Mess Is Mine

It was back in the winter when he met her, the snow falling upon the castle grounds as he was outside with his mother, waiting for the new hire for the royal guards to come and greet the royal family. His father had been away in Europe that day, instructing his son to greet each of the new guards as a King should, with a personal welcome. The moment she stepped out of the car, he knew she already looked out of place, a college student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a computer programming major as her qualifications fit nothing of a royal guard yet his father insisted she would become a great warrior, to perhaps lead their kingdom if a war ever broke out. She was top of her class back in high school when she trained with her pack's soldiers. Coming from a large pack, one known for their combat skills, she was a natural as she took after her father who was one of the best warriors of his time.

A beautiful blond with dreams of being a hacker or something in the government, she had looked around the palace with not the interest many of the royal guards had, for she seemed bored with the architecture. The moment her eyes locked with his, he knew instantly who she was to be to him. Lillian was once shy, the moment they met, her eyes barely meeting his as she knew she had met her mate...something she never wanted to ever have. She had avoided him for a week then, only for the two of them to run into one another within a secluded hallway when she was roaming the halls and he was searching for his father. The moment they bumped into one another, they found themselves soon locked away in a secluded room as they knew they could not stay away from one another.

Their story was one of love behind closed doors for months until he father found out about her and realized the rules were being broken. Zion had pleaded with his father to let her stay, and although he agreed at first, the moment Zion proposed, his father threw Lillian out the palace walls. That is when Lillian became insane, meeting an alpha for the pack she worked for next. She did more than protect the Alpha, but found herself between to mates. Zion said she had always been peculiar, even when they were engaged she would do things that made him question her. She made him keep a book of all the things she had him try, taking him with her on hunts, to small battles, and even teaching him how to go behind his father's back. She taught him how to be heartless, to kill without the justice a judge would rule. But Lillian had other plans in life besides Zion, a ring upon her finger as she was to marry the Alpha. She had broken her engagement with Zion after four months, finding him boring rather than exciting as the Alpha who would soon propose to her showed her his dark and twisted world. Their demons danced a duet together, one fueled by passion and admission as they led one another down darker paths. After two months together, the Alpha proposed to Lillian and Zion believed she would cut all ties to him.

That was when the affairs really started, when she would call Zion to her and had countless miscarriages over the years of sneaking around. Her husband, the Alpha, always knew she was going behind his back, for he knew Lillian well, how bored she would become of the things an people who once thrilled her. Soon enough, something had to be done. She was found dead, naked, draped over the piano of her husband's, no justice brought forward as no one knew what happened. Zion said when she had died, that is when the most insane parts of her began to show, the things she left behind, almost haunting him from beyond the grave. She never wanted him to find another, wanted for him to regret what he did to her years ago, for pulling her into a world of royals and driving her insane with pretending to be someone else to please him and his family.

The moment she was buried, Zion went away for years, hunting down a coven of witches who were responsible for killing his father. He used the skills Lillian has passed down onto him, how to be heartless and see no use for mercy. He said he used to believe there was nothing left in life to live for, for his mate was dead.

"You taught me what it felt like to live again, to laugh, smile, see the good, and love," Zion finishes, reaching across the table to me, hand stretched out as he wants me to take his hand. "The moment I met you, I knew we would be legends, a story of second chances." Zion watches for my hands to move, the two of them clasped together as I wonder what taking his hand could mean for us. What taking his hand could make him believe, if it only gives him more hope.

"Who is Keva?"

His hand closes, pulling back as he knows we are not done yet here. "She respect you," he begins, looking over his shoulder to the windows which display no light, only an empty night sky. "Elves respect the best of the werewolves, those with pure hearts and dignity, traits not often found within the palace where so many betrayals unraveled. It is tradition that the firstborn child of the King and Queen allow their child to grow up within the realm of the elves, to be taught not only how to fight, but how to be morally correct when doing things. They believe in the oldest traditions and my family respected that for generations."

"Our child was to grow up with Keva as their guardian," I point out, understanding why I keep seeing those eyes.

"With no child of royal blood to raise, the elves simply left the lands of the capitol, retreating back into their original lands." Zion sighs, leaning back against the wall as I understand that not only was my death misery to his life and he felt like he had no purpose left, but it also left a tradition centuries old to become no more. "The new King holds no true royal blood, so the elves will no longer offer their services to the Alpha King."

"My death took a piece of everyone I knew."

Fiona enters the room, dressed up in a pair of slacks and suit jacket as her presence does not ease me. "There are rumors spreading, Zion," she informs, eyes glowing in the darkness as my body tenses. "Whispers carried in the wind of the return of their queen. People will start asking questions, looking for you, and if they find these rumors to be true, hell will break loose." With a puff of emerald green smoke, Fiona vanishes, gone to wherever she was off to as I am left alone with Zion once more.

"Hell will break loose?"

Zion grabs his phone, scrolling past articles as I see the reflections in his eyes. Placing the phone in front of me, I see an article with a picture of myself from years ago, a crown on my head as I wave at the crowd. The Undead Queen is the title of the article, the article itself bring up the rumors that Zion may have hired a witch or necromancer to bring me back to life, the question of morals brought up as it asks if mortals should have such power, if the rich and powerful have allowed their privilege to get to their heads enough to trick death. "The moment the world knows you are alive, people will come for you." Why me? It cannot be because they will be happy to see me back, but because Zion cheated death, or perhaps they do not wish for someone resurrected to be roaming the earth. "This witch coven is just temporary, the moment you are strong enough to get back, we will be within the Swiss Alps."

"I do not understand, I thought you needed to lift the curve for Fiona first, that was the deal you two made. I am back, Zion, I am here, living breathing, and yet, time again, you cannot agree that I am enough. You wanted me back, I never had a say, and you expect everything to go as planned. You may have brought me back, but you do no make life decisions for me. The dead should stay dead, I do not care if you just wanted someone to hold at night, but you should have tried to move on. We were not mates, we were lovers, and yes, we loved and we lived some of our lives together, but you cannot bend fate to your will." I am angry, mad that Zion thinks he can move me with him.

"We are returning to the elves, Sybil."

"Because you believe they can fix me, you believe that once we go there and they help, that the curve over Fiona's coven can be lifted? I honestly cannot see why I was with you in my past life. Perhaps you were different, for the death of someone you love can change you so much, but you constantly keep truths from me which are vital to my life here. You constantly deny me knowing the whole story, you dare not ask my opinion on where to go next, and you have been digging your grave deeper everyday that I am here." I find it hard to control my breathing, unable to stand being in a room with a man who constantly expects me to bend to his will. I march out the house, right into the backyard as I look at the house from behind. A small mansion, one unfit for a King, but perhaps for a powerful witch or coven. A coven that I have still to see since my first day back.

I walk further into the backyard, knowing Zion is watching me as I just need to get some fresh air. If I had my wolf right now, if I could still shift, I would shift into her, running away into the night as to taste just a bit of freedom. The faster I walk, the more my head spins, the longer I find it hard to control my breathing, and as I am just about to take a seat, my vision blurs and I find myself losing control as I slip away into the familiar darkness.

I can hear screams in my head, a name being whispered over and over again. A male comes to my mind, a face I find familiar as I wonder if he belongs to the name. Sebastian, a name which feels like so much importance to me. Blood, images of blood on a marble floor, screaming filling the silent air as someone says instructions, my head spinning as I know I am beginning to remember bits and pieces. A forest floor before me, rain pouring down as I am running, a woman shouting at me to run faster, only for a gunshot to cause a ringing in my ear. Cries, screams, anger, hate, misery, so much of my past life floods my mind as I cannot find one memory of laughter or something that would cause me to smile. I can hear Zion screaming my name, screaming it over and over again as I wonder if he saw me faint, if he is running to come help me or would rather just leave me here after what I said to him.

My body feels as if it is floating, rolling over as a hand brushing my cheek, a deep voice saying my name as I know who it is. His words are muffled, my name the only thing I can make out as Zion holds me in his lap, waiting for me to regain my consciousness. I know we had our happy moments years ago, but it seems like there were more tears than laughter, more screams than smiles.

"Sybil, I've got you, you're safe," he whispers, lips pressed against my forehead as I try and calm myself down as my vision slowly comes back to me.

"Sebastian," I mumble, my eyes able to make out what is happening around me, that Zion has me in his arms as he carries me back to the house. "You killed Sebastian." Zion has a scowl upon his face, telling me all that I need to know as I know that Zion and I are not true mates, that Zion lost his mate long before he met me. "You killed my mate."

"Mates are not your perfect match, Sybil, for our mates were our worst nightmares."