Bound By The Lycan King

The forest burial ground lay shrouded in a heavy veil of sorrow and fragrant flowers. The air was still, reminiscent of an abandoned, cavernous hall, as frigid as ice submerged in water, and yet, it burned like a searing inferno.

My tears, unrelenting, traced cold paths down my wounded lips.It wasn't the physical wounds that inflicted the deepest pain, but rather the shattered fragments of my heart and the life-force that had deserted me since his passing.

I found myself adrift, abandoned in a world where I alone must nurture my fragile existence. Who else would ever speak to me with such boundless love and unwavering care? Who else could truly love me, unconditionally?

That day, when he departed, marked not only his death but also mine. Loneliness clung to me like a relentless shadow, accompanied by a toxic blend of hatred, disdain, and rejection from those I reluctantly called family—my stepbrothers.

They reveled in tormenting me, casting me aside like a discarded rag, while the eldest among them, Ezekiel Jordans, should have been my pillar of support.

As I stood beside his grave, the biting cold numbed my trembling fingers and sent shivers through my prostrate form.

The last rites had concluded, yet the flickering funeral pyres continued to dance aimlessly in the capricious wind, cradled by the hands of the pack's wolves, including Grezyn, my father's trusted beta and the mightiest among them all.

My eyes instinctively sought Grezyn's gaze as I lifted myself from the frozen earth. From this moment on, everything would change. I detected a flicker of pity in his eyes, but he averted his gaze, sending a shiver of dread down my spine.

Though he harbored sympathy, he understood the cruel fate awaiting me. He wouldn't defy the pack's second-in-command, the heir to the Alpha mantle, my eldest stepbrother, Ezekiel Jordans.

Ezekiel would stop at nothing to see my life destroyed, even if it meant enlisting the pack's fiercest hunters for the task. I turned away from Grezyn, my eyes meeting Ezekiel's. There was no turning back now.

Slowly, he advanced, flanked by our other siblings.As they closed in, the anger simmering in their eyes overwhelmed the flicker of pity. I averted my gaze, returning it to the lonely grave.

It was a hollow vessel, devoid of his earthly remains.Ezekiel began to speak, but his words were lost to me. The sound of my own heartbeat drowned out everything else, amplified by the wolves' silent sobs behind me.And then, just as swiftly as it had begun, it was over.

Silence enveloped us once more. The moon, obscured by clouds, cast feeble light upon the cold night—the first of many to come. Others followed Ezekiel's lead, sharing stories and reminiscences of our departed Alpha.

As each person spoke, the tension in the room ratcheted up another notch until it was almost unbearable.

And then, just when it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse, whispered into my ears were the words which I'd expected but never wished to hear: "Little b*tch, I hope you know that your place has been stripped away from you. There's no place for omegas like you in our family. I'm sure my father would be crying in the spirit world. Your presence alone is an abomination and an insult to our pack," Ezekiel scoffed with contempt.

My face was hidden behind a veil of tears. It was just me against the world now; weak and useless me. I, who might not even be a werewolf. But who would be there for me now? Who would bark at everyone else to keep me safe? It was these realizations that crept through memories of father crawling through my memory lane. Father, are you really gone? My heart was bleeding, my stepbrothers would surely be the death of me.

To them, I was just the physical manifestation of refuse… a useless piece, and a plaything for the dogs. Everyone started to retreat to their homes once the pack priest presented father's ashes in an expensive vase to Ezekiel.

It had been a whole week of mourning, planning, and performing rites for the Alpha of the Red Lake's passing. They were heartbroken, but not as much. It didn't matter after all… a new life was right at the doorstep, and in the next morning, it would come running right through.

Ever wondered what the beginning of hell on earth meant?---The void continued until nightfall, the cries of the wolves in the forest as dry as the fallen brown leaves. The moon, though dim and weak, shot through the night with icy rays.

Tears had left a trail of marks down my cheek, leaving dark circles beneath my eyes. My lips had been ravaged by the pain and cries for which I had no more strength. Heavy footsteps echoed through the passage, drawing closer until they arrived at my door.

The wooden door shrieked as it was opened without consent. I didn't need to turn my face in the direction; I knew, even without the senses available to a living being by nature, who it was.

He brought torment with him. "How are you feeling?" Came his voice, as vicious as the bearer, though this time with some tints of calmness. I exhaled gravely and parted my lips after a few seconds of silence. I dared not waste time to reply, but I was silenced immediately. "I—" "How you feel, Ariel, is only the dog's business…" He advanced toward me with a few steps while I sat beside the window, behind the moon's eyes. "I need Woolly bluecurls, leaves from a big sagebrush, bee balm, and native wild bergamots…"

My voice fell as I tried to speak, but I had to say something anyway. "Wo- wo…" I stammered. "I can't get that anywhere near, I—" "Shut your stink!" He growled angrily, and I squeaked, trying to shrink within myself. "As a matter of fact, tonight, you'll be running into the wild to get me those! I don't care how or how far or deep you have to go! As the upcoming Alpha of the pack, I need to start making my new scent!"

He was asking me to venture into the wild late at night, despite knowing the dangers I would face, and despite the cold… I might even be at risk of assault… again. "Get out of my sight, Ariel. Now!"

I cast a hurried, frustrated glance around the store. Time was slipping away, and I couldn't afford to linger here any longer. Ezekiel, my brother, would surely make my life a living nightmare if he found out I'd been gone for too long. I was in no mood to be on the receiving end of his wrath again.Turning my attention to the store owner, a plump lady with a perpetually red face, I couldn't help but let the tension creep into my voice. "Please, could you hurry up?" My words were layered with unnecessary pleases, making me sound like an impatient young wolf. I knew I was being rude, but I felt trapped, with no choice but to rush. Home was beckoning, and I needed to heed its call.The lady shot me a glare that could rival the fiercest alpha's, but she wisely held her tongue. She recognized me, the late Alpha's daughter, and knew she had to tread carefully. She gestured to the other wolves waiting in line, her eyes questio