Mine At First Sight

▪️L E N N A▪️

The next few days felt like a blur.

I had been given permission to leave my room during the day, adding some variation to my activities. Although, most of my free time was spent in the library researching, and once I had eaten my dinner, I was to retire to my chambers, no detours allowed.

As a result, there was not much time for me to survey the layout of the castle itself.

Naturally, I was itching to explore my surroundings. I was particularly hoping to visit the lake at night, as I loved laying under the stars near a body of water.

I had made a mental note to ask the Lycan King’s consent to do such.

It was strange that I had not seen the King as much as I would have liked, especially in the last two days. His absence was most conspicuous, especially since he usually came to check in on me.

This feeling surprised me, but I thought it was more my curiousity of not knowing what was expected of me and my duties as his slave. He had also yet to brand my wrist with his mark.

I had been told that I would receive a special emblem on my right wrist, one that would be very distinct from all the other humans within the Lycan region. Obviously, I was not looking forward to having another symbol of ownership placed upon my body.

But such was the way of the Malvar Empire.

Since my arrival, Faeda and I had grown very familiar with each other. The King’s brother, Eginhard, was another face I saw daily, as he made it his mission to check up on me. He had insisted that I called him by his name and not to worry about official titles.

Eginhard had also introduced me to his friend Otto who like me, was of a similarly mixed heritage. His complexion was a little darker than mine and his hair was styled in neat dreadlocks. Whenever he saw me in the hallways, he would always stop and greet me, asking me about my day, something I was very appreciative of.

Another Lycan I would also see daily was Dhamin. He was Drengr’s younger brother and had the same brownish eye colour and angular facial features of his older sibling. For some reason, he had taken an immediate liking to me, and I him. He was a Lycan warrior, but ever since suffering an injury that left him unable to walk, he spent most of his time in the library helping his brother.

Dhamin moved around in a chair that had wheels attached to it and I had to stifle a giggle whenever he purposefully ran over Drengr’s foot.

What I liked most about Dhamin was the air of positivity he exuded. He always had a smile on his face and even though he could not walk, he would still oversee the training of some of the younger Lycans, not allowing his impairment to hinder him.

In fact, whenever I felt inadequate about being able to be of use to the empire, Dhamin would remind me that strength came in different forms.

The longer I spent in the Lycans’ presence, the more I realised how relaxed they were around one another. At least depending on the setting, as I noticed Faeda and the other high-ranking Lycans I had met in the council room calling Edric by his first name while they were having dinner.

Of course, I did not dare address any Lycan, much less call any of them by their name, unless given permission.

I was not that bold!

It had been just over a week since I had arrived at the castle, and living amongst the Lycans was not how I had imagined it would be.

Yes, they were massive, domineering, and sometimes overbearing beasts, but King Edric was a great ruler by all accounts, and it was reflected among the attitudes of his people.

Strangely, I found myself feeling safe in their presence, realising that I enjoyed being around them. Nonetheless, I made sure to always show my respect.

Even though the humans were there to serve the Lycans, they were not abused. At least, not that I had witnessed.

I was even told that many were allowed to write letters to their loved ones back home. The prospect of being able to communicate with my family helped give me the strength to make it through the day, especially whenever I felt nostalgic.

Suvarna was the only human friend I had managed to make since I got here.

Though the males did not pay me much mind, the females, on the other hand, seemed to abhor the very sight of me. Their disdain for my presence, I had to admit, hurt my feelings.

After all, were we not all human? It may have been naïve, thinking that we would stick together and support each other, especially the females.

Sighing softly, I tried to ignore the blatantly hostile stares that were aimed at our table.

“Don’t worry about them. Some are just afraid of you, and the rest are jealous that Prince Eginhard has taken a liking to you,” Suvarna said, while we sat down for dinner in the large eating hall.

Presently, the room was filled with only humans, as the Lycans had finished their meals earlier. Since that first night after Eginhard had invited me to eat with him, whenever I sat to have dinner, none of the other humans ever wanted to sit with me.

So, usually, I would just eat by myself until Suvarna joined.

“I’m sorry, what do you mean Prince Eginhard has taking a liking to me? I was told that he was a bit of a wild one where the ladies were concerned,” I replied, before taking a sip of cider from my cup.

Laughing softly, “Oh trust me, he can be. But given how special you are,” Suvarna gestured to my eyes before continuing, “coupled with how gorgeous you are, and fun to be around, I don’t blame him. Plus, let’s not forget that he personally invited you to watch him train. That is a big deal! He’s clearly trying to impress you.”

Even though her words made me blush, I just shook my head in denial, “Impress me? That’s nonsense! Though I would be lying if I did not confess that I was curious about seeing how Eginhard and the other Lycans train. But I’m not looking to get in trouble with the King.”

“What do you mean? Why would you get in trouble for looking at other males? Is there something going on between you two? I know that many humans choose to sleep with their owners, and though everyone knows that the King has never bedded a human before, you are special. I’m sure by now you’ve seen how attractive rare things are to Lycans…” Suvarna’s voice dipped as she moved closer to me, ensuring that no one could overhear our conversation.

My eyes widened at her implication, “Gods no! Not at all!”

“Then why are your cheeks getting flushed?” Suvarna teased me and giggled.

Frowning slightly, I downed the rest of my drink, “It’s because of the cider! This batch is more acidic tonight.”

“Acidic huh? I bet,” her grin widened as the fire reflected in her dark eyes.

“No, seriously, we are not doing… that, I swear. My main focus is figuring out what my exact powers are, which is what I meant by not wanting to get in trouble with the King. He wants me to focus on learning as much as I can and not ‘cavorting and wasting time’ as he put it,” I rolled my eyes at the end.

Suvarna nodded in understanding, “Fair enough, I know that you want to grow strong. I’m honoured to call you friend. Lenna, you’re not what I thought you would be. I admit, when you arrived, I thought that you would have tried to sleep with the King, as many humans have before you.”

“Have you?” I asked jokingly, though I already knew the answer.

Choking on her drink, “Are you insane? I owe him and his people my life! I would never dare disrespect the King and approach him like that. Gods know what would have happened to me if they hadn’t travelled to our land.”

“Indeed,” I reflected softly, my hand coming to rest on top of hers on the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

I was amazed at how close the two of us had become in such a short amount of time.

Never in my life had I ever seen another human quite like Suvarna. The almond shape of her dark brown eyes was most unique, and her brown skin had a lovely medium tone to it and it contrasted beautifully with her black, straight, hip-length hair. Even though she was eleven years older than me, she could have easily passed for around my age.

When we sat together for dinner every night, we exchanged stories about where we came from.

Suvarna had explained to me that the King, Faeda, and the others had rescued her when her village had come under the attack of another. The Lycans had been exploring their lands and ended up appearing right in the middle of a horrible civil war.

She had been grateful to leave her island, and was happy to live among the Lycans, even insisting that not all of them were as obnoxious as Beyza.

“Are you a virgin?” Suvarna suddenly asked me, bringing me out of my thoughts.

It was my turn to choke into my cup that I had just refilled.

“What’s with all the invasive questions tonight?” I tilted my head and looked at her.

“Well, we’ve pretty much covered every other topic about each other. Not to mention if you are a virgin, then some of the male Lycans would really not be able to help themselves in an attempt to pursue you,” she replied, trying to hide the concern in her voice.

“I’m not, I lost it to my best friend…” I answered, then probed, “What about you?”

Her mouth opened in shock as she whisper-shouted, “Holy shit! The werewolf? I mean, I figured you and Berengar were close from how you spoke about him, but I didn’t think it would be that close! What was it like?”

“No way, you need to answer my question first!” I countered with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

Glancing around the room, she moved even closer to me, our sides pressing into each other as she spoke, “It was with Ulrik.”

“Master Odun’s son?” I gasped as an image of the attractive blond Lycan flashed before me.

Ulrik was a fierce warrior, with prominent electric-blue eyes. I knew that he had a similar reputation to that of his best friend Eginhard where the ladies were concerned as they were both very handsome. But the way I had caught him looking over at Suvarna a few times the other night made me believe that there might have been something going on between them.

Now that she was confessing that they had slept together, I realised that I had been correct in my assumption.

What made this confession even more interesting for me, was that Suvarna was a lot older than Ulrik, by at least a decade and it was not often that one would see an older woman with a younger man.

“Yes, that Ulrik,” Suvarna’s response had my grin widening.

“How was it? Being with a Lycan? I have yet to see them transform,” I stated, my tone laced with interest.

The slight flush on her cheeks deepened, “It was amazing. Of course, it hurt like hell the first few times. But, once I got used to the size of him, it was the best sex that I have ever had. Granted, Ulrik is the only one I’ve ever had sex with but I’m sure no human or werewolf could compare. Lycans are so strong and dominating by nature, so naturally, sex with them is rough, wild, and addictive!”

I knew that my own cheeks were probably just as tinted as hers while she proceeded to give me very intimate the details about when they last had sex.

Suvarna paused to playfully fan herself before she continued, “As for seeing a Lycan transform, why not ask the King to show you? I’ve seen his beast, and it’s as frightening as it is magnificent!”

Shifting in my seat, I bit the inside of my cheek as I remembered hearing some slaves talk about how mighty the King’s Lycan beast looked.

They went on to speak about how arousing his deep and reverberating howls were, and I had rolled my eyes as they gushed about what it would be like to be fucked by him in that form.

Shaking the thought from my head, I replied, “Ask the King to show me his beast? I need to see him first.”

“He still hasn’t come to see you?”

“No. I’ve not seen him in two days, and since he has also been absent at dinner, I can’t even use that as an excuse to get a word with him,” I took another large sip form my cup.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that he’s avoiding you…”

I sighed in response.

“But I’m sure he’s just busy. I will tell Faeda that you would like to speak with him,” Suvarna said before smiling widely, “now, tell me how sex with your werewolf was.”

A breathy laugh escaped me as I proceeded to tell her how I lost my virginity.

The following day, I was sitting in the castle’s library with a few large books in front of me.

For some odd reason, Beyza popped into my head. Her comment about eating humans had unnerved me more than I cared to profess, as I knew that during King Eberhard’s reign, Lycans devoured both humans and werewolves alike as punishment.

Out of all my interactions with the Lycans so far, though many were still wary of me, Beyza was the only one who had been openly hostile.

The aggression she had displayed made my mind run on the King’s oldest brother, Einarr. Suvarna had briefly told me about him, and how their father, had chosen his second-born, Edric, to rule instead.

When I found out that he had been married to Einarr’s intended, I was surprised, for I could have only imagined how awkward that would have been for everyone involved.

There was no evidence of Queen Caelina to be found anywhere.

It was as though her very existence had been deliberately erased. Her memory was living on only through the hushed whispers of the humans who dared not to openly speak about her.

All I knew about the King’s late wife was that she had died in childbirth over seven years ago.

My lack of knowledge as far as the nobility of the empire was concerned was due to the fact that we humans were instructed not to concern ourselves with the politics of the Lycans. We were just told about the basics, but never the intricate details.

“Lenna? Did you hear me? Dhamin and I must leave soon,” Drengr’s voice startled me out of my silent contemplation.

Over the last few days, he had been showing me which books to study from.

The Lycan’s mastery of medicinal things was unmatched, and I could see why they had no use for human healers in their region, as their knowledge was vast.

Drengr was a very patient man from what I could tell through our daily interactions. He looked to be around his late thirties in appearance and was very knowledgeable. His brown hair was always shaggy, since he would constantly rake his fingers through it as he often muttered to himself while scanning through numerous books and scrolls.

Nodding, I answered, “Yes, apologies, Master Drengr, I’m just a bit overwhelmed by all the information.”

Smiling, he said, “That is understandable, Lenna, but you’re picking up things faster than I anticipated, so we’re definitely off to a great start. The King will be pleased.”

“How is he, the King? I’ve not seen him for some days now,” I stated, feeling comfortable enough to ask my question.

“Oh, you know how he is… Should I tell him that you’re asking for him when he comes back from hunting?” Drengr asked while closing the book he was looking at.

Glancing down at the books in front of me, “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“I would be happy to. Perhaps then he might stop disturbing me. I admit, I grow tired of having to answer the same questions every day. I have told him repeatedly that your powers will take time to manifest themselves, and it will not happen overnight. Frankly, I’m confused as to why he has yet to come and check up on you.”

The Lycan’s last sentence seemed directed more to himself than me, as he shrugged while standing up.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I listened to what Drengr had said.

It seemed like he was hinting that the King was concerned about me. But I shook the thought from my mind as I watched the healer leave the library with his brother.

Blowing air out of my mouth, purposefully making a flapping sound with my lips, I laid my forehead on the desk. I groaned softly as another slight cramp rolled through my stomach.

It was the third day of my menses, its arrival meaning that I was indeed not pregnant with Berengar’s child. The cramps were not as intense as they usually were, but it was still painful. Rummaging through my satchel, I took out a small black vial.

Drinking the entire thing in one gulp, I sighed softly as its effects began to set in almost immediately.

The library had become my place of sanctuary. It occupied its own wing; the ceiling was exceptionally high, as the shelves spanned over three floors. Of course, I was not allowed to be here alone. In fact, I was never really truly alone. I always had a Lycan or two shadowing me. Twins actually, Asger and Balder, both tall and menacing.

Even if I could not see them, I knew that they were always there.

Drengr had given me a book on my second day that focused on sensory abilities.

Unfortunately, since most books relating to people with my eyes and the abilities they possessed had been destroyed, there was not much information available.

However, there were other books on different types of magic that helped to give me a better understanding about what I was experiencing, or at least something close to it.

After doing some breathing exercises, I realised that, if I concentrated enough, I could feel the presence of individuals far beyond the next room. My range only extended a few feet further than that for now, but with each passing day, I worked on increasing my capacity, knowing that one day, I would have a much better command over my ability.

Progress was slow but steady, and I was eager to see what the next few weeks, much less the next few months, would bring.

A few hours later, just before dinner, I felt the presence of the King before I even saw him enter into the library.

“He lives! Catch anything of worth, while out on your hunt?” I joked, while putting a book back on one of the shelves.

Due to the excitement, I felt from seeing him, I momentarily forgot that I should not have greeted him so open-heartedly. He was my King, after all, not my friend. I knew that we had not yet achieved such a cosiness between us.

I watched as the Lycan King stood by the door; his eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze upon me. The way he looked at me, I felt like I was rooted to the spot.

Since I had not seen him for some days, I felt like I was seeing him again for the first time. My apology remained stuck in my throat.

His large muscular frame was proportioned perfectly. I noticed that, since arriving at the castle, he never really wore fancy robes to distinguish himself as King. Everyone knew who he was, so there was no need to reinforce the point. However, he did wear a lot of black clothes.

The black tunic top he wore did nothing to hide his wide chest and broad shoulders. My eyes trailed back to his face. That low beard of his hid what I knew to be a strong jaw and high and masculine cheekbones.

As our gazes locked, I noticed that he had a predatory look as he continued to stare at me, remaining by the door, motionless.

When he abruptly moved from the entrance onto the second floor I gasped at how fast and fluid his actions were. He climbed the stairs so quickly that I barely had time to blink a few times before he was standing right in front of me, his left hand pushing me back against the shelf.

“What–” I began to speak, but I forgot what I was going to say as he ducked his head and pressed his nose against the skin of my neck.

His actions completely took me by surprise, and I remained immobile, with my hands pressed against my sides. Holding my breath, I felt him rumble against me as he inhaled my scent, his lips moving to press against my skin.

At his touch, my body jerked, and right there and then, an awareness suddenly flashed through my mind.

Last night, while talking about sex, Suvarna had told me how turned on Ulrik would get by the scent of her blood.

She had explained to me that the pheromones that were usually released during menstruation were like an opiate to some Lycans. As a result, it caused their own hormones to rage, as they would spiral into a sexual frenzy with the female in question, heightening the desire to sleep with her.

I could not help but wonder if that was why the King had stayed away from me these past few days. Although, if that was the case, he would not have appeared now, as he would have waited until my cycle was completed.

When he raised his head to look down at me, his glowering eyes made me shudder.

These damn hormones!

With nowhere to run, my palms pressed flat against the shelf behind me, as if willing myself to disappear into it. The King’s nostrils flared and his grey eyes hardened, while I watched the corner of his mouth jerk as though he were resisting the urge to smile or growl, I could not really tell.

It was in that moment that he finally spoke.

“I am pleased to know that you are not pregnant,” the King said, his voice deep, while the blunt words pierced through my trance.

The skin of my cheeks felt hot as I sputtered, “Erm, w-well...”

“This is why you asked to see me, yes? To tell me that?”

His tone, though commanding, seemed to be laced with some other hidden meaning, as he remained standing in front of me. In fact, just being in his presence threatened to overwhelm me and I forced myself to breath evenly.

Trying to steady my voice, I replied, “Well no, I wanted to talk to you about a few things, actually.”

“Such as?”

“Well, for one thing, I wanted to know when I would be getting my right wrist branded, as well as getting properly acquainted with what my duties as your slave would be.”

Raising an eyebrow, he continued to stare down at me, “Is that it?”

“No…” I replied, my voice coming out softer than intended.

“No?”

There was a clear taunt in his tone, while the corner of his mouth lifted with a smile this time.

Wanting to create some space between us, I raised my right hand to rest it on his torso, gently trying to push him back. It was like touching a stone wall. The muscles on his chest were firm and, as he growled softly at the contact, I felt the vibrations through my entire being, causing me to immediately pull back as though burnt.

“You grow bold, daring to touch me without my permission.”

“I apologise, Your Majesty. But, can you step back a bit, please?” I asked, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

“Why? It’s my castle, my land, I can stand anywhere I wish,” he retorted, while placing a hand just to the side of my head.

Nodding I agreed, “It is, Your Majesty, but–”

He interrupted me mid-sentence, and what he said next shocked me.

“Call me Master Edric, when we are alone,” he then stepped back, giving me the space, I desired.

I was so stunned, that all I could do was stare at him with my mouth slightly agape, fumbling to find my voice, while wondering what caused this sudden change.