[Erica]
The moment had arrived. That moment when the line between dream and reality blurred, and it became one.
'This feels surreal,' Erica thought as she sat in the passenger seat of the Range Rover.
Earlier it was decided that they will leave the next day, but suddenly her dad had informed her that the departure had to be postponed till Sunday. Someone from the university had called him to inform him that the students weren't expected until Sunday She found the rules a bit odd. It was different from other Universities; she reckoned.
She had also received an email from them, the acceptance letter was attached to it. She thought she would explode with happiness. When Nessa and Meghan had heard about it they were shocked at first for some reason, but then they were elated. They even went shopping, and she gave them a treat at their favourite diner.
Erica saw her father talking to the guard near the entrance gate of the city. Yes, this one, unlike other cities, had a gate- a huge one with tall and muscled men standing as guards with a poker face.
Even though she was within the earshot of the two males deep in conversation, for some reason she was not able to hear what they were saying but could only see their lips move. Suddenly, as if feeling her gaze on him, the guard glanced at her for a fleeting second before throwing a questioning look at Adrian.
After some time, her dad came back and started the engine as Erica saw the gates slowly open for them to enter.
"What took you so long dad?" Erica asked as they came quite a distance away from the gate. "Nothing important. They were just inquiring who we were and the reason for our arrival," her dad replied cryptically. Erica furrowed her eyebrows, there was more than her dad was letting on. She didn't prod further.
The day was slowly edging towards dusk. She unplugged her phone from the portable charger she carried and switched on the gadget.
No sooner did the phone come back to life than there were several pinging sounds. There were 3 messages from her mom and 5 messages in the WhatsApp group of Megan, Nessa, and hers.
Ma ❣ : How far have you reached?
- Are you both alright?
- I wish I didn't have this stupid
She tapped on the reply box and started typing...
- Yes, we're fine. Just passed the city gates. I miss you too already :' ( Love you. xx
"Evelyn? Is it?" Adrian asked without looking at her. She nodded.
"She doesn't like the fact that she couldn't accompany us. She misses me," she mumbled as her shoulder slumped. She was more of a momma's girl than daddy's and Drake always teased her for that. "Don't worry. You'll always have Skype," Adrian quipped glancing at her for a second before training his gaze on the road.
She then tapped on the WhatsApp group. She had this weird obsession of giving nicknames and emojis beside it to the contact numbers of her loved ones.
The first ping was from Megan
Megs😼 : did you reach Ric?
Nes 👦 : yes , did u?
Megs 😼: luk at her Nes, she is alrdy avoiding us 😑
Nes 👦: yeah 😖 din' expect this from u chico rico 😟
Megs😼 : this is what we get for loving you so much? Huh? Tell me? Tell meeee😤😤😤😢😢 chica rica😭 not fair gurl.😠
Erica rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed at the stupid nickname Nessa and Megan used to irritate her.
She started typing...
Shut up, you two. 😑 I was sleeping for half of the journey. My phone was switched off coz my battery died a tragic death 🤐 I realized that after I had lunch. 🙈 You know I can't function widout food in my system 🙊 I just charged it on the go till like 50% and then I switched on and saw ur msgs. We will reach soon. We have entered the city alrdy 😁. Happy now? I'll text you at night, yeah? 😘😘
Soon her phone dinged again. It was Megan.
Megs😼 : yeah yeah..okie dokie 🍫
She glanced at the text, after which she locked the phone and slid it in her jeans' pocket and looked at her father.
"By the way, when will I get to meet Drake?" Erica quizzed
"He is probably waiting to see his little sister. You will get to see him soon, pumpkin," Adrian answered with a smile.
Erica rolled her eyes. "As if," she scoffed but her dad knew better so he did not reply but chuckled softly. She was very excited to meet him as it had been nearly one year since he had come home. They exchanged texts now and then, but she really wanted to meet him in person - one of her best friends, her support.
~~~
The car crunched over the gravelled pathway as it inched towards another huge and intricately designed iron gate. Erica was once again speechless at the magnificence of it.
The sun was slowly dipping into the horizon, splashing red and orangish hue on the clouds.
She wasn't surprised to see that there were guards standing on either side of the gate. In front of them, there was another car — a black Beetle.
The huge gates opened, and the car glided in, after which it closed again. Their car halted just in front of it.
Adrian rolled down the window as an almost 6ft black-haired, pale skin guard approached their car. He stopped on Adrian's side. He bowed his head a little, which yet again did not faze Erica because she saw this a lot back at her hometown as well.
Adrian nodded. Then the guard asked in a gruff voice, "Name of the student, Sir".
"Erica Morris — my daughter," he answered.
Erica fished out her ID card from her backpack and handed it to Adrian, who in turn gave it to the guard. He checked it and tapped something on the phone, which he was holding in his other hand. Then he gave it back and hollered for the gate to be opened.
Their car moved forward. Erica suddenly felt anxious. She couldn't place what exactly made her a ball of nerves right then.
She clenched her fists and turned her gaze to look outside for distraction. She found it in the form of lush green trees and bushes. The trees lined on either side of the road were like a silent yet intimidating guard. She had seen this from the moment they entered the city. There were very few houses for quite a distance, but then the number increased. But the people here, love nature, she mused, as there wasn't any shortage of greenery even with the increasing number of houses.
"Look", her dad's voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she turned her head to look at what her dad was showing and her mouth hung open.
The first thing that she saw was the magnificent castle that stood tall and proud. Looking enchanting and foreboding at the same time. Words failed to describe the beauty of this aged castle, which still had the power to make anyone's breath hitch with awe.
She then saw the cars lined on either side of the road before the entrance. Adrian found parking and parked their car.
Erica got out of the car on wobbly legs. She could not believe that she was, at last, standing in front of the very institute she had dreamt of studying in.
"Ric, you are happy, right?" Her dad asked softly, placing his hand on her shoulder.
The tears that formed were given the freedom to fall. She sniffled before embracing her dad, "Yes, dad. Thank you so much".
Adrian chuckled, "Your ma, I and your brother will always be there for our princess." And kissed the top of her head. "I know," she mumbled into his chest.
"Let's go in. Shall we?"
She nodded and took out her bags. She had 2 suitcases and one huge backpack. She took the backpack and one suitcase while Adrian took the other.
People were scattered here and there. Some saying goodbyes and some trying to locate the right way.
No sooner did she enter through another beautifully designed gate than her eyes zoomed in on the tall guy with dirty blonde standing near one of the several white marble fountains with a wide grin. She did not waste time as she left her luggage and all but ran to him.
Few heads turned to witness this reunion of two siblings who were more like twins.
Drake was ready to catch her the minute she started sprinting.
"Drako!" she squealed as he caught her and pulled her in for a hug. She hugged him back, tightly. He chuckled, "I missed you a lot, Rica." Erica smacked his arm, "Do not call me by that name." and pulled away.
"Yes, I will," he grinned. He ruffled her hair to annoy her further.
"How's my little sister?" He asked, looking at her affectionately.
"Good, but she missed you a lot," she pouted.
"Same here sweets," he murmured.
"Oh, really?! Then why didn't you come home for the whole of last year?" She scowled at him.
Drake opened his mouth but then snapped it shut. What could he say? If he explained he'd have to tell her the truth? That he couldn't visit because of the Alpha training.
But Adrian became his saving grace. He had reached the duo by then dragging the luggage, "You two meet after so long and absolutely forget about this old man and let him become your luggage carrier", he narrowed his eyes and accused them playfully.
Erica giggled forgetting about the question, and Drake sighed in relief.
"Dad, you look just fine", Drake smirked earning another smack on the back of his head from Erica.
"Ow. That hurt Ric. You surely have become stronger since the last time I saw you," Drake whined playfully, rubbing the back of his head. Erica stuck out her tongue.
But all of a sudden she felt alert. She felt someone's eyes on her. Her subconscious urged her to look around, to find the source. She swept her gaze across the area. Nope, no one was blatantly staring at her. Some people were talking while others were going somewhere. Maybe I am being paranoid, she thought.
"Oi...what are you thinking?" Drake nudged her. She shook her head, "Nothing".
"Okay, now I'll guide you from here. I'll walk you to your hostel," Drake said, grabbing the suitcases. Erica nodded and took her backpack.
She turned to her dad, "Take care papa bear," she whispered trying to keep her tears at bay. "Yeah, sweetie. We'll miss you. Drake, take care of your sister." Adrian kissed her forehead and gave Drake a hug.
After waving goodbye she started towards her new abode with her brother, completely oblivious of her soulmate's gaze upon her.
~*~*~
[Xavier]
He had seen it all. He had felt it and he had smelt it. The Alpha King had felt her presence the moment she had entered the city. His wolf had instantly become alert and anxious. At first, he did not understand his wolf's unusual behaviour, but then when the dusk fell, his senses were aware of her. The woman who was made for him to call her...his.
The scent of sandalwood clouded his senses. It was like a drug, which in this case did not harm him at all but was like a balm to his heart and soul.
"Uh...Xavier?" He couldn't even focus on his work from the afternoon even though at that time the scent was faint, informing him that she was near but not close enough.
"Yes? Did you inform the mentors?" He asked, flipping through a file.
"Yes, that's what I just said. I had informed them yesterday to instruct the werewolf freshmen about the rules. They have done that since the Weres had all arrived by noon," Arnold had explained once again.
"Are you alright?" He had inquired, concerned.
"Hmm.. yeah. I'm fine. Good," he replied vaguely, since the only thing that he could focus on was the scent of the mysterious woman who had already ensnared his heart and mind. And his 9 years of patience and longing were finally answered when he could feel her presence inside the campus.
But why did she arrive now? 'She is late.' he growled inwardly and sulkily. But he did not care. Even the humans had arrived now, therefore, it'd be a perfect excuse to get of glimpse of the beauty. His wolf yipped in happiness.
"I'm going to keep an eye on the humans," he declared gruffly.
"But Alpha there is—" Arnold was cut off mid-sentence.
"I know. I will mask my scent so no one will know I'm there," and with that, he strode out of the office leaving a thoroughly perplexed Beta behind.
~~~~
The balcony that was on the deserted East wing of the castle gave a perfect view of the well-carved pathway and the huge garden with the beautiful fountains.
He did not want her to see him. He wanted to savour this moment without being called a stalker by the humans, although he couldn't care less.
He channelled all his power to locate his mate. Being an Alpha King, he did not need to look into his mate's eyes to confirm the fact. Just by her scent, he would know.
After scanning the area while lurking in the shadow, he finally laid eyes on the being who he thought did not exist.
The Alpha king had finally found his Mate. His Luna. His Queen.
His wolf was itching to be set free. His primal Instinct told him to claim her as his but he reined them.
He saw her entering with a man who he recognised as Alpha Adrian Morris. But suddenly his happiness was doused completely when he saw her running to an unmated wolf. He growled lowly.
Mine. Mate. Mine. His wolf chanted and he could feel his teeth elongating. But then the word 'sister' calmed him instantly.
He immediately saw the resemblance between the two.
Her brown tresses which were secured in a ponytail made him want to release them and run his fingers through them. Her blue orbs that twinkled with mirth made him want to look into them all day, and the beautiful curve of her lips made him want to never remove that smile that lit up her face and his heart, ever. His only wish at the moment was to hold her in his arms and never let go.
'Turning into a poet, are we?'
His wolf Leikos teased. He growled at his animal half. He now understood all the stories of love and devotion that he had heard from his parents and other mated couples. The attraction was beyond physical. It was like the meeting of two halves of the same soul.
Then he saw her looking around and just like that his heart started beating faster. She could feel it!
But something seemed off...
His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to put his finger on it. What was it? What--
And then as the daze of meeting his mate slowly cleared, as his senses came back from the high. He realised something. The smell was faint, fainter than a normal wolf's scent. The realisation lodged the sword of dread in his heart.
She was Alpha Adrian's daughter. She was the one. The only one who never met her wolf. She was the only Human born to two strong werewolf parents.
His eyes widened as the truth settled in.
His mate, the Luna Queen, was human.
[Erica]"...and the senior's hostel is on the other side," Drake concluded, giving Erica a mental picture of the campus."So I need to walk for 10 minutes if I want to meet you?" Erica asked with a frown. She thought she could meet her brother more often now that they would be in the same university.Drake gave her a wry grin, "I am just a call away now. Though during classes we are not allowed to call. Only after 4."Erica huffed, "And here I thought I was out of high school. But, no. This feels like high school reloaded, heck even at high school we had more freedom," Drake chuckled at her annoyance, ruffling her hair."This Uni is different from others, so if you think you will do whatever you want then you've got another thing coming," Drake teased, placing down the suitcases as they came to a stop in front of the building where the freshers and juniors were staying."We have arrived your highness," Drake mock curtseyed making Erica giggle."Thank you kind sir," Erica played along.
[Erica]The long corridor was lit with white fluorescent light bulbs that were covered with frosted glass. Erica knew there were hidden cameras as well, but she didn't need to worry. She wasn't doing anything wrong.But she felt eerie about the surroundings. There was a slight chill in the air. She hugged herself as she hurried along.Drake had said that if she took the corridor instead of taking the outer path, she would reach early. He was still lost as to why she wanted to give him the gift so urgently. She suppressed a grin as she thought about the surprise waiting inside. Not a pleasant one for Drake, though.She frowned as she thought of the possibility of Drake having a hunch about her plan. He always did. But not this time. She giggled silently.Though the castle had been renovated to accommodate all the modern facilities, its old grandeur and charm could still be felt. A beautiful blend of modernity and ancientness.As Erica walked, lost in thoughts about the probable history
[Al]"Successfully entered the Uni, Al?", a gruff voice muttered."Hm," Al answered, his lips forming a thin line."Good job. Now do not fuck up the rest of the job. Or you know the consequences," the gruff voice from the other end of the line warned. Al gritted his teeth, trying to hold back a sneer."Yes. I am very much aware." he ground out. You never let me forget, he thought."That's good then. I will mail you the next task as it's not safe to tell over the phone"."Alright."With that, the line fell dead. He looked at the screen for a long moment until it went black. His grip on the gadget tightened.He didn't want to be the pawn. He didn't want any of this. But he knew if he didn't do this he might have to stay as a human, forever. The gaping hole inside his mind and heart was gnawing at him, taunting him and making it impossible for him to stay calm.He took a deep breath before keeping the phone on the side table. He looked out of the window. The dark shadows of the looming tr
[Erica]Erica couldn't look away. This was happening again. Why was this happening? she questioned herself. As she looked at him everything else felt secondary, every other thought receded back in her mind, it was only his eyes that she could concentrate upon. "Uh..." she thought of saying,"Let's go back, I will visit him some other time." But before she could, she heard her brother hollering, "Rica," she tore her gaze away from the man in front of him and saw her brother jogging towards them. Drake came to a halt and greeted, "Good evening, Al- Mr.Ravenwood," Erica's eyes widened in shock, she turned her head to look at the man standing beside her. He was not only the trustee but also the owner of this University? She felt mortified now. On the very first day, she had successfully ruined her reputation. She wanted to melt into a puddle and evaporate. Drake's eyes moved from Erica to Mr.Ravenwood and back to her, throwing a mildly disapproving look at her he asked, "Did my sister cau
[Erica]The alarm's chime roused Erica from her fitful sleep. She groggily groped for the phone, then snoozed it after finding the gadget. Her muscles felt stiff and her eyes did not want to see the morning light. She sluggishly got out of the bed and padded to the ensuite. She noticed two things, number one, she looked ghastly and number two, for some reason, the cuts and scratches she had seen last night had vanished. However, the second thing worried her more.'Maybe I was imagining,' she tried to reason, but she knew very well that it was not so, she was wide awake after being woken up by the nightmare and the scratches were still there. She shoved these thoughts at the back of her mind, concentrating instead on appearing presentable and reach class on time. No sooner did she exit the washroom than her phone started ringing. She groaned, guessing who might the person be, and she was right."Hey Drako," she muttered while shoving essential stuff into the backpack. "Good morning to
[Xavier]He sat there frozen for a few moments. taking in the information. Human girl? Could it be... No, it couldn't be, he tried to reassure himself. Erica could not be a spy. He tried to shake off his suspicion. He was still baffled as to how this human could achieve the impossible. No human has ever been able to break a magical barrier. How could this person infiltrate it so easily?He looked at Sebastian, who immediately understood his silent order and left the office to inform Arnold and Vladimir. "Okay aunt, I will see to it," Xavier responded before hanging up and rushing out of the office. ~~~The library was almost empty except for a few students. When they saw him and others flanked on his either side, they immediately scurried away. Despite humans not knowing about werewolves or other supernatural beings, they subconsciously submitted to an Alpha male or female. He glanced around to locate his mate. Maybe she was not here. But his conscience and his wolf were telling him
[Xavier]Jade's bluntness and idiocy earned her a long-suffering look from her nephew. 'How did she manage to become such a powerful queen is beyond me,' Leikos rumbled and Xavier couldn't help but silently agree. He noticed Erica's frown at Jade's question. He could almost see the cogs in her brain whirring and trying to find logic in them. She opened her mouth to answer when Sebastian cut in, "Now, now madame, she might have a very good reason behind it but let's not make her nervous."Erica was ushered in and Jade scowled. Xavier could understand where she was coming from. Jade was the most powerful witch and she had never had to face failure when it came to magic. Supernaturals, especially royals were touchy about this subject. But blurting out something so essential, something that could bring their existence in jeopardy was what irked him the most. "Aunt. calm down. she is a human, remember?" Xavier muttered under his breath as soon as he was near her. Jade was still glaring at
[Xavier]His mind had stuck on a single sentence — Erica was not human. On the one hand, he felt hopeful and to some extent relieved because if she was not human then he would be able to find a way to confess to her and tell her about himself sooner. 'Are you planning to not tell her if she turns out to be human?' Leikos growled threateningly. Xavier chose to remain silent because honestly, even he did not know what to answer. In the meantime, Sebastian had re-entered leaving Arnold and Vladimir to guard the door."Alpha. Queen." He bowed to them before directing his question at Jade, "I heard some of the things you shared Queen, I beg your pardon for listening. But what is to be done now if I may ask?""Oh, come now, it's not your fault that you wolves have super-hearing," she waved her hand dismissively then said, "And to answer your question we might need to talk to Adrian Morris about this. Find out about what exactly happened to his daughter that her memory got locked.""How does