The Lost Lycan King

I don't belong here

Cade's POV

Every day is the same, I get up, I work the farm, feed thQe animals, chop wood for sale, then join my family for breakfast. My father scolds me for something undeserved and I act remorseful even though half the time I don't have a clue what he's talking about. The voice in my head wants to attack him, says we don't recognize him, he hates us so we should hate him. I don't know what the voice means, IHOP po yo 9th whether s I'm crazy or it's a way of coping with being different from everyone else in my family. It started on my sixteenth birthday. I woke up and felt like I had some one or something living inside me, like a separate being but still one.

It scared the hell out of me at first, but I've learned to live with him, he keeps me company at times and I feel like I at least have one true friend, even though that person is myself.

The reason I say that I'm different from my family is not only based on appearance because we are not alike at all. My father Edgar Manswell is light haired, almost yellow, so are my siblings seven in total, four boys and three girls, my mother Alma has brown hair, but her brown is also fair, her eyes are gray and it's the one feature she has given to all her children excluding me. Edgar's eyes are brown and you can see his wicked soul through them.

I however Cade Manswell am six foot eight, almost a foot taller than my father, black haired and blue eyed. I've been able to lift heavier items than him since I was a lad of six and I dont sleep as much as the rest of my family does. That's why father assigned all these chores to me before breakfast. All the chores are my responsibility, except the cooking. Mother sees to that and my siblings tear through the food as if they are the ones who have been working all day.

After breakfast my father and I head to the market; to sell vegetables, wood and meat. I see the stares from everyone the comparison between my father and I. The scolding look from the other men to my father. I hear the laughs at his expense, that I am perhaps another man's bastard but knowing my mother, it just couldn't be possible. Everyday when we leave the market Edgar is in a foul mood, it continues until the following morning when the cycle starts again. I think the only reason he keeps me around is because I'm useful.

Since the day I've found my inner person I've had the almost overwhelming urge to run away, I've always loved running, but my parents forbade it. The need is so strong sometimes the voice in my head whines constantly about the restriction. I feel like he wants to rip out of my skin.

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I lift my head, having finished stacked the last few logs on the cart, "here we go again" I mutter to the morning sun, another day of the same. I push the cart the mile to the house, I've stopped using the horses over a year ago, using the opportunity to test my strength and get some exercise. My family doesn't know and I think my siblings my report me to King to join his labour camp. The King has been on the search for stronger than usual young men since I could remember, he uses them in his forces or to do his bidding collecting taxes from the parishes under his regime.

Whenever the King's tax collectors come by, my mother orders me to stay indoors away from sight, I suppose thats one of the reasons I'm not allowed to show my strength and speed, she doesn't want me to be taken away. The King has a reputation of being violent and impulsive, traits my mother has spent years talking to me about not developing "impulsive decisions are never made knowing the full story and often get persons more than they bargained for" I could hear her voice as if she was speaking it to me right here. I open my eyes and realize I'm already at the house.

My mouth starts to water at the delicious aroma coming from the house, increasing my pace, I take longer steps as the voice in my head is ecstatic and rushing me to get some food. Walking into the eating room my face falls as I notice almost all the food is gone, and my siblings keep stuffing their faces. Literally scraps is left. My mother rises off her seat and walks to the cooktop she picks up a plate and brings it to me, "sit son, this is for you" she smiles and relief washes over me, at least someone cares about me around here. "you spoil him too much" my father growls, disappointment clear on his stern features "if he had finished his chores on time he would've gotten breakfast, we dont reward laziness" and with that he stands and exit, "be ready to go in five minutes" his parting words and I hurry to consume the contents of the plate in front of me.

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Anastachar's POV

Blinking awake I notice Mauve and offer her a gentle smile, my head aches as if I was run over by a carriage. A slight movement in the corner of the carriage catches my eye and I turn to see a very burly man in armour wedged into the corner of the carriage that looks way to small for him with a sour expression on his face, he has the palest gray eyes I have ever seen, almost white but sharp and aware. "My lady, good morning" he greets gruffly, it seems foreign to him, like he knows what he should say but hasn't had a whole lot of practice saying it. "Where are my parents? where are we?" I turn to Mauve, my question directed at her, completely ignoring the stranger. Her eyes flick to him for a brief second and its enough to send me into a panic, "Where are my parents!?" I shout this time, sitting up and trying to stand, the pain that lances through my head is crippling and I fall back down. "Mauve please, say something" I beg almost tearfully. "I want to see my parents, who is this? who are you?" this time my last question is directed at the giant in the carriage with my handmaiden and me. "You are safe Princess, I am General Maxim, Commander of the Asgard Forces, I have been sent by King Leopold to see personally to your safe return..", "return?" I cut him off before he is able to finish, the anger in me overwhelming my good sense. "I have never been to Asgard so I therefore cannot be 'returning' I also demand that we return to my castle at once so that I may spend the last day with my parents. I am not the King's yet, and I shall NOT go one second before I was promised" The uncomfortable shift from Mauve stops me mid speech and I give her a bewildered look. "Princess, your birthday was yesterday, you... you.. hit your head and have been unconscious for the greater part of a day, we have been traveling since" Mauve fills me in and I am hearing her words but I am having a difficult time understanding or even believing what she is saying, but as I've said, I've never seen her lie.

"You must be hungry My Lady" General Maxim states and pounds his fist on the side of the carriage, we quickly come to a halt. "Please excuse me ladies" he requests of us before jumping out of the carriage. He exchanges some words with the driver I guess, speaking just above a whisper. "Mauve, I cannot stay here, I cannot be given to the King" my heart is beating frantically and my body is shaking. I close my eyes and think of a plan of escape because I must be away from this situation.

...............

Cole's POV

I do not know why but I am on edge, something is wrong but also very right at the same time. A royal convoy is at the market and everyone has clamoured over to pedal their goods to the royal occupants. 'Pssh' bunch of scavengers. I have goods to sell and I know father would be disappointed if I do not try to sell it to the Royal at a higher price but I know mother would want me to stay away and the voice in my head is antsy and unsettled.

I look at the Royal Carriage from across the market square, whoever is in their must be very important. The main carriage that I am certain is housing a Royal is made with what looks like pure gold on the trimmings, the housing fabric that encloses the carriage is a deep royal blue that looks like the softest of materials. That carriage is flanked by seven more carriages, who needs that much escorts???

The King, or whomsoever is in there must believe that they are in great danger for so many escorts all filled with armed men. A tall, muscular man exits the carriage and entertains some of the peddlers. He's wearing armour so I am assuming he's the guard for whatever or whomever is in the carriage. I watch the guard for a while, he is smelling perfumes, picking food and fabrics and doesn't look pleased one bit to be doing it, based on the sour look on his face.

I turn my cart and start walking into the forest, it's the long way home but I feel like being close to the trees. It's been a while since I could just enjoy the bushes without having a chore to complete. A scent hits me and its unlike anything I've ever imagined. It's sweet, and delicious and beautiful, I dont know how I could think a scent beautiful but it is. I close my eyes and take a deep inhale skin prickles and my hair stands to attention, out of no where a force slams into my cart, my eyes spring open, my body alert and ready for any confrontation but toppled in a heap on the ground in front of the cart is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life, she looks at me with wide, terrified eyes shaking and scared. I would never hurt her. Never in a million years. I'm taken aback when the voice in my head growls "MINE!"