The Lycan King & I

Ten.

It feels like I've just shut my eyes when they spring open again. It's still too early to rise, still dark outside. A slight movement next to me reminds me that I am lying in King Benjamin's big-as-a-boat bed.

I lay absolutely still, careful. He doesn't move again for 100 breaths. It seemed so easy to hear his every breath, but he wasn't snoring.

I tiptoe out of the bed, pausing to be sure he didn't stir more, before bolting into the connecting sliding wooden door. Much as I'd guessed, it was a bathroom. Not as shiny as the one at the castle. It had hardwood floors, soft lighting, and connected to a large closet.

I feel tears well when I see it; my trunk. All of my things. I quietly, and in the dark I must add, ready myself for the day. I hope I won't be outside today,  as i throw on a soft cotton knee-length skirt. The south was sweaty hot, I never had a reason to buy more than a few skirts for work and dresses that stayed light in the summer.

Straightening out my hair against my back, I slid the bathroom softly shut.

"Eliette?"

I freeze at his words. The room was still half dark, which made my ears more attuned to my name. Not my name, but the way he said it. It felt like it shouldn't be allowed to say my name the way King Benjamin said it. His voice was coarse with morning huskiness, making the hair at the back of my neck rise.

"Why are you up so early?" He rubs his eyes.

"I wasn't sure what time I had to be awake." I stammer, not sure if I should give him privacy or not as he sits up groggily in bed.

"W-what time should I start work?" I ask to distract from the way he ran his hands clumsily through the mess on his head. 

"Work?" His eyes are still half shut and confused, "Please, just sleep a little while longer."

He sinks back down on the pillows with his eyes shut. Unsure, I slowly climb atop of the covers next to him. Guess I'll just wait here, a long few minutes pass before the King sighs loudly, throwing an arm over his eyes.

He re-rises with a new alertness in his eyes and turns towards me, "Good morning, Eliette."

"I'm sorry for waking you. You can sleep longer-" s**t, now it sounded like I was giving him permission. Alpha Wolves didn't take commands well.

He shakes his head. dismissively, "Are you hungry?"

"N-no sir, you don't have to feed me." I shake my head, not sure what to do.

He rises from the bed, "Cmon."

I follow behind him into the kitchen, getting a better look in the daytime. It was wooden, like most of the house. The house was much more modest than the castle, but still spacious. It was cozy, full of frosted windows showing the glistening snow.

"Sit, please." He nods towards the wooden stool at the kitchen island. I obey and watch as he gather things around the kitchen, preparing a two heaping plates of fruit and warm muffins he pulled from a bread basket on the counter. My mouth waters at the sight.

He sets the plate in front of me before settling beside me with his own, "You don't have to wait until I'm done," He instructs with a full mouth of the blueberry muffins.

"Are you sure, Sir?" I ask, but am already putting a berry in my mouth.

He smiles at my action, "I told you, Sir isn't my name."

When we're finished, he muses to himself, "So, you like fruit and muffins."

I'm not sure if it's a question, so I stay silent as I grab his empty plate. I stack it on top of mine, before starting to wash them in the sink.

"Eliette," King Benjamin rises immediately and takes the dishes out of my hands, "You don't have to clean up."

I step away, "Should I prepare for work, then?"

"Eliette," His eyebrow furrows, "You absolutely do not have to work here."

"If I am not supposed  work, clean, let you undress me or live in the prison, then what am I doing here?" I whisper, afraid of his answer.

He drops the plate he is washing, "They really didn't teach you anything about mates, did they?" He whispers, more to himself.

Something with the way he says it has me feeling a type of way I couldn't put into words. The squint in his eye makes me feel like he is really seeing me for who I am for the first time. Confused, weak, unworthy, unsure...

Tears spring in my eyes. Before I can gulp down the lump in my throat, they are spilling onto my cheeks.

"Hey, hey, Eliette, it's okay." He stresses, "What is wrong?"

"I am so confused." My voice is pathetic through my tears. Taking my hand, he pulls us to the couches in the cozy living room.

"Eliette, you aren't here to work."

I still can't help the tears falling.

"My mate, my luna, whatever you call it, it's all you." He speaks slowly, as if trying to get me to understand. "You aren't here to serve anyone, you aren't here to be a prisoner, you are here to be Queen Eliette."

"Q-queen Eliette?" The words sound completely foreign on my tongue.

"Yes, the way I'm Alpha Benjamin." He says it like I'm a child. "You're here to complete my pack and be by my side. We're meant to be make each other very happy."

"When you bite me."

He groans, "Mark, El, not bite. That's a small part of it, and it's nothing to be afraid of."

"I don't know much about being a pack member." I sniff.

"Everyone here is happy to teach you."

"I don't know much about being a mate." I sniff again.

"I'll teach you that, too." He smiles slightly, "Much like you're teaching me."

I snort at that, "I'm teaching you?"

"Well yeah. No one can prepare for a mate, it's all instinct."

That makes me tear up again. I didn't have an instincts, I had no way of knowing what was expected of me. Humans weren't so intuitive as Wolves.

"What is it?" He leans in closer to me. "What are you afraid of?" He asks again, "This will only work if you talk to me, are you afraid you'll be hurt? Are you afraid I'm going to rush things?"

I just nod; a bundle of snot and tears and inflamed cheeks.

"You have nothing to fear, I am going to protect you." He assures me, his chest puffed a bit. "And I will not pressure you into the mate bond. You set our pace, Elliette."

I mull his words over in my  head, "But y-you're a king." I sniff miserably, "I'm just an Underling. I don't belong here."

"That's not true, the Goddess placed you here for a reason."

"She was wrong." My head aches a bit when I frantically shake my head. "I understand if you... if you want to reject me. I can find my way home."

Lie. I couldn't even find my way to the garage connected to the house. The snow and wind were disorienting.

He growls a bit at that, I let out a whimper in fear.

"I need a moment," He says through clenched teeth, eyes squinted shut. I wait with trembling hands as he breathes heavily. I hear him vaguely countdown.... twenty, nineteen, eighteen...

When he hits zero, he reopens his eyes and looks at me. His hot flash of anger is seemingly gone. "Are you nervous about the difference between us? Yes, I am more Wolf than the Southern Shifters. But that only means I can take care of you that much more. With me, you'll never want for anything."

I take in his words. There are a lot for my overwhelmed ears.

"I am...." He seems to hang on my words but I am not sure how to finish this sentence. Overwhelmed? Confused? Out of place? I settled on, "Tired."

He nods eagerly, "Then we will go sleep."

We go back to his massive bed after that, and I'm surprised at how I fall asleep before my head even hits the pillow. I'm stirred awake some time later by King Benjamin, who from the looks of it is just waking as well. The sun is dimming in the sky.

"Think you're up for dinner?" He yawns.

I pull the covers self consciously over my chest, this feels improper. Humans didn't get in bed with people they just met. Well, they did occasionally, and it was whispered about all over the Village. "I already ate." I shake my head.

He shoots me a confused look, "That was hours ago, you need to eat. You're too skinny."

I wish I had something nicer, I think as I smooth out my skirt. I didn't speak the entire ride over, again in a fancy car. I stay mum as Benjamin wraps a giant cloak around me, muttering about how I couldn't wear my red one to the Pack House yet.

I feel worse about my attire once we're seated in a lavish dining room of the castle. Candles are every few feet, and there's two giant chairs at the head of the table. Benjamin guides me into one. I dig my nails painfully into my palm as I avoid the gawks of everyone in the room- ten or so Lycans. I recognize Wells and Valerie, next to Val was a Axle. I avoided his eyes.

As soon as we sit, platters and plates are brought out with fanfare. I don't recognize any of the food, but still am silent as it piles high on my plate. There's no way in hell I'd ever be able to eat all of this food.

There's a long silence that follows as everyone blinks, like they are waiting. The servers retreat back out of the room, and everyone's plates are steaming. No one makes a move for their food.

I jump in my seat when I hear Benjamin's voice too close to my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "No one is to touch their food until you begin." He whispers. I look around at the small group- expectant and encouraging looks on their faces. Hesitantly, I reach down with my fork and take a tiny bite of one of the sides.

That small bite seems to be what everyone was waiting on, as everyone digs into their plates. There's chatter and laughter in the room, as Benjamin seems at ease around the group. I keep my eyes fixed down as I eat.

That's when I feel it. The sensation I normally got in my palms, the uneasy quease in my stomach. I know exactly where it is directed towards, as I look towards the culprit. It's the woman sitting next to Wells. I'm assuming it's his mate, Grace. With long, raven hair and coy eyes; she is the most alluring woman I've ever seen. It seems fitting that she is mates with the casanova that is Wells.

"What is it?" Benjamin is whispering in my ear again.

I cup my hand to his ear, "am I permitted to speak, Alpha?"

He stiffens at my warm breath on his ear, then chuckles a bit, "Please do, always."

I clear my throat and raise a shaky finger to point at Grace. Grace, about to grab the glass of after dinner wine just placed in front of her freezes. She sends me a small smile, like she had been waiting for me to address her first. "Hello, Luna."

"Gracie babe," Wells throws an arm around her shoulder proudly, "This is our new Queenie, Eliette."

"Pleasure." She practically purrs kindly as me, as her long fingers curl around the stem of the wine glass.

I shake my head, "You can't drink that."

The room seems to fall silent at my first words in the entire meal, Wells chuckles nervously, but Grace's fingers freeze.

"Did you want it, Luna?" Grace offers, a crinkle forming on her forehead.

"You can't drink wine when you are pregnant, my Lady." I bow my head in submission, hoping that it wasn't coming off as an order.

"Pregnant?" Wells coughs out, choking to a point where an unknown Lycan next to him has to clap him loudly on the back.

Benjamin laughs nervously, "She's having a bit of trouble adjusting to the change, I'm sorry Grace."

Grace shakes her head, "I understand. Luna, I unfortunately miscarried not too long ago." I knew this, but I still blink a few times. The idea of Lycan's miscarrying was practically unheard of. I can tell Grace is ashamed of this, like she had done something to contribute to this.

"No," I shake my head frantically, "You are pregnant right now."

There's a long pause. I look to Benjamin, "Can't you tell?"

King Benjamin just stares at me, "Perhaps it's time for some rest. You know how the mate bond can affect one so."

"No apologies are needed at all, Benjamin." Wells assures the king kindly, smiling sadly at me.

Benjamin rises from the table, pulling my chair out and grasping my arm. He calls a gruff, "You heard her. Obey your Luna, don't touch the wine," over his shoulder.