Untamed

C H A P T E R 12

Aurora

I continued to stare blankly at the wall before me. I was vaguely aware of Xander trying to pull me to my feet, but they continued to buckle beneath me. At the sound of the doorknob turning, I suddenly became aware of my surrounds. The scratchy carpet beneath me. The faded white paint. The imperfection of it all. And I came to a startling realization…

I don’t belong here.

“Aurora.”

Xander begged as he attempted one last time to lift me to my feet, but didn’t even get my off the ground this time. I let out a strangled sob as the door opened and curled myself into a small ball.

There was a suffocating weight on my chest, willing me to stop breathing, but somehow the air still climbed into my lungs.

I had known that there was a possibility that he and Ciara had been… intimate… with one another, but it still hurt to have my suspicions verified. My wolf had trusted him and I hadn't thought about it twice.

But now…

I felt the familiar tingles rush through me as Ryder wrapped his hand around my arm and pulled me to my feet. My hands instinctively shot out and pushed him away, my vision blurred by the tears that were falling down my cheeks in rapid succession.

I reached out and steadied myself against the wall as a fresh wave of tears shook through my body. The scent of roses and ginger engulfed me and I realized that one of the Elders were here.

“Aurora-”

“Don't.”

My voice had a quality to it that came oddly close to begging and I pushed myself off of the wall and started walking blindly in the direction of my room, the glass of water I had wanted forgotten.

“Just don't.”

I whispered as I wiped at my sticky cheeks, doing my best to ignore the light footsteps that started following me. By the scent that seemed to engulf me, I realized that it must be the Elder. I vaguely remembered her as the one who pointed out that my markings had been Royal markings.

I stumbled into my room and let my body go limp as I fell into the bed and buried my face into the pile of white pillows that decorated my bed. I didn’t miss the almost silent click of the door being shut behind me, but I refused to see if it was indeed the Elder.

The scent was slowly overpowering my own scent, which meant that the woman had indeed followed me into my room.

“Hush, child.”

I jumped slightly as I felt her hand on my back, moving in soothing motions, clearly trying to settle my loud sobs. I didn't want her sympathy, but I didn't want to be alone either.

“It'll all be alright soon.”

Her hand moved my hair away from my face and I instantly recognized her as the woman who had been whispering to the man who had asked all the questions during the acceptance ceremony. She had a sympathetic smile on her face and she gently moved her hand to wipe away the wet tear tracks on my cheeks.

“Just give it time. He'll realize what you mean to him soon. Maybe not today. Or tomorrow. But soon.”

I kept my eyes trained on her as she stood up and I could tell by her hesitancy to leave that she wanted to say more. She let out a sigh before she placed a folded paper on the pillow beside my head.

I turned onto my back and picked up the paper once I had heard the door click s**t behind her. I wiped at my sticky cheeks with the back of my hand before unfolding the paper. I instantly realized that it was an article of some sort. The layout was a dead give away. The paper had that golden tint that aged paper had and it took me a few moments to make out what was standing there.

Should the Princess be seen, or anyone have information about her whereabouts, please contact the palace on the number bellow.

(987) 654 3210

I stared at the paper for a few seconds before I made the connection that the woman wanted me to call the number. She was clearly one of the Elders who believed that I was a Royal. I pushed myself off of the bed an went straight to my closet where I had put my phone, since I had never been one to use it often.

I dialed the number, the slow ringing echoing through the room, making my heart beat wildly in anticipation.

“Royal Palace of Nyx. If you have a pack dispute, please press 1. If you wish to book an appointment with the King, press 2. If you-”

“What do you press when you suspect that you're the lost princess?”

~•°•~

The hot water rained down on my skin, scorching me as I stood in the shower. One would think that it would cause me to flinch and jump around in discomfort, but it had quite the opposite affect. It relaxed me-something that I hadn't felt since yesterday.

The woman had been silent over the phone yesterday. She had kept quite for a few seconds before there was a loud clattering sound and I could hear frantic calls in the background. I hadn't hung up, because… Well… I didn't know why. I had jumped when a man’s voice had cut through the air, asking for my name and what pack I was residing in.

After I had answered the line had gone dead, the connection killed. I had no idea what was going to happen, or if they had even taken my claim seriously. I didn't even know what the Princess’s name was, and would it have made any difference?

I made my way downstairs once I was dressed in training clothes. I had assumed that I would be forced to train everyday, but I suddenly doubted my assumption as I came to a halt to find Ryder standing in the hallway with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Aurora.”

The acknowledgement ran out with a indifferent tone of voice and I immediately let my eyes drop to the ground.

“Alpha.”

I replied as I stepped off of the last step, my footstep making a light this as it touched the wooden floor. The front door stood wide open behind him, but he was blocking the way. I knew that I would either have to ask him to move, or I would have to move past him.

My stance was rather awkward and my body tensed up as I heard him start walking towards me. His steps were slow. Deliberate.

“We need to talk-”

“Ryder!”

Xander appeared in the doorway and I immediately sensed that something was wrong by the way his eyes were darting around frantically and his face was unusually pale. He seemed to pale even further when his eyes settled upon me.

“What?!”

Ryder snapped angrily as he turned towards Xander, clearly annoyed that he had been interrupted. The distress was seeping off of Xander in waves.

“It's the Royals… They're here…”

I instinctively took a step away from Ryder as he let out a menacing growl. He was out the door without so much as a glance in my direction and I took cautious steps after them. I stood in the doorway and saw Ryder standing in front of the house.

There was a black jeep parked in front of the house with a blue and gold crest on the door. I watched as a man in a tailored black suit got out of the drivers side and walled around to open the passenger door, out of which a woman got out.

Just looking at them, I would estimate them to be in their late forties. As I continued to assess them, I couldn't help the odd feeling that seemed to be seeping through me. Like a vague sense of familiarity.

I raised my eyes and found myself looking at the woman’s face. She was too far away for me to make out any of her facial features, but I could feel her eyes on me. I felt my shoulders tense instinctively as she let out a sob and started making her way towards me.

I remained frozen as she engulfed me in a bone crushing hug and I felt her body move against mine as sobs continued to shake through her body. She pulled away and took my face between her hands, forcing me to give her my full attention. Her eyes were blue.

“You're so beautiful.”

She let out another sob and I felt myself frown even further as she touched my hair and let her hands run down my arms before her hands clasped mine firmly. There was a part of me that was telling me to push her away, that I shouldn't be letting a stranger touch me. But there was another part of me that felt… At peace. Like coming home after a long vacation.

The distinct sound of a throat being cleared cut through the air and the woman turned around, but kept a firm grip on one of my hands. It felt as if she was holding on for dear life.

The man was standing there with his hands in his pockets, regarding me carefully. His aura was strong-similar to Ryder’s. But this man looked at me oddly. His brown eyes were glossy, and if I didn't know better then I would think that he was close to tears.

I let my eyes dart between the two of them and I felt myself gasp and take a disbelieving step back as I continued to look from one to the other.

They were the Royals...

And they were my parents…