Hidden Lycan. (COMPLETE)

Chapter Nineteen

Alaric has actually been somewhat decent the past few days, even if he still avoids me. I've noticed he watches me from a distance more often, though I can't figure out why and I never call him out on it to ask. When we are together he isn't as cold or as mean as usual, he will make an effort to have a conversation, even if it don't normally work out. Even his eyes have softened towards me. It was just a small amount, and you wouldn't be able to tell if you weren't looking for the change. 

Lucas and Xavier are another story, They have been over the moon about this whole mate things the past few days, while I am still reeling over it. They don't push me into anything, and they don't smother me with their attention or presence since they know I enjoy solitude, but they do come and sit with me a lot where ever I am. I don't think I'll admit it right now, but their presence helps calm me. Calm my whirling mind and hectic thoughts. Calms my frayed nerves. Even after all the time spent here with them it's still hard for me to adjust to this new world. There are so many new things, things I don't understand and things I've never even heard of. My time with the slayers gave me much different information. It's amazing what you can learn when they think no one is listening. 

Eli...Well he has taken this mate things as well as I have, one day at a time. I can tell he is out of his comfort zone, and is not sure what to do. Neither am I. I know Eli told me he never wanted a mate, he never wanted to have a woman 'shackled' (His words) to him. Said his past is too vile, that he has too much attached to him he never wanted to plague a woman with. I know it's more than that though. I can see the pain in his eyes when he told me, feel his heartache and regret. Whatever lay in his past may have been vile, but it also hurt him immensely, and he guilt ridden and remorseful for what happened. I would never push him to tell me, he'd tell me on his own, but when he did I'd help him in any way I can. 

The guys all spent the passed few days and today explaining to me everything they could about the werewolf world and I thought my mind would explode with all the information they were giving me. For a species that was dwindling the way they say because of the she wolf population there sure were a lot of wolf packs around. In the US alone there were well over three hundred thousand. They said a lot of them were small like this pack here, but some were bigger because the alpha sought power and numbers in case of war. It made sense, but I'd rather have a small pack that I knew and that knew me and was loyal, than a pack where I couldn't name everyone and didn't know where there true loyalty lay. 

Then there was the royals, the rulers of the wolf world. The people thought to be responsible for the lycan's m******e. They were the Gryffon family, their 'leader' being a vicious man named Darius. Eli said Darius was an unforgiving man who would send people to prison or worse for the slightest crime. He thought he was above anyone and everyone. And apparently his family wasn't much different, strutting around like peacocks with their feathers on show. They were cocky, self centered and didn't care about anyone. I couldn't place my own opinion on them since I have never met them, but if they truly are how the guys say then I never want to meet them. 

And last but not least there was the council. The small group of people right below the royals who help lead the kingdom. They make the small decisions and let the power go to their head. They advise the royals and serve as judge, jury and executioner for the wolf world. I was told the council wasn't far off from being worse than the royals. They thrived in others pain. Watched and laughed while the ones who had been sentenced to death were killed in the most torturous and vile ways. I honestly didn't know if I wanted to be a part of this or not. 

They said every so often the royals and the council would hold some kind of gathering for the wolf community. It was like a four day party were all wolves would gather, drink, laugh, and have fun, while also assessing their options. It gave everyone a chance to discuss new laws, give their opinion on anything the royals plan to put in place. It gave the perfect opportunity for wolves to switch packs, challenge others for alpha status or any other status for that matter. While also giving the rouge wolves a chance to join a pack. Apparently rouges weren't tolerated and were mostly killed off. A wolf without a pack was considered a threat because they were not bound by pack laws and a lot of them had no use for the law the royals put into place. The wolves never knew when or where this gathering would take place, the royals always kept it secret until invitations were sent out, but even then sometimes you don't get an invitation, you get a summons. Basically an invitation demanding you be there, not giving you an option at all. 

The laws were archaic at best. You can't look a royal directly in the eye for more than a few seconds. If you do you get lashed. If a human woman, chooses to be with a wolf, another wolf can challenge her chosen mate for her. If the challenger wins then her gets to keep the woman, no matter what she thought or said. If any wolf is challenged and refuses to accept said challenge they automatically give up clam to whatever it is that the challenge was declared over. Fighting to the death is allowed and encouraged because the wolf world has no room for the weak. And so much more that I can't even remember.

and that don't even include the harsh and inhumane punishments. They told me about one person, a rouge that stole food from one of the gatherings to take home and was caught. It angered the royals that he would take it, even if they were going to throw it away. So they cut off his hands. He can't even shift now because he has no front paws to run or walk on. They said some of the stronger wolves, the ones with pure bloodlines have the ability to regrow limbs, which was oddly satisfying and weird at the same time. But then there was another a man that was gathering a rebellion against the royals. He was caught and each limb was sprawled out into an X shape and tied to ropes, that were then taken into a wolf's mouth and they pulled him apart. They pulled the poor man apart like some kind of mid-evil execution. 

There was something seriously wrong with this world, or something seriously dark and twisted in the royals head because who does that? Who resorts to mid-evil execution? Who actually thinks that is okay? I couldn't even imagine the pain they out that man through. There were others were they tied people to poles and let birds peck at them and eat them. Others were they let other wolves eat them, and burned at the stake, beheaded, drowned, even slathering some in peanut butter and throwing them in a pit full of rats. It was blood curdling. 

How the wolves allowed this, accepted it, was beyond me. I'm sure there was many who relished the pain and blood it caused, people who thrived on it. But there had to be more that thought it was barbaric and cruel. Barbaric...Ha. That's not even close to how I could describe the royals. Cruel, primitive, savage, black-hearted, vicious, ruthless, neanderthal. I shook my head, there isn't even a strong enough word to describe the evil inside them. I just hope I never had to meet them. 

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts with a jolt. I furrowed my brow as the guys looked between each other in confusion and anger. They hadn't sensed whoever was at the door, and considering they were wolves that couldn't be good. "Stay here." Eli warned. I nodded, but had no intention of staying put. As they all walked to the door Alaric was the one to answer it, but was instantly thrown back against the far wall in a burst of green light. Witches. I thought with a sneer. That is something the slayers spoke of often. And now they were here, attacking the only people I have ever cared for. Well, I guess they are in for a big surprise because I know things no one else in this supernatural world knows. Things the witches guard with their lives. And they've just unleashed a tidal wave upon themselves for attacking my men.