Another World

...Catherine's POV............................

I woke up with a start and a throbbing headache only to realize that it's morning and that I was in my room at the apartment Silv and I shared not too far from campus.

Silv and I got accepted early into college because of our good grades and wonderful high scores in the entrance exams which we decided to tryout little did we know we would make it in.

Silv with her personality, make people think she lacks focus but she's actually a genius who knows how to balance fun with school unlike me who knows nothing much of fun Silv words not mine….eye roll

Back to the present……

the last thing I remember was asking the nurse at the infirmary for a possible change of clothes because I was still in my sports attire which left me sort of cold when I woke up from being passed out while playing baseball. An occurrence I still cannot explain or understand…..smh

After changing, I am guessing I fell back asleep after taking the meds she said would help relieve me of the pain that I was still feeling in my body then. A pain which seems to have subsided now but still how am I home?.......It all seemed strange because this has never happened to me before.

Thinking back, the pain came all of a sudden as I was playing. It felt like my entire body was suddenly lit on fire, like a searing explosion was taking place within me, allowing something to break out….. you know those documentaries on NatGeo wild where it seems like the offspring of an animal tears the belly of its mother to break free? Yea that sort of graphic representation would explain the feeling inside me but the only addition here was I felt I was on fire…..(shudders)

which brings the question, I couldn’t have been giving birth because well, you know why, buuut considering by offspring representation, if that was remotely close to what child birth was, theeen the world just keeps getting unfair to us ladies doesn’t it? and I might have to put off child bearing longer than I had initially planned….. I’m chicken I know but you were not in my shoes so don’t judge

it was a terrible and unbearable experience which I do not want to relive ever again in my entire existence.

As I tried to get up I heard some voices, I guess we have some guest in the house and as I was about to try to get up to go see who, my bedroom door was opened and my mum stepped in

..... "Cathy" she exclaimed

........ "mum?" I said surprised about how she's here

"oh my baby you are awake" she hugged me almost squeezing the life out of me

"oh my God, we were so scared" she said sniffing

" ....mum..... can't.....breathe..." I managed to choke out ....

"oh baby am sorry" she released me and looked at me apologetically. I just smiled and hugged her back but with lesser force this time

"it's fine mum"

"but how are u here?"

"we got a call from Silv that you suddenly passed out and although she said the nurse confirmed it was nothing serious we still had to come see for ourselves of course, tell me what happened, how it happened"

"I don't know mum and I know what you are thinking but the answer is no I haven't been skipping my meals

on the contrary, Silv is strict on food much more than you and I have been resting, so I don't know why"

"oh I know baby this wasn't food or lack of rest" she said sadly

"no it wasn't. I can't explain it. I was playing normally as usual and all of a sudden this immense pain came in my head and then it felt like I was on fire, like I was being branded or something with this seeing pain within me, then I blacked out........I was shuddering as I remembered the memory...........

............I did wake up in the infirmary earlier on, but the pain meds must have knocked me out"

" yes love, when I and your dad arrived you where completely knocked out so, your dad had to carry you to the car and bring you home so you could rest well"

" oh but what are they saying it is, what is wrong ?"

my mum looked at me guilty and breathed out giving me the impression that I might not like where this was going

"mum, what's going on?. you did say this wasn't food so what's going on, do you know whats wrong ?"

.... "darling, your dad and I had hoped we wouldn't have to tell you this but it seems that's no longer in our hands and it's beyond us now"

"What are you talking about and what did u and dad hope not to tell me?"

She grabbed both of my hands and at that moment my dad walked in and placed a hand on my mother's shoulder

"dad what's going on? I asked

"Hunny there is a secret your mum and I, mostly I have been keeping from you"

"Yeeees so it seems, but what is it and how does it concern this situation?"

"The thing is dear........I am not exactly human, not entirely at least" my dad said

I looked at my parents and started laughing, I just couldn't control myself

"you guys are so funny. I mean I missed you too and if you wanted so much to make me laugh all you had to do was be yourselves and voila I would be rolling you didn't have to be so dramatic making me all scared for nothing"

I laughed shaking my heard at my parent's immense sense of humor but when I stopped and looked at both of them, I realized they looked serious and guilty

"wait guys you are not joking?" They shook their heads in the negative and my father continued

"......I am lycanthropy what they call a werewolf" I looked at both of them and blinked

"sorry but what dad?"

" sweetheart we are sorry for keeping this secret from you all this while it's just that your mum is human and although rare there was a possibility that you might be one because from when you where born to your tender age you showed no signs of being Were so we thought it best to put you with your kind hence, we moved closer to the humans so you could grow normal without having to bear the stress of my world"

I just looked on at my parents digesting all these new information. I mean I always knew they were keeping something from me, like I said I had this sixth sense almost like a hum telling me something was amiss but I didn't expect such a large bomb would be dropped on me.

"You said I never showed any signs so what changed now are you saying I am actually a Werewolf? how ? Is that even possible?" I ranted

My father took a deep breathe

"the thing is some Werewolves come on, on their eighteenth birthday in which case they are regarded as mates of the the Royal Were clans as only them have these conditions attached to them so, we where still a little skeptical. But, in your case things were slightly different as your mother is human and our fears was let down when after your birthday nothing happened which is why we insisted you came home for your birthday"

I nodded finally understanding why they begged me so earnestly to celebrate it with them

"but after that you felt nothing so we relaxed a bit but it seems it doesn't necessarily have to be on the exact day of your birthday so we still waited but it's been months and we finally accepted that you where okay until now as it seems that's not the case anymore"

"wait…wait a minute, timeout…what you are saying now is that I am a werewolf mated to a royal, whatever that means. is that very terrible in your world?"

"No dear quite the opposite, you see mates are our other half, the missing part of our soul, they can be chosen or they may be predestined. Mate ship is for life and binding even more than marriage "

"And on the contrary in my world dear, it's seen as an honor to be mated to a royal more also a predestined, but seeing as you know nothing of my world it might prove to be difficult and life changing for you"

But that didn't seem to be what they still had to say because, the look of more to come was still on their faces

"why do I feel like there is more" I asked. My father breathed out and my mother spoke this time

"because there is see, the thing is as your father said earlier only mates to royals come on in their eighteenth birthday but you are not just mated to any royal but THE ROYAL.......she emphasized

.........the crown prince of the entire Were world. This attest as to why your father said it's now beyond us now it all in the hands of your mate only he can decide if he wants the union or not" I just gapped at them

"Am mated to the Were crown prince?"

"Yes dear according to the mark now inscribed on your shoulder the royal mark of the Ray Kingston, bestowed only on the mate of the crown prince's or princess making it unique" he said.

"What mark?" I asked

But then as I turned my back towards my wardrobe mirror, I gasped when I saw it, it was there like a tattoo of some sort on my skin at the top of my right shoulder and if I didn't know better I would say I was tattooed as I slept but the thing is it didn't even look new it looked like it belonged there like it was part of me and as I touched it, I felt something go through me

I turned towards my parents to see them looking at the mark in the mirror too. Then my father stepped to me

" honey they sent people here for you"

"What? Who sent people here for me?" I asked kind of scared now

"The king and the royal court, they sent some councilmen to come get you"

"what does that even mean, am I getting married now am just 18, do I really have to go?, don't I even have a choice or is it just the princes' choice?, What about school?, my life and everything?"I asked with tears in the brink of my eyes

"am sorry honey I know this is all happening too fast and I get it if you hate me now but just know that we would be there every step of the way to guide you and that we just wanted the best for you" I looked at my father who was looking at me so sad and guiltily and I ran to embrace him. He was surprised at first but he overcame the initial shock and hugged me back

"I could never hate you dad, I can't say am not angry or disappointed that you people kept something so big from me. I mean what were you thinking, did you really believe I wouldn't be able to handle the truth?........urgh .......but I do know how you must have felt and I understand why you made that decision"

my mum then joined in on our hug and my dad just chuckled as my mum wiped the tears in her eyes

" how did we get so lucky to get such a matured daughter?" Dad asked

"I honestly have no idea" my mum said

"thank you my love for forgiving us and we promise from now on no more secrets" we all promised each other

"one more thing.......dad said.....

.............your friend Silvia's parent are Werefolks too"

"Urgh, (i groaned )........That's just great" I face palmed

" so you are saying Silv might become one as well?" They nodded

"So, now how do we go about this people, these councilmen that are here?"

"well we helped them settle in on a close by high class hotel as you were still passed out when they arrived but they confirmed the mark and agreed to set out for the trip tomorrow so we are all leaving tomorrow"

"Wow this really is a lot to process"

"We know hun" mum said

" but what about my school?"

" all that would be arranged once we reach the castle"

"I have helped you pack up, so get some rest we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow............... and oh Silv would be coming too"

"Really?" I asked with hope at least I would have my friend.

"Yes, she's of the Were world awakened or not" my father answered

"Goodnight love get some sleep" my mother kissed me goodnight as they left

I still felt a little drowsy, I think it's from the meds which am grateful for right now because am sure i wouldn't be able to get any sleep after all that went down today but as my head hit the pillow I was immediately grasped by the sweet hands of sleep again. I slept with hope that everything that happened and everything I learnt were just figments of my imagination and that I would wake up to a better tomorrow but in my subconscious I still knew it was all wishful thinking. So I slept having believe that the next day would probably take care of itself.

************************************what do you think awaits Catherine in the royal castle ? we would just have to find out in the next chapter…. yippee….don't forget to drop your comments votes and likes