A Siege

Morning came a busy one.

It was the mating ceremony of Prince Lucien and Princess Sarah. Perfume petals filled the air. Everyone watched in awe how the two royal families became one by marriage.

Prince Lucien and Princess Sarah exchanged their vows in the midst of the Elders and the Alphas.

“You may now kiss your bride, Prince Lucien”

Lucien pulled Sarah closer to himself and she giggled blushing all the way. His lips crashed into her and Sarah immediately reciprocated the kiss.

Everyone cheered, clapped and laughter filled the hall.

At that moment, the bells rang.

Lucien immediately broke the kiss. Everyone turned towards the door the moment they heard the sound of the bells.

The voice of Gamma Hume roared through the hall, “We are under attack. We’re under siege!”

Screams tore through the air as people ran for cover while some ran out of the hall to fight. The sound of metals clashing with metals, cries, and growling came from outside. Gamma Hume screamed an order, “Protect the royals!”

But Lucien didn’t wait. He didn’t listen when Sarah called his name also. As he ran towards the chaos, he reached within himself, seeking his wolf but nothing.

 “Varn” he called. Nothing.

“Come on, Varn!” he roared.

Still silence.

Without a choice, Lucien grabbed a sword and went into battle without his wolf. First time in his life he was headed towards an unexpected battle, unguarded.

A sword nearly took his head but he ducked, barely missing the impact from the enemy. With gritted teeth, he blocked the next strike with his sword before launching the sword deep into his opponent’s stomach. But he knew too well he won’t be able to keep up, he needed his wolf.

“VARN!” he growled again. Still nothing.

All around him, the others. Wolves leaped, snarled, bit and tore but Lucien was left alone. For the first time, he felt completely empty. Now, he could tell that his wolf had left him.

But why?

As the question ran through his head, a blade pierced through his side. He fell on his knees, everything suddenly became slow. Blood soaked his new wedding robe. His fingers trembled as he stared with wide eyes at a figure in front of him.

‘Servant number 16’

His lips parted but he couldn’t say a word as the world spun, pain deepened and Lucien fell on his face.

How? He wondered, struggling to keep his eyes open and fixed on Servant number 16 but couldn’t as the darkness took him away.

Far away, in the forest, it was the witching hour of the morning. Fog covered the air. Silence danced around the forest alongside the wind that blew to the west. The tress stood strong but their branches rattled in the wind.

Yet, it was quiet, too quiet for what was coming. For what was forming.

Because deep inside this forest, was a fire, in that fire was a body—a body that continued to burn yet wasn’t consumed. The fire was rich, angry and dark. It was as though the night itself bled and caught flames.

In the heart of that fire was a figure. Dead, but not consumed.

It shouldn’t be possible. She was supposed to be consumed but death vomited her out of its mouth and pushed her out of hell, because she moved. And her eyes opened.

Impossible

Nothing lives in fire. Nothing rises from it. But there she was—seated in the flames, bare skin glowing, and hair tangled, eyes red, fists clenched; and as if under a spell, she stood to her feet.

Naked, she walked out of the flames with smoke giving way.

Her body should have crumbled, her bones should have turned to dust but she stood alive. Awake. Resurrected, and revenge burning beneath those red eyes.

“Oh my goddess of all goddesses,” A voice whispered from behind a tree. Alice. Her eyes wide as she stared at the figure that just walked out of a burning fire.

“She is a demon,” She added but the old man standing beside her didn’t think so. His eyes were fixed on the young girl that had come out of the fire without getting consumed.

The old man finally stepped out from his hiding before Alice could stop him. His eyes glittering with curiosity rather than fear, with a staff made of gnarled bonewood. He slowly began to walk towards the figure with narrowed eyes.

Alice, seeing her master, joined in, walking slowly behind with wide eyes and red braids.

The girl, who was staring at her palm and wondering how she was alive, looked up to find the two people coming towards her. Her red eyes flickered back to golden brown and she staggered back

She panicked and set to run but the moment she lifted her leg, she felt dizzy. The world slowly tilted around her and her legs gave way. She fell but this time, was caught by the old man.

Her eyes closed.

“She’s not a demon.” The old man replied, “She is one with a mission.”

“I hope that mission is not to burn us alive?” Alice asked in a whisper after noticing that the lady’s eyes were closed. She took off her cloak and wrapped the naked lady with it.

“We will find out after we treat her back to health” the old man replied, turning to Alice with a wide smile.

Alice’s eyes widened some more, “We are taking her home?” she asked in shock. She shivered from the thought that this figure might just wake up and burn them all alive.

“Yes, we are. And you are going to be taking care of her. Now, help me lift her up.”

Alice grumbled yet helped her master lift the sleeping girl. As they walked back to their home, the old man said to Alice,

“I told you something ancient was stirring tonight” He had a smile on his lips.

Alice, who was struggling to keep up with the weight, replied “She doesn’t look ancient to me.”

*Two years later*

Moonrage Pack was now a shadow of itself. The kingdom was no longer as vibrant and joyful since the war two years ago.

That war took the Alpha of the pack, took warriors and children. The war also took a part of Lucien—his wolf— Varn.

It's been two years yet he has not been able to transform into his wolf form. No sign of Varn anywhere.

The people spoke in secrets; they said his wolf died before he came back from the Alpha’s academy. They whispered that he was cursed; the war happened during his mating ceremony with his Luna, a Luna who left him after finding out that he was cursed.

Only Lucien knew the real reason his wolf had left. He had rejected his mate when he was asked not to and because of that, she got killed.

His wolf could never forgive him, so he left.

Left him to fight the battle two years ago, alone.

Without his wolf, he was nothing. He was no fighter. His wolf knew this and still didn't come to help him. He lost his Father, the Alpha. Many pack members died and Gamma Hume came out barely alive.

Lucien has become a shadow of the warrior prince he once was. He wore the crown, signed treaties, and stood on balconies—but he never touched a blade, never stepped onto a battlefield, and never once walked near the forest again.

They may have won the war but the kingdom of Moonrage Pack was never the same again.

Sarah, not being able to bear it, left and went back to her father.

“I don't think brother would like this,” Lucy muttered with her hands folded under her breast.

Dark hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a slender figure, dressed in a blue gown that matched the color of her eyeballs. She had a frown on her beautiful face that made her look so much like Lucien.

“Lucien is always indoors. We don't even have to let him know what's going on. He won't find out if we don't tell him.” Lillian responded without a care.

Lucy glanced at the two love birds in front of her as she deliberated on what they were asking her to do. They wanted to organize a ball, it would have been fun but she isn't so sure, especially with Lucien always in a sour mood.

“Fine, even if we are going to do this, I think we should still let Lucien know”

Lucy is the last daughter of Alpha Mark; she's twenty, smart, and kind-hearted. She loves Lucien so much but has to stay away from him because of his anger issues.

She found herself spending more time with her elder sister, Lillian, and Lillian’s boyfriend and beta to Lucien, Fabian. Many times, she doesn't understand why she listens to them and does as they request even though she wasn't in support of it. But Lucien no longer takes the pack seriously. They have to take matters into their own hands.

“And then what? Do you think Lucien will agree to it? That guy is a sadist. Can you please leave him out of this? We are going to plan the ball ourselves. If you don't want to be involved, let me know so I'll know what to do,” Lillian hissed.

Lillian, the eldest of the Alpha's children, was tired of her brother and decided to completely ignore him. She and her boyfriend would fix the pack if Lucien was not going to.

“Of course, I'll be involved. I'm just saying…” Lucy let the rest of her words hang.

“That's good because we would need your help to plan the ball excellently. You know, you're good at these things,” Lillian wiggled her brows at Lucy who giggled.

“Make sure to invite the neighboring packs prince and princess. It’s been years we had a party” Lillian instructed Lucy who nodded sharply. She was excited. Knowing what to do, she rushed out of the chamber, and Lillian watched her leave.

She turned to Fabian, and the man winked at her. His lips spread in a wide smile.

“Lucien doesn't have to know” he whispered and she nodded, before planting a kiss on his lips.