The Lycan Queen

Chapter 5: 15 going on 16 part 2

    Rose sat in her room listening to music, googling large wolf sightings like she had done every day since Abel disappeared. Still nothing had been reported by the humans, she rubbed her eyes exhausted from staring at a computer screen. She groaned in frustration; everyone kept telling her to let go and move on, but how could she apart of her knew he was alive. She reluctantly closed her computer, yawning she stood to head into her bathroom to shower. Once she felt the hot water hit her skin our whole body began to quiver as she allowed the tears to flow. “Why couldn’t he just come home.” Once she had finished her crying and shower routine, she dried off to pull on one of his shirts that his parents had given her and climbed into bed.

            While Rose slept upstairs the Alpha sat in his office reading over another letter from the Elders,

            Alpha Daniel,

                   We hope that this letter finds you well during these troubling times., While we are much aware in the believed death of young Abel. It is not only our duty but yours to carry on with the ceremony. The ceremony itself will bring forth many needed answers, nothing changes Rose being the true Lycan Queen reborn. She has been sent to guide us in a much troubling time to come. If Abel is truly dead, then a second chance mate shall step forward as her king. If no wolf steps forward, then Abel is indeed alive, and we must find him. We are sure that if he is then her wolf will lead her and us to him.

                                                                We humbly a wait for your response.

                                                                             The Elders of the Lycan

The Alpha sighed, “Had his daughter not been through enough stress.” Pulling parchment from his desk drawer he began to write a response of defeat,

            The Elders of the Lycan,

                My sincerest apologies to have kept you waiting. While I live by the Goddess, I am still a mere wolf with weaknesses. For several moons I have watched my daughter suffer in misery and heartache over the loss of Abel. Abel’s disappearance not only tore my daughter but cast doubt in my mind that Rose is the wolf you seek. In the heat of everything I could not see myself being the cause of any more stress for her. I ask the Goddess for forgiveness in my moment of uncertainty. I will proceed with you wishes. By the Goddess it will be done.

                                                Alpha Daniel of the Blood Moon Pack       

The Alpha let out a sigh as he rolled the parchment and tied a leather cord around the center of it. He mind-linked one of the stable hands to come to his office at once. When the young wolf entered, he directed him to deliver the letter to a wolf awaiting at the base of the mountains just above the Northern border. The young wolf set out immediately leaving the Alpha to his thoughts.

            Rose awoke the next morning and began her morning routine, she was halfway through getting dressed when an omega knocked on the door. Rose stared at her blankly. “The Alpha has requested to see you in his office,” she spoke softly bowing her head to avoid making eye contact. Rose continued to look at her with a blank face showing no interest or emotion. The Omega excused herself as Rose returned to getting dressed, she grabbed her bag and headed out. Her father called for her as she passed by his open office door causing her to stop gripping her bag with a clenched fist. “I need to speak with,” he spoke from the door. She took a deep breath as she slowly turned towards him. “I’ll only take a moment of your time,” he said as he moved to the side to allow her to enter the office. She dropped her bag to the floor as she took a seat in one of the leather chairs that sat in front of his desk, as he closed the door to the office. “I know things have been rough,” Daniel began taking his seat, “but I wanted to discuss a few things with you about you sixteenth birthday. I know that your birthday is four months out still, but in all honesty with what I want to talk about we should have actually had this conversation about six months ago.” Rose looked at him confused but didn’t speak a word. Daniel continued, “I would like to hold a ceremony in celebration like that of Alpha for your birthday. We will have all the packs attend, food, music the works.” “Why?” Rose asked snidely. “Well, it’s just that you have been through so much lately and I want to see you smile even if only for an evening. I want to give you a moment where you can let go of everything and enjoy yourself.” She grabbed her bag and started to stand, “Thanks, but no thanks. I will not be celebrating anything unless it’s the celebration of Abel’s return.” Daniel sighed, “I figured you would say as much, but my dear daughter that is not something you or even myself have choice of in the matter.” “What exactly do you mean that?” She questioned sharply sitting back down. “This ceremony is to be held upon the request of The Elders and the Goddess.” “Your point being,” she snapped her patience wearing thin with the whole conversation. “My point being that this pack has always followed the Elders and Goddess without question and I will be damned if you think that you are exception in that matter. Now you can go ahead and head to class I already alerted Lainey that you’ll be running late. You’ll meet with your mother in her office after school.” “And if I don’t,” she snapped. “Let me make this clear Roselin you will arrive at you Mother’s office as soon as school releases. Now I have tried to be understanding, but your insubordinate attitude has gone far enough. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes, Alpha.” She spoke coldly as she stood to leave. 

            She stormed to school furious at her father, the Elders, and the Goddess herself. How dare they force her to celebrate anything while Abel was still out there lost. No one knew how she felt, they sure as hell didn’t understand what she was going through. She stopped at the door of the school, “f**k it and f**k them” turning around she headed for the woods instead. She had no idea where she was going, just that she couldn’t sit there any longer. Abel was out there she could feel it and she was going to find him.

            “Alpha did you decide to keep Rose out of class today,” Lainey asked through the mind-link. “No, she should have already arrived there.” “She hasn’t sir. Do you want me to keep you posted on the matter?” “That won’t be necessary Lainey, I’m sure she is just acting out. I believe my conversation with her this morning left her slightly upset. She’ll be fine once she calms down.” He closed the mind-link, as much as he wanted to believe what he said was true he couldn’t. He quickly mind-linked Billy and David, “Rose didn’t arrive to class today. I fear she may be trying to leave the territory to search for Abel. I need you two to go find her and bring her to me. Do not breathe a word of the situation to anyone else.”

            Rose paused in the woods of the Southern border looking through her bag for a vial. When her and Abel use to sneak off the territory to go into the human area, they would drink from the vial to hide their scents in case anyone noticed them missing. Abel had purchased the vial from a witch he had come cross one day it contained a potion that could disguise your scent to other wolves. Once she found the vial, she removed the cap and took a drink. After waiting a moment for the potion to kick in, she changed direction and headed East. They would follow her scent and assume she had continued North buying her some time to get ahead. She knew if she was caught, her father would not be able to ignore her actions and would have to punish her by law. It was a risk she had to take, everyone else acted as if Abel was dead and was to never return. She couldn’t accept that verdict, not without factual proof anyways.

            Billy and David followed Rose’s scent to the schoolhouse where she had walked up to the front entrance. Her scent doubled at the double doors of the school signaling that she had back tracked from there. The second trail of scent led towards the Northern woods, they hurried to catch her before she made it out of the territory. They were following the trail until all of a sudden it stopped. David sniffed the surrounding leaves while Billy sniffed the air, but it was no use it was as if she had simply vanished. David mind-linked Daniel, “Alpha we followed Rose’s scent into the Northern Woods but lost it just shy of the border.” “What do you mean you lost it,” Daniel barked. “The scent was strong and then it came to a dead stop, like she vanished on the spot.” “David return back and meet me in my office. Billy keep traveling North, she can’t shift so she couldn’t have gotten far.”

            Rose ran as fast as she could, sweat poured from her forehead and her chest burned. She didn’t hear any warriors which only meant one of two things ether her father was too worried about anyone knowing to send someone or he only sent one wolf. The moon sat high in the sky when she finally stopped at the edge of a town panting, she sat down on the grass to catch her breath. Exhaustion started to overtake her, she laid back on the ground to rest a moment. The moment her head touched the ground sleep overcame her.

            Daniel was pacing back and forth when David walked into his office. “Daniel, I don’t understand how her scent could have just disappeared like that,” David spoke first. “Rose is a smart girl; she probably got a potion off some warlock to hide her scent.” “Daniel, we need to get a search party together. You know the dangers outside of the pack. Even if she makes it past the hunters, we don’t necessarily have a peaceful relationship with the Elves or the Vamps.” “No one is to know about this. I am quite aware of what she could face out there, but I also know what could happen to this pack if they were told another young wolf had disappeared. The rumors would begin, and the fear would spread like wildfire. Our only hope is that Billy finds her and quick.”

            Rose struggled to open her eyes against the gleaming sun. She groaned as she sat up unsure of exactly how long she was asleep. Looking around she saw the town below her was in full swing of the day; laughter, car horns, and everyday hustle and bustle filled her ears. She stood stretching her aching muscles her stomach growling reminding her she hadn’t eaten since the prior moon. Still groggy from sleep she began to make her way down the steep hill to search for somewhere to get a hot meal. She hadn’t made it to the pavement when the smells of food began to penetrate her nose, the smell of barbeque, pastries, and more seemed to come from all directions.  The smell of pancakes seeped through all the other odors filling her nostrils, her stomach growled aggressively. Rose allowed the smell to direct her, leading her to a small diner of the corner of an intersection.

            Daniel roared his wolf Leonitis barely in control. Billy had searched for Rose all night only to return mid-afternoon empty handed. She had to have changed direction when she covered her scent and now, she had a day ahead of them. The foolishness of his daughter was going to cost the pack their peace and sanity if it got out. Breaking free from Daniel’s control Leonitis roared flipping the desk. Quickly Daniel reeled him back in, how could he lead his pack during these trying events if he could not even control his own wolf. Daniel fell back into his chair breathing heavily, “Come dusk we three shall set out in different directions. Billy will take the west, David the East, and I’ll take the South. We will travel for four days out, if you do not find her within that time then return here and we will speak with the pack. Meridah will lead the pack telling them we were called by the Elders.” “Daniel, I know you are trying to protect the pack, but wouldn’t our chances be greater with search parties.” “It would, but sadly after what happen with Abel, I believe they will write her off as dead the moment we spoke of the matter. Which is why we need to find her before we ever speak to them. Yes, it’s to protect them, but also a chance for us to get Rose home.” The three agreed to meet in the courtyard just as the sun begin to set. There was no need to notify the stable, they would be traveling in their Lycan form.

            Rose had made it three towns over by nightfall, she found a quiet looking motel and paid for the night using a fake i.d. Once in the room she fell back on to the bed and sighed, pulling out her laptop she decided to check the news reports.  She scrolled through only finding the same old, same old still nothing that could lead her to Abel. Closing her laptop, she fell back on to the bed and cried herself to sleep once more. Her dreams continued to haunt her people and images she did not recognize nor understand the meaning of.

            David had searched each town and each motel he had come across but still no sight or smell of Rose. The urgency and fear that time was running out began to build. He pushed forward harder; the moon sat high in the sky as he approached a small cheap looking motel. He stopped sniffing the air, he could smell her she had to be here. He trotted off into the wood line out of sight from any possible eyes and shifted back into his human form. He approached the front desk, behind it sat a rather large older woman with glasses shoved so far onto her nose you could see the redness from where they were pinching the skin. “Can I help you?” she asked peering up from the book she had been reading. “I am looking for a girl who ran away from home, I believe she may have purchased a room here for the night. “Must not be much of a runaway if she got a room here,” the woman said as she pointed to a sign stating you must be eighteen with valid I.D. to obtain a room. “I see and I suppose you validate, to ensure that no one uses false identification.” “Look pal if the I.D. says their eighteen then their eighteen. I don’t have to validate s**t; how do I know you’re not some creep she’s trying to escape from.” David let out a low growl baring his teeth flashing his canines allowing Tyson out just a little. The woman yelped slightly, “A red hair girl showed up tonight, identification said she was nineteen, but she looked younger. She’s in room 217 on the second floor to the left of the stairs.” “I trust you to not repeat these events to anyone. After all you’ve heard the story of little red riding hood, have you not,” David said licking his lips to add emphasis on the matter.

            Rose jerked awake to a loud knock on the motel door, “s**t, s**t, s**t they found me,” she scanned the room around her looking for a way to escape. It was pointless there was nowhere to go unless she threw herself through the window. The knocks became louder and more impatient, she stood against the wall bracing herself for what was about to come. Just as she thought who ever her father had sent was going to break the door in, the knocks stopped as quickly as they had started. Everything grew silent, Rose quietly walked towards the door holding her breath she placed her ear to the door. She heard nothing, not even a moment keeping the chain latched she peeked out into the hall to find it empty. She quickly closed the door and began gathering up her things. Now that they knew she was here it wouldn’t be long before they returned, probably with her father at that. Checking to make sure the coast was still clear, she darted out of the room and down the stairs. She was heading towards the woods when someone grabbed her from behind, she opened her mouth to scream but they stopped her covering her mouth with their hand. She did the only thing she could think of and bit down. “Ow, f**k Rose,” a familiar voice yelled, “that s**t hurt.” Rose swung around to find David holding the hand she had just bit.  She went to make another run for it, but he grabbed her again.

                        “Let me go, David.” She growled as she struggled against his grip. “Rose, stop and listen for once.” “He’s out there,” she screamed “He’s out there somewhere and ya’ll just sit there and pretend he’s dead.” She fell against him no longer capable of keeping her cries silent. “Let it out, Let it out Rose. Let it all out.” She tried to stop, but she couldn’t the tears flowed hard. All the pain she had felt over the past few months hit her at that moment. When she had cried all the tears she could, she pulled back from him. “Are you okay?”  “No, I don’t think I’ll ever truly be okay.” “I understand that. Rose, I wish I had the answers for you, but I don’t. I know we did what we could to find him and if he truly is still out there somewhere then you have to trust that he’ll come back one day. Your father doesn’t tell you of the dangers out here, cause he thinks he’s protecting you.” “How dangerous can humans really be that ya’ll take all these precautions?” “It’s more than humans okay, there are some humans who are very aware of who we are, and they seek to kill us. They don’t come on to the territories because there’s too many of us, but a young Lycan on their own is an easy target. There are other creatures as well, like us and the warlock’s which I’m sure you have already come across. There are vampires, creatures who survive by drinking blood of living things. They look human, but their smell gives them away. They are equal to us in strength but are capable of moving at speeds faster than the Lycan eye. Then there are Elves, who weld magic like the warlocks. They are sneakier than devil, and the perfect welder of a sword. They a vicious beings filled with hate and greed.” “Why have I never seen these creatures before?” Rose asked not really believing what he was saying. “A long time ago the Elders and The Alphas agreed that it would be wiser to not teach of these things to young pups in order to prevent them from seeking the beings.” “David?” “Yes.” “How did you find me so quickly when I have kept my scent disguised. I mean no disrespect when I say this, but you are just one wolf.” “In all honesty, pure luck.  When we discovered you hadn’t gone North, your father sent Billy to the West and me to the East while he searched the South.” “My father is looking for me as well?” she gasped. “Look your father may seem like an asshole, but he only wants what’s best for you. Your fifteen years old going on sixteen, soon he won’t be able to guide you anymore. You’ll be of age and making your own decisions and depending on who the Moon Goddess sends you as a mate, you may even leave the pack. Let him have what little time he has left. Now come on, lets get you back home.”

            Rose was sitting in her room packing away Abel’s things when her door burst open. She stood out of reflex from the shock only to be engulfed into her father’s arms. “You foolish, foolish girl,” her father’s rough voice threatened to crack. “I love you to daddy,” Rose said hugging her father. “Do you have any idea how worried your mother and I have been. Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again, we could have lost you.” “I won’t dad, I promise. Also, I’ve been thinking, and I’ll do the ceremony.” “The Goddess and Elders will be pleased of the news.” “I’m not doing it for them, I’m doing it for you.” Her father smiled down at her giving her another squeeze. “Come let’s make a couple pizzas and you can pick out a film.” “Race you to the kitchen,” she called as she darted to the kitchen. For the first time since she had lost Abel, Rose felt genuine happiness.