Lost Dreams

Chapter 2

Cora smiled as she leaned in to give her Mother a peck on the cheek. Portia and her husband Ringo were not her biological parents , but in every sense of the word they were Mother and Father. She and her twin sister had been found outside the stables when they were just weeks old. A note between the two girls offered little information except their name, and that they were born the night of the full moon, and their parents had abandoned them. Cora was crying at the top of her lungs and while Nova lay wrapped in her blanket, eyes wide when Ringo found them. The couple had never been able to have children of their own, and Portia was mourning the void she felt not having pups to raise. He took the girls home, each wrapped in a blanket, Cora’s was a midnight purple, Nova’s was a wine colored burgundy. This most likely wouldn’t have been an important detail of their arrival, except that the cloth was foreign to the kingdom of Droake. No one had ever seen such soft, silky texture. Werewolf pups were normally wrapped in fur , a nod to their heritage. Cora was gripping tightly to the onyx necklace she now wore, while Nova had an opal lying next to her. Portia and Ringo sought permission and were allowed to keep the infants, on the condition they would also become omega staff. Omega were the servants of the castle. The ones who kept daily tasks running smoothly. The pack was lead by The Alpha, he was King to them all. “Mother, King Jagson will be just fine, I will get the tables set in time for the royal members to arrive for supper” she stated. Portia rolled her eyes and scurried off into the kitchen to finalize the meal. Cora took a deep breath, allowing the scent of her adoptive mother’s recipe to hit her. “Mmm, beef tips and potatoes, plum figs and her special gravy” she said to herself. She hurried over to the pantry where the table settings were kept. Just as she was reaching for the top plate she heard the sound of her sisters voice. “Sister!” “There you are, I have been looking for you for ages” Novalynn’s voice was a melody. Cora turned to face her sister. “Well you’ve found me, grab a stack of plates and help me set these tables before the alpha and his minions show up , or Mother will have my head herself” Cora smiled.

Nova was just as beautiful as her sister. Although they were twins , they looked nothing a like. Where Cora was a dark haired beauty, Nova’s hair was a chestnut brown, a stark contrast to her Forrest green eyes and pale complexion.

Nova rolled her eyes at her sister while grabbing a stack of plates from her. “Honestly Cora, it’s really not that difficult to do your chores, you’re always so whimsical when it comes to such mindless tasks” she chastised.

Cora grinned. “You’re not wrong, but it’s these mindless tasks that will keep you and I stuck here, forever a servant , so forgive me if I dare to dream there’s more somewhere past the lake, away from this cold stone, and a King who doesn’t care about anyone except for himself, and his ill biddings” she scoffed. “Cora, you really need to be more mindful of speaking your words so loudly. We are almost 18, old enough for banishment if you’re caught disrespecting the Alpha so openly” Nova scolded. The girls worked in rhythm, making their away around the table , each getting a plate , then a cup , and so on. “Oh sweet Nova, always so gentle” she said wistfully, batting her eyes. “I refuse to cower to that man. He’s just as out of place as I am in this pack. Nothing but a cruel ego, causing destruction every where in his path. Just look at the most recent castle wall decorations” she finished. She was referring to the 5 heads of rogue wolves that stood on pikes outside of the castle entrance. The men had been found trying to break into Droake and had paid with their lives. Rumor behind the walls was that a small force of banished wolves and a variety of shifters were planning a revolt against Alpha King Jagson. Whispers spoke how he had served as the packs Beta wolf, or second in command until the Alpha, Dravis had gone missing. He named himself as Alpha and there had been anything but peace since.

“Oh fiery Cora” her sister mocked back. “Watch your tongue or yours is going to be the shiniest decoration of all.” She said with a small giggle. Cora smacked her arm and stood back to admire their handiwork. She slid her arm around her sisters waist and pecked her on the cheek. “Well sister, if my head is going to decorate the castle walls, at least I will leave behind a damn good table setting legacy” they laughed as the walked arm and arm out of the dining hall. Neither knowing how much their lives were about to change.