The Lycan King's Army

The Lycan King's Army Preview

The Lycan King's Army Preview

Chapter 1: I Am Done

Morgan, the Alpha’s Daughter. Book 1 Morgan’s p.o.v. “Goodbye. I know that none of you will miss me, but I will miss the place I once considered home.” I whisper as I get on my bike. Over my shoulder, I take a last look at the cottage I called home for the past ten months for the last time. I start the engine of my bike, and it roars to life in the silent evening. I know exactly where our patrols are at the moment, and I don’t waste time as I cross the border of our territory. Leaving Blue River Pack behind in pursuit of my new life. A life in the Lycan King’s Army, far away from the people I thought loved and cared for me. My name is Morgan, and I am the youngest Pup of Alpha Tate and Luna Giselle of the Blue River Pack. In a week, I officially turn seventeen, but I got a small surprise at midnight. “I still don’t understand why you showed up today. This is so confusing.” I tell Amra, my lycan. Okay, maybe I need to back up a little. I can hear the wheels in your head grinding, trying to figure out why I would leave my family and my pack. Almost a year ago, I had my Sweet Sixteen party, and Mom had organized it to perfection. I am not a girly girl, so pink was out of the question. Mom had used a few of my favorite colors: indigo and maroon. From the tablecloth to the decorations, she used indigo and maroon throughout everything. Only our Pack members were invited, as in every other year, and that applies to every party we have had. Whether it was a party for me, the Pack, or one of my six older Brothers, Mom and Dad never invited other Packs; it was an unwritten rule within our Pack. It had been that way for centuries, and I doubt it will change anytime soon. “Sis, let’s go outside for your gift.” Ashton, my oldest brother, had said. I probably screamed like a little girl in excitement when I saw what they had gotten me. It was the best thing my family could have gotten me for my Sweet Sixteen: a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, ordered in my favorite colors: black, indigo, and maroon. Even the outfit, helmet, and boots are black, with indigo and maroon accents. “Mom had a say in some of it, you know how she can get.” Ashton had whispered as I got everything that came with the bike. The jacket and the pants fit me like a glove, both made of sturdy material. My helmet was and still is my favorite next to the bike, because Declan made sure our Pack’s crest was airbrushed onto it using indigo and maroon. A Wolf lying near a water shore. The boots have a two-inch heel with every possible protection feature, and again, I knew Mom was behind it, but it didn’t bother me at all. Dad made me promise not to ride my bike until Asthon taught me how to ride safely, and I had to keep a straight face when I made him that promise. If only he knew I had been riding Ashton’s bike for six months already. “Thank you.” I had repeated it over and over as I hugged my parents and my six brothers. I thought that I was the luckiest girl in the world with a family who loved and cared for me, but nothing could have prepared me for the year that followed my birthday. Waking up the morning after the party was great; I had a smile on my face, and I doubted it would ever disappear. If only I had known what that day and the following days would bring, I might have run away much sooner. I had gotten out of bed to take a shower, and as I washed my hair, I thought about what to do that day. I had the day off, as Dad called it, because they figured I would sleep in after my party, and even though I woke up later than usual, it was still early. The first thing on my list had been breakfast, and my stomach had rumbled in agreement. I grabbed my training outfit from my closet, even though I didn’t have training today. I wanted to go through my training on my own because I doubted that our Gamma would expect me. As I exited my room, I thought it was too quiet on our floor. This was usually the time when everyone was running around to make sure they got to their destination on time. Dad would be rushing out the door for his morning meeting, Asthon following right behind him for the same reason, and Mom would call after them to make sure they were on time for lunch. My other Brothers would be running around to make it to training on time, and again, Mom would be yelling for them to be back on time for lunch. The only one who never rushed anywhere was me. But that day, it was deadly quiet on our floor, even our Omega wasn’t in the kitchen, and I was glad I could make my own breakfast. I sat down at the kitchen island with my breakfast and my coffee, still not understanding why no one was around. “Did I forget about an important meeting?” I asked out loud, hoping to trigger my brain. After I finished my coffee, I rinsed off everything I used to place it in the dishwasher, and I made my way down the stairs to go to the training grounds. Every Pack-member I walked past looked a little confused, and I had to stifle a smile. Looks like everyone thought I would be sleeping in today. “I did miss something.” I had mumbled softly as I walked down the last flight of stairs, and saw that Dad’s office door was closed; he was probably in his usual morning meeting with his Beta and Gamma. One of the few times during the day he would have his door closed, and I walked toward the back of the Pack-house, the fastest way to get to the training grounds. Again, I was met with confused looks from Pack members, and it was starting to annoy me. Why would it be so strange to see me out and about? Other than my party from the night before, nothing unusual happened, and that meant I woke up at a decent hour. I had shrugged my shoulders as I reached the training grounds, only to be met with more confused looks from pack members. It was the start of a very confusing day, and I still don’t understand what I did to deserve the treatment I got from my family and our pack members. My brothers and I were raised with strict rules, even though we were the Alpha’s children. I might have been Daddy’s Little Princess, but I was never a spoiled brat. Mom and Dad provided us with everything we needed, and if we wanted something extra, we had to work for it, something we had always accepted without arguing. By the time I got back, Dad’s office door was still closed, and this time I wondered what was going on; usually, it would been open by now. As I passed the Beta floor, I heard a lot of commotion, but I ignored it because I was in desperate need of a shower and I wanted to be downstairs in time for lunch. “Where the hell is everyone?” I asked out loud as I entered the Alpha floor, but I knew that no one was around to answer me. After my shower, there still wasn’t a member of my family on our floor. I walked around the rooms and came to the realization that no one had been back here for some time. Right then, I wished Dad had initiated me into the Pack the day before, but I understood that he didn’t want me to have a splitting headache during my party. It would make things a little easier, though, if I could have linked Mom or Dad, but I would probably find out at lunch what was going on. I felt a little better knowing I would see my family in a few minutes. “You'd better have a damn good explanation, or I might break some bones.” I knew none of them would jump out of the woodwork, but it made me feel a little better. I was wearing light blue, high-waisted, skinny jeans, an off-the-shoulder black shirt, and some boots. I even put on a little mascara and had my hair braided down my left shoulder. Mom would usually be up here before lunch to change her clothes, which worried me. I checked my agenda on the way down to check when Mom had planned our next Mother-Daughter day, and I nearly lost my footing when I didn’t see it scheduled for this week. I reviewed the agenda for the next three months, but I didn’t see any Mother-Daughter days scheduled. Chatter was coming from the dining room, and I had put my phone away as I entered the room. Every conversation halted for a second, but soon the room was filled with chatter again, and when I turned towards our table, I noticed my family wasn’t there yet. I waited for my family and the rest of our leadership to join me for lunch, but the moment they noticed I was sitting at the table, their conversation went from talking out loud to talking through the mind-link, excluding me. “Mom, when is our next Mother-Daughter day?” I had asked, but she hadn’t responded at all. She was too busy talking to our Beta female. I had looked at the rest of my family, and each had their gaze on their plates, but it was clear to see that they were having a conversation. Can you imagine how confused I was that day? Amra and I have been talking about it since she showed up, and neither of us can figure out the complete one-eighty my family pulled on me. “You had an amazing bond with your family, and none of them seemed to worry about ignoring you,” Amra mumbles as we ride further away from the territory. My upbringing was different from most Alpha children. I spent most of my time with my Dad or one of my brothers, because girls in our territory had shown me that they weren’t interested in me, but in my brothers. It was during my first year in school that I quickly learned that girls wanted to be my friend in hopes of meeting one of my brothers, and if none of them were around, they would find any excuse to leave. My mind is still boggled. Why didn’t they realize that I was no longer working alongside them? Why didn’t Dad realize that I no longer asked him questions? “We will be going in circles with these questions. Only they can answer those questions, but I doubt they will ever give you the answer.” Amra states. The more time passed after my Sweet Sixteen, the more people started to ignore me, and after three months of waking up on an empty Alpha floor, I wasn’t sure if I should scream or cry. If I managed to wake up before they left, I would get ignored. So, I stopped interacting with them in the morning. “Dad, do you have a meeting today?” “Ashton, can I help you with something?” No matter what I asked, none of them responded.School had become even worse because I didn’t have any friends. After all, most of them didn’t want to be my friend for who I was, but for who I knew. “I loved helping my brothers after school. Whether it was filing papers or getting coffee as a young pup, and when I got older, I was allowed to help with more important things.” I say to Amra as my mind wanders back to my childhood. Dad would let me sit at a small desk of my own in his office as long as I was quiet, and I would sit there reading, writing, or drawing. Sometimes I would do homework, but most of the time it was done during school hours. Mom always said that by watching my Father and my Brothers work, I would know the work my Mate would have to do on a daily basis. It was one of the things most Lunas no longer understood, as they were busier with their parties and dinners. “It also gave you another advantage.” Amra points out, and I know exactly what she is talking about. Most Alpha children have no idea about their parents' duties. I, on the other hand, know every nook and cranny of our Pack-house, I know every position of our Warriors that are not running patrol, and I know every route our patrols run. They never run a route twice in a row, and our hidden Warriors are an extra security measure, and I know all this because I have spent so much time in Dad’s office or that of my brothers. This helped me in the past year to start leading my own life, because no one saw me moving around the territory. I think I know more about our Pack on my own than all my Brothers combined. “You will be a great addition to the King’s Army. You have more knowledge about a pack’s leadership than most Alpha children, and it will be to your advantage.” Amra points out. She is right, because I know which Packs we have an alliance with, which Packs are friendly with us, and which Packs we need to avoid for whatever reason. I know who the Wolves and Lycans are in the Pack's leadership, and who will take over which positions in the future. As I grew up, I would hear Dad talk about other Alphas that spoil their Pups rotten, giving them everything they asked for. Dad wasn’t like that; he made us earn our “extra” things, as he would call them, and those were usually things we didn’t really need. I earned them by spending a lot of time in the kitchen, helping prepare meals throughout the day, and I love cooking or baking. At first, I would measure the ingredients the Omegas needed. When I was old enough, I helped with cutting fruits or veggies. For the past few years, I have helped with cooking and baking for our Pack members, and Mom is really proud of what I have accomplished so far. With my time being divided between the kitchen and the office, Mom decided that we would have a Mother-Daughter day once a week, which could be a day at the spa, a shopping spree, or just sitting in the garden talking about significant events in my future. I would rather have spent my days on the training grounds with my Brothers and our Warriors than with Mom and the other Lunas talking about whatever it was they would talk about. As I already mentioned before, I am not a girly girl, and this was her way of bonding with me. I think she secretly wrote down everything I told her so she would know how to organize every event to my liking. I really enjoyed my days with Mom, as long as it was just the two of us; when other females joined us, the conversation always ended up on parties and their dos and don’ts. “Our last Mother-Daughter day was a month before my birthday. How could she have forgotten about them?” I ask Amra because I still don’t understand how this happened. “Mom, can we have our Mother-Daughter day tomorrow?” I asked that question at least once a week during lunch for three months straight before giving up. “I am busy. I don’t have time.” Was her answer before she would rush off with our Beta and Gamma females. They would even halt their conversations when I walked into the room, and if I lingered too long, they would continue through the mind-link. My Dad and my brothers had been the same as Mom. Barely any responses to my greetings or questions, and I gave up on them around the same time. Three months of barely a simple “good morning” or hello” from my Dad and the short remarks from my brothers like “not now,” “too busy,” “don’t have time,” and a few more along those lines, and I was done. My training stopped because our Gamma no longer showed up, and every meal was spent in silence, even though it was clear that they communicated through the mind-link. Something I couldn’t use, as Dad still hadn’t initiated me into the Pack, and every time I tried to bring it up, he cut me off. Typically, every Pup gets initiated into the Pack on their sixteenth birthday, but for some reason, Dad forgot that he never held the ceremony after my Sweet Sixteen Party. “Why didn’t anyone notice I stopped having meals with my family? Why didn’t anyone notice that I was no longer staying on the Alpha floor?” Questions I would ask myself, and now I could find out if Amra could make sense of it. “I can’t answer those questions, but it doesn’t make sense to me at all.” Amra is curled up in the back of my head as she responds. After being ignored for months, I was wandering around the territory, just contemplating what to do with my life, and that was when I found a small cottage close to our northern border. “Let’s see how long it takes before anyone notices I moved out,” I had said as I walked through the cottage. Deciding that if they no longer wanted me around, I would oblige to their wishes.If I weren’t on the training grounds, I would be at the cottage, trying to find a new purpose in life, and it took me some time to find it. I would sign up for the Lycan King’s Army, but I wasn’t really sure yet what kind of position I would like. I had moved quite a few things to the cottage by the time I made up my mind, and I would spend my days there taking some tests. I hoped those tests would help me figure out what I was good at and which positions within the Lycan King’s Army were best suited for me. After two months of spending most of my time in the cottage, I decided to go down to our Archive before I went back to my own sanctuary. I wanted to retrieve my file from the Archive and update it myself. “I doubt anyone has taken a look at it in the months since my birthday, or someone would have noticed that I wasn’t initiated into the Pack.” I had mumbled. Like every other morning, I made my own breakfast, and once I was done, I erased every trace of my having been in there. I placed a few items from the pantry into my backpack before I headed out the door. Walking down the stairs, I went over everything I had already brought to the cottage, and I noticed that even our pack members were too busy to greet me as I passed them. No one stopped me when I entered the Archive, and it only took me a few minutes to find my file. As I had guessed, the last entry into my file was from my Dad. It was on my sixteenth birthday, and it just stated that I turned sixteen that day. “Damn, do I mean that little to you?” I asked in a whisper, but I knew that no one would answer me.

Chapter 2: So Many Questions

Morgan’s p.o.v. “You did everything you could to get their attention. You did your best.” Amra points out. “Maybe I should have broken a few bones to get their attention,” I growl in response. It has been something that shot through my mind every once in a while, but I never acted on it. It was after I got my file that I decided it had been enough. I had cried enough tears, and I had had enough sleepless nights. I would focus on my future, a future away from this Pack and my family. I had taken everything from my backpack and placed it where I wanted it. It was never my intention to move out of the pack house completely, but that day opened my eyes. I had been doing one of my tests, and after a few hours, I checked the alarm on my phone, which told me it was nearing dinner time, but I decided to eat at the cottage and continue with my test. By the time I was done with the test, it was dark outside, and when I checked the time, it was almost midnight. I didn’t hear anything outside when I strained my hearing, telling me that no one had noticed that I was not in the Pack-house or in my room, and I decided to spend the night at the cottage. “Let’s see how long it will take for someone to notice I am missing.” I had looked up at the ceiling as I got ready for the night. In the weeks that followed, I took every test I needed to and went to the training grounds as I had every day. No one paid me any attention, not out there or inside the pack house, when I went up to the Alpha floor to take a shower. I would take a shower before going to Dad’s library and grab one of the many books he has on Werewolf and Lycan laws. Every piece of evidence of me being on the Alpha floor was gone before I would walk out again, and I would repeat this as often as I needed. One morning, after months of the same routine, I walked into the kitchen to see Colton standing there. “Good morning, Colton.” He mumbled something in response, but I didn’t bother to decipher it, and when I turned around, he was no longer there, leaving me on my own again. It was the day that I decided to test if everyone had forgotten about me, and the outcome upset me more than I thought it would. After training and lunch, I changed into my leather outfit to go for a ride, and when I reached the gate, our Warriors let me pass without asking questions, something that had always been a huge No-No in Dad’s eyes. I just let it slide as I sped away from the territory, enjoying the freedom of riding my bike, and when I returned, no one stopped me to ask where I had gone. I ended my day as I always did, reading a book in my bed until my eyes became heavy and I turned in for the night. Ashton’s p.o.v. During Morgan’s Sweet Sixteen party, Dad told us we had an early-morning meeting in his office the next day, and that there was something very important he and Mom needed to discuss with us. “I gave Morgan the day off. It will give me the time to tell you what you need to know, and Morgan gets to sleep in for a change.” Dad had whispered when Mom had distracted her. I had checked on her before we all went down to Dad’s office, and I was surprised to see our Beta and Gamma couple present as well. “What I am about to tell you is never to leave this room. If this gets out, it will cause a lot of problems, and we will get attacked for it.” Dad had stated, and I knew he wasn’t kidding. “Most Pups born into our bloodline are males, and once I have told you everything, you will understand why most will think it is a good thing. A hundred and fifteen years ago, the last female was born into our bloodline, and despite all the precautions her family took, it ended badly for her. Like every other female in my bloodline, she received her gift on her seventeenth birthday, at the exact moment she was born, and a year later, she found her fated Mate. Her Father asked him to stay with them for a week, and during that week, they got to know her Mate, who was a well-respected Alpha of a large Pack. They felt they could trust him with their Daughter and her secret; they told him about her ability, and he promised them he would protect her with his life. For a few years, everything was fine, but as time passed, he realized what she could do for him and started forcing her to use her ability. The punishment for disobeying him grew worse over time, and in the end, she saw no other way out. When she found out she was pregnant with a female Pup, she took her own life, and I know that his Pack is still waiting for the day that another female Pup gets born.” Dad had said, and for a moment, none of us had said a word. Fletcher was the first one to break the silence, “Is that why you called her Morgan?” We had always wondered why she had a male’s name, but with this information, it made sense, and Mom had nodded her head at his question.Dad had called the meeting because he wanted our help to prevent the same thing from happening to Morgan, and we met every morning after that to discuss our best course of action. “What kind of ability will Morgan get when she turns seventeen?” Hudson asked Mom one day. A question that had been occupying all of our minds. All Mom could tell us was that on her seventeenth birthday at three minutes past eleven in the evening, she would receive her gift from the Goddess. Mom had researched the Pack’s Archive and found out that there had been seven females born into Dad’s bloodline. Two of them had been able to hear thoughts, two of them had been able to sense Werewolves and Lycans from a mile away, one of them had been able to hear sounds from a mile away, and one of them could read memories of places as long as they had happened within twenty-four hours. “I started planning for her seventeenth birthday from the day she was born. I added more to the list as Morgan got older, and removed some as things changed.” Mom had said. Landon made a giant printout of the list and taped it to the wall, a reminder for all of us that we still had a lot to do, and I was relieved every time we got to cross something off the list. The celebration was planned with the clearing near our western border in mind. It made it easier for us to keep it a secret from her. We concentrated on one task at a time, and right now, my office is covered with fabrics in indigo and maroon. We need to decide which ones to use for the party. I smile as I think about our little spitfire. At only 5”5 she is a force to be reckoned with. If she gets pissed at you, there is nowhere to run or hide. I found that out when I tossed a few of her papers in the bin next to her desk. Not only did she kick me, but she also refused to talk to me for two days. Each of us has a story like that about her, and the older she got, the worse her tantrums became. Mom and Dad always say she is worse than all of their Sons combined. If you hear every story my Brothers and I have, you will know that Mom and Dad are very accurate. Some may think we fear our parents, but there is only one person we all really fear in this world, and that is our baby Sister. At first, she will be pissed at us for keeping this a secret, but once Dad explains everything to her, she will be grateful. “Dad, why was the King’s Council never informed? Why didn’t your family ask for witnesses?” Hudson had asked Dad a few weeks ago. Dad thought about it for a few days before he told us it might prevent Morgan from facing the same fate as our ancestors. Tomorrow morning, Mom and Dad will leave to visit an old family friend, and I will contact the King’s Council.I will also ask them to send some witnesses. I believe that the more people who know, the safer Morgan will be. Declan holds up two pieces of fabric, and even though they are her favorite colors, I doubt she would like the fabrics. He tosses them in the bin after I shake my head. Landon has been watching him for a while now, and I wonder when he is planning to put Declan out of his misery. Landon slowly gets up to walk over to Declan, and he is looking at all the fabrics spread out on Declan’s desk. He grabs one after the other to toss them into the bin without saying a word, and steadily, but slowly, he clears the desk until only a few fabrics remain. Declan sighs in relief as Landon just made his life a little easier. Both of them look at the remaining pieces and reach for the same one at the same time. Looks like we have finally tackled that task, and I see Michael smile as he checks off another box.