HEART OF THE LYCAN TRIPLETS

Meeting King Asher

Phoenix||

What happened during and after the flames went off was like a trance. Each sequence happened so fast that all I knew was that I was standing naked in the middle of the pile and the guest who was supposed to be entertained, got to his feet and headed toward me.

Maybe he was finally listening to our wolves. Maybe he was coming to set me free. I should have been happy, but it only tripped off my anger. He had sat through it all, waiting until I was kissed by the flames before he decided to stop Alpha Marshal.

What if I didn’t make it?

“My king, she is a hybrid. A witch. She is no good. You shouldn’t—” Alpha Marshal was saying from the corner where he hid but the man wasn’t at all perplexed by his words.

He continued heading towards me with an annoying pride growing on his lips. “I am a Lycan, Alpha Marshal. I can handle a little flaming whore.”

A ringing burst through my head by the name he had dared call me. My eyes bored to him and the anger within me erupted to an impossible level. Whatever feelings or thoughts my wolf had been dreaming of before now, were cut off instantly.

“I am not a w***e!” I retorted.

He waved his hand and shrugged. “It doesn’t matter because from now on, you are now my whore.” His eyes moved to the men behind him and as if they shared an emphatic message, they began to come forward —towards me.

My heart started thumping hard and I began to will whatever energy I had to come to my rescue. I wished for it to burn down the entire palace and everyone in it. I wished it could scorch down this arrogantly rude man who thought he could get away with everything.

But nothing happened, the men kept approaching and the Lycan King continued watching me with that itching pride on his face.

“Cover her up and take her to the vehicle,” he said.

“I am not going anywhere with you!” I spat out defiantly.

He threw his head back and let out a chuckle as he motioned to his men —who were even heftier than our special guards— “Make it fast.” With that, he turned away and left me at the mercy of his men.

They threw a cloak over my body as the others opened my chains. I tried to make a run for it, but it was useless. There were just too many of them.

“Stop! I am not going anywhere! Let me go!” I cried out, trashing and kicking as hard as I could.

“Keep your calm, hybrid! You have been bought by Asher Winter, one of the Lycan Kings of the realm. It would be in your best interest to stay calm and accept your fate.” One of the guards advised me but I spat at him with my teeth bared.

“I don’t care if he is a winter or a snowball. I am not going anywhere with him!” I screamed, even louder but I was only wasting my inner energy. Nothing I did worked. “Let me go!”

The men succeeded in carrying me to the supposed vehicle and I was bundled into the boot like a cheap criminal. Once again, I tried to will my powers —or whatever it was, I had. Yet again, I was disappointed. Nothing happened.

Hot tears streamed down my eyes as I realized how hopeless my condition was.

The Lycan Kings were the most ruthless and their fortress was known to be impenetrable. They tortured and killed hybrids, witches especially. Once I got in, I had no chance of surviving.

My heart grew heavier as my tears continued falling in buckets. My somewhat simple life was in a mess. The sky had lied to me this morning. The feelings it sent my way were wrong. Today was never destined to be a great day. It was written to be full of pain and it lived up to its name.

If only I had listened to my aunt and stayed home. None of these would have happened. I would have remained safe in the house. I would have been happy.

Tears continued pouring down my face throughout the dark journey and when the vehicle finally came to a stop, I had calmed myself. I wiped my tears and told myself that I was going to make Aunt Saldana proud. I was going to escape from the strongest fortress in the realm —even if I died trying.

As the boot finally opened, I didn’t flinch under the light, I embraced it with a look of confidence, staring back at whoever stared at me for too long as I was led to the majestic palace. We passed a ton of corridors that were impossible to remember but I was confident that once I got the chance, I would run, and I would make it out.

The guards stopped moving in front of a door and when it was unlocked, someone pushed me inside. “You will be staying here. The King will be with you shortly,” the voice I now recognized as their leader said.

I didn’t portray the look of despair or defeat that I was certain they were hoping I would show. I glared back at them and as they pulled the door closed, I held it back.

“This isn’t over, yet!” I hissed before letting them close the door.

The echoing sound tore through my mind and my anger increased but so did the questions in my head. What was he going to do with me?

I bit into my bottom lip and started pacing, trying to think but the second I turned behind me, my eyes came face to face with some girl. My heart jumped but I contained my fear as I hissed. “Who are you?”

She extended her hand to me, and I could only glare at it with raised brows. “My name is Sophia; I oversee all the girls in the kingdom. King Asher called and mentioned that he would be needing help with one of his girls and I should come over.”

Her words were like a faded sound on a radio that drilled a deafening hole into my ears. “Excuse me, you are —what?”

She smiled again and took a step closer. “Come on, you will understand as the time goes on. Let’s help you get a bath so you can be all clean for the king.”

As if my brain suddenly remembered what she said, I understood everything and I felt even more disgusted as I pulled my hand out of her hold. “I am not his girl, and I am certainly not taking a bath for him!”

“I am sorry, but you have no choice in this. It’s either him or the pit of ferals.” She pointed out but I found her second option way better.

“I will pick the pit a million times over. I am not bathing for your king. I’d rather die!”

Sophia became helpless as she started pulling at her fingers. “Please, you need to do this, or I would be forced to get him.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Then, please get him. I am not scared of him.”

Her eyes darted around as the tension I was pushing on her grew unbearable. In the end, she let out a sigh and walked out of the door. “Don’t say, I didn’t warn you…” She sang as she pulled the door open and left.

I heard the lock close, and, in her mind, she probably thought she had me caged but she forgot one sweet thing —the windows.