The Lycan Runes

Movies

(11 Years Ago)

Aqua was still a little bemused by how quickly her parents had taken to worrying about Kieran, but she appreciated it all the same.

Once they left the dining room, she turned to him with a spark of excitement.

“Okay, you have to watch a movie now.”

Kieran perked up immediately, and she led him downstairs to the entertainment room.

“What kind of movie would you like to watch?” she asked as she opened the door to the mini‑theatre.

“I still don’t really know what a movie is…” Kieran admitted, eyes wide as he took in the plush seats, the massive screen, the glowing LED strips along the walls. “But… what about Aquamarine? I want to see what that’s about.”

“Oh my god, yes. I haven’t watched that in forever.” Aqua grinned and queued it up.

“Do you want popcorn and soda?” she asked, thumb hovering over the play button.

“Didn’t we just eat the most delicious meal?” Kieran blinked.

“I guess you’re right. We can watch without snacks.” She reached for the remote—

But Kieran suddenly grabbed her hand.

“Wait. Are we allowed to eat more? Because now I do want popcorn and soda.” He gave her a guilty little smile. “Can we still have some?”

Aqua’s heart squeezed. Of course — living off the land with his grandfather, snacks probably weren’t a thing. She smiled brightly.

“Yes! I’ll text Hilda.”

Hilda, their housekeeper, had already taken a liking to Kieran. He’d complimented her cooking so sincerely that she’d practically adopted him on the spot.

“Can we also get Pocky?” Kieran asked shyly.

“OMFG, yes. I’ll ask for strawberry too.” Aqua typed furiously.

She finally hit play, and the movie began. Hilda arrived with snacks right as Aquamarine the mermaid appeared on screen. Kieran was already entranced, but he still paused to thank Hilda with the sweetest smile.

“Thank you so much, Ms. Hilda. I know this won’t be as delicious as your meatloaf, but I’m really happy you brought it.”

Hilda chuckled and ruffled the back of his hair before leaving them to watch.

By the time the credits rolled, Kieran had devoured all the popcorn, soda, and Pocky. His shirt was covered in crumbs and kernels.

“That. Was. AWESOME!” he declared. “Where do we find a mermaid? I think it’d be easier to get a wish from her than to find the rest of the Lycan Runes.”

Aqua burst out laughing. “Oh no, Kieran. That wasn’t real. That was Sara Paxton acting as a mermaid.”

Kieran’s face fell. “So… everything we just watched wasn’t real? Mermaids aren’t real?”

“Look…” Aqua shrugged. “I didn’t think werewolves were real, and here you are. So I’m not going to say mermaids don’t exist. But movies are stories told with actors, sets, and music.”

“Oh! Like a play?” Kieran said, finally understanding.

“Yes! Exactly. Have you seen a play before?”

“Well… when I lived with the Elderwood pack, the kids and I used to put on plays sometimes. It was how we goofed off.” His voice softened, eyes shadowed with memory.

Aqua gently placed her hand on his wrist. “Do you want to tell me more about your pack? How you and your gramps ended up at Scarlet Glade?”

Kieran hesitated. “Aqua, I want to tell you everything… but I can’t.”

“But I already know about the Lycan Runes. And that you’re a werewolf. And maybe I can help you.” She smiled. “I mean, no, I don’t know any mermaids, but I can still help.”

Kieran’s expression warmed. He exhaled and nodded.

“I trust you, Aqua. So I’ll tell you everything. But you have to swear to keep it secret. My gramps always said humans couldn’t be trusted… but I think you’re the exception.”

“I swear,” Aqua said without hesitation.

Kieran held her gaze for a long moment, then nodded.

“I don’t know where to start… so I’ll start at the beginning. I was born into the Elderwood wolfpack in the town of Chestnut Bay. I lived there with my family and the rest of the pack until I was seven.”

“Chestnut Bay?” Aqua perked up. “I think my dad took us there once. It was beautiful — mountains, forests, the waves crashing on the bay…”

“Yes.” Kieran’s voice softened. “It was my home. Elderwood territory. It belonged to us for generations. Until the Crimson River pack destroyed everything.”

Aqua’s breath caught. “What happened?”

“They took our territory by slaughtering almost everyone.” His blue eyes burned with quiet fury.

“Oh my gosh, Kieran… how could anyone do that?”

“It’s simple. Greed.”

He explained the nickel mine — rare, profitable, and controlled solely by the Elderwood pack. Other packs had tried to take it, but failed. Their Alpha, Leland Reginald, had been strong enough to defend it and smart enough to negotiate peace when needed.

“Alpha?” Aqua asked. “Like… an alpha‑male jerk? Someone who’s a total d**k to everyone?”

Kieran actually laughed. “A total d**k? No. I mean… Gramps said our last Alpha was kind of a d**k, but that’s not what Alpha means.”

“So what is an Alpha?”

“I forget humans don’t know pack hierarchy.” Kieran smacked his forehead lightly. “Okay. Gramps explained it like this…”

He straightened, warming to the topic.

“The Alpha is basically the king of the wolfpack. His mate, the Luna, is the queen.”

“I’m following,” Aqua said.

“Then there’s the Beta — second in command. Like a duke or duchess. Then the Gamma — third in command.”

“So like a count or countess?” Aqua offered.

“Yes! Exactly. And then there are the rest of us — the Omegas. Lowest rank.”

Aqua tilted her head. “So… you guys function like a royal court?”

Kieran blinked. Then grinned. “Wow, Aqua. I never noticed that before. But yes — we do.”

“So let me get this straight…” Aqua said, ticking points off on her fingers. “The Alpha is the king — he makes all the major decisions. The Luna is the queen — she helps him run the pack. The Betas enforce their orders. The Gammas support the Betas. And the Omegas… well, they’re the ones who actually have to carry everything out. Did I get that right?”

Kieran stared at her like she’d just solved a complex equation.

“Aqua, you’re so smart. You understood everything perfectly. Gramps had to explain the hierarchy to me, like, ten times before I got it.”

Aqua’s cheeks warmed. “I’m not that smart. My dad just made sure I went to good schools and had good tutors.”

“But you invented a Lycan Rune radar,” Kieran said earnestly. “That’s not something just anyone can do. You shouldn’t downplay it. It’s what makes you… special.”

Aqua’s stomach fluttered — annoyingly so. She cleared her throat.

“Anyway. You were saying your Alpha’s name was Leland, and your gramps thought he was strong and smart. So how did the Crimson River pack take your territory?”

Kieran’s expression darkened. “It happened when Leland’s eldest son, Lucas, became Alpha.”

“Oh. So he wasn’t as good as his father?”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Kieran huffed. “Gramps said Alpha Lucas was on a power trip. Greedy. Obsessed with erasing his father’s legacy. First thing he did was ban all technology — no electricity, no TV, no radio. Nothing. He said it was ‘distracting’ us from increasing production at the nickel mine.”

Aqua blinked. Well, that explains why he didn’t know what a movie was.

“He also stopped sending monetary gifts to other packs,” Kieran continued. “He wanted Elderwood to keep every cent. And he pulled the warriors out of training and forced them to work the mines full‑time.”

Aqua frowned. “So he weakened your defenses?”

“Exactly. And that was the beginning of the end.”

“But… if the mine was so profitable, didn’t he think to fortify your territory?”

Kieran nodded. “He did. Gramps said the only good thing Lucas ever did was strengthen the compound’s defenses. We had the best fortifications of any pack — a literal fortress. But…”

“But?” Aqua leaned in.

“He never thought to protect the pack from itself.”

Aqua’s brows knit. “What do you mean?”

“Our Alpha never imagined betrayal would come from inside,” Kieran said quietly.

Aqua’s breath caught. “Are you saying… someone in your own pack turned on you? But you said the Crimson River pack slaughtered your pack.”

“They did,” Kieran said. “But they only succeeded because someone let them in.”

Aqua’s eyes widened. “Who?”

Kieran hesitated, jaw tightening. “Alpha Lucas’s younger sister.”

Aqua’s mouth dropped open. “What? Why would she betray her own family?”

“That…” Kieran sighed, sinking back into his seat, “is a whole different story.”