Beyond A King

Ten years ago… Idiots do they think they can out run me. No one can outrun me. A seventeen year old Lucas thought to himself running at full speed through the forest ahead of his squad. He refused to lose sight of the rogues that thought they could come onto Ravenwood pack territory. His pack. The home of the werewolf king. Lucas, wait for the rest of the squad. He could hear the authoritative voice of his fathers general Ronoldo in his head. Lucas had no intention of doing so, instead he allowed Ace his wolf to push even faster to gain more ground as the rogues on his fathers territory realised they couldn’t pull away from him, making Ace feel powerful and free. I can take them. The young teen affirmed before blocking the mindlink. He could feel his commander trying to get through the block but he wouldn’t be able to. Not unless Lucas let him, because of his royal blood he was a powerful shifter even if no one knew it, the only person that could make him submit was the king, his father. After a few moments gaining ground he saw sight of the rogues, he was close now and obviously wearing them out because they appeared to be slowing down. He kept speed unaware that he was being lured into an ambush. Lucas was almost on the first rogue's heels when he felt someone else pushing through the link, only it was more firmly this time, almost breaking through the block. Lucas knew it was his father trying to assert his dominance. Ronoldo had obviously alerted the king to his actions again. Lucas was sick and tired of being treated like a pup all the time when he was almost eighteen and unlike most shifters his age already had his wolf due to his royal alpha genes. Lucas knew his father king magnus would be furious that he had once again disobeyed orders and was no doubt chasing him through the forest to give him another reprimand infront of his other warriors just to embarrass him but Lucas had other ideas he would show them all that he had taken care of the threat alone and then his father would have to show him some respect. The king was a powerful wolf for sure but Lucas had discovered recently that his wolf Ace was faster than the lot of them. He would take these rogues down himself just to prove he was a worthy prince. Ignoring the push on the link he concentrated on the rogues in front of him. They were almost at the edge of the territory. Lucas had almost snapped his jaws around the one rogue's leg when they both abruptly stopped and faced him. He almost ran right into them before skidding to a stop. Ace growled at the rogues but they seemed unaffected. One of them shifted into a young man not much older than Lucas. Ace growled at him again but Lucas is surprised when he doesn’t see fear in the young male. He merely smirks while his friend growls. “ oh look how cute a little pup”. He comments. The total lack of respect made Lucas roar in Ace's head. Who the hell does this rogue think he is, show him what we do with vermin that cross into our kingdom. However when Ace steps forward to attack something wrapping around his paw catches his attention before he is abruptly pulled off his legs hitting the hard ground with a thud. How on earth had the rogues had time to lay a trap? Ace remained entangled on the ground, his legs entrapped in enchanted vines. The tighter he pulled the more they snared him. The rogue moves forwards until he hovers over him. Ace is certain the creature is going to kill him, he tries to snap at the rouge but the vines wrap around his jaws muddling him so he can’t even howl “ end him quickly” the human man commands the rogue just as huge golden wolf jumps out of the tree line tackling the rogue to the ground and snapping his neck quickly, his friend doesn’t even have time to scream before the rogues body is dropped to the floor. The golden wolf shifts as does Ace turning back into lucas, the vines around his leg weaken “ I told you to stay with your squad” the king's intimidating body turned angrily, glaring at Lucas who was still trying to free himself from the vines. “ Come on, they were slowing me down” he tried to sound cocky, smirking up at the king knowing it would pi$s him off more but his face dropped at the sight of the second rogue over his father's shoulder that he assumed he hadn’t seen. Before Lucas could even warn the king the rogue launched at him, but his father didn’t even flinch, only extending his arm without looking and catching the rogue around the throat mid air as he landed. “ The squad is an extension of yourself, you need them as much as they need you” he growled, still not acknowledging the rogue that was now desperately trying to get free of the king's fearsome grip. Lucas growls, angry at his fathers ability to never miss an opportunity to put him down and point out everything he was doing wrong. watching as his father scold him like a pup, he untangled himself from the vines and stood to meet his angry glare. King Magnus was an imposing figure, his huge size dwarves even the most fearsome of the kings guard to say nothing of his overbearing aura the added fear created from the was he held the rogue in his outstretched arm like it was nothing. Yet Lucas stood his ground and face him head on. “ yea your right they do need me…” Lucas is halted from his words when he gets tripped by the vines once again and dragged backwards forcing the alpha king to roll his eyes. “ aghhhhh!!” Lucas is flipped off his feet completely and hangs upside down in the tree in front of the king like a wrapped gift at Christmas or prey waiting for it’s inevitable death. thankfully the enchanted vines only appear to be for capture and not to harm, that was what the rogues are here for but the king knew enchanted vines were witchcraft. Too irritated by his son’s behaviour the king doesn’t ponder the issue long. Looking back at the rogue still desperately trying to free itself “ can you believe this pup , I mean what do I do with him?” the king asks the rogue held captive in his grasp like the beast would answer him back. King Magnus nodded understanding “ No your right, you got problems of your own” he says before throwing the wolf off the cliff into the river below and then he turns angrily back to his son. “ this kingdom will belong to you one day Lucas, they will look to you for guidance and leadership it’s not just about you showing off all the time” he growled frustrated, his son was brilliant but he still had so much to learn about leadership and it was infuriating to watch him squander these opportunities to gain the warriors respect. The king knew his son was unhappy with the way he had to live his life but it had been necessary to keep him and his mother safe. They had already lost so much with the war his queen’s mother priestess Juliana had caused and it was only her belief that Lucas had perished along with his mother the night he was born that kept the delicate balance of Peace. However Lucas was fed up with his fathers constant reprimands “ maybe I don’t want anyone to look to me for anything” he spat angrily. The desired effect was lessened by the fact he still lay upside down in the tree. “ hmm that is accept the pretty girls of the pack, right?” Lucas shrugs smugly, he had never had a problem catching girls eyes he was the heartthrob of his pack even without his title but he still believed in the fated bond that his parents had and decided to save himself for his mate. “ get yourself back to your squad and try growing up just once” the king shouted accusingly at the boy just as his beta and general arrived, apart from shifting into their human forms they stood back allowing their king to vent his frustration on his son. Having had enough the king walked away quickly before he could say something he’d regret, he loved his son dearly but he couldn’t get through to him. “ What, you're not gonna help me?” He hears Lucas whine, still hanging upside down in the tree. “ I just did” he grunts without looking back, shifts and runs off. Leaving one of the men behind to deal with the wayward prince. His beta Benjamin smirked before shifting and following after his king. “ Why does he treat me like a pup?” Lucas huffed looking to the general for answers. “ maybe if you acted like an alpha he’d treat you like one” the man smiled and walked away to join the others confident the threat had passed. “ come on uncle Ron” the young man groans. Once he realised they weren't going to help him down the prince detangled himself once again without help. His body fell to the ground with an almighty thud as soon as he was free. Pain jarred up his spine from the impact and he hissed. Lucas stood up dusting himself off, beyond humiliated from his father once again showing him up in front of his men, but at least it wasn’t the entire squad this time. How would they ever respect him when his own father didn’t offer him respect. Moreover no one even knew who he really was. To the warriors he was just some charity case the king had taken in when he was a pup. He heard all the insults they said behind his back, they would never have the guts to say it to his face he was the most skilled warrior in his squad and would beat their asses if they said it to his face ace would never allow the disrespect but it didn’t mean Lucas didn’t know about it. He was a joke to them, they would never accept him because in their eyes Lucas was some unworthy mutt that didn’t deserve the king's time. What was the point in any of it. Frustrated and angry Lucas proceeded to extend his claws and hack away at the enchanted vines until nothing remained. Lucas sighed defeated, he kicked at the dirt on the ground angrily, he couldn’t stand it any more being cast into the shadows, never allowed to claim his birthright, He was a prince being treated like a dog. His parents always claimed it was for safety. He knew the stories of his grandmother-if you could call her that, a priestess witch with eyes for nothing but power yet in all the years since her original attack on his pack they had never heard from her since but still it’s insisted that he and his mother remain in darkness like some dirty secret. Lucas knew his mother may be happy to live this life to be with her fated mate but he was not. Ace? Lucas called his wolf. I know what you're thinking and I think you may be right. Ace answered before Lucas could say any more. I’m sorry I know you're born to be king but I can’t stay here like this. It doesn't feel right. I don’t want to leave but you're right, something is telling me it isn’t the right time to be here. Lucas could feel his wolf's pain at the thought of leaving his pack and his kingdom behind but it felt a necessary task. With Ace in agreement he shifted and instead of rejoining the squad he ran towards the palace and entered via the back doors through the kitchens at the staff entrances. He wasn’t allowed to enter through the main doors only ones where the lower ranking members entered so it wouldn’t arouse suspicion. His identity was such a secret even most of the guards within his own home had no idea who Lucas truly was. Once inside he rushed through the kitchen. The omegas were so used to having him in their domain they didn’t even bat an eyelid when he passed them. The smell of fresh cookies baking drew him in and he couldn’t resist scooping one up as he passed through. it was in his mouth when an authoritative voice rang out “ hold it!” Lucas turned slowly whilst simultaneously shoving the cookie into his mouth. “ Where do you think you're going, you should be training” the head omega amelia asked as she looked at Lucas with an accusing scowl. Amelia was not like most head omegas that were older, grey haired and scary, Amelia was still young, slender with long flowing golden locks the colour of sunshine. “ I didn’t feel well and needed one of your amazing cookies to make me feel better” Lucas smirked at her whilst talking with a mouth full. The woman frowned knowing full well the boy was shirking his training again. she had known him his whole life and loved him like a son, she had more of a hand in raising the boy than most despite her youth but she also knew the king and queen had invested a lot in his upbringing and expected a lot in return. She didn’t want him to waste the opportunities he’d been given. Lucas didn’t wait for her to say any more and dashed out of the kitchen and up the back stairs towards the floor he shared with his parents, he wasn’t allowed to use the main doors or staircases within the palace because that was only reserved for the royal family and Lucas could not be acknowledged as such. He was a prince but no one had ever called him that. He was a future king but was only ever groomed for the position in the safety of his parents offices. He had not had the upbringing you would expect of a royal heir, to the outside world he didn’t exist, within the kingdom and palace he was known as an orphan that the king had taken a shine to and adopted as his ward but under no circumstances was he ever considered his son and heir. Although he had never felt unloved by his parents his childhood had never been easy. He was looked down on by other pack members who saw him as an unworthy charity case, he’d never told his parents but as a pup he had always been bullied by other pups in the pack, until it all came to a head and he began fighting back, he’d get in a lot of trouble at school and as a result didn’t really have many friends, as a natural conclusion of always having to lie about who he was. Most of the time Lucas felt very much alone in the world. He reached the section of the palace that he shared with his parents where the guards nodded their respect. It was the only section of the palace where the guards knew who he really was and how important he was to the crown. Lucas quickly reached the room that was glamoured to look more suited for a ward to the king but a quick twist and pull of the switch that doubled as his light on the wall and the simple ordinary room was quickly replaced by one that was more suitable to a crown Prince. His mother had personally designed the glamour herself as an added security to protect her son. The thought of his mother right now made Lucas second guess his decision to leave the pack, he knew she would be upset but he also knew his mother and she would probably already be aware of his decision. The woman always had a sixth sense about these things so much so it was freaky sometimes. He didn’t get away with much as a pup growing up. Lucas knew deep down she would understand. Life living in the shadows had always been easier on his mother since she always had her mate and could go about the pack just not as the queen. Lucas secretly longed for the day he didn’t have to hide anymore. He would pray to the moon goddess to send him his mate as soon as he turned eighteen so that he would finally have someone that would love him for the person he was and not the king he would one day have to be. He would have the other half of his soul and would never have to lie to her. She would love him and he would be complete; he would finally feel whole but for now he needed to leave. He wasn’t sure why but Ace agreed he could never be the king he was supposed to be unless he went out into the world and found his own way. Meanwhile also in the palace….. king Magnus storms through the palace with determination, frustrated beyond his sanity at his sons immaturity. No matter how hard he tried the boy was determined to be a lone wolf but what he didn’t understand was that being king meant being a part of something bigger than yourself, it was about being a part of the pack as much as leading them. No matter what the situation Lucas would always try to prove he was the best and didn’t need to count on anyone in life, his highness knew it had not been easy for him just as he knew how stubborn the boy was, he felt like throwing him in the cells to try and drum out this attitude but he also knew his son was resourceful and would have escaped that cell within hours. He reaches his wing finding his queen in her study standing over her Calderon as usual, the purple coloured smoke bellowing out of it as she chants. Tatiana doesn’t bother looking up as she knows her love is near without having to look. Magnus waits by the door silently studying his beautiful wife, her long blond hair tumbles down her back like silk all the way to her waist and her petite frame barely held enough height for her to reach the top of her caldron. she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, he would never have enough of her in this life or the next. “ your too late, I already heard your infuriated walk when you came into the palace” she commented without looking back at him, he chuckled coming up behind her and wrapping her in his arms. “ how do you do that?” He inhaled her sweet scent that instantly calmed him, almost making him forget his troubles. Their marriage had not been an easy one, they had been forced to hide in the shadows to have a chance at leading any kind of life together. Tatiana had sacrificed more than most to be with Magnus but she had never regretted her decision to be with her fated mate; she only wished it had not come at such a high price for the rest of their people. The fact that her own mother had been the one to start a war that ravaged the kingdom and almost killed her son had been the most heartbreaking of it all. “ what’s gotten you so angry… let me guess, could it be our man child of a son” she enquired, knowing full well only their pup could make her beloved become so agitated. Lucas’s rebellion was grating on her also but she knew like her husband Lucas had the makings of a great king and he would find his own path. Magnus shook his head trying to calm himself “ he just makes me so crazy, he has the potential for greatness if he’d just commit to the role and stop acting like an arrogant little….” “ He reminds me of a young man I met years ago” she interrupted amusement dancing in her eyes as she remembered the very first time she had seen magnus. She and her mother high priestess Juliana had been attending Magnus's coronation. During that time a delicate peace had existed between the two species and it was natural for the leaders to be invited to join in the festivities. “ I was never that bad” the king said seriously but his wife scoffed. “ No you were worse, The first time I laid eyes on you, you showed up late to your own coronation, drunk and with a girl on each arm” she chuckled. Magnus looked sheepish for a moment, he would never forget that moment when he had first laid eyes on her. Her beauty was unquestionable, he forgot how to breathe and could still recite every detail of her ensemble that day, even down to the pearls that had adorned the long braids in her blonde hair and the royal blue silk gown that hugged all her curves beautifully, she had already looked like a queen. “ then I saw you” he smiled fondly at the memory of his drunken self tripping over his own feet like some great baboon just to get to her. “ hmm I thought you were just another arrogant alpha playboy “ she commented remembering how everyone seemed to stop in his presence. She hated how the other females regarded him, some with interest others with familiarity. It was no surprise he had been a heartbreaker, along with his title he had been the embodiment of a Greek god with his impressive size, wall of muscle and even down to his shoulder length golden locks that she loved to run her hands through everyday. Yes her mate had been every females fantasy including hers. “ I was but you gave me a reason to be a better man” he hummed, coming up behind her and wrapping her in his arms, he kissed her marking spot tentatively making her shiver. Tatiana smiled looking into the smoke, seeing things that had not yet come to pass “ don’t worry about our boy my love he will find his reason to be a better man too” she assured her king. Magnus looked expectantly at his wife as she gazed into the smoke “ I know that look, what have you seen?” he smiled knowing his wife all too well. She would not give false hope it was not in her nature. “ let’s just say our sons party days are numbered” she smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. Her visions were not always certain and could change based on a single decision made, she knew Lucas’s journey would not be easy but it was necessary in order for him to become the king he was meant to be. “ really? tell me who she is and I’ll have the men bring her here now” the queen shook her head giving the king a scalding look, she loved her husband but everything was so black and white in his eyes. He would use brute force to get Lucas to play ball instead of letting him find his own path. “ No love, you can’t rush this, everything will happen just as it’s supposed to, it is the goddess's will” she turns away from the smoke giving her mate her full attention, the two embrace and kiss. They enjoy the comfort the other brings for a moment before their bliss is interrupted when a guard comes walking in telling them the boy has gone. Magnus rolls his eyes, feeling the rage building again so much so he has to hold on to his mate in order to calm his wolf. “Have him brought back right now!!” he orders the guard who trembles slightly at the king's aura but quickly nods. Tatiana grabs her husband's arm bringing his attention back to her “ magnus everything is happening exactly as it’s supposed to, our boy must grow before he can become the king he is destined to be” she assures him.