A Lycan of Her Own

Clawed

I gasped, my eyes filling with rapid tears. I tried to pull my hand away from the prince's, but he held it tighter, keeping me in place. For a while, Reed stood there, her eyes wide, her teeth gritted.

I felt the tears bubble up behind eyes, causing my words to burn up with them. What should I say? I wasn't even sure.

Suddenly, Reed walked to me, her eyes holding mine. I noticed how she didn't even bother greeting Prince Zidane. Her eyes met mine, and her fist clenched. I could see the tears she was trying hard not to cry, the anger that made holding back those tears almost impossible.

"Reed..." I started to say, but she raised a hand, her eyes wide.

"Don't you dare," came Prince Zidane's calm voice.

I turned to him, and he was watching her with the nonchalance of someone who never even knew her. Like she wasn't the woman who almost got married to him.

It was disheartening to know that he looked at me the exact same way.

"Your Highness," she said through clenched teeth and turned to him. "How could you? We were supposed to get married. You and I were supposed to be here. You and I..."

"Submit your complaints as a petition. I might have the time to attend to it after my wedding."

Reed's lips parted in anger, her eyes turning to me. "You chose her? Of all maidens in this pack, of all the wolves born of love and light, you chose her?! She who killed her mother at birth? She whose birth set a fire on the house and came with bad luck? She who was born on a starless, moonless night? She who sows darkness everywhere she goes? You chose her over me?"

I felt Prince Zidane's grip on my hand loosen for a bit, and my heart sank. All my life, I thought the woman I called mother could really be a mother. I even thought myself to forget that I wasn't really hers. That I was only a mistress's daughter. One I had selfishly killed trying to gain entrance into the world.

My father is still paying for that mistake, and that is why he never opposes anything. I thought I could forget my roots.

I turned to Prince Zidane. For the first time since he chose me, I hoped he wouldn't let my hand go. I hoped he would be the very first person to hold my hand despite everything. Despite all of the things Reed had just said.

Slowly, he let go of my hand. I saw Reed's face lighten up, and the tears rolled down my cheeks, my lips parting. I tried my very best to hold it in, to seem strong, u.caring, nonchalant, but...

I gritted my teeth, hating how the tears simply kept winning against my resolve.

Suddenly, Prince Zidane held my waist, then pulled me behind him. I swallowed, his shoulders efficiently keeping me away from Reed, his scent hitting me hard.

He smelled like everything that could be perfect.

"Yes," he said simply. "At least, she knows how to keep to time."

"Your Highness, I went to bring a gift of black roses for you from Lake Dimur. Your Highness, you have to..."

"Your Highness?"

We both turned to the seer, who acted completely oblivious to Reed.

"We need to carry on with the remaining ceremony before she is sent home."

He nodded, and without another word to Reed, he pulled me with him.

I could hear her scream his name a few times as we trudged away, and her screams were drowned out by the sounds of the crowd cheering.

I sat in nothing but a short satin dress in a small, well decorated room. The place was empty, and I wondered if they used it for anything at all.

Suddenly, a gentle knock came on the door, and I turned to it, just as the seer, closely accompanied by three other women, entered.

The seer gave me a small smile. "Very sudden, isn't it?"

I nodded, returning his smile.

He nodded, too. "The tradition is that... your purity will be checked by His Highness himself before the official matriage ceremonies commence. The grooming session is also to show compatibility between your wolves."

I swallowed, my heartbeat picking pace. "You mean... His Highness will..."

He nodded. "Yes. It is a pack tradition, so you do not need to worry."

I nodded slowly, trying as hard as I could to not show how scared I really was.

The three women came to me and scented my hair, my skin, and got me ready. I swallowed as they touched up the room with petals before they walked away again.

The seer gave me a reassuring smile before walking away, too, closing the door behind him.

I sat there, my chest heaving, my mind recounting the events of the day. I turned to the window. The clouds had suddenly turned grey, and I could see flashes of lightning rip through the sky.

I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, my chest heaving hard.

I heard the subtle click of the door, and my heart threatened to peel out of my chest.

My eyes widened as I turned to the door. The door opened slowly, and Prince Zidane walked in. He was wearing a black robe with a single silver necklace on his neck, the simple pendant lying on his open chest.

My lips parted as he closed the door behind him, his eyes holding mine.

I swallowed, trying my best not to look scared.

"What is your name?" He asked, his voice low, deep.

"L...Leilyn."

He nodded slowly. "Leilyn."

I loved how he said my name, smoothly. Like melting butter rolling off his tongue. It immediately put me at ease.

Slowly, he walked to where I was sitting. My eyes fixed on his face, mostly because I was temporarily incapable of looking anywhere else. He held a sinful sort of beauty. The type that could have all of my innocence right now. Right here.

He leaned forward, one hand supporting his weight, while the other gently cupped my face. His eyes met mine, as his thumb ran along my skin, causing my eyes to close, my chest heaving hard.

I swallowed hard as he leaned even further, and I could feel his breath, almost feel the moistness of his lips.

"Are you scared?" He asked suddenly, his hand now tracing long lines down to my neck.

I opened my eyes to meet his, then shook my head. "I just..."

He moved further, cutting me off. I sucked in a sharp breath, my hands tightening around his neck, my heart occasionally forgetting to breathe.

Slowly, he moved till I was lying back on the bed in the midst of the petals, and he was hovering above me. His heat was immense, and I swallowed, my hand somehow still hooked around him.

"Does it disgust you that it could have been your sister here?"

It stung, but he wasn't wrong.

"I..."

"I do not intend to bed you today," he said, his finger tracing down my lips. Suddenly, he reached for a pocket knife he had in the pocket of his robe, then sliced inside his palm. He let the blood drop all over the sheets while he still hovered above me, his eyes holding mine.

"That should be enough."

I blinked rapidly, trying hard to understand what had just happened. Without another word, he pulled away from me. I watched him ruffle the sheets and open up his robe.

"Your Highness," I said, my eyes wide.

He stopped and turned to me. "Yes?"

He was close to the door now, and I got off the bed, then slowly covered the distance to him.

My hand rested on his chest, and I felt his heart, felt his blood. Slowly, I clawed at his chest, leaving a few nail marks.

He met my eyes, but I leaned upwards to him and gently placed my lips on his.