The Lycan Queen

Chapter Three

Unknown POV

I hid in the bushes, watching as my mate walked down the path to the pack house alone. Rypere wanted to take her home and claim her as our own. We have been watching her for several years, waiting for her to turn eighteen, and bring her home to where she belongs. We wanted to get her away from those who mean to harm her, who bully her endlessly every day, at school, and when she is working. The only time she would get any peace was when she was at home.

Our mate doesn’t know her true identity, but I am hoping to bring to light who she truly is — a daughter of the Duke and Duchess of our pack, the best friends to my parents. They will be thrilled to know that the king and queen of the demons have taken good care of both of their missing daughters, who are alive and well.

Several years ago, I encountered my mate and her caretaker. I was traveling between packs, trying to find my mate and her sister. I sneaked onto Mountain Moon, hoping to discover them. Rypere discovered her scent and led me to a trail, where my mate, her sister, another girl and caretaker were out riding horses, something I also enjoy.

The caretaker discovered my scent and sent my mate, her sister, and the little girl away before she turned to me. She got off her horse and approached the bush I was hiding in. My Lycan growled at her, warning her not to get any closer.

“Who are you?” She yelled.

I came out of the bushes, looking towards the trail as the girls went down. It then turned my attention to her.

“Rypere,” I stated.

“Rypere, can you tell me what you are?” she asked. Her wolf let out a low growl as Rypere walked closer.

“Lycan,” Rypere said to her. I stopped several feet away from her, then turned my attention to the trail.

“Mate,” I said, pointing towards the trail.

“Who is your mate?” She asked him, and he turned his attention back to me. “One of my daughters?” I nodded my head. “Which one?”

“Red,” he answered.

“My daughter, Laken,” she said.

“Charlotte,” I said. Her daughter’s identity surprised her.

“You know my daughter?” she asked me. Rypere nodded his head.

“Can you shift so we can talk?” she asked Rypere. He shook his head.

“Who are you?” She asked again.

“Yellow, Carolyn. Sisters,” I gave her more information. “Keep safe.”

“I will. I will protect them with my life,” the caretaker said. Satisfied with my answer, I took off and disappeared from the pack.

Since that day, the caretaker knew I was around, checking on my mate. They call her Laken, but her real name is Charlotte. Sweet Charlie. Before the fire, she was the light of my life. Her and my parents believed she and her sister, Carolyn, were both dead, but deep inside me, I knew Charlie was still alive.

I found out Charlie was my mate several years ago, when the Duke and Duchess were holding a ball in their home, helping mother to find a mate for me. This has been something I have been dreading, as I did not want to be pawed by all the rich, spoiled girls in the Lycan world.

“Devon, will you please get ready?” My mother screeched at me as she walked into my room. I was relaxing on the sofa, watching a movie.

“Mother, how many times do I have to tell you, I don’t want to go to this stupid ass ball,” I growled at her as she pulled me to my feet.

“I don’t care,” she said, giving me a warning look. “You need to find a mate before you can take over as king. Your father’s health has been declining, and he can’t hold the throne much longer.”

“Then, have Darren take it,” I told her. “He has a mate and wants the throne.”

“He is not the firstborn,” mother snapped at me, shoving me to the bathroom. “There will be a lot of prominent families there, along with their daughters.”

“Yeah, a lot of spoiled little girls,” I mumbled under my breath. Mother stopped and smacked me in the back of the head.

“They are not spoiled,” she scolded me. “They have the utmost training to be a proper woman in the royal court!”

I cracked up laughing. “That is funny, mother, when three-fourths of them are whores and money hungry,” I explained to her as she turned my shower on. “All they care about is our title and money. They don’t want love; they want the money and attention.”

Mother stopped and sighed, slumping her shoulders. She knew I was right. Mother knows all the gossip, especially when she is the current queen of the Lycans.

“I know, darling,” she said, placing her hand on my cheek. “But it is tradition. You need to have your mate by your side to take over the throne.”

“f**k tradition,” I spat out, gently removing her hand from my cheek. She gasped and clenched her pearls.

“Devon Edward Charles, language!” She scolded me, glaring at me.

“Are you going to leave my bathroom so I can shower, or are you going to wash my ass for me like you did when I was a baby?” I asked her, c*****g my eyebrow at her.

Mother shook her head at me. “You are hopeless,” she said, throwing up her hands. “We are leaving in an hour for Wettin Chalet, where Katherine and Harold are hosting the ball.”

She left the bathroom, allowing me some peace.

Harold and Katherine are the Duke and Duchess of Wettin, and are the best friends to my parents, King David and Queen Victoria of the Lycans. They are like a second family to me, and I loved spending the summers at their chalet, until the fire here at the palace. The fire that took Charlie and her sister.

I took my shower, trimmed my beard, and pulled my long black hair into a ponytail. My assistant, Mary, was waiting for me when I walked into the bedroom, wearing only a towel.

“Your Grace, your mother wants you to wear the Kiton suit,” she informed me as I walked over to my closet.

“Yeah…no, that will not happen,” I said to Mary, getting my Armani suit out. “I don’t want a fifty-thousand-dollar suit destroyed by these whores pawing at me. I’ll wear the cheap one tonight.”

Mary shook her head at me. “Your mother will be unhappy about your choice,” she smirked at me.

“Oh well, she will get over it,” I smiled at my assistant. She left my closet so I could get dressed. Several minutes later, I called her in to help me with my bow tie.

“When are you going to learn to tie your own bow?” she mocked me as she tied my tie for me.

I flashed her a smile. “When I am dead and gone.”

Mary shook her head and did my bow tie for me. When she was done, she straightened my lapels and pinned my sash around my jacket. It shows that I am royalty at a formal event like this.

“Do you think you will find your mate tonight?” She asked me as I walked out of the closet. I walked across the room to my door, placing my hand on the doorknob.

“You know she won’t be there tonight,” I said to her, then walked out of the door.