Chapter 11: The Truth

Jay had waited for three long hours for Cole to return from collecting some more firewood, but it wasn't long before night soon came and the beta cat hybrid was starting to get really scared. He would let out the occasional small cry of fear whenever he thought he saw something move in the darkness. His ears were folded back and his claws were out as his tail swished against the grass. He was convinced something was watching him and wanted to eat him.

Eventually, his nerves couldn't take anymore and Jay quickly ran into the old mill where Kai and Nya were supposed to be sleeping.

As soon as he entered the old building he realized this wasn't much better. He was beginning to think he might be better off outside. He didn't know how the royal siblings could sleep in a place like this. He knew they'd spent most of their lives in the tower, but that must have been better than this. The old windmill was even darker than outside, with no moon or stars to provide light, and the shadows played dark tricks in Jay's already scared mind.

The only thing settling the beta hybrid was Princess Nya standing in front of him with a nervous smile.

But as his eyes began to adjust to the dark surroundings, Jay noticed how scared she was. At first, he thought she was scared of him, but as he examined her face that didn't seem to be the case. Her eyes kept glancing back and forth between the shadows and him. He was about to ask what was wrong when he noticed her brother Kai wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Princess, where's your brother?" He asked and he noticed Nya started sweating.

"Oh, um... around." She shrugged, refusing to make eye contact. Jay was about to say something else when he suddenly saw something around his height move in the shadows, causing a few pigeons taking shelter in the old windmill to flutter away. Now Jay was more scared than ever before. It was way too spooky here to be playing these kinds of games.

"Prince Kai?" He called out and that seemed to cause Nya to panic even more.

"I think you should leave now."

"But-"

Suddenly there was a loud creaking on the rotten floorboards above and the floor gave out as something dropped down. Both the hybrid and the princess screamed as a figure coughed and climbed out of the rubble. As the figure got closer Jay had out a pair of sharp ears poking out of brown hair, sharp whine canines, long black claws, and a large, brown, fluffy tail from behind. The cat hybrid started screaming louder when he realized he and Nya were trapped with a wolf hybrid.

Nya and the wolf hybrid tried to shush him, but none of it registered with the beta.

"Cole!" He cried and tried to run for the door, only for the wolf hybrid to grab his arm. "What did you do with the prince!?"

"Jay stop!" Nya exclaimed but yet again her pleads went unanswered.

"Oh, my God! You ate the prince!" Jay paled. "COLE HELP!" He screamed again before the wolf hybrid placed his hand over Jay's mouth, trying to keep the smaller hybrid quiet.

"Shh, this is me." The wolf hybrid reassured gently and it was then Jay noticed the familiar amber eyes and clothing. He glanced to Nya and she didn't look even a little bit scared anymore. Now he knew this was indeed Kai.

"Prince Kai?" Jay mumbled in shock as soon as Kai let him go. "What happened to you? You're, uh, different." He chuckled and Kai looked to the floor in shame.

"I- I've been this way as long as I can remember."

"What do you mean? I've never seen you like this before."

"It only happens when the sun goes down," Nya replied as Kai walked over to glare at his reflection in a pale of water.

"By night one way, by day another." Kai started saying as Jay looked at him in confusion and Nya smiled sympathetically. "This shall be the norm until you find true love's first kiss, and then take love's true form."

"Ah, that's beautiful." Jay smiled. "I didn't know you wrote poetry."

"It's a spell." Kai snapped then sighed. "When I was a little boy, a witch cast a spell on me so every night I become this; this horrible, ugly beast!" He snarled and slapped the pale away, letting the water splash to the ground. "I was placed in a tower to await the day my true love would rescue me."

"That's why he has to marry King Nadakhan tomorrow before the sun sets and he sees my brother like this," Nya added and went to comfort her brother who was trying to silence his sobbing.

"Look, it's not that bad," Jay said to the pair, slightly offended, as soon as Kai calmed down. "You're not that ugly and you only look like this at night, Cole and I are 'ugly' 24-7."

"But, Jay, I'm a prince, and this is not how a prince is meant to look!" He exclaimed and Jay paused in thought. Then he was struck with a crazy, yet beautiful, idea.

"Prince Kai, how about if you don't marry Nadakhan?" He suggested, flinching when Nya sent him a disapproving scowl.

"I have to," Kai muttered. "Only my true love's kiss can break the spell."

"But, you know, um, you're kind of a hybrid, and Cole- well, you got a lot in common." He smiled and Kai looked up at him in confusion.

"Cole?"...