A Guest (Part Two)

Octavius

"He would not be pleased with us at all when he scents her." He murmured. His dark eyes glued to the car in front of theirs.

"Oh. We know. It is a better reaction than him hiding at his wooden cabin on the outskirts of our border." Alpha West answered mockingly. "We have not seen him two days."

The Royal Beta sighed heavily. His gaze of the passing scenery. "He will come around. He knows how important this is. We just have to give Constantine some time to adjust. And he needs our help."

"It would be easier if his Lycan would allow him to shift, too." Alpha East surmised at the front while their driver, Alpha North grunted his agreement.

"Let us just hope it will happen the moment he sets his eyes on his mate." A lot was riding on this prophecy. They had to it work. "But first, we need a plan for them to meet."

"I think I may have one." Alpha South, the designated driver answered. "And because I know MJ, it will work."

"Okay. I am all ears." They had to move fast. From what he could sense, their enemies were stirring once more. If they get a whiff of what was happening, the new Queen will be their sole target.

_________

Mia Jane

"Wow." That was the only word she could come up with as she caught sight of her new residence.

A freaking palace. The bricks in muted gold had caught the rays of the afternoon sun, creating a unique pattern of colors. And the backdrop was perfect, too. The row of majestic mountains, the top covered in ice, with dense forests in the middle was a picture of art.

The air was thick as she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Her eyes couldn't stop meandering at the beauty before her.

"Just as I remembered." Her mother whispered beside her. She didn't realize they had stepped out of the vehicle and were standing awestruck in the middle of the front courtyard.

A row of men awaited them, bowed deeply as soon as she rested her soft brown orbs on them.

Octavius, the Royal Beta, and the Alphas joined them, moving at the front of the procession, the heavy double doors, made of metal opened widely to let them through.

"Oh, wow." Two words. She was speechless once more. If the outside was beautiful the interior -they were still on the foyer- was breathtaking.

There was a chandelier way up the ceiling, her neck craned up so she could look at it better, peering, each crystal was twinkling faucets of lights.

Pieces of furniture, huge paintings, Aubusson carpets, and everything the owner could think of that could add to the majestic elegance of the place he has it.

"The painting to your right was made by Michael Angelo, during one of our travel."

Octavius' deep gravelly voice made her jump in surprise. "Sorry. I didn't see you coming."

"I should be the one to apologize, Queen..."

"Please. Stop calling me that. It doesn't feel right." There she said it. No matter how much she had fallen in love at first sight at the place, she didn't think she could stay and be a part of her parents and cousins' schemes.

"For now. As you wish."

"You can call me Mia or MJ instead. All my family and friends do."

He inclined his head. His fleshy lips curved into a genuine smile. "Let me show you to your rooms. Then later, after you freshen up, we will explore the fields so your wolf could hunt."

"Really? She would like that very much. Logan, you promised me a big elk!"

Her cousins, listening to the conversation laughed.

Alpha East, Logan, snorted. "As if I'd forget, kiddo."

She grinned. "Alright, mom, let's go freshen up. See you later, guys." It was time to focus on her wolf.

***

"Are you sure about this?" She whisper-yelled.

Of course, I am, human. I will be a Queen someday. I need to hunt properly.

"Yeah, right. Let's get this over with first before you start dreaming." Located just at the outskirts of the forest, her parents, the Alphas, and Octavius somewhere, she started to remove her clothes, leaving her underwear as a modest cover. "I think I will invent clothes that stay intact after the shift." She murmured to herself.

Stop being missish, human. I am hungry.

"You are always hungry! Here, you go, your majesty." Closing her eyes, her face upturned to catch the evening breeze, she let her wolf take over. This was only the third time she shifted but it was not as painful as the first one.

MJ could sense her wolf's happiness.

She could see everything clearly through her sharpened senses. In a little while, she was joined by a wolf she was familiar with.

Everything okay, kiddo? Her dad.

Our daughter is doing great. Her mother. They have the exact fur coloring, only their eyes differ. Hers were pure soft brown while her mom's were hazel.

I want to go for a run.

Go ahead. We are right behind you. Jen encouraged. Her nose nudged her pup's neck.

With a small yelp, MJ sprinted. Dodging fallen branches and thick bushes, she felt so free. She could almost taste the breezy air. So fresh and pure. She didn't know how long she ran but she didn't care. Only stopping when she reached a pond. She looked around her. Nice place.

Breathing heavily, she looked at her reflection on the edge of the water. The full moon was out and she could see herself clearly. Amazing.

Her brown eyes seemed brighter. They had retained their softness but more...keener. Wiser.

Crouching low, she opened her maws. Fangs. White and razor-sharp. Could she kill? To hunt. Yes. It was simply an animal instinct. But to eliminate their enemies, could she do it? Again, the answer was yes. To protect her parents, her friends, and her kind.

She sighed. Even in her wolf form, she couldn't decide yet if she was ready to mate with a stranger. Then, her stomach growled.

I guess I need to eat first before I could decide.

A twig snapped. She sharply trained her eyes in that direction. Yes. It must be a deer or an elk heading to drink water but stopped when it saw her.

Mentally grinning, thinking of the prize that awaited her, she ran in the direction of her prey.

Who knew her wolf's dinner would smell this good. Weird. It smelt like freshly ground coffee and vanilla-filled croissants. Her gut twisted. She didn't know she was that hungry that her human was also fantasizing about her favorite treats.

She really had to catch her dinner. Only a few meters away. Her wolf came to a stop at another clearing, almost a mile away from the palace.

Catching the same scent combined with fresh blood. A fresh kill. Walking slowly toward the middle, she saw it.

The elk was slowly losing its life. On its throat were four deep puncture marks draining it of its blood.

Her wolf, hungry, grateful for the gift, crouch on her belly and consumed her dinner happily.

At the back of her mind, MJ wondered if she was just given a welcome gift.

By who?

Her stomach rumbled once more. Later. She needed to quench her hunger first.

But thank you, however you are.