The Alpha and Her King

Chapter Three

When I was done with my shower, I walked into my room and found Kassandra sitting on my bed, playing with my teddy.

“I heard you handed Jaron’s ass to him in class this morning. About damn time!” she giggled, walking into my closet. “What dress are you wearing tonight?”

“The dark blue one with sequins all over it,” I told her. She brought out my dress and laying it on the bed. It was sleeveless, with wide straps, and the length was mid-calf. I wanted to wear something to bear the pack colors, so I got this dress.

“What shoes do you want?” she yelled from my closet.

“The silver, strappy ones. They are on the fourth shelf, to the right!”

“I found them!” and brought them out to me. “Do you want me to do your hair? Curly? Half up? All of it up in a bun?”

“I am going to leave it down, but you can curl it if you want to,” I answered her, knowing that she would be happy to do my hair. I love spending time with Kassandra. When we have special events that we have to attend, Kassandra and I always help each other get ready. “What are you wearing tonight?”

“I have the burgundy satin dress with long sleeves and scoop neckline. Could I borrow your emerald necklace and earrings?”

“As long as you don’t lose them. I just bought those two months ago,” I warned her. Dad gives us an allowance of five hundred a month for clothes, shoes, and necessities. He doesn’t want us to grow up feeling privilege to all his money. She squealed, as I know she loves wearing my stuff.

An hour later, we were ready and headed to the event center. Mom and dad let me invite my classmates and friends to the party, along with family friends. Aunt Chloe and Uncle Alaric are coming from Germany to attend, and I am excited. I hope they brought Leo and Jed with them, haven’t seen them in a few years, since I was eight years old.

Mom stopped me before I entered the building. She looked at me and tears welled up in her eyes.

“My baby girl is fourteen years old today and got her wolf. You are growing up too fast, but you are growing up to be a beautiful, strong woman. The pack will prosper with you in charge. Now, let’s get inside,” she told me. I hugged her and kissed her cheek.

“I will always be your baby girl,” I whispered in her ear.

We entered the room and everyone yelled, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” I looked around the room and I saw all of my classmates, minus Jaron, friends, and family. Uncle Bjorn and Aunt Sloane came all the way from Colorado, where he was the Gamma at Blood Stone. They brought my cousins, BJ (Bjorn Junior) and Leigha. I went up to them and gave them all hugs.

“There is the birthday girl!” I heard behind me and turned around. Gramps and Nene walked up to me, hugging and kissing me. “I cannot believe that you are already fourteen years old. Quit growing up so fast. Seems like just yesterday you were asking me to take you out on the surfboard to go out in the waves. You hated to wear a life jacket, but you had to wear it because you were not a strong swimmer.”

“I’m coming this summer to surf some more,” I told him. “Let’s see who can catch the biggest wave and the loser buys some lasagna from Pete’s!”

“You’re on,” Gramps chuckled, hugging me.

I got to see the rest of the family that have arrived. A beautiful scent of pine and sea salt filled my nostrils. Venus got restless in my head.

“MATE! Mate is here!” she told me, jumping around in my head.

“What do you mean, mate is here? I am only fourteen and not ready for a mate. Besides, you heard dad, I am not allowed to claim our mate until I am eighteen,” I explained to her.

“I don’t care. I want our mate NOW!” she growled at me.

Aunt Chloe and Uncle Alaric walked up to me, with Jed and Leo right behind them. “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Chloe told me, hugging me.

“Yeah, kiddo, how does it feel to be fourteen?” Alaric asked me, hugging me after Chloe released me.

“It feels just like being thirteen,” I replied. Except that I have my wolf four years before, like I am not supposed to. Jed was next and wished me a happy birthday and hugged me. Leo came up to me and the most wonderful scent hit me. Pine and sea salt.

“MATE! HE IS MATE!” Venus shouted, trying to push herself through. I held her back so I wouldn’t tackle Leo to the ground. How is that even possible that he is my mate? He is the King Demon and I am an Alpha werewolf! Would it even work between us?

I looked at Leo with surprise in my eyes, and he looked at me.

“Pip, are you ok?” he asked. I panicked and ran from the room. I linked mom and dad to meet me in the dressing room upstairs. Running into the room, I slammed the door and sat down in the closest chair, putting my head into my hands. Mom and dad came running a few minutes later.

“What is wrong, princess?” dad asked, kneeling in front of me.

“DADDY, I FOUND MY MATE! IT’S LEO! Can that be possible?” I told him, hyperventilating.

“Calm down, kiddo. Take slow deep breaths,” dad calmly told me. “You need to calm down and just breathe. Now, you are saying you found your mate, and it is Leo?” I sat there, nodding my head franticly. Mom and dad both looked at each other, like they knew something.

“You knew?” I yelled. “Why didn’t you say something? Why didn’t you stop him from coming to the party?”

“We just found out about your wolf and he was already here. It would be rude to tell the king of demons that he could not come,” mom explained.

“How long have you known?”

“Since before you turned four,” dad answered.

“Wait, you knew for ten years and you mentioned nothing about it!” I growled at them.

“We wanted you to have a normal childhood, not have you obsessed over Leo. That is why he is hardly around. He wanted to keep his distance so you can be a normal child, not following him around all the time. When he was around, you stayed by his side constantly. It was cute, but we also knew it was serious,” mom calmly told me.

I got up out of my chair and walked to the window. Knowing that my mate is downstairs is killing me and Venus because I am too young to be with him. He is over two hundred years old and can live for an exceptionally long, long time. How would our relationship work when I won’t live as long as him, maybe one hundred and fifty at the most? There was a knock on the door and pine and sea salt scent hit my nose. It was Leo. Mom answered it and he walked in. It took everything in me not to run into his arms.

“She knows,” mom told him. His shoulders went slumped and sat down in the chair I was sitting in. “She got her wolf at midnight.” Leo looked at her in surprise.

“Wait, he also knew?” I looked at mom.

“Yes, dear, he knew. He knew from the night we noticed you were glued to his side. He came up that night to talk to us about your attachment and I told him he was your mate. Then you came out of your room, couldn’t sleep. You crawled into his lap, snuggled up to him, and fell asleep.” I cannot believe my parents and my mate betrayed me by keeping this from me. I was angry.

“We wanted to wait until you received your wolf before telling you, Pip. I wanted to surprise you on your eighteenth birthday. But the Moon Goddess had other plans. I wanted to be the perfect mate for you, spoil you and love you with all my heart. Ever since your mom told me about us, I have been planning our future. I haven’t been with other women since then. I wanted to save myself for you until your birthday came. That has all changed since now you have got your wolf,” he explained to me. He quit dating when he found out about us and was planning our future together. I knew he was a good man, but after he told me that, I knew I had to hang onto him.

Heading towards the door, I stopped and looked at them. “I need some time to process all of this. Venus is wearing me out by wanting to claim you right now, but I am too young to do it. I will not reject you, Leo, because you are incredibly special to me. Understand that right now, I cannot accept our bond until I turn eighteen. Can you wait for me for four years?”

“I have been waiting for ten years and planning to wait another four. Yes, I can wait for you,” he told me, coming up and hugging me. “I want you to grow up and enjoy your life before you become my queen and accept me as your mate.” To calm down, I inhaled his scent. “I will always wait for you, princess,” he whispered in my ear and kissed the top of my head. Venus was doing backflips in my head, giving me a headache.

“I need to go on a walk. Give me a half hour and then I will return. Thank you, Leo, for being so understanding. A lot of males wouldn’t, especially with me being so young.” I kissed his cheek, not wanting to move. Pulling away from him, I walked out the door, with him and my parents looking at me with concern.

I walked down to the barn to process everything. It is my special place where I go when I have to think. The horses were in for the evening, so I walked down to Eivor’s stall. His head popped out of the stall, nickered at me for treats.

“I’m sorry, boy, I didn’t bring any with me. I’ll bring some tomorrow,” I told him, wrapping my arms around his neck and buried my face in his mane. What am I going to do? Does that mean I won’t see Leo for four years when I turn eighteen? I caught his scent before he walked up to me and leaned against Eivor’s stall. Eivor looked over at him, looking for treats.

“Are you ok?” he asked, scratching Eivor’s forehead.

“Hell no, I am not ok. I am confused right now about what to do. Dad told me to wait until I turn eighteen to accept you, but I also do not want to lose you from my life,” I sighed, leaning on Chaos’ stall. “You mean so much to me.”

“You mean a lot to me, too. Your dad is right about waiting, accepting me as your mate. You are fourteen and need to enjoy your life. Like I told you in the room, I will wait for you. Neither of us will regret waiting. I will make sure of it,” he assured me, reaching over and grabbing my hand, the sparks going crazy between us.

“Will it work as we are different species, you a demon and I am a werewolf?”

“Yes, it will. Look at Jack and Lizzie, Oscar and Willow. They are werewolves and witches and they love each other very much. Have faith in us.”

“Ok, one more question and I am done. What about our lives? You will live for a long time. Hell, you are already over two hundred years old, and werewolves don’t live that long. Are you going to move on with someone else when I die, or are you going to live out your days alone?” He looked at me with care on his face, reaching up and rubbing his thumb over my cheek.

“I will make sure that you live as long as I will, so I can love you until the day I take my last breath. Actually, my grandmother was human when my grandfather met her and they loved each other for five hundred years, until grandma got sick and passed away. Grandfather only lived five years after she passed, visiting her mausoleum every day, leaving her favorite flowers and love letters. He died from a broken heart. Once you marry me and become my queen, you will live a long time,” he explained me to, drawing closer to me.

“Ok, I was worried about that. But I need to get back to my party.” I pulled away and Leo grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. Suddenly, he kissed me gently on the lips, the sparks flying between us. I whimpered as he pulled away, smiling.

“That will be the only kiss you will get from me until you are eighteen. I love you, Piper. Don’t you forget that. I would move mountains to make you happy. Now, let’s get to that party.” He walked away, and I stood there stunned. He kissed me, and I was speechless.

“Leo, wait!” I yelled for him, running to catch up to him. “Will I see you again after tonight?”

“Probably won’t be the best if we don’t see each other again. I do not want the temptation to ruin your life,” he sadly told me.

“At least stay until I shift, please? I want you to see Venus,” I begged him. He sighed and smiled.

“I can’t, baby girl. If Venus sees me, she will tackle me to the ground and mark me, not regarding the promise you made to your dad. I will keep in touch every once in a while, to make sure that you are ok. But I am keeping a limited contact until you turn eighteen.”

He walked away, heading back to the party. I stood there in the barn doorway for I don’t know how long before Lykeon came looking for me.

“Piper, are you coming to your party or are you going to hang out here at the barn with the horse?” he asked, walking up to me with a smile on his face. His smile disappeared as soon as he saw my face, with tears running down my face. “What is wrong? Are you ok? Who hurt you?” He looked over me to make sure I had no injuries.

“My mate walked away and I can’t claim him until I turn eighteen!” I cried, leaning my face into his shoulder.

“What do you mean, your mate? What are you talking about?” he asked, wrapping his arms around me, trying to calm me down.

“I got my wolf last night, and I found out that Leo is my mate. Dad told me to wait until I turn eighteen to accept him, but I feel so lost right now!” I cried even harder.

“Wait, you got your wolf? Is what even possible?” he asked, pulling me back and getting me to look at him. “You are fourteen and dad is right, you need to wait until you are eighteen. Will Leo wait for you?”

“Mom, dad, and Leo have known for ten years, the first time Leo and Alaric first visited the pack. I remember being by his side every time he was around, but I thought it was because he was such a nice guy. Here the whole time, he is my mate and I can’t be with him. This will be the last time I will see him until I turn eighteen,” I explained to him.

“I am sorry, sis, this has happened. If he has waited for you for the last ten years, then he will wait for you for the next four.” He hugged me. “Let’s take you up to the house and get you cleaned up. You have a party to go to.” I nodded my head. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me to the house.

The rest of my party went in a daze. I tried to plaster a smile on my face, but I was not genuinely happy. Every time I caught his scent, I wanted to run to him, but I couldn’t. Finally, at the end of the night, mom walked me back to the house, looking concerned.

“Are you ok?” she asked. I stopped in my tracks and looked at her.

“What the hell do you think? Am I ok? Hell no, I am not ok! I am fourteen years old, got my wolf, and found my mate whom I cannot be with all in one day! Venus has been going crazy, wanting Leo. I have to keep explaining to her that right now, we cannot claim him! This will be the last time I see him until I’m eighteen! I am in pure agony right now!”

“Sweetheart, he has been waiting for you for the last ten years. He will wait another four. Let’s get you upstairs and into bed. Or would you like to take a bubble bath instead to help you calm down?” Mom is the best when we are in turmoil and tries her best to cheer us up.

“A bubble bath sounds good,” I told her.