Lorenzo.

I turn to face Oh and I didn't miss the look of pain and sadness present on his face. A sudden burst of realisation hits me like a ton of bricks.

*Flashback*

"Chloe! Where are you going?"

I stop running and glance at the four year old Lorenzo who wore a heartbroken expression. He hadn't been himself since his parents, Gammas Trent and Kamilla died mysteriously a few months ago. It wasn't usual to hear him talking.

"Chloe, please don't leave." He begs me.

"I'm sorry Lori. I'm so sorry." I pull him into a hug.

"Pinkie swear you'll come back for me?"

I take his pinky finger and lock it with mine.

"I swear, Lori. You're my best friend, I'll always come back for you. I just can't stay now."

"You're my only friend, Chloe. I don't wanna be alone now." Tears stream down his face. His grey eyes are sad, and look like rain clouds.

I start crying too. But I wanna go away, this place isn't safe for me anymore. I get an idea.

"Come with me Lori. We'll always be together then!" I tug his hand.

He shakes his head and yanks his arm away from me.

"Just go Chloe. Like everyone else did."

He gives me a look of sadness and it makes me feel worse that I am the cause of his pain and tears.

"Bye." I say before running.

I don't look back because I know I'll see Lorenzo's sad face again.

*End of flashback*

I can't believe it. I am brought back to reality and just as I was about to say something, he's gone.

No! I lost my Lori once in the past and I'm not going to lose him again.

I run in the direction of his scent.

"Chloe!"

"Your highness!"

"Chlo! Hold up!"

I ignore everyone's calls for me. He's supposed to be my best friend, my gamma. And he's running away.

Sounds fair, you ran away when you couldn't handle the heat.

Kasey, shut up. You don't understand.

Yes I do understand! You ran away when your parents died like a coward. Imagine everything that boy has been through! He lost his parents, then he lost his only friend and support system. I'd run away from you too if I was him-

I tried looking for him when I got back, Kasey! There wasn't a single trace of him! It was like everyone forgot about him!

Then it clicks. I stop in my tracks.

Everyone forgot him. Including me at some point.

Man I screwed up. I sigh deeply and retreat back to the castle.

I spend the rest of my night in a spare bedroom with Darcy.

~

"He isn't at the clearing and I haven't seen him all day. I think he's running away. From you."

Darcy and I have searched the entire school, and still no Lorenzo.

I need to apologise and talk things out with him.

"Chloe, give him some space. Remember that he's an omega. He obviously had issues growing up. Imagine losing everyone you care about." Darcy continues.

"Fine. I'll keep my distance then." I sigh.

"Besides,you've got important things coming up. Like your eighteenth birthday and your coronation."

I roll my eyes and groan at the mention of being coronated as crown princess. Sure, living in a castle, being fussed over is nice, I just don't think I'm ready to rule the entire werewolf species yet.

Imagine an entire population depending on you.

What makes it worse is that I still have yet to search for my mate. But honestly, I don't need one. Mia's been doing fine as the Alpha regent on her own. And I've heard of some packs doing well under the leadership of strong unmated female Alphas.

Besides, I'd really hate for my mate to be one of those sexist Alphas who see women as objects, possessions and think that we are below them. The entire werewolf and witch species are ruled by women for goddess' sake!

Another thing that makes me mad is that the council actually went and organised for every unmated Alpha to attend a formal dinner the day after my birthday so I can find my mate. Stupendous!

Note the sarcasm.

Like, I mean, we have annual Alpha meetings held here in the castle, couldn't they wait until then?

"H-hello, Alpha princess Chloe, Princess Darcy!"

I look at the muscular brown haired male wolf with dark green eyes and a slight over bite. I've seen him before. He's in one of the popular mixed species squads.

"Hello there, uhm..." Darcy says.

"Linkin. It's an honour to meet you, your highnesses." He says with a respectful bow.

"No need for the formalities, Linkin. Here at school, we're just Chloe and Darcy." I say with a smile.

"Oh. I'd like to ask you about Lorenzo. He lives with me and my mom, but he didn't come home last night, neither have I seen him around at school."

"And what makes you think he'd be with us?" I raise an eyebrow.

"He speaks very fondly about you two. Especially you, Chloe."

"He speaks!?" Darcy and I yell at him.

"No, no, no. I mean, he has this notebook he draws in. He usually draws things that happen to him throughout the day. And you two have been in his drawings for quite a while now."

"Aren't those kind of things private?" Darcy interrupts.

"Nah, he shows them to me." He shrugs. "So have you seen him?"

"Nope. We were just looking for him." I say.

"Oh. How did you meet him, if I may ask? He always avoids everyone."

"Oh we-"

"It's personal." I prevent Darcy from saying what she was going to say.

"Okay. If you see him, please let me know. My mom is worried about him." He walks back to his squad.

I sigh in defeat. I lost my childhood best friend yet again.

Lorenzo

The wind tousles my thick black fur as I run to nowhere in particular.

Chloe knows now. She thinks that I've been hiding from her. Since the day she left when we were pups, I had been hoping and praying to the moon goddess that my only friend came back. After two years of waiting, I gave up.

I went down the ranks and became one of the omegas. And somehow, being a male made my suffering worse.

Why are you running from mate? Ford snarls.

I can't. She'll never look at me the same. She even replaced my gamma position with another she-wolf .

That's because we are supposed to be king!

She doesn't know that! Besides, the packs will rebel against her if they knew that a weakling like me is going to be their king. She'll reject us and find a strong unmated alpha to be her king.

I am no weakling! For too long have I stayed dormant and allowed us to be treated like rubbish when we are supposed to be treated better. Ford growls at me.

I find myself coming to a halt as I near the edge of a cliff. Ford might be right. But where do I begin to tell Chloe that I'm her mate? She and I used to be the best of friends before she ran away because of Kenneth's attempt to kill her, and now that she and I have crossed paths once more, we've rekindled our friendship.

That's the problem.

She's friend zoned me.

And I'm already in love with her.

I rest my wolf head on my one paw and cover my eyes with the other.

I then do what every male wolf would shun me for doing.

I cry silently, like I've been doing for many years.

After a few minutes of letting out my tears, I stand up on all fours and give out a long howl of sorrow.

I then trod off back in the direction I came from with my head hung low.

A stone hits my wolf head. I growl and turn to the direction the stone came from.

I am met with a fierce looking girl who looks fit enough to beat twenty warriors. Her waist-length obsidian black hair is in a braid cascading down her back and her facial expression is dark. She wears a black leather jacket, black leather gloves and camo pants along with black combat boots. Her look is finished with a black eye patch covering her right eye.

I wonder how that happened. Her only eye is as dark as raging storm clouds. Her thin lips are set in a straight line.

In her left hand, a silver dagger rests.

"You're on private lands, mutt." she growls.

I immediately get in a defensive stance.

"I'll give you five minutes max to get the fuck out of here or I'm hunting you down."

I look at her in confusion.

"What? I'm not as bad as they say I am." She shrugs before returning to her intimidating stance.

A wave of realisation sweeps me off my feet. Well, paws, but there's no time for logic.

I am standing in front of the most feared she-wolf in the pack.

As fast as lightning, as illusive as the wind. Nearly feral and a force to be reckoned with. Parents tell children stories about her so they don't sneak out at night.

The single most powerful weapon in a war. Those who come across her do not leave in one piece.

The Storm.

I am on her restricted land and she looks damn pissed about it.

She raises an eyebrow.

I whimper and cautiously pass her intimidating frame.

"Some free advice. Fix things up with your mate." She calls after me.

I turn around and glance at her. She holds up her free hand and puts down her pinky finger and ring finger, leaving three fingers up.

Three minutes to go away.

I waste no time in running as fast as I can. Adrenaline pumps through me, making me run faster with each stride.

A faint chuckle rings through my ears.

I run until I reach the familiar forest near the Angelica Halo High school grounds.

I slow down and eventually stop.

I pad over to a small stream and sit next to the water. I lap the water greedily and sit.

Maybe the Storm is right.

I should fix things with my mate.

But how the hell did she know? And why did she let us live?

I don't know, Ford. But what puzzles me is, why did she let us go unscathed?

I might know.

What! Tell me now!

She is - she and her wolf are our... never mind.

Ford? Ford!

He retreats to the dark place in my mind where I can barely sense his presence.

I get up and head back home with so many unanswered questions swimming in my head.

Maybe she could be...no.

No.