CHAPTER 2

I woke up to bright lights, red silky curtains, the ray of golden sun and I know at once that I didn't make it. I laugh at myself sadly, tears pooling in my eyes, Damien strolls in, his hands tucked into his pocket, I see the Hungarian knife we use to dissolve the silver on the table and I keep mute.

"You should really stop challenging Dad, Nathaniel, especially if you want to live. I believe you should have learnt that much from David and Mother".

I look around for Lucas and the others and all I see is their coats draped on top of one another on one chair. I scoff, Damien has always been a clean freak, but I never saw him "this clean."

I could only imagine the fierce stares they would have used to sort this out. I shudder as this new feeling embraces me, one I never had, because unlike the rejected one, my brothers never defied my father, I didn`t know if it was because of cowardice or the reason of their lives but one thing was clear, either I was too lonely to give a fuck about life or I hated my father to my bone marrows which means I`d do things to annoy him to the end.

I think the latter is the most suitable explanation for my stubbornness. Born in Cleverice, two cities away from the birthplace of my brothers, I never had love from people except my mother. She ran away from Ode to Cleverice to hide me from my father.

Unfortunately he had assumed that I was a girl, the one luxury life refused to afford him. He stormed off with Lycan soldiers destroying the city making many homeless, in a bid to get me. And as mother says, he had wanted to kill us both, just as he lifted me to the heavens, the sky turned purple with a golden hue and so it was said that I was brought to the world to cleanse the world.

My father hated that the rejected one was the destined one, and ever since that day the blessings of the villagers have been my protection, shielding me from his numerous murder attempts.

As I think of Mother and her bedtime stories, tears flow down my eyes, it takes me a while to realize that Lucas and the others had come back and chosen to give me a quiet time. I wipe my tears and await the next speech.

"We can't bury David today," I turned my head so fast I should have gotten a whiplash. My heart hammered in my chest expecting the worst possible outcome; Lucas had succumbed to father.

I walk towards him, every step forward bearing a dominating presence; "What did he say to you?"

"What did he give to you that is greater than David?" I grabbed by the collar and before I could shake him off, he landed a punch to my chin. Damien holds me back and the rest pushes Lucas away from me.

"You think we don't love him as much as you do?", he was also my brother, he's panting now and I can tell he's really pissed, they are our family and in as much as we didn't spend time like you, we still love them just as you do, the only reason why we cannot bury him today is because of the blood moon, if an affected werewolf attack his corpse, he would never rest in peace, and then I remember my father saying he'll will personally dispose of mother's body, I turn my eyes to Lucas, I stutter out my words, Will he? Mom? They all bow their heads and I know what that silence means, Mom would not rest in peace, not even in the underworld.

(Lucas` POV)

I feel so bad for Nathaniel, but if I want to keep my head and let the people respect me as the heir apparent, I need to remain tough, we all need to.

Father does not tolerate weakness in his lineage, he never backs down on a quest even at the detriment of his health. He would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, he is ruthless, heartless, crude and raw, rules with an iron fist and does not tolerate other people's opinions.

His word is the final say. I speak to my brothers, their keen eyes observing me. "If we wish for David to rest eternally, knowing who father is, we'll need to cremate his ashes and without father's notice, we'll send the ashes to Imelia to be blessed but we'll need a plan."

This time Derrick speaks, "We'll need a plan to bury our brother, our own blood?"

"Yes, if we bury him where Father suspects or finds out, I`m afraid his corpse would be a victim of the next blood moon", I let the words sink in while digesting their facial expression.

"Are we good?", they give no reply and I go ahead narrating the plan.

"We depart at noonday, to the river, we must be as discreet as possible else Father thinks we`ve played on his intelligence, we`ll take one of the horses, I think we'll donate the horse to the villagers, David`s body would be wrapped in raffia along with other things wrapped when we arrive at the river bank, we find a secluded place and put our brother to eternal rest, Nathaniel, you have always been one to disobey father, you`ll ride the horse to Imelia`s temple to bless the ash, return it to the palace, I will store it myself"

"We have less than four hours before the blood moon sets. We rush past the palace maids hurrying to go home to their families, on the day of the blood moon, guards, maids, cooks and personal servants are permitted to leave. I quickly rush to the store room carrying raffia mats, fruits and handwoven baskets. I rush back hoping that we wait for no one, I rush to my room and I see Damien and Derrick, I look around and I see no trace of Nathaniel, I was just about to panic when he came in with scented candles, containers and preservatives.

I bestow Nathaniel the privilege of cleaning David`s body, I embalm it and we start wrapping him, we wrap him like a "mummy", and it attracts the attention, finally after so many trials and errors, we succeeded in hiding him perfectly in a pile of fruits and blankets, I inform Father through a letter that we have chosen the next day for a picnic as we all needed to grief, to which he reluctantly gives his consent. After many discussions, we agreed to keep David`s body in my room as that would be the last place Father would ever suspect.

We stylishly carry the bags to my room and tuck him under the bed. The moment they all leave, I quickly bolt the door and tell my guards to block everyone, except my father.

I wait patiently for his arrival and click, "Your Highness",

"Call me Father",

"Father",

He nods and I fill him in on all the details from how they planned to hide David`s body from him, to the cremation to how Nathaniel plans on seeing the Priestess for her blessings.

"Foolish boy, he thinks he can deceive me, he is a curse, a disgrace to me, I sincerely question your mother`s faithfulness and his origin." I grit my teeth and curl my toes in desperation.

"He thinks the Priestess would bless him, Imelia blesses one that is not the alpha of his pack, Impossible!"

"Father, please do not stress, the villagers would make ridicule of him before he sets foot in the royal temple, if the gates will even be opened to him."

"Keep your eyes on your other brothers and report back to me as frequently as possible,"

"Yes father"

He leaves stealthily blending into the darkness just like his dark deeds. I close my eyes and drift off to sleep waiting for the next day to play out as planned.

The next day, I wake up startled to find an empty bed, I try to be as discreet as possible, trying not to alarm my brothers. I heighten my hearing skills, listening carefully for footsteps, I hear none and I rush to my father's room trying not to alert my brothers in the process.

I spotted him basking in the golden sun, and using my eyes, I searched the room and eventually I saw it behind the curtain, the rafia mat torn away, David now wrapped in a white silky material.

"This was not part of the plan, Father, now how do I explain this to them? They would forever doubt me," I dig my fingernails deep into my flesh, the room is deathly silent until he smiles, that smile that sends shivers down my spine every single time.

"Tell them I gave my consent"

"Father, they are fully aware you gave your consent. If you didn`t, we wouldn't be doing this in the first place!" I almost scream, trying to get him to see my point. I am so frustrated, I lose focus of my environment and neither of us seems to notice Nathaniel until he barges in, anxiety written all over him.

"Lucas, where is he and why are you with your father ?",I gulp afraid of anything that would deem me suspicious.

Father offered to embalm him properly. I could hear myself break with each lie, I try not to swallow as his gaze lingers scrutinizing my every move, I can sense his werewolf instincts heightened to an impossible degree searching me, one plan fails, and everything falls down, mission failed.

I try not to budge, locking his stare head on, while a palace maid ran in, panting and gasping for breath

"Pardon me your highness, it seems the Blood Moon decided to take Prince Damien'', my heart stops for a fleeting second, my legs go limp, I struggle gasping for breath , my lungs retract and it takes a long time for them to expand back to their original size.

I shiver as I can only imagine the pain he's going through, we all sprint off to the dungeon where victims of the Blood Moon are kept. Damien is in his werewolf form trashing and howling, he is bound by silver chains and my blood turns cold.

Silver chains drain the power of a lycan turning us to mere humans in seconds, worse still, the damage may be permanent.

If Damien turns into a human, he becomes useless and Dad will kill him just like David.

"What should we do,"

"Call Imelia right now! "

The palace maid hurries off in the direction of the royal temple, rings the bell at the beginning of the step, "Great Lady Imelia, your presence is needed at the palace, the king has ordered your presence at the palace."