Chapter 1

The Lycan Prince's Forever is the sixth book in The Riverstone Series.

Available on GoodNovel

  

ETHAN POV

Kratos growls, and I snarl after Father pins us yet again. He rolls off of me and jumps to his feet with ease. I sit up and watch the two hundred and something-year-old man grab a towel with open frustration.

  My Father's tattoos glisten as he wipes the sweat from his never-aging skin, and my anger towards him only grows. I want to yell and slam my fist through the wall, but I don't. I contain my anger at his indifference as I have done for years.

  Growing up, I was never my father Jackson's favorite child. That was my older sister Sasha's role. And now that she has passed, he treats me like a houseplant he has to water. He still trains me and gives me an occasional smile. He still acknowledges my existence, but he doesn't talk to me. He doesn't bond with me as he did with her. He acts as if he can't get attached to anyone else. He has Father Jason and Mom to share his love with now, and there seems to be no room for me.

I climb to my own feet and stretch my large body. I look just like both my Fathers, which isn't hard due to them being identical twins. I look exactly like them except for my eyes. I have my mother's blue eyes I a tear of my fathers's deep brown. Female wolves love my looks, but I ignore them. I literally watched their grandmothers age and pass away. I'm not interested in anyone but my mate. My mate, who will never die. My mate who will be by my side forever.

"Good training," Father says before casually leaving the weight room like he can't feel the waves of irritation leaving my body.

  Silence falls around me, and I move to the punching bag. My fists immediately begin to pound away at the thick blue fabric. I set my rhythm and let my mind wander.

  This year will mark the twentieth year Sasha has been gone. The twentieth year without a prank from my big sister on my birthday. And while Sasha was Father's favorite, I never held that against her. I loved her just as much as Father did. She alone made me feel special. And not just with her birthday pranks but in other ways as well.

This year I will be 91, but I look like I am in my mid-twenties, which is precisely how I will look for the rest of my existence. Goddess, I miss my sister. My sassy scared of nothing, sister. The woman who I called every day. The woman who comforted me over her own demise. My gorgeous sister......

"Ease up, son," Dad says from behind me, and I whip around immediately.

Kratos snarls as the shock of Father Jason's presence slowly wears off.

"How did I not smell or hear you," I snap out, and Dad chuckles.

"You seemed pretty intent on killing the punching bag.....what's wrong," Dad asks as he moves to the bag next to mine.

  I contemplate sharing my frustration for only a brief moment. What do I have to lose?

.........."Why does Father not.....I don't know........bond with me? It's getting ridiculous. When I was a kid, he at least smiled more often," I snap, and Dad freezes mid-jab.

"He... It isn't you. He loves you, Ethan. He just fears getting more attached to you. He fears caring about you too much, Ethan. You have to understand, son, the three of us only have a little bit of time left in this realm before your mother has to take her great grandmother's place. Our days around you are limited....and we while we have had to mourn every single person we have ever loved.....we still haven't used to mourning. Jacks has locked himself down due to his fear of having g to say goodbye to you as well, son...He is burying his emotions and keeping his wounded heart protected...and I know that doesn't excuse him shoving you to the side for the last.....50 yrs... But please know that he loves you. He focused on Sasha because he knew he would never see her face again. But you, when we leave this realm, we will get to watch you...you and your descendants," Dad explains with a strained red face.

  I give him a nod before refocusing on my punching bag. Mourning...pfff.....I'm mourning too. I still show love to my family members. What a lame excuse, to give me. I've lost just as many people as my fathers' have, and I'm not a cold dead fish.

Dad leaves about fifteen minutes after, but I continue to pound the bag for another hour before finally deciding my body has had enough. I leave for the showers just as frustrated as I was when I got off the mat.

More memories of the past flood my mind as I peel off my sweat-drenched clothes. Memories of how Riverstone used to be... How the world used to be and what all my fathers must have seen. The world has changed so much in my ninety-one years, and I can't imagine how much it has changed for them.

Over the decades, the supernatural community has merged with human society on a massive scale. Vampires intermingled more with the upper-class humans and began purchasing stocks in big medical companies all over the world. They have also funded and built a huge company called Cleanblood that supplies them with cloned blood. Only savage rogue vampires feed on humans now. And werewolves have, for the most part, turned their backs on pack life.

Werewolves still value close bonds and community, but they view pack life as risky. During the Great War, vampires targeted packs. Rogue werewolves, like my mother, had better chances of survival due to their ability to stay hidden. Large werewolf packs were just too big to hide.

So during the clean-up and rebuild of the werewolf community, the remaining packs started having issues with rebelling wolves. They either rebelled against us, their royals or their Alphas directly.

The majority of the rebelling wolves had been terrified of living in packs again, but some were just all-around trouble makers. My mom, Queen Amelia, took care of all the trouble makers who came knocking at our door, but my parents couldn't condemn the wolves who were rebelling due to fear.

  The vampires had wiped out entire continents of wolves, and while Lord Stefan was defeated, we have no idea how many vampires roam this Earth. So their fear of living in large groups was justified. My parents had to allow a mass disbanding of packs.

Today there are only five packs in existence due to so many wolves deciding to go rogue. The five packs being the royal pack...my family's pack Riverstone, White Crest, which was my great uncle's pack, Yellowstone, High Ridge, and Black Tail. Mindlink has practically disappeared due to so many wolves not having an Alpha. Everyone just communicates through screens now.

  I miss running through the woods with my pack members almost daily like we used to do when Sasha was alive. Now that only happens once a year at the werewolf ball. My ball basically...my mating ball disguised as my birthday party. Each year my mother gets more and more desperate to find my mate. For some reason she wants me to have met my mate before she leaves this realm, but I don't think it is meant to happen that way. 

I think the Goddess, my great great grandmother, wants me to experience being King without a mate. I mean, I am supposed to live for...no one knows how long, forever.

   I need to experience life and its challenges before mating. So far, all I have experienced is grief. My parents handle any rebellion swiftly and thoroughly, so I haven't been subjected to battle since I was 13 and that ended swiftly when I came into play.

  I need my parents to treat me as a man who has seen nearly a century worth of life and hand over the reins.

  I turn the water to cold and lean into the freezing spray. My muscles bunch and tense until they adjust to the temperature, but I remain still. I hate the feeling of cold water, but I need it. I need the jolt of energy. 

Kratos- Our time is coming. It is good our parents have given us such a long time to learn. I am no longer a wet behind the ears pup, and you aren't a lanky human male. We are ready. Just be patient.

Ethan- I'm sick of being patient. I'm sick of my Father's brush-offs and my mother's mate obsession. I'm tired of traditions going out the window and this dumb yearly ball. Only pack members come.....my mate most likely isn't in a pack.

Kratos- Our mate...

Ethan- Sorry..yes, our mate. More than 80% of werewolves live and exist inside the human world now. Only the large and strong packs remain. We don't need balls and dancing to find her. We need to travel..like Sasha did.

Kratos- We are next in line. We will not leave our pack vulnerable.

I scoff at Kratos out loud.

Ethan- The world fears mother, Kratos. No one in the right mind would challenge her. She has perfected her death touch and mind burning......in fact, there aren't many lessons left for her to learn before she can't live here anymore. Why do we need to stay? No one will threaten Riverstone. The other four packs are allies. We are interwoven now.

Kratos huffs before shaking his fur and putting up a wall ending our mindlink.

I finish my cold shower and get out. I wrap a towel around my waist as I leave the gym's restroom. I have no fear of moving around the mansion naked, but I really don't want my mother to see me since she lives here as well.

Since so many wolves left pack life and moved around, the land opened up inside of our territory. My parents and I decided to tear down old homes built by my Great uncle Scott in favor of a new mansion. Now my parents, me, and a handful of omegas live in a ten-room mansion with three floors. We also demolished the old schools and businesses in favor of new ones, including a new college.

I get to my massive room and throw off my towel. I enjoy walking nude, as do most werewolves. We like the freedom and the breeze. I let my hair air dry before styling it and getting dressed. I have nothing planned for the day as usual, but I know my mother will want me down for lunch since I skipped breakfast.

********

"Ethan, the ball is in three days...Any ideas on what colors you want to wear," Mom asks as she smiles at Louise for handing her a large plate of food.

"I know when my birthday is, Mom... And no, I do not. I imagine the basic black tux," I reply before shoveling in another large bite of food.

"Lose the attitude," Father Jackson growls, and Kratos gets defensive in my head.

I glance up from my plate and meet his eyes directly before responding.

"I don't have one. I am stating my thoughts," I growl, and mom tenses.

"You will respect your mother, Ethan," Father orders, but the power he wields does nothing to bend us to his will.

"You will treat me like an adult. I am tired of walking on eggshells. I am tired of this endless circle...Workout, eat, workout, discuss the ball, discuss becoming King, and repeat... For eighty years," I snap as my temper from this morning's wrestling match boils over.

"You think you are tired of the endless circle? You think you walk on eggshells," Father growls, but his eyes stay chocolate brown.

Helios isn't irritated or angry; father is.

"How do you walk on eggshells, father? What do you keep bottled up," I snarl sarcastically, and his eyes snap to my mother.

She stares at him intently while clearly mindlinking him. He rips himself out of his chair before stomping from the room in anger, and I am left annoyed and unheard. My eyes fall to my forgotten food, and mom sighs.

"We all have demons Ethan, not just you. Your life has been easy, son. You might think you have experienced loss, but you were prepared. We became immortal. We were not born immortal. We all thought we would die normally. We never thought this is what would become of our lives. Your father is ready for his life to be over...He hides his emotions from us as best he can, but he has let his dark thoughts slip...Try to understand Ethan; he is so far gone in his depression he has contemplated the worst. The only thing stopping him is his tie to Jason and me," My mother explains as shock slaps me in the face.

"Suicide," I whisper, and she nods.

"How would that be possible," I ask myself more than her.

"Stake to the heart made of silver. Simple," Mom answers, and we fall silent as we think over my Father's mental state.

After a few moments, I know why this year has been so ball-oriented.

"This is the last year...You three plan on leaving the living realm after this ball," I state before meeting my mother's watery gaze.

She nods before offering me a weak smile.

"I can't stay anymore. The Goddess can no longer walk. She is aging like a mortal now. Her remaining essence has left her. We will crown you two days after the ball, no matter what. It's time...and before we go, I know you and your father need to clear the air. He is stubborn, though, and emotional. I need you to go into the conversation level-headed and patient. Talk to him, explain everything, all the hurt you have been hiding behind your Stone mask," Mom says before kissing my forehead and following her mate.