The Lycan King & I

Sixteen.

Sleep doesn't come. Not. One. Second. As I lay there, painfully still on the luscious couch, I am tired. More than tired, I feel like my eyes are burning with exhaustion. At first I think it's because I was too hot, then maybe it's because I'm too cold, then I thought it's that it was too dark.

But I know what it is. It's Ben. Even when he was on a completely different level of the house, I know he is lying awake as well. It was like his loneliness and gloom were seeping through the floor boards and directly too me. He was too close, it was too much. He was too far, it wasn't enough.

I throw a pillow over my eyes, groaning slightly in irritation. When I open my eyes next next; I'm no longer in the living room.

I don't know where I am.

I am in the dark forest, the stars shining bright above me, barely visible through the dense trees surrounding me. Below me, my bare feet are sunken to my ankles in the snow. With just my silk nightgown, I'm so cold that it hurts.

I don't know where I am, and I'm frantic, close to panicking. My fingernails are digging into my palms painfully as I can't catch my breath; blood drips from my palms and into the snow. I spin in a circle; trying to see if there is any sign of civilization out here. Beyond a small creek of water I could hear rushing slightly not too far, I was stranded.

My head darts when I hear something rustle in the bushes.

"W-w-who's th-there," I call out, shivering and shaking in fear. The rustling increases and my heart is pounding in my ears.

"H-help," I cry out pitifully as tears begin to spill over my face, it's so cold I'm surprised they aren't turning to ice. Another rustle on the other side of me, I turn on my heels to run away but smack straight into the ground. My head collies with the hard with the icy ground as I cry out in pain.

I feel completely lost as I curl up in a ball and try to stop the panicking as dots cover my vision. Looking up to the sky, I scream so loudly that my throat hurts. I continue screaming as I cover my face with my frozen hands.

I jump two feet in the air when warm hands are engulfing me, picking me up from the heap I was in the snow. "Hey, hey, you're okay, you're safe."

Only it's not Ben, it's Hamilton.

"H-Hamilton?" I inhale sharply, he picks me up with so much ease. I don't know how he knew I was here. I can't seem to breath in deeply, each breath a painful gasp.

"Stop," He stops his strong steps, I'm almost to his eye level. "Breath in when I breath in, see?" He breaths in a few times very slowly, I try my best to follow. "Now breath out with me." He holds out the exhale in a shhhh sound. It's shaky, but I copy. After a few cycles of this, my breathing is almost the same as his.

"You're fine, I'm sure Alpha will be here any- nevermind, he's here." He winces as a magnificent howl pierces my ears.

I turn crane my head to see at least 20 wolves, all panting and wild looking, emerge from the woods. I'm lucky Hamilton is so large, because I nearly fall out of his arms in terror. "Relax, they can't hurt their Luna."

But what about Hamilton? Would they hurt one of their own pack? I'm lucky it's so dark, because the sounds of them shifting from wolf to man makes my stomach twist, I squint my eyes shut to avoid watching.

When I open them, my eyes are locked on Ben's. I'm glad it's dark so I don't have to see his naked body, I don't think I could handle that right now.

"Let go of your Queen at once!" Ben commands, his black eyes are wild with rage. I cower closer into Hamilton. Though I barely knew him, I somehow felt like I could trust him to keep me safe. Ben is fast approaching us, his strong arms outstretched to grab me from Hamilton's arms. "Give her to me!"

The clearing of the forest falls silence as Hamilton- though barely noticeable, turns away ever so  slightly, so we are not face on the crowd of 20 men. The kings close guard, most likely. The movement isn't missed by Ben, who snarls at the action.

"What are you playing at, pup." Ben growls out murderously, as tears form in my eyes. I felt like a pawn in a game, pulled by both, neither of them realized how easy it would be for them to snap me like a twig.

"I'll give her to you once you calm down," Hamilton answers, his actions are definite, but his voice sounds unsure. He is scared to be standing up to his Alpha, I realize.

"Give her to me now or I will make you!" Ben threatens wildly. For the first time, he looks more animal than human. I didn't like it.

"Your eyes are black and your naked." Hamilton takes another step farther from Ben, which I am thankful for. "Can't you tell she's scared?"

"You dare question your king-"

"Benjamin." A strong voice has both men quieting, though they keep their glares fixated on one another. I crane my head up from the warmth of Hamilton's jacket and see who the new voice is. It's a man- older than both. With unruly curls that were graying, full lips, and strong brows, there is no denying this man is Ben's father. They are copies of one another, two kings.

"She is frozen and terrified, save this jealousy for a better setting." The man doesn't raise his voice, but still I am compelled to listen by the aura of power that radiates off of him, he is wise.

His words also remind me of how cold I am, and how my panicked breathing is nearly returned. Ben's eyes shift to his father, then the group of men awaiting orders. "All of you are dismissed, we will address this tomorrow."

It's clear from his voice that he is unhappy with his men, they all shift quickly and scamper away. Like a dog being scolded by it's owner. The sound of their bones breaking makes me feel like I am going to get sick. My head is spinning when I vaguely hear Hamilton ask if I am alright.

"Perhaps some water from the creek for the luna?" A new voice draws me back to earth, and a ladle of water is held up to my mouth. I sip eagerly, then pull back to inspect the man in front of me. He is dressed in old furs, and his hair is unkempt. His white beard almost reaches down to his waist belt. There is something in his wrinkled skin and weathered eyes that had me uneasy.

"Thank you, Darwin." Ben's father says to the old man kindly. I don't like the way the old man keeps his eyes on me, unblinking. Something about him makes me wary, and I regret drinking the water he gave me.

After a few words exchanged between Ben's father turns to me, "Get her home and warm. Eliette, it was a pleasure meeting you, even under these circumstances. I hope you'll come over for dinner soon." He shifts and runs off into the woods.

"Give her to me," Ben instructs Hamilton, like I'm a child.

"No." I speak for the first time. Ben's eyes were still dark, and he was naked. I didn't want to be held by him, the way he yelled at Hamilton earlier. Though I barely knew the man holding me, I felt protective of him. "I want to stay with Hamilton."

The temper that Ben seemed to be barely holding at bay comes to a boil at this. I flinch and huddle farther into the warm of Hamilton's chest as Ben lets out a threatening roar. The tea pot steaming over, I think as I hear the noise of bones breaking.

"He needs some time to cool off anyway." Hamilton mutters to me, as we continue the walk home. Just the two of us now. I was shivering, in the dark, with a man I hardly knew, lost in the forest. But I wasn't scared at all, in fact, I felt like I could finally close my eyes.

"I don't like that man." I'm not sure if it's the hypothermia or the exhaustion that has the words slipping out.

"You'll learn to love him." Hamilton snorts.

"Not Ben," I let my eyes flutter shut. My eyelashes feel warm against my ice-kissed cheeks. "The man with the beard."

I drift off for a moment, the restless night finally catching up with me. But I vaguely hear Hamilton muse, "I didn't get a good feeling from him either, Luna."

I must have fallen asleep. Barely sleeping the last few nights, I can't remember ever sleeping as soundly as I am now. When I rustle awake later, I am too exhausted to even open my eyes or move, but I vaguely feel a rush of warm air before a door closing gently.

"I can take her." The voice is unmistakably Ben's, calmer from before, but still a note of possessiveness.

"Ask her."

"El," I hear Ben's voice close to me, much softer now. I nuzzle into the warm hand on my cheek. "I'm sorry for scaring you... will you please come back to bed?"

I'm so tired that I'm convinced this is a dream, I can barely register what's happening, but I make a small noise of acknowledgement and allow myself to be handed off. I know it's Ben's arms I'm in. I fit perfectly here, I think before succumbing to my fatigue.

Some time later, when I'm warm and cozy and feel myself being set down onto a soft surface, I hear the first civilized conversation between Hamilton and Ben. I want to open my eyes to plead with Ben to be nice to Hamilton, but I can't seem to do anything but snore slightly.

"I don't know how she got out," I hear Ben whisper, more to himself.

"Didn't you hear-"

"No. She-" He clears his throat, "She wasn't sleeping with me, so I was awake."

"Oh." Another long pause. "I didn't sense anything until she began panicking." Hamilton's voice is low, quiet to not disturb me.

"Me too." Ben comments, "She was so f*****g far, too."

"And none of us felt it." Hamilton's tone mimics Bens: perplexed, worried, irritated.

I think I've drifted off into REM again until I hear a movement. "You're dismissed, report back in the morning."

"Report-"

"Dismissed, pup."