Beyond A King

Rogue?

Oliver and I parted ways. I hated to admit it but the guy was actually funny. I suppose it wouldn’t be so bad to get to know him, maybe we could become friends because that’s all it was going to be. I laughed at how pathetic I was, even after two years I still wasn’t ready to get romantically involved with anyone.

It felt good to put those assholes in their place at the cafe but I won’t lie and say the things they said hadn’t hurt me. Is that what everyone thought of me, that I was a desperate stalker?

How did that even happen when I left the damn country the same day. I’d cut all ties with everyone before Sebastian. Then when I got to England I had my own problems to deal with when alpha Harrison found out I was a witch. Besides Tyler I never really had any information on what was happening with Sebastian after I left, Tyler only told me that Delilah had gotten pregnant and they mated a few months after I left. I was too heartbroken to approach the subject anymore than that.

I guess leaving gave Delilah and Sebastian free reign over our story, they have been telling people they are fated mates so I guess it’s not a stretch they would make up other things. It’s not like they would paint themselves as the bad guys in all of this. I just hate that they have dragged my name through the mud in their web of lies.

I had almost reached the house when my phone began to ring. I smiled fondly at the caller ID and answered.

“ I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me” I mocked, smiling at the hearty chuckle on the other end.

“ I’m sorry beautiful it’s hard work being an alpha, you know it’s not all just about looking good and having muscles” he chuckled but I could hear the pain behind his voice.

“ and there was me thinking that muscles and a pretty face was a requirement for the job” I mocked imagining his wide smile.

Alpha Xander was the leader of the dark moon pack. It was our closest allying pack unless you counted the panther’s which actually resides within the territory.

Xander and I met when I went to the local university before I had to leave, he was giving a talk about rouge awareness, in my typical mouthy fashion I stood up interrupting his flow half way through asking quick fire questions and ended up turning the whole thing into a dibate. We became fast friends.

“ I thought I might come and see you now I’m stateside again” I tried to sound subtle but truth was I wanted to check on him. Xanders Beta reece called me a few days ago saying he was worried about him.

Xander had lost his sister and mate in a vicious attack five years ago. It had almost broken him and he still had spells where he would disappear for days at a time consumed in his grief.

I heard him give a heavy sigh “ I’m fine lyla, Reece shouldn’t have bothered you” he assured me but I could hear the sadness in his undertone. He hadn’t been fine for a long time. I hadn’t known his mate Kendra but I had met his sister Marley a few times when he had visited the campus at the university. Marley had only been sixteen when she had been killed.

“ I still wanted to come and see you, you know you still owe me a tour of your pack” xander and I had always seen each other on campus so I had never seen his pack or known him as the leader of it.

“ Maybe another time, we’ve been having some problems with attacks,” he said, sounding worried.

“ rogues?” I asked

“ hunters” he corrected and I frowned, it wasn’t like hunters to start attacking packs. Sure they were fierce in their own way but they were still humans. Attacking a wolf pack head on was a battle waiting to be lost. Usually they liked to pick us off one by one. They tend to stick to isolated supernaturals like vampires or rogue wolves.

“ that’s unusual,” I commented. Why would hunters be so reckless?

“ Tell me about ……” I gasped as my phone was suddenly snached from my hand, I whirled around to see a pissed off Sebastian with my phone to his ear while he started me down with his glare.

“ Whoever you are, asshole, piss off and don’t call my girl ever again” he shouted into the phone. My eyes went wide at the thought of him talking to an alpha like that. Xander could stroll into the territory and demand Sebastian’s head.

“ WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” I shrieked trying to grab my phone back.

“ Who is he? Your lover back in England? Is he the reason you wouldn’t come home?” Sebastian demanded holding my phone out of reach.

“ it’s none of your business and I’m not your girl anymore” i Shouted, I was furious he had no right to any information about my life.

“ I don’t want you talking to him chips, I don’t want my girl talking to any man” he glared at me with so much anger it fueled my own, I could feel my magic flaring to life and I had to look down to be sure nothing was showing.

I looked back up at seb feeling my rage brewing again “Well it’s a good job I’m not your girl then isn’t it, now if you don’t mind” I hold my hand out waiting for him to give me back my phone, I see his anger begin to fade and his face softens, my heart tugs at the sadness in his eyes but I don’t show it, now his moment of madness is ebbing away he’s obviously realising he has no control over who I speak to.

Over the years it had become our own private joke when people would ask why he called me that. Now the memory felt sour after everything that had happened.

That’s what made me so angry about the whole situation, every fond memory I had with Sebastian was now bitter and I hated him for making me feel that way about our history.

“ lyla please just let me explain” he begged, I scoffed, what was there to explain. He and Delilah played me for a fool. End of.

“ There's no need Sebastian, there’s nothing between us any more, you have your family and I have mine, we are merely acquaintances now” I reasoned, doing my best to sound indifferent.

“ Please don’t say that lyla” he begged and I actually thought I saw a tear in his eyes but I wouldn’t fall for it. I remembered what Curt said about how Sebastian and Delilah would play him to keep their relationship a secret.

No Sebastian wasn’t sorry until he got caught out.

“ It's the truth,” I said, simply keeping my face as impassive as I could. His arm tightened on me again to the point I knew it was going to bruise.

“NO!” He shouted, taking a step closer with determination until I was against his chest. The amount of times we had been like this together only now I was fighting to get away from him, it reminded me that I could get out of his hold but not without using my magic.

I was strong enough to take down a few mouthy teens but Sebastian was properly trained . “ please chips I regret what happened between us, you mean everything to me I’ve always taken care of you haven’t I?” Sebastian reasoned.

I had to hold back my scoff, he acted like he was my savour but the truth was he had just been my first friend, but I had many other friends in this pack,I had never been some bullied loner in need of a protector and he knew it “I take care of myself” I hadn’t been waiting on a man before him and I certainly wouldn’t be waiting on one now.

Men were only good for one thing and that was being selfish letdowns. Sebastian had been no different.

“ It was the biggest mistake of my life. I wasn't in the right state of mind I..I just got scared…the fact is…”

“ the fact is you cheated on me, you were cheating on me for almost a year, it wasn’t a one time thing” suddenly my anger over took and the need to vent everything came rushing out. I couldn’t stop it.

I didn’t want him near me. I could feel the power coming to the surface but instead of fire I pushed my palms against his chest and brought enough of my volts forward to give him a jolt when I pushed at his chest. Sebastian stumbled backwards tripping on the roots of the trees around us falling on his backside.

I towered over him while he looked up helplessly, for the first time ever he seemed to see me as a threat, it would be amusing if I wasn’t so angry “ you threw me in front of the bus when I raised the concern of kidnappings in neighbouring packs being connected” It all came flooding back, not long before I left there had been reports of kidnappings raised by other packs and I asked if they could all be connected and maybe we should keep a closer eye on pack numbers incase there were kidnappings going under the radar, I had voiced this in front of a few elders but Seb had laughed and mocked me saying to leave it to those in charge “ you told me to stick to my own kind when I asked about the recurring wolf attacks” I panted unable to stop all the past wrongs he’d done from coming out not just his cheating but all of it, the fact was Sebastian had never had my back not when it mattered, not when there was a chance to gain some ground with those in power and not when I really needed it “the day I was sent from my home I caught my boyfriend in bed screwing another female not five minutes after I left his room, that was just the icing on the cake of the shitty things you did to me over the years ” my voice cracked on the last part remembering that day all too well.

Sebastian looked down in shame not even bothering to get to his feet, he looked truly pathetic “ lyla I made an awful mistake and I’m sorry, I’m sorry I screwed everything up but we can fix this, it’s you and me” he pleaded and honestly I wish I could have fixed us,even just to save our friendship, if he had been honest and broke up with me or even if Delilah had been his fated mate but no he had cheated on me the second my back was turned and destroyed ten years of friendship over a quick lay.

“ Maybe we could have at least saved our friendship if you had been honest with me but not now, now everything that came before that moment just feels like a lie seb” I almost sob as an image of Sebastian scrambling to find his clothes when he finally realised I was in the room came to mind.

“ you don’t hurt someone like that if you love them” I felt a sob escape me and I hated myself for letting him see how much it still affects me.

The pain I had felt in my heart was still so fresh. Not wanting to waste another moment on this failed friendship I headed for the house, but at the last moment I ran around the side so Sebastian couldn’t see me and just kept running. I ran until my legs hurt and I couldn’t get air into my lungs fast enough so I had to stop.

Everything that happened with Sebastian was bubbling at the surface. I Iet out an almighty scream throwing my palms out at the same time causing the trees around me to become engulfed in flames when fire exploded from

my palms.

Suddenly my screaming wasn’t from the frustrations of my interaction with Sebastian, they were for the fire I had caused. The fire was spreading quickly, it licked at the vines of neighbouring trees until they too were aflame. Shock and awe for what I had just done rendered me momentarily frozen.

It wasn’t until I realised the pack members would soon start to see the flames and come to investigate did my brain begin to function again. I raised my palms against focusing on the water in the lake drawing the water towards the tree line.

It rose up from the lake like a wave rolling towards the trees, as soon as it hit the fire smoke began bellowing into the air as it extinguished the fire.

I finally slumped down on the ground exhausted from the exertion. Taking in deep breaths.

“W..Ww..WITCH! WITCH!” I heard a shrieked,

Lucas pov

I race through the hospital corridors not needing to be shown where to go as the sound of screaming echoes through the walls of the busy hospital. Mitchell was hot on my heels since we had gotten the call while we were training together. I was informed the patient had been moved to a quiet part not that it seemed to be helping in any way. Everyone I passed could hear the heartbreaking wails of the male in question.

I pass Theo who is waiting for us at the far end of the hospital. As I pass him I enter what’s usually an operating room. The sight before me is horrifying. There are several people in the room trying to subdue the male but nothing is getting through to him he is just in a blind state of panic. His screams tell us of his agony. “ Who found him?” I ask Theo, looking at the sight before me.

The wailing male lay on a gurney, his hair was a matted mess and pulled free of his scalp

In places, blood coated his body both dry and dripping from self inflicted wounds, he looked to be around my age but it was hard to tell in his current state. His hands had been bound at the writs and ankles. Nurses and doctors try to calm him, one is attempting to inject him with something I assume is a sedative but the male attacks them every time they get close- or at least however he can in his bound state.

“ my sister your majesty, I put her in a side room, she’s very shaken as she is a human she wasn’t sure what to do” I nod understanding.I could see why she would be distressed. The male looks rabid as his eyes change from black to brown and back again. It's impossible to know who is in control at one time, almost as if he is a rabid beast. He’s even foaming at the mouth.

“ Do we know who he is yet?” I hear Mitchell ask behind me. I refuse to take my eyes away from the man as he goes to bite the nurse holding his arm. He’s bound but it doesn’t look like it will hold much longer, he’s buking against the restraints like a wild animal.

“ he’s Beta chase of the Claw tooth pack” that makes me turn back to Theo. I can’t have heard him right.

“ Are you sure?” Theo nods, Claw tooth was wiped out,Alpha keelen was one of casualties in the slaughter, the beta would never have left his alpha, he never would have abandoned the pack, which begs the question, how did he survive and what was he doing in our territory.

“ have we gotten anything out of him?” I knew the answer before Theo even shook his head, it was clear to see he was in no shape to answer questions.

At that moment the beta managed to break one arm free of his restraints which drew all our attention back to him. His claws elongated and swiped out at the nurse holding him down, she screamed falling back narrowly avoiding claws to the throat, they did however take a chunk out of her shoulder.

“ Witch, witch, f*****g….WITCH!!!….gone…. gone…. all gone” he screamed, the man was insane with panic. He lashed out at anyone that came near.

The nurse screamed as blood poured from the wound on her shoulder while another nurse tried to stop the bleeding. Mitchell Theo and I jumped at the Beta before he could hurt anyone else. The Beta roared trying to get free but with all three of us he couldn’t go anywhere. seconds later a dozen warriors filled the room “ sedate him now and move him to the cells” I ordered, we couldn’t risk him breaking free and attacking anyone again. The beta clearly wasn’t in his right state of mind, it was better to be safe than sorry. Mitchell held his arm straight while the doctor administered the sedative and the beta began to go limp, once he was passed out the warriors worked quickly to begin relocating him.

As we exited the operating room I quickly said “ I need to go, I need to figure out what is happening” I needed to head back to the market and talk to octavius to see if he had seen anything in his visions. if witches were involved I might be able to get a trace on the magic if any of it lingers on the beta.

When I tried to walk away a hand grabbed my shoulder and turned to me “ your majesty, you can’t just leave, what about the ball tonight?” Theo asked, I growled at him. As if some party was more important than this. What ever had happened to claw tooth pack was at our doorstep, what if Julianna was starting another war.

“ There are more important things to worry about than some stupid dance Beta” I bit out which took him back, clearly regretting being so bold with me. He dipped his head and nodded before he stepped away heading in the opposite direction. The scent of lavender hit my nose and I immediately felt a calmness come over me. My anger ebbed away almost instantly and I looked towards Theo wanting to apologise but he had already rounded the corner.

MATE! Ace purred.

Seriously? did you just purr like a kitten, what kind of alpha wolf are you? I mocked wanting to take away from the very real possibility our mate may actually be here. Even more reason to cancel tonight’s ball. I couldn’t risk running into her if she was here. I just needed to bide my time till she left with whatever pack she came with.

Don’t you dare, go and find her, you big baby she’s our other half, she will make you whole. Ace was irritating me with this crap and the sweet scent wasn’t helping, mercifully it was fading and I could regain some sense. That was good it meant if she had been close by she wasn’t anymore.

The goddess thought the same thing about Maddison and look how that turned out. No I won’t do it. The sooner she leaves this place the better. Or maybe I should go and find her to get this thing over with, once we rejected each other it would all be over. Who knows, maybe she didn’t want a mate either.

You reject our mate and I’ll leave you, good luck being king of werewolves without a wolf asshole. Ace Shot back, he wouldn’t do that surely he wouldn’t. Does he not remember the suffering we went through the first time.

Oh I remember it asshole but I’m not running like a scared little baby at the thought of loving someone again. I growled and put a block up.

I looked at Mitchell who was watching me with curious eyes. I turned to leave again but he spoke. “ Lucas I know your answer to this is to disappear and do your whole underground thing but you don’t have that luxury any more your king now” he reminded me.

I turned back to him with a frown “ you think I don’t know that, you think I don’t know I have an entire kingdom looking to me for answers I don’t have” I took some deep breaths trying to calm myself “ just….let me go and figure this out I’ll be back in a few days” I turned to leave again but he spoke.

“ you don’t get it, if you leave the people have no one to turn to and if word gets out you abandoned the people during a crisis after a week under rule the council will come here and take the throne from you” I stopped dead at his words he knew I’d had to fight for my position, it was insane because it was my birth right to take the throne, yet I’d had the elders against me from day one and even a few council members doubted my ability to lead. Mitchell knew how important it was for me to rule now my parents were gone, I had to honour them by keeping my people safe.

“ I’m not abandoning anyone” I defended.

“ that’s what it will look like, that’s how the likes of Julianna and anyone who opposes your rule will spin it ‘ oh the young wolf king couldn’t hack it when the going got tough and ran away like a baby’ that’s the story everyone will hear, by the time you get back your reputation will be so tarnished it won’t matter if you know what’s happening with these attacks” I knew Mitchell was right, I knew deep down I couldn’t leave my reputation would never recover if I left now.

I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration I felt like I was between a rock and a hard place, I couldn’t do what I had done before even if I could get away for a few days, my face was to well known now, I couldn’t blend in with the scum of the underworld to get answers like I used to.

“Lucas part of being a leader is bearing the burden of the truth, if you don’t show up tonight everyone will know something is wrong” Mitchell came closer as I slumped against the wall, the men began bringing the Beta out of the room, he was still out thankfully. The doctor was trailing behind, I noted he had more syringes in his hand.

“ I wanna do what’s right for my people” I sighed, defeated, my kingdom was already under attack and I didn’t know how to find the enemy.

Mitchell stood beside me and clutched my shoulder “ sometimes doing what’s right for the people is just showing up, you need to show up tonight, your a good man Lucas, you can give the people what they need in a king and you don’t have to do it alone” what they need in a king, I felt like laughing what they need in a king I wasn’t sure I could not deliver. I knew Mitchel was wrong though in order to try and be the king my people deserved I had to do it alone.

Lyla

I was pacing back and forth in my office, I say office I’m pretty sure it was a storage cupboard before I came here, it was barley big enough to fit my tiny desk but it was big enough for me to work when I wasn’t with patients and I was grateful I would have somewhere quiet to come beaches goddess knows I wouldn’t get any peace at home when I needed to study.

My mind was still reeling from the forest, Sebastian, losing control of my magic and then the rogue had come out of nowhere and began screaming at me. I clutched my mothers pendant that rests around my neck hoping it would give me strength. I had not taken it off my neck once since the day she had died. It always made me feel close to her in times of crisis. I hadn’t felt that I needed her more than today. Everything was falling apart.

I’d subdued him with my magic and then rung Theo who helped me bring the rogue to the hospital but I’d had to lift the sleep spell I put on him otherwise how would I explain. Theo had taken over and told me to wait for him in here but I was terrified. What if the rouge saw me using magic? What if he told someone I was a witch? Would the pack cast me out? Would I be put in the cells or even executed? My mind was racing with positives and I was on the verge of a panic attack when my door opened causing me to squeak.

I breathed deep when I saw it was just Theo, he didn’t look happy and my stomach dropped. “ what has he said”

“ he appears to be insane lyla, he’s been screaming about witches” my heart rate picks up and Theo picks up on it. Damn wolf ear.

Theo pulls me into his arms and I take the comfort squeezing him tight. “ don’t worry even if he pointed at you and said witch I doubt anyone would believe him, whatever he went through has driven him to madness, your safe lyla” I rubbed my back letting me know he wouldn’t let anything happen to me.

“ So how is life as the royal beta?” I asked changing the subject.

“ it’s different than what I thought it would be, the king is not what I expected and we haven't had a relationship prior so I can’t just expect that bond to form instantly, I hope I can do the job well”

“ you will be a wonderful beta, and the pack is lucky to have you wagging over them as is the king, there’s bound to be teething problems in a new relationship but he wouldn’t have picked you if he didn’t see your capability and you have all of us around you to help” I reassured him and he smiled.

“ Actually there’s something I need your help with,” I looked at him bewildered. What on earth could I help him with but I nod all the same. I would do anything to help my big brother.

Theo led me through the hospital until we reached the familiar children's wing. I had been here only hours before during my rounds with fellow doctors but Theo led the way as if he knew his destination.

We soon entered a room where a small boy sat on the bed looking out the window as if in a daze.

I looked at my brother for an explanation “ early this morning we answered a distress call form claw tooth pack, when we got there the pack had been slaughter and this boy the only survivor”

“ he repeats the same words over and over again that it was rogues, as if he’s in some kind of trance” I nod, finally understanding.

“ you think he’s been glamored” there was a faint glimmer anointing his aura. It is possible witchcraft played a part in the boy's severe lack of distress if he witnessed his enter pack being slaughtered.

Theo nods and adds “ the man you found isn’t a rogue, he’s the beta of the claw tooth pack” I gasped. How did he survive?

“ I would never ask you to use your Magic but…”

“ you can’t get any answers from the beta” I nod understanding. I would help anyway I could. I moved towards the boy and smiled asking him what his name was but he didn’t even acknowledge my presence. After a few more failed attempts to get a response I placed my hand on his head and began to chant.

Indeed there was a spell on the pup. I couldn't lift the veil but I saw glimpses of the pup's true memory and it horrified me. Whoever had done this to him was powerful and I couldn’t penetrate the veil for long. The pup let out a sob and I lost my grip on the veil but what I saw shattered me. I hadn’t realised I was crying until Theo cupped my face to wipe them away. “ What did you see?” He asked me curious, his eyes searching mine full of concern.

I breathe out one single word realising I had seen the face before in my nightmare, the one who told me I can’t escape my fate “ witch!”