The Alpha and The Lost Princess

A Kick in the Jewels

  Calliope's POV

I stood in front of my vanity, putting the finishing touches on my graduation outfit. It was my last day at that torture chamber others called high school, and I was going to look good for it. I didn't care about their sneers and punches anymore. Today was the last day I had to look at most of them. Today I am wearing, light pink dress the goes to my knees with spaghetti straps. It is a bit low in the front but not overly so. It's lower in the back. My aunt helped me tame my curls, and I have them pulled back with a cute headband. Nora put some light makeup on my face that made my forest green eyes pop.

"Are you ready to go, kiddo?" Uncle Rick asked from the doorway.

I nodded. "Just about." I turned to him, and he was wearing black slacks and a blue button-up shirt. He smiled down at me.

"I am so proud of you, Calliope. You may not be my child, but I feel fatherly pride for you just as much as I feel for Chad and Nora. I hate that you are leaving us on Sunday, but I know you will show the world just how fierce you are," His words made tears well up in my eyes as he pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you, Uncle Rick." That was all I could muster to say to him. I pulled away from him, and he wiped a tear from my eye. I sniffled. "Sorry."

He laughed. "Why? Don't be sorry, kid."

"I'll be downstairs in a minute, alright," I said to him and looked in the mirror to make sure I didn't mess up my makeup.

"Kay, don't be too long, or your aunt will hurt me." He laughed while he walked out of my room.

I touched up my makeup, took one last look at my outfit, slipped on my shoes, and then grabbed my cap and gown. As I was walking out, my cousin walked out of her room. She was dressed in a cute black skirt with a silky flowery blouse. Her hair was braided. "Looking good, cuz." I smiled at her.

"So do you. Of course, most of your look is my doing." She winked at me. "If I hadn't picked that dress, you would be looking like a 'Little House on the Prairie' extra."

I stuck my tongue out at her as we walked down the stairs. Chad was sitting on the couch with Uncle Rick while Aunt Juni was pacing in the kitchen. "Aunt Juni, I'm ready."

She appeared in front of me with her phone in her hand and tears in her eyes. She sniffled. "Let me get some pictures of you," She mumbled out through her tears. She looked cute in her blue dress with her hair in a bun. "I can't believe you are graduating today. You have made me so proud."

Tears welled in my eyes as she spoke. "Aunt Juni," I said as she positions me in front of the stairs.

"Mom, you're making her cry. She is going to mess up her makeup." Nora added.

Aunt Juni sniffled. "I can't help it." She pointed her phone at me with shaky hands.

Nora sighed. "Mom, I'll take the pictures." She gently took the phone from my aunt and started taking pictures. "Okay, Mom, get in the picture."

Aunt Juni put her arm around me as Nora took pictures of us. When she was done, she handed the phone to her mom. Uncle Rick stood up. "Let's get going, everyone." He instructed. "Don't want Calliope to be late for her graduation."

We all followed him out to his vehicle, a Ford Expedition. I slid into the back with my cousins as Uncle Rick started up the car and then drove us the short way to the school. He let me out where the other graduates were gathered. "We'll see you after the ceremony, kiddo. Don't forget we are having dinner at the packhouse with Alpha Tom."

I did my best not to make a face. The last thing I wanted was to see Harley and Jocelyn. But at least I would have Myra there with me. "Okay. I love you guys," I said as I hopped out of the car. I looked around the gathered students and found Myra and Bailey. Myra was dressed in a black dress and had her purple hair in a braid. Bailey looked good in her blue dress, and her hair was down.

I trotted over to them and got tripped by Jocelyn. I heard Myra growl and rush over to me.

"What the f**k Jocelyn?" Myra snarled at her.

Jocelyn flipped her blonde hair and cackled. "She needs to watch where she is going." She cackled loudly and walked towards Harley and his friends.

Myra glared at her before helping me. "Oh man, she got dirt on your dress."

I brushed it off before slipping on my graduation gown. "I am so over this place," I mumbled.

Myra looked towards her brother and his girlfriend. She made a face before turning to Bailey and me. She and her brother were two years apart in age and graduating the dame day. Myra was graduating a year early, whereas Harley is a moron and graduating a year late.

One of the teachers came out, telling us to gather in our formation and lining up in alphabetical order. I hated that I was an A and would be far away from Myra and Bailey. But at least I would be nowhere near Jocelyn and Harley.

The ceremony got started, and we listened to the principal's speech, and then Alpha Thomas Devins made a speech. He talked about our bright futures among the pack. Then the principal took the stage to call out our names for our diplomas. After we received our diplomas and threw our caps in the air, I happily went to find my family among the crowd. Being short among tall ass werewolves, it took longer than I would have liked. I eventually found them and hugged my aunt and uncle, then my cousins.

"We are so proud of you, kiddo," My uncle said to me.

I hugged my aunt, who was still crying. "It will be alright, Aunt Juni."

"Hey Rick," I heard Alpha Thomas behind us. "How about these kids of ours." The alpha smiled at me. A tall, handsome male that looked like Harley but lacking the permanent scowl. Myra was behind him with her mother, Luna Julie.

"Can't help but be proud of them, huh Tom?' My uncle shook the alpha's hand.

Luna Julie stepped towards me. "Calliope, I just wanted to congratulate you on your scholarship."

I bowed to her. "Thank you, Luna. I appreciate it."

"I hope to see you at dinner tonight."

"I'll be there." I smiled at Myra, who winked at me. We were planning on ditching dinner early and going out to one of the pack clubs to blow off steam. Bailey would join us too. I couldn't wait.

While the alpha and luna spoke to my aunt and uncle, Myra stepped towards me. "Hey, has my brother given you any trouble?"

I shook my head. "No, surprisingly not. Why?"

"He was acting weird during the ceremony. Like he kept staring at you." She said to me, and I narrowed my eyes.

"He always stares at me."

"Well, this was different staring." She sighed. "Like he just found his mate kind of staring."

My eyes widened. "Oh f**k no. I would rather die than be that asshole's mate."

"Who's mate are you?" Nora interjected.

"No one, "I replied and gave Myra a look.

"Come along, Myra, we have to talk to the other graduates," Her mother touched her arm.

Myra scoffed and leaned towards me. "We'll talk later."

"Of course. See you at dinner." I waved as she followed her parents. My aunt clasped my arm.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing, just teenaged gossip," I replied, and she raised an eyebrow. She knew I was lying to her.

"We'll discuss it later. Let's go home and get ready for dinner at the packhouse." She grabbed my arm and started leading me to towards the car where my uncle and cousins were already waiting.

"You look good up there, Cal," Chad said to me as we got into Uncle Rick's SUV.

"Thanks, Chad," I replied to him. My thoughts became consumed by what Myra had said. I hope Harley staring at me didn't mean I was his mate. I could be a werewolf's mate even though I was not a werewolf. My aunt and uncle are fated, mates. But I shuddered at the thought of being Harley's mate. I would most definitely reject Harley if that were the case. I hate him.

We got home, and I ran upstairs to change into something more casual for dinner. I pulled on my nicest pair of jeans and put on a purple and white blouse. I left my hair in the ponytail and touched up my makeup. I went downstairs and sat on the couch with Nora and Chad to watch TV till it was time to leave for the packhouse.

"What are we watching?" Nora asked as Chad flipped through the channels.

He shrugged. "Anything but the Kardashians."

"Oh, come on, Chad, they aren't that bad." She scoffed.

He ignored his sister and stopped on a movie. It was one of the Fast and Furious movies. I never really cared for any of them, but I wasn't paying attention to the TV anyways. My mind was still stuck on the possibility of being Harley's mate. Why would I be punished like that? The wolf's goddess had a sick sense of humor if that was the case.

I jumped when Nora touched my shoulder. "Whoa, cuz. Don't be so jumpy," She chuckled. "What are you thinking about so hard?"

I shook my head. "Nothing," I mumbled.

"That wrinkle on your forehead doesn't look like nothing," She said while poking me between the eyes.

"I am nervous about starting my job at the palace," I blurted out.

Nora snorted. "Nervous? You? Come on, Calliope. You will rock that job. They will be naming you the head chef in no time."

I smiled at her and leaned against her. "Thank you, Nor."

"You know you are more like a sister to me than just my cousin, right?" Nora said quietly. "I am going to miss you around here."

"I'll miss you too, Nora," At least my family always had my back, unlike other pack members.

We watched the movie until it was time to go to the packhouse. Again we all filed into Uncle Rick's Expedition. It was a ten-minute drive to the packhouse. The grand house came into view. Though technically a mansion is looked more like one of those wooden lodges but elegant looking also. My uncle parked the car, and we headed inside where the alpha and his family were waiting. I smiled at Myra as my aunt and uncle greeted the alpha and luna.

"You look good tonight, Calliope." A familiar voice said behind me. I turned to see Harley smiling at me. No hint of malice.

I felt a shiver as Myra grabbed my arm. I just looked at him through narrowed eyes as Myra lead me away from him. His eyes followed me as we walked away. "You weren't kidding. I mean, what the hell was that all about?" I asked Myra.

"See, he's been weird all day. I heard he broke up with Jocelyn."

My eyes widened as we walked into the dining room of the packhouse. There were a few others gathered in the room. Delta David and his mate Kimberly were there with their son Brandon. And various warriors. I wished Bailey was among them. But her parents took her to a fancy dinner in town. The room was decorated nicely with graduation banners and balloons. Harley's eyes hardly left me. "Okay, he is seriously starting to creep me out," I said to her.

Alpha Thomas stepped into the room. "I'd like to congratulate my children Harley and Myra on their graduation tonight. And I would like to extend my congratulations to Beta Rick's niece Calliope. You will all make us proud." He nodded and raised his hand. "Let's get dinner started."

Harley smiled at me and beckoned me towards him, indicating a seat beside him. I glared at him and walked with Myra to a spot as far away from him as possible. His smile faltered as we sat down.

Myra scoffed. "He is mind linking me, asking us to sit by him," She whispered to me.

"Tell him to f**k off," I said as I looked at the piles of food on the long table. I was eager to have some ribs and grilled corn. I tried to ignore Harley staring at me. I enjoyed talking to Myra while we ate.

My aunt strolled over to me and leaned down. "What's up with the little alpha tonight?" She asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I said while chowing down on a rib.

She sat in the empty seat beside me. "Like I haven't noticed him staring at you all night."

"Oh, that," I mumbled with a full mouth.

"Are you his mate?" She asked quietly.

I shook my head and grabbed a napkin, and wiped my hands and mouth. "I better not be."

"Maybe he won't be so bad now," My aunt said, and I glared at her.

"Aunt Juni, are you kidding me? There is no way I would want someone who has spent years tormenting me. Why would you even think that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. And you are right. He doesn't deserve you. But so that you know. You won't be able to reject him."

My shoulders fell, "Why?"

"Because you are not a werewolf, and he is an alpha. He'll have to reject you."

I looked at Myra, who had been listening. "Your aunt is right."

"So, what will I do?"

Aunt Juni shrugged. "I don't know, sweetie." She noticed Luna Julie looking at us. "I better go back to my seat. We'll talk later." She got up and walked back to her seat beside Uncle Rick.

I looked at Myra. "So, I can't reject him?"

She nodded sadly.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Well, you are a witch, right? There are spells to break the bond." She suggested.

"s**t. I can't do spells, Myra." I said as panic was now starting to rise in me. Sometimes I wondered if I was a witch. I could not do spells or rituals. I could use trees and dirt to heal myself, or plants would grow if I touched them. That was it. Tears welled up in my eyes. "I need some fresh air." I got up.

"Calliope, wait!" Myra called as I was walking out.

I turned to her. "I just need space, Myra. Please."

She sighed deeply. "Okay," She pulled me into a hug.

"I love you, Myra. But I just need a breather."

"I know." She released me, and I walked away from her.

Without looking back, I nearly ran out of the packhouse. I walked towards the garden, where there was a large gazebo in the center of various flower beds and fountains. I sat on a bench and took a deep breath. I closed my eyes for a second, and then I heard heavy footsteps on the wooden floor of the gazebo. I opened them and scoffed at the person standing in front of me. "What do you want?" I sneered at the person.

Harley stepped towards me with a smile. "I just want to talk." He started to sit beside me on the bench. I stood up and moved away from him.

"Well, I have nothing to say to you." I tried walking out of the gazebo, but he blocked me. "Just get away from me, Harley."

"Please." He asked politely.

I shook my head and tried going around him, but his large frame blocked the entrance. I looked up at him as he smiled. "I, Calliope Anderson, reject you Harley Devins as my mate." I spat out, and he started laughing.

"You are not my mate," He stopped laughing. "Well, not my fated mate, anyways. My fated mate is dead. I was hoping you would be my chosen mate, though." He reached towards me, and I backed away.

"Are you f*****g kidding me right now?" I snarled at him.

He looked at me with shock. "No, I am not kidding. I like you, Calliope."

"Was that before or after all of the times you beat the s**t out of me?"

He frowned. "I have always liked you, Calliope. I knew I had feelings for you when you first came here. Over the years, it grew, and I didn't know how to handle it."

"So, you f*****g beat me and tormented me. Way to show your feelings." I folded my arms.

"I was angry at my feelings. You are not one of us. You are only here in this pack because your aunt is mated to the beta. It made me angry that I was drawn to a witch. I feel more for you than I felt for my fated mate, a tiny and weak witch." He explained.

I scoffed at him. "You sure know how to woo a girl," I sneered at him.

"But you aren't weak. You always bounce back from everything we did to you with strength, and that's something I am looking for in my luna."

"What about Jocelyn?"

"She is just good for f*****g. She could never be a luna."

I suddenly felt bad for Jocelyn, of all people. He had been using her all of these years.

"I am sorry for all of the pain I caused you. But I really like you, Calliope, and I want you to say you like me." He reached for me again, and this time I let him run his hand down my cheek. It sent chills down my spine but not the good kind. He lifted my chin to peer into his eyes. "You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. Please say you accept me." He looked at my lips and started leaning into me with his hand still under my chin. I knew what he was doing, and there was no way it was happening.

If he thought I would suddenly forget about a decade of torment, he was clearly deluded. I felt nothing but hatred towards him. For him to think I was even remotely interested in an abusive asshole like him was almost laughable. I looked into his eyes as he leaned closer, and I used that to fuel my anger. He brushed his lips against mine. "What do you say, Calliope?"

I smiled wickedly at him. "I say, I have wanted to do this to you for a long time."

He smiled back at me and pressed his lips to mine. Feeling sickened, I groaned and then mustered my strength and courage and kneed him in the balls as hard as I could. He growled and pulled away from me. He fell to his knees, clutching his testicles.

"You honestly thought that I would forget a decade of abuse and fall madly in love with you. You are an even bigger moron than I thought. I will never be with you. I f*****g hate you, Harley Devins!" I shouted at him.

His eyes changed to black as he growled. I knew his wolf was taking over as he slowly got to his feet. I slipped by him out of the gazebo and ran, "You will pay for that, b***h," His voice came out deeper, so I knew it was his wolf now speaking. He lunged towards me and grabbed my arm, and held me tight.

I struggled to get away from him. "Let me go!"

"I will never let you go. I love you, Calliope," Harley's voice was back. "I told you I was sorry. Please forgive me." He pleaded with me.

"NO! f**k off!" I wished I could growl as he held my arm tighter. "Just let me go!"

He tried pulling me to his chest, but I ended up kicking him in the balls again. He roared and let me go. But he didn't fall to his knees. He charged after me, and I felt my anger and fear rising. The mark on my hip grew warm, and I held my hands out. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I said, and the ground trembled, and suddenly vines grew out of the plants and entwined themselves around Harley's arms and legs. His eyes widened as he was held back by the plants.

"You aren't a weak little witch, are you Calliope?" He said to be alarmed.

The mark on my hip grew hotter, and I pulled my hand back. "Make it stop," I whispered out, and the vines released Harley. He was still too stunned to say or do anything, so I took off running. I ran past the packhouse and towards home. Not looking back, it took me about twenty minutes to get home. I slipped in the backdoor after using the hidden key and ran up to my room. I flopped onto my bed face first and screamed into my pillow. Hours later, I was woken up by my aunt's hand on my back. I turned over to look at her sitting on my bed.

"Oh, hi, Aunt Juni."

"What happened at dinner, Calliope?" She asked me with something between anger and concern.

"Be more specific."

She took a deep breath. "With Harley. What happened with Harley? Tell me everything, and don't lie to me."

I sat up and looked into her green eyes. "He told me he likes me and wants me to be his chosen mate."

She scoffed. "Oh, thank the gods, you aren't his fated mate."

"Tell me about it. But he honestly thought I would accept being his chosen mate. What a dumbass? I mean, he has tormented me for years. He thought I would just forget about everything he has ever done to me."

"Was it that bad?"

I sighed. "There is a lot he did that I never told you or Uncle Rick about. Almost every day at school, he would beat me and torture me."

"How come we never saw bruises?"

"I used the healing technique you taught me with trees and the ground."

She sighed. "So, I take it you didn't fall down the stairs that time you broke your leg."

I shook my head. "No, I tried healing it, but-"

"The mark did its job. Using too much power attracts too much attention. That's why it's there. Can't have our enemies coming after us."

"Um, Aunt Juni, tonight in the garden. After Harley confessed his feelings, I ran from him after kicking him in the nuts. When he grabbed me, I felt a lot of anger, and the earth shook, and suddenly vines grew out of the plants and grabbed Harley."

Her eyes widened, and she stood up and paced in front of my bed. She shook her head and stared at me. "I knew this would happen. You are too powerful for the mark."

"Powerful? How am I powerful? I can't even do spells."

She sighed and ran her hand over her face. "Calliope, you have to listen to me. Do not do any more magic. Not even healing magic."

"Why? Why won't you tell me anything, Aunt Juni? What kind of witches are we."

She started to say something and paused. "We aren't like other witches. We are rare." I could tell she was lying. Were we even witches at all? "Look, please just promise me you won't do any more magic?"

"Fine. But who is after us?"

She shook her head. "Vampires, hunters, various others. Too numerous to name. Our kind has been hunted for centuries."

"Our kind?"

"Did I say kind? I meant our clan. Tuatha tried protecting us, but our leader wouldn't accept his help," She explained, and I could tell she was leaving a lot out. "I can't say more, Calliope. Please trust me."

"You know I trust you, Aunt Juni."

She sat beside me on the bed again and hugged me. "Good."

"What am I going to do about Harley? Will I be in trouble with ALpha Thomas for kicking him?"

She shook her head. "No, Harley told his parents and Rick a different story. Just try to lie low until Sunday. Then you'll be on your way to the palace, and you won't have to give him a second thought."

"I am hanging out with Myra and Bailey tomorrow."

"Have them come here, so you don't have to go to the packhouse," She suggested.

"Thanks, Aunt Juni." I hugged her back, and she kissed my cheek.

Uncle Rick poked his head into my room. "Are you alright, kiddo?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Juniper?" He smirked at my aunt.

She snorted. "Oh, you horny ass wolf, I will be right there."

I made a face as Uncle Rick walked out. "I did not need to hear that."

"Goodnight," She stood up with a smirk and walked out of my bedroom. I closed the door because I didn't want to hear what was going to come next. I changed out of my wrinkled dress into pajamas and flopped back onto my bed and fell asleep, and dreamt of blue eyes all night.