Chapter 20 - Happy birthday
1352 Words
#musicvibe - Scars to your beautiful, Alessia Cara.
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Caniluna Castle.
August 7th, 2146.
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Evelyn POV
I knocked on the door and walked inside. Valeria was lying in bed still, but Tyson was a no show. I suspected that he had gone to oversee the interrogations.
The vampires hadn’t really said much, and Tyson and Valeria were going to make a trip to the vampire territory to get an audience with the vampire king. We had spent last night searching for a phone number and trying to reach him without having to go into their territory, but since we came up with nothing, they had to go there in person.
“Good morning.” I smiled. “How are you today?”
“Good morning.” Valeria replied and grinned at me. “I guess I should be the one asking you that.”
She rolled out of bed and gave me a hug.
“Happy birthday!” She said.
“Thank you.” I replied.
“Are you sure that you don’t want the day off?” Valeria asked. “I don’t mind if you want to go do something special today.”
I shrugged.
“With everything going on with the vampires, I want to help in every way I can.” I replied. “Besides, you’re my family, so I’d like to spend it with you even though we’re just working.”
Valeria started to get ready for her day while I went through her schedule. I looked up in surprise when she stood in front of me with a small box in her hands.
“I have something for you.” She whispered.
“You got me a birthday present?” I asked happily, my heart soaring.
My whole life, I saw other kids get birthday presents from their family and friends. None of the kids at the orphanage ever had money, so we could only give each other sticks and rocks we found in the forest behind the house when it was someone’s birthday.
I opened the small box and I saw a silver bracelet with a small wolf pendant.
“It’s a replica of a bracelet my dad used to show me.” Valeria whispered. “He said that it was his mother’s and she wore it everywhere. After she passed away, he kept it with him. He was planning for my sister, who was older than me, to inherit it when she turned eighteen. I think he anticipated that she was going to shift then, but that never happened.
When they took me, they burned down our house and the bracelet was destroyed, but I always kept an image of the bracelet in my head, and I thought you’d like it.”
Valeria gave me the box and tears welled up in my eyes when I looked down at the small box resting in my trembling hands.
“Our grandmother had a bracelet like this one?” I asked.
Valeria nodded.
“I couldn’t save the original, but I thought you’d want something connecting you to your roots.” She replied.
“Thank you.” I sniffled and hugged her. “I never knew my parents, and it means so much to me to have something to remind me of them. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Valeria helped me put it on, and I couldn’t stop staring at the small wolf pendant. I heard Valeria chuckle while she braided her hair into a french braid and made a low bun in the back of her head.
“If you are going to be grinning like that for the rest of the day, your cheeks are going to hurt.” She teased.
“Well, I don’t mind smiling for the rest of my life.” I replied. “It feels like I’ve spent so much time crying. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
“Well, smiling suits you.” Valeria grinned while she started to eat her eggs and bacon.
I sat down next to her.
“Are you sure that you have to go there?” I asked. “I mean, it could be dangerous. You should bring the whole army.”
Valeria shrugged.
“If we brought the whole army, they could consider it an act of war.” She replied. “I don’t like it either, I have this bad feeling that there is so much we don’t know about this that they might be setting a trap for us. But I don’t see any other solution.”
“Can I come with you?” I asked.
Valeria shook her head.
“If you had already shifted, maybe.” She said. “But since you can’t shift, it’s too dangerous. The full moon is over a week away, and I fear that a lot could happen until then.”
“What do you think that they wanted with you?” I asked.
“Probably the same as everyone else.” Valeria replied flatly. “I’ve had a target on my back since I was fourteen and I’m not surprised that I didn’t just magically lose it just because I became queen.”
“Are you afraid?” I asked.
Valeria chuckled.
“You are asking a lot of questions today.” She laughed, and I froze.
“Sorry.” I said. “I should shut up now.”
Valeria reached out and took my hand.
“I am afraid.” She replied softly. “I would be an i***t if I wasn’t, but I will still stand up to the vampires and I will fight them to my last breath if they try to hurt my kingdom.”
Before I could reply, Valeria finished her breakfast and got up.
“How about we take a small walk before the meeting starts?” She suggested. “We have some time before we have to be in the office.”
I nodded and we left the bedroom.
“Do you know what the funny thing is about your eighteenth birthday?” Valeria asked.
I looked at her in confusion when I saw the amusement written all over her face.
“What?“
“You can go on a mate search.” Valeria wiggled her eyebrows.
I blushed and started giggling.
“Is that why we’re out here?” I asked in disbelief. “To see if I can sniff out my mate?”
“Well, don’t you remember what you said.” Valeria nudged my shoulder. “You felt like you were destined to come here. Maybe your mate is here, and you just need to find him!”
Butterflies erupted in my belly when I realized that she was right and I giggled.
“Alright.”
“So, close your eyes and try focusing on what you can smell.” She said. “Maybe you’ll know which direction to go? I don’t really know how it works. I was human when I met Tyson so I don’t really know what it’s like to get smacked with a mate bond in the face.”
I snorted, but did what she suggested.
“I don’t feel anything.” I said and opened one eye. “Maybe he’s not here.”
Valeria shrugged.
“It was worth a shot.” She chirped and pulled my arm.
A sudden smell made me stop and Valeria frowned at me.
“Are you okay?”
It was the most delicious scent. A mix of sandalwood and pines. It came from the hallway in front of me and I hurried towards the staircase, hoping that I could get a glimpse of whatever or whoever it was that smelled so good.
I started walking towards the staircase and looked over the railing at the small group of people standing just inside the front doors. They looked like they just came back from training and were only wearing basketball shorts. Suddenly one of them stiffened and looked up. Our eyes met and goosebumps covered my skin.
“Mate.” He growled before rushing up the stairs towards me.
- Writer
