The Big Bad Wolf

10

"So since we are here, having your burger, may I know where you have been? What I am to you?" Liam asked slowly, and carefully afraid he might offend. "Liam, no need to be so timid. You are the royal beta. I have been here or there, was with the moon goddess for a while, learning all about myself and past selves." Liam zoned out. "I-I iamroyalbeta?" He rushed out. Astrid chuckled and nodded. "What? Why? How? Why me?" He shot of questions. "You are my Royal Beta, because the Moon Goddes deemed it so, because I agreed, and because we saw how much you would be able to accomplish, as long as you made the right choice back there in the forest." Astrid shrugged. "You spent time with the Moon Goddes?" Liam asked confused. "Yes, actually the last six months, I spent with my mother. She caught me up on all things werewolf, my destiny, my mate, how mates work, how second mates work, we hand picked my royal court, which by the way, our Delta should be walking in, in 3, 2,1." The door to the diner opened and in walked an man and a woman. The man was tall, tanned, his clothing looked worn. He has blonde hair and bright green eyes. The woman was thin, but fit. She had bright red hair and blue-green eyes, that sparkled. She has freckles covering her face. "He is to be our Delta?" Liam asked, and Astrid chuckled. "No, he is meant to be the Royal doctor, she is meant to be Delta." A look of realization came across Liam's face. "Well as long as 3, 2, 1" a milkshake landed on top of Astrid's head. It had been knocked off the tray by none other than the woman. "I am so sorry! I am sometimes so clumsy!" She shooed the waitress away, and looked at Astrid and Liam. "I hope I didn't ruin your date?" Her thick southern accent ringing true. "This is not a date, however Liam come sit next to me. You and your mate join us, my treat." Astrid spoke the mate part quietly. The woman's eyes widened when she heard mate. She grabbed her mates arm, as his eyes went wide seeing Liam's mark. "Honey, don't deny her anything." He whispered calmly into her ear, and gently pushed her to sit down. "How did you know he was my, my uh" she stuttered. Astrid laughed. "You cannot sense me can you?" She asked. And the woman shook her head. The man was slightly pale. The woman looked confused. Astrid let down her guard a bit, and the woman tensed. "Are- are y-y-you an Alpha?" She asked, stuttering worse. "Of sorts, no you are not on anyone's lands trespassing. Please, do not fret." Astrid patted the woman's clasped hands. "My Queen, I apologize for my mate's clumsiness resulting in the milkshake." The man finally found his words, being stunned was over. Astrid laughed. "Silly man, if I wanted I would have not let that milkshake hit me, yet I did, because I need to ask something of you both, but first." Astrid turned to the woman. "The man who bit you, is gone. Forever out of this world. However, he gave you a special gift, since he bit you so young. You are stronger, faster, smart than your average," she paused. "Born shall we say. How long has it been since you used your full speed, full strength, full balance" the woman blushed with tears in her eyes. "You never told me." The man mutters. "Don't scold her, and don't feel left out. She left herself out. She was told turned aren't as good, born are better. Yet, here she is better than any born. She had to stop herself, so people wouldn't banish her. Besides, it isn't like you aren't hiding something from her. Right, Doctor Martin?" Astrid clicks her tongue and shakes her head. His head falls in shame. "Have shame later, right now. I need to know where your loyalties lie." Astrid says casually. Liam is silent the entire time. Just taking in how Astrid handles these two. "Well, there is a pack that was very welcoming of us, and asked us to join on multiple occasions." The woman says slowly, and looks to her mate. "The Alpha and pack are very fond of us. We are headed back to join now." Dr. Martin explains. "Yes I know. You are headed back to Lunar Celine pack, run by Alpha Sampson, son of former-alpha Samuel." She says dismissively. "However, that isn't what I meant. I meant are you loyal to me, the crown, the title, and all the people?" Their brows furrow, and they looked confused. It clicked and the bare their necks. They both hiss and pain. Liam smirks, "Welcome to the Royal pack, Delta, Royal Doctor. Why did I get licked to get mine?" He turns to face Astrid, and she shrugs. The look of astonishment is on the couples faces. "Sorry, I am the Beta. Liam. You are?" He extends his hand to the woman. "Marlow." He shakes her hand. He extends his hand to the man. "Greg." He shakes his hand.. Greg's mark is just of Lucy howling. Marlow's is of an almost full moon, with Lucy howling to it. "So you still have stuff to explain to me. About what all you talked about with your mother. Like the mate stuff, I thought your mate was dead?" Liam spoke up again. "My human mate is dead. However, I have a second chance mate. He never met his mate before she died. Now, him and I have each other. I have an important decision to make too. I have two options, neither outcome is known to me. I tell him the truth, and that I know who is first mate is, and all about me, or I go the long route, and risk him finding out that I knew." Astrid explains. "The problem is i want him to know me, the real me, not the Queen me, Mother made me in six months." Astrid whispers tentatively.

"I still fear being intimate with men, because of the compound. He knows what happened there. I just don't want to see it on his face when he thinks I'm disappointing because of my past as a human too. I wasn't an angel or pure by any means." Astrid told Liam mentally. He patted her shoulder. She went back to her fries.