Page 9 of An Enigma for the Lycan Crown Prince

I recognize the person who is driving Elden around. He is always with Beta Samuel and sometimes Gamma Tobias, so it seems like the alpha trusts him. Elden and I both climb into the car, and he drives off with us, while Elden explains to me that we are going to pick up Jace on the way, too. This is the first time for me driving to school in peace and actually having fun. I can see the beings of light curiously fluttering around Elden, some of them settling down on his shoulder.

They like him, and I’m so glad they do. I don’t know why it’s important to me, but it puts my mind at ease.

Elden’s friend Jace lives in another pack. It’s not a far ride, though, and soon we drive through the pack grounds towards his pack house. He is already waiting for us. I keep my head low during school normally, which is why I didn’t pay attention to anything or anyone around me, but now that I look around, I realize that I have watched Elden sometimes… without knowing that I did, like my mind had a will of its own and needed to follow him around.

Jace, the boy with blond hair, is always with him. It’s always just these two and no one else. Both of them are alpha’s sons,who are admired by everyone. How come they never spend time with anyone else?

Jace tosses his bag into the car before jumping into it. He blinks when he sees me. “Who is she?”

“I’m Flora!” I reach out my hand to shake his like Grandma taught me to when I meet someone for the first time. “I’m Elden’s best friend. You must be his other best friend? It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“He hasn’t told me about you,” Jace blinks.

“Well, that’s because I have been his best friend ever since yesterday!” I explain.

When Jace looks at Elden, he nods. “It’s like she said.”

“And your dad doesn’t mind?” Jace wants to know. “You know… well…”

“He approves,” Elden tells him.

His words get me curious. “What do you mean?” I ask when the car drives off again.

“Dad doesn’t want me to hang out with the other kids,” Elden explains. “But he doesn’t mind Jace. His dad is a friend of my dad. But I’m not allowed to hang out with the others. He doesn’t want me to play with someone who is-” he pauses, grimacing. “-beneath me.”

So, Elden’s dad disapproves of everyone but Jace.

Grandma is just happy when I have a friend. She couldn’t care less if it’s a prince, an omega or even a human.

“And me?” I ask. “He probably hates me.”

“No, he approves,” he pauses, “not that his disapproval would have stopped me this time.”

Well, seeing how Elden only has Jace and me, I need to be the best friend he possibly can have to make up for all that he misses.

School today is amazing. For the first time I am able to actually focus on my schoolwork, and then I get to hang out with Jace and Elden. We even have lunch together and spend our breaks with each other. Jace doesn’t seem to mind my presence at all, and actually says he thinks it’s fun that we are one person more now.

To my surprise, no one in school bullies me or makes fun of me. Two or three kids even greet me, and there are certainly a lot of curious glances. The kids who were chasing me yesterday, don’t even dare to look at me, which is kind of weird. I don’t know what changed, I am still the same me.

“We could hang out on the weekend,” Jace suggests when we are on our way back, once again picked up by a driver. This time it’s someone else. I think it’s one of the warriors, but I’m not sure.

“Hm,” Elden says. “I guess we could.”

“Yeah, you and Flora can come and visit me. So, you can spend a day away from your family,” Jace mutters. “It must be so depressing.”

His words strike something in me. What’s depressing? Elden doesn’t reply to Jace now, so it must be true. I can see the beings of light fluttering around me now. It feels like they talk to me, like they want to show me something. I catch one of them between my hands, staring at it.

Look,it says.

I am looking,I reply.

You only look with your human eyes.

My human eyes? I blink at it before raising my gaze again to stare at Elden. For a split second, there is something… like a cloud is wrapped around him. Like something reaches out its hands to grab him. I let go of the light.Make it go away!

I can’t,it says.No one can just chase sorrow and pain away. But I can make it easier.

I notice how the light settles on Elden’s shoulder, the darkness subsiding a little. Then, as fast as I saw it, it’s gone, and I can’t see anything specific anymore.