Stubborn Princess

Wake Up Call

  Being a young widow is not something Calie foreseen. It hasn’t been long since her husband, her mate passed away. Loneliness was slowly eating her, she cannot even function well.

  The people around her seem to be happy, and going on with their lives while hers stopped the moment her beloved mate died. But seeing her son Ivan makes her want to go on but the sadness and the pain gets the best of her.

  Her parents especially her father is worried about her. They watch her from a far and they can see the emptiness in her eyes. She never smile or laugh anymore, and it’s affecting everyone around her.

“Liam, I think someone should talk to Calie.”Camilla said.

“I think so too. It hurts to see her like that. She’s so young, and she doesn’t deserve this kind of fate. I just don’t understand why the moon goddess is cruel to my children.”Liam said.

  Camilla rubbed her mate’s back.

“I perfectly understand how she feels. I almost lost you baby, you were dead in my arms.”She said.

“But I am here now. I came back, Calie brought me back. That makes me wonder even more. She could’ve brought Ian back or turn him. Why didn’t she?”Liam asked, and Camilla sighed.

“She pleaded. She asked him to let her, but he declined.”She answered.

“What? Why? Why did he choose to die instead of being with his wife and child for eternity?!”Liam exclaimed.

“Liam he has his own beliefs. We cannot impose to him our own.”She said.

  Liam balled his fists.

“I warned him not to make my baby girl cry. I should’ve ripped him to pieces!”Liam snarled.

“It’s my fault.”

  Liam and Camilla turned around and saw their granddaughter Zari.

“On their wedding day I saw something. I told Ian but I never told Calie.”Zari said.

“What did you see?”Liam asked.

“I saw Ian’s short lifeline. I just told him to make most of his time with Calie.”Zari answered Liam, and then she cried.

“I should’ve told Calie or I should’ve foreseen his cancer so Uncle Creon could’ve cured him. I should’ve help –“She was cut off when she choked on her cries.

  Camilla rushed to Zari and hugged her, comforting her as she cries. Liam sighed and run his fingers through his hair.

*******************************.

  Meanwhile Calie was outside the castle watching Ivan and the other kids play. She stared out in the open with the same blank look on her face. She looks paler than usual with dark circles around her eyes and she clearly lost some weight.

  The truth was she was starving herself. She’s not eating well and hasn’t had a drop of blood ever since her mate passed away. Her Lycan Cassandra retreated back and hasn’t made her presence known ever since her mate died.

  She hasn’t cried not once since she came back to Stone Castle. She’s keeping everything inside, and everyone was wary of her since they never know when she will explode. She’s like a ticking bomb at the same time it’s like there is an invisible wall around her that keeps everyone away.

  Even her siblings are getting worried of her. The twins would call her everyday but she just wouldn’t talk to them. Creon would check on her health everyday and because she’s unresponsive he feel she’s slowly deteriorating. Zab has taken over her position for the meantime as the Elite’s commander, despite now working as a council member.

*********************************.

  One day Calie was once again sitting on the grass under a tree staring at the horizon. There are some warriors training around and they cannot focus since they are wary of the princess’ presence.

  Calie noticed none of it and just continued to wallow and stare at the horizon. She feels herself losing strength but she just ignores it.

  She sighed for the hundred times that day, and then she was startled when she was harshly pulled up and slammed unto the tree. The rough bark of the tree dug into her skin that made her wince in pain.

  When she looked up she was met by Zab’s angry red eyes.

“What the hell are you doing to yourself Calina?!”Zab growled.

  Her growl caught everyone’s attention that they stopped what they are doing and watch how the crown princess bravely confront her younger sister.

  Zab looked into her sister and she sees nothing in her eyes. It was completely blank, and it made her eyes softened.

“Why are you doing this to yourself?”She asked her, but she didn’t get any response.

  Zab sighed and then she slapped Calie hard. Everyone gasped when the slap echoed around.

“Whatever you are doing stop. This isn’t healthy anymore!”Zab exclaimed.

  When didn’t get any response, she slapped her again and again, and again.

“Cry! Let out whatever pain you feel!”Zab growled and then she grabbed Calie’s shirt and then she threw her on the ground. Then Zab touched the tattoo on her wrist and a sword materialized in her hand, and then she pointed the sword on Calie’s throat.

“You’ve grown week Calina, a disappointment.”Zab said, and Calie once again kept quiet.

  Zab narrowed her eyes on her silent sister.

“Did you become so weak that you didn’t even save your own mate?”Zab taunted.

  Calie’s eyes turned to Zab.

“You’ve lived like a human that you became one, weak. You let your mate die!”Zab snarled.

  Calie’s eyes turned into a glowing blue, her canines sharpened and let out a snarl.

“Are you throwing a tantrum now? Go ahead bring it on!”Zab snarled.

  Calie barred her sharp canines on her older sister and then she attacked her with her claws. Zab glided away, avoiding her every attack.

“You can’t even land a punch on me. That’s how weak you are! I feel bad for Ian for being mated to weakling like you!” 

“Ian died and you didn’t do anything!”

“Your mate must have regretted ever meeting you!”

“Your mate left you because you are a weak little girl!”

Zab taunted her more. Each word coming from Zab is like daggers stabbing Calie’s heart. It hurts her, it hurts her so much.

“Are you going to let your son die as well?”Zab asked, and Calie was stunned. Zab smirked and rushed towards her nephew and grabbed him by his neck with her sword against his neck.

“What will you do Calina? Will you stay silent and wallow and let your own son die?”Zab hissed.

  Seeing her son whose face is a splitting image of her mate, cry as the blade of Zab’s sword is against his neck; something in her snapped. The wind pick up as it began to swirl around Calie.

“Let him go.”Calie said lowly.

  Zab arched her eyebrow.

“Or what?”Zab asked.

  Calie growled and then she waved her hand, and a strong gust of wind targeted Zab. Zab immediately pushed Ivan to the side and accepted her sister’s attack.

  Zab attacked her sister back using her sword, and Calie brought out her sword as well. The clangs of their swords echoed around the open area.

  The people around watch as the two princesses fought. Some are worried, scared even. While some felt relieved that the youngest princess is showing emotion and fighting.

  The sisters continued to fight even if both are now bloody due to each others’ attacks. Someone called the Queen and the Alpha Lord, and when they came outside with Zari, Camilla was shocked to see her daughters fighting. Both injured and have the same determined look in their eyes.

  Liam was about to rush to them but Camilla stopped him.

“What?”

“Let them. Calina needs this, that’s why Zabrina is doing this.”Camilla said.

  Liam glared at his mate.

“I can’t let my daughters fight!”Liam exclaimed.

  Camilla and her lycan agreed to what Zab is doing, and they are both infuriated that their mate dare raise his voice at them. So they glared at their mate Liam and his wolf Ryker whimpered.

“Stay out of their fight.”Camilla hissed.

  Liam silently cussed and just watches in the sidelines as his daughters fought each other. The others understood the Alpha Lord’s feeling about the situation, but they also understand how the Queen sees the situation.

  Back to Zab and Calie, both are panting, tired of fighting but Calie was almost out of strength.

“Admit that you’re weak! If you were strong enough you could’ve saved your mate!”Zab taunted her more.

“Shut up! You have no right to talk to me that way!”Cali snarled at her older sister.

“You are pathetic Calina! You are selfish too! You only care about your own feelings! You only care about you mourning the death of your mate! You never cared of that a little boy who is now solely depending on you! You only thought about your own pain that you never cared how your son felt! He lost his father for goddess sake! And the way you are acting he’s losing a mother as well! Wake up Calina! Stop being a sore loser and act like who you are supposed to be!!”Zab snarled.

  Calie was seething in anger as her sister’s words hit her hard.

“Believe it or not, I’ve been there. I know the feeling you are feeling, I lost myself in the pain and loneliness. What did it do to me? I almost lost my daughter and I lost my lycan!”Zab sneered.

  There was a collective gasped around. Most are from those who didn’t know what happened in the past, and those who are curious as to why the crown princess never shift into her lycan. Calie was surprised to hear what her sister said, and their parents and Zari were also surprised to hear Zab talk about it since she never once talked about her lycan. Zab’s lycan is like taboo and everyone knows it.

   While Calie was still in a state of surprise, Alex suddenly swooped down and he pinched a pressure point in Calie rendering her unconscious. Alex catches her while Zab sighed in relief. Then she turned towards everyone who gathered around them.

“Shows over, get back to whatever you are doing!”She growled.

  Everyone scrambled out and went back to whatever they are doing, while Zab rushed towards her husband and unconscious sister.

“She’s okay right?”Zab asked.

“Yes, but she’s very malnourished. I can barely feel any weight in her.”Alex answered.

  Camilla and Liam approached them. Both parents have that worried look on their faces.

“Take her in the infirmary. I already called Creon to look at her.”Camilla said.

  Alex nodded and carried the unconscious Calie inside the castle.

“Zabrina.”Camilla started.

“I know mom, I’ll talk to her. I know what she was going through.”Zab said.

“Are you sure you’re okay to talk about it?”Liam asked his eldest daughter.

  Zab turned to her parents and smiled.

“It’s been decades dad, I can manage.”Zab said before she followed her husband and sister.

******************************.

  Creon immediately took care of his younger sister once she was brought in the infirmary. She was hooked in an IV line and NGT since she needs all the nutrition she needed. Liquid food and blood are given to her alternately while she was kept in an induced coma.

  Creon and Sahara closely monitor her health and ordered necessary tests for her as she was in induced coma. And when they finally see improvements in her, they decided to remove her from the induced coma. Camilla would see Calie from time to time, but since she was busy she just asked the staff to put a camera in her room so she can still look after her despite being busy.

  Liam never left Calie’s room unless he was called in the council. His heart bleeds for his youngest daughter. He remembered how Zab looked like when she was on the same bed hooked up in the same machines. It hurts him as a father that he cannot do anything for his daughters.

“You know you are still the best father a daughter can ask for.”

  Liam turned towards the door and saw Zab. She came in and closed the door behind her and then she sat beside Liam on the couch.

“How can I be the best father when I cannot do anything for my daughters?”He asked.

  Zab gave him a reassuring smile.

“You brought us into this world dad. You gave us life and cared for us. You’ve been with us when mom is super busy with her duty. That is enough for us dad.”Zab said.

  Liam smiled as tears welled around his eyes, and pulled Zab into his side.

“I am forever grateful to the moon goddess that I was given your mother. And she gave me my beautiful children.”Liam said, kissing the top of Zab’s head.

“Dad...”

  They both turned towards Calie who was now awake. Zab immediately stood up and called Creon, while Liam came near the bed and grabbed Calie’s hand.

“How are you feeling little pumpkin?”Liam asked.

  Calie pouted and then she burst into tears. Liam hugged her as she cried like a child. Creon and Zab came in the room and they both felt Calie’s pain just by seeing her cry so hard.

  After Calie wailed in her father’s arms, Creon checked her vitals and removed other unnecessary tubes attached to her, including the NGT. While doing so Camilla came.

“Creon how is she?”Camilla asked.

  Creon gave everyone a reassuring smile.

“She’s stable. But I still recommend she’ll stay here, so I can monitor her closely.”Creon told his mother.

“That’s good.”Camilla said.

  Creon turned to his sister.

“I’m a strict physician Calina. So if I were you do what I say or else I’ll put you back in coma.”Creon said, and then he patted Calie’s head and left the room.

“Mom, dad, I want to talk to my sister. Alone please.”Zab said.

  Camilla sighed and then she walked towards Calie and kissed her head. Liam did the same, and then they left the room. Zab sighed and then she sat on the chair beside the bed.

“I won’t apologize for how I was with you the last time. But I apologize for what I said.”Zab started, and then she swallowed.

“I was harsh I know, but that’s the only way I know to get a response from you. Calina you are slowly wasting away, as your sister I cannot let that happen.”Zab said.

  Calie toyed her fingers and looked at it.

“I-Is it true? T-That you’ve –“

“Felt what you are going through? Yes.”Zab cut her off.

“But how? Is Alex not your first mate?”Calie asked.

  Zab smiled and grabbed her sister’s hand.

“Alex is my one true mate. But we grew up as brother and sister. When I turned sixteen, I shifted and then I found out I was mated to my older brother. We completed the mating process that night, but the next day he was gone.”Zab paused.

“He left me alone to fend for myself because he was scared of how our parents and everyone would think that we were mated. I can no longer feel his connection to me so I starved myself; I wallow in misery I simply let myself waste away. Heck I didn’t even know I was pregnant. I fell into coma and I was dying.”Zab said, and Calie gasped.

“I was dying, Zari was dying...”Zab trailed and then she took a deep breath.

“My lycan Alessa sacrificed her life to save me and Zari.”Zab paused as she chocked on her tears.

  Zab cried remembering her departed lycan.

“I was so focused on my own pain that I didn’t notice that I was slowly losing my child and my lycan. I don’t want that to happen to you.”Zab told Calie.

“H-How did y-you got over it? How can I do it when you have Alex back while Ian disappeared forever?”Calie asked.

“My daughter is my anchor that time. My maternal instinct helped me get over my depressing state. Calina think of your son, your son is young; he needs you as his mother. Ian will never approve of you slowly killing yourself. Only you can help yourself Calina, please.”Zab said.

  Then the door opened and Ivan came in running. He immediately climbed up the bed and threw himself to his mother.

“I love you mommy.”Ivan said, the same time Calie cried and hugged him.

“My baby... I love you the most.”Calie cried.

  Zab smiled and stood up. She quietly went out of the room and closed the door; giving Calie and Ivan some time alone.

“I love you.”

  Zab looked up and smiled at her husband. She smiled and cupped his cheek.

“I love you.”She said.

  Alex pecked her lips and then he took her hand and walked away from Calie’s room.