29. You mentioned a destined mate.

The young Princess woke up in a seemingly strange place. The used lime green walls were now colored in dark red, reminding her bedroom back in the castle. She rubbed her eyes like a small child and squeezed them tightly, counting to ten. The ceiling reminded her bedroom; even the chandelier was an exact copy to one in the caste. She took her time to observe the surroundings. If this wasn't a dream, Ally, for sure, woke up in her old bedroom. There were no traces from Mary or Balthazar.

Ally sat up and grabbed the sides of her head, a terrifying scream of pain leaving her parted lips. Within seconds her father invited himself into her room, rushing next to the Princess. He wrapped his arms around her body in a protective manner, pecking the top of her head and whispering sweet nothings. The scene reminded some of her early childhood memories, especially if Ally managed to hurt herself in any way. Eros was always there, always holding her and protecting her from whatever seemed to be a threat. As she grew older, her father became more protective of her, chasing away every other male who dared as much as to look her way.

"Don't cry, baby; the pain will fade; just let go of it. It's all in your head." Eros was considered one of the most ruthless kings in history, but nobody could imagine how gentle and loving the male was with his family. He had nothing more important than his wife and both girls. Ally was grateful to be near his soft side, mostly when something worried her or felt self-conscious. Her father managed to build the fighting spirit in her, the same as Eros was the one who convinced the young woman that she could do anything if she wanted to. He was the one who built her back up whenever she fell.

"It hurts so bad, dad, make it stop! Please make it stop! Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve it?" Ally sobbed against her father's chest. Her jaw clenched, she did whatever it took to avoid screaming in pain. The young woman wasn't weak, and she wouldn't let anyone think otherwise.

"It hurts because he's not here, but you need to get over it. Baby, I have no idea what you have decided to do, and I'm okay with whatever seems the right thing for you. But, there must be a reason why you were brought home unconscious by Anto and Baka. I assume he left, not sure for how long, but things like this happen. You and that man are fated to be together, or at least near each other. Since you already met, it'll be hard to keep away, but if that's what you want.. Then you'll have to get over the pain first, after that each day will become easier, and eventually you won't need him around." Eros whispered, his voice became emotionless and monotone. The King didn't want to bring up the topic of his daughter's mate. He didn't want the male closer than ten miles to his daughter, but even the King would understand that there were some things he had no power over.

"I'll get through this; where is mom?" The young woman tried to distract herself from the pain. Ally knew that sometimes avoiding thinking about something that hurt her made forget. Her mother was the best distraction she had ever known. Therefore the young woman instantly thought of Eve.

"She's busy, baby. You know that your mother would be here if she didn't have something vital to do. We didn't want to worry you, so we had to leave a couple of details out of the way when she or I spoke to you. The thing is... After giving birth to your baby sister, her health became worse than we predicted. Day by day, she became weaker and would move around the castle less. Your mother complained about a lack of energy and strength, always feeling tired. I had to force her to see a doctor and make sure that she would get out of that miserable feeling in time. The truth is that she wouldn't. As much as I hoped that it was a period after giving birth, it wasn't. The medical staff did countless tests to drop the news about your mother having around six months to live. That was the moment when I decided to act without asking for her opinion. For the first time in all those years, I would do something without her consent. Your mother is under the observation of dozens of medical professionals, making sure she survives the shift as soon as it comes. She won't be a human anymore, baby. You might be mad for me rushing the decision, especially since your mother would be left clueless, but I can't lose her. It's selfish, I know, but I need more than air to live. Please, understand me." Eros let go of his daughter and dropped on his knees in front of her. His head hung low in shame, eyes filled with tears.

Of course, the King knew that he was going for significant risk, but everything was worth it- to keep Eve alive. As much as his family might hate him, it didn't matter. He would give his life for any of his girls, kissing eternity goodbye for them to live.
The King never cared about his well being, first came his family, then the Kingdom, and after that, he would appear as possibly something important.

"Dad, don't be sad, she will get through it. Mom is a tough cookie, she can do everything and more, trust me! She will make it! One thing, I know for sure, is that you're getting your ass kicked after she gets to know what happened. Aside from that, there's nothing to worry about! With or without her approval, I'm grateful and proud of you, dad. You did everything to keep our mom alive; you crossed every line for us to have her around. You're the most loving, caring, protective, and amazing dad ever! I think the pain is fading, it might disappear for good, but I'm still worried about mom. If she's that weak, how will she get through the transition? The venom will kill everything human in her, mutate her inner organs, and change way too many things to count." Ally extended her hand, offering Eros to get back on his feet. The enormous male took her hand in his and smiled. Seeing how his daughter's had still was smaller than his- made the King thing about memories they shared hand in hand.

Ally had grown into a beautiful and smart young woman. She had the whole life ahead of her to learn more, but the Princess was wise beyond her years. Of course, there were a couple of things the Princess shared with her mother. Being way too naive and blindly trusting every other stanger was some of those. Both of them did everything to see the good, even in villains. Eve always reminded her daughter to be kind, no matter what it took. Ally was convinced that even the worst people on the face of the Earth had a little good in them. The Princess was thought to look for that good.

"She's doing great, don't worry about that. Her body is taking the change with gratitude, she will become stronger, and most importantly- she will live. We had to take your sister to our close friends, at least till you turn eighteen. That's another thing we should talk about." Eros tugged on her hand and lead Ally out of her bedroom. Both left the castle and headed for the near forest; obviously, the King needed some alone time with his daughter.

Ally followed her father without questions, despite having so many. She had no idea how she ended up at home, then the news about her mother literally fell on her head like a spring rain, and now she can't see her little sister. Why everything had to be so complicated? Why her life couldn't be borning and as stable as other people had? Being the Princess meant that Ally had many responsibilities, and she had to keep a specific image in the eyes of society. But now, the more days she spent awake, the weirder and more messed up her life became. How do you go from a Princess to the Underworld ruler's firstborn bride? When the idea fades from everyone's minds, it becomes more messed up because of one time howling. Ally couldn't get her mind onto all weird things which had happened to her during the past year. The young woman was almost sure that her life would have way too many ups and downs as time goes by.
Tomorrow she would wake up and notice that she had grown another head if the things would go as they had for the last year.

"Ally, did you hear anything I just said? Or are you lost in that inner world of yours? I wouldn't be surprised; you've always been the one to zone out, especially whenever I was the one to speak." Eros stopped on the spot and turned around to face his daughter, still holding onto her hand as if his life depended on it.

"Sorry, I got distracted by some thoughts. What is it what you were speaking about?" Ally kept looking around; for some odd reasons, the young woman felt like someone was spying on them. Her paranoia had a reason, though, since Wrath did mention that he would always be near, looking after her. He said that he would leave her for a whole year, but he didn't say a thing about stopping creeping around wherever she was.

"I was talking about your little sister. I do need to explain why you've been forbidden from seeing her till you turn eighteen, don't I? Liste, I know that a lot has happened to you since the last time you were around here, but that's life, baby. The time is unstoppable, life goes by, and some people don't notice how and where it flew. Ally, listen, I know how hard and confusing everything seems while you're young, but it'll get better, trust me in this one. I am your father for a reason; it is my job and responsibility to lead you through life and help you if needed. I will always be here for you, but don't let that wild nature be your end. Now, let's go to the lake and spend some time together there, shall we?" Eros let go of her hand and casually slid both hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Ally side-smiled at her father, admiring how young he still looked. Being a Lychanatrope had its perks when the matters went to age. There were some Lycans who lived for centuries while looking not older than thirty years. The young woman knew how many women admired her father and even more wanted to end up by his side, but he had eyes only for her mother. The Queen had been next to his through thick and thin. The same goes for her father; therefore, they were a perfect match. Of course, everyone had their ugly past and disagreements, but all those things seemed to make them stronger for her parents. They would go everywhere together, while others hated humans, Eros praised his human mate.

"Okay, dad, please tell me why I can't see the little bundle of joy? I wouldn't hurt her, nor would I ever let anyone else do that. You don't trust me, or is it something I've done? I really don't understand why everyone kept exciting me for the birth of my little sister, yet no one would allow me to see her. I asked Mary and Balthazar about her, but they wouldn't show me even photos. Dad, what's going on? It's kind of a lot, you know, all that marriage bullshit, the sudden destined mate, mom, and now my sister. I don't think that I can take any more than this." Ally sighed, strolling behind her father. For a moment, he kept quiet, probably overthinking something, as per usual.

"The reason why they avoided letting you near any photos was because of your instincts. We're not ordinary shifters, baby; we have things we can't control. One of those would be strong predator instincts. You see, when Lycanatropes grow up, we see everything as a threat, even our own. I had to stay away from her for far too tong time because of that. We knew that your mother wouldn't be able to fight me and keep me away from the baby, so I locked myself up. For you, the instincts are wilder, since you haven't reached the age of eighteen; therefore, you'll attack without notice. Even Seraphima won't be able to stay away, the human and beast working together is a force of nature- unstoppable and unpredictable. When Eve awakes, she would be able to keep everyone out, since she's the mother. But for now, we have to stay away- especially you. Ally, you would try to kill your little sister. She isn't strong enough to fight back; we get rid of weak ones. I know it seems unreasonable and stupid, but that's what we are, and fighting nature is nearly impossible." Eros sat on the huge log, near the lake. The male seemed distressed, his eyes following something in the distance. Ally noticed her father's weird change of behavior almost instantly, squeezing her eyes and trying to see whatever he was looking at.

"Alright, I understand. It's sad, but I assume it's the truth if you're saying that. I can wait for a little; she will grow bigger, and maybe we could play together. Well, whenever I won't appear like a damn killing machine next to my sister. This is bullshit, dad. I'm sorry for being so rude, but that's what I feel. Plus, why are you acting so weird all of a sudden?" Ally threw her hands up in frustration, unable to let go of the news she just found out.

"You mentioned a destined mate."