Forbidden Passion

Chapter 3- Life in the Pack

Liz POV

“Hey, honey! Change of plans! Are you okay with that?” My mom’s voice filled my room from my phone, which I had on speaker so I could pack and talk at the same time.

“Yeah. So what’s up?” I asked.

“How was your time with Grandmother Elizabeth and Grandfather John?” She stalled.

“Great! I love coming here! Thanks for letting me study abroad for a bit. It’s been great. Oh! I ran into Kana. She sends her love,” I added. Kana had decided to change careers and moved to the UK shortly after Theodore was born to become a midwife. She had really enjoyed using her magical abilities to help my mom deliver her babies with little to no pain. My mom really missed her, but they still kept in touch.

“Oh! How I do love Kana! I’m so glad you saw her during your trip, honey!” My mom always got super enthusiastic about Kana. She has been begging Kana to consider moving back to the states.

“Okay, so you’ve stalled long enough. What are the changes to the plans?” I asked curiously.

“Well, you know I wasn’t thrilled about you spending your birthday there instead of here with me? Especially after all those hours of labor and then the delivery and recovering from having you,” she droned, as she always did.

“Get to the point, Mom,” I groaned. How was I the child and she the adult?

“Hey! I love spending your special day with you! I missed you something awful! Man, I miss that adorable little butt in those diapers…”

“Mom!” I yipped in horror. I really hope nobody is around her right now.

“Right! I’m back on track. So I asked you to stay a couple more weeks in Europe because Dad and I aren’t home. We’re visiting Josiah and Emily.”

“Yeah, I know that. So what’s up?” I asked. She had my curiosity piqued. I used to love playing with Emily’s son, Ash. That was my own nickname for him. I was the only one who used it. I had the biggest crush on him before his accident.

“Well, Emily is throwing Ashton a mate-finding ceremony. He’s come of age, you know. His birthday is only a week and a half before yours,” she continued. “And he hasn’t met his mate yet. I’d appreciate it if you could be there as a familiar and friendly face.”

Finally! She got to the point! Wait…

“Are you thinking I’m his mate or something?” I asked. I don’t think I would mind that so much. He’s a stranger to me now, though. I haven’t talked to him in years. He is friends with me on social media, but he never posts anything or shares pictures.

“No! You know how I feel about the moon-mate thing. That’s not it at all! It’s just that he’s really self-conscious about his looks, and I thought an old and pretty friend might help put him at ease.”

“Wow. That’s very…practical of you. What happened to the hopeless romantic who won’t stop watching chick flicks?” I teased her. She and my dad kind of relived their relationship through chick flicks, laughing at the impossible stuff and deciding that their story should be made into a movie because it was so much better.

“Hey! This hopeless romantic only wants what is best for her real life, not-a-movie-character daughter! I’m still holding out hope that you won’t be forced to have a moon mate since you’re only 1/4 werewolf. There! I admitted it! I’d rather my daughter be single forever than be stuck with a moon mate!” I could picture her sticking out her tongue in defiance right now. My mom never fails to make me chuckle.

“Fine, fine. I, the mateless vampire/witch/werewolf, hereby promise to attend the mate ceremony strictly as a friend to the tragic hero. That is all,” I held up my two fingers to swear it, though I know my mom can’t see me.

“That’s my girl! I’ll change your flight to Denver. Dad will pick you up at the airport. Before you leave the UK, make sure to get yourself a stunning gown. You look lovely in any color, dear, but I’d love for you to wear a jewel tone like emerald, ruby, sapphire, you know, rich colors.”

“Okay, Mom. I’ll come to it insanely overdressed and depressingly single. You happy?” But my mom knows me well. I’m already stoked about going dress shopping.

“You may enter single but leave claimed,” my mom declared, “much to mine and your father’s horror!”

I laughed at her dramatic tone. There was no way I was getting into a relationship. I’m enjoying traveling and having adventures. And because I’m mostly vampire I don’t have a wolf. I have a Royal beast, unique to the Royal line of vampires. That means I can fly in that form, and I bring her out as much as I can. Her name is Sheba, and true to her name, she’s a queen.

“Sheba and I are perfectly fine on our own, thank you very much. I’ll get a dress before I come. See you in three days! Love you!” I sing-song the last two sentiments and hang up. I finish packing up my souvenir bag and the bag full of gifts my grandparents showered on me while I stayed with them. They’re proper and aristocratic British, but they’re very attentive and loving grandparents. Once you get past the hard exterior, you find that they’re softies in the end.

I look at my progress with satisfaction and skip out of my room to ask them to arrange a ride into London for me to do some shopping.

“Oh, dear! No!” Grandmother Elizabeth (yes, I’m her namesake) declared with a hand over her mouth in feigned horror. “We MUST go to Paris, darling! Dresses in London are fabulous for the more prudish fashionista, but we will only find a dress to accentuate your figure in Paris! Dear!” She called to Grandfather John, “Arrange for a luxury hotel suite for one night for Liz and myself in Paris.”

“Gladly, my dear, but how do you plan on traveling there?” He asked with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

“We shall fly of course! My Celeste has been dying to break free for awhile now. I shall let her take me to Paris. And my little Liz has her Sheba. We shall be quite the pair!” She declared proudly. "We'll consider this little shopping spree an early birthday present, shall we?" She asked with a wink.

My grandfather clucked his tongue and got up to go get some cash out of their safe.

She and my grandfather were thrilled when it was discovered that I had inherited a Royal beast instead of a wolf. They spent several months every summer training me on how to connect with Sheba and become more of one being instead of two separate entities. Something my dad even had yet to master. Teddy also inherited a Royal beast, and my youngest sibling was yet to find out. Teddy spent a little time with them training as well, but mostly I trained him during the school year while I was home.

“Let me gather a few items, dear, and we shall be off.” Grandmother Elizabeth rose and gracefully swished out of the room, my grandfather gazing adoringly after her.

They still looked as though they were in their 20’s even though they were both over 400 years old. My grandmother always tutted and refused to admit her age when I asked. My grandfather guessed he was around 560 years old or so, give or take a decade. They were forever young, as I would be, and as much as I admired their relationship, I was in no hurry to have one of my own. After all, I had an eternity ahead of me.