The Lycan Queen

Chapter 10: The Voice in the Dark

            Rose awoke to the sound of dripping water; she opened her eyes quickly shutting them and opening them again to adjust to pitch black darkness that surrounded her. Her head was pounding, her wrist and ankles were burning. She slowly sat up to try to take in her surroundings, only to discover she was in a cell with chains of silver cuffed around her wrist and ankles bolted to the floor.  She tried desperately to remember how she had gotten here, but the last thing she could remember was standing on the stage waiting for the clock to strike midnight. A steel door opened flooding the room with light, she threw her hand over her eyes shielding them from the sudden intensiveness of the bright light. A young girl who she can barely make out walks in, it’s the girl who was reported missing. “Where am I?” she croaks. Ignoring her the girl opens her cell door sliding a bowl of water and food across the floor to her before quickly closing the door again. “Please, why am I here?” she pleaded on the verge of tears. Continuing to ignore her the girl walks out the steel door, closing it engulfing Rose in darkness once more.

            Frustrated and feeling hopeless and tears started flowing down her cheeks. “It’ll do no good for you to sit here and cry,” a voice spoke from what seemed to be within her. “Who’s there?” she called out. “Don’t be naive child, you are more intelligent than that,” the voice responded. Rose was positive that it was coming from within her. “Are you, my wolf?” “Ah, see I knew you weren’t completely clueless,” the voice chuckled. “I don’t understand. I don’t remember you awakening, or even shifting.” “You were unconscious when I awoke, and you haven’t shifted yet.” “What’s your name?” “My name is Red; you are special Rose. The Goddess would not have sent me to you if you weren’t.” “I’m a Lycan, we are all special to the Goddess.” She retorted slightly annoyed by the cockiness of her wolf. Why would the Goddess give her such a self-absorbed creature as her wolf? “You truly don’t know who I am?” her wolf chuckled confusing her. “I mean I guess I don’t know who you are as far as personality, but I am quite capable of understanding that you are my counterpart.”

            “To be more blunt, I had a life once before I was your counterpart as you put it.” “I’m sorry but I’m not following what you are saying.” “I will explain more later, at the moment you need to rest.” “You can’t build yourself up then tell me to rest with no explanation.” “Rose, listen to me. You were born to do great things and you will understand it all in due time. Right now, your body is weak, making us both weak. Unless you want us to die in this cell you need to rest.” Suddenly, the weight of how bad she was hurting became heavier. It was a strange and painful feeling. Almost like the pain was being held off her like a weight and then quickly released. “I’m sorry but I can only block the pain for so long. It quickly drains my energy, try to rest as much as possible.” She laid back on the cold concrete floor, unable to stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks.

            Rose found sleep almost impossible, her body burned as if she was on fire. The silver chains caused discomfort, but this was something different. She whimpered as the burning sensation spread through her body. “Please make it stop,” she cried out to the empty cell. “Rose, you have to breathe.” Red spoke soothingly. “Why does it hurt so bad,” she whined as knots formed in her stomach. “You’re in heat. Our mate has been near us for some time now. Your body is craving him.” “Our mate? Oh, god please don’t tell me our mate is the one holding us prisoner.” She could feel herself begin to panic at the thought that their mate could be the one behind all of this. “Rose, pull yourself together. Our mate is being held captive here just like we are. I have spoken to his wolf.” “He’s being held captive; you’ve spoken to his wolf?” “Yes, Goliath says they were taken when he awoke. That the last thing he remembers before waking up in a cell is shifting and running into the woods.” “Do you know how many wolves are being held here?” “I don’t, I only know our mate is here because I could feel him and called out to him.” “I wish you could tell who is behind this.” “All will come to light soon enough.”

            “Rose, I need you to wake up.” “Not now Red,” Rose groaned. “Rose quit acting as a child and wake up.” “What is it?” “It’s time for us to talk, dark and tragic times are ahead of us. It’s time we discuss who I am and who you are.” Rose quickly sat up forgetting about the chains until the silver seared her already scarred wrist. She whimpered at the pain, biting her bottom lip to keep from howling, she could feel Red roll her eyes. “You know to be apart of me you can come off as a b***h,” Rose snapped. “If your done with your childish insults we really must continue.” “I don’t see what could be so important, my father, the elders and now you.  I don’t get it.” “If you would hush and listen instead of rambling about what you don’t get, then maybe you’d understand.” “Okay, maybe you can start by explaining why were trapped in a cell chained like beast.” “While I don’t know who is behind this, what I do know is they could very well be aware of you and Abel are.” “What does any of this have to do with Abel?” “Stop interrupting,” Red barked, her patience had worn thin. There was no time to wait, war was coming, and they were the Lycans’ only hope. Rose quieted at the sudden sharpness of Red’s voice. While she was normally snippy, there was something far more serious in her tone.

            “Now, the best place to start is in the beginning. Long ago before the Goddess ever considered me as your wolf, I had a human form of my own. The youngest born to the Goddess and Lucifer and the first Lycan. “If you were the youngest, then how were you the first Lycan?” The Goddess bore 4 children, all different and yet the same. While we were not human like the creatures on Earth, we were all placed on Earth finding a mate amongst the humans. Guided by the Goddess in turning our mates to ensure our children would result in our kind and our kind alone. My eldest brother, Dracula was born with thirst for blood and a thirst for power. The humans come to call him and his spawns Vampires. He sought to rule the world. His mate Elisabeta was but a mere 17 years old when he found her. He drained her down to her very last drop of blood, when she was on her final breath, he fed her his own blood. For 3 days and 3 nights she laid in fever in between death and life. On the third night Elisabeta died in her slumber. He buried her beneath the great willow tree, she laid in her grave for 3 more days and 3 more nights, and on the third night she rose from the dirt reborn a vampire.”

            “Merlin was the second born, he was full of knowledge. Gifted with power of magic, he was called a warlock by man. Merlin had several wives before he was burned at the stake accused of working for the devil. While Merlin was immortal it just simply was not possible for him to turn a human female into what we now call witches. They would age leaving him to bury them one by one over the years.

            “The third Gildor, like Merlin was immortal. His race has long been forgotten, barely existing in even fairy tales. He was Elven, another creature unable to turn their mate. I assume it to be fair that he could never turn his mate. Considering that when a woman would come pregnant by him, he would remain until the child was born. If the child was born human, then he would disappear into the night abandoning mother and child. If the child was born Elven, he would disappear into the night and on the child’s thirteenth birthday as swiftly as he had left; he would then return and steal the child.”

            “When I was still an infant, a man come across me laying under the Great Willow tree, the grass still wet from the morning dew. He wrapped me in his coat carrying me home to his wife, as fate would have it the couple struggled with fertility and had nearly lost hope of ever having a child. They decided to keep me and pass me off as their own. I grew up in a small village, unaware of who I truly was. I grew up in a loving home and surrounded by friends.  I was very fond of one boy named David. We were rarely apart, spending any free moment running through the woods or climbing trees. Life was simply perfection, and then my first shift came. It was excruciatingly painful, my mother watched in horror as I changed into a white wolf. My emerald eyes becoming a deeper green. My father grabbed his shotgun, but my mother seemed to snap out of her trance grabbing the gun causing him to misfire into the ceiling. I bolted, not knowing what else to do. I ran as fast as I could into the forest.”

            “A year later and over a hundred miles away I laid my head on my paws beneath an oak tree resting. When the snap of a twig caught my attention. I tilted my head upwards sniffing the air. I could smell a human, slowly walking towards me. I jumped to all fours, prepared to defend myself. The moment he stepped into the small clearing I recognized him. David, stood before me his hand held out as if to show he meant no harm. I bowed my head, showing I was not a threat. I went to turn to head into the protection of the woods when he spoke. (I know it’s you. You don’t have to run. Like everyone else in town, I heard the stories of the girl who turned into a wolf, Red. I won’t harm you, just don’t take off please.) I paused looking at him dead in his eyes, after the response of my parents it intrigued me that he knew what I was but was not afraid. Slowly I shifted into my human form. As I did, I watched as a smile spread across his face.”

            “Over the next few days, it was like we were picking up pieces that we never should have dropped. We would spend our time laughing and strolling the woods. It turned out that he had a farm not even four miles from where he found me. He allowed me stay with him, giving me the comfort of his bed while he slept on the floor. One day we had just finished dinner and were sitting on the swing on the front porch looking at the stars, when he spoke three words that would change everything. (I love you.) he said looking at me as he brushed my hair from my face leaning in to plant a soft kiss on my trembling lips. I didn’t want to turn him, it never even crossed my mind until one night he asked me if there was a way he could be like me. He said he wanted to know who I truly was in every way. Of course, I told him I didn’t know, but that night the Moon Goddess showed me in my dreams the process. I turned him the next full moon. We bore two sons Zarr, and Goliath (named after David’s wolf.) From there our family and our race grew.”

            “Our people lived in peace for generations, but then the attacks began. Gildor and Dracula wanted to make the humans slaves. Merlin, like I wanted peace. Then came the hunters, blaming all supernatural for the woes of the humans who were ether stolen or killed by the Elves and Vampires. The hunted us like we were common game. We were left with no choice but to seek out for peace amongst the supernatural to protect ourselves. I traveled with Merlin, David by myside to speak with my brothers in hopes of resolution. Gildor was insulted by my request that they leave the humans be, while Dracula was infuriated. He spit in my face declaring war, as we took our leave, he vowed that the Lycan race would fall.”

            “Over the next several months we trained preparing for battle. When word came that Dracula and his people were marching towards our homes. We knew what we had to do, quickly we headed in the direction of the desert knowing he would follow in pursuit. He tried to catch us off guard coming in from a different direction, but we were prepared having had scouts circle the area alerting us of their arrival. Gildor, Dracula, and Merlin ordered their people to charge. I howled as David, and I led our people into battle. Bodies immediately began to fall to the desert floor. We fought with everything we had for thirty days and nights. David fell at the hands of one of the vampires. You see vampires produce a venom that is toxic to Lycans, one bite can result in death.  On the final night, I stood snarling circling Dracula, we had been going toe to toe in battle. We were equal in speed and in strength. Both strategically blocking the other’s attack, but I was ready to end this. I leapt into the air, aiming to rip out his jugular. It was as I leapt that the blade of a sword plunged into my back. I screamed in agony as the blade cut through me to my heart before being consumed by darkness.”

            “I’m sorry Red, but I don’t understand what that has to do with me or you being my wolf,” Rose spoke softly. “My death was the fall of the first Lycan, Queen of the Lycan. It was when I laid motionless on this Earth, that the Goddess spoke of war returning to the supernatural. The queen being reborn and leading the Lycan kind into battle ensuring their survival. Rose you are the new queen, and I have been reborn to guide you in leading our people.” “That’s not possible, I can barely keep my own life together, let alone thousands of Lycans.” “The Goddess makes no mistakes Rose; you were born to be their salvation.” “What does Abel have to do with any of this? Why was he taken as well?” “My dear girl have you not put two and two together? Abel is your mate. His wolf Goliath calls out to us each night, his sorrow and misery echo through the halls of this building.”

            Rose sat in silence, she didn’t know what to say or how to even respond. (Her wolf was the first Lycan reincarnated and she the new queen. A war was coming, but why? What has happened to cause any of this. Why had they been kidnapped? How did they know who she was? Who all knew who she was? Surely the Elders knew, but did her father? How did they know Abel was her mate, even when she didn’t?) Her thoughts began to make her head spin.