The Wannabe Warrior

Chapter 7

Madison POV

Waking up with a start, I sat up ready to defend myself. It took a moment to gather my thoughts and remember where I was, rubbing my eyes and looking around me. It was daylight and what amazed me the most, was that I did not wake up once during the night.

The bus had to stop a few times to swap drivers and I had slept right through it, normally a tiny sound and I would wake up. Looking out the window, it appeared the bus had stopped for breakfast as the guys were climbing off the bus and headed to what looked like a nice food hall. Good, I will get to have a choice of food this time. I was the last off the bus, Graham giving the okay to disembark.

I found pancakes and smothered them was maple syrup and ice cream, yummy, a nice hot cup of coffee.

I watched my brother chat up some chick that was serving us and giggled to myself.

He had the moves that impressed even me, he had that waitress giggling and flirting back in no time. I sighed and got back to my pancakes before they got cold. Once I had eaten my fill, I found a washroom and did my business.

While I was seated on the toilet, I heard some giggling girls come in, squealing over the huge men who had just arrived and how yummy they were. One described one she fancied, and I was surprised to recognize it was my twin. Wait till I get him on the bus and tell him about the harem he could gather. I know, I flushed the toilet and walked to the sink.

Here I placed my bag down on the vanity, washed my hands and face, and then got out my toothbrush and brushed my teeth. The washroom had gone quiet, and I could feel and smell the girls still in the room. I lifted my gaze and looked in the mirror, and the girls were staring at me in shock. I finished brushing my teeth and left the washroom confused as to why they were in shock.

Our next two days and nights were the same, and falling asleep, I found was not a problem for me. The following day was our birthday, and I was awoken by a hug from my brother.

‘Happy birthday sis.’ He cooed as he pulled me into a tight hug.

‘Happy birthday bro.’ I cooed back, patting him on his back, he pulled back and gave me a kiss on my left cheek and smiled happily at me, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

‘What?’ I asked, confused.

‘We can find our mate now, I can now wait for the pull and find my girl.’ He grinned.

‘Yeah, like you need a mate, right now.’ I laughed, and then sniffed the air, and grinned back at my brother, shaking my head a no.

The smile on his face grew brighter as he realized what the shake of my head was about, and that he called it "our mates". That was all that was needed to confirm no one on the bus was my mate, and he bounced away from me happy.

The whole day, my twin and I were treated like royalty. The guys made fun of more than Graham, they kept saying my mate might be a prince, so they had to treat me right. My brother joined in along with their teasing and that was how the day ended.

My brother hugged me and wiped my tears as I thought of my mum on our birthday.

The next day, a little after lunchtime, the bus brought us to the gates of the Silver Moon Royal pack border.

The guards at the gates greeted us warmly and asked where our bus loads were from.

Our driver answered all their questions and I could see the guard's eyes glaze over as he got permission to let us through. He waved us through the gates.

When I got to see the palace area for the first time, I was awe-struck. The main building was very beautiful and, with all the signs, that it was once an old castle but modernized. To the right were lots of three-storey buildings and to the left, it looked like the training grounds and obstacle course and a few other smaller buildings I assumed were the gym and other training facilities.

The bus pulled up in front of a few people who had gathered outside the palace and a few others were still arriving to meet and greet us.

The door to the bus opened, and I smelt the most intoxicating smell and Betsy cried out.

‘Mate’.

My brother turned to me with a grin and then back to the door, waiting his turn to disembark.

‘Graham.’ He turned to look at me, again, his face with a frown.

‘I don’t want to go out there.’ I begged, not sure if I was ready to face a mate so soon.

‘Come on sis, we are here to do a job, your mate has to understand, okay? If he doesn’t understand, then he is a prick, and you just get him to reject you.’

‘Okay.’ I said meekly and unsure.

Graham got off the bus and looked back at me, waving me out. I stepped off the bus and, walking next to my brother, stood before the king and, as one, together, we knelt and bared our necks.

‘Mate’ was heard in an excited, deep growl.

I looked up and over to the man. He was gorgeous, breathtakingly so, and he was staring at me. I stood and moved closer to Graham and I wrapped my arm around his waist and he pulled me closer to him in a protective way.

The gorgeous man roars out. ‘Take your hands off my mate.’

I whimper at the man’s anger; I tighten my arm around Graham’s waist, and he growls back at the man. Both looked ready to kill each other and my fear grew for my brother.

‘I got you sis.’ Graham says in my mind.

‘Back off man, you are scaring her.’ Graham says calmly back at the man.

‘Let her go, I can’t hold my wolf for much longer.’ The man says back at Graham.

‘No, you back off.’ Graham squeezes me in reassurance.

‘Who are you to her?’ the man asked Graham.

‘I am her twin brother.’ Graham was not letting this nutcase take his sister away unless I approved.

‘Son,’ the king says, and I blanch at this, he is a prince? The warriors and my brother will have more to tease me with, ‘Keep Blaze under control, we will need to take this gently, be the man I know you are.’ He calmed down and turned to talk to us. Telling us who he is and where we will be sleeping.

Matilda walks over to me, and she greets us kindly.

‘Hello,’ Matilda said to me, ‘You will be housed on the 2nd floor of the palace. Do not think this is because Zane is your mate.' Oh, his name is Zane, ‘we had planned for you to stay there as you are the only female arriving here, and we can’t have you in the barracks with 600 un-mated males.’ I shrugged. I know my guys will be there for me.

‘Graham, do you wish to stay near your sister or are you okay with joining the men?’ she asked Graham. I felt better that the offer was given. Before Graham answered, I did.

‘He will join the men; he will have different hours to me anyway, so he can’t really be there for me if I need it.’ I spoke softly so no one else could hear us talk.

‘Are you sure Mad, I can stay with you, I don’t mind.' He pushed; concern written all over his face.

'I am fine, Graham.’ I smile at Graham, and he releases his arm from around my waist and kisses me on the cheek.

He turns and catches up with the rest of our guys.