Phoenix Rising

Chapter Two

There stood the Shifter King in his glorious Lycan form.

Fur dark as the night sprouted from all over his body, and he had to be at least eight feet tall standing upright on his legs.

His arms were shaped like a human's with their huge capacity. The few places such as his chest that had sparse hair showing had a dark grey almost leather-like hide covering what should have been normal human skin.

He also had bulky neck muscles that framed his broad shoulders making him appear even larger.

My eyes continued working their way up, and I could finally understand what the rumors spoke of.

Now I saw what a Lycan was. A man and a beast truly morphed into one being.

The head of a man yet also a wolf stared back at me with abnormally neon yellow eyes.

A white, jagged scar that was slashed over his right eye connecting through his eyebrow and stopping at the right side of where his nose began caught my attention. I also noticed a thick, jagged scar across the base of his throat as if it had been ripped wide open before. Above it towards the side of his neck was the scar of his tribe's Celtic Triad symbol.

His scar was much bigger than the small branding on a normal wolf's ear- around the size of an apple. Oddly enough it also seemed more like black ink than the usual white-colored branding scars.

I was frozen gawking in place while out of my peripherals I saw the three wolves slowly backing away. They were giving him full access to slaughter me.

Why did I throw my knife?

Maybe if I was quick enough I could get to it.

My feet suddenly started working again as I jerked my body around towards the dead tan wolf on the ground. By the time my eyes caught up with the sudden spinning imagery and my foot had taken a step closer to the blade I desperately needed, I smacked right into a concrete building.

The name of the building you ask?

The Lycan Express.

I felt rough, forceful hands grip down on my arms as I was slowly lifted off the ground.

My eyes widened as my feet hovered above the earth below, and the lycan brought me to up to his eye level.

Eyes that burned bright with fury narrowed in on me as I dangled mid-air. There seemed to be something else lurking in those striking eyes of his though. A sense of longing hiding deep beneath the surface.

I glared back in return as I awaited death to welcome me with open arms.

He was as terrifying as the stories described, but he was also quite a beautiful sight to behold.

A low growl vibrated his chest causing a peculiar feeling to creep its way into me. Almost like a warmth spreading and attempting to comfort me somewhat in all this chaos.

Suddenly The Lycan gritted out roughly between his long, sharp canines, "Mine." My eyes threatened to bulge out of my skull as my mouth went slack at that one singular word.

I was still gaping at him as he lowered me slowly back to the ground a few seconds later.

Brushing off the empty feeling that washed over me as his warm hands retracted from my body I growled out a single word of my own.

"No."

His nostrils flared out in anger while his hand snatched me up by the jaw forcing me to look him in the eyes as he drug out his next statement. As if to make sure and nail each and every word into my thick skull.

"You. Are. Mine."

His intense eyes bore down to my own causing another shiver of warmth to flood through my body as he added. "You will come with me, Ajei. First, I must take care of the wolf."

Ajei? What the bloody hell does that mean?

"What?" I mumbled out loud expressing my utter confusion.

He didn't answer my question. Instead, we were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice shouting from behind.

The Lycan dropped his hand from my jaw down to my shoulder and turned me to see the commotion.

Two wolves from the Royal Gaurd stood in their human forms as they each held one of Alpha Jack's arms. They were dragging him in our direction as he struggled to break free from their iron-clad grasp.

"What the hell do you think you're doing! Let me go! I have done nothing wrong!" Alpha Jack shouted as they neared.

I watched his eyes widen with fear gleaming under the moonlit sky as he was thrown at our feet moments later. His throat bobbed slightly when he swallowed hard and glanced up at the Lycan towering over him.

Quickly Alpha Jack knelt before The King with his hands clasped together begging for mercy.

"My King, I don't know what has happened but I can assure you that we can compromise and handle this."

His panicked eyes flickered to me momentarily before he continued his groveling. "You want the girl? Take her as a gift from me. She is a vigilant warrior despite having no wolf."

My gaze hardened on the Alpha. He had never once spoken of me in a positive manner.

He was just trying to save his own ass. Still, that was all it took to kick my protective conditioning back into gear.

The Lycan reached out and yanked him off the ground by the collar of his shirt. "The girl is rightfully mine. You will pay for the injustices you have caused against her with your life."

The Alpha's fearful eyes looked up at me briefly as if silently commanding me to save him.

I glanced sideways to the Lycan spotting a blade holstered on his hip opposite of me.

Afraid the Lycan would sense my intention as he had when I went for my own blade I had no time to think. I quickly grabbed his outstretched forearm next to my head that had Alpha Jack by the throat and let my legs drop me to the ground.

I used his arm as a bar to swing myself upwards. My legs shot straight up his chest locking around his neck, meanwhile one of my hands let go of his arm to reach for the blade. It slid out with a screech of steel on steel as I used my core muscles to raise my upper body back upright practically straddling his face.

I would probably kick myself later over the awkward position we were in.

My free hand clamped down on his rough shoulder for balance while the other hand brought the blade harshly against his throat. The tip dug into the skin causing a slight trickle of blood to seep down from the blade right where his huge jagged scar was displayed. His curious eyes held my fierce ones seeming rather un-phased by my threatening position.

Quite oddly, one of his free arms even slid under my bottom as if to help support me. Almost as if he wanted to keep me right where I was.

Abruptly my body bounced slightly as I felt him take a step forward. I sensed his other arm reaching out forcefully behind me, and my head finally whipped around at the sound of a gurgling gunt. Looking upon Alpha Jack's horrified expression whilst he chokes and spits out a tiny spew of darkened blood, my eyes travel down. Stopping at the sight of the Lycans hand buried deep within the Alpha's chest I had time to allow my eyes to widen right before the Lycan jerked his arm back.

His bloodied hand tore out of the Alpha's chest shining under the moon- the monstrous hand holding a beating heart.

Slowly he squeezed down on the organ squirting blood in every direction including right across my face.

I licked my lips without thinking as I felt the warm liquid splatter across them. An Iron taste flooded my mouth as I blinked rapidly making sure what I was seeing was real.

The initial shock I felt as the Lycan simply tossed the Alpha's deflated heart onto his now limp body slumped on the ground left me speechless.

All I could do was turn back and stare blankly at the Lycan I still had my legs wrapped around.

As If sensing my state of loss the Lycan spoke, "he was not deserving of your loyalty Ajei."

There was that word again.

I found my voice once more as I inquired with a hushed tone afraid he would rip my own heart out if I spoke too loudly. "What does that mean, Ajei?"

As if the night couldn't get any more abnormal the corner of the Lycan's mouth seemed to upturn slightly. It was brief as his expression changed to a more neutral one that masked his emotions. I saw it still. I know I did.

One of his hands gently wrapped around mine still holding the blade to his neck. Then, not so gently, his grip tightened as he sent a verbal warning my way.

"You are an honorable warrior Ajei. Defending a wolf you harbor nothing but hate for. However, do not disrespect me again. Your loyalty is mine now, and mine alone."

My head nodded in an agreeing manner automatically. I was frightened, but there was another feeling I couldn't quite place within me. That feeling magnified as The King grasped the sides of my hips pulling me back down to the ground with a low growl.

"We must leave now and return to the kingdom. I have spent far too much time away. There are other pressing matters I must attend to."

The Kingdom. I was being taken to The Kingdom.

Wait.

My hand had a mind of its' own as I reached out hastily grabbing the Lycan's arm while he stepped to the side.

"Wait, my um, uh. This woman, there's this woman. Her name is Lilith Stonewell."