“Aliyah, where do you think you are going?” A boy asked the younger girl trying to sneak out of the gigantic gates in front of them. He crossed his arms on his chest as he raised an eyebrow, “sneaking out again?”

Aliyah sighed and pouted before walking back to him; she tucked her deep brown hair behind her ear and fixed her beautiful blue eyes on him. “Why do you have to act like this every night?”

“Because I am trying to protect you,” he sighed and ran his fingers through his brown hair. “Aliyah, you do this every night and we both know it’s prohibited. I mean, what is it with you with breaking the rules?”

Aliyah grinned. “It’s who I am, rules are not for me Sean, and you know that.”

Sean shook his head at her, his deep brown eyes glancing around them to make sure that no one was watching or eavesdropping on them. “What makes you think you will find him outside? It’s not common for a wolf to find his mate outside his park, you know that.”

“It’s not common doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Catherine was mated into our park, remember?”

“And that was more than thirty years ago. Besides, where did you hear that the male follows the female home? Even if you mate with him, you will belong to his park, not here anymore.”

“Not when I tell him he can be an alpha, he would rush to follow me, don’t worry,” she grinned.

Sean pinched the bridge of his nose. “Aliyah…”

“You know, you were my first choice,” she interrupted and he rolled his eyes. “I’m serious,” she continued. “When we went through two seasons without finding our mates, I was already thinking about telling you about it, but then you had to find Monica,” she rolled her eyes.

“Even if there was no Monica, we can never be like that, you are like a sister to me.”

“But I’m not.”

“Yes, but you are like one. Besides, we both know you don’t feel that way for me.”

Aliyah sighed, “you are right, but in all the wolves here, you are better choice to me than any of them.”

Sean chuckled, “just hurry and be back and please, be careful.”

“Don’t worry, no Night Walker can handle this much of me,” she winked before running to the gates. “Hey,” she turned back to him, “try to keep dad from noticing my absent will you?”

“I am running out of excuses Ali,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

“Come on, as the future Beta, how can that be such a big deal?” she giggled and snuck out of the gate.

Sean sighed, “the one that is going to get into trouble for covering for you every night,” he blew out a deep breath and glanced around. The dark areas weren’t a big deal to his sight and when he was sure no one heard them, he turned and went back to his room.

***

‘Edward…Edward’ a low growl sounded. ‘Edward…Edward’ the voice came again and he opened his eyes. He was shrouded in darkness and he tried to move but he realized he had no strength. He took three heavy breathing and finally pushed away the heavy lid that was covering him. Everywhere became bright immediately as he noticed the strange lightings on the walls that gave the room a golden glow. He glanced at his bony rusty hands and noticed every part of him was like that.

He climbed out of the box he was lying in, his bony legs wobbled a little but after a few seconds, he stood straight. There was a big looking glass and he couldn’t remember having that there before. He walked towards it and when he saw the reflection in the mirror, he was almost scared himself, —almost—. The creature staring back at him was a bony rusted skeleton with glowing red eyes. He took a deep breath and caught the scent, there was someone with him, someone like him but healthier.

He glanced around him, it was his room, obviously, but there were new things he couldn’t remember putting or have seen before and it made him wonder how long he had slept. He could remember he looked so much better when he went to sleep and if he was this rusty then it means a hundred or so years had gone by. He glanced at his bony fingers that looked like they would break off with any little forced movement and sighed. He heard faint footsteps and knew someone was coming but he needed not worry because by how light the person was moving, he knew it was his kind.

The door was pushed open and a ginger color haired man entered, he gasped on seeing the creature standing in the middle of the room and soon, a huge smile spread across his face. “My Prince, finally, you have awakened.”

The creature tried to speak but words failed it, it lasted only for three seconds as he asked in a distorted voice, “who are you?”

The man bowed. “I am Rasmus, my Prince, third generation of Knight Gustav. I have stumbled upon your castle five hundred years ago and have looked after it for you, awaiting for the day you shall awake again.”

“Five hundred years?” the creature asked.

“Aye my Prince,” he nodded.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Eight hundred years, my Prince.”

“Eight hundred,” he scoffed, “and I thought only a hundred or so had passed.”

“I can understand my Prince. Is there anything I can help you with?” Rasmus asked.

“I am thirsty.”

Rasmus smiled, “then t’s good I have thought ahead my prince. You have started growling in your sleep for seven days now and I knew you shall awake soon so I started gathering food for you. If you can come with me to the cellar my Prince,” he bowed again.

The creature said nothing and just followed him out of the room. As they walked through the long hallway, he noticed how shiny and beautiful everywhere looked. He had expected to wake up in a dusty palace, filled with cobwebs with each step he took. “You have done well, Rasmus, I feel like a king waking up in such a beautified place.”

“Oh but you are the king, my Prince, you are the only Original alive and I wish to serve you like my grandfather did,” Rasmus replied respectfully.

“Mm,” the creature answered as they walked down the stairs that would lead them to the cellar. They were still a few steps from the door but he had already perceived the tantalizing scents. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, when he opened them, they glowed redder and his fangs elongated. Before Rasmus could say a word, he had already barged into the cellar, the doors broken out of its hinges. Rasmus smiled and followed slowly and silently as horrifying screams soon filled the once quiet place.

He stood by the door and watched the creature drain the blood from each and every human that was locked in the cellar. In short ten minutes, the room looked like a massacre had happened, with blood coating the walls and floor that was filled with dead bodies. He glanced up at the creature that was now standing in the center of the room, unfazed by the sight he had just witnessed. He watched as flesh started covering the bony body of the creature and soon, it wasn’t a creature anymore but a man with fair and smooth skin. He stood in the center in his naked glory, his face turned up with his eyes closed. “Are you satisfied my Prince?”

“Very much Rasmus,” he answered in the most soothing velvet voice he had ever heard that he was almost drawn to him. “You have done well,” he looked at him then and his eyes were deep blue. His midnight black hair looking so silky and soft on his head and Rasmus wondered how the man didn’t need a haircut after eight hundred years and then he remembered, he was already dead and so were his cells so nothing about him would change from what it was when he was still alive. He studied the man’s body, his broad chest and his defined abs, down to his slim waist, thick thighs and strong legs. When his eyes went back to his face, he took note of his midnight black eyebrows, long lashes, deep blue eyes and pointed nose. His sexy thin lips, his chiseled jaw and his midnight black beards, he needed no one to tell him that he was staring at a god.

“If you have looked your fill, then you can give me a cloak Rasmus,” the man said and Rasmus snapped out of his reverie and quickly rushed to the table where readied clothes were waiting. He had thought about everything beforehand. He handed the clothes to the man and he took them and put them on right in his presence. When done, he frowned at what he was wearing, “what have you given me Rasmus?”

Rasmus smiled, “this is what we wear now, my prince.” He had given him black pants with a blue shirt.

The man’s frowned deepened, “I will prefer a top with darker color and a long cloak please.”

“We don’t use cloak anymore, or the humans don’t anymore and we must change with them in order to blend in. But do not worry, I have a long coat you would like, it’s just like a cloak but more beautiful. We can go shopping and you can choose what you would love to be wearing.”

The man nodded and they left the cellar. Getting to his bedroom they had left earlier, Rasmus opened the wardrobe and fetched out a round-neck black T-shirt with a grey long coat and handed them to him.

The prince took them and changed, when he glanced at the looking glass, he smiled, “now this is much better.”

“Indeed,” Rasmus nodded, admiring the man and he wondered how women can be able to resist him if he was also attracted to the man’s beauty. He snapped out of his reverie and did a low bow and then said, “Welcome back, Prince Edward.”