Your true self

“Nice to see you again.” said Sasha. Her once matted curly hair is now full and vibrant. No more dirt or chapped lips, it’s like a renewed Sasha. "How are you?"

“Fine, kind of scared from yesterday. You look better.”

“What happened? Mostly I wouldn’t ask but I have nowhere to go, and the only gossip around here is Clint.” My eyes revert over to Clint's who’s burrowing his in the small of my back. “Turn around Clint your creeping out my friend.” He hesitantly turns around towards the dirt filled wall.

“Friend.” I say surprised.

“This is the second time were meeting, I’d consider you a friend.” If I’m not mistaken there’s a bit of glint in her eyes. I wonder if she’s ever had a friend before?

“That’s nice. I have something to tell you.” She repositions her body so she’s totally facing me. “Yesterday, when I was painting. . .someone took over my hand and wrote a message.”

“What did it say?”

“Um. . .Pozomi Nam Lotisia. When I looked it up in google translate it meant hel-”

“Help Us Lotisia.” She finishes up for me. How does she know Bosnian, she is really full of wonder?

"Who was it? Why me?"

"Most likely just sending you a message. They want you to find them."

"Wait, you don't know where they are?"

"No one does. When they were burned their bodies, well what was left had been put in a random tomb. The only one that can find them is. . .well you." She says pointing at me.

“ That's scary. How do you- you know Bosnian?” I asked curiously.

She leans her head up against the concrete wall, her curls lay still between the cracks. “My father made sure I knew almost every important language in the world, makes me more worldly and I can understand things faster. Also, people may lie you about what’s actually being spoken.”

“How many languages do you know?” I know English and like 20 percent of Spanish, three years so Spanish and the one thing I know from memory is Hola.

“7. It’s English obviously, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Swahili and Bosnian.” Wow, I feel so not smart right now.

“Since you’re a princess your father’s a king. A king of what Kingdom?”

“He’s the king of Insofar, I’m heir to his throne. Before, I wasn’t it was my sisters' throne.” I didn’t know she had a sibling.

“Who’s your sister?”

“Her name was Shilah, she died during childbirth. When she died, I was reinstated.” I see her eyes revert to the ground.

“Wait, if you’re the oldest then why was she ahead of you then?” I don’t know much about monarchy’s, but I do know the oldest takes the thrones.

“In the eyes of Selene, the moon goddess, I’m not legitimate. Werewolves are only supposed to only have children with their mates. My mother, Stella, was not my father’s mate which made me illegitimate. When my father met his mate, Princess Tura of Luxor, they instantly married. But before marrying her he divorced my mother. To this day my mother has never forgiven my father. Once Tura was pregnant, it knocked me out of the line of succession to being second in line, my mother was also enraged about that too. When Tura gave birth, the baby died the next day. Since I was my father’s only living child, and he most likely wasn’t going to have anymore he legitimized me. Making me his one and only heir. "Is this what you came to talk about, how I know many languages, and my dysfunctional family. Also, how did you get in here aren’t their like two big dudes in front of the door.”

“It’s a long story.”

“I got time Quinn, where am I going to go? The other side of the cell.” I let out a sigh and explain.

“I told them that in the North wing there was a fight and they needed to break it up.” Her eyebrows lift.

“That was the long story, you told me it in 5 seconds.” I roll my eyes.

“People say long story so it sounds more interesting- you what never mind I wanted to know more about the Zastitnik.”

“Well, after Meghan there were many other Zastitniks. Like Alessandra, Unonia, Yenmon and Rhella. Oh, Rhella is my favorite. She was the first ever Zastitnik to ever go bad.” I scoot myself closer to the cage, this is rather intriguing.

“What did this. . .Rhella do?”

“Well, during the 1800’s she was a part of this tribe, very sacred and worshipped Selene and all that. The King at the time wanted to make new houses and such on some land, the land that belonged to Rhella’s tribe. They vowed not to move, since the land was sacred to their people. So, they decided to kill them all. The only one to survive was Rhella. She vowed to seek revenge, even if it took her an eternity.”

“Years when passed and she flourished, people described her as the prettiest woman in the land. The Kings son, Bernulf, thought this to. Luckily to him she turned out the be his mate, and to her this was great because she could be in on the inside.”

“Since he’s her mate she’ll love him and the revenge feeling will go away, right?” I asked hoping she would say yes.

“Not exactly, yes she did love him but she loved the revenge more. They had a pretty normal marriage at first, she never gave him children. She didn't want to bring any children from their bloodline in this world, they didn't deserve it is what she thought. After she did her duty and secured the throne, she was seeking her revenge. Once the moon hit its peak, she snuck into her husband's room and killed him. Also, ending the immediate Pergola line, if her people couldn’t live on neither could they. Then killed all the people who killed her tribe.”

“Wow, what became of her?” I ask intrigued by this, why didn’t Alexander tell me this?

“It took two Kingdoms to take her down, Zastitnik’s powers are extremely power I mean you do have the original power of the First Power. They killed her in the end, god she’s my idol I wish I could meet her."

“How powerful are these powers. Like they could take down a village?”

“More like taking down a whole Kingdom, if you focus on your powers maybe even the whole world.” This is very scary to know that I could take down a whole world, I can’t even defeat a bug.

“What do the powers actually do?”

“You can manipulate the elements, create energy shields and forces. Also, can do some spells but not much. The First Power didn’t want to give Zastitniks too many skills, they gave you enough so at least they can defeat you if you went out of turn, like Rhella.” She tells me. “Hey, do you have my chocolate and chips.” Oh yeah, I forgot, chocolate and chips are such a weird combination, also I had to stuff them in my bra and shirt.

“Here you go, I forgot.” Handing her the food she scarves it down, Alexander did tell me that wolves had a big appetite. “Am I somehow related to the First Power, like a descendent it would make sense now how I have this ‘immense power’. Also, what does Zastitnik mean?" I say putting up air quotes.

“Far from it. It means Protector, also a Bosnian. The First Power never had children, people could take the children as collateral and distract them from their purpose. The First Power were made from the womb of Selene, so no living family members. You, and the other Zastitniks are not related to The First Power by blood, but by magic. The only way one could be a Zastitnik is to be a human, and mated to an Alpha. Zastitniks can be a girl or a boy, but there hasn’t been one in centuries well until you.

“So.. . I’m special?”

“Very Special.” She gives me a warm smile. She gives me a warm smile. “I told you about myself and your powers, now it’s time for me to ask the questions.” I give her a weird look, but fair is fair.

“Fine, ask away.”

“Is that lover boy a really good kisser?” I look at her likes she’s crazy.

“I’m not answering that.” I say refuting her. She tsk’s at me, while shaking her head.

“You have to I answered all yours.” I let out a deep sigh and readjust the way I was sitting. My butt and legs are starting to go numb, also the concrete floor is as cold as ice.

“Yes, he’s a good kisser. Even good with his hands.” I smirk, she eyes me while making a fake gagging noise.

“TMI! Next questions, does your Grandfather know what Alexander is?”

“No, I haven’t told him Alexander doesn’t want him t-”

Suddenly, I stop talking. How does she know that I have a Grandfather? Is she following me?

“How do you know this?”

“I have people, aka Myers.”

“Makes sense. No, I haven’t told him it isn’t time.” Amusement decorates her face; she rises up from the concrete floor and stands in a triumph position. “Looks like your both keeping secrets from each other, like Grandfather like Granddaughter.” What is she getting on about?

“Are you saying my Grandfather has a secret he’s hiding from me.”

“Hey, I can’t confirm or deny that. Just ask your ‘honest’ boyfriend.” I raise up off the ground while gripping onto the jail bars. The harder I clutch the more blood that rushes up my arms and hands.

“Tell me.” She zips her lips shut, while holding in her laugh. She can be really sick. “If you tell me, I’ll give you something.” She looks at me intrigued.

“What?” Her eyebrows lift up.

“This jacket I know it gets cold down here.”

“Not needed, I’m a wolf. warm blooded.” Damn it, I don’t have anything else except-

“I’ll take your bracelet, it looks really. . .vintage.” I grip onto my bracelet; this is something my Grandmother gave me before she died. It means a lot to me.

“No, this means a lot t-”

“No bracelet no secret.” I hesitantly take off the bracelet and give it to her. “Thanks, your Grandfather is Milo Worthingshire, who also goes by Count here. He’s the pack doctor, he knows about everything.” My mouth opens a gap.

“That’s not possible. My grandpa sits at home and reads, hangs out with his girlfriend and gets locked out the house. You must have the wrong person.” She comes eye to eye with me, they burn inside of me.

“I’m never wrong. NEVER!” Her voice rattles the jail bars.