Once upon a time-6

My face instantly clouded with uneasiness. I felt a momentary panic as I almost jumped away from him. Though he let me go instantly, he still looked playful and nonchalant as if he wasn’t scared of anyone.

The confidence and arrogance in his rigid profile were noticeable even in the dim light of the moon. Surely, he was neither a stalker nor an ordinary person. I mumbled in a low whisper, “Leave fast! My brother is coming.”

“So, your name is Eli? Are you going to join this pack?”

That stranger asked in his nonchalant tone, tucking both of his hands behind his head and lying down in a more comfortable position on the flower bed.

Sighing loudly, I jumped on my feet as I growled under my breath while dusting my gorgeous gown, “It seems that you have a very short life. What a weird person you are!”

Without waiting for his answer, I shouted while running towards Eden hastily, “Here, I am.”

I heard his soft voice from behind, “Firefly, we will meet soon. This time I will-”

‘He will?’

I couldn’t hear the rest of it as I approached Eden hastily.

Eden stole a glance at the vast, dark fields behind me as he asked in a concerned tone while removing colourful petals of flowers from my hair, “What were you doing there? Was there anyone else with you?”

Clearing my throat, I answered, forcing a tiny smile, “No? No, I was alone there. Don’t you know that it is my favourite spot?”

“Hmmm, I felt like I heard someone’s voice.”

Eden added in an urgency, “Anyways, let’s return to the hall. Father is waiting for you. You need to meet the nobles and royal guests now, Eli.”

Pouting, I complained helplessly, “Ugh! This sounds scary.”

Chuckling softly, Eden led me back to the ballroom as he assured me, “Don’t worry. You just have to nod your head and flash your brightest smile. I will take care of the rest.”

Holding Eden’s arm, I replied satisfiedly, “Lucky me! You are the best brother in the Universe, Eden.”

****

For the next hour, I spent it nodding and smiling. Father introduced me to numerous royal guests and their family members. All the powerful figures and Alphas of the Werewolf Kingdom were present in that party.

After all, Alpha Edward was among the top five most powerful Alphas. None dared to disrespect him. Even some famous Lycans joined the party. 

Exhausted when I returned to the buffet to get something to drink, Eden dropped next to me with a cosmopolitan in his hand, “Eli, are you exhausted already? You still have to participate in dancing.”

My face darkened instantly, “Grr! I wanna return to my room now. Enough socialising already.”

Suddenly, my eyes shifted to that cocktail in his hand, “Hmm, I wanna try that, Brother.”

Eden instantly declined, “Never! It has alcohol and you are still too young to-”

“Come on, Eden. Stop being an overprotective brother already,” Murphy interrupted him, appearing suddenly from nowhere.

Murphy was my cousin. He was the only son of Aunt Martha. Eden and Murphy were almost of the same age; maybe Murphy was a few months older than Eden. After our Uncle’s death, Aunt Martha and Murphy started to live with us. 

Though we grew up together, Aunt Martha always taught Murphy to maintain a distance from us. Murphy had a sister, too, Miriam, but we never met her much. Miriam used to live with her father’s pack.

Murphy had a very cheerful and arrogant personality. He was a skilled fighter too and was taking the training to become the next Beta of our pack.

Murphy signed the bartender to serve me the same drink as he added in his encouraging voice, “She deserves to taste alcohol at least tonight, Eden. After all, it’s her rebirth party. She is a grown up lady now.”

“Exactly,” I agreed with a big satisfied grin, holding the glass of my first ever cocktail. 

While sipping his drink, Eden sighed, “Yes, yes. You are so skilled in spoiling her. She doesn’t behave like a lady. How can you call her a grown up?”

Murphy scanned me for a few seconds with his grey eyes as he added with a mocking tone, “She doesn’t even look like a lady. Our Eli is still a baby.”

Eden agreed, bursting into laughter, “I know right, our baby sister.”

Pouting, I was glaring at them.

“Young Lord! Young Miss!”

When those two were busy teasing me, a guard approached us suddenly, “Alpha is calling both of you.”

“Us? Why?” 

Eden asked in a puzzled tone. 

The guard answered in a grave tone, “Two Lycans from the Night Walker clan have been arrested. So, Alpha wants your immediate assistance.”

“Lycans!”

Eden instantly stood up from his place and claimed in a serious tone, “Let’s go.

The atmosphere instantly changed. Even Murphy’s face darkened with a grave expression. Lycans were our natural enemies. Though we always tried to coexist, they never left a chance to attack or harm our kingdom secretly.

I was reluctant to follow Eden but, suddenly I recalled that stranger whom I met in the flower fields. Realisation hit me harshly. He didn’t have the energy of a werewolf; rather he had a stronger and dominating personality which was hard to resist or disobey.

 ‘Is he a Lycan too? Maybe they have captured him…’

I also ran behind Eden to the second floor where Father was waiting for us.