Forlot - Books 7-9

Chapter Eight

"What?!" the boy wolves questioned.

"Ah! It is the prince!" the girl wolves yelled.

Two wolves circled around me, and that was the tribe's way of protecting me. With the help of Grand Wolf, the wolves were convinced that I was one of their own and would do anything - and I mean anything - to keep me safe. They had knowledge that I had no interest in returning to my first home and would make darn sure that I never did.

The wolves stopped circling. One lied on top of my shoes, and the other was behind me, curling his furry body around the backs of my legs. They glared at the prince and showed him their sharp teeth, growling in the process. They were warning him. Telling him to back off.

Prince Lucas did not make any sort of movement, for he did not want to be attacked by my wolf friends, and brought his rifle close to him. "Maria, what are you doing in the middle of these woods?" he asked. No. More like demanded. "Do you not remember the king and queen, your father and mother, telling you that there dangerous creatures lurking in these woods?" He pointed at the wolf who was in front of me. "Like that wolf and the rest of his kind. Why, it looks like that they are protecting you. But in reality, they are only doing that in order to eat you later!"

The two wolves' growls grew louder, and before I could dismiss the wolves and inform them that I desired some alone time with Lucas, Triste blurted something out.

"You do not know us! The king and queen have been lying to you and the people of the kingdom for years. In fact, all the kings and queens from the past had spoken the same lies!"

The prince's mouth dropped open. I swore that he did not listen to a word that my best wolf friend said. That was because he was too shocked. Why? Well, would you be in disbelief if you saw a animal talking in your native language?

And that was why I wanted to dismiss them. So that their secret could not come out. Now Lucas was surely to spread the news about talking wolves.

I facepalmed. "Triste..."

Triste went from a strong and determined wolf to a weak and sad one. He shrunk back, noticing my disappointment. Though, I was not disappointed in him. He was angry and had to release that anger somehow. So were the rest of the wolves. They did not take kindly to people who did not understand them. But that is exactly why they like me. No. Love me. 'Cause I understand their pain.

What that my gift? Understanding the wrongfully accused?

"I am sorry," Triste apologized softly. "Whatever I did...I am sorry." He covered his eyes with his paws and whimpered.

I bent down and petted him. "Shh..."

"Those wolves...can talk," Lucas said. "Have...have I been drinking too much wine? Or maybe I am eating too many of my pills at the same time, causing me hallucinations. Yes. That has to be. I am hallucinating. They are not actually there. And Maria...she is not there either." He sighed and sat on a rock nearby. He set his rifle in his lap. "I have to face it. Maria is never coming back to the kingdom. She...is dead."

A smile forced on my face, and I devised a plan how we could get Lucas to leave the woods for good. I gathered the wolves, including Triste, and explained my brilliant plan to them.

Good thing that he takes medicine that makes him hallucinate once in a while. He really thought that we were nothing but a part of his imagination.

As the wolves and I were talking, Grand Wolf returned and joined us. He asked us what we were up to.

"Well, I wanted to deal with Lucas myself..."

"Hold on. Who is this Lucas?"

One of the wolves pointed with a paw at the boy who remained on the rock. "That is him, Grand Wolf," he said. "He is a prince, and he and Maria are supposed to marry to each other when Maria turns eighteen!"

Grand Wolf lifted a paw and slammed it on the dirt ground. "Nope. Maria, whom I always thought of as my daughter, will not be married at the age of eighteen. I forbid it, and there will be none of this arranged marriage. So there!"

I nodded in agreement. "That is perfectly fine with me. I am not in love with him and not interested in the idea of marriage."

I really do not like the idea of marriage. Probably because my mother and father kept shoving it down my throat. Do you blame me?

Thankfully, the old wolf was nothing like that. He was the complete opposite. He let me have more freedom and allowed me to do things that were forbidden in or around the castle. Some of those things included climbing trees, eating apples off trees and berries off bushes, and yes, playing with the animals.

When the discussion was over, I walked up to Lucas and plopped myself next to him on the rock. I was a bit uncomfortable being so close to him, but I had to do this if my little plan was going to work.

"I am hallucinating," Lucas said. He looked at me. "As much as I want you to return home...for us to be in each other's arms...you are not real."

"I am not?" I said, playing along.

"Not even a little. You are gone. Dead. But your parents...they will not give up looking for you. They will not accept that you...Maria..."

"You should go home, Lucas. The kingdom needs you in spite of my...Maria's absence."

"Not until..." He grabbed his rifle and got off the rock.

"Until...what?"

"...I kill those talking wolves."