| CHAPTER 4 : FOR YOU , BROTHER |

It turns out, King Alpha never flew us out of New York.

I was in New York for the past weeks, chained to his room and still am in New York.

Katia and I walked through the streets to a pizza diner. She attracted eyes from everywhere, making me uncomfortable to be beside her.

I was in King Alpha's ridiculously large clothes. I probably looked like a potato sack beside her.

We didn't say a word to each other since we walked out of that mansion. I kept myself to myself. Call it trust issues, but I have a very wrong feeling about where this day was about to go.

When our pizzas came, my mouth watered at the sight of something familiar and tasty. King Alpha's food was plain, and the same thing kept repeating every night. Katia paid for the food giving a smile that dazzled the cashier for a moment.

When we sat, I didn't waste a moment before grabbing a warm cheesy slice and taking a bite.

After two slices, I picked up my third and looked at Katia who was smiling with her eyes fixed on me. In other case scenarios, this would have seemed entirely creepy, but she made it seem like she was observing me. A historian observing his precious artifact.  

"Why are we here again?" I asked with my mouth full of pizza, snapping out of the small trance she had me in.

She took a small bite of her slice, her eyes not moving from me, "You do have the qualities of King Alpha's mate."

I furrowed my eyebrows, swallowing the food in my mouth, "What?"  

"I heard you performed magic." She said, her voice lacing with interest.

"You think I'm a witch too?"

She shrugged, "You might be."

"I'm not."

She stared at me for a while before smiling, "I hope King Alpha hasn't tortured you much after seeing you can perform magic."

"I wouldn't call what I did magic. I may just have a powerful scream that I didn't know I had. As for that mad dog, why does he hate magic and what's with his game with the witches?" I still had many more questions, many more doubts and unexplained things.

"Magic was what took his parents away. It was almost six hundred years ago but the witches don't allow him to forget and move on."

"What do you mean?" I asked taking a bite of my pizza.

"Almost thousands of years ago, magic was a common thing between every creature. The werewolves and witches were, in your terms, the best of friends. We used to live together in one kingdom. The previous King and Queen loved magic and were fascinated by what it could do. It was least to say they were obsessed. But not everything is good for life. There was evil magic too.

"There was some kind of a dispute between the King and Queen and the witches. The witches did not agree with some of the King and Queen's ways, so they wanted to take the throne away from them. It was impossible to do that from right under everyone's noses, so they found out different ways"

"What ways?" I asked.

She smiled, "We don't need to get into details. In short, there was a considerable amount of chaos when the witches rose. The King and Queen despite still holding the throne were slaves of the two most powerful witches, Derek and Rowena. That was the era when King Alpha came into this world. King Alpha's parents were drawn to magic despite its danger like a moth to a light bulb. It was obvious to say that they both were spelled and were trapped in a trance of some sort. King Alpha watched his parents slave away their lives to magic and witches. The Queen and King weren't in their right sense of mind anymore. They obeyed whatever Derek and Rowena wanted them to do even if it meant destroying their own kingdom."

"Why? What happened?" I asked, a frown coming to my eyebrows.

She shrugged, "Who knows? It was a really long time ago. I was born only seven hundred years ago. Anyways, as time passed on, Derek and Rowena ruled us werewolves for almost fifty years. There was a war or something like that perhaps but we werewolves rose to our power and we got our kingdom back. Derek and Rowena wouldn't just easily let go though. When they went, they took King Alpha's parents with them."

"So where are they now?"

She shrugged, "No one knows. They disappeared. No one has ever heard a word from Derek and Rowena but there are other small witches who still try to harm us werewolves. King Alpha always manages to be a step ahead, so we don't really care about what those witches do."

"I still don't understand where I come in between all this tragic tale?" I said, "King Alpha wants to kill me because I'm his mate. And because he thinks this is an act of magic," I stated with a frown on my face, "I still don't get it. If the witches wanted to get back at King Alpha, then...why me? I'm an easy kill. He could have just killed me back at my apartment itself which would just mock the witches for their choices in choosing mates. King Alpha can kill me just as easily as snapping a twig."

"Why hasn't he then?" Katia asked with amusement glimmering her eyes.

I blinked then frowned, "Where are you getting at...?"

"I think...there might be something else." She spoke. "Maybe...you might actually be King Alpha's mate."   

"But I'm human."

"Maybe you're not."

"I want to be human."

"You did magic. What human can do magic?" She asked, smiling at her own ideas and thoughts, "You have been living with a werewolf your whole life, your brother, Collin. What if he knows what you are?"

I shook my head, refusing to ponder over her words.

This is crazy. This all is truly crazy. I'm in the same world as everyone but at the same time, I feel like I'm in another world. Where was this all coming from suddenly?

"I...I don't know what to do." I admitted out loud.

Her expressions shifted. A worried look came over her features, "I'm gonna get really serious over here." She leaned in towards me as if she were going to disclose a really big secret, "I know what the witches are going to do next, and it is not good. They're planning on executing the entire werewolf race. For good. We have to do something before that happens."

I furrowed my eyebrows, my mind and eyes refusing to look away from her. The creases on her smooth forehead along with the seriousness in her eyes made me void of any other thought other than to ponder over hers. It was like I'm trapped under her gaze.

"I need your help." She stated.

"What can I do?" I finally said.   

"King Alpha is also planning. I need you to figure out what it is."

I frowned, "How do you suppose I do that?"

She shrugged, "You're his mate. He hasn't killed you yet. Make sure you don't get killed while also trying to find out what he's planning."

The furrow in my eyebrows deepened like a bush now, "Who are you again?"

A sigh came out of her lips, "Listen Ezlynn, I know you don't care about what happens to us and we also actually don't care about the human race but...right now I'm in a vulnerable state with losing hope. I care about my family and my kind. The witches will kill us all. I am pleading you to help me."

I leaned away from her, shaking my head vigorously, "No, no, I refuse to be stuck in this mess. I don't want any part of it."

"Believe it or not Ezlynn, you already are. You're already mated to King Alpha, you're already accepted by a few wolves. Your brother is a werewolf. He'll die too whether he's a rogue or not. Do you not care about your brother?"

"I don't know who my brother is anymore!" I exploded then looked around at the few people's attention I had caught before lowering my gaze. A sigh came out my lips before I looked back at Katia, "I'm stuck in this, aren't I?"

She gave a nod.

Every werewolf is going to die. Along with my brother and Ava. The two most trusted and loved people in my life.

I don't think I even know the half Collin anymore. If he's a werewolf then...I'm not his actual sister? Or what if I am something more than just a human? Collin is still my brother. I hate him for not telling me about this, but I still love him.

Katia has a family too as she mentioned. Her intentions and words haven't given me a chance to think anything wrong about her. 

Maybe I do need to help her. For my brother at least.

Did he seriously have to be a fucking werewolf? Ava too.

I internally sighed and imagined myself clinking glasses with Collin. For you, brother, I cheered sarcastically.

"Fine," I crossed my arms against my chest, "Tell me what to do next."

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DO YOU PEOPLE KNOW GARRET GRAHAM? OH MY GODDD, THE WAY I LOVE HIM!

What are you people currently reading?

What are your favourite tropes?

Date: 10th July 2021