5.Barbeque, Doughnuts, and Visons- Oh My!

***Rolf's POV***

The small city outside Lyngvi has all the amenities you would expect, but with a focus on getting soldiers to part with their monthly paychecks from the Regency. Everything, restaurants, clubs, tattoo parlors, car dealerships, and even some of the seedy strip joints that started popping up more and more since the mate bonds of the past started to fail to happen. From what I read, it started before The Darkness emerged from the warlock tribes of Somsak.

It feels like a myth at this point that mating bonds ever existed. The best investigators still only assume what actually happened, but as the story goes, The Darkness was in response to a warlock that fell in love with a prophetess. She was lycan, and his fear was she would find her true mate. So, he kept her locked away in Somsak, and tried to convince her to stay with him and return his love. Then one day, the royalty from Osvald arrived in Somsak to hold diplomatic trade discussions. As King Oran was touring Somsak, his wolf felt a pull. It is described as a string tied around your consciousness that is tugged on when they are near their fated. This king followed the pull, and came to a gated house that he was determined to enter. He used political means to gain access and found his mate, Queen Ayla, the same prophetess hidden away by this warlock. Since lycans can live to around 200 years, this loss of fated mates was more than 10 generations ago. It seems like the loss of that bond made these looser parts of society thrive and become increasingly lucrative. Not that I care, or even judge, who goes to or dances at these clubs. But abuses from the seedier versions of them can be concerning. Let your freak flag fly, just don't abuse creatures.

Thinking about King Oran and Queen Ayla reminds me of my mother. She would tell Zev and me stories about them before bed. About how the stories of mate bonds traveled through the generations. That it was like finding the second half of your soul. The pull and how the bond would snap into place the first time you touch your mate. These were the fairy tales I grew up to until my parents were killed. We were lucky to have Uncle Maxir and Aunt Lyeallen. They decided to hide that I survived the attack, since I was only 10 when it happened. Zev was already 16, and since he would be able to take over the Regency at 30, he was brought up in Capitol City to train with our uncle. When I met my wolf, Kabelo, he agreed that we should stay hidden from society for a while longer. This is when my auntie was able to convince Uncle Max to give me 10 more years. I want to earn my role leading the Army for my brother, not just be born into it. And these 10 years will be all I get to do so.

Which is how I find myself walking down a main drag outside Lyngvi with Axel crowing on about some club he wants to go to as we walk by it on the way to the restaurant that makes the best beef barbecue and kimch I have found in my travels. The family that owns and runs the place is amazing. The grandma reminds me a lot of my auntie, she fusses over Axel and I each time we visit.

"Are you even listening to me?" Axel decides this is the moment to jab me in the ribs with his elbow. "Come on Reed! I seriously want to check that club out before we leave." He uses my alias when we are in public or around others on base. I stumbled to the side a little, nearly knocking into this female with crazy blue and green hair. She smelled strange, like decomposing autumn leaves, but her hair smelled like cloves and oranges.

"Sorry, excuse the jerk over here," I turn my head trying to figure out that scent and point over to Axel. She nodded shyly and kept on her way. "Yeah, I heard you. I just don't really feel like dancing and drinking. You can go if you want. I'll meet you later on base," Being this close to base, he may go and let me on my own for a while. He isn't required to trail me on post, but in the city is a different story.

"I'll go tonight after we get you back to your bed like Grandma Petiet. Ohhh, you think she made any of those sugar doughnuts today?" Females and food, the two most common topics that Axel talks about. I smile as we open the door to Bulgogi Diner and smell fried dough.

***Thyra's POV***

I have to admit, this club is pretty good. The music is great, and it is a good thing that Ana and Kenny don't have the same taste in men because the DJ has been eyeing Ana all evening. Kenny doesn't mind, he found some girl to dance with that has his attention tonight. Ana doesn't even spare a glance toward the DJ, instead pestering me to come dance with her. I went back to our table to rest for a little while and wait for Mak to get back. She was going to visit her normal tattoo parlor to touch up her latest piece. Because lycan's heal so fast, sometimes the ink will be pushed out with the healing and requires a few touch-ups before the piece is complete.

I see Mak enter in the front and wave her back over to the table. As she walks over, a male grabs her by the waist and starts to dance. She stands still for a moment and looks at him with disgust before saying something. The male pales and backs away, making way for Mak to continue to the table.

"What is it with people being handsy today?" Mak looks like she is going to put her back to the wall and people watch for the rest of the night. I don't blame her. "This one guy sniffed my hair on the street, really weird but at least he didn't touch me."

"What did you say to Romeo on the dance floor?" I really wanted to know what made him blanch like that.

"Oh, I told him I was ready to have a few pups, and he would do." Mak shrugged her shoulder. "Then I asked his blood type, because I only liked the taste of A+ and O-."

"What?! HAHAHHA, Mak that just made this trip to the zoo worth it." I tilted my head toward the dance floor. "Want to head out there with me to save Ana from the creatures?" She nodded, which was a little surprising. When I stood, I got lightheaded. Weird, that hasn't happened since before I met Sel. My vision started to tunnel and I fell to my knees. I heard Mak yell but couldn't understand her words, it was like I was hearing from underwater.

Before me, the scene changed, there was no longer a loud club. It was as if I had been transported to another place. I sat on the ground on my knees and around me the music changed to the sounds of battle. Rogues were running past me toward a pack I couldn't identify through the trees. I could smell the rogues, they smelled of decayed meat and infection. There were too many of them. How did they amass a group this large? Usually there are only 10–20 rogues that can stand working together at a time. Too many of them get together, and they start to tear each other apart for the resources they steal from the packs. This looks like over 120 rogues. I jumped up to try to intercept one of the rogues while trying to shift. Where is Sel, I can't reach her. Nevermind, that is why I train in both my and Sel's form. I jump, aiming to land on the shoulders of the rogue running at me. From there, it is as easy as using his own momentum to take him down and incapacitate him. I see it in my head, jump, land, twist, and then a knee to his temple on the ground. He isn't even looking at me, but he is so focused on the pack it is like he is looking through me. I jump, and when I thought I would land on his shoulders instead I am falling straight through him and hit the ground. Falling and rolling, it was like missing a step rushing down a staircase. I feel like my stomach jumped up into my throat and roll to a fight stance jumping up and turning around looking toward the pack again. I start feeling light-headed again and then darkness.