The Lycan King’s Warrior Mate

Willow. I leaned closer to the door, merging myself with the wall by both sides of the door so the maids won’t see me and report me to my father later on. They fear him so much that they even report a missing ribbon. But after seeing the clamor all over the pack today, I know something serious is happening and I have to find out since I’m going to be the future Alpha. Well, as future as I can be since my father never recognized me as an heir to his title. He doesn’t want me to take over because I’m not a male and I don’t know anything about politics. That is the main reason I always eavesdrop when he is having serious meetings. But this one is very very different from the others. The alpha that came to see my father is from a neighboring pack that is rumored to have been under a serious plague of disease a few months ago that wiped away most of the she-wolves because they couldn’t endure it. It is said that he has been going from pack to pack begging for females to mate with the males in his pack so they can reproduce. It doesn’t make much sense to me because they only want to reproduce males too. They don’t like the females given birth to in the pack and he gets aggressive whenever the news of a female cub reaches him. He wanted more warriors and I hate him for that. Women can also be warriors. I press further against the wooden door holding my breath in my chest so they won’t use their powerful senses to hear me. My father’s deep and commanding voice came first. “She is healthy and very fit. Barely seventeen and unmarked. She will definitely breed strong pups.” My father said as if he was talking about livestock. A chill spread all over my body because there is no doubt he is talking about me. My pulse pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears roaring. A chair scraped against the floor and I had to bite my lip so hard to not gasp in fury. “I want to see her.” The other man demanded in an equally deep powerful voice only alphas can have. “I’ll bring her tomorrow so you can take her with you. She won’t resist since she knows her place.” My father said easily, like they don’t need more negotiations before he sells me. “I’m glad then because even if she is, I’ll make sure she knows her place. I want her for myself anyway. I have lost more than half of my harem because of the plague. A seventeen year old virgin? Definitely mine.” The man said and I could literally hear the lust in his voice. I squeeze my eyes shut knowing he has already SOLD me to this man. Bike rides in my chest up to my throat making it hard for me to breathe properly. I’ve always known that my father sees me as a worthless girl in the pack meant for breeding even though I’ve tried hard to prove my worth by being a warrior. This is the worst thing I had ever imagined happening to me. All those years I spent training in this pack down the drain? It meant nothing to this heartless man I call father. Tears of anguish rolled down my cheeks and I turned away not wanting to hear more. I burst into my room and shut the door angrily behind me not caring if my father would hear and reprimand me. My heart was beating wildly in my ears waiting for him to walk down the corridor and decide to punch me for doing something he told me not to. When he didn’t come a minute later, I decided to focus on what is best for me. I started searching around for my walking boots and cloak. I went to my drawer to find a few coins I’ve stashed over the years not knowing I would need it so desperately right now. My hands were shaking so badly as I adorned myself with my clack then the boots and hiding the coin pouch inside my bosom. Once I was done there was a soft knock on the door that startled me. My dad never knocks and his scent is right outside the door. “Willow?” He barked from outside and I wonder why he doesn’t want to enter or more like barge in like he usually does. “Yes father?” I answered instead while placing a hand to my chest to ease my raging heartbeat. He shouldn’t come in and see me like this. He would know what I’m trying to do “Get some rest and don’t bother with training today. We have a long day tomorrow.” He said from outside and I knew, this was it. I gripped the dagger I’ve been training with for years till my hand turned white. “Yes father.” I said and heard footsteps fading along with his tobacco scent. After I was sure the time for night guards to change shifts has clocked, I started moving. Since I have befriended most of the guards through training, I was able to slip through the gate before the night shift could take their place. I made sure my hood was up and head down as I hurried out of the pack. If fathers finds out I’m running away, he will drag me back and won’t let me go until he hands me over to that wicked alpha. He wants to add me to his f*****g harem. As I step past the last guard’s post on my way to exit the territory, a growl came from behind. Shit s**t! I bolted as the shout came with one of the guards —one I don’t talk to— saying I was running away. How did they clock it so fast? Maybe because no one steps off the territory especially at the dead of the night. “Catch her before she gets far!” One of them called from behind and I heard the sound of wolves coming for me, some in their human form and some in their wolf forms. “Stop her!” My legs burn as I sprint through the woods skipping over roots and dodging branches. Since I know the woods like the back of my hand and I’m one of the best runners in the pack, I ran in loops but they were gaining. I think there are almost twenty wolves behind me. So I push harder my lungs burning from the exertion. One of them lunges and I twist just in time to have his claw grazing my arm. Pain bloomed from the place he clawed but I didn’t stop running. There are a few more steps before I get to the river that separates this pack. The border. I ran head on into the river and water around me. The current pulls me under, yanking me away from the pack I knew my entire life. From the pack I had always dreamt about ruling. When I broke the surface, I was gaspig and I heard their curses from the shore. I have escaped! By the time I dragged myself out of the river, my body was shaking from exhaustion. My clothes were soaked, making my limbs heavy. I had no idea where I was going so I kept walking in the dark wondering what was waiting for me there. Minutes into my walk I heard noise coming from within the woods. It wasn’t the scary kind but laughter and music and joyful chatter all around. I moved toward the sound desperate for warmth and company that isn’t the dark night with no moon in sight. There was a clearing ahead of me where a fire blazed at the center surrounded by wolves - -they look like rogues and outcasts. The kind that any wolf with pack is warned about because they don’t follow rules and they don’t have packs. I made sure my hood was up when I walked further merging with the shadow. I took a drink from a tray and took a sip. It burned my throat and I knew it was alcohol. I never had one before because my father won’t allow it but it curled in my stomach loosening all my tensed muscles. I closed my eyes, relishing the feeling when I felt eyes on my. I slowly opened my eyes and they fell on him. My breath catches at the sight before me. A man watches me from across the fire, his dark eyes assessing. He looks tall even while sitting, dark and dangerous aura curling around his powerful figure with longish hair falling down his shoulder. People around stirred clear from him but when his eyes flickered to the fire in front of him like he was commanding. Commanding me to come to him, my feet started moving before I could even think about it.