Even Tempered

Supernatural Summit

Temperance's POV

I flew through the woods separating our small town from the wereworld. Mama was not going to be happy that I left Nicky again, but I couldn't help it. I was so excited. Today had seemed like a normal day of snarky comments, bad pick-up lines, and tortuous assignments, but then, after lunch, the principal called everyone to an assembly to announce the Alpha of the Mystic Moonlight Pack. Alpha Latham Guise had taken over the pack reluctantly years ago after the murder of the previous alpha, by the hands of the alpha's own son. It sounded so tragic. But since his ascension from the pack’s beta to its alpha, he's prepared his son Liam to take the reigns of the pact. As Alpha Latham takes the stage and scans the room, his vision lingers in my direction for a brief moment, and then he addresses the assembly. After the end of his announcement, I texted Nicky letting him know that I was headed home, and I sprinted as fast as my legs would carry me.

"Mama, you are never going to believe what just happened." I say smiling.

"Tempy, where's Nicky?" Mama asks.

Frustrated with where I know this is going, I answer, "But Mama, he wanted to stay and talk with his friends and I was completely safe. I left the school before everyone else and everything." I paused and looked hopefully at her, "I just really wanted to rush home to tell you the news. I thought that it might be important." I said lowering my head.

Mama comes and kisses my head and sighs, "OK, ok. No need for that face. What's this important news?" And she walks to the cabinet to make coffee and set out cake for our girl chat, as she likes to call it when Nicky's not here.

"The Mystic Moonlight Pack is hosting a Supernatural Summit." I squeal. "And the heads of every order, coven, pack, and brood will be there to discuss the recent unrest of the island as of late."

Mama stops and looks at me. "Are you sure?"

I look a little confused by her question, "Positive, Mama, I heard him say so." I finish telling her as Nicky walks in the door followed by Queen Mother Ana. She usually only comes when we're away at school and never stays long, so today's visit is interesting to say the least.

She smiles and takes a seat at the counter where Mama just got done plating cake an putting out cups for coffee. Sensing the new air of slight tension, Nicky and I also sit. We each grab our cup and prepare our coffee to our liking and await the reason for the Queen Mother's visit.

"Vale, it’s time." Queen Mother says breaking the silence and looking at her lovingly.

Mama looks flustered and a little shaken, so I reach for her hand to assure her that me and Nicky are here. Mama smiles and speaks.

"I just heard the news. But I'm still not so sure that this is our only option. There are other woods, and hiding places we can find to keep..."but she is cut off in her rant.

"No, the time has come. There will be no more hiding." Queen Mother says. "Vale, I received a request today after his speech to the children from Alpha Latham. He's requested to meet you and the children. It seems that a certain someone has caught his eye."

"Ana, no." Mama cries.

Nicky is the next to respond, "Caught his eye, he's like a hundred years old and mated, how could anyone catch his eye?"

“And I don’t think that he is so archaic as to arrange a marriage for Liam. From what I know of werewolves, they take mating and the mate bond very seriously.” I chime in.

“Regardless of his reasons, Vale, it must be now. It has been too long already!”

Visibly shaken, Mama sighs, and begins:

“I guess the best thing to do, is to start everything from the beginning. Eighteen years ago, roughly about this time, something happened that shook the wereworld to its core. The Mystic Moonlight Pack, used to be greater than what it currently is. Yes it’s great now, thanks to the efforts of Alpha Latham forging ahead of the adversities that were laid upon him, but it was once governed and protected by a great man by the name of, Alpha Antonio Rolf. He was what some would call a gentle giant and strove very hard to maintain peace within the smaller pacts, much in the way his friend and king had. Though each Alpha past and present have different approaches to how they run the pact, there was usually mutual respect, even if they didn’t agree or even sometimes like each other. That fated day started off, I presume like any other, training, breakfast, etc., that is until the alarms sounded signaling a rogue attack. They said that they had never seen so many rogues, and yet the Mystic Moonlight Pack held its on. That is until Alpha Antonio was leaving his Luna for her to go help the others seek shelter and him to go and join the fight. One hears of the horrible things that have happened in rogue collectives and the way they sometimes transfer power, but seldom within a pack does what happens next happen. No sooner did Antonio open the door to leave than he was met by his son and rogues in the hallway. Antonio in fear for his son and heir, grabs him immediately and steps between him and the rogues. Though it shocked the rogues, it was this very thing that allowed Antonio’s son, Valor to do something so vile. While Antonio faced the rogues to protect his mate and son, Valor Rolf, his own son, walked up behind him, and slit his throat. Though she was aghast at what she had just witnessed, she quickly alerted Latham and the others to what had transpired, as rage, heartbreak, and grief overtook Sade her wolf, and in her last act, she launched herself at her son. Valor turned in haste to see her already there with her hands around his throat and it’s unknown whether it was premeditation or panic, but when Latham and the others got there, the wolf’s-baned soaked, silver bladed knife that Valor used to kill his father, was still embedded into his mother’s belly as she crawled over to her mate and lay down in his arms to die. At the sudden wave of grief and loss, the Mystic Moonlight Pack, fought like valiant heroes after Latham, captured Valor, who it turns out was leading the rogues against his own pack. The wolves of Mystic Moonlight, slaughtered the remaining rogues, and Latham sent word to the king, who made short work of coming to attend the state of his friend and the now alpha-less pack in his kingdom and to dispense justice to the murderous traitor within their dungeon cell walls.”

“Oh my God, that is awful, did they kill him? Valor? Was he tried and killed because of his crimes?” I ask.

“No.” Ana says, “When the King made it to the cells, he was no where to be found.” Giggling she says, “This cake is simply scrumptious.” Then she looks around the room at the morbid faces and coughs, “I’m sorry, do continue!”

Mama does so clearly more apprehensive than before.

“They didn’t find him anywhere, it was as if he just disappeared into thin air. He was declared an enemy of the kingdom and they sought high and low and placed a kill order on him if found, but the never did. Beta Latham was chosen to become Alpha and shortly after conceived Liam, who has to be groomed to become Alpha once he comes of age. And with the announcement of an heir, it looked as if Mystic Moonlight was rounded the corner to recovery, but it seems that Valor's atrocities knew no bounds.”

“What do you mean, Mother? Liam is alive and well and Mystic Moonlight is thriving?” Nicky asks.

“It appeared that the Moon Goddess, in her desire to bless and heal, bestowed heirs throughout the kingdom, as several other alphas, and even the Royal Family became pregnant. The kingdom was overjoyed and the king and queen were ecstatic. It felt like the kingdom was starting to forget the horrors that had stained our hearts.” Mama sighs, “But on the night that the queen gave birth, the Emerald Isle was attacked by not only rogues but vampires. Mere moments from birthing the heir to the throne, the kingdom lost its king. Braced with the desire to ensure the life and safety of the future of the Royal Family and kingdom, The Luna Queen saw an Omega with a small child, and sent her and 3 Royal Guards, and the 2 children through a secret passageway to safety while she sacrificed her own life to try and procure their safety.” Mama said as tears streamed down her eyes.

“What happened? Did they make it? What will happen when he takes the throne? Does anyone know where the prince and heir is?” I bombard Mama with questions.

“She. The heir is a girl.” Queen Mother says looking at me with a weird grin.

“Oh, I just assumed that the heir to the throne would be a prince.” I state.

“No, she’s very much a princess and very much the heir to the throne and crown of the Emerald Kingdom. And regrettably not everyone in their party made the journey to safety. But that may have been what saved the survivors.” Queen Mother relays.

“Ana, please? It is enough” Mama pleads.

Queen Mother rises hastily to her feet, her impressive aura fills the room and she asks, “Valencia Hale, what is it that you really fear? Why are you being so dogmatic about what you know must be done? Speak now and be at peace!”

With tear stained eyes, Mama looks at me and says, “They’re going to take my baby. I…they…she will leave and never come back!”

I launch myself into her arms and try to calm her irrational fears. “I’m not going anywhere. They’re looking for a werewolf princess, not an inexperienced witch. Besides it’s not like you’re the Omega from the palace. We’re just ordinary witches.” I say wiping her face.

“Tell her Vale.” Queen Mother says as she retakes her seat.

“You said so yourselves, they’re looking for werewolves. You guys, they can’t even be sure that this princess is out there, let alone here. Mama is a witch, right Mama?” I ask desperate to hear her confirm my question?

“My name is Valencia Hale, Omega to the Royal Throne, and honor bound to keep and protect the only living heir to the deceased Crowned King of the Emerald Kingdom, Maximilian Othello d'Severan Gregory Daniel Prince and the Crowned Queen, Asmerelda Diane Laticia Raquel Gwynivere Nichole Baptiste Prince.”

“But that’s not me. My name is Temperance…” I begin but am cut off by Queen Mother.

“You are Princess Temperance Nicholiva Marie Ettiene Gwendolyn Danielle Prince, heir to the throne of the Emerald Kingdom and legal Ruler of the Emerald Isle. Of course the Royal Pack, the Emerald Star Pack, couldn’t survive without an alpha to govern over their affairs, however, with even the glimmer of hope of the heir to the throne still being alive, the alphas chose to wait instead of attempting to appoint another royal family. And, it appears that at least one of them may believe that they have found them.”

“That’s impossible. I don’t even smell like a wolf, as has been pointed out to me numerous times. Not having gained my powers, I am just a step up from being human. Nicky?” I look to my brother for support, “please tell them?”

After what seems to be eons, Nicky asks, “Is that the real reason why our births were so far apart, even though we are so close in age? She was given to you after I was born?”

Mama just nods and cries.

“And all this time, we were wolves living in hiding?” he inquires.

Mama grabs his hand, “You must understand, Nicky, when I took the oath, when we, Hazel and I, we did so because it was a great honor to be chosen to safeguard the future heir, and as very few people knew who or what gender the heir was, passing you two off as twins with different birthdays due to complications seemed like the best choice. I lost your father that night, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do, unmated, widowed, and a new mother, but the Queen gave me an opportunity to not only save yours’ and my life, but all the future of the kingdom, and Hazel swiftly agreed. She took the oath without hesitation because she said that she knew that she would keep up safe. And in the end, that’s exactly what she did.”

But Nicky was in his own world. “I’m a wolf. I wonder what my wolf’s name will be. He will have a name right? Now that I know, does he like pop up in my mind, or am I supposed to have a dream about like some spirit animal or something? Ooh, can I name him? Killer. No, Butch. No, no, no, Destroyer.”

Queen Mother shakes her head and laughs, “You’ll get your wolf at 18 same as every werewolf, and he will tell you his name once he’s awakened.”

“So, he's been asleep this whole time?” Nicky asks and then begins shaking as if to wake up his sleeping wolf.

It would have been hilarious if not for the boulder sitting on my chest. My whole life was a lie, and I was the biggest one. It can’t be true. It isn’t.

I stand to my feet and shout, “It’s all a lie. I don’t believe it. I won’t. I am Temperance Hale, and if I am heir to anything, I am heir to a lie.” And I sprint for the door.