The Fae King's Darling

The Fae King's Darling "Willa, we are werewolves,” my best friend spoke to me at the edge of the forest. “I’m sorry, what?” I shook my head calmly and folded my arms against my chest. Did she really think I had time for this? “It’s true, Willa. The signs are all there, all the questions you had of our community growing up are now here for you to understand. Just put the pieces of the puzzle together.” “Violet…” I sighed and her new boyfriend held her close from behind. He continued to nuzzle into her neck, smelling her. What a creep. I couldn’t understand why he was here, she just met the guy a week ago at her community dance mixer that I had always refused to go to. They always talked about meeting their mates or soulmates or whatever. I wasn’t about to get put into that drama. They had been glued at the hip ever since. “I am telling the truth, just watch.” Violet started to take off her clothes, first her top and her pants. Starting to panic, I grabbed her arm. “What in goddess name are you doing!?” Her new boyfriend, Alexo smirked. “What’s so funny?” I snapped. “The way you used ‘goddess,’ it’s referring to the Moon Goddess. Werewolves kind of worship her.” I stared at him blankly, it was just a slang term her whole family used and I started to pick up on it. Heck, I practically lived with them for years. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Violet. She was standing in just her bra and underwear and I swore I heard Alexo growling. Violet’s body began to grow hair and break into pieces. She didn’t scream once and within seconds she had turned into a large brown wolf. It was larger than your average wolf and she stared into my eyes. Her bright blue eyes looked back at me and gave me that signature wink she likes to give me. I stood completely still, my hand still out from trying to grab her arm as she took off her clothes. Alexo smiled and puffed out his chest like he was proud of her. My breathing had stopped and Violet slowly walked up to me and nudged my leg and let out a whimper. Looking down at her, I wasn’t afraid. Thinking back of the little remarks of them talking about an Alpha and Beta, people checking their ‘territory,’ smelling me, smelling each other, her exceptional speed in gym class. My best friend is a werewolf. *** It had been like any other morning, I had woken up at the cabin that my parents left me at, at only 13 years old. They had decided that after 13 years of marriage that it was over, just like that. They never fought, at least in front of me. They both had their own jobs and it required that they travel a lot. When I was young I met my very best friend in a sandbox at the park, Violet. To match her name she always wore a purple dress. I couldn’t tell you what sparked my interest to go talk to her, because I was a very shy child but I did and sharing my shovel with her to make the best sand castle out of the whole park made her day. She didn’t have many friends either and we left that day knowing we would be best friends till the end. Our mothers took note how well we got along, several more times we met at the park and my mother finally asked for Violet’s mother to have regular play dates. That soon turned into Violet’s mom babysitting and even more so spending the night. However, she didn’t mind me, she took me in like her own and I think she felt sorry for me. My parents weren’t always around. My dad was a traveling physician and my mother was an airline stewardess. They had multiple nannies that took care of me but when you have your best friend and her mother loves you like her own daughter it becomes free child care. I hated it. Several times growing up I would accidentally call Violet’s mother, Ivy, mom and she would brush it off. She said I could call her anything I wanted and that was that. The few days a week I was actually at my home with my real parents, were busy on the computer and making calls. No time for me, I hated it there and I was officially over it. There were several arguments as I got older begging them to spend time with me, go to the mall or even just sit down as a family but they never did. I started to question why they even had me if they were going to be so busy until one day, I found out. I had just tucked myself into bed and I could hear them talking in the next room. They weren’t home enough to realize just how thin the walls really were. “I just can’t do this any more Matthew,” my mother sighed. “I know, but we have a few more years with her and then it will be done,” he said to my mother Kathryn. “We used to be so in love, did a child really break us apart?” “I just can’t believe we were that careless that one time. I never wanted kids and now she is begging time for us and I just want to focus on my career. I’m not happy, you aren’t happy. Maybe having a child did tear us apart because of one careless mistake, it ruined everything. We should just have a clean break right now,” my mother choked. I had had enough. I got up from my bed and pushed their bedroom door open. “Is that it? That is how you feel? You never wanted me?” The look of shock and guilt were on their faces. It was the truth yet they couldn’t speak it in front of me. I stood my ground and folded my arms together. “That’s fine. Now I know the truth.” My face was stern, I knew my maturity was more so than my peers at 13, I had to be. There were nights I was too embarrassed to go to Violet’s, I didn’t want them to know my parents were gone again, so I did things on my own. “If you all would be happier, get a divorce,” I spat. “Just get me a house near Violet and some money to live off of until I turn 18 and I won’t contact either of you again. A clean break, just like you wanted.” In my heart I hoped they would say they were being selfish, that they really did care about me and would never wish it. That they were going through a rough patch and were saying things they didn’t mean. My heart was crushed even more when they agreed. Violet’s mother, Ivy, got permission from their community that they lived in and put me in a cabin on the edge of their land. Ivy was given full guardianship of me without hesitation. She would often tell me how she felt I should have been the daughter of their family. Violet’s father, River, a man of few words, told me that I was welcomed into their home but I had refused. They had taken care of me for far too long and the guilt crawled up my spine every night. My now, new mother scolded me for the longest time until she finally allowed me to stay at the edge of the property. She always said it was a safe place to live and I would always be taken care of and protected, but I brushed it off as just some motherly, calming words to ease my mind. Ivy made sure that I had food and a clean house but on her part, I had everything taken care of. She didn’t have to take care of me. I became very independent through the years of already being alone but she still checked. I loved Ivy and her family to pieces. They included me in everything. Or so I thought. There one secret they kept from me was now staring at me in the face. I sat down in the grass while Violet went behind a tree to change. Alexo squatted next to me. “Hey, are you alright?” His hand was put on my back in comfort and I pushed him away. I think the one thing I was most deprived of was touch. Violet’s parents often hugged me but it just wasn’t the same. I couldn’t tell if it was a pity hug hug or not. If Violet was given a hug, one quickly followed for me as well. I’m sure their intentions are good, they have always been there but the doubt is still there. I could thank my biological parents for that. “I’m fine.” I waved him off. I waited to talk to Violet, I didn’t know Alexo from Adam and Eve if those people were even real now that my entire beliefs of the world had just come crashing down. Violet tugged her sweatshirt back on over her head as she came from behind the tree. Alexo acted like he hadn't seen her in a week and pulled her in for a kiss. I sighed and started coughing to break them up. I don’t need to be watching them having s*x. Violet turned to me and held her arms out for a hug. She was really the only one I thought loved me unconditionally, but now after dropping the biggest bomb of the century on me I wasn’t so sure. I have told her everything about me, from my heart break of my parents, crushes in high school and to my questions of her parents really caring for me or just pitying me. I told her everything, yet she kept this secret for me. Hurt was the only thing I felt right now. I let her embrace me, I needed some sort of contact. My arms slowly slid up her back and I laid my head on her shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. We are supposed to keep it a secret until absolutely necessary.” “So all of you, your whole family?” Violet nodded. “This is called a pack then right?” She nodded again. The pieces of the puzzle started to fall together. The large house where everyone hung out, people training early in the morning which I was never allowed to watch, people eating large quantities of food without gaining weight. They were all wolves. Every single one of them. I let out a large sigh, at least I wasn’t freaking out. “Hey,” Violet put both of her hands on my face. “Once I got permission, I told you as quickly as I could. Humans aren’t supposed to know, it's for pack safety, understand?” I nodded my head. Even the stab in my heart hurt, I couldn’t fault her for having to follow some Alpha leader dude. If they functioned anything like real wolves, I understood that. “Why are you allowed to tell me now?” I looked up at her, being only 5’3’’ was annoying as heck. Everyone was taller than me. “Well,” Violet reached for Alexo’s hand, “I found my mate, my soulmate.” Her eyes sparked as she looked at him and he grabbed her by her waist and kissed him. “Soulmate? How do you know?” I questioned. “His smell, it is magnified to me and he smells of my favorite aromas. Sparks fly across our skin as we touch and we have this instant connection. Wolves call it mates.” “Oh,” I acted sheepishly. “What does that mean then?” “It means we are having a mating ceremony, like a wedding and I’m going to need my best friend to be there with me.” Her smile had a glint of mischief in it and stood in shock. “You just met the guy! You can’t do it now!” I squealed. Alexo growled and pulled Violet closer and I gave him a glare. “It is different with werewolves, Willa.” Violet looked back at Alexo. “The Moon Goddess picks our mates, she spends time with each soul and once they are bonded together it will be forever. I have an everlasting attraction to him and he does me. He will only have eyes for me and me to him, no cheating, no leaving each other. We are mates forever.” This was all happening so fast, how could they think I would be OK with this? She’s known the guy for only a week and now she wants to spend eternity with him? Knowing that they are werewolves and this is a common occurrence, I guess I could let it slide. If that is how she truly feels and that her parents would want the same, why should I stop them? They are whole different species and I don’t really even know my best friend anymore. My eyes teared up. I wish I could believe that mates could be forever. After dealing with my birth parents' marriage that ended up failing because of me, two people that were supposedly in love, in my heart I didn’t believe it. I gave Violet a fake smile. “Well, when is this mating ceremony and what do you want me to do?” “The thing is,” Violet’s eyes shone at Alexo again with so much love and lust. “We are going to do it at his home pack, in Bergarian.” “Where is that?” I had never heard of such a place. Alexo grabbed my hand and pulled us toward the community, I mean pack house. “Let us tell you all about it,” he said with a wink. ***Note*** This book has a hint of b**m qualities such as spanking and restraints. All is consensual between partners.