Phoenix Rising

Chapter Four

After a while, I did manage to ease my rigid posture and sink back into the Lycan's embrace. It was warm and comfortable, and I couldn't resist the sleep that had taken me.

Sometime later I was woken by cheery voices and the sounds of shifters bustling about. I was astonished to find It was daylight meaning I'd slept the entire run.

We were traveling up a dirt road with brick and stone cottages scattered about the green clearing surrounding us. People were outside hanging linens on drying lines, sweeping off front porches, tending to vegetable gardens, and dotting about their daily chores. I also spotted a few children shifters running around laughing until a woman who looked old enough to be my great-grandmother, if I had one, came into view scolding them.

"Jasiah! Jerik! I'll feed you boys to that wolf there if ye don't get to pickin that cotton over yander!" She shouted wacking the back of the taller boy's head with the garden gloves she pulled off.

The boy covered his head groaning, "Ouy! No need for violence grandmother we were just having a rest!"

The old woman's eyes were set ablaze while she started smacking him with her gloves repeatedly. "If you don't get out of my sight boy!"

The boys quickly scurried away laughing while the woman called after them, " better bring back two sacks or ye both be sleeping with the hogs in the stables tonight!"

I bit the inside of my cheek to refrain from laughing. Sweet innocence was such a pleasant sight for sore eyes like mine.

What struck me as odd though were the male shifters out in what appeared to be a small crop field. They looked to be tilling the soil in preparation.

Back home the Omega slaves were responsible for harvesting, tilling crop fields, and tending to the greenhouse gardens which was how things seemed to be here, but I'd never seen a male slave before. They were always women in the Crescent clan because the men were tasked as warriors. The only contribution apart from patrol and fighting they made was hunting wildlife on occasion when the farm had a lower projected meat slaughter for winter.

Then again, The Kingdom is several miles larger than our territory. I'm sure there are several hundred more to feed and provide for here.

I had to admit though I'm more of a lone wolf, figuratively speaking of course, it was rather pleasant seeing all of the shifters here with friendly and cheery demeanors toward one another. Some were even clapping and welcoming us home after the King's awaited arrival. It seemed most of the shifters bore no ill will for the King- at least not here in this part of the Kingdom.

Soon we passed by an old stone sign with NorthCove engraved into it. I could only assume that was the name of the village on this side of the Kingdom. I could have asked the man sitting behind me with his arms still latched securely around my waist, but I felt a bit ashamed I hadn't known the answer myself. I should know considering the Crescent tribe's schoolhouse taught lessons on our history and geology of the lands.

However, after I was left in the care of Alpha Jack I was pulled from school before I could really learn. Instead, I was educated in combat.

I didn't want the King to think less of me because I wasn't as smart as most. I hadn't a clue what was in store for me here, but one things for sure I do not wish to be looked at as inferior as I was back home.

Traveling further down the dirt road my eyes scanned over the different tables and stands set up displaying a variety of things. Some had fruits and vegetables while others had things such as linens, coats, quilts, and boots. I even spotted a blacksmith who'd set up a display of different blades and miscellaneous Iron armor pieces.

The shifters standing behind making sales or the ones trading seemed to have rather pleasant demeanors too. Just as the ones we'd passed on the outskirts of the village.

I felt relief that this place was filled with happy and joyful shifters. I sucked in a deep breath and let a small grin tug at the corner of my mouth. Maybe this could be my new home, my real home.

Huge stone buildings and brick towers sprouted up everywhere surrounding us while we ventured deeper into town. My eyebrows furrowed together and my head c****d to the side while approaching a rather lively area.

Men were outstanding around drinking from cups and cackling with one another. There were also a few women hanging onto the arms of the men. Each one wearing floor-length, sheer dresses that showed quite a good view of their pushed-up cleavage.

My eyes glanced behind them to see an old wooden building with dingy yellow light glowing through the windows on each side of the swing doors. The tiniest lights I'd ever seen had been strung across the top of the entrance that Illuminated a sign labeled- The Tavern.

I shifted back to the women who wore bright smiles on their faces while batting their eyelashes at the men. One of the girls, a redhead who looked young enough to be my age, turned to look at us nearing The Tavern. Promptly our eyes connected yet hers did not shine bright the same way her smile did. Those tormented orbs told me she wanted desperately to be anywhere but here.

Seconds later I glared at one man in specific. A male shifter who stood by the redhead with a potbelly threatening to burst the seams of his soiled shirt. It looked as if he had been wallowing around in the mud like a pig- his mouth made him sound like a pig too.

"Aye girl, you dare cast those filthy eyes upon royalty!" He shouted while jerking her to his side.

The girl's eyes went wide with fear as she tried to tug her arm away. I could hear the frightened tone of her voice stuttering out, "n-no s-sir. I did not mean.."

In a blink of an eye, the pig's hand flew forward sending a painful slap to the girl's cheek. Her head whipped to the side as she fell to her knees clutching her face. Just as I thought things couldn't get any worse- they did.

The pig reached down and yanked a fistful of the girl's red hair up. He didn't even allow her time to get to her feet as he drug her across the ground to the entrance of the Tavern.

She cried out painfully, "No! Sir John! Please!"

The pig roughly pulled her up by her hair while pushing the swing doors open with his free hand. "You will learn ye place today girl," he spits out.

"Please, sir! Not the red room!" The girl cried out in desperation. True horror could be found in her watery golden orbs.

My own mortified eyes couldn't tear away from the scene ahead. Something deep inside was pushing me to do something about the atrocity I was witnessing. To just jump right off this monstrous wolf, run over to the pig, and slit his throat with the silver blade strapped to my thigh.

As if the wolf, Kronos, had sensed my distress and intent he halted his slow strides immediately. Not wasting another moment as a bystander I swung my leg over and lunged forward to jump down. However, I didn't get the chance to touch the ground before my back hit a hard chest. I myself was yanked up forcefully by a 'superior man'.

He growled lowly next to my ear constricting his arms around my waist. "Don't."

His grip was painfully tight as if he knew I would struggle against his command- and struggle I did.

"Let go of me!" I bit out trying to pry his arms and hands from me.

My eyes burned into the wolf's as he craned his neck to look back at us briefly. I tried to plead with him to help me, "please, Kro-."

"Kronos, go. Now." The King commanded effectively silencing me.

My stomach dropped as Kronos huffed out in response. He seemed reluctant to leave, but I sensed he didn't have much of a choice- just as I had none.

I cut my eyes over to the girl once more as the last piece of hope I had left disappeared. The pig dragging her out of sight while she thrashed and screamed bloody murder would haunt me for the days to come. So would her eyes burning me with so much desperation. They were begging me to do something, anything. Yet I did nothing but accept defeat. Coward.

Kronos took longer strides to get us away from the area quicker. My mind couldn't leave that place though, The Tavern. The 'Red Room' she had been terrified of.

An eerily cold feeling brushed across my skin whilst I tried to rack my brain of what horrors lie in that room. What evil awaited the red-headed girl.

We rode the path in silence for a few minutes before a castle came into view. It was huge, easily ten times the size of the surrounding buildings. It wasn't like the fairy tale castle I imagined though. The way people spoke of The Kingdom I always thought it would be beautiful and bright- like a warm summer's day. Yet the place in front of me had a much more dark and stormy element to it.

There was an insanely tall Iron Gate that led to a stone bridge sitting atop a river that the castle seemed to be smack dab in the middle of. From what I could tell the only way to get to the castle was through the Bridgeway. You might swim across the river if the current wasn't too strong or take a paddleboat. Even then as wide as the river seemed it would take a good twenty minutes to make the distance.

The castle itself was a dark stone grey color with quite a few blackening spots showing its weathered age. I could see from here a cement courtyard with a huge oak tree in the center at the other end of the bridge.

As we approached the gate I also found a set of double wooden doors leading into the castle. They had huge metal latches for handles, and each had a light post with a burning flame lit at its' side illuminating the entrance.

"Welcome home," a deep voice brushing against my ear sent chills down my spine.

Home.

This didn't feel like home.

I remained silent as we halted in front of the gate. I hadn't a clue what to say or do and my head was aching with confusion after the last twenty-four hours.

His voice pierced my ears yet again as I felt him moving from behind me. "Kronos guards the gateway. We'll walk the rest."

Keeping my gaze fixed forward as if on auto piolet, Kronos lowered himself to the ground so I could step off. The Lycan had already hopped down by the time I was just beginning to swing my leg over.

Abruptly he grabbed my hips and pulled me to his chest making it clear patience was not a virtue he possessed.

He held on to my stiffened body for a few moments, and I could feel his eyes burning a hole through the top of my skull. I couldn't bring my eyes up to meet his though. Instead, I was left staring blankly at the scar slashed across his neck. At least in his human form, he was only about half a foot taller than me whereas in his lycan form he was damn near three feet taller.

"Look at me." He ordered, yet my eyes stayed exactly where they were.

I just didn't have it in me to look into this strange man's expecting eyes. He expected a mate. A woman who was made to understand him- one designed just for him by the moon herself.

That was not me though, and I didn't want to pretend it was right now.

Yet again he took my own free will- my choice from me. His hand forcefully grabbed my chin and pushed my head back to look up at him. I wasn't sure if it was the bond or just my utter exhaustion, but I felt the urge to gaze into those honey eyes and let all my worries drift away.

Then, he opened his mouth and made me want to jam my fingers into eye sockets instead.

"If I tell you something, you listen. You do as I say. Do you understand?"

I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep my wicked tongue, which was liable to get me thrown in the dungeons of this hell hole, from speaking. A few moments passed by before the metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth.

I finally forced myself to shake my head in understanding before my teeth tore a chunk of flesh out.

"Good. Now follow me, Ajei."

Despite every part of me protesting, I followed him as he commanded.