Captured By A Ruthless Vampire King
|63| ~ A Time Long Ago~

Unedited.

Embry’s POV.

“On the contrary, darling. It’s not,” Lady Katherine says while gently patting my hands, “Especially when the she-wolf who is demonstrating such table manners is Embry Destiny Wilde. The youngest daughter of Western Pack Beta Hunter Wilde and Larentia Lakewater,”

“Your mother wouldn’t have it any other way,”

“My mother,” I jump up from out of my seat. How would Lady Katherine know anything about my mother? I mean, sure. She’s a vampire lady, so I’m certain that it’s not that hard to obtain my parent names,”

“Yes! Your mother,” Lady Katherine gentle voice interrupts my thoughts. “I’ve got so much to say to you in such little time but how about we start with the story about how I met your mother,”

“You’ve met my mom,” I question Lady Katherine with wide eyes, which earns me one of her famous big and bright smiles.

“Met oh, darling, I’ve done more than just met your mother. She was one of my closes friends,”

Friends!? That’s impossible, my mom was a pack wolf. My mother has lived in the Western pack all of her life, even after she’s met my father who’s originally from the Northern Pack and from what I’ve been told my mother loved her homeland so much that she never planned on leaving, which was a huge issue for my dad.

Traditionally, the she-wolf is supposed to leave her pack and settle in her mate’s pack-land the very moment that they mate but that wasn’t the case for my parents. Well, according to my dad there was nothing ordinary about my parents mating circumstances but that’s a story for another day.

“Take a seat, darling,” directs Lady Katherine, making me realize that I’m still standing out of my seat, stuck on stupid.

“Oh, my apologies.” I rapidly blink before sitting down. “I’m just a little,”

“Confused,” she completes my sentence.“It’s okay, darling. I understand, if I was you I would be confused too,”

She has no idea. Unlike my siblings, I’ve never met my mother. The only thing that I know about her is what I’ve been told. I think to myself as I glance in the opposite direction from where Lady Katherine is sitting.

When I was just a pup all I used to do was dream of my mother’s face, wishing and praying to my Goddess Luna every night that she was in the afterlife watching over me. I use to wonder if she too was thinking of me. My entire childhood was centered around my mom. All of my family members had one particular thing about her that they’ve missed the most.

For my dad, it was her cooking, more specifically her baking. He’s always praised my mom’s blue ribbon apple pie and when I asked him about it he would say, “Your mother could make a killer apple pie. It was sweet, tart, crispy and extremely satisfying but most importantly your mom’s apple pie always made the Western elder she-wolves apple pie taste like burned rubber.”

He used to tell me that every Sunday night before we dive into one of the tasty pies that one of the elder she-wolves sent to us.

For my brother, it was her distinctive wildflower and jasmine blended scent. Ruq was always obsessed with those two flowers to the point that he used to always take a deep whiff is Farrah and I hair. I’ve never known why into one night when we were younger he sneaked into Farrah and my bedroom, picked me up from out of my bed just to toss me in Farrah’s bed and then climbed in the middle of us before taking a deep whiff of our hair.

It was weird and creepy. I remember asking him that night why he did that and he said, “Because it’s the only way that I can sleep, Embug. When I lay in the middle of you and Farrah it makes me feel like I’m laying on mom’s chest again,”

“The both of your scents together calms me, just like how mom scent use to calm me. The two of you together smell just like mom. I miss her. I miss her scent,” he confessed. After that Ruq would lay with us quite often, and I’ve never got upset about it. That night of Ruq confession was also the first night that I’ve realized how much my sister missed my mom as well.

Shortly after, Ruq and I conversation I was once again awakened by my sister Farrah, crying her eyes out. That night was also the first and last time that I can recall as a child seeing my sister cry.

“Fair bear,” I yearned while wiping my tear boggers away from out of my eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Go back to sleep, Embug,” she sniffed, attempting to look anywhere but at me.

“Okay,” I remember saying while lying back down, “Just remember that after every rainstorm that passes there is a rainbow,”

“What did you say to me,” I remember her asking me with swollen red eyes. I hated seeing my sister cry. During that time in our life, Farrah was the brightest star under sunlight. She was my idol.

“After every rainstorm that passes there is a rainbow,” I said to her again as she scooped my tiny frame up from off the bed and then rest my head against her chest.

“Oh, Embug. You’re just like mom. She would always know exactly what to say to make me feel better, just like you. I miss her guidance. I miss it so much that it hurts, but as long as I have you. I will always have her. I love you, Embug,” she said to me.

“I love you too, Fair bear, so much that it hurts,” I admitted because I did and still do. Still to this day, I love all of my family so much that it hurts. I missed them and I miss her too, my mom.

I know that sounds crazy because I’ve never met her before but it’s true. I do and I can’t help but wonder if she would hate me too because of my union with Cyrus like the rest of my family does, just thinking about it makes my eyes begin to water.

“Your mother could never hate you, Embry,” Lady Katherine regains my attention, “And I told you to call me Aunt Katherine,” she adds in.

“You can hear my thoughts as well?“I ask before wiping my tears away and then turning back around to face her.

Lady Katherine’s head goes flying back as sweet harmonious laughter escapes from out of her mouth. She’s laughing so hard, I think that she might piss herself if she doesn’t stop soon.

“Can I hear your thoughts? ” she questions me not even a second later. “Can I hear your thoughts?” She asks yet again. “Honey, I am three thousand six hundred and thirteen years old, I can do way more than just hear your thoughts ” she admits, shockingly me yet again.

Wow! Three thousand six hundred and thirteen years olds... And here I was, thinking that I was old. She is as old as dirt, literally. Wow! That is all I can say, wow.

I place my focus back onto Lady Katherine, who is silently studying my features and most likely listening to my thoughts.

Oh, my Goddess! I just said that my mate’s aunt was as old and dirt and she most likely heard me.

“Yes,” she acknowledges, making my eyes grow wide. ” I did,” she winks and I swear to Goddess that I almost faint until she grabs on to my hands and then burst out laughing again.

“No worries, darling. I am very much so as old as dirt, but luckily for me, I aged gracefully,” she winks and I cringe.

“Now, on a more serious note,” she stops laughing before giving my hand a gentle reassuring squeeze. “I knew your mother, and I meant what I said. Your mother could never hate you, Embry. She loved you. All of you, more then you could ever imagine,”

I lower my head as I take in her words. “You’ve got her eyes you know, and you look just like her,”

My lips curve into a smile as I lift my head back up to face her. “So, I’ve been told,”

She smiles. “It’s the truth. You do,” she says and then watches me for a long while. Her soulfully deep almond eyes stare into my hazel ones.“Your mother was beautiful, extremely beautiful. Larentia had the heart of a Luna, brave and loyal,”

“Her smile was so bright. It was the type of smile that would light up the darkest room and her soul was as gentle as her touch. That was the first thing, I noticed about her the day that I’ve met her,”

“It was one of my good friends by the name of Aurora’s daughter’s wedding day to the Lycan King,”

“You were at the Lycan King and Queen wedding?” I ask, leaning my head over to the side.

“No! I’m not too fond of the Queen, even though I was invited to that wedding as well.,” she admits with a wider smile.

I glance out the window before my eyes flicker back in Lady Katherine’s direction. “I’ve never known that the Lycan King married another before he met his Queen.”

“I’ve never said that he did,” she advises. “However, he did marry another after he married the current known to be Lycan Queen, and just like the savage beast women. The Lycan’s King bride of choice was untamed,”

“The poor girl was anything but, well-behaved and extremely untamed, ” she says with a faint smile as she stares into space. “She was the type of girl that you would have to tell her to do the opposite of what you wanted her to do just so you can get her to do what you wanted her to do,”

“The Lycan King choice bride was also an inhumanly gorgeous young lady with chestnut brown hair, coffee-colored eyes, and as I use to say coca-cola bottled shaped,” Lady Katherine smiles harder while thinking over her words.

“She was really a doll, despite her wicked ways, astonishingly enough. Everybody loved her,” she pauses for a long while.

“I loved her. There was something wild and gentle about her and still to this day she is truly missed,”

“Who was she,” my curiosity gets the best of me. Based upon, the look inside of Lady Katherine’s eyes and the haunting tone of her voice. This girl had to be someone extremely special.

Lady Katherine’s soulfully deep almond eyes stare into my hazel ones once again, for a long-drawn-out moment before she says, “Her name was Bella. She was the Lycan Kings destined and your mother was one of her bride’s maids,”

March 11, 2035

Before The Awakening

Lady Katherines POV.

My stylist outdid herself, styling me in a strapless satin emerald mermaid gown that hugs every inch of my figure. The diamond earrings are glistening in my earlobes and the matching diamond necklace equally glistens around my neck. My dark brown hair is slicked back in a tight primary smooth bun. My make-up is just right, dramatic but not over the top.

Yes! My stylist outdid herself indeed ensuring that I would stand out amongst a couple of hundreds of hauntingly beautiful supernature creatures who are currently attending this spectacularly grand ball.

Tonight is a black tie and emerald diamonds event. All of the ladies are wearing emerald green gowns out of respect for the bride and then gentlemen are dressed in black tux out of respect for the groom. The ballroom is a magnificent sight and filled with so many pretty faces, even though I know that the Lycan King countdown the guestlist by thousands.

Everyone who is someone in the supernatural world except vampires is present. Now that I’m searching the sea full of face it appears that my Goddaughter Speck, my security detail, and myself just maybe the only immortal present. Which is to be expected, considering current circumstances.

“Katherine,” greets Aurora the moment that her radiant green eyes spot me in the crowd. Before I could greet her back, I’m being pulled forward and wrapped into a warm hug. “I missed you,” she brushes her cheeks against my face.

Aurora finally pulls back and is now smiling at me. “I’m so happy that you were able to make it and relieved,” she says as I take her in for the first time.

Aurora is looking better than ever, which is to be expected when you consider the fact that she is one of the beautiful women that one can ever encounter. Her long, silky, and shiny raven black hair is stylishly braided and pinned up high, giving everyone a good view of her drop-dead gorgeous face. Her radiant green cat-like eyes are striking against her glowing, china doll-like skin. She’s wearing an emerald green sequined embellishment, double spaghetti straps long gown that hugs her gracious curves pleasantly.

The dress is a little glitz, but a lot of glam. It’s no wonder why all eyes are on her as always.

“So am I, good friend. So am I,” I smile back at her.

“Hello, Speck,” Aurora acknowledges my Goddaughter. “Now don’t you look stunning, and your hair is perfect for the accusation,”

Speck curtsies out of respect for Aurora, “Thank you, Your highness,” responds Speck before patting onto her inspired by the Rococo era diamond’s and black feathers decorated emerald green wig. “It’s always such a pleasure,” she adds in a moment later before turning back around to face me.

“May I please be excused?′ she questions me with pleading eyes. Speck is uncomfortable around Aurora because of her ties to Bella, who happens to be the woman that has the heart of the man that Speck loves. The only reason that’s she attending this ball was because my sweet nephew couldn’t attend and he downright refused to allow me to come on my own.

Now, my sweet nephew is no match for me but he is rather hot-headed, so I allowed her to tag along. Plus, I didn’t want to risk Cyrus having a temper tantrum which could result in him and his friends crashing the event. Only the Blood God knows how truly delicate this situation already is. I wouldn’t want to add more fuel to the already brewing fire, now would I?

Cyrus and his friends are the last people in this universe that I need to draw here.

“Your excused, darling,” I lift my chin.“As long as you stay with one of the guards at all times,”

Speck nods her head in response before curtsying and then making her self scarce. Poor, child.

“She’s still upset over Bella and Xander I see,” acknowledges Aurora as we watch her walk away. “I was hoping that her tagging along and seeing Bella move on would help her move on as well,”

“She’s got it bad, but she has no reason to be upset with Bella,” I shake my head. “We don’t choose our other halves, Speck knows that and knew that long before she gave her heart away to Xander. I warned her, Karma hits everyone, ”

“That’s easy for you to say, you let Apollyon go with ease,” Aurora says, laughing. “And Karma damn sure hit him smack in the face alright,” she laughs harder. “His Karma is the bitch that he ended up with,”

I have to agree, Akasha is such a charm, not but at least she gave birth to an extremely gifted and hauntingly handsome heir. That’s the only good deed that she has contributed towards our species but that’s a story for another time.

“I honestly didn’t believe that you would show up, due to current circumstances,” Aurora says before looping my arms with her own and then dragging me through the crowd filled with nobilities and high ranking individuals from all over the supernatural community. The men bow before us and the women curtseys, all showing their respect. The entire crowd part ways as we make our way through.

Aurora brings our bodies to a halt when we finally reach some members from her coven. We briefly greet one another with friendly smiles and warm hugs. Then, I place my focus back onto the magical event.

The celebration is now in full effect. There is live music and the musicians are playing soft charming tones that wash over the magnificent ballroom like a gigantic wave. The higharched ceiling is a work of art, carefully painted with many Lycans nobilities tales from another lifetime. The golden floor gleams from the beaming golden chandeliers and the golden throne chairs sparkle in the center of the room. There are many tables to the left filled with all types of delicious treats and floor-length windows to the right that provides an impeccable view of the Lycan’s famous skyscraper mountains.

This truly is a storybook of a setting, a night to remember. A night that shall begin with once upon a time. I truly hope that the bride receives her happy ever after. She deserves it. The groom, on the other hand, is a different story. Speaking of the devil, the smell of Lycan swiftly invades my senses.

“What’s that smell?” The man of the hour questions me from behind.

Awe, and here comes the theatrics of tonight’s festivities. I smile wider. Fake smile as I turn around to face the savage beast.

Luke the Lycan King, who also happens to be the groom to such a beautiful bride, unfortunately. I still can’t comprehend why the fates would pair Isabella with such a savage man. She really was better off with Xander, if you ask me.

“Smells like mutt,” I insult back with a smile, fake smile. I can’t forget to fake a smile...

My eyes study him from head to toe, sizing him up. He still looks the same, even though decades have passed since I’ve last seen him. His heartbreakingly handsome face still carries nothing but pure hatred as his inhumanly bright spring green irises eyes me up and down, analyzing me. He’s dressed to impress as he should be wearing a dark emerald green moire velvet and black Mikado shawl collar tuxedo paired with some crocodile printed leather loafers.

Hm, would you look at that? Despite how I feel about him, I must admit that the savage beast doesn’t look that bad and he obviously knows how to clean up nice but he is still no Xander.

Out the corner of my eyes, I can see the majority of Aurora’s coven members’ eyes glowing bright purple or white. They hate him too.

“I must admit that it’s never a pleasure running into you,” I begin. It’s true. He’s the last person that I ever want to run into ever, just the sight of him makes me feel sick to my stomach.

What type of man takes another women’s hand in union, starts a family, and then leaves them high and dry for another woman, destined or not? He has no loyalty and I told Bella that if he would do it to one person he would do it to another. The Lycan King Luke is a fluke, a joke.

“Touche,” he responds with a smirk. “Touche,”

“Where’s my daughter,” interrupts Aurora, attempting to lightening the mood, for Bella’s sake I’m sure.

Aurora is not too fond of the Lycan beast King either, but she does love her daughter with all her heart. Everyone knows that Bella would have a fit if her mother spelled her soon to be mated destined to death on their union night, including him. That is the only reason why he had the balls to approach us in the first place.

The Savage King knows that he is no match for me and most definitely not for Aurora. She’s the most powerful witch of all time, no one and I mean no one messes with Aurora or her loved ones.

“She should be joining us soon,” he responds as he grabs a glass of champagne up from off one of the passing server’s tray. “She’s with her pet,” he dares to mock.

“That’s rich, coming from the King of mutts,” Aurora is the one to say, as I follow the beast lead, by picking up a glass of champagne. Then, hide my smile as I take a sip.

The Lycan King huffs but doesn’t dare respond. He places his attention back on to me instead and has the never to ask, “How is Xander? I’ve been told that he’s doing much worse than usual these days.”

The nerve. This fool is testing my patience. I swear on the Blood God himself if he wasn’t Bella’s second chance mate I would slowly rip out his heart and deliver it to Xander myself.

“Luke,” barks out Aurora. “That isn’t called for,”

The savage beast just smirks.

“No it’s fine,” I smile, refusing to show this mutt that he’s gotten underneath my skin. “Don’t believe everything that you hear, Darling. Xander is doing just great,” I lie with a straight face.

The Lycan King doesn’t say a word after that but the look on his face says it all. He knows that I’m lying and the thought of Xander in pain because of him does nothing but please his beast.

“Well, ladies it hasn’t been a pleasure,” rudely states the savage, causing Aurora’s coven members’ eyes to glow brighter. “If you replace yourself bored, please don’t hesitate to take your leave,” he says before turning away from us.

“Well, do,” I over-dramatically giggle. “By the way, please send my regards to your wife and children. It’s such a pity that they couldn’t join us tonight, those poor things,”

My last words create a ripple effect. All eyes quickly shift in our direction as the room grows silent and the Lycan King releases a supposed to be an almighty roar. Meanwhile, Aurora, her coven members, and I are all attempting to contain our laughter.

“Don’t speak about my family!” bellows the savage King.

“Someone needs to,” sasses an unidentified voice from out the crowd, which gains everyone’s focus including my own. To my surprise, I come in contact with a wolf. A darling omega she-wolf, who is now standing frozen in place with wide eyes and her tiny hands are covering her mouth.

“What did you say to me?” growls the savage beast King as he makes his way over in her direction with glowing golden eyes.

I’m surprised yet again when not one but two Wilde wolves jump in front of the she-wolf with glowing Golden eyes as well. Now would you look at that? Two Wilde wolves, protecting a little omega. Hmm, now this shall be interesting.

As on cue, the King Horn blows creating a rather tight symmetrical structure, freezing everyone but most importantly introducing my adopted niece. All eyes including mine shift in the direction of the grand staircase to take in the bride for the very first time.

I place my undivided attention onto Bella as she slowly ascends down the grand staircase with the Northern Pack Luna. alongside her, just the sight of Bella takes my breath away.

Her make-up is subtle, but the smokey eye shadow and emerald eyeliner make her coffee-colored eyes pop. Her deep rich chocolate hair is perfectly pinned up into a sleek high elaborate bun and the dazzling diamond-encrusted golden tiara brilliantly holds her updo into place.

In addition, her darling vintage long sleeve emerald green debut wedding gown is to die for. Isabella looks beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful. Everyone present seems to be completely memorized and words of praises can be heard all around the room.

“She looks beautiful,” I hear multiple voices compliment.

“Such an angelic girl,” others voices pitch in, little do they know Bella is anything other than angelic. She’s the devil's daughter, literally. I quickly tune the voices out, so I can continue to take in Bella until my sensitive ears lock onto the particular she-wolf voice once again.

“Saved by the bell,” she says and my eyes briefly shift in her direction. One of the Wilde wolves who stepped in front of her during the brief altercation is watching her intensely as he shakes his head.

Aurora leans in when she catches me watching them. “The Northern Pack Alpha Maddox Wilde brother, Hunter Wilde and his mate Larentia Lakewater,” she whispers.

Now that explains everything. “I’ve never known that the Northern Pack Alpha had a brother and his mate is stunning,” I compliment.

“He has two,” smirks Aurora as the two of us continue to watch them from afar.

The she-wolf truly is a beauty. Her hazel eyes are striking, big, and brilliant. They remind me of warm honey blended with a hint of green silk. They are so memorizing. Her tanned skin glows like the morning sun and her abundantly rich waist-length mahogany hair reminds me of the darkest shades of autumn. To say she is beautiful is an understatement. The she-wolf is gorgeous.

“He’s a lucky man,” I add in a second later.

“A troubled one too,” smiles Aurora, while taking a sip of her champagne. “I’ve been told that his mate is a work of art, but he hasn’t seen anything yet, just wait until she bares birth to his youngest daughter,”

Hey, lovebugs, I hope you enjoyed the blast from the past.

Q: Would you like to know more about characters in the past from the awakening series, if so who?