My Fated One

STAND DOWN

POV (THOMAS)

"Read it." Lucas said, cutting the tension as he pulled a piece paper from his pocket and threw it on the table. The rich blue wax emblem of the Royal House stared back at me. Quickly, I broke the seal and read its contents.

Dear Lucas Livingstone,

I thank you for your candor and your upfrontness in alerting me of your situation. It would be my honor and privilege to bestow upon you and your sister a status that will make all unable to ever disrespect you two again. I only ask that you do me a favor first. I do believe I don’t need to explain what that is.

Sincerely,

King Albert the II

“The King!” I could see my hands shaking as I reread the letter again and again, until Lucas snatched it back.

"This is a warning Thomas. To you, your family, and this pack. If anyone dares to lay a hand, or even a finger, on my baby sister, I will have full authority to destroy you.”

“D...De...Destroy us, but that would mean…”

“As of this moment, Abelia is a princess accepted by the crowd. That is what this paper represents." Lucas said, as he pointed at the parchment. "When I come back in five years after doing he King's biding, Ablie will be raised to the level of untouchable. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Abelia is going to be a princess! But that would make her...I mean you a...”

“Exactly, I will become Prince Lucas Livingston of the MoonLight Pack, which means my dear friend.” He said, as he leaned over and placed a firm hand on my shoulder. “I can dethrone your Father, whenever I feel like it.”

This was bad, very bad. I had never witnessed this side of him before, but it was not like I did not believe it didn't exist. I had just assumed that things would remain as they were. Lucas and my Father would forever be in a sort of tense relationship and Abelia would be stuck in the middle. However, it appeared, like many, I had grossly underestimated the inner workings of my friend.

“Does the King know of Abelia, of what she is?”

“No!" Lucas snarled. "And you better keep it that way.”

Why? That didn't make sense. What purpose did he have to keep something so valuable from the court? Unless, he did not want Abelia to be part of The Hunt. That would mean, as long as she was protected and not sent off for the selection, everything would be fine. Yes, that had to be it. That had to be the reason.

“What would you have me do, your Highness?” I scoffed, causing Lucas to let out a small chuckle.

“That should be obvious Cousin.” Go on say it. Prove me right.

“Protect her."

Yes, I knew it. I could hardly contain my excitement about being able to put the clues together.

"Look after my Abelia as if she were your own, and I promise I won’t come and take away your birth right when I return from the Academy.”

“The Academy! I can't believe this.” I groaned, as I let out a sigh.

“You, my friend, are no wolf but a snake. A golden eyed manipulative demon." I hissed, causing him to smirk. "How in gods name did you even reach the King?”

I could hardly believe it. He was only twelve years old, a child, and yet no one could best him. Not even the Alpha of one of the most respected packs. I was starting to see that there was only one answer I could give him. Carefully, I raised my hand, giving my solemn promise, and oath, having no idea the gravity of what I had just done.

“I will, without question, protect Abelia as if she were my own.”

“That a boy, I knew you would see it my way.”

“Your way, don’t you mean the only way?” I huffed, as he put an arm around me and began to usher me out of my room, as I began to feel like I had forgotten something. "Oh, and praytell how exactly am I to keep her away from the hunt?" I asked, causing Lucas to eye me with a snug look on his face.

"I am sure you'll think of something, dear cousin. You have a lot riding on your decisions."

A balance. Since before I can remember our relationship had always been just that. For being friends or family with one destined for greatness has its limits and its dangers. Maybe that was why the boys my age feared Lucas and did their best to avoid his golden eyed stare all together. Hoping this would be enough to cause our resident Moonlight Wolf to forget them and pretend they did not exist, but not I. Because our friendship had never been built on such feeble notions such as trust and loyalty or even brotherhood. No, there was something more primal and powerful that drove me to seek him out. A need, a desire, to be acknowledged by him and accepted as his rival and blood. Yet, it was now all too clear that Lucas Livingstone had never really seen me as such. For my purpose was to be nothing more than a small pebble on the side of the road, which he had the absolute pleasure and control to kick around and order as he saw fit.

"Stand down!" I barked, in a voice that commanded authority, while the gapers and onlookers gasped and held their breath int eh town square. It had only been two days since our tense conversation and now I would have to make good on my promise.

"Young Master?" Beta Gregory said, as my blood pounded in my ears. Dammit all! Why hadn't I just been like everyone else? If I had, I would not be trying to aggressively stop a hungry wolf from devouring its prey. Quickly, I raised my voice, throwing all caution to the wind, as I prayed the fates would take my side.

"You heard me Father, stand down if you do not wish to humiliate this family further!"

"Humiliate?" He laughed, as he gave off a low growl of dominance and disapproval at my presence, but I could not let him continue. Too much was at stake for me, and him.

"Yes." I emphasized. "Do you not even understand that your actions are now on public display?" As I reprimanded him, I hoped my tone would not cause him to notice the firm steps I was taking to position myself between him and her.

"Alpha. Alpha? " Beta Gregory softly implored, waking my Father and causing him to gaze at me with confusion and what seemed to be a slight hint of interest. Well, I'll be. Maybe this would not be as hard as I thought. Was it possible Father had been waiting for this moment? A moment when I would have the courage to go against him. Maybe the reason he appeared to have lost all faith in me was because I had never stepped up. Yes, that had to be it. We lived in a world of blood, war, and battle and, since I was no fighter, let alone a tactical thinker, he must have been worried. Fretting that his only son, the one that would carry on his line, was too weak and fragile to replace him. But not now. Now things would be different. Now I was worthy.

"Good. I knew you would see reason." But no sooner had that arrogant smirk of pride appeared on my face, her shrieks of protest brought reality screaming back at me.

"No! You can't do this." She whimpered, as my Father roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her away with such speed and precision that I had no chance to stop him. The slight glint of pale skin caught in the tan trap of my Father's clutches caused my mind to become unsteady.

"Right now she is ten, a child, an innocent little niece. But what happens when she eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen? What then?"

No, your wrong Lucas nothing will happen. I had him. Didn't you see? I was winning, I was the victor, I was stopping him! I howled in my heart and mind hoping it would save me from damnation. But as his little sister grimaced, I knew I had done nothing but inflate my pathetic ego.

“Fath…” But the word seemed lost on my tongue, wrapped up in fear and nausea that was causing me to see double.

"Get up and accept your punishment mutt!" He snarled. Making me realize that the thin weak concept of her death staining “our” family's reputation would never be enough to pause his vile actions. But why? Didn't Father love his family?

When my Aunt Amelia passed, he mourned the loss of his younger sister more deeply than even my Uncle did for his wife. On the day of her funeral, he surprised everyone and procured a bed of pure white roses for her body to be laid to rest on. A sign that she was a she-wolf of high standing in the pack and one who deserved the grace and honor bestowed upon an Alpha’s kin. So then why? Why was he attacking her children, the only things that connect her to this world? Could he truly be so envious and disgusted by the fact that his own offspring did not receive the gift of MoonLight that he wanted them gone, or was it something else? And, did he honestly believe that Lucas would not rain down holy hell upon us, if something happened to his precious baby sister? His sister he would walk through fire for.

"Let me go!" She barked, as she dug her heels in and bared her fangs up at him. "You gave my brother your word, that as long as everything stayed the same you would not..."

"Words are meaningless, my little niece. After the one who swears to protect you turns tail and runs.” He snickered, causing Abelia's mouth to drop as she stumbled back and fell to the ground, bringing forth the image of a marionette whose strings had just been severed.

"Alpha, are you sure? The boy has only just left." Beta Gregory asked, causing my Father to throw back his head and laugh. The raspy sound made every hair on my body stand on end.

"And that is what makes it all so perfect." He smiled, as he pinched Abelia's chin. "Maybe if you are lucky, his ears will be able to pick up your screams, as a parting goodbye.”

"Why are you doing this? I thought we were family." She gasped, causing Lucas' words to haunt my mind and slither around my neck like a scythe from the Grim Reaper himself.

“Protect her. Look after Abelia as if she were your own and I promise I won’t come and take away your birthright when I return from the Academy.”

“Family?” My father snarled, as he dug his claws into her, drawing blood while her eyes glistened with tears. “You are no family of mine and soon even your brother will realize it too.”

“What?” She gasped, as two of my Father’s guards made their way through the crowd barring a pair of sliver bracelets on a wooden tray. Her eyes widened in disbelief as my Father stood looming over her in such a way that I knew I could not be a bystander to this torture unless I wanted Lucas to come and return the favor.

“NOOOO!” She screamed, as she scratched and clawed at the ground, struggling to get up with renewed determination to live. But the crowd had surrounded her, leaving not even a sliver of space for her to use as an escape route.

“Now, now, Abelia. Must we be so dramatic? This is all for the best my dear. How else am I to control your…My Father whispered, as he leaned down and said something in such a low tone that no matter how much I struggled to make it out, not even my own werewolf ears could catch it. Yet, the look on her face was enough to tell me this was something Lucas had not taken into account, a secret that should not have been known. Which meant time was running out and, if I did not act fast, nothing would deter Lucas from taking my head the next time we met. Blood, bonds, brotherhood, none of that would matter the minute those accursed silver bangles burned, seared and scared her tender werewolf flesh.

“Please.” Her voice squeaked out, as my Father slowly approached her and then, like a magic spell, everything stopped. The moment my voice rang out with my unused Alpha tone and my eyes glowed red, I knew I had either just saved everyone or doomed us all.

"MINE!" I roared.