Pearl's pov
I felt my world sink when Alari started crying, I could tell she didn't want to but couldn't help it.
Heck, I wanted to cry but I fought back my tears, this wasn't about me and I knew Alari would jump to comfort me if I did.
I wished there was something I could do to make this go away, I wished I could take it all away and give her a good life.
She deserved it, after all the suffering she took back at Silverlake, she deserved a little brightness in her life.
Now I understood why her parents kept this from her, it would have broken her.
Her cries twisted my heart painfully, I'd never heard her cry. She was the strong one between the two of us, the tough one, and now she was hurting so much she couldn't hold it in anymore.
The King lifted her into his arms, whispering something about someone coming or whatever.
I couldn't hear him, all I could hear was Alari and how much pain she was feeling.
The truth she had always sought wasn't kind, definitely not what she was expecting to hear.
Learning how dark our world actually was scared me, I didn't blame her parents for protecting her, us from that darkness.
A part of me certainly wished I hadn't heard all of that.
A knock made me jump from where I sat, making Alari's parents look at me worried.
“I'm okay” I squeaked, putting on a brave face.
A girl, about my size and definitely an omega, came inside after being permitted to.
“Hello, I'm here to take you to you living quarters” she said in a small, kind voice.
“Thank you” Alari's mom said coming to my side. She took my hand and guided us out, following closely behind the girl.
She led us up the stairs and through a long corridor before standing in front of two doors on opposite sides.
“Sir, madam, this is yours and your things have already been brought in. Ma'am…” she said, now looking at me but I quickly interrupted, I was way too young to be called ma'am.
“Pearl, please call me Pearl” I said with a small smile and she returned it.
“Okay, Uhm, Pearl, you're in here, your things have also been brought in” she said and we thanked her.
“Food will be brought in shortly” she said, giving us a small bow and rushed away.
“Alright, young lady, you go unpack, we're right here if you need us” Alari's mom said and kissed my forehead like she always did and they went into their room.
I quickly opened my door and almost fainted at how big it was! It looked like my entire house!
Closing the door behind me, I looked around the large room, taking in its magnificence.
A large bed took up a lot of space on one side, a large window with a couch big enough to sleep in with grey and white curtains adorned another side.
The room had a dresser and a small book shelf, making me smile because I couldn't wait to put my books on it, one of the few things I had of my mother.
There were two doors, one of which I knew led to the bathroom but a knock on the door stopped me before I could find out which one it was.
“Come in” I called out and the door opened a few seconds later.
The girl from before came in holding a tray with covered plates and a pitcher of what I could smell was apple juice.
“I brought your food” she said putting the tray on a table in the corner of the room before bowing and walking out.
I went and uncovered the food once she was gone and my mouth watered at the sight and smell of roated chicken with potatoes and salad.
I sat down and helped myself to the food, moaning as my tastebuds were treated to the most delicious chicken I'd ever eaten.
I needed to know who made this so they could teach me!
Quickly wolfing down the food, I placed everything neatly on the tray and went out, quickly realising I had no idea where I was going.
I decided to follow the girls fading scent, who I should probably ask what their name was and found her, well, more like bumped into her as she made her way back to us.
“I was on my way to get those!” She exclaimed, her eyes widening as she took the tray from me.
“It's alright, really” I said, watching her sigh.
“I'm sorry I haven't asked your name” I said and she looked surprised.
“Oh Uhm, it's Raven” she said and I smiled at her.
“Nice to meet you Raven” I said and she smiled back, “likewise” she said softly before turning to leave.
I made my way back to the room and sat by the window, the sun already setting, the wind a bit chilly now that we were much higher up the mountains.
I closed the window and curtain, turning on the light as it was getting dark and found the bathroom, my jaw dropping at the sight of it.
It was breathtaking! White with a touch of gold, a large tub and shower, fully stocked with everything I could possibly need!
I stripped and hopped into the shower, promising to give the tub a run in the morning.
I put on a pair of tights and an old baggy shirt and settled into the large bed, it's softness pulling a sigh out of me.
This is what luxury feels like.
But why did I feel so empty? I lived in a small house at the edge of the pack, with Alari and her parents as neighbours but I'd never felt this alone.
I wish I had my mate, I wish the Goddess had never taken my parents, sure Alari's parents were always there for me but it wasn't the same.
I was startled awake by the sound of wind blowing really loud, realising I had dozed off.
A shiver wracked my body when the wind blew hard against the window, making me cower under the blankets.
I had been by myself for as long as I can remember but I'd never been afraid. Here I was in this huge castle with people in it and a little wind had me feeling like I was in a haunted house.
I couldn't shake of the feeling so I decided to try and find something to do. Looking through the old suitcase, I found a book that I'd read maybe a thousand times but wasn't really interested in reading so I dropped it, opting to wander around the room until I got bored.
I slowly opened the door and peeked outside, contemplating waking Alari's parents but decided against it.
I decided to wander the large hallways instead, admiring the beautiful art on the walls until I realised I had taken too many turns and I was lost.
I could hear the wind howling outside and grew a little scared, even though the halls were brightly lit.
I kept walked, thinking I'd eventually find someone or something familiar that would lead me back to my room but instead caught the scent of coffee.
If I could find the source then maybe the person making it could take me back to my room, or so I thought.
It was worth a shot.
I followed the scent, taking three turns and a couple of stairs down until I reached the kitchen.
There was a guy there, pouring coffee into mugs and I felt the need to approach him.
He was tall and lean, with sandy blonde hair and the more I looked at his back, the stronger to urge to go to him.
Freya, my wolf, pushed forward when I caught his scent and a moan slipped past my lips.
He spun around quickly, making me jump back but my heart quickened it's pace as we locked eyes.
“Mate!” Freya screamed in my head and I heard him growl, approaching me slowly.
I couldn't move, I felt glued to the ground, his electrifying blue eyes seeing deep into my soul.
“Look what the Goddess brought me” he said, a smile stretching across his face, revealing his pearly whites.
“H.. hi” I whispered, his scent overwhelming my senses. He smelled so good!
“Hello mate” he said, his voice deepening as he stared deeply into my eyes.
“You're beautiful” he said and I blushed, shifting my gaze to my feet.
He brought his hand around my waist, pulling me flush against him.
I gasped, looking back into his eyes, “I have been waiting for you my beautiful mate, please, tell me your name” he said, his deep voice awakening feelings I hadn't been aware of until then.
“Pearl” my voice was breathy, dammit I couldn't breathe, why was he so good looking!
“I'm Mason and I would love if you accepted me as your mate” he said and I blinked, confused at what he meant.
“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice still breathy.
“It's different with Lycans love, you must accept me so our bond can properly form, what you're feeling now is merely a fraction of what our bond will be” he said, a smirk adorning his face.
“Oh, h.. how do I do it” my damn voice still wouldn't go beyond a whisper.
“I Mason Write, accept you, Pearl as my mate” I felt something tugging at my brain, pleading with me to open up and let him in.
“I Pearl Anderson, accept you, Mason as my mate” I felt my body melt into him, as I felt him deeply, invading my mind.
“You're mine now little mate” he said, causing shivers to rush over me.
“Mason! What's taking so long?!” A loud voice called, startling me, making me latch onto Mason.
“Shit, I uh, lost a bet to my jerk friends and have to make them coffee for the rest of the night” he said, looking a bit torn. It was obvious he didn't want to leave me.
“That's alright, you can finish up” I said and he reluctantly let me go, pouring the rest of the coffee into the cups that were on a tray.
“I promise I'll be right back” he said before rushing out and I found myself plopping into a chair, filled with disbelief.
“Freya, please tell me this isn't a dream” I felt a slight heaviness in my chest, what a cruel dream it would be. A bloody nightmare!
“It's real, he's real!” She yipped and jumped for joy and I felt like crying.
I finally found him! My mate, the one I'd spend the rest of my life with, I finally found him.
Now I'd never be alone again, I have someone that is all mine.
“Okay, I'm back and I have the rest of night off. My friends are not jerks afterall” he said, laughing as he pulled a chair and sat next to me, looking at me like I was the most precious thing in the world.
His eyes shifted to my lips and back to my eyes, something else taking root in his eyes.
“Can I kiss you?” He asked, his voice deepening as I saw his lust for me.
I couldn't say anything, I didn't trust my voice so instead, I moved closer, leaning forward and captured his lips, feeling a million butterflies fluttering in my stomach.