The Lycan King & I

Three.

"What's this," There's a third Lycan who grunts out the words as Wells and I stumble into the Alpha's office. I have never been in the Alpha's private office. It is by far the nicest room I've ever seen. There's plush red carpet that's so fluffy I can feel it through my shoes. Paintings larger than I hang from the walls, depicting wolves in battle.

It wasn't without effort that I am in this office. The Lycan named Wells had to carry me into the room, I put up so much resistance through my dragged footsteps. I wanted to break free. Even now, as I stand panting heavily, the Lycan named Wells kept his hand firmly clasped around my thin wrists.

"He requested I bring the underling here." Wells is behind me, I can't see his face, but I can hear his voice. It is much more relaxed and warm than the King's, but still does not ease my heart palpitations. This is all too much for me. Moments ago, I was invisible. No- not invisible, I was seen and looked down on.

The man in front of me makes me cry in fear; he was the most terrifying man I had ever seen. His muscles were straining against his dark cloak, kohl black hair, and angry eyes. The wrinkles in his forehead made a chiseled face look scowled. He radiated constant irritation.

"What for?" He is mildly curious as he runs his eyes over me, his examination lasts longer than a second, and just deepens the conflicted wrinkles on his face.

"Her scent," Wells comments, followed by silence. After a moment, the scary Lycan nods in understanding, and his eyes scan over me with a new alertness. And it dawned on me that the two were communicating in their minds; another thing that kept humans in the dark to what was going on. Werewolves were always forgetting what was said out loud and what was mind linked.

"You don't say," The grumpy looking Lycan stares unashamed at me.

"Underling," The Lycan named Wells takes a step forward, making me cower. His hand wrapped around my wrist tightens painfully, and he releases to a softer grip, "Sorry." He mummers, "What is your blessing?"

Typical Wolf. His only concern with me was of what use I could be to him. They were all the same.

But I knew this question would be the focus of the conversation. My gift, my blessing. Why I was in the Middle Kingdom. The only humans here were the one who had certain gifts that made them useful. It was our humanity. As our numbers got smaller, some of us naturally adapted to try to save our race. We all possessed some type of certain intuition.

Thiele had a way of sensing when a substance was harmful to the body, that's why she was here in the Crescent Pack. Their Alpha had a assassination attempt months ago. Thiele was summoned here to secure his food and drink from poison.

"You think she's gifted?" The scary Lycan snorts and rolls his eyes.

"You don't?" Wells shoots back, not angrily, but conversationally. "My great-great grandma healed her nasty scars from a rogue attack through an underling."

"Sounds like something a great-great grandma would claim." Wells argument has not convinced him one bit. He is obtuse.

The conversation is abruptly cut off by the tall office door slamming open, and the Lycan King stomps in. The Alpha and Luna are at his heels, so is Esmere: they all look frightened. The Alpha closes his door behind him as the King leans down against the Alpha's desk.

His steps make the paintings in the office shake in their frames, and the way he is hunched over is so odd. It's like he's fighting some inner demon so hard. I am utterly horribly confused as the King loudly grunts.

I want to hide, I want to disappear. My free hand reaches up to cover my face with my hair. I yelp when Wells other comes clasping down on that wrist as well, "Are you trying to make it harder for him?" He hisses in my ear, stopping my hand, and I meet his eyes.

What did he mean? Wells didn't look angry, but rather he looked bemused. He was in on the situation, and found humor in it. What was happening? Was I expected to not move unless given permission with the Lycans?

"Your majesty, are you alright?" My Alpha asked worriedly.

The towering figure turns around slowly, his fists still clenched. He takes a long, deep breath, with his eyes shut.

"What is wrong, my King?" The tough Lycan grovels.

"Beyond a doubt, nothing is wrong," The King strains, when he opens his eyes; they are directly on me. And they fade from black, to a dark blue. It is much less frightening, but I am still crying in fear. He takes a measured step towards me, I am trapped between Wells restraints.

"Hello." He says to me, not friendly. Not angry. There's... no way to explain the tenor behind it. Like a scientist studying a butterfly, curious. "I am Benjamin. What are you called?"

He bends his knees slightly, but it does nothing to dissipate the difference between our heights. His eyes are expectant on me. Like my answer is the solution to find world peace. But I am too terrified to speak, I am too terrified to blink. His dark indigo eyes... they were like a spell. That had to be it. I was shaking, and I felt Esmere tsk in the background. I was unable to get my lips to form any words.

"I am her keeper, Sire." Esmere offers up, and everyone's gazes fall on the short but muscular woman. I am happy to be released from the hold of his undivided attention.

"Who is she?" The King commands Esmere, who takes a step forward. She was proud to be serving someone of such rank.

"We acquired her from the Southern Territory of Gailye nearly a year ago."

"Age?"

"18 years as of last week."

"And does she talk?" The Northern King's eyes shift worriedly to me for a moment.

"I believe so, Sire." Esmere blushes.

"You believe so?" There is accusation behind his tone.

"With all due respect, are you sure whether your humans are literate? Our underlings do not speak much during their time here." Our Alpha speaks up, with a slight protectiveness of Esmere.

"I'm not sure, we don't have any." The king muses thoughtfully, "What is her name?"

"She is Underling number 16." Esmere provides, wincing as she says the words. I am surprised that she does not know my name.

"Eliette." I whisper. My first word since landing in this strange situation. I don't know why I whisper it my whimpers and sniffles. Perhaps I was fed up with everyone talking about me like I wasn't here.

I was not a piece of meat.

King Benjamin freezes at my whisper. How he distinguishes my pathetic whisper from my panicked crying is a true accomplishment, and he turns at once. Is it just me, or are his eyes a lighter shade of blue than they just were?

I swear I'd never seen that shade of blue. It was a kind of its own.

I shake under his gazer. I feel the weight of every eye in the room. The King is not taking the hint of my avoidance of his eyes. His voice takes on a new tone as he addresses me, "That is your name, is it? Eliette?"

I keep my gaze averted.

"I ask that you hand her over to me, Alpha and Luna. I am willing to meet whatever terms you deem fair for a trade." He means business.

A trade? Like I'm some animal? I am not anyone's property.

"For the Underling?" The Alpha is still baffled.

"For my mate." The King clarifies, and I nearly scream out at his words. Mate? I was not to be anyone's mate. Especially a Lycan.

Humans did not have concept of mates. We don't own one another, the idea of ones soul being split with another person- was hard to understand. Wolves found their other half through various clues- touch, eye contact, but mostly smell. The smell of ones mate was a nearly impossible pull to resist. I didn't quite understand how a wolf automatically knew, but it seemed to be something no one ever question.

There was no way how a lowly human from the South could be the other half to this magnetic force. It wasn't an opposites attract situation. This was a complete clash. This was unnatural.

"Well," Alpha is composed. I'm not. "If she is your mate, then the Underling is yours."

Only I'm not his to give.

"No," I shake my head wildly, tears reigniting. I could not leave the Middle Kingdom. This was the best home I'd ever had: I knew I was guaranteed work, a safe place to sleep, hot meals every night. I had to stay. "No, no, no..."

Royalty or not, I couldn't let these three Lycans take me. I did not know what they would do with me, all I knew of the North were through stories passed down. They had harsh winters- the journey up the mountain to the Northern Kingdom took days. What if I they put me in one of their dungeons? Sent me through the long and vicious trials the Northern Pack was known for? What if they tortured me? I couldn't imagine how much harm those giant men could do to me.

"I can't go," I whisper out. And I am crying, stomping, having a meltdown against my living handcuffs. The Lycan named Wells held me in place and upright.

"Eliette," The King tries to calm me over my petrified episode, but I can barely hear him over the intensity of my emotions bursting. "Shhhh, let us pack your things. You are unhappy now, but I promise you won't be."

"No, no, No!" I sob, there is a ruckus and commands shouted above my hysteria in the room. My head pounds from lack of breathing, I am only on my feet because of Wells strong arms. "No, Alpha, Esmere, please-" I plead, "Please, don't give me away- this is my home-"  They all have pity in their eyes as I'm dragged towards the doorway.

"Please!" I scream once more desperately, as the scary Lycan takes my one arm. I am carried by each shoulder by my captors. I need a way out of this.