Chapter 26：Turning eighteen

Eve's POV:

I finally turned eighteen today. I woke up at eight in the morning to see red roses surrounding my room. Ruka sent it with a card that said happy birthday. After having a shower, I was surprised to see Rini, Jessi, Bella, and Lizzy in my room with gifts.

I loved all the gifts. Aiden had made me a drawing as a present that was cute. Ruka and Sebastian had called to wish me a happy birthday.

I was sitting out in the garden now waiting for my parents to arrive at the castle. Jessi and Rini were inside checking out the castle with Lizzy and Bella.

I saw a car drive at the gate and stopped in front of the main entrance. Both my parents got outside the car and shutting it.

"Mom! Dad!" I called out excitedly. It was almost three weeks I had last seen them.

My mom embraced me in a bone-crushing hug, "Happy birthday sweetie," she wished me kissing my cheek.

"Thanks, mom," I replied and then hugged my dad.

"Happy birthday, baby girl," he wished me, "Turned eighteen, huh?" he said knowingly.

"Yes," I replied to him with a wide grin on my face, "Come on, I want you to meet some people," I said pulling his hand and going inside the castle.

Taking a few turns inside the castle, we went to the hall. Andria, Aiden, Lizzy, Bella, Louis, Jessi, and Rini were sitting on the couch. I made the introductions telling who is who, and they got along fine.

Everything was going well. My parents and best friends were here, there was my future family too. Only Ruka and Sebastian were missing. Megan had gone to her dad, which was a relief.

I spent my afternoon with my parents talking about college and their trip. I had literally missed them. Now I was in my room with Jessi and Rini. We spoke about a lot of stuff and I told them about Ruka.

"Really?" Rini asked wide-eyed.

"Yeah," I replied looking anywhere but them.

"Why is that you didn't tell us about it until now, hmm?" Jessi questioned me.

"It was a secret like I said before," I said defending myself," And you're not supposed to tell it to your mates."

"I knew it," Jessi said after a while.

"What?!" I asked shocked.

"Not that you were the king's mate but that you were kissed by your mate," she replied shrugging her shoulder and smiling.

"Well that does make sense," Rini said and had this broad smile on her face that made me feel a little better and after few seconds yelled, "We all have mates now!"

Someone knocked on my door and opened it. It was Grenda.

"Miss Eve, you're being called down with your friends," she informed me.

"We'll be there." Going down I saw a cake placed. By the look of it, I could say it was made of chocolate frosting. Yummy. I always felt awkward going and standing in front of the cake, not knowing when to blow the candles and cut the cake.

"Wish for something before you blow out the candle," Rini reminded me excited.

"Yes, wish for something," Lizzy chimed in. Making a wish, I blew out the candles and cut the cake. We sat out eating the cake until Rini saw the maze in the garden.

We went to the garden and entered the maze. It was difficult, all the routes looked the same. At the end of it, I couldn't say where the castle entrance was.

"Lizzy!" I called her, "Help me out." And she was there in a second laughing at my dilemma.

"Come on," she said pulling my hand, "I like them," she said when we reached the exit meaning Jessi and Rini. Rini was already out of the maze talking to Bella.

"I guess Jessi is the only who's inside," Rini said seeing us. In a minute Jessi came out a little tired.

"Next time I'm not going inside that," Jessi said us. We went to my room checking out the dress we were going to wear tonight to the club.

"You asked him right?" Lizzy asked confirming that Ruka had given an okay to go to the club.

"Yes," I replied to her, "He told Louis and Derek would accompany us."

"Men," Jessi and Rini said together, which made us all laugh.

"I'm glad Megan is away for a week," Bella said as we matched our shoes and accessories.

"Who's Megan?" Jessi asked.

"She's an annoying person who doesn't get along and likes Ruka," Lizzy replied.

Rini looked at me and smiled, "You have a rival huh."

"Yeah," I sighed and Rini patted my back.

My parents told me that they would go to our house to get a few things and had left the castle in the evening. We later got ready, dressing up. We were going to the club so all of us had our one piece ready. Mine was a black tube dress; the material clung to my body showing my curves. I put on a light make up and blow-dried my hair.

"Is everyone ready?" Louis asked behind the door knocking it.

"Yes, almost done," I replied checking myself in the mirror for the last time.

Getting into the car we went to the 14th street. When we reached, we met up with Derek who was waiting for us outside. This club was huge.

"Hey, happy birthday," Derek wished me with a hug. We took the pass and went inside. The music was blasting, the lighting dimmed a little and I could see people dancing on the floor.

We got to the counter and ordered our drinks, drinking it. We were having the third shot now and giggling. Louis and Derek sat there scanning at the crowd, their drink untouched.

"Let's dance!" Bella yelled and we girls nodded in agreement leaving the boys behind at the counter.

Getting on the dance floor, we started dancing moving our body in sync with the music. I could tell that the alcohol was taking over my body as we danced making me light headed but was this how the alcohol normally reacted on the body. It felt somewhat strange and a little dizzy. Lizzy and Bella had found people to dance with, dancing all sexy.

I laughed as I saw Rini and Jessi dance together. I wish Ruka were here. I felt the emptiness in my heart, wonder if it was the mating pull. The dance floor was impossibly crowded and I had lost my friends in the crowd. I continued dancing when I felt a pair of hands on my waist.

Turning around I saw a cute blonde-haired person behind me. I narrowed my eyes and pried his hands off my waist. I felt thirsty, where did the counter go, I thought.

I moved out of the dance floor and searched for the counter where Louis and Derek were seated. Suddenly I felt a hand on my mouth and I was pulled out, which looked like the back alley.

There were two men outside excluding the person holding me.

"Let me go!" I thrashed in his arms but the struggle was futile. I had no strength in my body.

They just laughed looking at me, "You caught a good one man," one of the people spoke.

"Yeah, she'll fetch us a lot of money," another one said. By this time I had gone from shock to panic. My heart pounding in my chest.

I tried moving my hand but he had caught it tightly. This is not how I wanted my birthday to be. I felt helpless and tears were building up.

Then there was a crash from the door behind. My eyes were drooping out and I heard bones crack and the beating sounds. The guy who was holding me, let go of my arms and I collapsed on the ground.

A few seconds later I felt someone pick me up.

"Shit! The drinks are mixed with something," it was Derek but his voice felt far. I struggled to open my eyes and saw golden with silver specs of eyes gaze at me.

"De-Derek?"

"We got you, Evie," it was Louis who was holding me. He was my protector? I closed my eyes drifting off to sleep.

In the morning when I got up, I felt my head was going to explode any second due to the pain. I groaned holding my head.

"You're up." Looking up I saw Andria sitting next to me, "How are you feeling?" she asked me.

"Terrible," I replied clutching my head in my hands, "Is this how a hangover feels?" I asked and she laughed at it lightly.

"I think so, but yesterday the drinks were mixed with sachire. It's a drug that is used by supernatural's, to get high," she explained to me. No wonder I felt weird last night.

"How's everyone else?"

"They are fine, Jessi and Rini are both mated to supernatural's, therefore, it didn't affect them as much as you," she said and continued, "Ruka and Sebastian are home."

"But they weren't expected until tomorrow, right?" I asked her.

"True, they finished their work early and I heard Sebastian say that Ruka was getting impatient from being away from you," she gave me mischievous smile.

"Where is he now?" I asked her.

"He'll be here in a minute, here take these," she said giving me water and a tablet, "It'll reduce the pain."

"Thank you, Andria," I thanked her," Have my parents returned back here?" I asked.

"No, they are at your home but they'll be here by four, that's what your mother said."

"Okay" and she left closing the door.

Thinking about yesterday made me feel more stressed out. Why was I always getting into such situations? I buried my face in the fluffy pillow and then felt a hand on my head. Turning to see who it is, I found Ruka looking at me intensely.

When I got up from the bed, I was engulfed in his warm arms. I felt tingles on my skin due to his touch. It was weird how his skin would turn either cold or warm at times. His hold tightened on me and I could feel him inhale me steadily.

"Mine," he whispered possessively in my ear, I shuddered to hear his husky voice. Moving my hair back, he dipped his nose in the crook of my neck, running his nose from my ear to the base of my throat.

"Ruka?"

"Hmm," was his reply as he kept me in place in his arms. I felt butterflies in my stomach building up. My eyes fell on the empty cupboard of my room. Where did all my clothes go?

He later moved back, his amethyst eyes burning intensely looking into my brown ones. I felt small now under his gaze.

"My things are missing in the room," I said him to which he just stared at me.

"Your things are being moved, sweet Eve," he replied.

"Moved?" I was confused.

"Yes," he replied embracing me again, " In my room."