NOVA
According the website, the Dark Princeling was the Ruler of the Darklands, or what the Fae refer to them as, the Underneath.
The Underneath was one of the Seven Fae Realms, realms that consisted of the Underneath, the In-between, the Above, and the Realms of the Four Seasons.
The Dark Prince was said to rule and command the Underneath and In-between, two realms that coexisted cohesively together and existed on the same plain.
Based on this site, the Dark Princeling was really really old being, existing around the same time the five original Packs and the "Bubble" as the boys called it, were created.
According to this author, the Equinox (AKA The Bubble) was created when the Leaders of the Seasons declared war on the Dark princeling and his acolytes for an undisclosed reason. The Four rulers of each Season used their powers to form the Dome that cuts off the Light Fae, those who derive from the Realm of the Four Seasons, from those who live in the DarkLands.
The Darklanders were considered outcasts by the rest of the Fae and because of that, forced into a life of exiles.
A desolate existence if you'd ask me...because according to this website, these once extroverted and happy fae turned into savages from the banishment and loneliness.
I scrolled lower and my breath caught in my throat at the few sketches some people are able to capture of the elusive Dark Prince.
It was a side portrait, barely showing any recognizable features that I doubt I would remember if were to see another drawing of him again, but somehow it had my heart beating slightly faster.
From what I could tell...that man was fine in his day.
With a slight smirk lifting the corner of his mouth and a gleaming mixture of mischief and severity in his gaze that the artist somehow managed to capture in this drawing.
A knock on my door startled me so bad that I nearly jumped ten feet up in the air.
I slammed my tablet closed, grabbing the cotton robe from the end of my bed and wrapping it tightly around me before cracking open my door.
"What is it?"
"Im just letting you know that Phoenix will be accompanying you tomorrow to Coach's class." Atlas muttered, his tattooed hands firmly tucking into the front pockets of his jeans.
I leaned against the doorway "What? Coach banned you already?"
He let out a small chuckle "How'd you know?"
"It was kind of obvious" my lips twitched "Why didn't you let me know in the morning?"
"Truthfully?"
I nodded "Of course."
"I wanted to apologize for being a dick earlier" he muttered, amber eyes downcast and so un-Atlas-like of him that my smile softened at the gesture "I was acting shitty and it was so unlike..."
"It wasn't unlike you at all" My snort of laughter cut him off "And you're not truly sorry for what you said. You're only sorry for how you said it to me."
"What makes you say that?"
"In the little time we've known each other, I've studied each and everyone of y'alls quirks, mannerism, likes, dislikes, and even eating habits" I cocked an eyebrow "Now's not the time to pretend to be bashful Lobo. It isn't becoming of you."
He stared at me for a long moment before a wide grin spread across his face, wiping away the bashfulness and replacing it with a smugness I've never seen someone else wear so well.
"I'm not sorry" he said "You're right about that. But what I am sorry for is for the way I've talked to you. For that, I'm sorry about being a dick."
I thought it over "Apology accepted."
"I'm forgiven?" He froze "Just like that?"
"Sure."
"Wait," he held up his hands "Am I real forgiven or is this one of those girl tricks where she says she forgives the guy but is still really upset with him?"
"Sure means sure" I shrugged, my lips twitching in amusement "Take it however you like."
He groaned, dropping his head back "This is exactly what my brother warned me about."
I grinned "Whatever do you mean?"
"His Mate does the same thing" Atlas rolled his eyes "She says she fine one moment but the next, she's all mad and snapping at him."
"Well what did he do?" I laughed "Because you Lobo boys are annoying as hell and quick to get on someone's nerves."
He shook his head in contemplation, humming softly to himself.
"Okay, fair point."
I snorted, making him grin down at me.
After a few seconds, his smile disappeared as he sobered up.
"You going to be okay tomorrow?"
"I should be" I crossed my arms across my chest, making his eyes drift fractionally to take in my pink polka dot colored robe "Does Phoenix know he's coming with me?"
"It was his and coach's idea" he said "He proposed it while I was recovering at the Lobo Hacienda. Apparently I'm banned from entering the Coliseum ever again."
"How are you by the way?" My eyes scanned him from top to bottom, lingering on the dark circles underneath his eyes "You still look like shit."
"Thanks" He laughed "Tell me how you really feel."
"I'm sorry" I winced "Sometimes my filter doesn't work and whatever I'm thinking at the time just spills out."
"The best kind of quality" He smiled "And to answer your question, I'm fine."
"What'd you have?"
"What?"
"What was wrong with you?" I asked "What made you act like that?"
"My wolf was having a bad day" he said, looking away "We were tired, running a fever, and me being a stubborn ass as you so eloquently pointed out, I didn't think it was that bad."
"You're better now though, right?" I couldn't keep the concern tone out of my voice even if I tried "They prescribed you medicine or something?"
I paused "Wait, does medicine work on us?"
"Yes, medicine works on us" he said, still avoiding my eyes "But I had something that antibiotics don't work on."
"Was it contagious?"
"Very" he nodded, looking me in the eyes as his face took on an serious expression "I'm almost afraid I gave it to the other two."
~~~~~~~~
Atlas
I walked into Phoenix's personal library, the attachment the Fenrir heir added the moment we stepped foot into this place our freshman year.
I sighed, plopping down into the arm chair he kept in front of his presidential sized desk.
My friend was scanning over a pile of documents when I walked, looking so much like his freaking dad that it was almost scary, and sighed too, taking off his glasses before rubbing at his eyes.
"What is it?"
"I don't know how long I can keep lying to her man" I leaned my head back onto the stiff leather chair "It might end up killing me."
"It's one day" he said, still rubbing at his eyes with the palms of his hands "Lying won't kill you on day one."
"She might if she finds out" I murmur "Excuse me, when she fucking finds out that all three of us are lying to her."
He sat back in his recline chair, staring me down with those freaky neon blue eyes of his.
"We can't very well tell her that we're her Mates" he said with a sigh "Or that she even has three Mates for that matter."
"And how sure are we that all three of us are her Mates?" I asked "How do we not know that I'm not the only..."
He shot me a dirty look "You're not."
"But how do we..."
"I'm sure of it" he said confidently, reaching for something in his locked drawer "Tests don't lie."
"What tests?" I squawked at him.
He slid three files over towards me and I took them hesitantly, almost afraid to touch them as if they were hexed by a witch.
I opened the files and read the quickly, my head snapping up as I gaped at my friend.
"What the fuck is this?"
"A piece of paper with test results on them" he raised an eyebrow "I thought you Lobos could read?"
"And I thought you Fenrir's were supposed to be better looking?" I shot back as I once again read the words on the page "What am I reading exactly?"
"You're reading the results of the first ever Mating Confirmation Systems, a new technological advancement that verifies a Mating bond between a potentially fated couple."
My eyes once again snapped to his "This computer thingy is able to tell someone who they're Mated too?"
"No," He shook his head "Its a incredibly intelligent and advanced piece of technology that can process two hundred billion pieces of analytical and statistical numbers in less than three seconds but it can't predict the future or tell someone who they'll be Mated too. What it can do however is confirm, with ninety-nine point five percent accuracy and no bias, if the person that you believe is your Mate is truly yours."
"And how'd you get your hands on it?"
"In addition to being devastatingly handsome and quick witted, I'm also extremely wealthy and well connected" he smirked at me with that signature prickish Fenrir grin "And that is very useful in the Scientific world when a desperate dual majored scientist wants grant money to fund his super secretive project."
"How do you know he won't blab?" I asked "Or worse, double cross you for more money and sell it to the highest bidder?"
"He's been handled."
My eyebrows rose "You kill him?"
"No," he rolled his eyes "God, you Lobo's really do attack first and ask questions later."
"Defense is the best offense" I shrugged "That's how we Lobos always stay one step ahead of you Fenrir's."
He snorted "Anyways, I had the computer system run our blood against Nova's and it was a ninety nine point five percent match. The highest match percentage the system has ever had. All three of us are definitely her Mates."
"And how many tests has it actually ran?"
"So far?"
I nodded.
"Five hundred million, two hundred thousand six hundred forty people" he remarked "And counting. The Doctor and his team are running more tests as we speak. All of them adding to the positive percentages and confirming the machine's accuracy even more."
"How'd you get her blood?" I questioned my eyes widening "More importantly, how in the hell did you get our Blood?"
He waved a dismissive hand at me "Don't worry about it."
"How can I not worry about it?" I exclaimed "Do I gotta start sleeping with one eye open now?"
"Like you don't already."
"True" I hummed "Especially after that prank you fuckers pulled on me."
His lips twitched "That was two years ago."
I sat up in my chair, growling at him "I was stuck on top of my mattress in that fucking lake for 3 hours. In only my boxers. Do you know how cold it was?"
"Fuck no" he snorted "And I'm glad I never had to find out."
"Fuck you."
He blew me a kiss "Love you too sweets."
"Can we get back to the problem at hand?" I growled "How are we supposed to handle the Nova Situation?"
"Easy" he said smoothly "We do what we do best."
"And what would that be?"
"Deny and hope for the best" he winced "And hope for the absolute best possible scenario when the time comes for her to find out that she's ours."