Chapter 4

“So you are here and making all this fuss, just for some petty theft?” I rubbed my temples.

This was getting on my nerves and I do not need more stress, right now. The full moon is upon me and, worse, this one is the blood moon.

Dylan stood straighter, eyes downcast.

“I’m sorry, your highness but I think there is more to this.” I moved my stiff shoulders from behind my old wooden desk and eyed my beta.

“More? You said some food and clothes were the only things they took, so it must be a teenage prank or something.” I stood and went to the big window that overlooked the sea.

I really would like to have a swim right now. My body temperature was heating up and my brain too.

Dylan spoke again, but this time his voice was lower. He knew I was getting irritated.

“No, your majesty. I sent some enforcers to look into it, and they said that person didn’t leave any scent. I think this might be something different.” He winced when he said the last sentence.

I turned around, my mood souring. “Go check with one of those witches, they will help you and know their identity.”

He looked down again, nervously. ”I already did, but Helen said she didn’t get anything. And I went there personally. It was the same. No scent or anything to let me know who was it or what was it.”

I glared at him and he flinched a little and slightly turned his head and bared his neck to me. I walked to the balcony and opened the doors, and inhaled the salty, cool air.

My beast was brawling inside of me, he wanted out. But this wasn’t a good time for a run. He would have to wait till nightfall.

“I will go with you to see for myself, isn’t this what you wanted?” I gave him a side glance, and he smothered a small smile.

“I was just hoping, your highness.” I huffed, hoping my ass. I gazed back into the view. My head throbbed, and I closed my eyes, growling in annoyance.

“Are you ok, Cas?” Dylan’s voice changed now from the formal beta to my best friend.

“Nothing new, Dy, as usual, the headaches, the annoyance, and the short fuse.” He took a few measured steps towards me and I felt a ping of sadness.

Everyone treated me like a ticking bomb. And the truth is, I was. My beast was unpredictable and unlike other werewolves, I could go from zero to millions in one breath.

I’m a Lycan, not just an ordinary werewolf. I shift like them in full moons and any other day, but that’s where the similarities have stopped.

I’m a hulking monster that walks on two legs, ugly and short-tempered. The strongest of all supernatural out there, even dragons, can’t beat me. But this is how the goddess made us, the kings of kings, to rule the supernatural world and put its creatures on a leash.

It was my family curse that I inhered from my father. There was always one Lycan king in each generation. I didn’t evolve till the day my father has passed away. I was an ordinary wolf before.

“The blood moon, this isn’t helping too, ha?” Dy’s awkward laugh brought me back from my mussing. It was awful this time.

The Sanguis Lunae, happened every five years, and that thing is the worst. If I was a mindless monster through usual moons, in this one my mind goes blank entirely.

The beast takes over and for 8 hours I’m not there, and the best solution for this situation so far was the dungeons.

Shackled in iron, to be kept away for people’s safety. I hurt people before in the first moon I had turned and I still regret it. I have killed innocent shifters. It was gruesome.

My cell phone rang, and I smiled when I saw Ascelina’s name. “Big brother.” She greeted me playfully.

“Little sister, we talked this morning. Did you miss me already? Or do you want something?” I was skeptical of course. Even though she called me every day, she never did twice unless she wanted something. She huffed.

“You wound me brother really, but yes I called to ask you….no to inform you about something.” Of course, you were. She didn’t give me the time to respond. She just continued.

“I will bring a friend with me. And another one will come later, I think. I’m not sure yet.”

I responded, annoyed. “We have talked about this before. You can’t bring humans here, Asce. They don't know about us, and it is dangerous.

They might get hurt and expose us to the world.” She talked back immediately, not missing a beat.

“This isn’t any human Cas, this one is my human. My pack here in Moscow and if she can’t come, then I won’t too.” I pinched the bridge of my nose as I growled.

“Ascelina, you must attend this party. It is the traditions.” She huffed.

“Then Sarah is coming with me.” I closed my eyes tightly and breathed through the hazy fog that started to cloud my mind.

“What about the other human?” Her voice went back to its cheerful tone when she felt that she already has won.

“I’m not sure about Victor yet, but I will decide later.” Typical Asce.

“Then make sure to come on time. But I’m still don’t like humans on my island sister.” She chuckled. “Yes CAS, I will be there. Ugh, we talked about this, just send me the private jet; I’m not in the mood for a commercial. Love you, bye.”

Dylan chuckled, annoying the hell out of me further after I have finished with my brat sister.

“So the princess is coming and she is bringing a friend with her,….” I cut him off and turned with a growl.

“If you don’t want me to break your fucking nose, you will complete this sentence.” His grin widened, and I snarled, advancing on him.

The asshole bared his neck and looked down submissively.

“I’m sorry my king.” I glared at him and started to get out of the office room.

“Let’s go and see your not a petty theft problem.”

Dylan and Helen were right, this wasn’t just a simple theft, or the robber was just some youth wolf.

“You honor me, your highness, for coming here personally and helping me with my problem.”

I smiled at the old woman, who flinched and lowered her eyes. I frowned and almost shook my head, though I was used to this reaction by now. I replied.

“You are a pack Sally, so you are family. I would do anything for you. It is my duty as your alpha king.” The frail woman shook with fear again but nodded.

I signaled my beta and the witch out and we walked towards the castle.

“It isn’t a young wolf as I hoped; I think it is a skinwalker.” They stopped and stared at me quizzically.

“But your highness, we never had one of those here.” I nodded at the small witch. She was beautiful, with her black hair and soft brown eyes.

Her face was round, but she looked beautiful in an innocent way.

“Yes, and it is strange because none of his species has asked to enter my territory or to stay.” Dylan nodded beside me.

“Then what should we do? They are hard to notice and they don’t have any scents. It is impossible to differentiate them from others; hell even humans have their unique signature. Skinwalkers are like ghosts. It amazes me that you could recognize his scent, which is nothing.” I cocked a brow.

“I’m not your king for nothing Dylan, but to me, he smells like old worn leather.” He gave me a little bow of his head and we kept walking.

“Just monitor these incidents closely for a while and we will catch him, eventually. I will make sure of it.”

It was almost nightfall by now and my skin started to fever and itch. I snarled and paced my room and then took off my clothes. They were irritating me.

Sweat poured out of every cell of my skin and I heaved, my back hunched and my knees wobbled.

“Out. Play.” My beast demanded inside my head, and I shivered. Its voice was scratchy and distorted.

“Why the fuck are you doing this to me?” He just chuckled as if all of this was amusing him. I walked on shaky knees to the balcony railing and gripped it tightly.

My elongated claws made deep grooves and almost broke it.

I fought him for dominance for a while, trying to control the change. But I couldn’t. A howl broke free out of me and within seconds I shifted.

I cursed him inside my head before I receded into nothingness and the asshole just chuckled in response.