Chapter 01 | Secrets
*Regina’s POV*
I pushed my bedroom door open before forcing myself to take the last steps towards my bed. “Remind me to never wear heels.” I groaned as I landed flat on my face.
“Goddess, how did I get such a dramatic child?” Mom stated from behind me as she angled my legs upward to remove my heels.
“I wonder who I got it from.” I scoffed, turning my face sideways to playfully glare at her.
“I’m offended.” She laughed as she pulled off the goddess damned heels, allowing my chubby feet to breathe again.
I sighed in relief before flipping over on my bed, bringing my knees to my chest so I could massage my poor swollen feet.
“How does it feel?” Mom asked me with a smile as she sat next to me on my bed.
“I feel like it hasn’t settled in yet.” I replied, leaning my head on her shoulder. I’m sure it would take a while for it to hit me, since I only became co-alpha this afternoon.
“It will soon.” Mom stated, patting the side of my head gently. “I just have to persuade your father to officially let go.” She added with a soft laugh, making me roll my eyes. Dad was a workaholic, and his alpha position was his second love, after Mom, of course.
“I don’t get why Dad still wants to be involved. Isn’t he too old for pack issues?” I teased, pressing my lips together as I heard her gasp before standing on her feet.
“Now I’m really offended.” She scoffed as she squinted her eyes at me. “If he is old, then I’m old and I refuse to accept that.” She muttered, flipping her silky brown hair over her shoulder. And she was right. Mom didn’t look a day over thirty. I just hope I’m blessed with the same genes.
“I’m just kidding, Mom.” I laughed, reaching for her as she crossed her arms. “Look who is being dramatic now.” I added, just as my cousins, Bianca and Bella, walked into the room.
“Hey, Auntie Reina!” They both said in unison before climbing into my bed.
“Hello, girls.” She greeted them. “I’ll just leave the young people to it then.” She added, making me laugh. It’ll take her about a week to let that go.
“Love you, Mom.” I said as I stood up and kissed her cheek.
She was about to respond when we received a massive mind link. “TRESPASSERS IN THE NORTH BORDER” Uncle Chad mind linked, forcing the girls to jump on their feet as Mom and I darted through the door.
“SPECIES?” Dad mind linked, making me look towards Mom just as we ran through the front doors.
“STILL UNKNOWN.” He replied without hesitation, confusing me even more.
I was about to question Mom, but she shifted before darting towards the northern border at top speed.
“What the hell was that about?” I asked Bella and Bianca over my shoulders as they shrugged in response.
Jade and the twins ran towards us as we rushed off behind Mom, shifting midair and shredding our dresses in the process. I actually liked that dress too. RIP beautiful dress.
“What did your dad mean about species?” Jade mind linked me as she tried catching up, but I forced my paws further into the ground, disappearing through the woods at the speed of light. My wolf and I were fast, even faster than your typical alpha.
“I don’t know, but I will find out.” I muttered, closing the mind link, and opening one with my wolf.
“I know nothing, woman!” Tiffany, my wolf, shouted defensively before I could utter a word, making me roll my eyes.
“And I was born yesterday.” I hissed before cutting our link too, knowing damn well that she clearly wasn’t going to talk. I will get back at the mutt later.
Before I had reached the northern border area, I heard Dad’s and Abdiel’s loud growls, forcing me to push my limbs to move faster. I jumped some fallen trees before my paws landed on the dirt again with a loud thud.
As soon as I reached the growls and the sound of arms and legs ripping, the bloody stench hit me like a wave, making me hiss. Vampires!
“Reg, your left!” Abdiel, my brother, growled as he fought a vampire that was moving at the speed of light. It didn’t matter how busy he was at the moment; he was still fighting to get to my side.
“I got it.” I insisted, leaning to the side, and blindly kicking the vamp with my hind legs before everything seemed to slow down as I rushed to the vampire’s side, catching his head with my snout as his body was reaching the ground and tearing it off his body in one swift movement.
“That’s my girl.” Mom mind linked me proudly as everyone continued fighting against the vampires.
“Ah! The missing gem!” A man with a thick British accent mumbled in astonishment from above us, making me look up immediately.
‘Missing gem?’ I thought to myself as my eyes met his red blazing ones, forcing a shiver to run down my body as I shook the excess blood and dirt off my fur.
I focused on the vampire again and bared my teeth at him as he was flying from tree to tree, slipping away from each of us.
“The witch was right.” He chuckled to himself in amusement as his tongue wet his cracked lips while he rubbed his chin. You’d think the vampire was attractive because of the guys they show in Vampire Diaries, but it was far from the truth. Aside from smelling like a blood bank, he was as white as paper with black hair that reached his waist and blood red eyes. If that didn’t scare your eyebrows off, the guy had excessively long nails and looked like he had just got off the Mayflower. Wrong era, bro. Wrong era.
I growled at him in warning, yet I was still really interested in knowing what the hell he was talking about. Was he referring to me since he was looking at me? I mean, I knew Mom and Aunt Ruby had powers and all, but I didn’t have any that I could recall. And a gem? What was that?
But at the end of the day, can I really trust a blood sucker? I had yet to hear about any good vampires aside from movies and TV shows, of course. Before I could shift to question him, Dad attacked the vampire from behind, barely missing him only for Abdiel to dig his canines into the vampire’s body, shaking his own head repeatedly and finally swinging the vampire’s body towards Dad and Uncle Polo, who had just joined us with Uncle Brad and the rest of my cousins.
Dad and Uncle Polo held the vampire in both extremities as Abdiel went in for the final kill, ripping the vampire in half with his canines and claws before he excavated the remains of the vampire, leaving me with my snout wide open.
When everything finally settled in, I shifted and ran towards them. “What the heck?” I growled, pulling Abdiel by his fur. Dad, Uncle Polo, and Mom were at my side instantly and already shifted to their human form while they tried to hold me back as Abdiel finished his bloody masterpiece.
“He was saying something! Why didn’t we take him in for questioning like we do to some rogues?” I hissed at them as Dad clenched his teeth while Uncle Polo walked off again.
I heard Abdiel shifting to join us, but I needed answers. They had been acting weird long enough and now they were concerned about other species attacking. I was aware of other packs or rogues attacking pack houses, but not other species, since they had their own laws that they had to follow. Yet this vampire attacked us and not only that, he seemed to know something about us.
“Is anyone going to answer me?” I repeated, looking between Mom and Dad as Abdiel cleared his throat.
“They wanted to catch us by surprise and—” Abdiel was lying, making me squint at him.
“So, you know too?” I questioned him with my brows furrowed. Was I the only one being kept in the dark? What the hell?
Uncle Polo threw us all t-shirts to cover up as Mom and Dad exchanged a look that I didn’t miss.
“I will find out on my own if none of you tell me,” I told them, slipping my shirt on.
“Regina.” Dad warned, as I stepped forward, looking him in his eyes.
“No, Dad. Did you forget I’m the alpha now too? I deserve to know what this,” I muttered as I motioned for the dead bodies. “Was all about.”
Dad’s jaw ticked in anger before Mom stepped in front of him as she placed her hand on his chest. “Alex.” She whispered before moving her hand to his cheek. “It’s time.” She declared, making my fists ball at my side.
I knew something was going on and the fact that everyone knew except me made me that much more upset. Even my wolf was in on it for goddess’ sake!
“It’s for your own good.” She chimed in, making me roll my eyes. I have been hearing the same shīt for years. What the hell can be that bad that must be kept from the alpha of Silver Forest?
Dad’s and Mom’s eyes glazed over, forcing the anger within me to grow at their nerve to continue to hide things from me.
I was about to say something when my cousins, uncles, and brother lifted in the air like they were floating or something. I grabbed the collar of my t-shirt and wiped my eyes to make sure I wasn’t seeing things because that seemed impossible for sure. Only my cousins, who were half witch or warlock and half wolf, could fly or float or whatever that was. When my vision had returned to normal, I confirmed that what I previously saw was real. Holy shītballs.
“Dad!” Abdiel hissed, trying to grip onto a tree.
“What the fūck!” Dad stated under his breath when he realized what was happening.
“Reggie, baby,” Mom whispered, reaching for me. “Please calm down.” She begged me.
I can’t comprehend why, every time something strange happens, she asks me to calm down, as if I’m the one that had the power to control my surroundings. Regardless of all the anger I felt, I took a deep breath to relax, since that was the best thing I could do if I wanted answers any time soon.
As soon as my emotions were under control, everyone dropped to the ground with a loud grunt. I swear if I didn’t know better…
“I’m calm.” I informed them as Dad stepped in front of Mom, releasing a deep breath.
“Let’s go to the office to discuss this privately.” Dad informed me sternly as Abdiel reached my side.
“Fine.” I replied in annoyance just as I heard Bella gasp before sniffing the air frantically.
“Sweetheart?” Uncle Rafael asked in panic. When he had arrived, I did not know. I had more important matters to be focused on at the moment.
“What’s that amazing smell?” Bella questioned no one in particular as she ignored her dad, who was looking around frantically.
“You have got to be fūcking kidding me!” He growled suddenly, making all of us position ourselves defensively.
