The Dimitri Twins

Chapter 16

Arabella Dimitri

I woke up in my own bed, in my cave. Was it all a dream? I felt kind of sad that I had dreamed it all. I was actually warming up to Nicholas, just Nicholas though, I was not warming up to any of the responsibilities being his mate would give me. Still, I was kind of hoping it would've been real...

Then I heard snoring. I looked down and saw a giant white wolf, with golden accents and black paws, looking like it had socks on its feet. I knew it was Nicholas right away, I didn't even have to smell the air, which I knew smelt like freshly cut sandal wood and pine leaves. He was so peaceful, I didn't want to wake him up; I was sure the journey must've been pretty hard, especially having to carry me all the way. I suspected that the weather meant they couldn't go all the way either, and my suspicion was confirmed when I stepped out the room and looked out of the cave entrance to see all of the snow. I had to carefully step to make sure I didn't stand on a tail, or a paw, or a head, as there were sleeping wolves lying all over the kitchen and the lounge area.

I quickly lit a fire, after grabbing some dry firewood out of the wood store, hopefully warming the place up a little bit by the time I got back. I quickly shifted and ran out of the cave. I was looking for food, specifically deer, which would be awake at this time, and easy to spot in all of the snow.

As I was running through the woods, a very familiar midnight black wolf with one single white ear ran up to me and nudged me.

You hunting? Asked Jason. Luckily, because we were siblings, we could still mindlink, even though he had now joined the Royal Pack.

Deer, I think. I answered him.

After hitting the jackpot, we dragged five deer all the way back to the cave, piling them up just inside, so that they didn't freeze. I shifted out of my wolf and put on my warm clothes, and added a couple extra logs to the fire that was now dwindling. "She's gone," I heard Nicholas shouting from my room, waking up most, if not all of the Night Warriors, who went alert straight away. Nicholas ran out of my room, only to look my dead in the eyes and sigh in relief.

"Where exactly would I go Nicholas, you're in my only home," I said to him, folding my arms over my chest.

"Not your only home, not anymore," he said, shaking his head. I rolled my eyes at him.

The morning was spent defrosting everyone by the fire, and feeding them all deer. Everyone shifted back into their human forms, so that I could actually communicate with them, and because it took up a lot less space in our small cave. Damien left on his own after eating some food, saying that his mate was waiting for him; it was never Damien's intention to head to the royal pack, he was a rogue, his mate was a rogue, his father was the alpha of the rogues, and that's how they wanted to stay.

"So, this is where you've been hiding all this time?" Nicholas spoke to me, leaning against one of the counters as I made myself some tea. "It's not exactly what I expected from a cave, it's actually quite comfortable."

"We've been here for a while," I shrugged my shoulders. "Anyone else want tea?" After getting orders I went to make them all.

"You know, you're their queen, they should be making tea for you," Nicholas stated.

"Ugh, don't remind me," I rolled my eyes, walking back to the group of men and handing out tea, like I'm some wife from the 1950s.

"Baby steps," he whispered. "Stop rolling your eyes at me."

"Shut up," I sighed, trudging back into my own room.

I already had taken most of the essentials to Seth's castle, but now that I had the liberty to strap whatever I wanted to the back of one of the Night Warriors, I decided to pack a little bit more. Of course, I left a lot of stuff, because I would for certain be coming back here, and I would need there to be enough things for me to get by.

"You know, I can buy you whatever you'd like when we are back in the kingdom," I heard Nicholas say by the door.

"Don't care," I mumbled, continuing to pack some of my things. "I like my style, I don't want to be packaged into some perfect princess."

"I don't want to package you into anything. Besides, you're a queen, not a princess, that's Madison's role," he smiled. "I mean you then won't have to carry all of this, you can still buy things your own style when we are back."

"And what makes you think I'll be carrying this? I am a Queen, remember?"

"How could I forget?" he chuckled.

It wasn't much longer until we decided to head off again. This time I wasn't hungover, so would be making the journey myself. I quickly shifted into my wolf, after strapping my bags to one of the Night Warrior's backs, and headed to the front of the group. Jason and I ran side by side, I mean, come on, we are the Dimitri twins. I knew that it was definitely a sight to see, the wolves from all of the story books, and all of the tales, in the flesh, running alongside the Royal Entourage, alongside the King himself.

Running through the woods like that was okay, not ideal, but okay. The problem arose when we entered through the gates of the Kingdom. It felt like a proper procession then, Night Warriors at the front, us Dimitri twins next, then the King, the Royal Beta, and more Night Warriors at the back.

We got so many looks, so many fingers pointed at us as we trotted through the roads of the city, through the market places and the square, past a cool water fountain, and up to the castle. It felt like every man and his dog (get the irony) was out today, waiting for our arrival, speechless at the fact the Dimitri twins were inside the castle walls, but not to be hung for our crimes, for one of us to be placed on the throne next to their precious queen, and the other to stand by the side of the Royal Beta. I would be lying if I said my anxiety wasn't through the roof, but I wasn't ready for anyone to see me falter, so I carried on trotting, my head held high, blocking out the stunned silence.

As soon as the doors of the castle shut behind us, and we were greeted with various servants handing out clothes, I snatched some from someone's hand and carried them in my mouth, running up the closest flight of stairs, up some random tower, before shifting, I quickly put on the clothes and sat there, on the stone floor of the tower, my head against my knees, and I cried.

Yes, I, daughter of Ottavio and Martina Dimitri, one of the infamous Dimitri twins, rumoured to be cold and heartless, cried. I cried because I was so overwhelmed, and I cried because I wasn't okay, and I felt like such a baby because of it.

"Arabella?" I heard Nicholas call, as he ascended the stairs to where I lay in self-pity. "Arabella?" his voice got slightly more panicked as he made his way over to me. I lifted my head to look at him, no doubt my eyes were red and puffy, dried tear stains on my cheeks. "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting beside me, looking at me with a concerned look on his face.

"It's just a bit overwhelming," I answered honestly. "Until not long ago I was hated, despised by the entire werewolf community, it's naïve of anyone to think that just because I am your mate that anything would change."

"You are not who the stories paint you out to be... everyone will realise that soon enough."

"It is so much effort to try and convince people though, why should I have to convince them, when it is their fault they look at me with such tinted vision? Wouldn't it be so much easier if I just stayed in my cave?"

"Fuck what they think. You are my queen. You don't need to convince them, they will see you for who you are, and decide for themselves. For now, continue being unapologetically you."

"You don't even know who I am," I laughed dryly.

"True, but I know you are inherently good, and from what I have seen so far, I am excited to see more," he smiled softly at me, and I smiled back at him.

"You aren't too bad yourself," I joked, and he let out a short burst of laughter, which lit up his eyes.

"Come, let's go," he stood up, holding out a hand for me. I took his hand and he pulled me up so I was flush against his body. One of his hands softly grabbed my face, and the other he used to wipe away my tears. "See, no one will ever know," he winked at me.

What is this boy doing to me?