The Lycan King & I

Two.

I gulped in fear and looked around at the few scattered around me, who looked just as terrified as I did. What did this magnificent creature want with us? Was he going to kill us?

I'm taken out of my internal panic but Thiele, who impatiently prods me, a bit too hard to be a friendly nudge. I get to my feet, and follow the line of humans Esmere is furiously arranging."Do not look at anyone in the eye, do not speak under any circumstances," She hissed frantically.

I nod compliantly as I pass her, it feels like the walk up to the stage is hours long. Every wolf watches us with curious eyes, unsure of what was about to occur. Was this another ritual of the pack? To bring the humans to the front? To hurt them? To torture them? To ridicule them? Or... to thank them? For leaving their lives and homes to be of service to the Pack?

As I step my worn out sole onto the podium, an energy paralyzes me in shock. Not in a pleasant way, but in a new way I'd never experienced before. I wasn't sure if it was being in close contact with someone of such high rank, if his power was making my core want to turn and flee. I try to take deep breaths through the nearly overwhelming palpitations of my beating heart. A frisson of panic ran throughout the bottom of my stomach, extending to the tips of my toes.

"Is this all of them?" The voice commands, and the man on my right- Julius- actually stumbles a bit at the voice of the King. There is too much dominance in his tone. The energy radiating off of him makes each of us of lower rank than him want to cry in intimidation.

"Yes, your majesty," The Alpha of Crescent grumbles out, if he is confused, his voice doesn't show it. He is like us, compelled to comply with whatever the Northern King said. I hear his footsteps as he slowly makes his way down the line of each one of us, every step coming closer to me. My eyes are fixed on the floor. I forget to breath as his steps grow deafening loud to my terrified mind.

He stops directly in front of me.

My heart feels like it's going to stop.

He takes a long, deep breath. Taking in my scent- something the werewolves always were doing. It never failed to make me utterly uncomfortable.

"Wells," The Northern King calls without raising his voice. My eyes are still firmly planted on the floor as I refuse to look up. A moment later, a second pair of footsteps approach. They aren't as taunting or brooding at the Kings, but still heavy enough to let me know that he is a force to fear. He is also from the North.

All I see are two pairs of black shoes, two looming dark shadows, which becomes a third as our Alpha joins.

"Everything alright, your highness?" Our Alpha asks.

Three in front of me. Too many. Too many wolves. Too much power. I am trying to remember to breath as my heartbeat pummels in my ear.

"Is this underling yours?" The Northern King asks. He is talking about me. What does he want with me? I am glad Esmere instructed me to look down, as I have an excuse to hide behind my hair. If only I could disappear into the floor.

"Yes, gifted humans from the South are given work assignments here, if they are useful to our pack." The Crescent Alpha explains.

Gifted. That's what the call us. The humans who weren't completely human. Some of us had special gifts, special skills, special intuition. If we could help a pack, we were assigned as soon as we were discovered. It was why I had recently been relocated to the Middle Kingdom, Thiele too, as well as all of my fellow humans who stood parallel to me.

"It's been years since I've been this close to a human." The kings voice murmurs in mild curiosity. "How about you, Wells?"

"I don't think I've ever even seen a human," The other one snorts, his voice casual but I can tell he is in submission to the King as well. There is a power that radiates off him in a different way, he is still of high status, most likely the King's beta.

"We find them quite useful to our society, many packs do." the crescent Alpha says, and there's a faint defensiveness in his tone, like a petulant younger sibling who has just been snubbed by an older brother. He is clearly proud of his innovation of solving pack concerns through our human gifts. "Of course, we only keep them as long as we need them, then they are free to go back South.

Translation: we take the humans we need from the South against their will, and once they are no longer useful, we ship them back. But I didn't want to get shipped back anytime soon, the Middle Kingdom had a much better life for me than the South.

"Look at me, Underling." The strong voice commands me. I know Esmere commanded me to not look up from my feet, I physically cannot. The power that he possesses compels ever fiber in my skin to submit, to keep my head bowed. My entire body is shaking in fear, and my nails dig painfully into my hands, the pain a desperate attempt to combat my lightheadedness.

"They are commanded to know their place sir, the underling will keep her eyes low," My alpha boasts, and the interaction reminds me of merchants selling their animals in the village's market. The thought makes me sick.

I let out a small squeak when a long hand reaches out. I feel his large fingers on my chin, guiding my head straight up towards the ceiling. There is a surprising amount of tenderness for the massiveness of the hand. At his touch, it is nearly like it has lit my skin with both ice and flames at the same time. Not in pain, but like glimmers of a thousand micro-simulations on my skin, where his forefingers and thumb now rest.

I have never felt something like this before.

I am forced to meet the eyes of the King.

My knees buckle at the connection, but I catch myself,. His eyes.... Are black. I have lived in a Pack long enough to know that black eyes weren't a good sign. It meant that their inner wolf was struggling, it meant they were on the verge of shifting and hurting me.

I cower, trembling at the blackness of his eyes, which hold my captivation. I cannot blink. I am rendered astonished. I am terrified, the power in his eyes and energy, as I try to pull my chin out of his grasp. He is too strong, and holds me in place. My eyes squint shut, too overwhelmed to keep them open.

I worry about the repercussions that will come from slamming my eyes closed, obstructing his view of me. I hope it isn't disobedient, I hope he doesn't take offense. I hope I haven't disrespected him, Esmere would punish me. He drops his hand from my chin.

I expect a slap, a yell, something. But instead, his voice: "Can I have her?"

My eyes slam open in shock, what was happening? I finally get a good look at the King; dark haired, black eyes, strong and stoic lips that were strained, he was clenching his teeth. He was struggling with something, straining. The only was I could describe his face was one of a warrior; one with eyes that had seen so much; he was a King.

My eyes dart between the Alpha and the King, surely I was property of the Alpha. The Alpha had never seen me until now and had no vital reason to keep me, but Shifters were possessive. He may fight to keep what he saw as his.

"The Underling?" Alpha blinks incredulously, "What use do you have for an underling in the North? There's dozens more in the South not doing much of anything."

"I do not want the underlings of the South, I asked for this particular one." The King's composed tone finally sounds tense, there's an underlying message behind his words. Do not test me, he seems to say. I shiver at the warning behind his tone, and the shivering turns into shaking.

"I guess, your highness, she is not of critical value." My alpha stammers out, confused.

The King nods at the Alpha, "Wells," He addresses his companion, "Take her to the Alpha's office, wait for me there."

My blood runs cold, as the Lycan- Wells- reaches forward and grabs my shoulder. He pulls me forward, and I have to stop myself from falling to the ground. I am breathing hard, terrified. What was going to happen, I look around in fear.

I look to Thiele- who looks horrified. I look at the the Alpha, my fellow humans, even the crowd of Pack members for someone, anyone, to save me. But the hall stays silent, save for my panicked gasps.

The Wells called Lycan pulls me behind him firmly. There's a loud squeaking as the soles of my shoes drag against the wooden floor. I meet Esmeres eyes, and the warning is clear: Do not make a move out of order.