The Lycan King & I

Six.

I can't sleep that night. 

The howling wind against the tent was loud, but it wasn't keeping me up. It had warmed to a comfortable temperature, the cold wasn't keeping me awake. I was yawning and my eyes burned. But still, slumber never comes.

So I cuddle more underneath his cloak. The King's Cloak. It was black, and made of some sleek material that I had never seen in my life. If the pleasant feel of it wasn't enticing enough, the scent was.

I breathed in a whiff of the fabric: it was divine. Like some sort of dark cedar and earthy black pepper... with the faintest undertone of vanilla so subtle that I was convinced I was imagining it.  Breathing in the scent of it felt sinful. 

I tossed and turned all night. I wasn't aware that I had actually dozed off until a loud howl startled me awake. It was morning, even if the sun didn't look like it'd fully rose yet. My eyes snap to the end of my trunk, where a small piles has me jumping out of bed to inspect.

 Lying there was a cloak, the same luxurious material of the King's. It wasn't black like the rest of all the men in our entourages attire; but a blood stained red. Deep, dark and rosy red. I'd never owned anything 

This had to have cost more than the meager coins I'd provided Wells with, which is why I nearly gasp when a matching hat, gloves and scarf fall out of the folds of the material. What was this? I could not pay this back. 

"Underlings do not take from Wolves," Esmere's words hiss in my ear. I am instantly brought back to a time I tried to snatch a fresh baked cookie from the front counter of the Pack's local baker's shoppe. He was known for putting out any batches he overcooked on the front windowsill of his storefront. Happy pack members would indulge as they passed, and I foolishly thought I was welcome to it one day while walking to a pack gathering.

Esmere had said to follow all the lessons I had learned in my time at the Crescent Pack. I couldn't take from the wolves. I'll reject taking such extravagance; too burdensome. Things like this had prices eventually, and I didn't want to figure it out. 

When I emerge from my tent to join the men around the fire glowing in the early morning dawn, I fully intend to return the offending pile in my hands. I nearly jump into the fire pit when I feel the harsh sting of the arctic cold air. And it was supposed to get colder than this? 

"Good morning, my Lady," I jump a foot in the air as I noticed Axle across from the fire, adding on a large branch. Did the morning make him look extra irritated? "I'd put on the coat if I were you, it's just supposed to get colder."

Only his voice didn't sound like a suggestion. It sounded like a grim warning, without room for disobedience. That wasn't as shocking as the thought that it was about to get even icier. It would be rude to snub a gift, right? I throw the  cloak around my small frame and nearly melt at it's warmth.

It feels like minutes later when we are all packed up, and Axle is leading me back into our car. The King gets in on the other side of me, at the same time Wells does. I am relieved he's not naked today, then blush at the thought.

"Morning, Eliette." The kings smooth voice greets me, as we begin down the gravel path. I keep my eyes down at the floor. "How did you sleep?"

"F-f-fine." I am solemn. There's a silent that falls over the car, like I said the wrong thing. The moment feels charged. 

Clearing his throat the King continues, "I hope you are more comfortable in your accouterments." 

He must mean the jacket. "Y-yes, t-thank you Sire."

"Benjamin," He corrects me firmly. Another silence.

"You're welcome, Miss," Wells looks back slightly to wink at me, then chuckles darkly, "I figured you'd be prettttyyy fond of the color, Alpha." 

The King stiffens, and there's tension in the car. I don't know what is going on. Looking up, I'm terrified that the kings eyes are black again. He says just one word to Wells when we stop a mile ahead at a gas station to grab coffee and fill up on gas, a tense out.

I flee to the restroom before I can witness more black colored eyes. When we're on the road again five minutes later, it's the three of us again. Axle is driving. I am lucky today that the heating is on the in the car. As I watch frost form on the windows against the sunlight, It feels like the sleeplessness of my night is catching up with me. 

I have to fight to keep my eyes open, there's a very serene feeling that comes over me as I finally am thawing. My eyes slowly drift shut, my head slowly leaning back against the headrest. 

 I'm startled awake by the car shutting off, I blink a few times, confused and blinded by the sun. Oh, another gas station. I stumble back to my seat in a daze, the king makes a small comment to me inquiring about how I slept. My eyes flutter shut before Axle has even started the car back up again. 

I dream of snow flakes the size of wolves, that turn black. The same black as the King's eyes. 

"Eliette," I hear a voice gently coax.

I awake with a start. It is dark now, my eyes fling to the window: snow. I'd never seen snow before, it looked fluffier than I thought it would. 

"We are going to stop soon for the night and let the snowstorm pass." I turn my head to the King, groggy from sleep and looking at him right in the eyes. Shoot. My eyes hit the ground submissively again. 

I step apprehensively out of the car when we arrive, the snow crunching underneath my shoes. I venture out farther, curious. I smile a bit when I feel the snowflakes gather on my cheeks when I look up, melting before I could grab them with my gloves. But I still try, snow was wetter than I thought. I didn't know it would melt so easily. 

I keep my face towards the sky as I venture further into the darkening woods. 

"Miss?" A voice grumbles behind me, I didn't realize how far I had  walked into the dense forestry. It was easy to wander far without the darkness of heavy leaves, the moon seems so bright this far up the mountain, like a light bulb. 

And that is when I, lost in my own world, let out a blood curdling scream at the grumble. I fall painfully onto my backside as Axle looms over me menacingly, his eyes aren't black. But the deep-rooted snarl on his makes it clear he is not pleased. 

I stumble back a bit in the snow. Axle looks startled, but I before I can cower in fear, the thundering starts. The sound represents my worst fears. The entourage of Lycans that had been shadowing us on our  journey were alerted by the scream. Screams in the mountains weren't ever in vain.

My vision develops spots when I see the thick line of magnificent and gigantic Lycans sprinting to me. To me. I scream again, they were going too fast to stop. There were two many... two, five, ten? 

This was surely the end. 

"There's no threat!" I can barely hear Axle command with a vicious growl, my vision is like looking into a tunnel of just angry, sprinting wolves about to kill me. Their menacing pants seem to be miles away suddenly. 

"What is it?" The King is behind me in seconds, his alerting voice shouting over the commotion. 

"T-too m-many... th-there's too many," I am sobbing pitifully in fear. But no one seems to struggle to hear me.

"Be gone," A voice commands, and I thundering recedes. I can't see clearly. It's like I'm looking through a tunnel.

"She's not breathing, Sire," Wells voice is somehow close. My eyes are fixed up towards the darkening blue sky and the flakes of snow gingerly falling from it.

I gasp loudly when a pair of large arms encircle me, pulling be back. I do not know how, but I instantly am aware this is the King's arms holding me close to him. "P-please d-don't kill me," my sobs are merciless. "P-please..." 

"Eliette, focus on my eyes," And it's the King's face obstructing my vision of the sky. Dark ringlets, eyes that match the blue twilight of the sky. His face doesn't seem real, his voice doesn't sound real. Everything about the king felt like an illusion.

Whether it's my lack of oxygen, I unabashedly meet the kings eyes. Twin fire eyes; mien a fearful evergreen, his a curious indigo. There aren't words spoken, his face is dangerously close to me. Like every breath he was breathing out, I was breathing in. The moment somehow felt too intimate to be taking place in public. 

"I-if he is going to kill me, please just be quick..." I whisper.  I didn't want Axle- or any of them, to be able to torture me until my body gave up. 

"No one is going to kill you. Please tell me what is terrifying you so," The King pleads, the sound makes me want to comfort him, rather than the other way around.

"The b-black eyes, your highness." I stammer.

"My name is Benjamin." The king frowns. 

My eyes fall to the ground, breaking off the delectable connection. I had disobeyed him again, I had let him down. This was three times. "Will I hang here or when we go North?" I ask bravely, trying to hide my fear. 

There's a noise resembling a cough behind me, and I vaguely aware that Wells and Axle are still watching.  The King's eyes catch mine again, his eyes are no longer alert, but regretful. Did it really not occur to him this was the fear weighing me down? My mortality? 

I am jealous of the way he has been able to live; without fear. Without shame. 

"Eliette, we do not hang anybody in my Kingdom," His voice is soft. What does this mean? How are they going to kill me then? If they do not use the quick ease of hanging.... there must be some slower, more relentless way they finish off their kill. Was I sentenced to this abuse and torment for my crimes? For how long was I to endure before it was over?

The thought springs new, hot tears in my eyes. The King's eyes darken to an obsidian; a sight scarier than Axle. Bad things happened when wolves had black eyes. "They-they're blaack!" I cry out, my eyes shutting. "Black eyes!" 

My eyes roll to the back of my head in fear, my body threatening to collapse. But his arms around me keep me upright, and my knees from buckling. I refuse to leave myself unconscious around these strangers. It's too dangerous. I will my eyes with all my might to stay open as my head rolls back to normal, a sharp pain develops between my eyes. 

There's a second pair of hands holding me up, Wells, though not around my waist like the king, but my arms and back. My eyes meet his solemn gaze, "Perhaps, I can help, Sire." He offers kindly. 

The King and Wells lock eyes, iris's glazing over. I can tell from their bodies that their mental exchange is not a pleasant one. The veil in their eyes break as the King stands abruptly, storming off towards the camp and direction of the others. Axle follows like an obedient lamb. 

I am left with Wells and his soft hand wresting on my back.