Chapter 1 | Cuff Bracelet

"You know what? Just stay in your room, that way you won't be a nuisance to any other weres."

He smirked. "Or to the library, to at least educate yourself."

The closing of the double doors echoed inside the dining hall.

In this large castle, with almost 500 weres to keep it as it is now, I barely see them. Hundreds of chairs, but I dine alone. Makes me wonder if they feel hungry.

The goldware reflected my feelings. I've got nothing to do. My father, doing kingly stuff, my brother Alaric, training to be king, my mother busy occupying herself to forget my lost sister, and what's left of me?

"I know, brother is right. I should go to the library." I left my unfinished food; it tasted so bland.

The sun shines so bright but I see no one. Maids walk past me like I'm also one of them. They don't look at me as per protocol but I feel invisible even if they are aware I'm here.

Books. I'm here again.

I've read most of it, 10 books per week, and if I continue to live like this, I'd just be able to raid another kingdom's library because well, this isn't enough.

Tracing the hardbound covers of every book, I found one that is yet to be marked. Grabbing it, I went to my small comfort place. Where most of the time I allow myself to escape.

My kingdom is beautiful, and it's beautiful even without me in it. The sun will still rise, people will still thrive, and they won't pay much attention to me, because they will get the best leader yet.

A broken cuff bracelet slid off inside the book. Its gold color shines when the rays of the sun hit it. The intricate engravings formed a phrase: Σας εμπιστεύονται.

How did it fit inside the book?

"Sas empistévontai" I read from the bracelet and put it on my left wrist.

It looks so mysterious, I wonder where is the other half?

"The Legendary Lycaon." A picture of him sat on the front of the cover.

"Human, turned to wolf by Zeus' lightning bolts. Interesting." My fingers can't wait to flip the pages.

I only heard of him as the first werewolf, but never the story of how he became one. Well, unfortunately, he is full of mischief, pranking Zeus with his food. The old man, his blood was boiling as hell!

We never saw him. At least in this century, we pray and worship him as our lord.

"The Ruins of Lycaon." I read,

The place where he was hit, was somewhere high and deep. Where heat and cold meet, and the ocean reflects what you seek.

"Wow, that's some kind of riddle," I smirked, I looked at our kingdom, peaceful and flourishing.

"I better find this Ruins of Lycaon."

Flipping onto the next page, there is a metallic silver engraved on his chest—

"Second prince." A soldier curtsied disrupting my escapism.

I meet his eyes. "The king wanted you to assist Prince Alaric in his kingly activity for the day."

Finally! Something to do, other than reading!

A smile made its way to my lips. "Lead the way!" I marched, bringing the book with me, and dropped to my room to leave it. I'm going to finish with you the next time we meet.

"Prince Alaric, the second prince is here." The soldier curtsied and left us.

"Great! Now, why don't you entertain the children? I've got more important work than this."

He attempted to leave; I grabbed his arm. "But Brother! I just got here I want to spend time with you and the children are waiting to see you, look at them." I pointed at the group of children waving at him. Their smiles are brighter like the sun. Meanwhile, he looked at them, just like how he looked at me.

Nothing.

He pushed my arm and started to walk away.

"Brother! But this is your organized affair as the crowned prince! This is also important!"

His eyes flickered. "I don't need to further boost my ratings; in fact, you must do. So, entertain those stupid children, or else I'll be damned to the king!" He shouted discreetly over his breath and stormed out.

I sighed. I thought this was our moment to be together.

"Where did Prince Alaric go?" One child said.

"He is a little bit busy. But hey you got me." I smiled.

Scrutiny was the last thing I ever thought I'd experience from these children. They keep their lips tight.

"Is there anything I can do for you children?" Politely asking them. I have read kids their age wanted to have race cars and dolls. I can buy it for them if they ask.

"How about calling Prince Alaric for us, the second prince?"

"Yeah, we want him more than you. He is more powerful!"

"I bet he can't grant any of our wishes." One child whispered to the other, but every one of us heard her.

The kids giggled amongst themselves.

I sighed. "Do you believe in Santa Claus?"

"Yes!" They all cheered.

"Then, you know naughty kids don't get presents." Their happy faces were now warped with anger and denial. "You children just lost yourselves a Santa Claus," I said, looking each one of them in the eyes. They must've felt my power as royalty, as they shivered and avoided eye contact.

But that's just all I can do. Without my place in this family, I am no one.

Getting out of the palace floors to comfort myself and relive how worthless I am in my kingdom, I munched on a berry I found in the palace gardens.

"The only one that treats me fairly are my books." I bitterly laugh.

"They greet me warmly and pleasantly. Their pages never hurt me, their words are used in a version that wouldn't hurt me, instead, they entertain and leave me with wisdom and faith. Their pictures make me travel the world when my father wouldn't let me out of the kingdom."

"The library confronts me with comfort, care, and home, which I only felt before my sister disappeared. Well, they all did, but when she was taken, I guess they grew tired of me. Who wouldn't? When she's so beautiful, cute, loving, and warm. A literal bundle of joy. But yeah, I guess my second—no my real parents are books and the library."

"That's one messed up family." I took my dagger out and pointed at a boy. Only five years older than me.

"Who are you?"

He coughed out and gasped for air before he could answer me.

"I'm Ahlai, a traveler. Can you spare me a glass of water?" He gasped.

I carried him to the fountain, and he drank from there. That's when I noticed his left foot was missing and bloody.

"We need to get you to the infirmary." And carried his almost dead weight, rushing to the infirmary.

"You may now enter, the second prince." A nurse curtsied and excused himself.

"How did you get here?"

"I traveled from Ailuridae, but they seemed to be attacked by rogues. I barely escaped from that kingdom."

Father must hear about this!

"And before I knew it, one chopped my left foot off." His eyes glistened with tears.

"What about your family?" His sobbing abruptly stopped. "They weren't with me when I travel." His tone is indifferent, his eyes dilated, and looks outside of the window.

It's mind-boggling how he stumbled upon our kingdom. If you look at the map of kingdoms, our kingdom, of course, is the largest in geography and land, surrounding us are all unclaimed lands where you can hunt, die, kill, and do anything as you please with no one caring at all. But then he is a traveler and I guess that's why his foot is missing. He probably met a rouge, he's lucky he's here. That I found him.

"How old are you prince?"

"I'm turning 21, how about you Ahlai?"

"I'm three years older than you then."

I nodded and stared at him for a while. His smell is different. He's probably an omega, that's why he's weak, and can't fight off rogues for himself.

"Are you hungry? I'll bring you something to eat." I stood up and didn't wait for his reply when he spoke.

"Thank you. You're kind, for someone who's in royalty. This is the first time, someone treated me like I'm their equal, a werewolf, someone like their friend..."

Friend... Does he consider me... his friend?

For the first time, I felt loved.

A smile crept into my lips as I closed the door and danced down the stairs.

Did I just make a friend?

"Excuse me!" A woman whose eyes glowed a dark shade of blue, screeched as I took a sharp turn to my right down the stairs.

My reflexes caught the tray she was holding, while she saved her ankles from cracking.

☾ 𓆰𓆪 ☽

"Thank you." I smiled gratefully at the boy staring at me with disbelief.

"Uhmm, are you okay? You can give me the tray now." I asked him gently. Why is he not blinking?

I'm feeling hot.

"I'm sorry!" He exclaimed and gave me back the tray. "Where is the commissary?"

"Oh, just down the hall on your right. When you see the nurse station, there's a double door beside it, that's the commissary."

"Thanks...?"

"Oh, it's Xianne," I said, giving him a toothy smile. He's kind and did I mention that he is breathtakingly gorgeous?

"I have to get going, Xianne. Thank you." His once red dull eyes shimmered in delight.

My mind floats with him as I continue to trek the stairs to the fifth floor, elevators are not used around here since we are werewolves. Knocking on the 5th door, I saw old Akolyn, his white hair disheveled his Grecian nose still pointy, and wrinkles around his eyes becoming more prominent. The nurse currently giving him a dosage of zopiclone. He's having a hard time sleeping at night, just like I do.

"Good afternoon, Child." He greeted me warmly; the nurse left us as soon as she finished injecting the medicine.

"Still can't sleep?"

"I think I'm showing signs of picaro blight." He looked at me like he was trying to tell me something.

"What's that?"

"Picaro blight, a normal werewolf, showing signs of becoming a rogue. Like having trouble sleeping at night, having dreams of cannibalism, sweating out even if it's cold, salivating, claws grow faster, and the part that can tell you have not much time left."

"What?" I grew curious.

"When your eyes switch colors, you'll roar like a rogue and you'll have no recollection of what's happened. You'll still go back to your old self, but after transforming into a rogue, it takes a huge toll on your mind, you'll lose yourself on the third time."

"Is there a cure?"

"You'll have to ascend to become a primordial wolf."

I burst into laughter. "I see that's how your novel's going to turn out."

Akolyn's smile was sinister, I prepared his food and put it on the bed table.

"Yep, I think that's what the characters will turn into."

"Is that a happy ending?" I rode into his novel.

"Only if the character transforms first into a primordial wolf before the third time ends."

Nodding my head, I wished him a happy lunch. Turning to the door I said one last time.

"I hope it's a happily ever after." I chirped, if it was a sad ending, I probably wouldn't want to read it.

He only smiled, an encouraging smile. I don't know but there's something in that smile like there's more to that smile it's not just encouraging.

"You must quickly recover. I want to read your novel."

"Believe me, child, it's starting."

Closing the door, I went down the stairs to endorse my patients. I saw him again; this time he was holding three trays on his right arm and two bottles of juice. His veins popped out even more.

I chuckled to myself.

I could've offered to help him, but he's such a beautiful sight, like the popping veins of the mountains at daybreak.

Our attention diverted to the couple of king's men, their armors clamored with each other as their heavy footsteps echoed across the whole hall. They all gathered us, but no one opened their mouths as they waited for the royal announcement.

Everyone was alarmed, curious, and disoriented, our eyes mirroring each other, one question lingered in each one of us. At the corner of my eye, I saw the young man again, he was being escorted out of the hospital. What is happening?

Why didn't I ask for his name a while ago?

"The king's orders. The Ailuridae Kingdom was under attack by a hundred packs of rogues. The city took the most damage with half of the population injured, crops, medicines, and armor stolen, and defense weapons destroyed. Thank Lycaon, that the royal family was safe and unscathed."

The sanatorium turned into a public market; everyone was talking.

"Listen! Between the Ailuridae Kingdom and the Canidae Kingdom is unclaimed land, the rogues may or may not attack us. But for the safety of everyone, the king ordered to meet at the palace grounds tonight, you will be seeing armies patrolling, and if you see anything suspicious report it immediately. We need your utmost cooperation for the safety of everyone. For now, vacate the beds for possible injured werewolves. Treat the king's men first before anyone else. Omegas will be the least priority."

I felt my heartbeat slither. The likes of us are the least priority. We must be able to stay out of the way.

"You are dismissed."

I quickly went to the fifth floor, to check on Akolyn, but he was missing. The bed was neatly folded, and the plates he used were gone. It was like there was no trace of him.

I had no time to think, I went down and asked my superior to let me go home, and she said yes. I have to check on Garett, my adoptive dad. He must be freaking out right now.

Pumping my legs to run as fast as I could, I reached his potion shop. There were a lot of mothers carrying their children in their arms, a few of the soldiers, and regular customers. I quickly slid into the counter to help him.

"Two bottles of healing potion, Miss."

"That would be 3 silvers," I replied and put it inside the bag.

"Aren't you busy at the sanatorium? You must be needed there."

"No, I asked the chief, and she let me go home. The soldiers did give us notes on what to do. Because rogues may attack us."

"Please also add a herbal potion. My son is sick."

"It's only a matter of time. Have you packed your clothes? I already prepared my medicine bag."

"Yes, I did. I need to bring it with me too."

"I want ten healing potions, eight poison potions, and twenty harming potions too." A soldier ordered.

Picking up only half of the potions, Garett went inside the apothecary to bring out more of it. Everyone wants to buy it, to keep their family safe.

After the last customer, we closed the shop. We also need to prepare for the meeting on the palace grounds. I have to make sure; Garett gets inside the safe house so I can focus on helping our knights.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

I shook my head and sighed. "I was awake 'till three am in the morning."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Didn't I give you a sleeping potion?"

"Right, I forgot to tell you, they're all out." I smiled shyly.

The beating of the bass drums caught our attention, my eyes widened when a familiar boy sat down in front of us. That boy, with the reddest eyes, contrasts his light golden blonde hair. He looked so troubled, staring at his feet, not meeting anyone's eyes.

His brother, Prince Alaric looked so attentive and confident. He meets everyone's eyes with a hint of something I couldn't describe. No wonder they were often compared, and just as everyone in the kingdom says, they're looking forward to being under the command of Prince Alaric.

"Look at Prince Alaric. He doesn't let anything distraught him." Garett pointed him with his chin.

"The second prince seemed to be physically present, but mentally afloat." He shook his head.

I stayed quiet and watched him closely. What's bothering you, my prince?

His head abruptly scanned the whole ground, his ears twitching.

"Good evening, Canidae kingdom!" The king greeted us.