Chapter 31 - King and Queen

**Lily**

It feels like hours since someone spoke.

All I can hear is my heartbeat in my ears and how hot the atmosphere is.

They look so... majestic. Out of reach.

The world is spinning, not in the I'm-about-to-faint way but in the I-can't-focus-kind-of way. I feel a hand touching mine and shaking it, probably to get me to focus on what they're saying but I can't focus. Their lips and mouths are moving, their eyes are crying, and their hands are moving along but I can't hear anything.

A blurry face covers them from my sight. It has thick eyebrows, a pointy nose, and an eye?

"Lily."

I hear him now. It sounds like Jeremy. I blink and focus my eyes on the guy in front of me. The image becomes sharper and so does the eyes. It *is* Jeremy.

"Focus." His hands grab my cheeks together, bringing my face closer to his. I breathe in through my nose and nod as my throat becomes tighter. He nods back and slowly brings down his hands. He takes a step back, eyes still on mine, and moves his body beside mine.

My eyes focus back on the King and Queen.

"Lily! It's - It's *really* you!" The Queen hiccups, hands covering her mouth. My eyes notice the muliple gold rings and bracelets covering her wrist and fingers. They travel to the heavy, thick, and golden robe that is wrapped around her body. Than they go to the King. Golds rings, gold bracelets, and the thick robe.

Something snaps.

My hands and body stop shaking in fear. My eyes stop watering. And my face, it becomes angry.

How dare she *cry* in front of me? In front of *me*? When *I* - when it was *me* who searched for *her*. For them.

"It's you. It's her! It's - " The King runs a hand over his face. " - It's her." He takes a step back and covers his eyes.

"Of course, it's me." My eyes momentarily stay focused on the marble floor. "Who else could it be when the other one is next to you?" My eyes are cold now. I know because the shaking is gone and all I can feel is nerves running inside my body.

They seem taken aback by the change in my attitude.

"Lily, we know you're angry." The Queen begins to speak but a hiccup comes out instead. And her hands are back on top of her mouth.

"I'm More Than Angry. I'm Furious. I Want..." I take a deep breath. "I want answers." Lowering my voice doesn't help calm my nerves. It just makes them go faster.

The King takes a step closer, his hands up in defensive mode. "We will give them to you, I - We promise. Just... please let us look at you."

His words make a chill go throughout my body. Mostly because Keely is right next to them, eyes also looking at me. The way they look at me is different. Different than what my other parents used to look at me. It just different than how anyone has looked at me.

"I can't." I shake my head as small, electric tickles go throughout my skin. The tickles slowly make their way inside and I can't breathe. I place a hand on my chest and pat it. A heaviness fills my head and I find it hard to lift it. My throat begins to burn, as if someone is choking me, and I have to force myself to cough.

"Breathe, Lily." A hand pats my back. I grab the hand and grasp it tightly. The strong musk of ground and grass hit my nose, slowly relaxing my body. My mouth takes it all in and I find it easier to breathe but it doesn't help with the object in my throat.

"Is... is she okay?" The Queen's voice sounds farther away.

It takes a second to realize I'm walking backwards, I'm walking away from them. Humilitated, I turn around and open the nearest door. I push my legs inside and slam it shut behind me. Tears make their way out my eyes and my body slides down against the door. A number of knocks ring throughout my ears but all is does is anger me. I place my hands on top of my ears as hard as I can.

I thought it would be easy to come here and get my answers. It felt like it would. I was so sure I was going to get them and than go back to my pack. Hell, I had to be kidnapped in order to be convinced that I couldn't do this alone. And they are here and I'm still not strong enough to do it.

I feel like a failure.

I *am* a failure.

I don't know when the knocks stop but I know when *they* entered. Their aura filled the room, it felt like I needed to open a window. I wanted to get up and run outside but I have a feeling the others are waiting outside. I keep my head in my lap, counting to ten each time. I keep on telling myself to lift my head at ten but I chicken out and start counting again.

"Are you ready now?"

It's Keely who asks me the question.

If I lift my head, than they will all see that I'm scared. They will see me as someone whose weak. They won't see me as the girl who was strong and the girl who can beat up someone without getting a scratch. They will see me as the girl that cries against doors. And as a girl who avoids confrontation. A girl who *just* cries.

"You don't have to look at us but can you listen to our parents? *Please*?"

"Our" sends a huge shiver throughout my body. It doesn't sound right. My hands turn into fists, trying to contain the fear, the anger, and everything inside.

"We know you think we left you, that we left you because... we don't know what you think. But we didn't leave you." A sob escapes the queen. "You were all we could think about for the last seventeen years." The words sound muffled.

One.

The Kind speaks this time. "It killed us that we *couldn't* find you. We've been blaming ourselves for putting the nursery two rooms away. We should have... we should have put you in our room. Put the crib right beside us."

Two.

"We didn't know where you were." I hear the rustling of paper. "We got a letter a couple weeks away from the Red Blood Pack. They are the ones who stole you from us." The King sounds angry now.

Three.

I lift my head, anger coursing my veins. " So you think *blaming* someone else makes it okay?" I wipe the fallen tears away roughly. "I was alone and I was lost. I had no one but myself for so long! I just got healthy..." A small sob prevents me from talking any further. The King and Queen try to approach me but I take a step back. "You didn't even find me. This, this girl did!" I point a finger towards Keely, as if I was accusing her.

"You were stolen, Lily." Keely sounds shocked by my anger. "Don't you understand that?"

"It doesn't take away the pain." My vision becomes full of water.

"We know. We know." The Queen grabs onto the King's arm as if she's weak.

Keely gasps and runs towards her. The queen falls onto her knees, tears flowing down like a river. Keely and the King grab her hands as the Queen sobs loudly. For a second, I want to do the same. I want to be the one holding on to her hand. I want to be *Keely*. Damn her.

"Mom, are you okay?" Keely begins to cry. "Please be okay, mom."

I turn my back to the sight. It is then that I notice the room. It's like the outside, white walls with golden lines. It's a medium sized room, full of single couches and small tables. Like a conference room. My feet make their way to a single couch and I plop my body down, exhaustion weighing me down.

"She's going to be okay." The King assures Keely, his eyes momentarily watching me from the side. "She gets anxious sometimes. She just needs a moment."

"I didn't ask." My voice is hard, cold. His eyes fall back on his wife, nodding. The atmosphere is colder now. And I know it's because of me.

This isn't going the way I wanted.

"*Please let this moment end. I don't need answers anymore*." I try to mindlink the others. All that comes back is silence. I try once again but still, silence. I bet it was Jesse's idea. I slam my fist on the table.

The queen sniffles. Her eyes examine the dent I left on the table. "I see you got your father's strength." She sounds relieved. "My side of the family has always been weak. My brother was weak but I underestimated him."

I narrow my eyes slightly before speaking, "Are you going to blame him too?" I examine my nails. They are almost at the nub. I know it sounds nasty but all I did was eat my nails at night, anxious for this night to happen. Though, it's not happening the way I wanted it to.

"He's the one that took you."

Four.

"My side of the family was in line for the throne." She moves a strand of hair away from her face, standing up with the help of Keely and the King. "He never did his studies and focused on other things. We've been competing since the moment we were born."

Five.

"I won... obviously. He wasn't happy and said he'd get me back. I didn't think he would take you. Your father and I couldn't even grasp the concept."

Six.

"Wait," I put a finger against my lips in a shushing motion. "This was because you wouldn't give him the throne?" I couldn't hide the hurt this time. It was evident in my tone and on my facial expression.

The Queen kneels in front of me, her cold hands on top of my fists. "I would have given him my *soul* for you." Her red eyes look into mine.

I swallow and lean my head back. How is her aura this powerful? "Is that true?" I ask the King without looking at him. I look into the Queen's dull eyes, making sure my eyes are masking the hurt with hatred. She's looking right back, many emotions floating inside eyes that remind me of mine.

"We don't lie, Lily."

I nod and bite my lip. I stand up from the couch and run a hand through my hair. It really wasn't their fault. I was stolen, not sold. But what if I *was* sold? I don't know these people. My eyes narrow in their direction. I've only heard horrible things about these people. They are from the Royals, they represent the Royals. And I can't trust them until I see this "brother" for myself.

"Where is he?"

The Queen flinches at my tone of voice. "I thought he was dead. We got a memo from one of our knights a couple nights after he took you. He was dead, we buried him." She places a hand on top of her chest, where her heart is and sighs. "But the letter, it's in his handwriting. He signed it as the Alpha of the Red Blood Pack."

"Does that letter have a *return* address?"

Keely smiles. "No, Lily."

It was a long shot anyway.

"Keely said, she had a sickness when she was younger." I clear my throat, "Is that true?" My fingers begin to shake.

The King nods. His raspy voice says, "She had asthma. The doctors told us she wouldn't make it far. We think he took you..." His voice becomes hard. "He took you because you weren't sick. I'm sure of it." He turns his back to me.

So she didn't lie.

I inhale sharply. I have to calm down. I can't lose control here.

"If you let us," The Queen places a cold hand on my wrist. "We can help you. We'll get him and make sure he never sees the sun. Let us do that for you."

I look down at her hand, though my eyes can only see the gold. I shake my head, my feet already making their way to the other side of the room. "I think I have to do it." I swallow roughly. "If you do it... I won't get my revenge."

"Is that all you want?" The King sounds angry. Keely places a hand on his shoulder which seems to calm him down. "Can't you just stay for a while and get to know us?"

Seven.

"Yes," The Queen sniffles. "We have many gifts for you! And a place with the council! You'll be a great addition." Her hands clap in what seems to be utter joy.

Eight.

"Addition?" I scoff.

"That's not what she means. We just want to make up for lost time." The King sounds hopeful. His eyes are not Dull like the Queen's, they are a lighter blue. Not Axel blue but the type of blue that resembles a dirty beach.

"You can't make up for *lost* years." I find myself staring at the gold that lines the walls. "I don't even want to be near you."

Nine.

I shouldn't have said that. I don't think they deserve this treatment from me. But it's been barely over a year since I've changed and now I'm supposed to change again. Become some "addition" to some council and to some family. I wouldn't even be unique, not when I look like Keely. I would just be another member from this so-called family when I'm not even close to this pack. When I'm not even worth the amount of *one* ring on the Queen's hand.

"You have to at least give us a shot!" Keely takes a step towards me. The King grabs her shoulders. "No, dad!" Keely glares at me. "I went to look for you! I left my mate! And you can't give us a shot?!"

"I didn't ask you to." My eyes pierce into hers. "And I never promised you I would." My feet make their way until we are face to face. "I wanted answers. That's *all* I said."

"But if you stayed, we'd get to know each other. I'd have a sister. You'd have a sister. And we'd be a family." Keely grabs my hand, her lips lifted at the corners.

"No." The answer was out my mouth before I could stop myself. Her shoulders slumped. "I can't forget what happened to me. I got bullied for more than half of what I've lived and... and I had to work to live at my house. It took all my strength to get here." I shake the thoughts out my head. "I can't even trust you yet... at least not until I confront the Red Blood Pack. I just need time."

"We didn't know that." The King fists his hands, angry.

"I can't believe my daughter had to go through that!" The Queen nudges the King. "We have to do something!"

"No!" I clear my throat. I need to calm down before I lose control again. I inhale sharply. "It's my revenge to get."

"Have you talked to a therapist?"

"Keely!" The King scolds. The Queen pinches her arm to which Keely jumps with a yelp. She rubs the spot angrily.

"It's okay." I try to keep my voice calm. "I know it sounds crazy. I've been through crap and I just want answers. I think I deserve at least that. I didn't come here to make a family. I have one anyway, it's not the traditional one, but I have one."

"But they aren't blood!"

"Keely!" The King and Queen scold her again.

Ten.

Something boils inside me. Because it's true. My eyes fall back on the King, Queen, and Keely. They look like a traditional family, minus the crowns and gold, because they look like they love each other. They lived through similar things, they live in the same home, and they grew together.

That was supposed to be me. I was supposed to be the fourth person here. I was supposed to live through similar things, I was supposed to live in this mansion, and I was supposed to grow in the arms of my real mother, father, and my twin.

But I didn't.

And the "brother" will pay.