Chapter Two:

"No. I refuse." I stubbornly told my father, whom was currently starting to lose his patience with my defiance.

Waking up this morning had been a struggle. I stayed out late last night running, so I only managed a meager three hours of sleep. I had dressed nicely, wanting to make a good impression. My curls were smooth, not frizzy like they normally were and my body was adorned in one of my favorite dresses, an emerald green number that matched my eyes with a thick black cardigan.  

"Do you always have to be so difficult?" Dad finally snapped, sending a glare my way.

We had been arguing back and forth for about fifteen minutes now. He had informed me when I came downstairs this morning that we would be going to the airport at noon. That led me to promptly inform him that I would not be taking a plane.

There were two reasons for my refusal. One being that I was terrified of planes. I had only been on one three times, and every time it scared the shit out of me. Now, I would only travel by car, or I wouldn't travel at all. The second reason being, that if I was going to be stuck at the King's castle for at least two months, I wanted to have an easy escape route. I wanted to have either mine or my brothers vehicle there so if I needed to go anywhere, I could. I didn't want to depend on anyone there for anything except a place to stay.

"Who do you think I get it from, Father? Sure as hell ain't Mom."

He growled at that.

"That's true, hun." Mom added, walking into the living room with us.

Dad glared at her, but he didn't dare growl at her like he did me. She may have been the more submissive of the two, but she still expected respect from Dad. He knew better than to piss her off. It was a rare occasion to see her angry, but when it happened, you'd better run. She had only ever been truly angry with me once, and it was more than enough for this lifetime.

"Must you two gang up on me?" He sounded exasperated and I had to repress a smile.

"Only when you're being unreasonable, Jeff. Kendall is willing to go and help, even though she doesn't want to. All she's asking is that they drive there instead of fly." Mom jumped to me defense. I shot her a small, appreciative smile. She returned it, then turned her attention back to my Dad. I could tell he was wavering slightly.

Both of their eyes glazed over and I knew they were mind linking each other. This continued for a minute, Dad's face showing a wide variety of expressions. At first he looked frustrated, angry. Then he looked surprised, then disgustingly lustful at Mom, who had a small teasing smile on her lips. I absolutely did not want to hear what they were saying. Finally he sighed and looked accepting.

"Fine, you'll take Matt's Tahoe. Your car is too small for all the luggage." He said when he finally looked back at me, the glazed over look leaving his eyes.

"Thank you, Daddy." I told him happily, running up to him and throwing my arms around him tightly. He lost his annoyance and hugged me back tightly, kissing the top of my head.

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

I pulled away, looking at him with a grin on my face. I turned to Mom and pulled her in for a hug as well.

"Thanks, Mom." I whispered to her, even though I knew Dad could still hear.

"No problem. I'm gonna miss you so much, Kenny. I can't believe my baby is leaving me." Tears gathered in her eyes and my smile wavered. Mom was a bit of a crier and it always made me nervous. I wasn't good in situations like these.

"It won't be for long, Abby." Dad saved me from consoling her. He pulled her away from me and into his arms, letting her sob on his chest.

'Go.' He mouthed to me.

I didn't need to be told twice. I quickly left the living room and shot up the stairs. I stopped in front of Matt and Kat's bedroom door and knocked quietly. Not two seconds later, Matt pulled the door open and stepped to the side, allowing me inside. Kat was finishing lining her cat like green eyes in eyeliner. She saw me in the mirrors reflection and smiled at me, which I returned.

"So you convinced Dad to let us drive, huh?" Matt asked, plopping down on his bed. I did the same.

"Actually that was Mother. Don't even ask me how she convinced him. I don't even want to know." I shuttered dramatically. Matt made a sound of disgust and Kat laughed at us both.

"What time are we leaving?" I asked him.

"As soon as Dalton gets here." He answered me. He pulled out his phone, tapped on it for a minute, then shoved it back in the pocket of his black dress slacks. "He's on his way."

"Why does he even need to come?" I complained.

"Dad trusts him. And he works closely with us. He's familiar with pack policies and procedures. He's going to help me with the political side of this trip." He explained.

"I have an idea. How about he flies there, and we drive."

He chuckled. "I don't think so, Kendall. He'll be riding with us. I hope you realized when you fought Dad that this is a five hour drive."

"That far? This is gonna suck." I flung myself back on their bed, groaning loudly.

"Don't worry. I'll be controlling the radio." Kat grinned at me. This time Matt released the groan.

"Good. I'd have to throw myself out of the car if I had to listen to bad music as well."

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help take away the urge to fling yourself out of a moving vehicle?"

"A crappy one." I grumbled.

"Well, I'm a damn good one. Because I also have snacks." She grabbed a bag from the floor and lifted it up. It was a large paper bag, so I couldn't see everything, but I could make out a pack of Oreos poking out of the top. My favorite.

"I could seriously kiss you." I grabbed the bag from her and immediately tore into the Oreos. I had eaten breakfast with my family before I had gotten ready, but I was pretty much a bottomless pit. I could always eat.

"You'd have to fight me for her." Matt joked. He tried to steal and Oreo, but I slapped his hand away and growled at him warningly. He lifted his hands in mock surrender.

As I dug through the bag, I could tell Kat got a variety of snacks. There was everything from Oreos to Cheetos to mini donuts. This was why she was my best friend.

"We wouldn't need to fight. She'd choose me." I teased him. "Wouldn't you Kat?"

We both turned to her expectantly. She held back a smile and tried to look serious.

"Sorry, babe. You know, hoes before bros and all that." She sounded apologetic.

He stood and walked right up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Guess I'll have to change your mind tonight then." He even took it a step further and started nibbling on her ear lobe.

"Woah, party foul, guys. Save that for your alone time." I told them, feeling thoroughly disgusted.

He chuckled again and pulled away from her. She looked ready to jump him and he looked smug.

"I'm gonna leave before you get it on right in front of me." I took one last Oreo and left the room. Kat called out an apology while I was walking out. I just waved a hand at her over my shoulder.

I made my way to my room. Selena was sitting on her bed, looking gloomy still, but not like last night. Before we could say anything, we both heard a voice yell from down stairs.

Dalton. Gross. He was announcing his arrival. Like anyone cared. Apparently Selena did, because she jumped off her bed and happily clambered downstairs.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my bags. I threw my purse on one shoulder and my smaller bag over the other. When those were secure, I grabbed a suitcase handle in each hand and made my way downstairs as well. It took me a while with all the extra weight, but I eventually entered the living room. Everyone was already in there, except for Matt.

I sat my stuff down next to the front door and walked towards everyone. Dad was holding a tearful Mom. Brody was standing next to Dad, his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets. Kat was talking to Mom and Selena was speaking to Dalton, whom turned his attention to me.

"You ready, Kenny?" He asked mockingly, mirth dancing in his muddy brown eyes.

I snarled at him. Have I mentioned how much I hate that name? He did it just to piss me off.

"Are you, jackass? By the way, you're riding in the back with the luggage like the dog you are."

Instead of getting pissed off, like most werewolves would when they were called a dog, he just threw his head back in laughter.

"You're such a sweetheart, Kendall. Really." He said sarcastically.

"And you're an idiot. If we're done stating the obvious, can we get this show on the road?" I asked.

"We're leaving now." Matt said, walking back in the room. He grabbed my luggage and walked right back out.

I turned to my family and a pang of sadness ran through me. I turned to Brody first, since he was closest to me. He dropped his usual harsh, serious exterior and pulled me into a hug. Brody and I weren't particularly close, mainly because of the large age difference. He had always acted like my father and was ridiculously overprotective. It used to irritate me to no end, but I loved him none the less. And I knew deep down he was just looking out for me because he cared.

I hugged him back tightly. "I'm gonna miss you, Brody."

"I'm gonna miss you too, kid." I pulled back and playfully glared at him.

He ruffled my hair and pushed me away, right into Dad's big form. He pulled me into a giant bear hug. His hugs always made me feel safe, protected. As much as we butted heads, I was still a daddy's girl through and through. Maybe because I was the baby of the family. That always helped me get away with a lot. Matt used to complain about how unfair it was that Selena and I got away with stuff that he never would have been able to. I knew he was right. He wasn't nearly as harsh with us.

Selena and I took after our Dad in more ways than not. Not looks wise; we looked like Mom. But in personality. We had Alpha blood running strong through our veins. We weren't the least bit docile like Mom tended to be. All three of us could argue with a brick wall and win. It made for a lot of frustration for Mom, but I think Dad felt a kinship with us, which made the others say we were the favorites. Frankly, I always thought the boys were his favorites, but I guess it was just a difference of opinion.

"I love you, baby girl. Thank you for doing this.  I'll make it up to you, I promise." He pressed a kiss to my forehead and pulled away from me.

"I love you too." I smiled up at him.

Before either of us could say anything, Mom pulled me away from him, practically throwing herself at me. I managed to find my balance before we both tumbled into the wooden coffee table. She clung to me like she was dying and I was her lifeline. She sobbed into my shoulder and I awkwardly wrapped my arms around her. I grimaced. I wasn't good at this, so I just patted her back and let her cry.

Finally after a few uncomfortable minutes, she pulled back to look at me, her face red and blotchy.

"Be safe, my baby girl. Call me every day. I love you so much." She started pressing kisses on my face after that, which caused my grimace to grow.

"I will. I love you too, Mom." I told her once she pulled away from me.

Dad stepped in for the second time today to pull a tearful Mom away from me and into him.

Kat and Matt moved onto them and I moved onto Selena. She rolled her eyes, but pulled me into a hug anyway, which I returned.

"Stay away from my side of closet while I'm gone." I told her playfully when she pulled away.

"They look better on me anyways."

"You're delusional. But I'll miss you anyways."

"Me too, Kendall. Call me every once in a while, okay?"

I nodded and hugged her again one last time. Dalton came and stood next to me while we waited for Kat and Matt to finish their goodbyes. Mom currently had a hold of her 'baby boy'.

"You nervous?" Dalton asked me, for once sounding serious.

"A little. You?" If he could act civil, I could as well.

"A bit." He looked down at me. "I've only been to the castle once. A couple years ago."

"What'd you think?"

"The place is beautiful. Definitely fit for a king. I didn't meet King Finnian, but I did meet the Head Enforcer of the Royal Army. Seemed like a good guy. Had nothing but good things to say about the royal family."

"What were you there for? The Mating Ball?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah. I haven't had a chance to go again since then." Dalton had also been in school for the last couple of years, plus he was training to take over as Beta one day.

I nodded at him and my attention was brought back to my family. They had finished their goodbyes and we quickly made our way outside. Mom pulled me into one last hug and Dad spoke with Matt and Dalton, going over a few last minute things.

After a few minutes, Mom finally released me and I hopped into the back seat. I frowned at what I saw.

"Hell no. These seating arrangements suck." I told them.

Matt was in the driver's seat and Kat was next to him. They both looked back at me bemusedly. Dalton smirked from the seat right beside me and I glared over at him. "Can't you sit up front?" I asked, or more like demanded.

"He could, but then I can't control the radio. I don't really trust them with the job either." Kat told me.

I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily. She did have a point. So I settled for the next best thing. Threats.

"If you cross the middle seat even a little, I'll take away your ability to reproduce." I threatened.

"You're so feisty." He told me, sounding amused. We all buckled and waved goodbye as Matt pulled out of the driveway. "I love it."

"Yeah, well we'll see how much you love it when I neuter you like the dog you are."

"I look forward to it." He wiggled his thick black eyebrows at me.

"I feel sorry for your mate." I muttered harshly.

"I could say the same. He's gonna have quite the challenge domesticating you." I reached over and punched him in the arm as hard as I could; he didn't seem fazed because he just continued. "'Course, your fiery attitude could come in handy in the bedroom."

That received two additional punches from me and a loud growl from Matt, ever the overprotective big brother. Kat just chuckled at us and changed the song on her phone, which she had plugged into the car radio.

"At least my mate will want to touch me. Yours probably won't come near you with a ten foot pole. And even that would be too close."

"Please, she won't be able to resist this." He gestured at himself. He was handsome, I'd admit, only in my head of course, but he was just so obnoxious.

"Yes, because girls love arrogance. That will change her mind in no time."

"Glad you finally see things my way, Kenny."

"Don't call me that." I spat between gritted teeth.

"Aww, don't like it, Kenny?"

"I'm seriously about to beat the hell out of you." I told him, balling my hands into fists.

"Both of you knock it off. I'm not listening to it the whole time." Matt said, authority filling his voice.

I glared at him for bossing me around, but I stopped none the less, not really enjoying actually speaking to Dalton.

We fell into a silence after that, munching on snacks and listening to music. Kat talked to all of us, but I didn't communicate with either of the males in the car and they didn't speak to each other. Soon enough, I dozed off, leaning my head against the small pillow I brought.

****************************

By the time we reached the royal territory, it was already dark outside. We had gotten a late start, not actually leaving until the afternoon. We had made a few stops along the way as well. We had got a late lunch when we had reached the halfway point, then we stopped to get gas and use the restroom.

Dalton and I had bickered a few more times, but not enough for Matt to tell us to stop. It was mostly just Kat and I speaking, because the closer we got, both men started acting the Alpha and Beta that they were. They knew to take this seriously.

I had slept for about two hours along the way, and I was feeling better. My lack of sleep from the previous night was making me cranky, so a little nap helped a lot. 

Entering the royal territory had been quite the experience. The first gate we reached, they had checked all of our IDs and searched the car. After about fifteen minutes of searching and confirming our identity, they finally let us through. We drove for another ten minutes or so, dense forests on either side of the small concrete road, before we came to another gate.

They repeated the same process as before. Once they let us on our way, we drove for a ways again. I thought we were finally through, but much to my exasperation, we reached yet another gate.  This time, it opened up to a huge, medieval castle in front of us. It was a dark stone castle, which was probably five or six stories tall. Forests surrounded all three sides and a snow covered mountain sat right behind it. A thin layer of fog had surrounded it and it was bathed in the moonlight, making it as eerie as it was beautiful. The property that it sat on was bare of any trees and surrounded by a wrought iron fence.

The large gates creaked open and Matt slowly drove through. The yard was probably two or three acres, so it took a minute or so to reach the end of the driveway. It was a round driveway with a large stone fountain in the center. There was a road off the side, which I'm assuming lead to a garage. We stopped in front of the fountain, like the last guard had directed.

By the time we opened the doors, we were already surrounded by people. Someone grabbed my hand and helped me out, closing the door behind me. I thanked him and he nodded and walked away. Someone helped Kat out as well, and those two guys, plus two more opened the trunk and got our suitcases out. We didn't need to tell them who's were who's; they could detect our individual scents and separate them.

We all gathered in a group, Kat and me in the middle, Matt next to her and Dalton next to me. I didn't shy away from his proximity, purely out of nerves. The next man to greet us was very intimidating. I shivered, partially from him and partially from the cold air that now surrounded us. My legs were fully exposed to the biting wind and the cardigan did little to shield me.

He stopped a few feet from us, a relaxed look on his handsome face. He had short dirty blond hair, warm brown eyes, and thin lips. . He was tall, taller than all of the men in my family, which was saying something. His muscular body was encased in a pair of black slacks and a dark blue button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was handsome, but for some reason, I didn't find myself attracted to him.

He stepped closer to us. For a split second, he got a weird look on his face and sniffed the air, but a second later it was gone and he shook his head, an easy smile gracing his lips.

"Welcome, Keating Pack. I'm Royal Gamma Tyler Hatchett. It's a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all ours. I'm Matthew Keating. I'm here to represent my Father, Alpha Jefferson Keating." He shook hands with the Royal Gamma, then gestured to each of us. "This is my mate and our witch in training, Katerina Caldwell, our Beta in training, Dalton Collins, and lastly, my sister, Kendall Keating."

Dalton shook his hand first, then Kat. Lastly I placed my hand in his and he brought it up and pressed a kiss to the back of it. I didn't view it as inappropriate, instead respectful. I'm sure that was how the Royal's greeted women. I had a feeling he would have done the same to Kat, had she not been mated.

"If you'll follow me, I'll take you on a short tour, then show you your rooms before dinner. Your bags are being delivered as we speak. You'll be able to freshen up, then you'll dine with King Finnian tonight."

My mouth went dry and a knot formed in my stomach at that. I wasn't ready to meet the King yet. Dalton noticed my hesitation and slightly pushed me forward to follow Royal Gamma Hatchett. I was slightly surprised that he was the one greeting us and giving us a tour. The Royal Gamma was the third in command to the King. Didn't he have better things to do?

We all followed him up the stone steps of the long front porch. He opened both of the tall, wooden doors and gestured for us to enter. We did and my breath caught in my throat at the interior.

It was just as medieval looking as the exterior, but I could tell it was still modern and up to date. The floor was a dark shiny marble and a large, expensive looking chandelier hung from the ceiling of the foyer. The walls were made of stone and had large paintings hanging from them. There was a staircase, also made of smooth dark marble, on either side of foyer. A balcony in the between the tops of the stairs overlooked the room. The area between the staircase was cloaked in darkness.  I didn't get to figure it out where it led, because he guided us up the stairs and took a right. We followed him down a dimly lit corridor. He took several turns and we finally ended up in a large kitchen.

"This floor is the guest floor. This kitchen is free for your use. A chef will be available to you whenever you request. Or you are free to dine with us whenever you please. The royal kitchen and dining area is three floors up."

I was curious as to who 'us' included. I was a little surprised by the open invitation to dine with them. By a little, I mean very.

The kitchen was large. It was made up of stone, but the appliances were modern stainless steel. There was a kitchen table off to the side and I could tell the room next to the kitchen was a large dining room. He led us out of the room, continuing down the same corridor.

"Royal Gamma?" I asked timidly, which was highly unlike me. He looked over as me and smiled slightly, so I continued. "Out of curiosity, how many floors does this place have?"

"It has six. This is the east wing, which is the residential wing. The first floor has a lot of empty rooms. It's not currently in use. The second and third floors are for guests. The fourth and fifth floors are for the Royals. They are the only people who live here. The Royal Army has separate housing to reside in, as do the rest of the workers. The sixth floor is King Finnian's personal quarters. No one but him is allowed on that floor." He explained.

"And the west wing?" I inquired.

"That is a variety of things. It holds the ballroom, which is its own separate floor. Several meeting areas are located on that side of the castle, along with the King's office. It has his private office, and his public one. Basically any event or meeting takes place in the west wing. I'll show you around tomorrow if you'd like."

"Thanks, that'd be great."

He stopped in front of an open room. It was a large living room. Couches and chairs surrounded the room and a large stone fireplace was against one wall. A television was mounted above it. The area seemed cold, unused. It was clean, but it lacked the warmth of my living room at home.

"This is the living area. There are televisions in your rooms, but if you want to use the fireplace, you'll have to come in here."

We followed him back out and he led us down the rest of the hallway, which led to another. We turned left, which ended in a dead end. He stopped at the first door and pushed it open.

"Beta Collins. This will be your room during your stay here. Each bedroom is equipped with a full bathroom and a large walk-in closet."

Dalton walked in.

"If you need anything else, there are speakers next to the door on every wall. Just press the talk button and someone will assist you."

Dalton nodded and entered his room. We continued walking and I heard him shut the door behind us. The next door he opened was for Kat and Matt. I could tell Kat was pleased with her room, but I didn't get to see it before I was whisked away to the end of the hall.

Royal Gamma Tyler pushed it open and I walked inside. I, once again, lost my breath as I took in the room in front of me. The floor had plush white carpet and like the rest of the castle, the walls were stone. A king-sized red canopy bed sat on one wall. It had dark red bedsheets and a black comforter. It looked far room comfortable than my own bed at home, which was saying something.

A TV was on the opposite wall in front of a sitting area, which had a sectional black couch. Double doors were against the wall opposite of the exit. I assumed the closet and bathroom were in there.

"Is this satisfactory, Miss Keating?" He looked like he already knew the answer.

"It's amazing. And it's just Kendall."

"Okay. Kendall then. I'll be back to retrieve you all in an hour for dinner. Just use the speaker if you need anything before then."

"Thank you, Royal Gamma." I bowed my head in respect.

"It's just Tyler." He mimicked my words.

"Okay. Tyler then." I mimicked him as well.

He grinned at me and left the room, pulling the door shut behind him. I noticed my bags were sitting on the bed and I grabbed them and carried them to the bathroom, wanting to unpack it before dinner.

I opened one side of the double doors and pulled my bags in behind me. The bathroom was just as magnificent as the bedroom. It had a large Jacuzzi tub and a walk-in shower, the door made of glass and the walls inside stone. There was a vanity area with a chair and a lighted mirror next to the sink. The closet was inside, like I predicted. It was huge, but empty.

I quickly got to work unpacking my bags. I was just about done when I heard my door open and shut. I took in a deep breath, sniffing for the scent. Dalton. I rolled my eyes and continued unpacking until I saw him in the bathroom doorway.

"Your room is even nicer than mine."

"That's what happens when you're a likeable person. You should try it sometime."

I left the bathroom after I finished unpacking my bag of toiletries. He followed behind me. I sat down on the bed and he leaned against the pole of it, crossing his arms and ankles. He smirked down at me.

"You know you secretly like me. You don't have to pretend you don't."

"You make me want to stab myself in the ears with a fork so I don't have to listen to you. That's how likeable you are." I smirked back at him. I crossed my own arms.

"I see you want your eyes intact still. Must mean that you still want to look at me." He said cockily.

Before I could give him a smartass reply, something shifted. Something that neither of us could prepare for because it all happened so fast. 

I opened my mouth to speak just as the door to my bedroom flew open. My eyes widened and I stood up quickly, my arms falling to my sides. Dalton did the same and turned towards the door, looking as startled as I felt. We didn't even hear anyone coming.

In the doorway stood the most perfect specimen I've ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes upon. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. He had dark brown hair, which was pushed back stylishly. He had a layer of dark stubble covering his strong jaw and surrounding his full, perfect pink lips. He had a long, strong nose and high cheekbones. His body was strong and full of muscle and adorned in black slacks and a button down black shirt, which like Tyler's, was rolled up to his elbows and had the top button undone. He towered over both Dalton and me, standing at at least six foot six, maybe taller. Lastly I took in his eyes. They were glowing molten amber now, but somehow I knew they were blue when his wolf wasn't taking over.

As much as I felt like the moment of taking him in happened in slow motion, I know it didn't. He briefly took me in as well, then turned his attention to Dalton and snarled. He looked lethal, like he could crush Dalton in a second and not think twice.

It didn't take me long to figure out my reaction to him and why I wasn't scared for myself, only Dalton. He was my mate. My wolf was freaking out inside of me, trying to claw her way out and towards her mate. Her need to mark and mate with him was so strong, I nearly shifted right there, but somehow, I pushed that part of myself back.

He stalked over to us, still looking deadly. Dalton looked terrified. Despite the fact that I hated him, I still felt bad for him and I was ready to jump in a help him.

I gasped as my mate, whose name I still didn't know, grabbed Dalton by his throat and lifted him. Werewolves were strong, but this was crazy. He was lifting a grown man, whom was well over two hundred pounds of pure muscle, with one hand, without even looking like he was struggling even a little. Dalton just hung there limply. His wolf was probably telling him to submit, instead of fight.

"Don't ever flirt with her again." He growled out. His voice was rough and gravelly, which happened when our wolf's took over, but it still caused goosebumps to erupt across my flesh.

Just like that, he dropped Dalton, who fell to the floor, then scrambled to his feet. His eyes stayed low and he bared his neck to him.

"Get out. Now. Speak to no one about this." He commanded. I knew Dalton wouldn't be able to defy him.

The sheer power that came from the command left me baring my neck in submission as well. It was something I had never done or experienced before. I was of Alpha blood and I wasn't the least bit submissive, but the power he exuded was almost too much to handle.

As Dalton shot out of the room, without so much as a glance in my direction, it suddenly hit me what was happening. Just as a large, warm hand grabbed my chin tightly, but gently, and tilted my head up to look in his eyes, I realized who this was.

As I took in his now cerulean eyes, I said the only thing that was rattling around in my brain.

"King Finnian..."