Audrey

"Audrey!" a voice shouted. I jolted awake, hitting my mate's face in the process. Thomas groaned as a hand flew up to his face.

I gasped. "Oh, my god. I'm so sorry" I apologized. His hand cupped his nose, but blood started dripping from the cracks of his fingers. "Ew. You're bleeding" I blurted. Thomas narrowed his eyes at me. "I'll go get a towel!" I said quickly.

I ran to his bathroom and grabbed a fluffy dark blue towel off of the counter. Thomas moved his hand, and I quickly pressed the towel to his face. He grunted. "Sorry!" I said sheepishly. I think I'm just making this worse.

Someone behind me was howling with laughter at the scene. Turning around, I glared at David. "Did you need something?" I snapped. I'm very angry in the morning. Plus, he's laughing at me.

His eyes widened as he remember why he came inside. "Keith!" he exclaimed. I jumped out the bed and rushed down the stairs to Keith's room. Shit. I left my bleeding mate in the room.

'Well, I'm sure he can handle a nosebleed' Casey stated. Wow. It's been a while since I've heard from her. I quickly opened the door to see my best friend sitting up in the bed. Gardenia was standing a few yards away as Keith warily looked at her.

"Keith!" I shouted as I ran to my best friend. I threw my arms around his neck and breathed in his scent. It wasn't the same when he was like comatose or whatever. Now, its back to normal. He slowly wrapped his arms around me. I couldn't help but cry. Keith hushed me and patted my back. "Y-You ass-hole. I-I thought you w-were gonna d-die" I stuttered.

He pulled away from me and wiped my face. "You can't get rid of me that easily" he stated. I rolled my eyes and pulled him into another hug. "You got a lot stronger" he wheezed out.

I quickly let go of him. "Sorry. I just missed you" I told him as I ruffled up his hair. "You missed a lot" I informed him.

He frowned and nodded his head. "You broke the bond" he stated. Hesitantly, I nodded my head. I wasn't sure how he would react. The bond was important to both of us. We've been bonded for as long as I could remember. I made the decision to break it without asking him if it was okay- I couldn't really ask him, but I still made the decision by myself.

Keith sighed. "Audrey. I have to tell you something" he said softly.

I noticed him glancing at Gardenia. "Um... Can we have a few minutes?" I asked my sister. She nodded and quietly left the room. "What is it?" I inquired.

Keith ran a hand down his face. "Your father put a block in my mind. When I woke up, I just remembered a bunch of things. Important things" he said quickly.

"What important things?" I urged. Why would Anthony block his memories? It doesn't make sense. I couldn't think of a reason for it.

He collected his thoughts before patting the bed. I slowly eased next to him. "When we were about 11, before we were bonded; Ant came to the school. He told me that you weren't his daughter. That he kidnapped you. I started freaking out, but he put a spell on me so I couldn't say anything.

He told me that you were full werewolf. He said that you and he were bonded; that's how you have magic. But he was weak, so he needed a stronger witch for you to be bonded to. Since we were practically glued together, he planned to bond the two of us" he informed me.

My eyebrows furrowed together. So Anthony told Keith about who I really was, and I was bonded to Anthony before I was bonded to Keith. "I don't get it" I voiced my thoughts.

"You never had your own magic" Keith said softly. "With the bond, you just fed off of my powers. That's why your father was so persistent on us being bonded"

Anthony made me use another person's magic. That's why my powers didn't work while Keith was 'sleeping.' "Before he put the block on my mind, he told me that he wrote you a note. It should be in his safe" he said unsure.

His safe was built into the house. Its in the basement wall. Anthony had someone do a spell so that only he and I have access to the safe. I don't know if the spell was lifted because that person might have died in the attack. "Is that all?" I asked Keith. He thought for a few moments before nodding his head. "I'm gonna look for that note" I decided.

Before he could protest, I left the room and went down the stairs. I was about to slip on my shoes when I realized that I didn't have pants on. Groaning, I trudged back up the stairs to Gardenia's room. I grabbed a random pair of sweats and quickly slipped them on. Now I can put on shoes!

"Where are you going?" a voice questioned as I opened the door.

At this rate, I'll never make it to the house. Okay, maybe that's a bit over-dramatic. But I'm impatient. "To my old house" I answered. I took a step out the door, but he pulled me to a stop. "What?" I whined.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Did you really think that I would let you go alone?" he asked as he quickly put on his shoes. Rolling my eyes, I started walking. "Audrey. You're going the wrong way" he informed me while pointing to the opposite direct that I was walking.

I huffed. I have a bad sense of direction. I walked past him, making him slightly jog to catch up to me. "Why are we going to your old house?" he inquired.

Sighing, I slightly slowed down. "Anthony left me a note. I want to read it. So I'm gonna go get it" I informed him. He grabbed my hand and made me stop walking. "Thomas!" I whined.

He rolled his eyes. "What's in the note?" he asked. I shrugged and pulled my hand out of his grasp to keep walking. "Audrey" he said sternly.

I turned around and glared at him. "I don't fucking know!" I shouted. "I don't know what's in the fucking note. Which is why I'm gonna go read it so I can find out! Is that okay with you?!"

He look taken back by my sudden out burst, but he nodded his head. I continued to walk to my old house, and we got there in about ten minutes. I didn't have to open the door because all of them were still broken down from the attack. I went straight to the basement. "Which way is north?" I questioned.

My mate pointed to the left, so I went to the left wall. I skimmed my hand over the center of the wall, and the safe slowly appeared. "What the hell?" Thomas mumbled. I ignored him and used the buttons to type in my birthday.

The safe unlocked with a loud click as the door swung open automatically. There was a lot of money in the box, but on the door of the safe was a small envelope. My name was written in Anthony's handwriting. Shakily, I opened up the envelope and unfolded the paper inside.

If you are reading this, then I'm probably dead and your bond with Keith is broken. You probably know the truth about who you are. And if you don't go find your mother.

I know that I lied to you, a lot. But I really love you. You're the best daughter anyone could ask for. And I would never lie about that. I wish I could say that I'm sorry you missed out on the luxurious life that you could've had with the Royals. But that would be a lie.

I'm not sorry that I kidnapped you. It may sound malicious and sadistic, but its the truth. By kidnapping you, I got the best daughter in the whole world. I got to raise an incredible young woman, who I am extremely proud of.

I love you so much, Audrey.

~Dad

I sighed and walked over to the cells. I plopped myself on one of the beds and set the note down next to me. Anthony planned this for when he died. I've always known that he loved me- I never doubted that- but I at least thought he would be remorseful about taking me. I was a baby, and he took me away from my parents. Maybe he was a little crazy.

"You okay?" Thomas asked softly. I shook my head while pushing back the tears that desperately wanted to come out. "Do you want to talk about it?" I gave him a flat look. "Sorry" he mumbled. My mate slowly sat next to me, so that I was in between him and the note.

I thought that the note would give me some answers. Why would he kidnap me in the first place? It had to be more than just revenge for getting him kicked out of his pack. Maybe he was avenging Malcom? But even with both of those reasons, it doesn't suffice kidnapping me.

Did he always plan on raising me? Why did he wants me to think I was a hybrid? Why tell Keith everything, but put a block in his mind?

Groaning in frustration, I dropped my head onto Thomas' shoulder. He moved his arm so he could play with my hair. "I'm sorry I yelled at you" I mumbled quietly. He kissed my head, and I took it as a sign that I was forgiven. "I need answers. But this didn't give me any" I informed him.

Thomas sighed as he stopped toying with my black locks of hair. "I don't think you need answers. I think you need closure. Accept what happened and move on" he stated.

Well, that's easier said than done. "I accepted the fact that he kidnapped me" I mused. I still had the urge to cry, but I really didn't want to.

My mate nodded his head. "But you didn't move on from it" he said softly. Honestly, I don't think I want to move on from it. I want answers. But I know that its impossible to get answers since Anthony is dead. I don't want to move on because I'll always think about what could've been.

Its impossible for me to move on because there will always be that part of me that wonders what if. What if he didn't kidnap me? What if Asher and Eve never found us? What if I caught his lie before he died? What if he never died?

One tear leaked out of my eye and dropped on Thomas' shoulder. I sniffled and pushed back the other tears that tried to escape. "Come here" Thomas whispered as he wrapped an arm around my waist. He gently shifted me onto his lap so I was straddling him. He looked me in the eyes as he brushed my hair out of my face. Thomas pressed his lips to my forehead."Its okay to cry" he mumbled against my skin.

A few more tears ran down my face before I was full-out sobbing. Thomas tucked my head under his chin so my face was pressed against his chest. I don't even know why I was crying. Maybe it was because I was frustrated. Maybe its because Anthony is dead. Its most likely the latter.

As much as I want to despise him for kidnapping me as a baby; its just not possible. I can't hate someone that has given me everything I needed my whole life. I can't hate the person that raised me. I can't hate him because he's dead.

"Audrey. We should head back" Thomas spoke after about ten minutes of me crying. I didn't say anything, but I clung onto his shirt. I heard and felt him sigh before he carefully stood up, keeping a hand under my bottom so I wouldn't fall.

I continued to cry as he walked back to the pack house. On the bright side, I wasn't sobbing. There was just silent tears. I shouldn't even be crying. I shouldn't be carried by my mate as he brings us to his pack house. I shouldn't burden him with my problems.

Pushing back the rest of my tears, I slowly took a deep breath. "You can put me down now" I muttered. I was still holding onto his shirt so I wouldn't fall.

Hesitantly, Thomas set me on the ground. With my short height, his chest was right in front of me. There was crinkles on his shirt from being bunched up in my hands. He saw me staring and smoothed out his shirt. "Come on" he said softly while taking my hand in his.

We slowly walked to the pack house, and I pushed everything from today to the back of my mind. I had to focus on walking, since one step for Thomas is like five steps for me. Short girl problems. The walk only took about five minutes, since he carried me halfway there.

I dropped Thomas' hand as I walked up the porch. "I'm gonna go shower" I informed him quietly. He nodded his head as I went upstairs. I quickly grabbed a towel and went into a random guest room. Luckily, I picked one that had a bathroom.

I got in the shower and let the warm water wash away my stress. That plan failed. I ended up crying in the shower until my skin was as wrinkly as Mother Gothel from Tangled. Sighing, I got out and threw on some random clothes before curling up in the bed. "Today was just fucking amazing" I muttered to myself.

________________________________________________________________________________

Hey people!!

This update took so long... I'm so sorry...

Math homework and tests and studying and tutoring has taken up most of my time; so I haven't had much time to write. I just finished this, and the next chapter for Bearing the Royal Mark. Which I'm gonna update right after this.

Anyways...

Rejecting a Princess has over 2 million reads. Like whaaaattt?

You guys are freaking amazing!

Kayyyyzzz Byeeezzzz

~A.J.