The Lycan King & I

Seventeen.

When I wake the next morning, I'm alone. I take my time in the shower, making sure all the dirt and grime from last night is washed down the drain. When I finally emerge down the wooden stairs, I nearly jump out of my skin at the sight of Hamilton lounging on the massive couch I had been using as a bed the last few days.

He cracks a smile, "I look that scary?" 

"No, sorry." I shake my head and make my way to the kitchen, he follows. "I just wasn't expecting to see you here." 

 I wasn't complaining, Hamilton already was much preferable of a guard than Valerie. I reach for the pot of coffee that was steaming on the counter and pour myself a cup. Starting with the way he was snooping through the fridge, rather than studying me with owl eyes. 

"Alpha's orders," Hamilton shrugs, grabbing an apple and taking a loud bite. "I've always been curious what Alpha's little cabin looked like." 

I turn around, relishing the warmth of my coffee's steam, "Where's Ben?"

"Alpha's changing the patrol schedule, after your little escapade last night." 

I cringe and hide behind my hair, "Oh no, I didn't mean to cause any trouble-"

"Relax." Hamilton assures me, waving off my worry. "He was probably going to increase security anyway, now that you're here. Although you did have everyone scared shitless last night."

I feel like I should be embarrassed, this man watched me have a panic attack then carried me home like a baby. But I don't, I feel comfortable with Hamilton. More comfortable than I felt with Ben, or even Thiele when we were living together.

"So you're the one who's been making my life a thousand times more complicated." I comment wryly.

Hamilton snorts, "I should be saying that about you." 

"Isn't it funny how I had to beg to get you as my guard, but I barely know you?"

"Your mate wanting to kill me isn't funny at all." Hamilton shudders at the thought and waltzes  back to the living room, I follow like a lost lamb "But it's pretty normal, I guess."

"What is?" 

"Luna's and their guards bond pretty fast." He shrugs, collapsing onto the couch. I join as well, pulling a blanket over my shoulders. Why was it always so cold here? "Even before the ritual."

"I forgot about the ritual," I muse. 

"Tonight. You ready?" He lifts the remote and refocuses his attention. I vaguely remember the Guard Ritual that Wells and Grace explained to me, where the Luna and her Guard accept each other. I didn't realize it would be tonight, I hoped I didn't have to prepare anything. 

"Are you?" I ask back, deflecting.

"f**k no, I skipped my rituals and ceremonies class back in school. But I figured we can waste the day watching some quality television to distract." Hamilton nods towards the glowing box again, "Sound like a plan?" 

Everything comes naturally with Hamilton, there's no pressure to our conversations. He teaches me everything about the television show characters to me, and I quickly learn he is a gossip. The topic doesn't take long to turn to our mutual discomfort with Axle. We make lunch, Hamilton accidentally dropping an entire pot of pasta, I hastily mop it up.

"The alpha instructed me not to let you clean up after me," Hamilton looks worried as I finish cleaning up the mess, but doesn't make any moves to grab the mop out of my hands. Typical. 

"You talked to him?" When? Did he call when I was in the bathroom?

Hamilton's already shaking his head, "Mind-link." 

"Can we visit him?" I ask before I can stop myself, I was getting a bit stir crazy. And I felt like I hadn't seen Ben in a long time, though it was just last night.

"Yeah, we gotta head to the castle soon anyway." He begins packing up his backpack. 

"Can we walk?" I smile hopefully. 

After some mind-linking, Hamilton manages to get permission to walk to the castle. I don't want to ride in a car, it makes me queasy. I missed the old ways of walking, I didn't even complain when the bitter wind made my cheeks go numb. We meander through the town, I'm a bit unnerved by everyone's stares and smiles. Underlings weren't to be seen or heard, but now it felt like I was under a microscope. 

"Can we stop in this one?" I point to the jewelry shop, I'd never been allowed in one before and I wanted to see how the gems glimmered under the lights. 

"Your wish, my command." Hamilton shrugs. "They're probably going to deck you out in jewelry tonight, you probably don't need to buy any."

"Like I could ever afford any of this." I sigh wistfully, running my fingers across the display case. Hamilton gets distracted at once with a bunch of cuff links, I take some hesitant steps farther into the shop, distracted by the sparkles. As I wander farther, I cross into a back room of the store.

The room was dark, the rows of gems across the shelves weren't as glamorous as the ones out front, they looked older. More mystical, crystals in the full. I am particularly enamored with a giant purple crystal when a voice makes me jump ten feet in the air. 

"See anything you like?" 

I turn on my heels: It's the strange man from last night; What was his name? David? Darnell? 

"My apologies, Luna, for startling you." The old man with a silver beard assures me, there's a weird glint in his eye, like he'd been expecting me. "I assure you I am nothing to be afraid of, just an old wolf here named Darwin"

I am instantly uncomfortable, I wish I hadn't strayed so far from Hamilton. "It's called Flourite." I blink a few times, uncomprehending. "The crystal, beautiful isn't it? They say it's intended to bring about an inner awakening, curious you favor it, wouldn't you say?" 

"I-i suppose, sir." I stumble out.

"No need to call me sir, Luna." He winks at me, "You're curious with the flourite, but I'm curious about you."

"M-me?" I take a step back, my shoulders bumping the shelves. 

"If I may be so bold to ask," He clears his throat, "Could you indulge me in your mothers name?" 

I'm more confused than scared, "M-mother? I don't know her name-"

Darwin frowns at this, why do I feel like I've disappointed him?  "Just one more question, does the name Thiele mean anything to you?" 

I freeze at that, what did he know of Thiele? There was no reason for a Lycan of the noble, rich North to know about a middle-aged working human of the South. Absolutely none.

 "There you are!" Hamilton breaks into the back room, his voice too loud for the small space. He grabs the arm of my heavy jacket, "Excuse us, Elder Darwin, we're running late."

"Are you trying to get me in trouble on my first day?" He hisses in my ear as he leads me back onto the streets. 

"No." I cross my arms defiantly, "I was just looking-"

"I don't like decrepit Darwin." He mutters, "Next time he creeps into town make sure Ben or I are around." I agree with him too much to protest. 

I'm whisked away as soon as we arrive at the castle, not able to visit Ben like I originally hoped for. Hamilton is swept off by Axle, bound for the Alpha's office. And I'm swept up by Mallory. She brings me into a giant, marble chamber with a velvet platform in the middle. Magnificent shelf's and vanities line the walls.

 Grace is there. So is another woman there named Arden; she introduces herself as the former beta female, and Wells mother. Mallory orders me to strip to my underwear, the three chat among themselves I comply shyly. Of course they can chat so easily, nakedness is nothing to the Lycan's. But it was humiliating for me. 

I am uncomfortable and stunned silent as the three began the process of powdering my body with some spice that makes me sneeze, then spritzing me down with some flowery scented water. Mallory notices my shaking hands when she goes to make the first brushstroke with a tiny bristle, and polietley dsimisses the other two women.

"Nervous?" She asks, as she mixes a dark paste to carefully paint intricate symbols onto my fingers, hands and arms. They were the same symbols I saw on the walls around the castles, and etched onto the magnificent front door. 

"Yes,  ma'am." I keep my eyes on the floor as she guides me into a long, tailored gown. It's crimson red- The color of a Luna, she tells me. We ready in a comfortable silence as she dabs a colored cream onto my eyelids, and make my lips match my dress. 

"The entering Luna's tiara." She announces once she finishes smoothing my long tresses back. I feel about ten pounds heavier as she sets an ornate diadem atop my head. She explains the dark stones in it come from a Luna nearly a thousand years ahead of us. None of it- including the matching jewelry- has been worn by anyone not a Luna.

"This is too nice," I shake my head, overwhelmed. "I can't wear your tiara-" 

"It's yours." She gently nudges my hand down, as it was moving to remove the bauble. "It's the Luna's." 

"I'm not a Luna," I shake my head, eyes wide. "I'm just an Underling."

"And I'm just the daughter of the pack's top warriors, who's parents thought she would never shift into her wolf." She winks at me, dabbing a antiqued bottle of perfume on my neck. "Imagine the Pack's outrage when the Alpha marked the only unshifted woman in the Kingdom." She chuckles fondly at the memory. If she has any lingering resentment towards the situation, I cannot tell at all. 

I'm vaguely reminding of what everyone seemed to know already: Luna's weren't born, they were made. 

I try to keep this mantra in my mind as I dig my fingernails into my palms an hour later, I am absolutely terrified as I take my place next to Hamilton atop the magnificent gates leading to the grand room. He has been beautified- just as I have. His fuzzy brown hair has some kind of gloss slicking it down, he's in a magnificent looking black robe. 

"They got to you too?" I mutter to him, my knees feel shaky for the upcoming ritual.

"Not they," He looks upset- brows furrowed. "Alpha and Former Alpha." 

I try to picture Ben getting Hamilton ready in the same gentle manner as Mallory got me, and burst out in giggles. 

"Shut up, you look like a tomato." He rolls his eyes. What a grump-ass. 

We're silenced by the grand Howl on the other side of the doors, letting us know the ceremony is starting; midnight exactly. When the moon is highest. The doors open, our pathway is lined by the Top Guard, the rest of the Pack filling in behind them. 

There's so many, I think as black dots cloud my vision.

"Look at Ben," Hamilton hisses to me as we step onto the furs leading to the alter. I take my eyes and shift them to Ben, I instantly feel breathless, whether it is the nerves or the sight of him, I'm not sure. A magnificent fur that's adorned with rubies is draped around his broad shoulders. It's as dark as his mane of curls, which are combed back neatly, my first time not seeing them unruly. Atop of his head is a crown.

He no longer looks like the wolf-like man I'd come to see him as; He was a King. As I meet his eyes, I feel the breath leave my body. My eyes are mesmerized, when the trance is broken, I feel calm. Oh, the mind thing.

 Hamilton and I step onto our designated places in front of Ben, who stands ahead of a golden basin. Ben begins his opening remarks, but I'm distracted by the gnat that is buzzing around Hamilton's head. I want to swat it out of his face, as his floor-sweeping fur cloak makes it impossible, but I remember his tomato comment and instead enjoy his discomfort. He twitches his nose to try to blow the gnat away, and I c***k a small snicker. 

"Ahm." Ben's irritated gaze gets us both back to attention; though Hamilton is where the anger is clearly directed. 

"I said, do you Protector Hamilton bear your soul to our Northern Queen, with the Pack, Luna, Goddess and the Moon as your witness?" Ben's voice is assertive, it rings with reverence throughout the hall. 

Rather than answer, Hamilton reaches out his wrist. Ben reaches forward and grabs his hand firmly. I'm reminded of the image of Ben being the one to slick back Hamilton's short buzz with shine, and giggle slightly. 

My smile fades as I watch Ben slice a small wooden knife across his palm, and blood spills into the basin.

"Luna, do you bear witness to Lycan Hamilton Cornelius Clarke bearing his blood to your bond?" 

"I do." I nod. Hamilton snorts a bit, I look around bewildered at the smirks on the faces of Wells and Grace and Mallory, who stand behind Ben. s**t, I don't think that was the correct answer.

Hamilton's hand that wasn't just butchered open nudges my palm towards Ben's awaiting hand. I hesitantly set it in Ben's, he holds it with a tenderness that wasn't there for Hamilton. I wince as he gently cuts across my palm. Nausea burns at my tongue as we clasp our bloodied hands together.

A mixed drop falls down, the gold rings a soft hum at this, the blood begins to swirl in the basin. I must be seeing things, I shake my head. 

I lean against Hamilton as we lead out the path we entered, hands clasped. I feel woozy, as Ben breaks into a loud howl, the entire pack follows in return. 

"What's next?" I ask above the high-pitched calls, I hope nothing is next and I can crawl back into bed. 

"The party." Hamilton looks pleased for the first time since the ceremony started, his anger and annoyance forgotten as his wiggles his eyebrow. I may be a clueless human, but I know enough to know this means trouble.