Chapter Three: How to prepare for the unknown
Justin’s P.O.V.
I arrived home later that night, my head filled with so many things I couldn’t focus on one particular thing.
I picked up my laptop from the floor where I had left it last night and ordered a pizza online.
Alone I sat at my tiny dinner table and wondered what it would be like to have the family of my dream there with me.
There would be no pizza but we would be cooking together, something simple, like pasta, a humble meal. And my tiny daughter would sit at the table with her stuffed animal playing house, or making up a fun story.
My mate would slap me on the back of my head because I wasn’t paying attention and I’d grin and kiss her jaw, making her smile.
Such a simple thing… yet it was all I wanted. I wanted someone to come home to, to quarrel to love and share secret kisses with and someone to read bedtime stories too as long as she could appreciate her father doing so, until I started annoying her and I had to protect her from guys in general, besides her old dad of course. And my Mate would tell me to cut it out and that she was a normal young woman.
The doorbell rang, interrupting my fantasy. Living like that would be perfect for me.
I opened the door and a girl handed me my pizza and held out her hand for the money plus tip. Her hair had the sandy color from my dream but she was far to young and her hair straight.
I gave her a 30 and told her to keep the change.
I sank on the couch and turned on the tv to get rid of the silence that filled my living room. I pulled out my phone as I stuffed a piece of pizza in my mouth. I looked through the pictures, no surprise nearly all of them were of Jenn, Kyle and me. I smiled, we were like a strange family and I was the adopted son, very much loved and wanted, but not really theirs. And they were not really mine. I wanted someone to complete my family.
I wanted my mate like a kid wants his mother on the first day of school.
Really badly… and suddenly I realized, I was doing exactly what I shouldn’t. I was losing myself in the dream, I had to focus on the things that were in front of me and not the things that might once be. I would know it if she was near.
I really needed a hobby to distract myself from the things going on in my head.
I got up, leaving half of the pizza in the box, it would make a fine breakfast, and walked towards the garage.
The tiny space was not really a garage for a car would not fit in it but it had a garage feeling, meaning there was a ton of crap stacked in it. I rummaged through it, trying to find something to keep me busy for a long time.
And when I found an enormous pile of lumber I knew what I wanted to make.
A tree house, for Jenn and Kyle’s but also my future children to play in.
I went back into the house and started looking for information on the internet. I wanted the tree house to be safe above all.
And thus, the first thing to do was to find the perfect tree.
I ran out of the house and stripped of my clothes and changed while running towards the woods.
I ran for miles, pacing the area between mine and the Nickelson house so that it wouldn’t be too far away.
After a while, a strange feeling in my gut made me step a bit out of my route, a feeling I enjoyed and wanted to cherish. Shortly after, I found myself in the meadow of my dream, and I knew then that the perfect tree was nearby. I looked around and saw it, a huge oak tree with wide set sturdy branches.
Feeling stupid for not bringing my phone to take pictures I ran back to my house. Hardly noticing a slightly familiar scent along the way.
But I didn’t care, I was to busy with other things.
I got my phone out of the house and put it in a bag I hung around my neck, never changing back while I did so, and ran back to the meadow. I shot a few pictures from multiple angels before going back to my place.
Once there I changed back and put on clothes.
Suddenly hungry I ate the cold leftover pizza and started drawing my ideas on the simple paper. I saved every drawing even if they weren’t right each drawing contained new ideas I’d maybe want to look through again in the future.
I worked throughout the night, never being satisfied and I didn’t realize morning had come until my phone rang and a picture of Jenn flashed on the screen.
“Hello?” I answered, the lack of sleep apparent in my voice.
“Hey! Did I wake you?” she sounded surprised. And when I looked at the clock I knew why she would be surprised, it was 10 am, I’d normally be up by 7.
“No, you didn’t wake me.” I told her. “I never went to sleep last night.”
“Why on earth not?” She asked confused.
“I found something to do with my time.” I said secretively.
“What is it?” She asked curiously.
“Not telling, I’ll show you when it’s done.” I said, feeling content that I had something that was purely mine, until it was finished of course.
“Alright, fine then, don’t tell me.” She said with mock hurt.
“Why did you call by the way?” I asked.
“Oh! Yes, I almost forgot, Kyle and I are planning a nice lunch, made by me of course and we were wondering if you wanted to come over, but if you’re to busy…” She said as a joke but I would have to disappoint her.
“I am, in fact, to busy. Raincheck?” I asked her and there was a stunned silence. It was rare that I didn’t look them up for company or comfort especially when asked. But that had to be over. I had to get back to being who I was before I started daydreaming instead of living. My mate would come and she would have to find me, the real me, not the man I had become over the past months.
“Uhm sure, are you sure it’s fine?” She asked.
“Yes Jenn, you two have fun!” I said before hanging up. I turned my phone to mute and jumped on my bed, on top of a small part of the drawing that were scattered all over the house.
I slept for a few hours, lovely dreamless sleep. I had been dreaming to much lately.
Kaelyn’s P.O.V.
“A werewolf?” I asked and thought about it carefully.
Werewolves, creatures half man half wolf, can switch between the two, hearing, smell, taste and sight better than that of normal humans, higher body temperature, stronger than normal humans…
Wolves howl… and every night I heard the howling from the forest, it explained many things but it was absurd, werewolves… they were creatures from myths, legends and fairy tales…
“Is everyone here a werewolf?” I asked meaning everyone in the house.
“Yes.” My father said.
“What is a mate?” I asked, that was the question tha ti really wanted answered.
“A mate is the soulmate of a werewolf. The man with the blue eyes is your true love, the one you are supposed to be with.” He told me and that made sense. It had felt like that ever since the dream, and immense pull to get to him, it was even stronger than the urge to see my brother.
“Where is he?” I asked, meaning brother.
“We don’t know sweetheart, if we knew we would have brought him here a long time ago.” My mother answered, her voice a bit strained.
“No, I mean Lex.” I told them.
“He is in America looking for his mate and he found her.” My father said after a doubtful moment.
“Why is it taking so long then?” I asked him.
“Well, you see, the girl your brother is supposed to be with was already claimed by another werewolf, and that werewolf is one of the most powerfull of all werewolves, he is the werewolf king of America.” My father told me and after a short while he added: “And since the girl seems to love him but also has some feelings for your brother the situation is difficult and if not handled carefully it will end in war.”
“War?” I asked, stunned. “Why would there be a… we live in a castle, don’t we?” I asked him.
“Yes.” I could hear him swallow.
“So you are the king of the English werewolves?” I asked him quite certain of my case.
“Yes, and the girl was once human, she has been turned into a werewolf only half a year ago. She thinks the king of America is her mate but I’m sure she belongs with your brother.”
“But if she loves the American king, why can’t Lexie find another mate?” I asked.
“That is the problem, a werewolf only has one mate, but since she was human, something might have gone wrong, making two werewolves her mates. But your brother will win her over, I am sure of it and then he’ll come home.” My father told me with certainty.
I on the other hand was not so sure, if she had chosen someone over my brother once who said she wouldn’t do it again? Maybe this whole ordeal needed a feminine touch. Maybe Lexie needed me.
“I have to go there.” I told my parents. “I have to help him, maybe I could talk to her, she might just need a woman to talk to, a friendly someone to be her friend.” I told them and I could hear the relieve in their sighs.
“Yes perhaps you can help your brother.” My mother said and I nodded happily.
I might be of use to someone after all.
I got out of my bed.
“Mom, help me pack.” I told her as I walked through the room I knew so well, towards my closet.
“Sure dear, what will you need?” She asked as she walked towards me.
“Clothes I can move in easily, and a dress, it might come in handy.” I told her. I felt a familiar weight on my shoulder and knew it was my mothers delicate hand.
“My dear Kaelyn, I’m so glad you are accepting this so easily. I was so worried you would be mad or wouldn’t believe us!” She whimpered and I took her face in my hands.
“Mom, I love you and could never be mad at you or father, you did what you did to protect me, and I am very grateful for the protection over the years but now it’s time for me to grow up and spread my wings, or wag my tail.” I grinned and my mother laughed though her sniffles. I kissed her cheek and hugged her.
She helped me pack and she helped me down the stairs. She showed me the rooms I hadn’t been in so long and I loved it, I loved the space, I loved to walk.
I felt better while moving, like I had to move, like I had to run.
“Mom?” I asked doubtfully.
“Yes dear?” She asked.
“Do we have a tredmill?” I asked her wanting to run really bad.
“Yes in fact we do, why?” She asked.
“I want to run!” I told her and she helped towards a smaller room where the voices didn’t travel nearly as far as they had in the previous spaces.
She guided me towards the machine and told me how it worked. And when I stood on it she turned it on. I started walking and told my mom to make it go faster.
And faster.
And faster.
Until I ran, for the first time in my life, I ran. And I felt great… I felt free.
I was ready to go to America.
Ready to help Alexander conquer his princess.
Author's note...
Alright... who didn't see that coming? I certainly did (a)