Lyne looked up to the window opposite where she lay and couldn't deny the fact that a lot has been going on in her life that required her strength. She had been seeking freedom all her life as she lived with her family but was the freedom she sought similar to this one? From bullying to abandonment, to falling carelessly in love with Zeidan, to getting heartbroken and healing again. And now, she is carrying her child. 

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of having a child of her own. Training that child and bringing the baby up to be upright, honest, and almost perfect if not perfect. She would have to be in charge of keeping her safe, protecting her, and at the same time performing her Queenly duties. She wondered if she could do all those at her age. Speaking of age, her birthday will be coming up in a few weeks. She smiled, realizing it won't be another moment of taunting and bullying. 

"You don't deserve to be with us, Lyne." Korba had said once when her father threw a party for her 18th birthday ceremony. 

"You embarrass us."

"I'm sorry, why do you think so?" She asked her sister who just clicked her tongue and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You'll get to understand, soon." 

And with that, Korba went away.

To date, she still cannot place a finger on what her sister meant. Yes, she knew they were always against her for not having a Wolf but what else was she doing that she didn't know? She might know. Or not.

"Whatever," Lyne muttered to herself, as she sat alone, in the room. 

She made to stand up but regretted it as she felt a stabbing pain on her forehead and waist. 

"Ahhh." She cried out and sat back down.

Furious and frustrated because the pain seemed to linger for a long time, thereby restricting her from doing several other things. Self-healing. She thought. 

"I'll try."

Closing her eyes, she inhaled, and the images of the war flashed through her eyes simultaneously. Seeing Zeidan from afar, leading her army and fighting the leader of their opponents himself. Tearing apart Werecats without mercy. She flung her eyes open, breathing roughly already. She was feeling weak.

"Damn. Again."

Lyne locked her eyes shut, trying hard to shut down her mind against the memory of her Wolf. Wait. Does her Wolf have a different memory? Maybe she and her Wolf are two different people and she just has to learn to tame her wolf. She placed a hand on her wounded side and remembered the face of her Wolf like she had seen in the dream. The picture began to form. From the v-shaped face before her to the red eyes, to the furry white body. It finished forming and what stared back at her was fierce. Fiercer than anything she had known. This was her wolf.

She thought of the wound on her side and began to imagine it close up. The Wolf closed her eyes and by the time she would open it, it had a line of blue, wiggly, and trying to take over the color. It sparked and her wound stung.

"Argh!" She cried out and laid back on the bed, tired of trying.

"I was thinking you wouldn't try to tame it." A voice was heard from the entrance of the dark room.

"Who are you?" 

A flicker of light was ignited and Amber's face became visible behind the orange glow.

"I'm sorry, my Lady." Amber apologized and moved closer, sitting by her side.

"You know about Wolves?" Lyne inquired from the young lady with a smile plastered on her face. 

"I do know a little about them. The rest I made a research on myself."

"How? I mean, you're a Vampire and as a worker in the palace, I don't think you're allowed to make friends outside your clan."

"You think if that was so, the King would even think of marrying you?" 

She was right. He wouldn't even think of marrying her. But then he needed an army and must therefore marry her to get it. 

"He would still have to marry me to get the army whether he was supposed to or not. Remember our people killed his Father."

"The King doesn't look like he married you for a cause. Have you ever thought that he didn't have a particular princess in mind when he left here? Yet, he chose you."

Lyne frowned. Hasn't he mentioned it sometime back? That the moment he saw her, he had wanted her? However, taming her wolf is the most important. 

"So, how do you know about us?"

"I used to have friends from your clans until I joined here a hundred years ago."

And that got stuck in her throat, causing her to choke on her thoughts. Hundred?

"You lived for over a hundred years? I mean, look at you!" Lyne pointed at her face. "All young and...agile!"

Amber laughed throatily. "You mean, four hundred years old?" 

"Oh my god!" Lyne exclaimed and clasped a hand over her mouth. "I...I can't believe this. You vampires. You always have a way to escape death easily. How did you always do that? You lived during the ancient Vampires?"

Amber nodded. "Yes."

"Wow." She chuckled. "That's something."

"You can't tame your Wolf overnight, though. It's not something that can be done without practice. You need a lot of willfulness, and strength and have to agree with your Wolf..."

"That explains the blue strike over the eyes," Lyne muttered to herself.

Thinking about it now, her battle had been about her struggles with her Wolf.

"Don't try to overshadow your Wolf or place your inner self over it. Work hand in hand together and you'll find a mutual relationship between you three."

"Three?"

"Yes. Your inner self, your Wolf, and you. You all have to work together to be able to do whatever is needed to be done without imposing on one another." 

She was right. Maybe she had been imposing too much on her Wolf.

"How have I been imposing on my Wolf?"

"Probably trying to do something your Wolf doesn't want to do or not doing something that it wants you to do."

Amber placed a hand on her arm.

"Don't jump steps, my dear. Self-healing comes after you have agreed with your people. That is, let your inner self channel your desire to your Wolf and not you."

"Amber!" A voice called from the outside and she turned her head towards the outside.

"I guess it's time to go."

"Yeah...I know. Just go."

Amber rose to go but placed the lamp by the bedside before facing her. 

"Let's do this sometime later, My Lady?"

Lyne nodded but provoked the headache. 

"Only after I heal."

Amber laughed and walked outside.

"You will."