ROME
Feeling like he’d just woken up after a long night of drinking, Rome opened his eyes and took in his opulent surroundings which was a far cry from the dungeon he’d been in before he’d passed out.
Speaking of the dungeon…
He startled upright, struggling against the binds on his arms.
Elora.
He growled out his anger, straining even harder but the binds only seemed like they were getting tighter.
What were these even made of?
Those bastards had hit her. She looked nothing like the woman she had been in the castle but even if the bruises left her unrecognizable, his heart knew.
He could smell her the moment he had been captured.
It had taken all of his willpower to not kill those guards and grab her out of there.
And that bastard…
He had been standing right there.
It was his fault that she had had to suffer like that.
The second he freed his hands, the man would…
“There’s no point struggling against your restraints, the boy king.” The elven leader smiled walking into the broad chamber. “That metal has been infused with the magic of my people all these years since we were wrongfully kicked out of our lands by your grandfather. It’s impervious even to you Lycans.”
He spat the last word as it disgusted him.
“Well well well. If it isn’t the high and mighty King Rome.” Kain laughed strolling in, followed by a quivering Alpha Rasmus and his wife. “Might I say, you’re not looking very kingly right now?”
“Elf, I have no business with you or your people.” He warned, sitting up and sending the older elf a look that meant business. “Hand over my mate and these traitors to me and I’ll let this incident slide.”
The elven leader raised a brow at him. Perhaps he had expected that he’d have been intimidated into silence.
“You must think you’re in a position to negotiate.” Kain laughed crouching down till he was at eye level with Rome, patting him on the head. “We have all the cards on our table so what makes you think you’re even a player in this game.”
Rome noticed that the elven leader was blissfully silent like the whole event was nothing more than a boring idea for him. Just what were these fools up to?
Couldn’t they see that the elves were only using them to further their own agenda?
“When are we going to start, Yaris?” Rasmus stuttered out not meeting his eye. “I want this to be over quickly so I can go home.”
“Patience, Ras.” Kain laughed kicking Rome so suddenly, he couldn’t block it. “We have our enemies at our feet. Literally. We should enjoy this.”
“But…” The wolf leader shook his head. “I don’t trust he’d stay bound for much longer. He’s too dangerous alive.”
“Stop being so scared, Ras.” Kain laughed slapping his partner on the shoulder. “Didn’t you hear what Yaris said? There’s no way he’s coming loose. He’s basically a sitting duck.”
Yaris waved a hand and one of the guards stepped out returning momentarily with a slumbering bruised Elora.
“Elora!” Rome yelled pushing forward and straining against the binds. “What have you done to her?”
They ignored him and laid her on the wooden platform he hadn’t noticed before.
“Don’t worry, Rome.” Kain smiled gleefully. “She’s alive. For now,.”
He didn’t like this. Not one bit.
She looked even worse than she had before and was unresponsive. He’d thought her dead before but her chest rose and fell softly.
Yaris walked over to her and placed a hand on her stomach, his face dropping into a frown.
“What’s wrong?” Rasmus’ wife asked for the first time since he’d seen her.
Rasmus shook his hand and pulled away from her.
“I’m sorry gentlemen but your attempts to cleanse her, failed.” He told them. “She still carries the Lycan child.”
Lycan child?
Rome looked up in surprise.
Elora was carrying a child?
His child?
Joy filled him at the thought that they’d produced new life.
Worry and anger filled him even more that they’d tried to hurt her and his child.
“I don’t understand,” Rasmus said slowly. “You said this would work. That we’d use her to get my son back.”
“That I did,” Yaris answered dispassionately. “What I didn’t account for was that she’d be carrying a Lycan inside her?”
“You!” Rasmus yelled rushing forward to grab him but the elven guards were faster and stepped in front of their leader holding the swords out in front of them.
“That was a dangerous mistake, Rasmus.” The elf warned.
The air turned chilly as his eyes took on an eerie silver glare.
“You promised me! After everything we’ve done…” Rasmus yelled. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“Ras, don’t be stupid,” Kain warned.
“No!” The wolf yelled. “I’m done listening to you, Kain. You have nothing to lose from this deal. I’m going home with my family. If the elves can’t help, then perhaps we’ll find someone who can.”
“Don’t be stupid. Do you…”
“Is that your final answer, wolf?” Yaris asked, expression colder than ever before.
Rome prepared himself, his hearing picking up approaching footsteps.
As if sensing the impending threat, the man cowered back.
“I’m not the one ruining our deal, Yaris.” He whimpered. “Get rid of that child or the deal is off.”
Anger built inside of him as his beast warred for dominance.
They wanted to harm his child!
How dare they?
“I guess you’ve made your choice then,” Yaris stated as the other soldiers burst through the door. “You’ve just made things easier for me.”
Kain looked around at the soldiers surrounding them.
“What is the meaning of this, Yaris?”
The older mine smiled knowingly.
“You see, I already predicted that capturing the girl was the only way I could get the boy king to fall right into my hands.” He smiled rubbing his beard. “All I needed were willing pawns to play along because… why not? It was fun to see you think that you were of some importance to me.”
The three opened their mouths in shock.
“So you used us,” Rasmus stated, shocked.
If Rome didn’t see how dangerous the situation he was in was, he’d have laughed.
No one ever made a deal with the elves.
They were ever only after their own agenda.
“Father.” Kano, who had formerly been his guard called. “What are your orders?”
He had already discovered the man’s betrayal when he’d been dragged to the dungeons but it surely still hurt.
“Kill them all,” Yaris answered. “But spare the Lycan king. I still have some plans for him.”
Rome’s heart picked up pace as he prepared for the impending fight.
Even if Yaris had asked them to spare him, that didn’t mean that they’d spare Elora.
The elven soldiers circled them, their faces a mask of intense hate.
Kain, Rasmus, and his wife bore similar looks of shock and fear.
Just as the first soldier darted forward, warning bells sounded around them.
Yaris frowned and sent off of one his men to check what was wrong but just as the man got to the door, it blasted open and an arrow came flying straight at Yaris.
Kano intercepted it with a sword but the clang of steel on whatever metal the elves used, reverberated through them.
They all turned to see Skye and the leader of the Blackfoot, Nauru, as well as soldiers pouring into the chamber.
“Wow. I can’t believe the first time I meet the king, he’s on his knees before me.”
Skye slaps his shoulder playfully.
“Sorry, we’re late, Rome.” She turns serious. “Who should we kill first?”
All parties squared off each other on opposite ends of the room. The anticipation of the battle set his blood boiling.
“Kill the rest,” Rome growls. “Those three are mine.”
Letting out a battle howl, he part transformed into his beast and pulled himself free of the restraints shocking the elves and the three soon-to-be dead traitors.
“You forget Yaris.” He smiled but he was sure in his beastly form, he looked anything but friendly. “You’re not the only one who’s had years to prepare for war.”
“How…” The elf started to ask before turning away to escape. “Kill them! Now!”
The elves let out a battle cry but it was more massacre than a battle.
They had the numbers, yes, but the Lycans were the ruling power for one reason. Sheer strength.
He cut through the elves, running forward and intercepting Kain’s, Rasmus and his wife’s escape.
“Going somewhere?” He asked.
Kain glared at him and transformed into his beast, charging at him.
They clawed and scratched and bit each other, their beastly growls echoing around the room.
Rome was mindful of Elora in the center of the room as he fought Kain off him.
He grabbed the older Lycan’s neck and pinned him to the ground.
“Surrender now and I’ll give you a quick death.” He warned the man, transforming back.
“Never!” He growled still in his beastly form but he couldn’t escape Rome’s grasp. “I’ll kill you, Rome. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll kill you.”
Rome glared at him and pressed him further into the ground. He heard the crack of the bone.
“There’s a reason you’ll never be king. No matter how badly you scheme.” Rome stated looking the beast in his eyes.
He could see the question in his eyes but his ego wouldn’t let him ask.
“It’s because you’re just not strong enough so you rely on the shadows and others to do your work for you.” He answered. “You could have challenged me for the throne any day but you knew. Deep down, you knew that you were just a weak, sniveling, old, bat. All you had was bark and no…”
The words were stolen from him as a sharp tearing pain dug into his back.
He turned to see Alpha Rasmus shaking as he still held the knife he’d plunged into his back.
“I… I…”
He wanted to grip the man’s throat but before he could, a werewolf had bitten the man’s shoulder pulling him off and throwing him across the room.
His head shattered against the wall on impact and his wife let out a wail, rushing to her husband’s side.
All action around them stopped as they stared at such a brutal kill. The elves stared in shock and fear danced across their ethereal faces.
The wolf transformed back revealing a beautifully naked Elora.
His eyes widened as the sight of her awake and bathed in blood stole his breath.
“How…”
He didn’t care that Kain used the opportunity to escape. He didn’t care that he had a dagger sticking out of him. He didn’t even care about the battle around them.
He grabbed her and kissed her, drinking her in because he couldn’t help himself.
She placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back a bit.
“We still have a battle to win, my king.” She winked at him, transforming back into her wolf.
He nodded as she squared off against Rasmus’ wife who’d also transformed. He wanted to watch their fight but he had his own demons to face.