The Lycan’s Bride

Chapter 1

Fairytales were made to give kids a delusion that life is just rainbows and unicorns; to fool them into thinking that each girl has a prince waiting for them; to come and rescue them. And I was once one of those girls who were a victim of that delusion.

Yes, once. I used to believe that I am bound to become someone’s beloved bride, because that’s what I have been constantly told about when I was a kid. I grew up hanging onto that. I even followed all the things my parents told me to do, and let them dictate the course of my life. That’s how foolish I was; that’s how powerful a made-up fairytale is to kids.

I can’t help but to flash a pathetic smile as I remembered how fascinated I was after being told that I am born especial among all human beings. That out of million people, I was the one who received the blessing of God—the power to protect or even save humanity from its demise. And as a kid, I took the bait. And that is my greatest regret now that I am a fully grown woman.

I can no longer let go of it. I can no longer break free from that delusion, even after learning the truth. The strings have already been attached to me; to my very core. And no matter how hard I try to remove it, my efforts will just be wasted. I have long become my parents’ puppet.

I took a glance at the back of my right palm. With the glistening light of the moon, I was able to see the pentagram in a blank ink printed on it. A symbol I used to admire, but now hates. This is no symbol of blessing, but a curse. Because of this mark, my life has been a mess. I can’t even call it a life of my own. After all the years of following my parents’ order, I realized that what I have is nothing but a borrowed life where I don’t even have the rights to decide its course; that my physical body is nothing but a host to a borrowed soul.

“Yelina...”

I stood frozen when I heard my mother’s voice from my back. It was just my name that she uttered but my knees are starting to tremble already.

I turned around to face her, but I quickly lowered my eyes on the ground as soon as I saw her looking intently at me, “M-Mother. I...I just came here to have some fresh air,” I told her.

“Go back to your room. You can’t stay out for too long especially that the ceremony is just around the corner,” she told me with a voice overflowing with authority. “You can’t be sick on the day of the ceremony or else you’ll be rejected by the Lycan. If that happens, you’ll be the first rejected Lycan Bride in our family history,” she added before I felt her warm hands holding mine. “You don’t want that to happen and shame your parents, do you?”

“N-No, mother,” I replied, raising my head and giving her a fake smile. “I...I’ll go back to my room now. I apologize for doing such reckless act.” I gently pulled my hands away from her grip and secretly rubbed it on my dress.

“It’s okay, Yelina, as long as you follow us, you’ll be okay,” she told me and gave me a warm smile before her eyes landed on her watch. “It’s almost time for your milk bath. Go to your room and ready yourself. I’ll send someone to fetch you a few minutes from now.”

“Yes, mother.”

---

“The bath is ready, Lady Yelina,” Ruth said, my mother’s oldest attendant.

“Thank you, Ruth,” I told her as I let my robe slide down to the floor. I dipped my body and let the milk sink into my pores.

Ruth then poured rose petals in the tub as soon as I dipped my body up to my neck. She then placed a cushion on the edge to support my head.

This has been a routine ever since I was a kid. Once every week, I bath in pure milk to make sure my skin will look pure, soft, radiant, and glowing. Aside from this, I have so many routines to do to make sure my physical body is in great condition when the time comes that I will depart this realm and cross the other world to be with the Lycan.

“How time flies so fast, right, Lady Yelina?” Ruth spoke out of the blue. I looked at her and was surprised to see her smiling yet with watery eyes. “You were just so little back then but now, you’ve grown into a fine woman.”

She did not say anything special, but I suddenly felt a pang in my heart. I can feel the edges of my eyes heating up so I looked up and closed my eyes, “Yes, time flies so fast,” I seconded. “A few days from now and I’ll finally live the life I am bound to have,” I added, eyes still closed. I tried flashing a genuine smile, but all I did was a bitter and fake smile.

“Do you really want to cross the other world, Lady Yelina?” she asked.

There was this long silence between me and Ruth after I heard her. And that was when I felt like I could no longer hold back my tears. I looked at her as I let my tears form into beads and roll down my face. Ruth has been the only person I can freely talk to. She has been my safe place. When I am alone with her, I can be myself—my true self. I don’t need to pretend that I am doing well; that everything that has been happening to me is okay.

“I don’t want to go, Ruth,” I told her and started sobbing like a kid. I let my fragile self show and poured everything I have been bottling up for the past months. “I never wished to have this mark. I never wished for a life like this,” I broke down. “I was fooled, Ruth. I was fooled!”

I felt her arms wrap around me even though she knew she’ll get wet. And that made me cry harder. I hugged her back and buried my face on her shoulder, “I wish you’re my mum instead of the one I have now, Ruth,” I whispered. “Because I know you will never let your daughter become an offering to a beast pretending to be a divine being.”

“Please don’t say that, Lady Yelina,” she told me as I felt her hand rubbing my hair. “This is hard for Lady Beatrice, too.”

“No, it’s not. She doesn’t care about me. All she cares about is this family’s responsibility,” I insisted before I gently pulled away from her embrace. “I am nothing but a mere tool in her eyes; a tool used to continue the legacy of our clan.”

“You are not a tool, Lady Yelina,” she emphasized. “You are a hero that will save humanity.”

“Not now, Ruth,” I told her shaking my head. “You can no longer make me believe in those words. I had heard them countless of times already that hearing it now makes me sick. I feel so disgusted for getting stuck in that delusion for years.”

I rested my head on the edge of the tub before I looked at her. “You can go now so you can change your clothes,” I coldly said. I somehow felt mad because for a second, I saw my mother in her when she said those words.

“O-Okay,” she replied before bowing her head. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I did not respond. I acted as if I did not hear her.

She wants me to believe I am a hero, how funny. If she was talking to the young and naive me, I would have bought her words. But I already know the truth. The reason why there are no enough records about the past Lycan Brides is because they were not able to return to this realm. And the only explanation for that is that they were killed—no, they were eaten by the Lycan. He is no divine being nor someone did I imagine him to be. The Lycan is nothing but a monster, and I am his next prey.