Their Warrior Queen

Chapter Five

‎ ~Zuri

‎I sat on my bed, biting my fingernails as tears rolled down my cheeks. Today, I was supposed to leave with the other warriors for the Lycan King's Palace. My own parents were sending me away to fight in a war, knowing fully well that I was wolfless and might not survive.

‎Sometimes, I wondered what I had done to deserve such a cruel fate. I had never asked to be born without a wolf, yet my family treated me as though it were a crime.

‎I continued sobbing quietly until I heard a loud growl coming from downstairs.

‎I froze.

‎Curiosity got the better of me, and I hurried out of my room to see what was happening. When I reached the staircase, I carefully peered over the railing, only to discover that the Lycan King was standing in the hall.

‎My eyes widened.

‎It was the same man who had saved me from Quincy when she bullied me at school. I had no idea why he was at our pack, and I certainly hadn't expected to see him here.

‎I quickly hid beside one of the pillars, hoping he wouldn't notice me.

‎When I looked downstairs again, I saw that he was holding my father by the neck.

‎"What kind of Alpha are you?" the Lycan King demanded. "I ordered you to bring fifty warriors from your pack to the palace. Why are you delaying?"

‎"But... you said the deadline was today," my father stuttered, struggling to breathe. "I was going to bring them to the palace today."

‎"And you thought you had to wait until the very last minute?" the Lycan King asked angrily.

‎His claws dug into my father's neck, and I watched in horror as blood trickled down his skin.

‎"Please, forgive him," my mother begged.

‎Luna Circe, who stood beside her, also pleaded with the king to release my father.

‎The Lycan King stared at them for a moment before finally loosening his grip and letting my father go.

‎My father stumbled backward, coughing as he rubbed his injured neck.

‎Then the king suddenly sniffed the air.

‎He paused, his expression changing as though he had caught an unusual scent.

‎"Besides the two of you," he said, gesturing toward my mother and Luna Circe, "are there any other she-wolves on the pack premises?"

‎My father frowned.

‎"No," he stammered.

‎"What about the maids?"

‎"They're all on leave," my father answered quickly. "They'll be back this evening."

‎I pressed myself against the pillar, my eyes widening.

‎Why was he asking about she-wolves? What exactly was he looking for?

‎I was still trying to understand what was happening when I noticed Quincy coming downstairs to join her mother.

‎The Lycan King turned toward my father and let out a short, humorless chuckle.

‎"I thought you said there were no other she-wolves around."

‎My father took a step backward as the king approached him.

‎Before he could respond, the Lycan King grabbed him again and pinned him against the wall. He then threw him hard to the floor, making my mother gasp.

‎The king turned his attention to Quincy.

‎"You," he said, pointing at her.

‎Quincy immediately stiffened.

‎"You're the girl I dealt with at the high school yesterday, aren't you?"

‎She nodded, trembling.

‎The Lycan King walked toward her, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled her closer.

‎"Where is she?"

‎Quincy frowned in confusion, although fear was clearly written across her face.

‎"Who... who are you talking about?" she stammered.

‎"The girl you were bullying yesterday," he replied, tightening his grip on her hair.

‎Luna Circe immediately fell to her knees.

‎"Please, my King! She's my daughter. Please let her go!"

‎My heart pounded as I hid behind the pillar.

‎He was looking for me.

‎The Lycan King was asking about me.

‎But why?

‎Had I done something wrong? Was he angry because I had run away without thanking him after he saved me at school? Did he want to punish me for being disrespectful?

‎My mind filled with questions, and I couldn't find an answer to any of them.

‎Then I heard Quincy speak again.

‎"She was upstairs... in her room. I don't know if she's still there..."

‎She didn't get the chance to finish before the Lycan King threw her to the floor.

‎He turned toward his guards.

‎"Search upstairs! Check every room!"

‎My heart began to race even faster.

‎The guards immediately hurried up the stairs, and I knew I had to find somewhere else to hide before they reached my room.

‎I quickly bent down and crawled toward the staircase. When I reached the bottom, I lay flat on the floor and squeezed myself into the dark space underneath it.

‎I barely had time to settle down before I heard the king's voice again.

‎"Search every room. She's here somewhere, and I want her found."

‎Why was he so determined to find me?

‎I pulled my knees closer to my chest and covered my mouth with one hand, afraid that even the slightest sound might give me away.

‎The space beneath the stairs was dark, cramped, and filled with a terrible smell. I tried to ignore it, but the longer I stayed there, the stronger it seemed to become.

‎I coughed quietly and covered my nose, hoping the smell would eventually fade.

‎Instead, my head began to spin.

‎I tried to move, but my body felt strangely heavy, and my eyelids grew harder to keep open. I couldn't understand what was happening to me.

‎I struggled to remain conscious, but the darkness seemed to swallow everything around me.

‎Before I knew it, I passed out.

‎★★★

‎My eyes fluttered open, but I closed them again almost immediately because my head was aching. After a few seconds, I forced myself to open them and looked around.

‎I wasn't beneath the staircase anymore.

‎I was lying on my own bed.

‎Confused, I slowly sat up and looked around the room, trying to remember how I had gotten there.

‎"You're awake."

‎I stiffened and turned toward the door, which had just creaked open.

‎It was Daisy.

‎She walked into the room with a smile on her face.

‎"I must say, you're quite heavy," she said with a chuckle.

‎I stared at her in confusion.

‎"How did I get back to my room? I don't remember coming here."

‎Daisy smiled as she approached me.

‎"I found you beneath the staircase, lying there like someone who was half dead, so I carried you back here."

‎"You carried me?" I asked, looking at her in disbelief.

‎"Yes, and it took me quite a while. You've gained more weight than I expected."

‎I couldn't help smiling at her comment.

‎Although Daisy was our maid, she had always treated me more like a sister. She was kind, caring, and the only person in the pack who made me feel as though I mattered.

‎"What about the Lycan King?" I asked, suddenly remembering what had happened downstairs. "Has he left?"

‎"Yes, he left a long time ago."

‎I released a deep breath.

‎"Thank the Moon Goddess."

‎Daisy raised an eyebrow as she sat beside me.

‎"I heard he was looking for you. Is that true?"

‎"Yes, and that's why I hid beneath the stairs."

‎She looked at me thoughtfully.

‎"Do you know why he was looking for you?"

‎"No, I don't." I shook my head. "But judging by the way he was questioning everyone, I don't think it was for a good reason."

‎Daisy shrugged, although she still looked curious.

‎After a brief silence, she spoke again.

‎"I heard a train is coming to pick up the warriors and take them to the Lycan King's Palace today."

‎"It's tonight," I corrected her quietly. "And I'm going with them."

‎Daisy stared at me for a moment before bursting into laughter.

‎She laughed so hard that she nearly fell off the bed.

‎I frowned.

‎"It's not a joke, Daisy."

‎She continued laughing until she noticed that I wasn't smiling.

‎"My parents are sending me away as a warrior," I explained, sniffing as another tear rolled down my cheek.

‎Her laughter stopped immediately.

‎"You're serious?"

‎I nodded.

‎"But why?" she asked, her expression changing as she noticed the tears in my eyes.

‎"I don't know," I whispered. "My father said he's sending me away because I'm wolfless and useless."

‎Daisy stared at me in disbelief before letting out a sad sigh.

‎"Do your parents really hate you that much? I always thought they loved you."

‎"They did," I replied, lowering my head. "At least, they did before Bryan was born."

‎My voice broke as I continued.

‎"After he was born, everything changed. They stopped caring about me, and now they treat me as though I'm something disgusting. Sometimes, I feel like I don't even belong in that family anymore."

‎The tears I had been holding back began to fall freely.

‎Daisy moved closer and gently rubbed my back.

‎"Why didn't you tell me all this before?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

‎I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand.

‎"I thought I had no one, so I didn't bother telling anyone."

‎Daisy looked at me sadly.

‎"You should have told me, Zuri. You don't have to go through everything alone."

‎For a moment, I wanted to believe her words. I wanted to believe that someone genuinely cared about me, even if that person wasn't my own family.

‎After a while, Daisy pulled back and looked at me.

‎"So, what are you going to do now? Are you really leaving with the warriors tonight?"

‎"Yes," I answered weakly. "I have no choice."

‎She scratched her head thoughtfully, then glanced at the door to make sure no one was listening.

‎"I have an idea, but it's risky, and I don't know if you'll agree to it."

‎I immediately moved closer to her.

‎"What is it?"

‎Daisy leaned toward me and whispered, "Escape."

‎My eyes widened.

‎"Escape?"

‎She nodded.

‎"I don't know if you'll be able to do it, but it's the only way I can think of to stop them from taking you to the palace."

‎I considered her suggestion for a moment. The thought of leaving the pack frightened me, but the thought of being forced into a war without a wolf was even more terrifying.

‎For once, I had a chance to make a decision for myself.

‎I forced a small smile.

‎"That's actually a good idea."

‎Daisy looked surprised that I had agreed so quickly.

‎"Then help me pack my things," I said as I stood up.

‎I walked toward the window and peered outside. Darkness had settled over the pack, and the lights around the compound had not yet been switched on.

‎It was the perfect opportunity to leave without drawing attention to myself.

‎Daisy helped me pack a few of my belongings into a bag. I didn't have much to take with me, so it didn't take long before I was ready.

‎I slung the bag over my shoulder and turned toward her.

‎"I'm leaving now."

‎Daisy nodded, but before I could open the door, I turned back to her.

‎"Please, don't tell anyone about this."

‎"I won't," she promised.

‎Then she pulled me into a tight hug.

‎"Please be careful, Zuri. I don't know what you'll find out there, but I hope you'll be safe."

‎I hugged her back, grateful that at least one person in the pack cared enough to worry about me.

‎Just as I was about to leave, Daisy suddenly called me back.

‎"Wait, Zuri."

‎I turned around.

‎She reached for the pendant hanging around her neck and carefully removed it.

‎"My mother gave me this before she passed away," she explained, placing it in my palm. "I think you'll need it more than I do."

‎I stared at the pendant.

‎"What is it for?"

‎"It's supposed to protect the person wearing it. My mother told me that it blinks red whenever danger is near or something bad is about to happen. When something good is about to happen, it blinks green."

‎I looked at the pendant with surprise.

‎"You believe it really works?"

‎Daisy smiled faintly.

‎"I've never had a reason to doubt my mother. Besides, I would feel better knowing you have something to protect you."

‎She gently placed the pendant around my neck.

‎"Good luck, Zuri."

‎I smiled at her before leaving the room.

‎For the first time in a long while, I felt a little hopeful. I didn't know what awaited me outside the Black Water Pack, but at least I would no longer have to stay somewhere I was treated as though I were worthless.

‎I walked quietly through the compound until I reached the main gate.

‎The moon shone brightly above me, lighting the path ahead. I glanced around and noticed that none of the guards were standing by the gate.

‎I couldn't believe my luck.

‎The gate was locked, but I wasn't about to let that stop me.

‎I looked around once more to make sure no one was watching before gripping the bars and beginning to climb. My bag hung heavily on my back as I carefully moved one foot after the other.

‎It wasn't easy, but I kept going until I reached the top.

‎Taking a deep breath, I climbed over and jumped down on the other side.

‎My feet touched the ground, and I immediately felt a wave of relief wash over me.

‎I had done it.

‎I was finally outside the pack.

‎A small smile spread across my face as I stood there, wondering where I should go next. I had no plan beyond escaping, but I was determined to find somewhere I could survive without being treated like a burden.

‎Then I heard the gate creak behind me.

‎My smile disappeared.

‎I turned around slowly, and my heart nearly stopped when I saw my father walking out.

‎I stared at him in shock, unable to believe that he had caught me so quickly.

‎There was no way I could escape now.

‎All hope seemed to disappear as he looked at me standing outside the gate with my bag hanging from my shoulder.

‎Instead of looking surprised, he chuckled.

‎"Perfect timing for an escape, isn't it, Zuri?"

‎I couldn't move or speak.

‎"The other warriors will be joining us outside shortly," he continued, looking at me with a cold smile. "And the train that will take you all to the Lycan King's Palace will be here in five minutes."

‎

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