10.

Leah



"Well, Leah. I'm Amelia Starkov. The bastard child of Nikolai Starkov".

I froze immediately at her statement but not only her statement, but I also froze at the mention of the man's name in her not so subtle declaration.

"Okay," was all I can say. So she knew of our kind?

"I think he's my biological father. Well, that's what my stepfather told me" she continued while sitting on the bed and looking around the room.

"What happened, Amelia?" I asked softly.

She stayed quiet for a moment still looking around the prince's room before her gaze focused on a picture of the king and queen holding a 2yr old Angelo. "They look like the perfect family. So much love for their son and each other. Are they as perfect as they look here in the picture?" she asked now holding the picture.

I looked at the picture and smiled remembering the visits Queen Emma made to our coven while King Michael stood with pride in his eyes as he watched over our training camp.

"Just as the king and queen before them, King Michael and Queen Emma ruled over the kingdom with a firm hand and love they shown to their own family. Perfect can never describe anybody but they are near to perfect. Queen Emma is a very bubbly woman always a smile on her face and always fighting for a cause. King Michael, he's the image of a powerful king pushing everyone to do their best and putting our safety first as his main goal. His cold exterior is just a front, put him next to his mate or kids and you see a different king. You will love them." I answered.

"Bottom line, both parents love their kids and their people the same. I wish I had that. I grew up with my mother and stepfather, back then my name was Mia Caine. My mother was a beautiful woman who was soft-spoken at times but had a mouth on her when pissed off. She always made sure I was happy, have all that I needed, and always perfect in her eyes. Sometimes I find her looking at me with the saddest expression on her face when I ask her if she's alright she would smile and tell me how beautiful I am, just like a princess. She was my mom she was allowed to say that even if I didn't feel like a princess.
The man I grew up calling dad was somewhat cold towards me I never knew why back then until mom died when I was fifteen. That's where everything changed. The night of my mother's funeral my dad came into my room drunk and grabbed me by my neck dragging me to the room he and my mother shared." She closed her eyes while trying to calm herself, I was about to tell her she didn't need to go on if it was that painful but I stopped when she stubbornly squared her shoulders and opened her eyes.

"He-He put me to stand before him and told me to strip. I thought he was kidding and stood there looking at him as if he grew three heads. Why would my father ask me to do such a thing? His eyes were cold as he looked at me from my head to my feet. It wasn't a look a father should give his daughter I felt disgusted when he did it and began to step away from him but he caught me before I reached further away. Again he ordered me to strip, I cried as I did what he asked. I closed my eyes and stood naked before him. He -He began to touch my breasts as he unzipped his pants. His hands wandered my body, my skin began to crawl I felt so nasty before I know it I was thrown down on the bed roughly then he pushed my legs apart. He kept on telling me how beautiful I was and that my mother left him the perfect gift. I tried to close my legs and cover my body from his leery gaze but he straddled my thighs, forcing me to stay still. I begged him to stop asking him how can he do this to his daughter and he just laughed.
'I'm not your father.'
Those words made my blood run cold I stopped crying and looked at him. He was half dressed looking down at me like a prized possession as he held his cock in his hand masturbating. I tried to push him off but he didn't budge, he said I was moving too much and was too noisy.

The fucking bastard had the nerve to tie me to the bed stuffing my mouth with my own panties. He didn't rape me that night he only touched and licked my intimate parts while he rubbed one out, spilling his seed on my body. I cried myself to sleep that night from what happened and that revelation plus I was locked in my room till morning. My freedom was cut, friends were chased away. School and home were my routines. At nights I was to report to his room naked while he had his way with me when I refuse to do what he asked I was slapped around."

I was crying by then holding her hand as she relived her stolen childhood but she didn't once shed a tear as she told me. She wore a steel mask hiding her emotions that mask I saw when I first had a chance to meet her.

"Sweetie you can stop now" I whispered.

"No."

I flinched by the force she said it with, my petite friend looked at me with a sad smile.

"I can't do this anymore. Hide the past. Angelo is fighting something I don't know what it is but I see it in his eyes when he told me he wanted a future with me. I want him to be with a girl who doesn't let her past ruin her future. I feel it, Leah. I feel our connection and it feels... it feels fucking amazing. I want that. I want to feel good again," she cried squeezing my hand to prove her point.

I nodded in understanding and allowed her to go on.

She released a long sigh and cleared her throat.

"This thing between my stepfather and I went on till my 16th birthday. That day was the day I found out everything. He carried me to the courthouse to change my name. I asked why I had to do that. He said he can't live with someone who isn't his blood to have his last name, he's giving me the name my real father picked out for me. Amelia Mariya Starkov was the name my biological father gave me. Before I even asked how did he know that, I was given a thick envelope. In it was pictures of my mother at a younger age she looked so happy and two, of her and this man name Nikolai Starkov. I was the spitting image of him the same eyes, same hair even the same smile. They looked so in love then the question of why wasn't he in my life. I tried to ask my stepfather if he knew all he said my mother can only answer that but he knew something else I knew he was hiding something from me. If it was any other person I know they would try to find him but I was too far gone. If he wanted my mother and me, he would have been there for us."

I wanted to tell her who Nikolai Starkov really was but it wasn't the right time to tell her. It wasn't time to tell her how respected her father was in our world and to humans. Her demeanor towards not wanting to know who her father was made my decision justifiable. All I can do was to slowly place the Russian Alpha in a good light then work my way up in telling her the truth.

"Maybe you should look for him. I'm sure he has a good explanation" I said.

She snorted in disbelief, "Puh-lease. I guess his explanation would make me feel better for being my step father's sex toy then to be traded like a mule to a man seven years older than me"

"Wait. WHAT? What do you mean traded?" I asked. What have they done to this girl? No wonder her wolf was dormant for so long. Her abuse trapped down everything.

"My stepfather made a bet on some football game to some hotshot rich guy the stakes were high and my virginity became part of the stakes. When I first met Bryan he was so sweet at first, he gave me the freedom that I longed for bought me things I can never afford he was so good to me. He told me he loved me and I told him the same I guess, the need for my freedom, my escape from the last year made me had these feelings for Bryan. Looking back now I was such a fool.
Everything was perfect till one night he had this party I just came down to it and found him kissing another woman and fondling her in public I saw red, I stalked over to him and pulled them apart. He didn't like the interruption and backhanded me. I fell to the ground and looked at him, he was seething as he stood over me before I knew it the party cleared out, the house was vacated in a flash. He dragged me up the stairs by my hair and threw me on the bed, Bryan was like a different person then. I begged him to stop as he ripped my dress and underwear. He said he was going to show me where I belonged. He raped me not showing any mercy as he broke through my virginity. I cried through it all and that was the beginning of my new role as Bryan's plaything. When he needed sex and his other women weren't available I was the one. I cooked and cleaned for him while he flaunts women in my face. He started to share me with his friends even my stepfather, telling me what to wear, where to go even where I'm to sleep. I was knocked about and was threatened to keep my mouth shut while I was there under Bryan's roof. When I turned eighteen he threw me out without any explanation and I didn't ask I was glad I was free. I got whatever clothes I managed to steal from him and made my way to New York."

She replayed everything without an ounce of sadness it seems like she accepted it all believed Bryan's verbal abuse. Amelia was broken but wanted to be whole again.

I was trying my best to reign in my inner monster who wanted blood, the blood of the men who hurt our future princess if Angelo hears of this they are as good as dead. When he hears of this...

"I know what you're thinking. I will tell Angelo. Soon. Please don't tell him. Though I want to move forward with him, I still feel dirty. Too dirty to become Angelo's everything, if you know what I mean," she pleaded with me.

"Amelia. He's my prince. Your mate. I must tell him of Bryan and of your real father. Someone is after you and he needs to be kept in the loop"

She stayed silent for a moment. "It's Bryan," she whispered.

"Amelia are you sure?"

She nodded and explained to me the letter she found by her door when we unexpectedly moved her to my place.

I shot up to my feet and began to pace the floor. Things were getting much complicated. "Go change I need to talk to Liam" I mumbled giving her the bag I got for her.

"O-okay. He won't stop you know. I don't know why he's looking for me but I know he won't stop."

I had a good idea why but didn't say it out loud. "You are safe here. No one comes close to Prince Angelo" I said firmly before leaving the room.

I searched the living room, the kitchen, the guestrooms for my brother and the royals, the last place was the office. I knocked twice before entering. Bowing in respect I caught each men's gaze before I told them the news that would change everything and answer the question of why I was chosen to be her protector.

"Is everything alright sis?" Liam asked.

I nodded but kept my focus on Prince Angelo, he seemed lost in thought as he looked out the window.

"I know who's the hybrid that visited Amelia's building"

That brought the prince out of his trance. "Who is it?" he growled.

"An ex-boyfriend you can say. His name is Bryan from her home town. We do have a coven there but I'm not too sure of his position," I answered.

He stepped out from behind his desk about to leave the room. "Your majesty there's one more thing you should know. Well everyone here and us only. Amelia doesn't even know," I spoke up.

I was nervous as to how they will react, I mean Amelia's father is..... he's just someone no one should go against nor disrespect him.

"Spit it out kid" Delta Jonah commanded.

Taking a deep breath praying to the goddess that we can keep Amelia safe before anything bad happens.

"Amelia is the daughter of Russia's high alpha Nikolai Starkov. We have the lost princess," I said out loud.

The room was silent, Angelo slowly turned to me with shock clear in his face. "Nikolai Starkov's daughter?" he asked still in disbelief.

I nodded.

"At first I didn't make the connection to their last names but when she mentioned that she is the bastard child of Nikolai Starkov I was blown away. There is only one Nikolai Starkov in our world and well known to this world," I continued.

"Nikolai has been searching for her years now when she has been right here in New York. He's going to flip that his daughter is here. The man was just here 6months ago," Noah said out loud.

Nikolai Starkov to humans was known as the Prince of Russia a bit of a recluse but powerful in his country due to the vast riches he made by being a ruthless business tycoon and being the only heir of Starkov Industries. To us, he was the high Alpha in Europe though Prince Caleb was the crown prince of Europe the same respect was given to Nikolai. He also is royalty to us but out of respect that is. Starkov is a good friend to King Michael the two formed a bond when they were both overseas in an Alpha's Summit and a threat was made to King Michael whom Nikolai saved in which he was eternally grateful. Rumor has it that he had found his mate but she ran away before he got to claim her, he has been searching for her ever since, he knew she was with child but it was like she disappeared off the face of the earth. Nikolai hardly steps out of Russia if he does it would be to visit the Saville family.

"We have to get her out of the city. She needs to release her wolf soon and begin training," Delta Noah said going to his phone to make a call.

Prince Angelo said nothing but simply turned away leaving us to our own devices. Jonah was about to go after him but his brother stopped him, "He needs to do this on his own. He isn't our lil' Angie anymore."

"To hell, he isn't. Knowing Nikolai once he finds out Amelia is his daughter he will cart her back to Russia mate or not. I will not allow my nephew to lose another mate. He needs this. He needs to be happy." Jonah snapped.

Liam and I looked at each other after that statement, Amelia was the prince's second mate?

Who was his first? Did he reject her?

Did she reject him if she did then she was all kinds of crazy? Every female wanted to be his mate, he was smart, sexy, and mysterious.

"He can do it on his own Joey for once stop babying him" Noah growled lowly. The twins stood glaring at each other before Jonah stalked out of the office. "That information stays within these walls. No one knows of the first princess, its Angelo's story not ours. Amelia is to be ready in three hours. We are leaving for Brentwood" Noah told us slumping his shoulder in defeat and left.

"Even the strongest wolf has a weakness" Liam mumbled. I knew who he was pertaining to and it was rare that the twins disagree with anything. I rubbed my face harshly, the events of last night and today was taking a toll on me and everyone's emotions were running on high I just hope we make it through, I have a dark feeling about all of this.