Sins Among Royals
Chapter 2

Poppy bounded up the stairs and towards Indie’s room to replace any kind of clothing to wear. Even though she was used to the nudity that came after shifting back into her human form she discovered that while in her human form she felt the cold much faster than she felt any kind of warmth, so clothing was a necessity, especially during the colder months of the year.

In all her years of life, Rita had seen severe weather, like what they were experiencing, maim people and even claim lives so the thought of Poppy returning home to her parents was out of the question. She would have to stay the night. Though they both could have shifted into their wolf forms and Indie be back in minutes, there was a good chance the local Wardens were out checking the roads and making sure there were no fallen trees or rocks anywhere that might hinder drivers going up and down the mountain pass.

“Indie!” Poppy whined from the bedroom.

Young Indie couldn’t help but roll her eyes when she heard her best friends voice. There was no doubt in her mind that Poppy was complaining for no good reason. “I’m coming!” Indie yelled dragging herself up the stairs in a rather dramatic fashion. She soon reached the door of her room and pushed it open gently, gasping at Poppy, her room was a mess. “Dude! You’ve only been in here like two minutes! What the hell are you doing?!”

Poppy had rifled through all of Indie’s clothes looking for something appropriate to wear, but nothing suited her tastes. “Why are all your clothes baggy and stuff? I thought we’d talked about this before? ” She asked with a frown on her face as she held something up to her slight frame in the full-length mirror, “and so dark! Everything is like a different shade of depressing.”

“We didn’t talk about my baggy clothes, you talked and I pretended to listen!” Indie chuckled at her own humor. “Besides, black is the new black and baggy is comfy!” It wasn’t that Indie was depressed or worshiped devils in dark caves, but she liked dark colors, they were what suited her best and made it easier to plan outfits. “Besides why are you going through my stuff?” Indie walked to the small wardrobe that held her few formal garments and her many pairs of sneakers. “You have a bag of stuff here, remember?” It was decided that after the fourth time Poppy ran to see Indie in wolf form that she should have and leave a bag of clothing there just in case.

“Oh yeah!” Poppy yelled as she dropped what she was holding and took the bag from Indie’s hands, “totally forgot about that.” She giggled as she began rifling through the duffel bag with great enthusiasm. After pulling a pair of purple pajamas from the bag she changed quickly and looked sheepishly at the mess on the floor, “just stuff it under the bed, you won’t even notice.” With a shrug, she tossed her bag back in the wardrobe ready for her next late night visit to the Jones household.

Indie changed quickly into a pair of baggy track pants and a loose fitting shirt as they heard Rita calling for the girls to join her downstairs. The differences between the girls were as clear as night and day. While Indie dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a baggy grey t-shirt Poppy was dressed in purple from head to thigh but even her toenails alternated between pink and purple, the polish chipping away on some. Poppy’s blond hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail while Indie wore hers in a messy bun with bits of hair hanging out all over the place. Despite their differences, Indie often put up with Poppy’s incessant chatter and gossip because they had a powerful bond that no one but the two of them could understand.

The girls raced down the stairs looking for Rita only to replace her in the kitchen plating the evening meal. The warmth radiating from the kitchen was calming and soothing, something Indie had always loved about her home. It was usually the same with Poppy and her family too but it was a little more chaotic and loud.

“Would you like any help, Mrs Jones?” Poppy asked as she leaned against the kitchen island lazily hoping her aunt would say no.

“Where’s dad?” Indie asked quickly as she took a morsel of food from one of the plates and shoved it in her mouth, her mother narrowed her eyes at the disobedient child she’d raised. “Will he be back tonight?” Indie often found her father rather busy these days which was a great disappointment to her. She loved spending time with her father but he was always out of the house helping the Alpha with things.

“He’ll probably be late tonight honey. He and Hunter have gone to help prepare for the future King’s arrival.” Rita had grown used to their Alphas intrusions in their lives, although it still bothered her considerably there was nothing she could do about it. Not unless she wanted punishment for her and her family.

“Oh, do you have any secrets you can spill? Any insider information you can let slip Mrs Jones?” Poppy was desperate to know anything about the visitor headed towards them. She dreamed of being the next Alpha Queen if only for the fabulous clothes she’d be allowed to buy and all the travelling she’d be allowed to do with her sexy hunk of a husband. By all accounts, he was arrogant and self-centered and that’s how Poppy liked it, it meant she’d be left to her own devices.

“Poppy, how many times do I have to tell you? It’s Aunt or Rita. Not Mrs Jones.” Rita growled the young blond quickly. “Never Mrs Jones”, a shiver ran the length of Rita’s spine as she recalled her mother in law.

“Mom has a weird thing about that Poppy,” Indie added with a sly grin. “Don’t you remember grandma Floss?” Those that didn’t know or couldn’t recall grandma Floss were the lucky ones. Florence Jones was a woman whose bite was far, far worse than any bark and Rita was often the victim of her spiteful words. Florence Jones had raised seven children on her own after her husband’s life was cut short, she was tough, resilient, foul-mouthed and a little too honest and liberal with her opinions, especially when it came to Rita.

“Ohh!” It dawned on Poppy quickly, and she soon remembered the grandmother Indie didn’t like. “Okay point taken! Aunt Rita, it is then!”

With a sarcastic smile, Rita handed Poppy a plate of food, “go eat and watch telly or something. I’ll be in here drinking my cheap bottle of wine, fantasizing about all the ways I could kill Flossy.” It had been a long day for Rita, one she didn’t want to have to repeat any time soon but with the leader of their entire world arriving in the next couple of days, everyone in the pack had no choice but to make an effort whether they liked it or not.

Rita rather agreed with her daughter’s blunt views on the whole matter. It was a great annoyance that so much effort needed to be put in for one night. Surely he wouldn’t replace his mate in Aspen or Stoneden; everyone was confident he would leave as soon as he’d seen all the eligible females. Indie and Poppy walked into the family room and sat in front of the TV with their heaping plates of food.

“Will Rita be alright?” Poppy asked quickly as she snatched the remote from Indie’s hands and found something for them to watch.

“She’ll be fine, she always says things like that but doesn’t mean it,” Indie informed her friend before moving on quickly, “what are you wearing anyway?” Indie wanted to know what Poppy had in mind. No doubt she’d have something over the top and more than a little outrageous planned.

“I don’t know, but it has to be lacy and pink,” to Poppy femininity was tied in to, and was almost wholly dependent on the color pink and her blond hair, it was her pretty much her identity.

“Of course. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” Indie chortled mockingly. “Just wear your underwear, that’ll make the night go by faster.” She teased again, “it’ll probably be the best drama too,” Indie couldn’t help but laugh when all she could imagine was Poppy running away from their future Alpha King.

“Hey, ass hat don’t get too smart! You’ll be kissing my feet when I become Queen,” teased Poppy in return.

“I won’t be kissing anyone’s feet, let alone yours.” Teasing each other came very naturally to the girls, almost as if they were sisters. They were both the only girls in their families and while Poppy had one brother, Indie had two. Hunter and Chase. Hunter was the oldest in the family and had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders but Chase, well nothing in his life was ever too serious. A junior in high school he was the class clown, the prankster and he had a huge crush on Poppy which often made things a little awkward.

“You will do as I command, peasant! If I say kiss them you will damn well make love to them!” Poppy teased her friend relentlessly. In her mind Indie wouldn’t even get a second look from the Alpha, it was her that he was going to pick and she was confident of that. The Alpha Kings visit was just for him to take her and get her out of Aspen as she had always dreamed. It never, ever occurred to Poppy that their King would or could ever be mated to anyone else.

“Well I think you’d be a perfect match for him Pop,” Indie didn’t want to keep talking about what she’d have to do if Poppy became Queen the thought alone was a total nightmare. Indie wrapped her mouth around a small potato as the front door opened with its familiar creak.

Hunter walked in looking worse for wear. His shoulders were slumped, and he looked more than a little tired. He shuffled around as he wiped his feet on the coarse mat that lay on the inside of the door, his dark hair was stiff with mud and his hands were dirty, he looked like he’d been swimming with pigs.

Poppy visibly perked up at the sight of Hunter. It was no secret that Poppy had a long-standing crush on him but it was only ever in her head. Everyone knew and noticed the change in Poppy whenever Hunter was around. It was quite pathetic. “Hey, Hunter!” She called out gleefully as she stifled a giggle by stuffing food into her mouth, it also distracted her when he turned to look at Poppy and his little sister Indie.

Hunter, however, thought Poppy was a stupid girl that refused to grow up, he wasn’t always so forward with his thoughts and he kept most of them to himself but Poppy was probably not his type. Hunter was in his mid-twenties and found it more than a little embarrassing that Poppy was so obvious. Turning from the girls, he stalked off to the kitchen and began venting with great frustration to his mother. It seemed many people were not looking forward to the king’s visit.

“One day he’ll know I exist,” Poppy whispered as she stuffed more food into her mouth.

All Indie could do was roll her eyes. Poppy was desperate to be noticed by anyone, but the only way she knew how to get attention was through flamboyance and drama and although Indie always wanted what was best for her friend there were times when Indie just wished she’d keep her mouth shut.

After finishing their dinner, the chatter between the two girls slowed with long pauses between their conversation. The two girls grew tired of watching TV and, after returning their plates to the kitchen went up to Indies room to sleep. Her double bed was large enough for both of them, and they usually shared beds when they stayed at each other’s homes, often giggling till the early morning hours about anything and everything.

Climbing in one side, each the girls pulled the covers up over themselves. “Would you really make me kiss your feet?” Indie whispered as quiet as a mouse.

Both girls stopped talking when they heard heavy steps trudging up the staircase outside Indies room. Hunters room was next to hers, and when he was in a mood it was better to be quiet least they wanted to suffer his wrath. He looked like he had been sent to the worst place in the world and made to do the worst jobs imaginable, so the girls hid under the covers and whispered to each other quietly. They weaved their fingers together and held each other’s hands tightly, their foreheads almost touching. Indie could see her friends eyes staring back at her and Poppy made herself comfortable with Indie’s eerily dark eyes.

Poppy then smiled and scoffed, “no you idiot, of course I wouldn’t make you kiss my feet. You’re my best friend. I wouldn’t do that to you.” Although Poppy insisted she wouldn’t. “If your name were Madeline however,” Poppy smiled with a sinister look on her face, “then we’d be having a totally different conversation.”

“I think we better get some sleep. I have a feeling you’ll be dragging me to the city tomorrow to go shopping.” Although Indie wasn’t looking forward to the King’s visit, there was no way she could get out of it, so she had to go along with it.

Poppy smiled warmly and took Indies hand, “I love you b-f-f-f-l.”

“Love you too b-f-f-f-l. Now shut the hell up and get some beauty sleep.” Indie smiled through her tiredness, “You really need it.”

Both girls laughed and drifted off to sleep. For Poppy, it was a sleep filled with dreams, but for Indie she couldn’t get comfortable, it was a sleep filled with a sense of dread and a deep, unsettling feeling.