The Human Wolf

Four

"Where's my little winner?" Clara, Conri's not so younger sister giggled. I shook my head, trying to hide the giggling response.

"Please don't ever call me that." I say taking a seat at the table. "Firstly, I'm taller than you and secondly, my name doesn't just mean winner.

"You're not in a playful mood this evening, what happened to you Missy? Did the twins surprise you?" She took a sip of her glass.

"My day was uneventful." I reply, ignoring the second question about the Twins.

"I heard Conri spent most of the day looking for you. Want to tell me about that?"

"We hung out this morning then I spent most of the morning with Beau. I hid away in the library since I knew he was going to be busy with his father doing kingly duties."

"Kingly duties?" Clara chuckled. "Alright kiddo, what really happened?"

"Nothing, I just knew he was going to be busy so I kept to myself for most of the day." I took a sip of the water that was thankfully located right in front of me. "Anything interesting happen today in princess lessons?"

Clara was the Crowned Princess, she may have be younger than me but she was the closest thing to a girlfriend that I could get. If I wasn't hanging around Conri, which was the majority of the time, I was with her. I was mostly there to keep her company in princess lessons. I always bagged the shit out of her for doing them, but then Spencer would always remind me that I too would have to join her for 'lady' lessons.

Although I wasn't born into the ladyship, I was given it being the ward of the Royal family. Once my parents had both passed, they brought me in and I was treated like their own. Conri was always my best friend, but Clara became my younger sister and well Elijah was always the middle child that was broody. With all three royal children being born within a span of 4 years, Conri almost 21, Elijah 19 and Clara 18, you could say we were all close in some way.

The three of them all had different pathways. For one, Conri was the future King, Elijah, well I think he was going to follow in his mothers steps and be in the army. As for Clara, well, she was always different and never understood where she would be. The thing was, I didn't know who's footsteps I would follow in; my mums and be a part of the army or my dad's being in the medical field. Either way, I had both of their passions in me. I was never normal growing up and always the tomboy.

Just when I thought I would tell Clara what happened, Conri with Elijah and Mate in tow came in. Shortly followed by the King and Queen. And as usual, Conri sat next to me. I started to have some regret or maybe it was anxiety to coming to dinner. I know it was the usual thing to do every night, but I wasn't feeling this at all. Nor the tension that I could sense was building between us.

Food was brought out and thankfully I could keep my mouth shut by eating food. Tonight's menu include steak with vegetables or a range of salads that were brought out. Roasted potatoes and cauliflower and broccoli al gratin. I placed a small steak on my plate and loaded up with some beetroot and couscous salad.

I wasn't hungry and Conri could sense I was just pushing food around my plate to look like I was eating; when in fact I wasn't. I may have had a couple of mouthfuls but it was obvious to him that I wasn't eating properly. He gave me a quick nudge and pointed to my plate of food. It was his way of asking why aren't you eating. I shrugged him off, taking a mouthful of salad before taking a sip of water that was on the table.

I scooped the last of my salad into my mouth, leaving only half of my small steak on the plate. I sipped on water for most of dinner, occasionally making comments of having a laugh with everyone. My stomach was churning and I could hardly breath around Conri right now, it was like the tension was that thick you could cut it with a steak knife.