The pull… amazing!

Kaelan

"If we do not hurry, then you might have to shift your meeting with the nightfall pack to some other time, my Lord." Aiden, my right-hand man said, and from where I was sitting, waiting for the Alpha of this pack to come back with the photocopies of the signed documents that sealed our business deal, I hummed.

I didn't need to go to the Nightfall pack today if it was too late but for some reason, I could not ignore the pull that I felt to go there today. It had to be today. Why? I had no idea but I was never one to ever not listen to my intuition and if it said to go there today then so be it.

And that was when the words Aiden had called me registered in my head and I looked away from the view of the garden that I had been staring at to where he was standing like a bodyguard, ever so serious.

"Aiden, don't you think that the title you just addressed me might be too serious? I have told you that you can call me by my name. Times without number."

His expression did not change and he looked at me through his sunglasses and inclined his head.

"Calling you by your name when you were just your father's son was acceptable once upon a time but you, my liege, are the Lycan King, therefore calling you by your name would be a very great disrespect."

My smile widened at how serious he was being and I nodded, even though the reminder of who I was and the responsibility that rested on my shoulder did not vanish.

It was one thing to be a Lycan and another completely different thing to be the king of them all.

"You can call me Kaelan anytime you want, Aiden. It's just us two."

The Alpha showed up with the photocopies of the signed document as Aiden was about to answer and after a few more pleasantries which consisted of the man not so subtly hinting at me that he had a daughter available for marriage, we were on our way out of the pack and to our next location.

The Nightfall pack.

Like I always did for every pack that I visited, I asked Aiden for insight into the pack that we were heading to and if there were any latest developments, and as he listed them out to me in a calm tone, I felt that itch again. That pull was telling me that something was waiting for me at this particular pack.

What could it be?

Was it a bad omen?

Would the wise choice be to turn back or continue?

When we arrived at the pack house, a man and a woman were standing together outside, who looked like they were waiting for us and when I came down, the woman audibly sighed, her mouth falling open in shock.

"Does it bother you sometimes? That the only thing people see at first when they meet you is a pretty boy?" Aiden had asked me once and my reply was that it didn't matter what they saw as long as they were wise enough to fear me and not cross any of their boundaries.

It was easier to be known as a pretty king because it helped with relations within the packs.

"King Kaelan, you are welcome to our humble home." The man said and bowed his head slightly. The woman took several seconds to reign in her shock before she realized that she was staring too much and bowed in greeting.

"Thank you for having me. You have a wonderful home from what I have seen on my way here."

"Thank you very much." He puffed out his chest in pride.

"I am Ethan, the Alpha's son. I apologize for my father's inability to come and welcome you himself but he just returned from a trip and is freshening up to join us at the table if you don't mind."

"Not at all. This is my right-hand man, Aiden."

Aiden nodded in greeting and I saw Ethan sizing me up, perhaps wondering if all he had heard about the Lycan King was true, considering how 'pretty' my face was.

"My name is Aurelia, your majesty. It is an honor to meet you." The girl answered with a smile that was meant to seduce, her chest puffing out as if to say, these are my goods, and I knew that if I wanted to bend her over now and fuck her, she would not refuse.

"Your mate?" I asked Ethan but it was Aurelia that answered by quickly shaking her head.

"Come, your majesty, this way." Ethan directed and as we walked down the hallway, I could not help but notice the floors. They were clean but it was obvious that whoever did this had forgotten that allowing the lather to dry on the floor would make the ground look dull.

"The floors look rather dull." I blurted out in a whisper that meant to be something only Aiden would hear and saw Aurelia's face change immediately.

“It is Joye, that weak slave, she could not even clean the floors well. I’d make sure that she is punished.”

Turning to stare at Aurelia at her little outburst, I kept on walking, suddenly feeling bad for whoever was going to be punished for this. Did she say her name was Joye? I was surprised that just her name made me curious about her and it made me feel even more sorry for talking about the ground like that because I knew that she was going to be dealt with thanks to my comment.

The pull started to feel even closer and I picked up my pace like I knew the hallway walking even faster and that was when someone ran into me, spilling coffee on my body and the tray falling to the ground with a thud.

The maid fell to the floor, her head down and body shaking and while I was still staring at her in shock, Ethan snarled.

"You clumsy brat. Is there even anything you can do right? Guards, tie her up and get her flogged. Maybe she might be able to handle simple duties better."

I was already opening my mouth to say that it did not matter but two other servants had appeared, one a boy bowing to greet me before helping me to wipe my clothes while the girl cleaned up the floor.

The servant who had crashed into me started to scream and plead for forgiveness as two guards dragged her away and I started shaking my head immediately, not wanting her to be punished for it.

"You don't have to drag her away. It was a mistake." I said but Ethan shook his head and that was when I saw that Aurelia was still making seductive eyes at me.

"Don't feel bad for her, your majesty. She deserves every bit of punishment that she will get. This is not her first 'mistake' in only a couple of days and if we do not teach her a lesson now, then..."

I did not hear the rest of Ethan's answer because as I looked in the direction of the screaming servant, her eyes finally collided with mine and it felt like my heart stopped working and then started to beat again almost immediately.

I quickly realized what had been pulling me here because now more than ever, I felt like a thread was tied between us and the connection was so strong, I could not help myself.

"Mate" the word came out of me immediately and I started storming after them.

"Let the girl go" I ordered and even though the guards paused, confused, they looked at Ethan for direction.

"I said let her go," I growled as I got to where they had stood frozen and even though they shook in fear, knowing that by logic, I ranked higher in authority than any Alpha or Alpha's son, they still stood their ground.

"I said, let go of her." I roared, pushing both of the guards back with my hands and they flew down the hall, their foreheads bleeding. A crowd had formed and they were murmurs everywhere but I didn't care.

Nothing else mattered but the woman on the ground and I knelt immediately, pulling her close to my chest, my anger immediately reducing from mere contact with her.

Amazing.

"What is happening?" She whispered, looking up at me with a confused glance and I was about to answer, Aurelia snapped.

"For once in your life, Joye, are you not tired of always playing the victim? Look what you made the King have to do rather than own up to the fact that you're just a useless incompetent maid."

Eyes flaming, I growled and Aurelia flinched when I glared at her.

"Don't you ever talk to my mate that way if you want to continue breathing? It is obvious you don’t like the life you are living, and I’d do you the favor of helping you end it.”

Joye's eyes widened in shock and she and Ethan spoke at the same time.

"Mate?"