ch. 7 Meeting the Parents

Aminda

When we landed on the helipad, a black mercedes was waiting for us. I was taking the surroundings with avid eyes. Kian looked at me amusingly. I probably looked like a kid on Disneyland. Everywhere was a blur of activity. Wolves shifting and running, Werewolves sparring. It was a small city within the forest. The rows of houses had the same appearance from outside. They were 2 stories with porches and well neat lawns. The mansion was something out of a fairy tail. Where mine looked more like Dracula's castle, this one looked more like a Disney castle. The manicured garden here had roses in every color and a big fountain in the middle. Aunt Marilla ordered our gardener to only plant black roses from Turkey. I turned to my left to find Kian staring at me.

"Do you like it?" He asked with a smile.

"I love it. My place is more gothic." I laughed.

"We're going to meet my parents now." My handsome man uttered. What, am I thinking, he could never be mine.

"Alpha King Korin and Queen Luna Annabel?" I asked, and he nodded. He seemed pleased that I did my research.

The car leaves us right at the entrance of the castle. River excuses himself and leaves elsewhere. Kian holds my hand to give me support and reassurance, but I'm not nervous. Years of living with Aunt Marilla and Alister would either break you down or make you stronger.

I walked with confidence by his side, holding hands. My Louboutin heels were clicking on the marbled hallways of the castle. The inside was even more impressive than outside. the walls had exquisit paintings, probably worth millions. Magnificent sculptures were potitioned on some corners. Aunt Marilla had put 2 gargoyles at our entrance.

We stopped by a door, the King's office, no doubt. Kian kissed me, making my heart flutter. He knocked before opening the door. The king was sitting behind his desk. He had a tailored suit that fit him like a glove. He looked very young and fit. His light brown hair was very much like kian's. A blond woman was standing next to him, Luna Annabel, no doubt. Her classic Channel suit and the pearls she was wearing made her look like the epitome of elegance and refinement.

Kian kissed the palm of my hand, making me lean slightly on him. Before we arrived, he asked me to let my mark show. He wanted his people and his parents to see it. I did when I shouldn't even be here. I'm just delaying the inevitable. I can never become Queen Luna. He looks at me adoringly before addressing them.

"Alpha King, Queen Luna. This is my mate, Aminda Bettencourt." Both of his parents winced at my name. His mother's face upturned just like the haughty witches of the Council.

"A witch, Kian." The Queen Luna says nervously and a little breathy. "Kian, you deserve someone like you. A ranked shewolf with whom you can share—."

"What makes me so unworthy to be Queen Luna?" I asked her, fully knowing that I wouldn't be accepting to be Luna, but feeling offended nonetheless. Kian grabbed me by both shoulders, pulling me against his chest.

"Mom, I didn't bring her for you to insult her. I came to introduce her to you. If you're not going to accept her, you will lose me as well." Annabel gasped. She looked hurt, and King Korin didn't like that.

"That is enough, Kian!" He boomed. I'm actually glad you brought her, so you can both see for yourselves why you can't be together." The King dropped an ancient book on the desk. Dust flew on the air. "Oh my." The Queen Luna complained. The king pointed to a page that dated from several centuries ago.

"Here! Do you think you're the first royal witch and royal werewolf to be paired? There have been many over the centuries. Every time they tried to make it work, it ended in tragedy, do tobq curse. The children of the Goddess Hecate were never meant to mix with the children of the Goddess Selene.

I glanced at the pages as he flipped through them with unhidden contempt.

"Tell us about that curse, King Korin." I asked softly. He sighed and motioned us to sit down. We all did and waited for him to begin. He rubbed his face and straightened up.

"Centuries ago, the witches and werewolves lived in peace. There was never a romantic interest between them because the werewolves always found their fated mates between the shewolves." He turned another page and took a second look at me and at Kian. His eyes widened.

"The curse started with these two." The woman on the old book had silver blond hair and violet eyes, just like mine. The man was so similar to Kian as well. King Korin continued.

"She was a princess among the witches. Very beautiful, they said. Hardly any men could resist her. The young witches envied her, and they decided to dare her. They told her she could never get a werewolf to fall for her charms. She had grown vain and accepted the challenge."

Kian squeezed my hand as his dad proceeded with the story.

"She put on her prettiest dress and decided to go to the forest on a full moon. During full moons, young werewolves would gather at nights looking for their fated mates. She managed to catch the attention of one of those young wolves, and the next thing you know, they were making love passionately at the edge of the river. A young shewolf who came late scented her fated mate for the first time and followed its scent. She found him entangled with the beautiful witch, and she rejected him then and there."

My heart sank, and I felt sorry for them.

"Of course, the young wolf who happened to be their prince blamed the witch and accused her of bewitching him. His mate didn't forgive him but was forced to take him back by the Wolf King. The witch was punished by her mother, the Queen Supreme for fornicating with a werewolf. She was forced to marry an old warlock as a consequence."

"Sounds so unfair that the prince just received a slap on the wrist." I huffed.

"Apparently, but no. His mate never forgave him. She withered away with pain. She was ashamed that her mate had laid with a witch and didn't wait for her. Eventually, the wolf prince and the witch princess seeked each other out secretly. Every day, the young shewolf writhed with pain whenever the prince was absent. They never knew the cause of her pain because unfaithfulness among werewolves was unheard of. One day, she decided to follow him. She found the prince and the witch in their passionately lovemaking. She cursed them then. She told them they would always find each other on every life, but they would never be happy. Instead of love, they'd create war among their people."

Kian got up abruptly.

"Surely you're not believing this nonsense dad! Even if it was true, this was centuries ago."

The king looked at me directly. "Why don't you ask your aunt why she never married? Her hair is now black for all the dark magic she has used, but it used to be silver blond. Just like yours."

"What happened to the Wolf King from 3 centuries ago?" I asked the king. 3 centuries ago, was when my aunt became queen. The king flipped more pages until he found the right one.

"3 centuries ago, Wolf King Killian never found his fated mate. Eventually, he passed the throne to his nephew, King Korey, which was my grandfather. My grandfather would tell us that rumors would tell he indeed found his mate, but it was a witch. That he was rejected brutally on the spot. That she told him she would never be with a mutt." Annabel gasped. That sounded like Aun Marilla quite alright.

"Is there any way this curse can be broken?" Kian asked hopefully.

"If there is, there is no record of it. You need to make peace with it."

My heart thuded. I already knew that we were not meant for each other, but it still hurts. Kian glanced at me, his eyes clouded with indescribable emotions.

"It's fine, Kian. It is what it is. We both have a duty to our people. I can't abandon mine. The people who would stay in my place can not be trusted with power."

Kian turned to me, cupping my face, caressing the mark on my neck with his thumb. My insides melt with his touch.

"Are you seriously not going to fight for us? Aminda, please. Don't give up on us without even trying."

His handsome face reflected his frustration. To be with him, I need to get rid of Alister first. Alister would hurt him, the first chance he gets. I need to become Queen Supreme to protect him.

"Have you been even listening, Kian? Son, sometimes there are things that aren't meant to be! I will never let you become King if you try to present this witch as your Luna!" King Korin's words were final. Just like my decision. I'm sorry, Kian. Maybe in our next life. I stepped away from him, and with my heart shattered into pieces, I banished.