10.
Sienna
Parent/Teacher Day. I always hated this day. The first time I brought home the letter to my mother, she was confused as hell as to this get-together. A whole afternoon filled with other parents and your teachers as they talk of each child's weaknesses and strengths. The parents of my classmates were very weird. They stared at my brother and mother like superstars and was always intrigued with our accents. Heck, they were other Spanish speaking kids at the school but they were drawn to my family in droves.
Men openly adored my mother even if their wives were beside them and my brother well, he had the girls and their mothers fawning over him. I knew it was the genes of my people being pleasing to the eye but it gets annoying after a while. The next part was always the question, "Where is her father?". Whenever they answer, "He's no longer with us." I always felt guilty. Sad. Nauseated. They said it so many times that it was like a mantra to them, now that I know he's alive and near I wanted to tell the whole damn world.
Presently I was seated in the cafeteria eating an early breakfast, thinking how this day will turn out, dressed in a simple white sundress and a rose pink low cut converse I was happy the uniforms were away for the day. "Hey you. I missed you last night." Kissing my temple, Matthew sat down before me with a heart-melting smile on his face.
"I guess training wiped me out" I lied with a fake smile. Since his fight with Mina, I watched him differently. How can he be so vile with his words towards his own family? No matter how different people are, you have no right to treat them harshly.
"That's a lie Sienna. Ever since the fight between Mina and I, you've been avoiding me, you even canceled our dates. What is it, love? Mina and I always fight, its no big deal," You can see the frustration in his eyes though he was trying to play it off.
"Why do you hate Mina's brother so much? You all carry the same title as Prince. Connected by the same blood." I didn't care if it was a sore subject, I wanted to know why he had so much anger for his cousin.
"You won't understand," he said shortly while leaning back in his chair. "Then make me understand" I pressed. I wasn't choosing sides, heck I haven't even talked to Mina about it only the secret Sasha told me which was weird.
He watched me intensely then ran his fingers through his hair tugging at the roots. "In our family, all three families to be exact, we have to prove ourselves to our parents that we are old enough and wise enough to rule once we take the throne. I watched my brother Sean go through so much training both physically and mentally to prove to our parents and the elders that he was right for the throne. I had to go through the same training. Sean was nineteen when he took the throne. I was so proud of him but our mother was always bragging about Nikolai. The first son of Prince Angelo.
It was like she wished he was her son and not her nephew, we were nothing to her. He came into his powers really late and he shifted later than all of us but he was like a damn golden child. His parents fawned over him, he kept to himself all the time even with his own family. What pissed me off the most, he was dubbed the prince of Russia at eleven. Fucking eleven. He didn't have a wolf nor gifts but he was given the throne still. He didn't have to work as hard as us. Shit, to people it may seem petty but they don't know what it is like to be living below the golden child. Everything is Nikolai. Nikolai. Nikolai. Why can't you be respectful like your cousin? Nikolai won't do that. It was driving me crazy. To make matters worse if my older cousins Reign and Cain don't drop their wild ways he would be king."
I sat there dumbstruck, I didn't know how to comfort him, I never had to grow up in an elder sibling's limelight. "How was he dubbed the Russian Prince? Sorry if I'm not up to date with the history of our people"
He simply nodded and answered. "His mother is the daughter of the late Nikolai Starkov III who was the high alpha in Russia. The most powerful business tycoon. When aunt Amelia mated to uncle Angelo she decided to stay in New York, everything was shifted to the firstborn. He became the next high alpha upon birth. Nikolai Starkov-Saville IV. He's basically under Uncle Caiden in royalty. The American supernatural kingdom has a lot of dominance in our world, the European seat is simply supported but the kingdom Nikolai now has control of is nearly dominant as the Americans. Our father told us the reason for this is because of the territory is vast. Different countries and so many packs the world has no knowledge of. They go to the Russian Alphas because of the similar need to be peaceful and out of the eyes of many."
"Wow." was all I can say then I remembered Mina speaking to someone in Russian when I first came to Landon Prep. "Oh so that's why Mina was speaking Russian"
"As I heard from my mother, his first words were in Russian. English is his second language. What a freak."
"Matthew this hatred for your cousin all stems from jealousy. No one asks to be born into poverty or privilege. I am sure he's equally trained just like his cousins."
"Then I guess its all jealousy my cousins and I have for him," he said smugly. My brows furrowed in confusion, they all have the same title, wealth, loving parents why hate their own blood?
Shaking my head in disbelief, I got up to leave him but he shot out and grab me by my wrist. "Sienna seriously what is going on?" he asked his voice was already breaking.
"It seems that power would be your downfall. I may not know your older cousin but I do know he didn't deserve to be shunned by his family for being different. I'm starting to re-think this relationship. I have to go, my brother is here." I quietly said shaking him off, leaving him in the cafeteria.
"Do you like it here? " Jovian asked nervously. We just came from the last meeting with my coach and we were taking a walk through the gardens. His wild curls were dancing with the wind causing me to giggle, he hates to comb his hair so the wind was his hairstylist. "I do."
It was the first time we have been together since my birthday when he came earlier our greeting was awkward but things got smoother during the day. "You look happier than back at the human school," he commented. I simply nodded but didn't verbally say anything as we walked enjoying the scenery around us. Questions in my mind were waiting to be put out there even Layla had questions and was pushing me. The constant nagging caused me to blurt out the first question that came. "Why am I here?"
Jovian stopped in his tracks, his body was tense, he tucked his hands deeper in the front pockets of his jeans. "Please. Don't"
"Don't what Jovian? Don't ask about the reason why I am here? We are considered a small town pack back in Phili. All of a sudden I'm in a boarding school filled with snotty alpha kids and royalty. Tell me why the heck I am here. If you refuse to tell me, consider me no longer your sister." I ranted. My last statement seems to get him to move, he turned around eyes blazing, Jovian was fighting with himself. Tears rolled from his eyes as he stepped towards me, "I-I didn't want to believe them because they were taking you away from me. Every day I set myself up for the pain when they decide to come for you. I lost papa and then I was going to lose you."
"Jovi what is it you're trying to say," I asked confusion still had me trapped.
"By order of the late queen, we are under their protection. Especially you."