CHAPTER THREE- A New Reality

London Hale

It's been hours since I've been sitting in a bar, drowning myself in bottle after bottle of whisky and vodka. I had hoped to drown my consciousness in reality or find solace in the bottom of the bottles of Alcohol.

I hiccuped, staring at the phone, my vision blurry enough to not see who was calling.

My phone has been going off since I left the house, and I had no intention of answering the calls or talking to anyone.

A part of me was hoping it was Leah who kept calling and sending hundreds of text messages so that I could take her back and we could start all over.

Stupid, I know, but I couldn't just stop loving her immediately.

"Sir, we're closing soon." The young man said this while serving me my last shot of whisky. I hummed in response and proceeded to slug it down my throat.

Fuyu was worried about my heavy drinking as well, wandering about in my head and howling in an attempt to make me stop.

"You need to stop drinking; it's not good for our bodies." This won't solve the problem," Fuyu said.

"Will you cut it out already? I think I am old enough to know what's good for me." I growled at him, but he just howled at me in response.

The young bartender looked at me worrisomely, and I clicked my tongue dryly. I was tired of everyone telling me what to do with my life; maybe they were right anyway, and I was bad at making good decisions.

Take Leah, for example.

"How much is my bill?" I asked, slightly irritated.

He barely spoke before I dropped a hundred-dollar bill on the table and swayed to my feet. I wanted somewhere to rest my head and forget my misery, and I contemplated calling Vanessa, my girlfriend turned ex.

As I had met Leah, my mate, I broke it off with Vanessa without batting an eye, but unfortunately, Leah didn't think it was necessary on her part to stop sleeping around and keep her legs close.

Perhaps Vanessa could numb my misery for a while.

I made a mental note to drive to her place, and once inside my car, I fished out the key from my pocket. I turned on the ignition and began driving off into the night. I was drunk as fuck and could barely see, but I didn't really care, seeing as it was really late and no one else would possibly be driving.

My phone began ringing again, and I picked it up in annoyance. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding the phone to my ear, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Finally, you picked up. London, sweetie, tell me where you are, and I'll come get you. Vince and Bryce were over, asking if you came around, but I told them you didn't. They said you just drove off and haven't been answering the phone. They looked really worried about you as they told me everything that had happened, and so am I. I know you're hurting, baby. Just tell me where you are, and everything will be okay." My mom sounded beyond concerned and worried as she spoke to me.

"I'm okay, mom; I just need some time alone." I slurred with a hiccup.

"London, are you drunk? You sound like you're driving? London, where are you?" She asked.

"I'm fine, mom. Don't worry about me. Tell Vince and Bryce to go home." I sniffled.

"You don't sound okay. London, where are you ri—" I disconnected the call and put my phone down, focusing on the road. I didn't want to talk to anyone, especially my mother. I was too hurt and embarrassed.

My phone began ringing again, and after letting out a growl, I bent to pick it up.

"London, please, where are you?"

I was so caught up in balancing the phone in my hand as it nearly fell out of my hand while driving that I didn't notice the loud horn blaring. I looked up only to be met with bright lights, which had me looking away and wincing at their intensity. I tried to catch the steering wheel, but by the time I could see clearly enough, a large truck was coming at me at full speed.

"Hello, London… are you… What's going on?"

"Shit! Fucking hell." I tried maneuvering by twisting my steering wheel, but I couldn't do it on time to avoid a collision that sent my head flying back at the headrest, bouncing back to hit the glass with great force as I veered off the highway and plunged headfirst into the rocky darkness.

My body shook as my car hit rocks during its fall before finally smashing into the ground with unimaginable force.

I could hear the slight ticking of the arrow symbols as a deafening silence enveloped me. My ears were ringing, and my breaths echoed. I could hear a high-pitched scream through the phone that was still in my hand, along with my mother's frantic voice.

"London, what's happening? Are you okay? What was that? Vince, you guys need to find my little boy for me." I heard my mother scream.

I groaned into the phone, feeling my body tremble at the jolts of pain I got zapped with. Everywhere was aching, and moving hurt like crazy. My trembling hands brought the phone to my ears as I tried to adjust myself, but moving was impossible. I was trapped in my squashed car.

"Mum…" My breaths were shaky, and I feared I wasn't going to make it out of this alive. If that were the case, I could at least tell her goodbye.

"I love… you, and I wish in your next life you get a son who is much better than me." And In that instant, a low bang erupted, engulfing me with hot flames. That was all it took before I was plunged into the great darkness that claimed me.

I was swimming through the darkness, feeling my consciousness float with my eyes closed. I could hear nothing but voices in my head. So this is what death feels like?

I let my lips curve into a smile as I welcomed the feeling of emptiness. That was until a bright light shone, and soon enough, I was standing in an empty, bright room in front of a door.

"Do you want to live?" A quiet voice came from inside my ears like a foreign whisper.

"A shitty life like that? No thank you." I said it quickly.

I did not want to go back and continue my miserable life. Dying was a much better option than going back to face the pending embarrassment I left behind.

"Then how about a better one? You lived a good life as a Gamma and protected your people, and for that I will bless you with immense powers. People will bow at your feet. You will be the king of kings among many men. Everything about London Hale would be a thing of the past; you would be a whole new person. Do you agree, London Night?" The voice sounded very convincing. I wanted to feel what having power felt like.

"Is that my new name?" I asked.

"Yes, from today on, London Hale's is dead, but London Night has been reborn."

"I agree."

"Open the door." The voice demanded.

I did as I was told, and a blinding light engulfed me. I felt like I was traveling at the speed of light, feeling my being get drained away, until I felt myself get sucked into something.

*********

I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, and gasped for breath. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to shake off the remnants of the terrifying nightmare that had gripped my subconscious.

It appeared like I was having a weird dream. I couldn't recall most of it, but I felt like a newborn, and I had just been rid of everything and replaced. It was a weird feeling that I honestly couldn't describe.

Slowly, I realized that I was safe in my own bed, and the grotesque images that haunted my dreams were nothing more than figments of my imagination.

I sat up, my body still trembling from the intensity of the dream. I threw myself off the extremely comfortable bed, yawning heavily.

I decided to get up and go to the bathroom to splash some water on my face.

I reached the bathroom, flicked on the dim light, and leaned over the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were wide, and my face was pale, evidence of the terror I had just experienced.

I started having such dreams five years ago, after I woke up. It was strange, but it felt like flashes that played themselves each night on repeat. I felt highly confused each time I woke up because that name, London Hale, remained in my head.

London Hale? Who was that? I had no clue, but it bothered me how I could constantly remember a name that a voice always whispered in my dreams. I once asked my beta if he knew of such a person, but Reece said no. Apparently, no one knew him.

I cupped my hands under the cool tap water and splashed it on my face. The sensation helped to ground me, bringing me back to the reality of my safe and familiar surroundings. Taking a few deep breaths, I tried to rationalize that it was just a dream and nothing more.

Just as I started to feel a semblance of calm returning, a sudden knock at the bathroom door shattered my fragile peace, and I grunted in response. The door opened, and a maid stood by the door with the tall figure of Reece, my black-haired Beta, behind her.

"Good morning, Alpha." He bowed in respect, and I nodded in approval.

"The Alphas have come to seek an audience with you." There was a hint of mischief in his tone as he spoke.

"Has Cane let them know of my demands?" I asked with my back turned, staring out the window with a bored expression on my face.

"Indeed he has."

"And how are they taking it?" I asked with a smirk.

"Not well. They're scared to give you total control of the Southwest, but they dare not speak out. They came to solicit your benevolence and plead your mercy." He explained, and I scoffed, finding their attempts ridiculous and futile.

"Have you spoken to them?"

"Not yet, my king. I was seeking your opinion before I went there."

Very good.

I hummed, least surprised they'd be unwilling to yield completely. That fueled my anger at their audacity to defy me.

"The lycans have vast control over business and a major relationship with humans. With a thin blanket over our true identities, they presume we are all humans." He continued.

"And?" I asked, knowing he had more to say.

"There have been sightings of wolves, which have become a fast-spreading rumor among humans, according to rumors. Wolf hunters have appeared and are hunting our kind, though it's all being done quietly to avoid alerting the unknowing humans of our presence. The hunters reside in the south, and the Alphas are seeking to strike a deal with the Lycan king without giving full control of the south-west like you have demanded." He finished, knowing how truly stupid they were.

He knew my asking for full control of the south-west was me being... nice. Normally, I just take what I want without asking. I wasn't feared for no reason. While others might call me a tyrant, others refer to me as a demon. But I could care less about their damned opinion. I ruled with an iron fist and did only what benefitted me and my pack, and so far, so good; they all respected and feared me.

I inhaled sharply: "I am London Knight, king of the underworld. I, the Lycan king, do not settle for less. If they're seeking my influence to protect them without meeting my demands, then they might as well leave and prepare themselves for my wrath before I come down there and kill them all gruesomely. Or rather, I do not need to come down." I paused, inhaling deeply.

"Reece, you know what to do." I wasn't one to speak too much. I dared not get enraged by their antics; they were not worth my anger.

"Yes, my Alpha." Reece's receding steps had me feeling content.

I loved having power. It was beautiful watching people beneath my feet. I could afford whatever I wanted. I had the money and the influence. I was the feared Lycan king—the king of kings.

All in all, I was London Knight, a man with power and extremely good looks, and no one dared defy me.

Absolutely no one.

"Karla…" I called out to the maid, who was cleaning up. She was an omega who has worked for me to earn her stay in college for two years now.

"Yes, my king." She bowed in respect.

"Have Misha prepare my clothes before I head out of the shower." I ordered.

"Yes, my king." She scurried away.

My orders were absolute, and at the mention of my name, bodies trembled. At twenty-three, I was feared by many. My title was inherited from my father, who was a great man.

Upon his death, many feared I might not be able to handle being king after being diagnosed with a terrible disease all my life, but that all changed one morning five years ago. I had no idea how I had incurred such a miracle, but after several tests, the doctors said my tumor was gone and I was perfectly healthy.

That was good enough for me because I suddenly had a renewed purpose to enjoy my status and destroy all who went against me. I wouldn't say I was ruthless, no... I was just an extremely strict man who was heavy on respect and reputation.

Or maybe I was ruthless—who cared? I certainly did not. I disliked being associated with disgrace and failure, hence the status that I had now as a 'no-nonsense' king. Indeed, I was. My name alone was enough to instill fear and have bodies trembling.

My Beta, Reece, and my Gamma, Cane, were my enforcers. Encountering them meant encountering a representation of me, and depending on the case of the meeting, it could be guaranteed that blood would be shed. They were revered and feared in my name, and it pleased me. At least, it saved me the trouble of many personal appearances.

My presence was only reserved for extreme situations and extremely important occasions that were deemed worthy of me being there in person. That way, not everyone knew what I looked like.

That was how I liked it. Surprise.

I had a few I trusted and a definite grudge against females. I thoroughly disliked them for no good reason, but I always felt a voice in the depths of my soul telling me nothing good came out of them except disgrace, pain, and misery. That's why, all this year, I didn't bother myself with looking for my mate.

I don't need one.

My wolf, Fuyu, seemed to agree with me. Since I disliked those three words, I disassociated myself from them, keeping only one mistress, Freya, a Gamma-ranked female, to warm my bed on lonely nights. That much was enough for me.

I chuckled to myself, taking a deep inhale. I loved my life.