Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 4

I watched as Kieran sprouted into a pitch black wolf, his size and power much greater than mine, but only because I hadn't received the title of Alpha that was rightfully mine by birth. I wasn't able to grow into my birthright and it showed in my small size.

I watched Kieran slowly as his eyes ran down my wolf, seemingly unable impressed, but I knew what he was doing. He was sizing me up.

His eyes held cockiness, as if they were daring me to try and outrun him, both of us knowing I couldn't, especially with my mother on my back and I definitely wouldn't leave her.

I growled before shifting human, positioning myself in front of my mother, not caring that I was uncovered and stood bare before him.

Kieran growled and I watched as every head around us dropped, their eyes averted from me.

Kieran shifted back into his human form, leaving him stark naked in front of me. His body was corded with muscle and his shoulders strong and wide and he stood with power and assurance. He stood like an Alpha. Unapologetic.

His eyes held mine as he walked forward, anger etched into his features as he eyed me.

I watched as he brought up a shirt from the porch, handing it to me with an outstretched hand and then he turned, letting me dress without his gaze on me.

He turned toward me after I stopped fidgeting, a mischievous smirk on his face.

"So, your father is Alpha Saxon just as I suspected. I just didn't believe you to be his first born heir because he has other children, sons." He spoke.

My mother gasped at the name and I knew Kieran had hit the nail on the head, but what I didn't know was why he suspected that of me. Or how this man knew of my father when my mother had told me nothing. Was he going to kill me now? Was he going to kill us?

"How did you know?" I asked strongly. I needed to understand what gave us away. I needed to know so I could keep us safe.

"You have his eyes and your wolf. I could feel her strength, the untouched potential beneath the surface. I could taste your wolf in your blood when I marked you." He said.

"Are you going to kill us?" I asked quietly.

"By the looks of it, you didn't even know who he was. I can almost guarantee your father has no idea you exist. I would never kill someone who's not to blame. Especially my marked." He spoke.

I looked up at him quietly, trying to figure him out. One minute he was emotionless and cold, and the next it was as if he had this odd moral compass that he operated by.

"And when people see you have marked a bastard pup. What of that?" I asked.

"They are fools for not seeing you for what you should be, what is rightfully yours. It's your birthright and as the moon intended. It is why you have the gift of the wolf. Charlotte, do you really believe I would value the opinions of ignorant wolves? And I'd dare anyone to touch what is mine. It would be the last thing they do." He said darkly.

I thought of Samuels and his men and couldn't help but smile at his response, though the whole mine stance was something I did not agree with.

"I will be contacting your father. The title is rightfully yours and you both deserve to know each other. And his sons will die if they try to receive a title that is not theirs. How old are you?" He asked quickly.

"I'll be twenty one in a week." I said.

"If an heir doesn't receive the title by their twenty first season, their wolf abandons them and I am sure you would not like losing the ability to walk as your wolf." He said.

My mothers hand gripped mine and I could see the tears of regret and tears in her eyes.

"Call him, Please." She said hurriedly.

I couldn't bare not being able to run as a wolf. It was the only time I felt in control of my own life, the seldom chances I got.

"Already did. He should be here in a few hours by midnight." Said a raven haired mid aged woman as she came out the house, her kind pale blue eyes shining at me. She was gorgeous and her smile shown brightly.

"Well, Charlotte. This is my mother, Elise." Said Kieran.

I didn't know what to do, so I just stood politely and offered a small fake smile. She seemed kind enough and I indeed wanted to meet my father and if these people were willing to help me, then so be it. I would be cordial.

Why was he suddenly being this way? It seemed almost kind. I didn't even know he was capable. Shit hit the fan and his behavior is the exact opposite of what I expected.

I turned as a large sulking man walked forward, his hazel eyes prominent just like his son's as they contrasted against salt and pepper hair as he practically scooped up Elise in a hug and kissed her temple before placing her back down.

"Charlotte, pleased to meet you. I am James, Kieran's father as you may have guessed." Said the man and shook my hand, causing my slender arm to nearly come from its socket at his strength.

"Nice to meet you both." I said awkwardly as I took my hand back and brought it to my chest.

He smiled and said "You look very much like him. Especially your eyes, they're piercing."

"You know my father well?" I asked.

"We were childhood friends. I've met your mother once before as well. Hello Cara, pleased to see you again." He said motioning towards my mother.

I looked at her guilty eyes and she moved toward me, but I shrugged her off now. Kieran looked nearly identical to his father, eerily handsome in his own right, but there was no way my mother didn't have at least some semblance of who this man and his people were and yet she said nothing.

"I'm sorry, Charlotte. I-" She tried.

"You lied to me. You said he wanted nothing to do with me and he left you. He doesn't even know I'm alive. Why would you do this to me?" I asked.

"He left me! I was his and he was mine and yet he left me like I was nothing. He chose that stupid title over us. Just because I came from nothing and he didn't want to disappoint his own family." She said.

I understood of our kind that mates were hard to come by, most pairings circumstantial, but true mates would be drawn to each other. By scent, touch, you would know in your souls that you were meant to be. My own mother had told me that and I could see that loss in her eyes, the pain as she spoke of him.

"If you would've told him, things could have been different, but instead he finds out this way. What you did was unjust to the both of us." I said.

"I understand and I'm sorry. I just wanted to keep you from the heartbreak I suffered. I didn't want you to grow to love him as I did and then him leave you too." She said quietly as her tears began to fall.

I could understand where my mother was coming from, but there was always a chance that he wouldn't have left, especially knowing I was his first born and that we could have been a family. One thing I knew of our people was that our kind was strong in that aspect.

I sighed out and turned toward her.

"I will always forgive you, but you need to be honest with me. I'm your family mom, and I'm not going anywhere." I said wiping her face of tears and reassuring her.

"Well we all better get fancied up, I told him to meet us at Pierre's, hope you all like Italian. Now ladies, follow me if you will. There's one more person you should meet. She's upstairs and I think you're going to like her." Said Elise with a smirk.

Kieran eyed me as his mother laced her arm in mine and I couldn't help but feel in debt to him. The circumstances bringing me here were more than complicated and twisted, but I was almost grateful. The question I had my whole life was going to be answered tonight. After all this time.

We walked upstairs to Kieran's room and I was nearly taken aback when a bubbly dark haired girl greeted us, introducing herself as Alina, Kieran's younger sister who just so happened to be my age and apparently couldn't wait to do my makeup as much as it made me cringe.