Mine At First Sight
Chapter 8 - Be Safe My King

▪️L E N N A▪️

The Lycan King had just demanded that I called him Master Edric when we were alone.

After staring at him for a moment, I licked my lips nervously, “May I ask why?”

“There you go with that mouth of yours, forgetting your place again! Why must you question me so?”

I could hear the way he exhaled harshly while invading my personal space once more, pushing me back into the library shelf. At his words, I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself not to lash out.

If only he knew just how unhinged my mouth really could be.

Keeping my eyes locked with his, I said, “I apologise Your Majes– I mean, Master Edric, it’s just–”

“Say my name again,” he commanded, as his eyes stared boldly into mine.

“Master–” I began, before he cut me off once more.

“No!”

I jumped slightly at his sudden outburst.

His face morphed into a slight grimace before narrowing his eyes at me, “Just my name…”

“Edric…” I said, not liking the way my body began to respond as the word slipped past my lips.

It must have had a similar effect on him, for I observed the way in which his face relaxed as he closed his eyes, as though savouring the sound.

“Again,” he demanded; his tone low as he stepped even closer to me.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as the huskiness of his voice washed over me. I was torn between feeling excited and stunned, but I did what was asked of me nonetheless.

“Edric,” I repeated, watching his eyebrows furrow.

I gasped when his eyes popped open suddenly and as he anchored his attention on me, I felt like there was a soft glint in his eyes for the first time. But it was gone so quickly that it was as though I had imagined it, his voice pulling my attention before I could give the notion any further thought.

“When we are alone, I want you…” he paused, breathing deeply.

The air in my lungs halted, waiting for him to continue.

“I want you to call me Edric. In any other scenario, you will address me as Your Majesty as usual,” he said matter-of-factly, before abruptly turning his back on me.

Putting some space between us, he quickly walked over to the railing and gripped it tightly.

I could not help but wonder why he did not want me to call him ‘Master’ then my mind wandered on what Suvarna had told me about the games she and Ulrik would play. Apparently, it was something that many Lycans engaged in, some more intense than others.

The skin on my face burnt as vivid images flashed across my mind, and I silently contemplated on whether or not I was reading too much into things. Sighing softly, I leaned away from the shelf, stretching my back a bit.

The way the King, I mean Edric, switched moods was beginning to make my head spin.

“Your branding will take place soon; the blacksmith is a bit busy at the moment, but once he’s free, he will be able to do everything as per my instructions. As for your duties as my slave, you are to continue to replace yourself in this library every day and learn as much as you can…”

I watched as he took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair before he continued speaking.

“What other demands you wish to ask of me,” he taunted, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Not allowing myself to get worked up, I calmly replied, “Well, if I’m to stay in the library every day and learn as much as I can, don’t you think I should be allowed to read any book that I choose? I’m completely restricted from the third level shelves.”

He glanced at me sideways, as he spat out, “Fine!” Then, as though his mood had changed once more, he continued more evenly, “But you will only be allowed to read those books under strict supervision. I’ll have a word with Klaus and Drengr to work out an arrangement. Anything else?”

My fear of his outbursts threatened to keep me silent.

Pushing my nerves down, I inhaled, preparing myself to ask Edric everything I had thought about up to that moment.

I mentioned the possibility of writing to my parents, Dakini, and Berengar.

“Writing to your family and Dakini is fine. But why do you want to write to that runt?” Edric barked before questioning, “Not planning to run away again, are you?”

“N-no! That would be foolish,” I stammered out.

“Agreed. I do not think that you would like to push your luck.”

Losing control of my emotions, I unintentionally lashed out, “Push my luck? Are you being serious? I’ve done everything that you’ve asked of me since getting into that wagon with you! Leaving behind everyone and everything that I’ve ever known! All I ask is to be able to keep in contact with those whom I care about. Berengar is the same person who has been teaching me to defend myself all these years, mind you. I would have thought you would have been somewhat grateful for that, at least it will be one less thing for you to do.”

“Grateful, you say?” Edric snarled and turned to face me once again.

Taking a few steps back, I found myself against a wall, and I gulped as I looked up at him, knowing that I had probably indeed pushed my luck this time, as he leaned his face mere inches from mine.

“The fact that he lives shows my gratitude! I should’ve disembowelled him and fed his corpse to his own kind!”

His nostrils flared as he dragged his hawkish gaze over me and my eyes watered at the thought. Edric’s anger scared me for I knew that he could just as easily kill me, and I felt foolish for talking out of turn.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I forget my place,” I said, while lowering my eyes.

Snorting as though he did not believe me, he then stated, “You may send your letters to whomever, but just know that they’ll be read before they are sent. Likewise, anything that you receive will be checked before it reaches your hand.”

It was an invasion of privacy, but it was better than nothing at all, so I agreed, “I understand, Your Majesty.”

“I told you to call me Edric,” he muttered. He then briefly traced a finger along the lace pattern of my upper sleeve before adding, “I know that you have more to ask, let me hear it then.”

Raising my eyes to look at his face, I mentioned my curiousity to explore the castle and its grounds. I also expressed wanting to visit the lake at night, to which he wasted no time in lashing out at me, his aggression resurfacing.

“No! Absolutely not!”

Wringing my hands in front of me, I was careful with my next few words, “But, I feel so isolated being cooped up all day in this library, especially when I’m left alone. I miss being around nature, smelling the flowers, and looking up at the stars. I mean, the gruesome-two-some twins are always watching over me, so it’s not like I would be going alone if you were to let me take a short stroll.”

“I said no, Lenna!”

The green in his eyes flashed in warning and I slumped my shoulders.

Seeing the look of anxiety on my face, Edric’s own facial features softened as he ran a hand across his face, “Look, just do as I ask. Perhaps in the future, I can put aside some time and take you around the castle and the surrounding grounds myself.”

I wanted to ask if Eginhard could not just take me, seeing as he was the one that had initially given me a small tour of the castle. Or perhaps maybe even Dhamin, since I knew he would not have minded as he wanted to show me a few things himself, but I recognised that it would not be wise to keep pressing the issue.

So instead, I apologised and changed the subject, then asked about being permitted to watch the Lycans train.

“No doubt my brother asked you to come watch him?” Edric muttered and shook his head, “I suppose I don’t see what harm it could pose; I’ll take you soon, once your bleeding has stopped.”

The way he unexpectedly moved his hand to caress the skin on the back of my neck caused my entire body to jerk while our eyes stared at each other. He gently touched the white patch of hair at my temple before he proceeded to remove my hair tie, unhurriedly loosening my braid. My eyes started to close as I felt his fingers tunnel through my hair, combing it down my back, reminding me of that night when he had come to take me from my home.

This time, the motion felt so relaxing that a soft unintentional whimper escaped me.

Realising what sound I had made, I attempted to break our eye contact. Unfortunately for me, Edric would not allow it and with a light pull, he forced my gaze to remain on him, causing yet another soft involuntary moan to escape past my lips, as I watched a silent battle brew in his eyes.

In response, Edric took a deep breath, growling low in his throat as he released me, “I do not need your scent throwing off the concentration of my warriors.”

At his words, I was reminded of our previous conversation, and I wished that the ground would have swallowed me up in that very moment. I simply cleared my throat and glanced at the floor.

Moving past me, Edric headed down the stairs, “So what have you learnt from Drengr, these past few days?”

Thankful for the sudden shift in topic, I eagerly followed behind him as he walked towards the massive desk where all the books I had been going through lay open.

I proceeded to tell him about what I had learnt so far in terms of meditating and learning to relax and feel the energy of my surroundings. With pride in my voice, I also described the progress I had made where feeling the presence of others were concerned.

Folding his hands across his chest, he sat back and listened as I spoke.

“Of course, since I don’t have control over any of my abilities, most times I don’t really sense anything at all. Sometimes, I may pick up on the presence of a truly powerful Lycan, such as yourself for example, but it goes as fast as it comes. I can’t imagine what it would be like if the energies of every Lycan crashed over me all at once. Thankfully, Drengr has given me some exercises to learn so, as my abilities grow, I’ll be able to put up a sort of barrier to protect myself.”

My lips pursed as I wondered what it would be like to be able to sense the presence of everyone around me at the same time.

“That should be the first lesson you master. It’s like us Lycans, imagine if we didn’t know how to suppress our own abilities, the scents and sounds from miles around overwhelming our senses every hour of every day, it would be maddening,” he acknowledged, as his eyes locked with mine and his nostrils flared, no doubt inhaling my scent.

Forcing myself not to blush, I looked away and began to babble, “Drengr also stated that the fact that King Eberhard destroyed most of the books pertaining to people like me should be proof enough that I am capable of wielding great power.”

“Now do you see the importance of you being at my side? You clearly have a power within you, and it needs to be protected. There are things that you’re not aware of that are going on in the unmarked territories,” he said, while lacing his fingers with mine.

“Is it because of Einarr?” I softly asked.

His grip tightened, “How much do you know about my older brother? Bloody slaves and their gossip!”

At his startling outburst, the wave of energy that hit me caused my eyes to squeeze shut.

In the next moment, my eyes burst open, as I unexpectedly had trouble breathing. A panic seized me as my mind filled with questions about why this was happening again, and why now.

I cried out softly as a sharp vibration coursed through me. This feeling was most certainly more intense than when I had first meet Edric.

The sensation was so powerful that I fell out of my chair, my knees hitting the cold stone floor.

“Lenna, listen to me! Calm yourself! Focus on the exercises that Drengr taught you,” Edric’s voice was so comforting and soothing as he knelt beside me, one of his hands on my back, the other gently holding one of my hands.

As sudden as the attack had come, it left again, and I found that I was able to breathe once more.

Taking large gulps of air, my body relaxed as everything returned to normal.

At first, I did not realise that I was leaning into Edric. My free hand was wrapped about his torso as my head rested against his chest. His arms were now around me, as he cradled me against him. The sound of his heartbeat was loud against my ear. It was strong and steady, just like the rest of him.

The heat that emanated from his body was something I had not realised before.

Like werewolves, Lycans produced large amounts of body heat. Although, the temperature from Edric was more than twice as much as what Berengar produced.

Without warning, I felt myself being pulled to my feet.

“It would seem that you’ll need to learn those blocking techniques quicker than anticipated. I don’t want you succumbing to such attacks, especially around me” he said, sounding disturbed as well as somewhat remorseful.

Nodding my head, I hugged myself and remained silent.

“Come. Dinner will be served soon, let us head towards the dining hall,” Edric suggested, leading me towards the door.

Two weeks later, I found myself humming while I stared blankly at the wooden beams across the ceiling.

Regrettably, I had been thinking about Edric.

The scars on his face had intrigued me since the first time I had laid eyes on him, and I could not help but wonder how he got them. It was yet another question to add to my list of things unknown about the Lycan King.

From the ringing of the bells, I knew that it was just past midnight.

Unable to sleep, I got out of bed and wrapped my robe around me as I walked over to my desk.

The light of the lantern caused my shadow to dance across the stone wall. Grabbing one of the large books, I then took one of the reading lamps and lit it before waking over to the rug in front of the dying fire.

After bringing the flame back to life in the hearth, I sat down with my legs crossed and got lost in the words before me.

I could feel myself getting stronger with each passing day.

Even though no one in the Malvar Empire practiced powerful magic anymore, it certainly was in the air within the Lycan region. Given the fact that they had a plethora of knowledge at their disposal, it was no wonder that they knew healing techniques long forgotten by everyone else.

My gaze fell to my hands as I flexed my fingers, admiring the slender digits. I was determined to learn as much as I could. The need to make my family proud, as well as to prove to myself that I could do this, was a strong driving force.

Though, I soon realised that a small part of me that wanted to impress Edric.

I had not missed the look of admiration that had flashed in his eyes two weeks ago, back in the library, when I had told him about Drengr’s assessment of what I might be capable of in the future.

The abilities that the healer Lycan told me I possibly possessed had excited me beyond words. From reading my great grandmother’s book, I already knew from a young age that magic came at a price.

Having the ability to control the energy around you, to make a person forget themselves as you distort their view of reality and control things like a puppet master, was no small task.

Power like that was not without its limitations, and I shuddered to think what the consequences on my body would be once I learned to control the magic within me.

After reading for about two hours, I decided that I wanted to continue with my training to see how best I could sense the energies of others. Of course, I ached to go outside and breathe some fresh air, but there were always a few guards patrolling the halls, and I dared not try to sneak out of my room for fear of angering Edric.

Although, truth be told, these last few weeks, I had been so engrossed in my studies that I had not felt the need to be outside as much as usual.

I realised that, subconsciously, I had accepted the castle as my new home.

There was a calmness about me that I had never felt before. Not to mention that, with each passing day, I knew I was getting stronger. I could feel it in my bones.

Even when I trained with my sword and shield at night, in the privacy of my room, practicing the moves Berengar had taught me, my body felt more enhanced somehow, and I wished that I had a partner to spar with.

Perhaps, since I had been so diligent in what Edric had expected of me as his slave, I wondered if he might be open to letting me practice with one of the younger Lycans. Or maybe even one of the other human males, as I knew some Lycans matched their servants against others in combat, making bets on who had the better fighter.

Taking a deep breath, I shook my thoughts clear and closed my eyes to focus.

I sensed the presence of Faeda, who was a few doors down. Even in her sleep, her aura was strong.

Grunting slightly as I felt a pressure on the back of my head, I forced myself to push past my limit, wanting to see if I could sense the energy of Edric on the floor above. As I slowly continued to stretch my energy, I felt as though something was calling me in the opposite direction.

Frowning, I stilled myself, focusing on my breathing as I tried to hone in on the sensation.

My attention for some reason was being pulled towards the Soljord Mountains that seemed to light up like a beacon.

The heaviness I felt in the back of my head soon turned into a sharp pain that then travelled down my spine, causing me to scream out as my energy exploded as it dispersed.

Through the pain, I felt something different.

It was as though something was reaching out to me, calling me. An eerie darkness that made me feel that stifling sensation I had felt that time with Edric in the library, only this time, it was something much more sinister in nature, threatening to consume me.

In my head, I saw myself desperately calling out for someone to help me, even though I knew that no one could, as everything went completely black and I felt like I was falling into nothing.

Opening my eyes, I found myself on my back.

My clothes were stuck to my clammy skin, and as I blinked to clear my vision, I saw Faeda, Ghaffar, Drengr, and Eginhard all looking down at me, concern etched across their faces.

“Ah!” I shrieked, not expecting to see them, “What are you all doing here?”

“We heard you screaming,” Eginhard said, as he knelt beside me, holding one of my hands in his.

Edric was standing near the fireplace, his hands crossed over his chest as he scowled, “More like the whole castle…” his eyes narrowed at his brother’s actions.

Drengr had the book that I was reading in his hands, flipping quickly through the pages, “Practicing your magic I see. We found you convulsing on the floor. Tell me exactly what happened, leave nothing out.”

Letting out a sigh, I watched as Drengr closed the book and placed it on the side table by the couch, while I described everything that had happened.

I noticed the worried look Drengr gave Edric, and before I could ask what it could mean, every Lycan in the room suddenly stiffened on high alert. It was clear that they were all hearing something, the sound too far away for my human ears to detect.

Their eyes widened in disbelief at whatever was going on.

“Eginhard, go back to your room now! Ghaffar, Faeda, go get ready with the others, I’ll meet you all in the forest! Drengr, I will talk to you when I get back, go see Klaus in the meantime!” Edric instructed everyone before turning back to me.

Now that we were alone, I suddenly felt self-conscious.

Pulling me up onto my feet, Edric peered down at my face, forcing me to look into his eyes, “Are you okay?”

The concern in his voice shocked me, “Y-yes. Is everything alright? What is going on?”

“It was the Lycan horn from the patrol group at the borders near the Soljord Mountains,” he replied, while his left hand moved to feel the temperature of my forehead.

“Oh…” I sighed at his touch while internalising what he just said “Oh! Wait! That was where I felt the–”

“Strange pull, yes,” Edric interjected as he finished my sentence.

The look in his eyes could almost be mistaken for one of appraisement, acceptance even. It would seem that I had surprised him. Granted, I was still shocked myself.

The realisation that I had inadvertently felt the presence of something so far away was exciting. Though the sentiment was short-lived, since whatever it was seemed to be trying to enter uninvited into the Lycans’ territory.

Just considering the notion made me shiver, as I remembered the unnerving feeling of the energy that belonged to it.

“Is it the Lugarhou?” I asked, my eyes widening.

“Of course, you know about those attacks,” he rolled his eyes.

“What! I am the daughter of the highest-ranking healing family of my province you know,” I pouted.

Raising a dark eyebrow, “Yes, but I doubt Wilhelm would be so loose with his tongue, unlike that werewolf of yours…”

Looking down at my feet, I bit my inner cheek before responding, “Well it was not as though I was told much either way. But both my father and Berengar used the attacks as reasoning for me to come here, claiming that I would be safe at your side. Although it would seem that being closer to the danger does not feel like it was the wisest move.”

“Do you not believe I would protect you?” Edric growled softly, as he took a step closer to me and cupped my face in his hands.

Shaking my head as best as I could, “No, I know that you would.”

“Good, now go take a shower and change into some clean clothes and head right back to bed! No more practicing magic this night, do try and get some sleep,” he instructed while lightly brushing his thumbs over my cheeks.

Removing his hands, he then took a step back, his eyes remaining fixed on me. I could not help but feel as though Edric looked like he wanted to say something, but instead, he just shook his head, clearly changing his mind.

For some reason, I got the feeling that there might be more to the Lugarhou attacks than what was being reported, but I knew that now was not the time to ask such things.

With a soft sigh, Edric tucked a lock of my dark hair behind my ear, and I watched in silence as he bid me good night before he quickly left my room, closing the door behind him.

“What the hell just happened?” I whispered as my hands touched the skin of my cheeks.

I could still feel the warmth of Edric’s hands upon my skin, and I suddenly winced as the dull throbbing behind my head flared, reminding me of how strange this night had been.

About a minute later, I heard a loud bellow that forced me to run to the window.

Gazing through the clear glass, I inhaled sharply when I saw a large black Lycan looking up at me. its bright smoky eyes locked with mine, before it threw its massive head back and howled.

It was such a beautiful sight; the light of the moon caressing its thick black fur.

My eyes hungrily drank in every inch of the beautiful creature before me. I silently wished that I could have witnessed the transformation from man to beast.

I found myself eagerly pressing my face against the cold window, observing as its large chest puffed out while its big clawed hands pushed back outwards, with strong feet anchoring it to the ground.

The Lycan then gave me one last look before dropping into a quadrupedal stance, and ran out into the open field, disappearing into the dark of the night.

Realising that I had been holding my breath the entire time, I exhaled deeply, a tremor passing through me.

My skin flushed as I softly whispered, “Be safe, my King…”