Chapter 55: Used To Be A Beta

For werewolves, the mating season was one of the most important occasions in the empire. Every year, hopeful young werewolves from across the empire gathered to find their mate. The success of the mating season had been proven for generations not until in the recent years, as there was this particular werewolf who was unhappy to see everyone getting their 'happy endings.'

It was Hugo, the seventh prince, and also the Grand Duke of Belcoot. 

His reasons? Because he was unhappy. Thus, the primary reason the emperor had been trying hard to find him a wife. But alas, Hugo only told him one name. 

"Rinnie," Alice uttered in a knowing tone, reclining on the divan while I was on the floor where we set up a quilt to lie on and have a snack with Cora, Teresa, Sally, and Priscilla, the youngest daughter of the emperor. They had another sister named Victoria, but she was apparently away. So, Hugo had a total of six sisters and nine brothers. 

"That's the name he said he would like to marry."

Alice stroke Cora's black short hair as the latter sat on the floor, her back against the divan where Alice could reach her. "Everyone, even Father, is surprised when he said a name. Dan even thought he was simply saying a random girl's name. But it turned out, you're actually a real person!" 

"I know, right? I mean, who would have thought that rascal had some sense of romance in him?" Cora's eyes rolled as she moaned, feeling relaxed at Alice's stroking. 

"Sister, was it love at first sight?" asked Sally, making me gaze down at her. Sally and Teresa's heads were resting on my lap while I stroke their soft hairs. Both ladies were looking at me curiously, waiting for my answer. 

"No...?" I replied and shrugged awkwardly. "Hugo and I met when we're young and I just met him again only recently in the middle of the woods."

I pressed my lips into a thin line, scanning their curious faces as if they wanted to hear more. What should I tell them? That I was on the run when I met Hugo again? I didn't know where to start, honestly.

"You met when you're young?" Cora raised a brow as she cocked her head to the side. "Was it that time when that rebellious brother of mine ran away from home?" 

"Sister, that's the only time Big Brother Hugo actually went away on his own." Priscilla, the youngest, whose head was resting on Cora's lap, put the book down she was reading. She was still young, around sixteen years old. But Sally looked like the youngest, as she looked like twelve, when in fact, Sally was three years older than me. 

"Oh? Right!" Alice clapped as if she remembered something. "I heard him mention about liking a little girl, but I told him it was puppy love and shouldn't dwell on something so shallow!"

Alice then covered her lips as she realized what she just blurted out. Her eyes dilated, gazing at us, before clearing her throat. 

"My. I'm sorry." She apologized as she averted her gaze.

"Gosh, sister. I'm so disappointed in you." Cora clicked her tongue as she gazed at Alice in dismay. 

"Well, that is because it's Hugo! You know what kind of person he was!" 

"Now it's not puppy love. You should apologize to Rinnie!" Sally chimed in, fanning the flames. I glanced at her and saw her winked at me mischievously. She looked and acted very different and mature, unlike when she was in front of the emperor.

"Fine..." Alice rolled her eyes, but I chuckled and waved both my hands. 

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"There's no need, really. I don't even know Hugo was human back then," I confessed and then bit my tongue when they looked at me with puzzlement. 

"Sister Rinnie, what do you mean by that?" Teresa was the first to break the ice, waiting for me to explain. 

"Uh..." I cleared my throat to explain how I met Hugo back then. "Years ago, my father took me out for the first time. Since I was excited to go out, I sort of strayed away from the group and got lost in the forest. There, I met a wounded pup."

I paused and stared at them, seeing they were all listening attentively. "Because it was cold and we're both alone, I thought it would be best if we look after each other. It didn't take long when my father found me with him, and because he was wounded, I asked my father if we could take him with us. So we did," I continued.

"He stayed with you? When he was a puppy and wounded?" Alice asked in disbelief as if she couldn't believe it. 

I nodded. "Yes. We even played outside the tent." My eyes softened, thinking that these memories were something I have nearly forgotten after many years. 

I only dreamt about it from time to time, believing it was only a dream and not a memory. But the more I was with Hugo, that memory slowly came clear, as if he was clearing the fog in that part of my brain. 

"But there's always time for goodbye. When we're leaving, Hugo didn't want to come with me. He didn't speak to me, but somehow, I understood that he couldn't come. So, I let him go back to the forest. It was a brief time, but a memorable one." I summarized the story with a subtle smile, gazing at them only to see them knit their brows. 

"He didn't shift?" Sally inquired after I finished the story. I shook my head, closed-lipped. 

"That's weird," Core muttered as she glanced at Alice. "Don't you think?"

"Well, not really. The weird one is Rinnie," Alice stared at me, blinking as she cocked her head. "How did you calm a wounded pup like that? Hugo's temper when he is a child is a hundred times worse than now that he is an adult. If he is wounded and can't shift because of his injuries, he should have bitten you on instinct."

"Sister, you sound like you want Hugo to ravage her small body." Teresa frowned as she looked at me. "Gosh... I'm so envious of big brother. I wonder how cute you are when you were a child. You must be very very very cute."

"Well, whatever. That's how they met. Who would have thought you two had a long history!" Cora smacked her lips. 

"Hmm... can I ask why Hugo ran away back then?" I asked out of plain curiosity before we moved on from the topic. I glanced at Cora and then at Alice as they looked at each other.

Alice cleared her throat and raised her brows. "Well, it's something to do with his class."

"Class?" 

"If you don't know yet, big brother Hugo used to be a Beta wolf. A beta wolf is the most common type of werewolf. He isn't that strong when he is a kid, you know? It's not even an exaggeration if I tell you he is the weakest among us." Sally chimed in with a knowing tone, making me furrow my brows. 

"To put it simply, big brother couldn't accept that he was normal. Who wouldn't? We're children of the strongest wolf!"

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