.” My words came out smaller as I finished my sentence, the anger and rage was leaving me replaced by terror and despair. I gestured to the space between us. “This is big for us.”

Kaleb was helplessly crying now, his tears streaking his face. “I’m sorry, Liz. I’m so sorry.” 

My heart broke into even more pieces. I’ve never seen Kaleb so distraught before. “I know you are but we tell each other everything. I mean… I can’t believe it happened.”

“I didn’t want to believe it either. Since the day we were born, people have known us to be mates. I don’t know a life where we aren’t that way.” His words make my breath hitch and the tears continue falling. 

“It’s still wrong.” I whisper, hugging myself.

Kaleb looks up, his emotions spilling out of his eyes. “My dedication to you makes it right. We’ve promised each other that.”

“You have a mate.” I say simply. None of our promises could ever go against destiny. His destiny with another. “I’m not yours. Not anymore.”

“I don’t even know her. You’re my Queen!” He determinedly shouts. “My everything. I was born to be with you through everything.” 

“But not as your mate.” I bite down on my lips hard, willing myself not to give in. It was so easy with Kaleb. It was so easy to believe his words and accept all of our promises to each other. “Don’t follow me. I don’t want to see you.”

The pure horror that flooded his features managed to wreck me even further. “Liz—“

I hold my hand up in warning. “No. I swear that if I see you, you’ll force me to do something we’ll both regret.”

I didn’t really know what I was threatening him with but it seemed to work as he stopped himself. 

“I’m leaving tomorrow and I don’t want you there.” I added despite my words hurting me as well.

Kaleb opened his mouth to object but decided against it. Instead, he stares at me with grief. It was a face I don’t think I’ll ever forget and the type that burned into my memory. I wanted to hug him then, wrap him in an embrace and forget everything that happened. 

Be Liz and Kaleb again. 

Queen and Beta.

“I love you.” He blurted out just as I’m exiting the tree line. “I love you so much. I’m so sorry I hid it. Hid her. You have to know I only did that because I couldn’t accept it.” 

I almost turned back to face him. How many years, daydreams and wistful imagination did I yearn for him to say that to me? Countless. Absolutely countless. 

Now, after knowing what I know, he tells me this? 

Again, I wish this all never happened. We would just hug it out and make up. We’ll call it a day, crawl into bed, watch a few movies and eat sweet snacks until our teeth fall out. 

Without facing Kaleb because I know that I’ll cave and give in if I see him, I start my walk back to the castle once more. Tears spilled over my cheeks as I bit back sniffles and wiped at it furiously. Thankfully, he didn’t run after me anymore.

When I entered the castle grounds, I avoided any of the werewolf guards that littered the entrances and went straight for the direction of my room. The Moon Goddess apparently had other plans when I slammed right into my grandfather.

“Well, hello there.” My grandfather greeted after steadying me. He looks up at me... really looks and for a moment, I was worried he was going to notice the tears in my eyes. There was a long pause before he smiled. “Beautiful weather today isn’t it?” 

I sniffed back thick snot from escaping my nose. The sound of it rang through the empty halls. “It is.” 

I’ve always been close with my grandfather even after he realized I had no care for healing. He’d take me to a store in town, win a few toys from the claw machine and order everything that was far too sweet for me. Grandfather has always been proud to spoil me even when the council and everyone else told him not to. They said Princesses need to learn hard work and not be given everything. 

He would give them all the middle finger and a sharp glare before providing me with whatever I wanted. 

There was another long moment of pure silence as my grandfather watched me before he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. He smiled then, the smallest yet the darkest smile. “Make whoever it is, regret it.”

I couldn’t help it.

I smiled.

“Without a doubt.”