In Your Eyes

CHAPTER 2 -Meetings

Footsteps echoed through the halls as the masked man made his way through the large doors. On the other side, a gigantic council room. Three men each stood at either side of the throne, and on his throne, sat his uncle. The throne itself was like a large couch, and on either side of the king lay two half-naked she-wolves who were more than happy to oblige him.

The king lacked nothing but wanted everything. A tyrant like none the capital had seen in decades. From within the castle walls, loud howls of numerous wolves could be heard. In a wolf’s life, a howl could mean anything. A cry for a lover; rejoicing a child who had come back from battle; acknowledging a leader. But this was certainly the cry of loss of a loved one. The masked man listened intensively, never once allowing the men in front of him to see him falter.

“You called for me, uncle.” The man said in a postured greeting. The king was very particular about etiquette.

“Rise my nephew. How are you faring with your duties?”

“Thanks to his majesty’s benevolence.” The masked man caught sight of the small, twisted smile from his uncle.

“The young royal from the east, one of the branch families, daughter of the man who heads the branch pack in the east, you are to wed her a month from now.”

The man lifted his eyes to meet his uncle’s gaze, but he didn’t utter a word of disagreement.

“You have looked generously upon me, uncle, even going as far as to find a bride of your liking for me. Words can express my gratitude.”

“Make no mistake, Micage, she is not merely a bride. Her use will come much later. You can do with her as you see fit, but in the public eye, make sure to treat her with every bit of respect befitting a princess consort. I hear the daughters of Florian are as beautiful as they come.”

Micage couldn’t help but wonder what his uncle’s true intentions were.

“I would have had you ride out to welcome her, but alas, you shall remain here on palace grounds while I will see to it that she is properly escorted.

‘Forcing me to stay on palace grounds where you can watch me, huh?’ Micage thought to himself.

“Off course, uncle, whatever it is you desire, I shall follow through.” The king studied his nephew with a piercing gaze while stroking his beard.

“Indeed. You are dismissed.” Micage bowed his head again and walked out of the council room.

Micage was only thirteen years old when his uncle brutally murdered his father, the former Alpha King. Since his mother’s body hadn’t been seen, no one knew whether she was dead or alive. Rumor has it no one truly knows why the king keeps his nephew alive. Was it out of fondness for him? Absolutely not, the king was ready to let him drown if need be. He had really turned the prince into his personal plaything. He had forbidden Micage from learning swordplay or horseback riding. Furthermore, he had also forbidden him from learning any political etiquette, and any books related to the matter were disposed of.

Once, when his uncle had left the capital, the young prince had gone against his uncle and tried to ride a horse. No one dared to go against the king’s orders; neither did anyone admonish the young prince for fear of being an accomplice. And as a result of trying to ride a horse bigger than himself, he was ghastly injured. He supposedly has a scar on this right side of his face which runs all the way down to the back of his ear, hence the mask the wears to cover that side of his face. The accident also ‘supposedly prevented’ him from morphing into his wolf, even though he had come of age as a shifter.

‘A wolf that cannot shift is no different from a human and cannot lead a pack.’ It has been common knowledge since the days of old.

Micage never did things that warranted his uncle’s attention after that incident, and hence, his uncle did not disturb his peace. More like he did not care. This also made it challenging to know why Micage was being kept alive.

‘Did he want his older brother to watch from above as he tormented his only son?’ No one truly knew the answer.

Servants feared Micage’s quarters. Those who worked there had to do everything in his absence. Only one followed him around as a guard. His uncle allowed it because of the rumor of his inability to shift. The prince had no mate, no wolf, no support, and no love.

Do you think your uncle has caught a whiff of our movements, your highness?” Markl, Micage’s right hand, asked as soon as they were out of hearing range.

“You heard the entire conversation from outside the council room, Markl. I do not know my uncle’s true intentions by proposing his sham of a marriage, but I think it is safe to say he hasn’t caught a whiff of the plans we have underway.”

“How do you intend to respond to the arranged marriage proposition? We have never been that that far outside the kingdom’s boundaries, so it’s safe to say we do not know who this she-wolf or her pack are.” Markl said, trying to keep up with his master’s strides.

Micage sighed. ‘Way to state the obvious, Markl.’ He thought to himself.

“I have no thoughts about it. Luck has never been on my side. And for me to take back my kingdom before my bastard uncle pulls one over me, the last thing I need is an additional weakness. I know my mother is alive somewhere. And He knows that I know this. That’s why he is comfortable that I won’t pull anything. I have suffered the torment, the discrimination of the court, the mockery of the council members, worst of all, shouldered the despair of my people. I have feigned ignorance to my uncle's reign all those years ago and gone along with how the rumors portrayed me. Let them believe in all that crap. I’m just bidding my time, just so one day, I can reclaim my throne; so, I can free my people; so I can restore my kingdom. Just watch me Markl, I’m not going to allow ‘that man’ to plant a she-wolf to monitor me just so they can ruin my plans.”

It was the 15th day of the moon cycle. The full moon was high In the sky. Sera watched as different members of her pack cuddled with their mates, either in their human form or their wolf form. Even her bitchy stepsister had found her mate. Heaven knows what that wolf saw in her. But at least she knew a wise leader could be around when she would eventually leave and marry the prince.

From her window, she watched her father and stepmother sitting lovingly in the court pavilions. Her father really did care for the woman. That was a fact she could no longer deny. Something he could never give to her mother. A fiery pit lit up inside her stomach and she harshly turned away from the sight.

Tying her wild red hair into a loose ponytail, she took off her clothes and shifted into her wolf. Her wolf form was just as beautiful as her human form. Brownish-red fur covered her body, and her green eyes brightened in contrast with the moonlight. Using her mouth, she picked up a small gown she would change to once she came back to the palace grounds.

With every bit of elegance, she jumped out of her room window and landed with a small thud. She placed the gown behind a small shrub and ran into the dead of the night.

Even though werewolves had good hearing and a keen nose, everything was very keen when they were in their wolf forms. Since it was a full moon, seeing in the dead of the night wasn’t hard for a shifter. She ran past the cliff by the training grounds, past the thick set of trees of the Tyrian Forest, until she came to her destination. Since most wolves didn’t like to navigate beyond the Tyrian Forest, the lake beyond it served as a form of safe haven for Sera.

The water was crystal clear and the full moon that reflected on the surface gave the water a magical feel. Sera slumped by the edge of the water and ran her paw lazily against the water. Thoughts and preparations for her upcoming wedding had her and a lot of people very preoccupied. She watched as the ripples she formed flow from her edge of the lake to the next. Then her eyes landed on the wolf at the other side of the lake.

The water was crystal clear and the full moon that reflected on the surface, giving the water a magical feel. Sera slumped by the edged of the water and ran her paw lazily against the water. Thoughts and preparations for her upcoming wedding had her and many people very preoccupied. She watched as the ripples she formed from her edge of the lake travel to the next. Then her eyes landed on the wolf at the other side of the lake.

The wolf was staring at her. Judging from the mass of his frame, she was sure it was a male wolf. Sera made a move to adjust her frame. This stranger didn’t smell like anyone from her pack. Then she realized, she couldn’t smell him from where she was. His smell was so weak. She was no longer surprised she couldn’t even tell he was there to begin with.

Slowly, the male wolf got up from his sitting position and began to approach her. Ordinarily, Sera would have growled at whoever tried to creep up on her, but she sensed a kind of calmness from the wolf who was steadily approaching her.

As the wolf pressed closer to her, she began to take in his features. He was a big majestic gray wolf and which each thrust of his paws towards, he was every bit trying to read her as much as she was setting out to read him. He stopped in front of her and resumed his sitting posture. Sera found herself staring into his deep blue eyes. From the corner of his right eye, all the way to his right ear, there was a single lined scar.

‘You’re as fiery as the rumors say, princess.’

Sera was sure she wasn’t hallucinating and that the wolf in front of her was talking to her telepathically. Werewolves could speak telepathically because of their beast forms, so to prevent other wolves from getting into their heads, a wolf would first grant another permission or a form of pass and block all others, before being able to speak telepathically.

Sera stared at the wolf, as if trying to find some validation for her train of thoughts. Almost instantly, the corner of his snout lifted a bit, as if confirming that he knew what she was thinking.

‘Let’s meet again, princess.’ He said in her head once again. And he swiftly ran and disappeared.

Sera still sat, crouched down, and stared at the empty spot where the wolf once occupied. The smell of the forest and masculinity that followed him dissipated. A wolf’s smell lingered for a very long time even after they had long gone. But this wolf’s scent seemed to follow it as it went. And when she got up to try to run after him, his scent had disappeared.