Chapter 16 History Lesson

Estelle

“…they make me feel..safe..” like you do.

I held back from saying, it had been hard enough not to react to him when he tended to my wound yesterday, then I had slept so soundly on his chest. It was a little too easy to get comfortable around him.

As we walked in silence for a while I allowed myself to wonder what it might have been like if things were different. If there was no impeding engagement party and I could choose who I wanted.

I wondered what I would want. Until the day I found out about my fathers deal I had just assumed it would be my mate, and therefore I would love them regardless.

The hot grumpy beta was growing on me, especially when he didn’t seem that grumpy anymore. I couldn’t see Prince Alonso doing half the things for me Leighton had already. It was probably a good idea I didn’t get any more comfortable.

“Okay, we are nearly at Silver Oak. Just stay with me okay.” Leighton said after some time, like he was worried.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, Jackson just might not be too happy to see us, but I’ll sort it okay.”

I snorted. “While admittedly I have needed a little rescuing recently I am actually capable of looking after myself.”

“I don’t doubt that princess, however you are my responsibility so just do as I damn well say.”

I couldn’t argue because we had arrived already.

The pack was huge, once they let us through the gates Leighton led me to the packhouse, which was sizes with my parents castle. But we didn’t have all these other houses darted around. Or such beautiful gardens.

“Wow.” I exclaimed.

“Yeah, I mean it’s not a castle but it’s pretty impressive.”

“It’s beautiful. I never asked, who’s beta actually are you ?”

“My brother, Ashton’s. Our pack isn’t this big, but it’s not too far from here I could take you to see it one day of you like ?”

“I’d like that, what’s it called ?

“Opal Lake”

“Please tell me thats because it has a beautiful lake in the middle or something”.

Leighton laughed. “It does. I’ll be sure to show you it.”

While my kingdom was vast and the landscape beautiful but it was beautiful in a wild and rugged type of way, nothing like this.

We had reached the packhouse and Jackson greeted us on the steps.

“There you are Princess, you had the team worried. Leighton we need a de brief when you have a minute.” Jackson greeted us curtly.

“Let me just take her to the medical bay them I’ll be with you,” he replied.

“If you tell me where I can walk there?” I offered.

“No Leighton will take you, and come back for once you are done.”

“Is he always this happy ?” I asked Leighton.

“He is usually described as serious.” Leighton looked a bit glum. After leaving me he promised he would be back soon and I was in safe hands.

The nurse tutted at my wound and set about cleaning and suturing the top. She said it was healing remarkably well and after decided that I would get my wolf soon enough to stop it scarring she went to get something for the infection.

Leighton was back before I knew it.

“We will stay here tonight and then tomorrow I’ll drive us back to Eclipse.”

I nodded. “Is everyone else okay ?”

“There were a few injuries but yes they are all fine, some of the witches escaped last time according to the ones they saved. Guess that was thanks to you. Come on let’s go get some food.”

I followed him out. “So Opal Lake, it’s not on our way back is it?” I asked nicely.

“No, but I guess it wouldn’t be too much of a detour. If you can keep out of trouble for one night I’ll think about it .”

I smiled and jumped up to kiss his cheek, instantly regretting it the moment my lips touched his skin and he froze. I kept a smile plastered on my face and backed of. “Yey, I hope it’s as pretty as here.”

To my relief he relaxed and let me to a kitchen in the corner of the packhouse. At the table was a beautiful blonde shewolf.

“Estelle, she is a royal wolf, one of the lost ones”.

“Leighton.” She beamed, pulling him into a hug as he embraced her back.

“This must be princess Estelle, I’m Greer Jackson’s mate.” She came over to me. She had the largest honey coloured eyes I had ever seen and long blonde hair that fell down her back.

“Lovely to meet you. Apologies for showing up uninvited and thank you for letting me stay.” I replied formally. I didn’t sense the same power from her wolf as I had from Iris’s.

“Are you sure Raine?”

“Yes, I don’t think she is purebred but she had a gold wolf and she can control light like us.”

This was obviously the wolf they were all looking for.

“You can’t let them find her.” Raine told me.

“Why?”

My argument with my wolf was cut short by Jackson’s storming into the kitchen.

“Leighton, what are you doing?”

“I didn’t know Greer was cooking for us, you told me to take her for some food before we came to you.”

“Greer.”

I watched as alpha Jackson’s tone changed completely with his mate.

“Sorry darling, Zorina tells me we can trust her and she has never let us down before.”

She placed her hand in his chest and he calmed almost immediately. I ignored the spike to my heart knowing I might never get that.

“I was going to do this in my office but I upheld my end of the bargain, now it’s your turn.” Jackson said as Greer looked up at him quizzically.

“Tell the truth.”

“No way, I’ll be out of here faster than... I have no idea what. In fact maybe I would actually see the dungeons.”

“Leighton wouldn’t let that happen.”

I didn’t know where my wolf got her faith from, she didn’t always help me make good choices but I couldn’t think of a lie he would buy fast enough.

“I was sent to spy on you, all.”

“Why.”

“What?”

Leighton and Jackson both baked at me simultaneously.

“The King wanted to know what sort of gifted wolves you had and if you had found one of the lost gold wolves.”

The silence was so thick it was palpable. I didn’t dare look at Leighton because I didn’t know how I would feel if I saw betrayal his him eyes. He didn’t think highly of me already.

“And what have you informed him.” Jackson’s voice was ice.

“Nothing, I haven’t spoken to him since we arrived. We … we aren’t close. So before you ask I don’t know why he wanted to know. It was the night I found out I was engaged so I kind of had a lot on my mind.”

I sat down, not sure if he believed me, realising how my weak response was.

“If it helps I’ll tell you what I remember about the lost wolves. You can tell me if this means anything.”

No one complained so I carried in.

“There was once a princess and she met her mate, the story changes sometimes it was a silver wolf, sometimes a regular wolf but the bottom line it wasn’t the prince that her parents wanted for her. So she ran away, far across the water. But she was from a powerful ancient line who could control light so highly sought after because of what she could do. They searched for years for the wolf and her mate but she was never found.

It had been the ambition of some wolves to create a, super wolf if you like, one that could control all four elements instead of the one that they normally get. The idea was that you could mate for example a wolf with a water gift, who’s mother say had a fire gift to a wolf with an earth gift from a wolf with the gift of air. Producing pups with the potential for any one of those gifts or possibly all four.

Initially a wolf with the power of light was wanted as a mate for these pups, to not sway the wolf more heavily in one element than the others but as you can imagine someone got a witch involved and then they talked about sacrificing the wolf with the power of light and using the power released to strengthen the “super” wolfs powers. “

“You family has the power of light, why aren’t you targeted.” Leighton asked.

“I’m the only wolf that controls light, and not many know about that power. They think I control air.”

“It’s in your history books your grandmother did.”

“That’s true, but not in the true sense, she and my mother, you would almost call them powerless. Even if my grandmother hadn’t been protected by her mate I don’t think they would have deemed her powerful enough.”

They were all silent as they took in my history lesson.

“If you don’t believe me, let me call him

now. You can listen. I have nothing to hide.”