Wolf Prince

by Stephany Wallace

  Kevin’s gaze shifted to Zelin on the table, who turned to look at us at the same time, then returned to me.

  “Oh!” he exclaimed excitedly, as though he could now formally hit on her, and another growl escaped me. He frowned at my reaction, but then his eyes widened. “Oooh. And you like her…”

  It was my turn to cringe. If he only knew. “Why do you like her?” I asked.

  He huffed, looking towards the table again. “Where do I start? She’s gorgeous, she’s definitely a challenge, and she scares the ever-loving shit out of me.” He chuckled incredulously at his own answer, then looked at me. “Why do you like her?”

  I froze as he turned the question on me, my chest constricted. “I, um…”

  My brows wrinkled deeply as my gaze found Zelin. She was scowling at Dale about something, but then stole a couple of fries from his plate and gave him a triumphant look, popping them into her mouth. Grinning, he dropped more of his fries on her plate. Her knights adored her.

  “She knows me better than I know myself,” I whispered, remembering every moment spent with her. “She gives me peace without a single word, and makes me want to become the best version of myself, so I can be worthy of her. I would give my life to protect her without hesitation, and the crazy thing is, she would do the same for me.”

  I shook my head in awe of her.

  “And when she smiles at me, truly smiles, she can make the darkness inside me disappear. As though it never existed.”

  “Fine, you saw her first. I get it. I respectfully bow out,” he conceded with a chuckle.

  Blinking out of my trance, I looked at Kevin again, frowning. “What?”

  Another chuckle left him. “Dude, didn’t you just listen to yourself? That was like the dibs of all dibs.” He shook his head incredulous. “You don’t just like her. You are freaking in love with her.”

  Taking Zelin’s hand in mine, I helped her out of the SUV as we arrived at Hannah’s party. She stepped down in a corset-type black and white top, tight jeans, and her black leather, knee-high boots. I almost whimpered. Zelin looked absolutely gorgeous.

  I wasn’t the only one who noticed. A few guys hanging out on the porch instantly looked at her, like their “hot-girl alarms” had blared to life.

  Opening the other door, I helped Sarah out too. She wore a short white dress with pink tennis shoes, her long brown hair cascaded over one shoulder, making her look both sweet and beautiful. There was no denying it, Sarah was the ultimate girl next door, and a part of me still wished I could get to know her without the influence of my ability on her.

  As my friend, not as my girlfriend.

  There was only one woman for me, and she was currently stopping traffic.

  The guys’ heads snapped towards Sarah next, their eyes bouncing between Zelin and Sarah while each of them took one of my arms, and we walked past them into the house. The knights followed us.

  “Woohoo! Happy Birthday to me!” Hannah screamed when she saw us, raising her voice above the loud music blaring through the house. We laughed as she ran towards Zack, and jumped him, lip-smacking him.

  Zack and Hannah met the day I took the guys with me for my tour of the Kindness Tower, and they hit it off right away. But it wasn’t until we all ran together one night at the park, that Zack was a goner. It had been so natural. All it took was for them to scent each other as wolves, and they gave in to the mate pull our race experienced instantly.

  They’d already claimed each other and mated, and were currently looking for a place together, planning to formally marry after college.

  I was not jealous at all.

  Zack set his girl down, chuckling, and she turned to face us, welcoming us to her party. “Oh my god. You girls look like serious trouble,” Hannah’s eyes widened, a whistle escaping her and helping get her point across.

  Zelin chuckled. “Thanks. Sarah helped me get ready for the party. She did my hair and makeup, since she got dressed in our house too.”

  “Girl, I need to join that train next time. Your makeup looks awesome. Okay, let’s go get drinks!” Hannah urged, pulling us along as she danced to the music.

  Her house was much closer to the Kindness Tower than our house, but the place was homey, beautiful, and inviting. A collage of family pictures hung on one of the walls we past, and you could tell there was love in this home.

  Holding both Sarah and Zelin’s hands, I created a path through the jumping bodies, taking them with me. I briefly looked over my shoulder to find that most of the knights had already been “ambushed” by a group of beautiful girls. They gathered around them, smiling and batting their eyelashes, while a few were even caressing the guys’ chests and biceps.

  Kevin had remained with them, and he was clearly reaping the benefits as he flirted with a beautiful blonde woman.

  I shook my head amusedly, looking towards the other side. Egon, Dale, Len, Geron, and Emory were already dancing with a few girls that seemed like a perfect mix with a brunette, a blonde, a chocolate skinned beauty, and even a redhead. I couldn’t help but smile. They were relaxing, enjoying themselves, just being guys, and that was exactly what I had wanted when I decided to come here.

  For us all to have a fresh start.

  We finally reached the kitchen, and Zack gave me a dubious look when I stopped next to the island with Zelin and Sarah holding me.

  “Are you putting together your own harem now?” he sent into my mind, but I could feel his amusement through the link.

  “Shut up.” I scowled at him, passing one of the cups Hannah handed me to Zelin, and the other to Sarah.

  I knew I needed to find a way to heal Sarah so I could break things off with her—not that there was much to break up. She was part of our group now, and she hanged with Zelin, the guys and I every day, studying or playing games with us. Still, it wasn’t easy, given the weird circumstances.

  There was also the fact that Zelin had promised to make me suffer if I made Sarah cry or hurt her in any way—she was very protective of her. They’d become friends, and Zelin had never had a true girlfriend before this.

  “Where are your cousins?” Hannah asked, serving another rum and coke.

  “We lost them back there, to a swarm of push up bra’s and tight miniskirts,” Sarah was the one to answer, shrugging, and we laughed.

  “I couldn’t have put it better myself,” Zelin added, taking a drink.

  “Oh, yeah. I should have warned you,” Hannah admitted. “Those are the girls from my cheer squad. I told them my new German friends would provide a wide selection of man candy to choose from.”

  “You are a cheerleader?” I asked surprised.

  “Uh, excuse you. I’m not just any old cheerleader. I’m the captain of Chicago State, basketball cheer squad. Go Cougars. Woohoo!”

  We laughed when she gave a high kick with the words.

  “Respect,” I added raising my cup to her, while Zelin naturally leaned into me, resting against my chest, and my arm wound around her waist. My whole body hummed for her in response, her warmth engulfing my every cell.

  I couldn’t explain how it felt to be with Zelin this way since we first kissed, yet, in most ways it had remained the same. What I had always felt for her was now vibrant and exciting, pulsing in the recesses of my soul, renewing and growing with every breath.

  Kissing her was like discovering a new world, new colors, new tastes that only existed within her, but she was familiar and comforting in my arms. By my side. In my mind.

  It was us, as great as we had always been, but version 2.0.

  “Oh, crap. Seriously?” Hannah complained, looking out through the window above the kitchen sink. “The first thing I tell them, and the first thing they do. Idiots!” Huffing, she turned around. “Gustav, can you please go to tell the guys outside not to smoke near my mom’s roses? Those things are precious to her, and the smoke can kill them. And if something happens to them, she’ll kill me. Dead.”

  “Sure, I’ll—”

 
“Hey! What am I, shopped liver?” Zack complained from where he stood next to her.

  “No, baby. But Gustav’s muscles are bigger, and those guys are from the basketball team. They need to be intimidated. Besides, you are allergic to smoke, remember?”

  Laughter escaped me, but I soon turned it into a cough when Zack narrowed his eyes at me. “Sorry,” I cleared my throat. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I told you that you should have picked me instead,” Kevin added, entering the kitchen. “From the two of us, I have better skillz.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Hannah, blatantly flirting with her in front of his best friend.

  He was such a flirt.

  I understood now why he’d been so cool with the whole Zelin situation. Kevin was just a go with the flow kind of guy, which was one of the things I liked most about him. Though it was clear the “challenge” Zelin had presented, had been the most appealing thing for him. I guessed he was one of those guys that liked the chase.

  “Yeah, right.” Zack snorted to Kevin’s jesting.

  “Fine. Your loss, sweet-cheeks,” Kevin winked at Hannah who smiled lightheartedly. “Can I get a drink? My new friend, Stacy, is waiting for me back there.”

  “Ooh, Stacy,” Hannah cringed. “Good luck with that. She’s a tough one.”

  He smirked, puffing out his chest. “Challenge accepted.”

  Still chuckling, I turned to Zelin. “Be back soon.”

  Leaning down I placed a kiss on her lips, freezing on the spot as I realized what I had done. In front of EVERYONE. Turning to Sarah, I quickly placed a kiss on her lips too, trying to fix my mistake. She looked at me with wide eyes, so did everyone else, and I internally cringed. Never mind the fact that I hadn’t kissed Sarah on the lips since I realized she had been influenced by my ability.

  What the fuck.

  I walked to the back door, mumbling something unintelligible in German.

  “Smooth…” Zelin sent into my mind, and I looked over my shoulder at her to find her lips twitching, fighting a laugh, while she took a sip of her drink.

  These two women were going to be the end of me.

  I only had myself to blame.

  Closing the door behind me, I walked around the natural shape pool, adorned with a waterfall and real rocks around it. A few people were scattered in small groups around the backyard, talking and enjoying the party while remnants of the music inside filtered outside.

  “Hey guys, do you mind smoking in the hardscaped area of the yard? Hannah says the roses are very susceptible to the smoke,” I asked when I was only a step away from the rose garden, where five guys stood, smoking cigars. I wasn’t sure I was going to intimidate anyone; they were as tall as I was.

  “Oh shit,” one of them cursed, moving away instantly. “That’s right, she told us that. Sorry man, I completely forgot.”

  “No worries.” I waved it off as they put out the cigars and returned to the party.

  My gaze briefly fell to the yellow roses, and they brought a smile to my face, reminding me of Mom’s garden back at the castle. Her flowers were completely different, Mondblumes, and only opened during the night but she spent hours at a time there, caring for the white blooms that had belonged to her mother.

  Just like that this became something else that made me miss home. In a week it would be spring break, and I was ecstatic about sneaking off to Germany to spend time with my family, especially after what had occurred with the Alphas’ sons. I just needed a respite.

  Maybe I would even be able to sneak a one on one with Grandma Vanda, to see if there was any natural remedy she could think off, that would help me break Sarah’s accidental love spell. That wasn’t something I wanted to talk about on the phone, and even if she’d trained Curtis, it didn’t compare to the two hundred years of expertise Grandma had.

  My gaze turned towards the window that looked to the kitchen, and I saw Sarah laughing as her fingers scratched Rod’s perfectly trimmed beard. Zelin smiled at Hannah while they chatted with Zack, and I felt so proud of her. Little by little she’d become more sociable—no more serial killer, fake smiles from her. Sarah’s influence and unexpected friendship had played a great part in that. Zelin seemed more comfortable with another girl around.

  Zelin smiled again and my heart thumped like a drum inside me. Holy husky puppies, she was breathtaking. Kevin was right. I was undeniably, head over heels in love with her. I had to tell her.

  Turning on my heel to return to the house, I suddenly halted when I found Logan standing before me. Samuel, Nathan, and Kyle flanked him, while about another ten guys from the crime force unit stood behind them. The same ones who had been with them at the parking lot.

  FML. So much for a relaxing night out.

  “What the fuck do you want, now?” I sighed, even as I asked the question.

  The dude didn’t give it a rest, and my patience was running very thin. Though, I didn’t really have to ask. It was clear by his gang that he wanted to jump me, waiting for the exact time I’d be without the knights, or more specifically, without my Iron Knight.

  My gaze shifted towards the kitchen window, and I moved a few steps out of their line of view, so they wouldn’t see what was going on outside. I should have known Hannah would invite them, she had no idea about the feud between us, and he worked in the tower with her.

  “Isn’t it obvious yet?” Logan spat. “I want you to leave the same way you came, and never come back.”

  “What is your problem, dude?”

  “My problem is you are fucking with my life, and I want it to stop. Everything was perfect before you appeared. I was doing well. My dad and I were finally on the same page again. And this is my territory. Get it.”

  “Are you dense? You are the one who started all of this. Are you so far gone that you can’t even realize that? The world doesn’t revolve around you, dude. Get over yourself and leave me the hell alone.” I sidestepped him, but Nathan and Kyle blocked my path.

  “You are not going anywhere,” Kyle kindly informed me.

  “You took everything from me!” Logan snapped behind me at the same time.

  I took a calming breath, facing him again. This was not going to end well.

  “You took all I cared about. My place as Captain of the unit I was so proud of. My father. You even took Sarah from me.”

  I blinked, shocked. “What?”

  “You think I’m stupid?” he growled. “You think I don’t know you two are dating now?”

  “Logan. I didn’t take Sarah from you. You tried to rape her.”

  “I did not!” he raged, pointing at me. “You are lying. You stole her from my arms.” He turned around and began to pace, fists rigid at his sides. “It was a misunderstanding. I didn’t mean to scare her, I just got carried away… I, I didn’t her hear, that’s all.” He stopped abruptly and faced me. “She was kissing me back. I didn’t force her. I would never do that to her.”

  He began to pace again, and my gaze shifted to his friends, who sported similar worried expressions on their faces. Were they buying that?

  “After my mother died, my father was all I had left. I was the most important thing to him, but when you came here, he changed,” Logan added, taking up the topic of his father again. “The second he met you he texted me about how great the Moon Prince was, and how I should be more like him. You are all he talks about.”

  His voice became thick with repressed rage and emotion, and my perspective of him instantly changed. I recognized it then. The signs of trauma. They had been hiding beneath his anger all of this time, but now they seemed so clear to me. It was all I could see.

  I looked at Samuel, Kyle and Nathan once again, grim looks took over their eyes, and I understood they had been with him through it all. They probably thought they were protecting him by doing this.

  My gaze returned to Logan. “Is that what triggered you?” I asked in a low tone, stepping closer.

  Logan’s brow furrowed. “What the fuck are you talking about?” he
scowled at me.

  “You are not just grieving, are you? This isn’t you acting up or being an ass. There is a trauma there, and something triggered it.”

  His eyes became murderous, and I knew I had hit a sore spot. “Shut up,” he warned. “There is nothing wrong with my head. I’m fine.”

  “That is nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all gone through something that has left scars inside us, and sometimes it takes more strength than we have to deal with it. That is why we need others to help us carry the weight, until there is nothing else to carry.”

  I took a tentative step closer.

  “Let me help you, Logan. I suffer from trauma too. I know how it feels, and how hard it is to leave behind. Perhaps instead of fighting, we can help each other.”

  I paused for a moment, trying to find the best way to figure out what had triggered his PTSD. “Did you see the hunters kill your mother?”

  Logan didn’t answer, but his eyes filled with rage as they bore into mine, and as the anger in him increased I was sure he would attack me, but in a split second, the anger disappeared. It was as though someone had flipped a switch on him, and hysterical laughter left him.

  I blinked, taking a step back, startled by the change. Was he having a mental break?

  “Who the fuck do you think I am?” he asked, back to feeling anger. “You think I’m like you? A pathetic, messed up loser? Be a man and stop worrying about stupid feelings.” He scoffed. “You are not even a fucking prince. If it weren’t for my queen taking pity on your sorry ass, you would still be rotting in the Black Forest.”

  He laughed mockingly while my body tensed.

  “Stop.” I asked calmly, taking a deep breath. “Hurting me is not going to make your pain disappear, Logan. You should know that by now.”

  “Awe, I hurt you?” He grinned. “That’s right. You have triggers,” he turned to Kyle and the others. “What is it my dad said had made the prince lose it in his office?”

  My jaw spasmed at the question. Had Walter shared that with him? “Stop,” I asked again, focusing on my rhythmic breaths as the anxiety awoke within me.