A Lover and A Liar

A Good Man

With two of his personal guards that followed behind him everywhere he went, King Julian walked to the training field, towards the highest ranked garrison of warriors. Suddenly, he felt bad he hadn't joined them as often as he did years ago, when he was simply a Prince wanting to prove himself to his father and every one of the elders, or when he was just a new King, eager to take over and show his power.

Back then, he hadn't thought of the million other problems that came with being one.

"Faster, faster!" Arthmael, their Commander shouted at them, his inner Alpha voice echoing through the air. "You're the King's warriors, damn it! This is how you prove yourself? This is how you're going to war?"

Julian couldn't help but smile at the fact that his older brother spoke of him despite not knowing Julian was there, and despite their last conversation.

One of the warriors, in his wolf form, spotted Julian, and he bowed down to him in submission. The others did the same after him, thousands of wolves bowing their head in unison as their Alpha King approached them. Arthmael's eyes met his, and he made a small bow of his head too.

He didn't have to. But he did it anyway, because he thought that was what Julian wanted. His heart constricted at the thought of his siblings looking at him like nothing more but a man they had to serve to. The idea was nauseating.

Would Luis grow up to think the same too?

"Shift," it was a simple command, and his men were all in their human forms, shifting unconsciously. This was the power he had over everyone. Not only the members of his large pack, but every single one of his subjects.

Thousands of naked man stood in front of him, and Julian was glad they were all looking at him now, instead of looking down on the ground.

"Firstly, I should apologize to you, my warriors," the words left Julian's mouth as he looked them in the eye, one after another. "I should have been more present to your training." One of them that was standing in the front tried to interject, but Julian raised one hand to stop him. "Politic matters never end, but that isn't an excuse for me. I should have done better, so your King apologizes to all of you."

Respect shone in their eyes, and for one of those rarest times, it made him feel proud of himself.

"I know we have lost lots of our men trying to track down the rouges and their leader," he continued, "and none of them is ever going to be forgotten. But as my brother and your Commander said, we have war. And I'm afraid, it is going to be inevitable."

"We're ready, Alpha!" the same man spoke this time, and all the others agreed with him.

Julian gave them a small thankful smile. "I'm glad," he stated. "I want you to know that this isn't what I want. I've tried avoiding war for years. And for years the army of the rouges have taken people from us, have taken down packs that we are responsible for. We should do better for our people, no matter the pack, no matter its importance. We should protect them."

The warriors agreed in unison once more.

His voice rose, more deep and confident now. "We should protect this Court, protect our people, our mates, our children, our families, our loved ones from people that want to take them away forcefully."

"We should!!" they shouted all at once.

"And for that we should be ready for any attacks on this town, or worse, in this Court. This time, we're going to find their Leader's identity and rip his head from his body. That, and only that, will stop that army!"

"Yes, Alpha!"

"I trust you and I trust my brother to lead you well. Thank you." This time it was Julian that made a bow of his head, and in understanding, the warriors walked away one after the other, leaving Julian only in his brother's presence.

"That was a powerful speech," Arthmael pointed out, something Julian took as a good sign.

"Arthmael, listen―"

"It's not necessary, Julian, we can look past it. We have more important things to deal with now." 

Just as he was about to turn his back and leave, Julian stopped him by grabbing to his arm. "No!" It was almost an order, before he softened his voice, "There is nothing more important out there than my family."

Arthmael's eyes widened in surprise, before they softened just a little bit as well. But he didn't speak.

"I'm sorry that I let you think otherwise," Julian told him truthfully, his tone apologetic. "I'm sorry that I let you think my throne is more important than you. But I'm not him, Arthmael. I don't want to be like him."

His brother's eyes furrowed. "Robert, you mean? How can you even think of comparing yourself to that monster we had for a father―"

"Yet sometimes I do. When I feel like I'm not doing good enough by anyone, not my mate, and not any of you," he admitted, his eyes looking elsewhere before they settled on Arthmael once more. He took the golden crown from his head, "This," he raised it on their eye level, "This is nothing without my friends and my family by my side. I don't care of it more than I care about you, or Stelle, or Luis, or Evelyn, or my nieces and my nephew; damn it, even Victor too."

That made Arthmael crack into a deep chuckle that was followed by one of his own.

"Yeah, as bad as he is I care about that damn elf too."

"I'm doing you a favor and not telling him this, little brother," Arthmael laughed.

"I own you this one," he admitted. "But what I mean is, I'm sorry for talking to you like that."

All traces of fun left Arthmael's face. "I know," he said with a small smile. "And I'm sorry for going to such personal matters about you. It wasn't my place."

"But you were right," Julian said it before he knew what he was exactly saying. As Arthmael looked at him in shock, he let out a sigh, "You and Evelyn were right."

"Which means...?"

Julian swallowed down hard. Admitting this out loud made it feel more real, but he had to confide to someone or he would go insane. "Which means there is something... between Alina and me. Some sort of spark, of tension. I'm attracted to her." Guilt filled his chest as he spoke. "And I feel like a damn shitty man, but I can't stop anyway."

His brother looked shocked, but worried as well. "Wow... That's- that's bad." He looked at a loss for words.

Julian shrugged, trying to hide the pain from his voice. "Who better than you could understand, right?"

He nodded, a look of sympathy on his face. "It's a b***h, isn't it? Wanting what you cannot have?"

"Damn yes, it is."

"Does it have..." he hesitated, just as he always did when it came to Katherine, "Does it have to do with the fact that you'd like for Katherine to be... more like Alina?" No matter how he phrased it, it just sounded bad. "I mean, she does look like you type. Headstrong, but kind of shy too. And sarcastic. Funny. Beautiful."

All of them, Julian had noticed himself. And much more than just that, Alina was much more. She felt so close to perfection, and so close to what his heart most desired.

She felt like belonging.

And that was terrifying.

"Would you ever imagine being with another female that wasn't Evelyn?" he asked abruptly, although he could imagine the answer. Arthmael was the worst man to ask that. He was foolishly in love with his wife.

He just shook his head slightly. "Even if I was forced to imagine a life without her, I wouldn't be able to."

"Right. Of course. I know," Julian sighed. "The only broken one in this is me."

"You aren't broken, Julian, we will figure this out―"

"Julian," Cedric's voice interrupted them, as he approached, with his head hung low. "My King, I mean. Can we talk?"

"It's Julian only. And yes, we can talk."

With a reassuring smile, Arthmael left them alone to join his warriors.

"I'm sorry, Julian," he said in a soft, low voice. "You were brave enough to apologize to thousand of men so I think I should as well. I'm so sorry for what I told you. And I understand if you don't want to ever see me again. Even if you want to take away my title from me. I'm deserving of it―"

Julian cut him off, "I punched you too so we're even," he said, and both laughed. "You're my best friend, Cedric. And you're deserving of your position. I'm not as much of a hypocrite to take it from you after an argument we had."

Cedric smiled. "You're a good man, Julian," he told him. "And you were right. Alina isn't my mate and she is not a wolf. She's in love with someone else anyway."

Julian's world froze as soon as the words left Cedric's lips, and it felt pretty much like everything around him collided all at once.