Lycanthropy

“My Queen, we are about to land.”

I woke up from the voice of the pilot, that boomed over the intercom. Everyone got to their seats and buckled up, to get ready for landing.

Terrence and I had informed everyone that we would be landing in King Daniel’s land, and we would have to act fast. So, we would shift into our wolves, get to my old pack as soon as possible and do the things that I was meant to do.

And as we haven’t informed my father of our arrival, we probably wouldn’t receive a warm welcome.

“Berrant make sure your warriors don’t shift into Lycans, and keep those tattoos covered. We want to keep that card folded, unless we run into trouble, alright?” I said to him and he immediately informed his men.

With thirty-three warriors we ran towards the pack, and upon entering the boundary I could feel shivers down my spine. The memories of long forgotten pain, induced my heart again. Fury arising of my father killing my mother in cold blood.

I was there.

I had seen my mother running out of the forest, just as we did now. Entering the open grassy field, drifting off-minded towards the old packhouse. Her eyes were blackened over, her body naked, yet nothing revealing, as the blood of dozens of people cascaded down her skin.

I don’t know what had happened, nor did my father want to explain.

“Take the gun, and end this!” The Alpha had roared to my father.

As my little body, of only twelve years old, stood next to him, gazing up to his face, silently begging him not to do this. I touched his arm, while he held the gun in his right hand. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes, a single tear dropping on the ground between his feet.

He walked over to my mother, and as I wanted to follow him, I cried my heart out. This time not begging silently, but pleading with all my force for him not to kill her. But I wasn’t strong enough, I couldn’t run fast enough, or fight the arms of the Alpha, which were withholding my tiny body. Restraining me from trying endlessly to stop what he was about to do.

My mother locked eyes with me, tears staining her face, dribbling down and thinning out the blood on her face. Soft pink vertical streaks were painted on her cheeks now. She raised her hand up to me, whispering the words ‘I love you’ in the old language. Time stood still as I watched her, she stood there, barefoot, naked, red, but still gorgeous.

Until that sound. The sound that shook me to my core, instantly making me stop my breathing and crying. My mother closed her eyes, her head being pushed backwards from the impact of the bullet. Her knees caved in, her arms swayed to the side, and there she laid lifeless, a single bullet between her eyes, a red pool on the damp morning grass forming.

My father had picked her up, and took her to the forest. Now I know that he had buried her and afterwards he had went to his other family, to let them know that he had killed her. And remembering what Amy had said, he had told her that I was dead as well.

“Are you okay?” Terrence asked me.

I shook my head, putting that memory to the back and got dressed, as I had dropped my clothes on the ground before shifting back.

“Yes, let’s go.”

We didn’t have to wait for long, as when we reached the door it slammed open and out came the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack.

“Wow Steven, that took you long enough. I’m at your door already!” I said to him, perfectly knowing that I’m not using his title.

“Don’t you dare show that attitude to me!” He replied.

The fear that I had given him, when I had drawn a circle of blood on his chest, at the ball, was gone. Which was odd to me. Why isn’t he afraid? He must know why I’m here, as I’m about to get justice for their crimes. I know he isn’t a strong Alpha, but is he stupid too?

“Why not? It’s not like I’m lying, come on, a good Alpha knows who enters the lands the moment it happens. I’m here for ten minutes already, where are your perimeter wolves?” I said while raising my arms and looking around.

“That’s none of your business!” He roared without having a proper answer.

I huffed with a grin, I’m glad that I’m not part of this lousy pack anymore.

“I want to speak to my father.” I said with a clear voice, and he nodded to one of his wolves to go and get him.

He came out and upon seeing me, his eyes grew wide. He took a few steps backwards and wanted to run away.

“COME HERE!” I roared with a mighty Alpha command, and it nailed him to the ground.

He turned around and together with all the other wolves of Steven’s pack that was in our near vicinity, came down the stairs and lowered themselves on one knee, baring their necks to me.

“Fuck! You are weaker than I thought! Get lost, all of you, besides the one that you call Alpha and Beta!” I roared again, and all of the other pack members sighed in relief and ran away.

Of course they stayed close, as their curious minds, wanted to see what would happen to their leader and right hand.

“Why did you kill my mother! Tell me!” I roared to my father.

“Because she killed dozens of men and women from a neighbouring pack! She couldn’t control her Lycan!” He yelled.

That’s bullshit, why should my mother lose control? I could keep it, and I could still talk while being shifted, as well as Berrant and his warriors, so why couldn’t she?

“We didn’t know we shifted, when we had seen our warrior being shot.” Dakota said.

Which was true, but we still were in control, we didn’t kill anyone in that moment.

Steven shifted on his feet, looking around him, as if he was waiting for something. I noticed his nose twitching, trying to catch a scent. I did the same, because if he was waiting for something, then I wanted to know earlier than him, when danger would approach us.

I demanded from my father to tell me, why my mother would kill those people. But all my father did, was telling me that my mother was a ruthless and uncontrolled creature. He couldn’t give me a proper answer, as he truly didn’t know why she had done what she did.

I guess that he had doubts himself about shooting her, as tears dropped from his eyes now. Besides, he had trained me for four more years, after killing her. Maybe his doubts about his own actions would remain as a single reason, for his amendment, that he raised me to be a strong and fearsome warrior.

Not that it had mattered to me, because it wasn’t only his training that made me this strong. It was all the experience that I have gathered during those eight cruel years, where he had put me in. All those fights that I had to face, all those deaths and all the torture that was inflicted upon me, were the things that made me who I am today. His training, as a form of seeking forgiveness wouldn’t make me less resentful for applying his sentence, because he will receive justice from me, as much as my former Alpha will.

But Steven must know something, because each and every time, my father spoke, his shoulders released the slightest bit of tension, out of relief for not having to speak. He clearly is leaving something out. I know he was in on the killing of my mother as well, but I still wasn’t sure what he had actually done.

He sniffed the air again, too late, because I had sensed the ‘danger’ just before he did.

I had put my hands behind my back, signalling the others that we were surrounded. But even though we were at our enemy’s gaze, I didn’t falter my stature. No one can or will kill me.

“Tell me, why did she lose control?” I asked Steven, who was now smiling lightly.

If he wanted to surprise me with an attack, as if I hadn’t known before, then that smile would’ve. He is as see-through as a glass wall. Really pathetic.

“Because she found out, as I had told her, that they had killed her mate! Yes, your supposed to be true father, was easily killed!” He said, while taking in a deep breath, to let him fill his chest. He found pride in telling me this, as using the words ‘easily killed’ made him unjustifiable happy towards me

So that was it. He had found the one that killed her mate, told her about it and she got mental, which was her right! I would have killed the ones that had killed a loved one of mine as well!

Steven was beginning to gain some more attitude now, acting as if he is an apex predator, standing tall to let everyone know how strong he is.

My father however, faltered his stature. Clearly he didn’t know about this, he wanted to ask his Alpha something, as his mouth went open and close again. His eyes darkened as fury inside of him arose, of not knowing this new information, of the betrayal of his own Alpha. Steven probably had told him differently, making him assume that Lycan’s are real, out of control creatures.

He was ashamed that he had killed her now, but somewhere he had known this. He turned his face towards me, pleading silently for a shred of forgiveness from me.

I was torn, because he was truly unknowing about this information. Yet, his weak character still had decided to kill her, and not go against his own Alpha. He is not worthy enough to be a Beta, he should have questioned his Alpha for the command to kill her!

Amy was in the back of my mind. Could I be able to hurt not only my father, but hers as well?

My mind is drifting back towards my beautiful mother, who got killed by a stupid decision. Just out of sheer ignorance, someone who was supposed to love her, shot her dead. Sometimes, ignorance can be a bliss, but in this case, ignorance was just extraordinarily stupid!

And the information that my mother had a true mate, but chose to mate with my father after losing hers, is devastating me even more. This only adds up to the fact that I don’t need a mate. I don’t want a mate, to only lose him or have the chance of him killing me. I have been through too much of these mate stories, that I’m completely done with them now.

A strong familiar scent suddenly came closing in. I knew what was going to happen, long before Steven had known. Long before my father had known.

“Father, you can either help me, or choose to stand together with the Alpha who deceived you.” I said to him, while the danger was getting closer.

I could see him thinking about what to do, but he has only seconds to decide. His eyes turned grey, and I’m not sure to whom he could talk to right now, maybe alerting his true mate? Anyway, right after his eyes returned normal, he nodded slightly and walked over to me.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?!” Steven yelled.

“He is choosing to fight, to earn back maybe a sliver of forgiveness from me.” I said to him. Besides, if he lives through this upcoming battle, Amy can decide what to do with him.

Suddenly, loud roars from all around us were heard, and I smiled.

“Let’s do this.” Dakota said, and I nodded.

The determination of her, was exactly the same as mine. We are forever a mate-less Queen.