The Lycan King's Princes

The “Little” Ones

--- POV Tobias ---

{Fifteen Years Ago}

My brother and I were running around the house playing my favorite game. Chase the Prey. I’m not too sure where Tyler went, but he’s no fun to capture. Our little brother tends to lag behind and start crying. It’s too easy to corner him. While Seth, on the other hand, will run no matter what happens. He makes it a challenge. “Seth! Tobias!” Speaking of which…. We heard our mom call and Seth hung a sharp left into the greenhouse, not at all listening to her call.

I huffed and skidded to a stop. “Hey!” I called and he continued to run. “We have to head back. Mom is calling!”

“No way am I falling for that one!” Seth called in response. As if I could emulate mom so perfectly. He cannot be that oblivious.

I shifted my weight and decided to take this game a bit more seriously. I closed my eyes and reopened them to the ruby red orbs of my Lycan’s. I took a deep breath and shot my body toward my brother’s smell. “Fine! Then I come to you.” I growled. It’s only been a couple months since I’ve figured out how to shift into any part of my Lycan and it was amazing. I grinned a bit as my sharpened teeth peeked through my lips.

I sniffed the air again and my ears picked up on his heartbeat while my nose picked up his cedar scent. I shifted directions and immediately found him under the spice bed for the kitchens. They really liked fresh things here. If it can be grown, it was in the greenhouse. “Found you!” I called and Seth looked up at me.

His laugh turned into a pout quickly. “Hey no fair! You can’t use your Lycan, Tobias!” He yelled, pointing at me. That was only a rule we abided by when other kids played along. When it’s just Seth and I, anything is fair game. We still aren’t too sure how the both of us found our Lycans so early when you aren’t supposed to shift until your fifteen, but I was blessed by the goddess a couple of months ago...at seven.

Adir came to me in a dream, and I woke up…fully shifted. I scared the pants off my parents, and there is nothing short of tests being done to me as we try to figure out what happened. It’s not too evasive and I was told it’s for my safety. Can’t argue with Doc, now can I? Seth was given his Lycan as well, but he had only shifted once when I first did. Since then, he hasn’t shown any signs of Barin other than his scent. To others, we really are a strange set of twins.

I rolled my eyes and immediately relaxed my muscles. The motion shifted my body back to its normal boyish state. “Whatever. Mom’s calling us. We can have a rematch later.”

I held out my hand and he grabbed it reluctantly before pulling himself up to his feet. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“Seth! Tobias!” Mom called, angrier than before.

Perfect timing mom. I threw my free arm behind me and pointed my hand toward the castle. “See?”

Seth huffed and pulled his hand away from me. “Fine. Fine. Let’s go, but you owe me a rematch.”

I smirked as we walked out of the greenhouse. “How about you let our rematch be a race back to the castle then? From what I can tell, mom’s on the second floor.” I grinned and bolted for the castle’s front doors. Seth was close on my heels.

Once we made it up the flight of stairs, Seth and I were neck and neck. “Se–” We flew in front of her, and she squeaked as her hand instinctively went to her pregnant belly. I grinned happily, remembering we were going to have a sister this time.

Our coarse long black hair fell into our royal blue eyes for a moment before we flicked the locks away. Now I know why dad and pops always tie their hair back. It’s so inconvenient sometimes. Luckily, we got mom’s caramel skin tone. That’s the only way you would know we were her kids as well. According to mom, we look just like dad.

We both huffed a bit while we caught our breath, then I stretched and smiled toward her. “You called, mom?” I asked.

She put her hands on her hips and looked between the two of us. “Well, your father would like to see everyone in the study. I’ve been looking everywhere for you two and I heard you left Tyler by himself in the game room...again.”

Right…Tyler.... Both Seth and I winced, and I threw a quick glare his way. He nodded in the same instant and bit his lip as he looked up at mom in his signature puppy dog eyes. All of her anger dissipated faster than our little con began. I grinned inwardly and Seth whimpered. “We’re sorry momma; we thought he was right behind us.” Perfect innocence.

I’m not really the innocent type, so I’ve never been able to do that whole puppy dog thing that he does, but he’s the little brother. That’s his job. I just remain emotionless and let him do his thing. We may be twins, but I’m the eldest, by ten minutes. I’ll never let him forget it.

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. I know she knows we are full of it, but she can never ignore Seth. Technically, Tyler hates the basement. That may or may not be because we locked him in the basement once or twice when he was a toddler, but in our defense, he was annoying when we were trying to sleep.

“Uhuh.” She said, putting her hands on her hips. I’m sure she remembers running around the house looking for Tyler as much as we remember hiding him in places.

Seth shot a glare my way super quick, and I cleared my throat before we both cooed, “We love you.” Before wrapping our arms around her waist and giving it a gentle squeeze. In a few months, we will be patting her on the head. I think that’s when Seth’s puppy eyes will be null in void. We should just use it as much as we can now.

She sighed and gave up on her anger, reluctantly hugging us back. We shifted a bit to be careful of the baby. I guess we were already protective of her, and she wasn’t even born yet. Poor kid. She is going to have a rather interesting life ahead of her.

The funny part is we aren’t even the worst of her problems. She has all ten of mom’s warriors and the King of Dragons as an uncle. Our other grandparents aren’t actually our grandparents, but momma says they are like her parents. They are…well…the King and Queen of the Vampires.

Like I said, poor kid.

Let’s not even get started on the fact that her father is the King of the Lycans, and her mother…is the Origin Shifter. I held back a chuckle at that one. “You still need to be nicer to your brother.” My mom cooed, patting our backs and snapping me out of my own thoughts.

We both pulled away and nodded. “Yes, momma.”

She giggled happily and our grins beamed towards her, enjoying the sound of our mother’s happiness. “Alright then, it’s time to head to your father.”

We walked through the halls, hand and hand with mom. We quietly passed through a hallway of paintings before reaching dad’s study. She opened the door to see Grampa Drac and Gramma Valentina there along with Uncle Selvin, Auntie Jas, and Cousin Emmi. “Hey, family reunion?” My mom asked, trying to lighten the mood that seemed to darken by the minute. Dad raised his head and smiled at her, then Tyler ran straight for her ankles. “Easy there boy.” She gasped, adjusting his body from smacking straight into our little sister. Again…we aren’t a fan of our little brother.

“For one who was terrified of having children, you are about to catch up to me.” Gramma giggled and momma rolled her eyes, before picking Tyler off the floor and ushering Seth and I towards dad. We bolted to his seat behind the giant mahogany desk that I hope will be mine someday. He picked up the both of us, one at a time, and we both sat on either leg.

“What do you think is going to happen?” Seth asked me through our link, and I shrugged. I didn’t know what was going on, but all the Origins were here. Even Tylyn just showed up and she did not seem to be in a good mood.

“I don’t know Seth, but it doesn’t look good.” I tried to stay strong, but I’m only seven. I can’t be the big brother all the time. This was scary for me too.

I looked around the room at all the faces, paled and terrified. I looked up at my mom and her eyes were filled with tears. Whatever they were talking about, it will affect all of us and it seemed really important. I looked back at my brother, Seth. He was playing with our dad’s shirt, and I smirked a little. We may be twins, but his observation skills are solely left up to me. It’s fine though. I feel like it fits our dynamic.

I felt the room shift and I flinched. Mom was angry. “We protect our own. Always.” Lydia, Tali, and Selena – all of Mom’s spirits – growled along with her and the room fell silent before everyone around us nodded in agreement.

It looked like the royal families were preparing for war.