Chapter 118

118 Chapter One Hundred Eighteen

Driving through Sirius was nothing short of magical... The city was full of more people than Katie was used to and the collaboration between werewolf and human was almost nothing to think about. Humans traded with werewolves, ate with them and everything else that was required of the world that Katie wanted to see. She found that children also played amongst each other without a care for the colour of their eyes.

“You look like you are enjoying the view...” the man she’d only now come to know as Jackson spoke from the driver’s seat. Katie sat in this vehicle with Cole and Sandra, the trio two people that she was most comfortable with. The palace was said to be a thirty-minute drive away and she’d almost rested through the whole of it.

The different scents that worked their way into her nostrils and the different numerous sounds of life in the bustling city didn’t let her rest through the ride. “Why would anyone want to miss the sight of this kind of city?” she replied, staring as they drove past a group of cyclists racing. It didn’t matter what they were and Katie soon found that she was going to have to keep her opinion of races to herself.

“This is one of the only few places where the dream of the Royals shines through. The people here have met the Royals in person. Their positive energy is quite contagious,” Jackson explained, noticing the expression on the girl’s face through the driving mirror.

Katie had been working for so long to achieve something similar in Brigadia, but she hadn’t had as much progress as what she was currently witnessing in this place, “It’s beautiful,” she replied. A wide smile spread across the beta alpha’s face. Unlike the others she had met the other night, this one was kind and didn’t bear any negative energy towards her.

Closing her eyes to feel for any signs of trouble like she was taught, she found that nothing came through on her radar. She knew nothing of the new world she was in. There were new scents, new sights, new experiences, new people and she wasn’t used to any of it. “We’ll be at the castle shortly,” Cole told her, sensing her discomfort.

“What’s going to be done once we get to the castle?” she asked the beta alpha.

“We’ll first take you through a tour of the castle and then to the room that...” he paused for the moment, “That you will be staying in with your mate. The rest of what you would like to visit will be left to you. Later this evening, your parents have asked that you meet with them for a walk. The venue of this will be of their own choosing and they might require your consent when deciding this. After that, you will be allowed to do as you please for the rest of the day.”

“That sounds like a lot of moving,” Katie groaned, “Just how big is the palace?”

.....

This got Jackson smirking once more, “You don’t have long to wait... In fact, you should be seeing it in the next few seconds,” he said.

Katie sat up straight and looked ahead. She’d barely noticed when it was that they’d exited the city and started a path through a more forested area. Luxurious houses were littered on both sides of the road they were currently on, perfectly blended into the nature that sprung around them. At the end of the road, however, a large gate stood tall, but it couldn’t hide the massive structure behind the walls.

The gates opened to reveal the large palace. The windows of the car went down the moment they were inside the gates, letting in the morning air. “They weren’t joking when they said Sirius was cold this time of the year,” Sandra shivered from the front seat. Katie looked out to the clouds that enveloped the sky concealing the sun from view.

Normally, the cold would have gotten to her already, but this was yet another reminder that she was no longer human. “Sandra, make sure to keep your condition known to me whenever it’s required,” the order was clear.

“So, you don’t feel the cold, huh...”

“Not one bit...” she sighed.

..............

Katie was prepared for a day of definite boredom. The Royals spoke of tours and getting her used to her new environment. “This can’t be easy on you,” Cole spoke after a moment of silence. The giant staircase had been fitted with a ramp to help her move about on her wheelchair.

“That’s not it...” she replied, trying to swat the unease that wouldn’t leave her.

“What is it then?” he asked her. The werewolves that noticed the convoy immediately offered to help with the offloading and started to take them into the palace. A few ladies walked up to them, their eyes gleaming green and took notice of Cole’s blue.

“It’s the fact that I don’t know this place. I can’t tell what my senses are trying to tell me. I’ve never run through the woods that surround this place. I can’t tell if it’s trouble I sense or merely a friend that I’m supposed to meet. It’s like reaching for nothing in the dark,” she explained.

“You mean your Chase mojo?” Cole asked, remembering the grand send-off that she’d known of without any prior knowledge, “I found it impressive at the airstrip.”

“Yeah, it’s impressive even to the users,” she chuckled.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you two around here. Are you from the Lycaon Royal family?” a female voice cut through their conversation. Katie looked and locked eyes with a werewolf with green eyes.

“Hey, Crysta... Long time no see,” Lina’s voice cut through the slowly forming tension, catching her friend’s attention... Katie, who hadn’t had the time to take in the blonde girl’s features had only gotten flashbacks of a similar beta’s son, Dexter.

“Hey, Lina. You’re back, already. When did that happen?” the girl asked her friend. The other two that the girl walked around with had the yellow eyes of a normal werewolf kept their eyes suspiciously trained on Katie.

“Who might this be?” one of them asked, curiosity leaking through her voice, “And what’s Cole Lycaon doing here?”

“Ah, you know who I am...” Cole spoke up, “That’s odd. I was sure to keep cameras away from me growing up.”

“Yes, that might be true. However, I was at the last Royal games and watched when you took down Alpha Drake in the final fight,” she piped up. This was a genuine fan of the Royal and didn’t raise a single red light within Katie’s defences. ‘Your powers are so weird...’ Ashley huffed, not approving of the girl’s conduct around their mate.

“Lina, might we get introductions out of the way?” Katie asked her sister, getting uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

“Someone’s eager... You have blue eyes. I know all the Royals from the Sirius...”

“Hold your tongue, beta...” Katie said before she could stop herself. Her eyes gleamed a bright blue and stop her. With a sharp inhale, the girl went perfectly still. The girl began to slowly turn pale and recognition hit the royals far later than they would have liked. Lina rushed to her friend and shook her, her blue eyes gleaming in a way similar to what Katie’s eyes had done...

“Snap out of it Crysta,” it barely took seconds for the girl to snap out of the trance and gasp for air. Cole came by Katie and squatted in front of her, looking up so they met eye to eye.

“I thought you...”

“I know the rules, Cole...” she cut him off.

“Then why did you do that? The Royals don’t take kindly to abuse of that ability or even using it at all. If anything were to...”

“Cole, it won’t happen again, okay. I just need some fresh air,” she stopped him once more and wheeled out of there, with one destination in mind, the main gates. Cole knew she couldn’t get far by herself and chose to follow once she’d cleared what had happened here.

“What’s with her? Doesn’t she know what kind of crime that is?” Crysta started, finally finding her words. Cole could tell that she was livid and wanted retribution for receiving a command. This was the gift that had been banned amongst the Royals. Simply because it couldn’t be rejected. A werewolf, if commanded by a Royal, could even kill themselves.

“I’m sorry about that Crysta. Forgive my sister’s manners. She doesn’t know much about being a werewolf,” she said.

“That doesn’t make any sense, Lina. You don’t have a sister,” Crysta argued.

“I do... The same one that was thought to be murdered eighteen years ago,” Lina tried.

“I would like to apologise on behalf of my mate for her behaviour. I’ll talk to her... If I’m being honest, she’s only been a werewolf for a week. She doesn’t know how all of this works just yet,” he said to the girl. The statement struck a different chord from what Cole could have hoped.

“Lina, your sister died eighteen years ago. I know the Royals had hope in that girl being their saviour, but she’s gone. Where did you even get that girl from?” Crysta asked. Her friends seemed to agree with her words. Cole, on the other hand, chose that moment to take his leave. With a short bow, he walked away from them...

He wasn’t aware of the green eyes that followed his every move... “Crysta, I was with you at the Royal games last time we went, wasn’t I?” her friend asked her. The green-eyed girl whacked her friend on the head and huffed walking away from them... Lina stared on in confusion, ‘What just happened?’