Beyond A King

New Friends?

It was no wonder Sebastian had done everything to keep in with my family. My father had a lot of pull in the pack, how else would he have managed to escape being mated to the first female he impregnated.

I’ve always wondered why after centuries of tradition the king suddenly outlawed mating because of un-mated pregnancies but something told me my family had a lot to do with that. It wasn’t a law any more and hadn’t been for some time but most still kept up the tradition though. I’m not even sure an old fashioned pack like silver moon ever knew the law was abolished.

Sebastian was stupider than Johnny though, if that was possible and it started way before he even broke my heart.

Flash back

Sebastian held me tightly to his chest as if that would stop what was about to happen. “ I don’t want you to leave me chips,” he whispered into my hair as we both cried. Sebastian and I had been together for a long time. He had been my first friend when I came to the pack and no one our age would talk to me. Over time that friendship became something more and even though I knew as a werewolf he had a fated mate out there somewhere we both had fallen in love.

“ I wish I didn’t have to leave seb but I have to” I had to leave now, my father was waiting for me at home to take me to the airport. I couldn’t believe we were being separated but I couldn’t put my family and pack in danger not when we had no idea what the people hunting me wanted from me.

Sebastian and I had been inseparable since we were fifteen. “ I still don’t understand why you have to go chips, can't you just tell your dad you don’t want to” I buried my head in his chest, desperately wanting to tell him the truth. That my aunt had come looking for me but that would mean having to tell Sebastian I was not human but a witch. I couldn’t risk endangering him. Even though I burst to tell him everything. It was the only secret I’d ever kept from him.

When I didn’t answer I felt Sebastian sigh he moved briefly out of my embrace going to his desk drawer and taking out a small box, handing it to me.

“ take this with you” he held out the box to me, when I opened it I gasped. Inside was his great grandfather's antique gold pocket watch. I turned it over to see the name Parker engraved on the back. It was Sebastian’s family name.

“ I can’t take this seb it’s yours” I tried to hand it back to him. I knew how much it meant to him. To his family. The watch was passed down to each male for generations and I couldn’t risk anything happening to it.

“ no, I want you to keep a piece of me with you in England, then when you come home you can give it back to me. I love you lyla” he said, barely getting the words out as tears streamed down his face as much as they were my own. Without thinking I leapt into his arms kissing him fiercely.

I pulled away from him breathless and sobbing “ I love you too seb, I’ll be back I promise” and then nothing will keep us apart. I wouldn’t let it.

We stayed like that for as long as we could kissing and holding one another until it was finally time for me to leave.

I hated that I was leaving Sebastian behind. Why did I have to go all the way to England to lie low while dad and the boys ‘ took care of things’ I knew they were trying to protect me but how could they

As I stepped onto the driveway of our home my dad stepped out of the house smiling sadly at me with Cora trailing behind, baby Elliot on her hip. I saw my other siblings at the window waving sadly. My heart was breaking at the thought of leaving.

“ Do you have everything honey?” Cora asked, coming to hug me, Elliot slapped a dribbled hand on my cheek and we all laughed. Dad began hauling my bag towards the car and a sense of panic overtook me.

I checked my pockets finding my phone but realising I had left Sebastian’s watch on his bed when I’d left. “ oh my godess, I..I I just have to grab something. I'll be back” I said not waiting for a reply and ran for the pack house. I couldn’t leave without Sebastian’s watch. It was too important to him that I took it. It was a declaration of his love for me.

I reached the pack house running through without looking at anyone else. When I got to Sebastian’s room the door was closed but I didn’t think to knock.

I swung the door open and felt bile rise in my throat at the sight before me.

Seb, my seb was stark naked on the bed thrusting like a man possessed into an equally naked delilah the head warrior's daughter, her screams of pleasure filled the room and echoed out into the hallway making it obvious what they were doing without having to see them.

Before I could make myself known or walk away the door opposite opened “ f**k sake, SEB! DELILAH! How many times SHUT THE DOO…oohhhh lyla” curt one of Sebastian’s buddies stops his rant and stumbles as he sees me in front of him. His eyes wide as he glances over my shoulder to the lovers behind me that were still grunting and moaning.

That’s when I realised what curt said…delilah he said delilah. He knew Sebastian was with her and what was worse this didn’t seem to be a one time thing either. ‘ how many times’ yes curt how many times had my boyfriend of three years been cheating on me. Curt wasn’t shocked at seeing the couple in the bed together, he was shocked at seeing me. I was so stupid.

At the sound of curt the couple in the room seemed to understand they weren't alone anymore. I turned back to see seb had moved away from Delilah, his face filled with blind panic. Delilah had now covered herself with the bed sheets and looked down ashamed, at least, muttering ‘ sorry’.

We were all friends, we had always hung out in the same group all through high school but Delilah had never been one of those types of girls you had to worry about trying to steal your guy. Or at least I thought she wasn’t.

“ lyla!” I heard seb breathlessly whisper my name but I couldn’t look at him. I was too disgusted. I had trusted them both and they betrayed me. Sebastian had told me he loved me not half an hour ago in this very room. He gave me his family’s watch, making me think it meant something. I could see it now in my line of sight. It had gotten tossed on the floor when the lovers had started their passion.

It had been discarded just like me. Without thinking I scooped it up off the floor muttering something about leaving it behind and ran in a flood of tears suddenly grateful I was leaving this place for a while.

End of flash back

I shook away the memory of the stupid trusting naive little fool I had been.

After I left in a cloud of tears for England 2 years ago I heard from Tyler that Sebastian and Delilah had been sleeping together for almost a year, the day I left Delilah had gone to Sebastian and told him she was pregnant. My first month in England I had barely moved from my bed, heartbroken and alone. Megan had thought I was merely home sick and hadn’t asked questions. Sebastian had called non-stop for weeks but I never answered him. I never spoke to any of my friends again assuming they all knew.

My third month in England Tyler informed me that Delilah had been lying about the pregnancy but stupidly Sebastian hadn’t learnt his lesson the first time and didn’t stop sleeping with her. Her second pregnancy hadn’t been fake and as they say the rest is history. His parents were believers of the old laws and insisted Sebastian mate Delilah. A few months later they had a beautiful bouncing baby girl. I didn’t know her name but I’d seen her at the party, she was beautiful long curly hair like sunshine just like her mother but her face was hauntingly so much more like Sebastian’s and the love I saw in his eyes when he had looked at her didn’t need words he was happy and his life was perfect unlike the woman he had stomped all over to get his perfect life.

Now they were spreading lies about being fated mates and making me look like some jilted ex that couldn’t get over herself. The irony of it was that if they had been mates I would shave looked past everything and been happy for them.

All this time and I hadn’t realised the mysterious stranger was still watching me not in a creepy way though he was just silently observing “ I’m Oliver” he smiled extending his hand.

“ I’m tired, goodbye Oliver” I nodded curtly before turning back to head into the house, the shouting had stopped so I figured Sebastian had left.

“ You're not gonna tell me your name, I thought we were friends” he asked following me.

“ What gave you that impression?” I frowned over my shoulder at him but didn’t stop as I reached the first step of the porch. Ok I could be nicer he had saved my backside from a week of bruising but it had been a long day and I was feeling particularly friendly, he would get over it.

I turned back to face the house but didn’t miss the smug grin on his gorgeous face “ oh trust me beautiful, you and I are gonna be the best of friends” he chuckled as we entered the party once again.

( nerva pov)

“ you said it would be easy, you promised me revenge but that stupid elder couldn’t even get the job done, I was humiliated in front of the entire supernatural leaders not to mention…” my goddess was she still talking. I rubbed my temple blocking out the irritating she wolf before me.

“ are we sure she was rejected because of infidelity and not her trap” I heard one of the hunters next to me say but Maddison was so busy shouting she hadn’t heard him. They were as fed up with her as I was.

I’d heard enough and waved my hand silencing her voice. “ Oh my god, thank you” another hunter groaned dramatically. It was the nicest thing any of them had said since they had come to the facility. I didn’t like them around us. Their kind were bred to eradicate our kind yet serveena insisted they were necessary.

They provided us with security and tests subjects but they enjoyed their slow torture and sometimes death a little too much for my liking. I didn’t trust them but Serveena assured me they were under orders not to harm any of our people and in Serveena’s words why lose our kind in battle when we can send humans to do our dirty work.

Maddison was only now realising she had no sound coming from her mouth. Man this girl loved talking, the mate bond really made Lucas blind to this irritation in front of me.

The thought of Lucas still filled me with rage after everything we had shared. We had a good thing going once I had gone against Serveena getting too close to him but it had been worth it until he had cast me aside like I was nothing. Choosing that b***h Alisha and her pack over me but what’s worse she didn’t even keep him. She broke his heart and mated his best friend. That little w***e would die along with everyone else. I will enjoy hearing her screams. Lucas stormthom being at the top of the list of those I wanted to see die but first he would suffer. I will take revenge on anyone who ever thought me lesser than them.

“ watch your tone mutt you are here to serve a purpose if you can’t fulfil that one there are other uses for you” I gestured to the cages to the right housing the experiments. The girl pales instantly knowing if she was placed inside one it would end in slow torture.

That’s what had brought me to this irritation. I had been tracking Lucas for years before I ever made myself aware of him. I approached maddison after Lucas abandoned her in New York. I thought she would become useful at some point as leverage against him or at the very least a weakness.

so we kept her here and when Lucas took the throne an opportunity came to place her at his side. Only the stupid she wolf failed to mention he had rejected her because of her infidelity. Now we were all in for punishment from my mistress. Serveena didn’t take kindly to failure and if you survived you didn’t fail again.

Ignoring the she wolf I turned to the hunters, “ take her back to the Eden until my mistress calls for her” he smirked and took her arm leading her away from me without complaining or insult, I knew why he was happy to leave. The Eden suite housed our harem, no doubt he and his pals would have some fun there before they returned to their duties. We had enough females in there to satisfy an army. I would leave the mutt without her voice as punishment for her failure.

Only problem was I had to face Serveeena. I turned and walked through the lab hearing familiar growls and screams from test subjects. Serveena’s office door opened as I approached. Great, she was expecting me.

I entered the room standing in front of her desk with my head down waiting for her to speak “ well?” She finally asked.

“It seems that the new king isn’t going to be as easily manipulated as we thought” I answered keeping my head down.

“ well you should have done your homework on the dog before you sent her in there”great I knew it would be my fault. Then I realised I hadn’t told her what had happened at the summit yet.

I looked up and serveena gave me a slight smile “you knew and you sent her anyway?” I asked confused. She had sent the mutt in to fail.

Serveena looked down examining her perfectly manicured nails, her beautiful face and blonde hair could rival an Angel but her soul was as dark as the night sky “ she still served a purpose, the king was expecting something suspicious from the elders and now she is on his radar, so he won’t be suspecting the real deception ”

I scoffed “ Oh please he isn’t that clever, I know him, throw a pretty girl in his direction and he will soon have them on their back” I said bitterly, folding my arms across my chest.

“ Perhaps we should send in one of the new additions to ‘the Eden’ to tempt the king?” Even as I said the words I felt bile rising in my throat.

Serveena thought for a moment “ no, he seems to have more wits about him than the other alphas, he certainly clocked on to the situation in silver moon pack quicker than anyone else and I fear the whole thing would have unravelled quicker had he not become distracted by Mitchell’s Luna” the memory of the England project made my anger rise. I had begged serveena for the chance to run my own project and she finally let me because of my history with Lucas.

“ she’s just a mutt, nothing special” I gritted through my teeth. That pack had all but destroyed her had Lucas not stepped up to defend her, even the alpha had wanted nothing to do with her in the beginning.

Those idiots had been so consumed with destroying her that they had missed the threat of the rogue king for years.

“ and yet she stopped you from getting close to both the king and alpha Becker” serveena mocked, smirking. Highlighting my failure, I had even disguised myself as Mitchell’s dead mate and it hadn’t made a difference, the only night I came close to getting into his bed I’d had to drug his ass, it had worked at first but then in my eagerness to have him he’d realised I wasn’t rose and ran. What kind of man ran from a naked woman in his bed.

After that I could never get close to him because of that b***h Alisha.

“ So what is your plan for dealing with him?” I asked changing the subject.

She shrugged nonchalantly “ things are already in motion, it is not for you to worry about, I have already given you your task”

“I already have things in motion” I gave her the same nondescript answer.

“ that sounds to me like you are stalling, perhaps an attack of conscience?” She raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me.

I shook my head immediately “ not at all, I want control of the coven as much as you do” I assured her because it was the truth, my mother was weak and if she had done her duty to me I wouldn’t have had to come to a woman like serveena.

As they say it’s better to be the right hand of the devil than in her path and Serveena’s soul was as evil as the devil himself.

“ good, then I suggest you get back there, and do not return until you have taken control” she shouted causing her eyes to blare like fire roaring to life. She was becoming angry and the last thing I wanted was another punishment from her. It had taken a week to recover from the last time.

“ What about the king?” I asked her, unable to help my curiosity. Whatever she had planned I was not a part of.

“ we have to play this carefully especially since the new laws have now taken effect” she muttered.

“ I thought you were in favour of that?” That was why we hadn’t manipulated the alphas under our control to move in favour of the old laws.

“ the equal rights laws yes, it will make taking over the other packs even easier but now he is building bridges with all the supernaturals in his kingdom we could be looking at more to deal with than we are ready for” she paused for a moment “ he’s smart this half blood ”

She blew out a frustrated breath and I knew her anger was on the rise “ It is precisely why we need the girl, have you found her yet Thomas?” Until now I had not noticed the old man stewing silently in the corner. Elder Thomas was part of the supernatural council which we had thought would move things along but so far he had proven less than useless.

“ there was talk of there being a power surge in the silver moon pack but nothing has come up yet, I’ve asked the hunters to seek out help from a known seer ” he shot back at my mistress as if she should be satisfied by that answer.

A second later Serveena’s hand shot up and elder Thomas was pulled from his chair by the invisible force and his body flew across the room.

I lowered my head trying to make myself smaller, my mistress was angry at Thomas but her wrath would always extend to anyone in the vicinity. Elder Thomas was pulled back up mid air so his feet did not touch the floor. He choked and clawed at his neck in vain.

Serveena paced back and forth behind her desk muttering viciously “why am I surrounded by such incompetence, I long for a soul that can stand by my side, someone I can count on” she suddenly stopped mid stride staring into space and her features softened like she was remembering something fondly.

It was gone after a moment by her shaking her head vigorously and throwing elder Thomas to the ground. I didn’t check if he was still alive.Quite frankly I was amazed he had survived this long with his attitude, my mistress was not the forgiving type “ BOTH OF YOU GET OUT!!!” She roared, I didn’t need to be told twice, I rushed for the door.

(Lucas pov)

When I finished my run I felt calmer and my anger from earlier almost forgoten. I still had to deal with the elders but it could wait till tomorow at least.

It was time for a change and I couldn’t think of anything more deserving of that change than the royal elders.

As I re entered the palace I realised I was on autopilot and had entered through the kitchens like I always did as a pup. For a moment I was transported back to my youth, I had a good childhood but it was always clouded by the secrets and lies.

“ is there something we can do for you your highness” one of the omegas asked nervously bowing her head. I’d forgotten that now everyone would know who I was, the staff had been introduced to their king once I re-entered the kingdom even before everyone had accepted my fathers death.

I smiled and shook my head letting the girl carry on with her work, I knew being in here was making everyone nervous. So I quickly made my exit, I’d have to remember not come through this way any more.

As I crossed the foyer near the main hall where the summit had been only hours ago it looked completely different the table and chairs had been cleared away and all the guest had probably retired to their rooms but I noticed some of the elders were in the throne room speaking with other werewolves. They were not of any rank and I didn’t recognise them. Before I could investigate I caught sight of movement from the shadows.

“ Are you stalking me now?” I murmured as Ronoldo emerged from the shadows.

“ just making sure your ok after earlier” he said gently which was so unlike him to tiptoe around me. That’s one thing I liked about Ronoldo was that his was straightforward.

“ you don’t need to baby sit me anymore uncle Ron, go home and see your family ” I instructed and began walking towards my wing.

I rolled my eyes when Ronoldo moved to follow me “ my love does not expect me knowing my king needs me” I stated.

I smiled realising he had been home but Martha had sent him back “ so she sent you to babysit me?” I asked, holding in my chuckle. The most deadly warrior and commander of the biggest army in the land was still so under his mates thumb.

“ she worries about you, you know she loves you like her own” it was true, Martha had been like a second mother growing up.

When I was young my mother and I had lived in a small house near the palace. The elders had thought it was the best option at the time but my father had struggled being away from us and it was starting to become noticeable that he was visiting. So we had moved back to the palace and I was announced as the king's ward. It made things easier on my mother at least, she had missed my father so much. I still remember being a small pup and crawling into her bed to comfort her while she cried being separated from him.

Ronoldo and Martha had lived next door; they had struggled to conceive and Martha loved having me around. I was her surrogate pup before she had her own, I loved their house even though there were no pups at the time it felt like a home, Martha was always barefoot, singing and cooking for the large family she craved, when we left to go back to the palace I could see the heartbreak on her face I had immediately hugged her and promised her to always visit, up until the day I left I had kept my promise “ I’m grateful, give her a kiss from me”

In a bid to change the subject I looked back towards the throne room “ Ron who were all those people in the ceremony room with the elders ?” I whispered.

“ subjects voicing concerns and problems to the monarchy- well the elders at the moment” I huffed, irritated that I hadn’t been made aware of it. Just another thing I would have to raise with the elders tomorrow.

“ that’s a good idea” I was angry I hadn’t been informed but impressed that the elders gave a chance for the people of the kingdom to come to them personally for help.

Ronoldo signed before saying “ it would be if anything came of it other than for the conversations to be filed away never to see the light of day again”

“ Anything pressing at the moment?” I asked, judging from the frown on his face there was something definitely troubling him.

“ There've been recurring attacks on some of our ally packs and then about a month ago we lost the night fire pack” the name sounded familiar,I noticed a few chairs were empty earlier but just assumed they didn’t attend.

I had visited most of the packs throughout my childhood with my father although we did have a few that were more isolated than others and despite being under the king's protection preferred to be left to their own devices.

“rogues?” I asked. It was unheard of to lose and entire pack in one night.

Ronoldo stopped abruptly looking around to make sure we were alone “ that’s the official story” he whispered “but the truth is we don’t know, when we responded to the s.o.s the pack had been ripped apart” Ronaldo paused gripping the wall tightly looking haunted. “ Even the pups, no one was spared” he shook his head. He was a good warrior and he took a loss greatly like me. He wanted to protect everyone.

It was odd that rogues ripped apart the entire pack usually if they had taken over they would keep the women and pups as collateral if anyone- namely the council try to overthrow them and take back the lands.

“ where was I? I wasn’t told any of this?” I asked already knowing the answer.

“ Joseph was still acting king at the time, you were with the council” of course I had been dragged to the council headquarters for the to appear before them while the royal elders tried to tarnish my reign before it had even begun.

“ I need people around here I can trust” I muttered mainly to myself but Ronoldo chuckled and answered me.

“ You need a beta, my king” he chuckled.

I looked up at him “ you want the job?” I asked seriously, why not, he was about the only one I trusted in this palace at the moment and he was the most honourable man I knew.

He seemed taken back for a moment before smiling “ I’m honoured you would ask me to fill such a prestigious position my king but I’m an old man you need someone young and eager for the challenge” I looked down, unable to hide my disappointment. Even though I knew he would decline and not because he was too old but because he loved his position as general and commander of our army.

“ don’t think that means your getting rid of me kid, I’m always here to protect my king, besides you still have to make it up to Martha, she’s expecting you for dinner this weekend” he grasped my shoulder and i smiled up at him I noticed people moving about the hallways again so we continued towards my wing.

“ Why were you allowed to respond to that attack if the elders haven’t been letting you offer aid?” I asked after a moment of silence.

“ That’s the strange thing we are only allowed to respond when the pack is being slaughtered but by the time we get there it’s always too late almost like…”

“ the whole thing is being orchestrated” I finished Ronoldo nodded.