Lycandra's POV:
"My father plans to attack your clan once the silver moon appears, that's what I've been trying to tell you, you are not safe in Kosmos, Nathan, and I can't loose my best friend." My voice was shaky but not from the cold temperature of the Valley between the bridge mountains or the heavy torrents below us. It was shaky from fear.
Best friend indeed. My subconscious mocked me derisively.
I didn't have my Lycan yet but there had been times in the past, I heard the faintest unfamiliar sound bubble inside of me.
The truth is I was hopelessly in love with this man standing in front of me with his wind tousled brown hair and cloudy grey eyes.
Nathanael was silent for a long moment.
Nathanael Jaha has been my best friend for eight long years despite the age long enmity between both our clans; The Winter Pack and Blue Blood Pack, we had made a promise to keep our forbidden friendship more like entanglement till the day we take our last breath.
The current status of our dystopian world; Kosmos was turmoil. Each clan was on either side of the mountains. We the Lycans possessed the west mountains while Nathanael's clan, which were the werewolves possessed the east mountains. The bridge mountains as they were infamously known were the only connections by land between the west and east mountains and the valley was the only place Nathanael and I could meet and keep our friendship a secret without endangering both our lives.
Unlike me whom was heir to my father's throne as the next leader of the Winter Pack, Nathanael was the cousin of the heir to the throne of the Blue Blood Pack.
"Your father's plan is wicked in the most amusing way because who would have thought about that? The silver moon is when werewolves are the most weak."
"You must promise me your survival, Nathan."
"No I can't..."
"What do you mean?"
"I can only promise you a good fight. You Lycans are way stronger than us werewolves and if fate says the silver moon is the day we'd all be exterminated from Kosmos then so be it."
"You can't be serious!" I wanted to shake some sense into his dark thick skull. "How can you speak about death like that? What about the White Lycan Legend? It speaks–"
"Orion's beard, Andra! Grow up! It's just a fairytale that our ancestors were forced to believe. They manipulate their own minds in desperate attempts to make a heaven of this hell–"
"I thought you wanted peace?" I shook my head in disbelief as my eyes moistened, looking into his peaceful grey eyes as the moon's shine casted an ethereal glow on his well structured jawline. Knowing fully well that if the war holds this would be the last time I would set eyes on Nathanael Jaha.
"I do want peace but what would we profit if we sit and wait for the Black Moon to appear when we don't even know when it is going to appear?!" He asked but all I heard was his hope shattering in pieces.
"What else do you propose we do? I can't stop my father!"
"No you can't but you've provided me with enough information to get my people prepared for what is to come."
"The silver moon appears in seven days, how prepared can your people be?"
"Let us worry about that, in the meantime you have to make contact with my cousin, Prince Deucalion." Nathanael said, holding my shoulders.
"Have you lost your mind? Duke hates me!" I whisper yelled.
Nathanael held his calm and looked back into my uncertain eyes. "Just as much as our clans hate each other, it's mutual not personal."
"Doesn't make no sense, besides how do I get across to him without alerting my pep–" I paused abruptly the moment my ears tingled.
Nathanael's head snapped around. He must have heard the sound of a twig getting snapped in the distance.
"Someone must have followed me, the bridge mountains are being patrolled regularly now because my father believes there is a traitor in our midst." I whispered.
"I know you'd figure something out but you must find a way to contact Prince Deucalion before the silver moon appears, it's our only chance at survival... My only chance at survival."
The emotions his voice carried pierced through me.
I breathed out heavily, "You must leave now, I hear them coming. Promise me you'll live no matter what happens, Nathanael."
He pulled me into a deep hug.
Drawing back, he looked into my soul through my eyes and covered my lips with his. My body tensed in shocking delight and I kissed him back with a dangerous longing I didn't know I felt until this very moment.
Our brief moment of passionate bliss ended.
I understood what it meant and my eyes welled up.
With one last breath wrecking look into my eyes, he said, "I wish I could." And then he zoomed into the darkness.
Nathanael wait! I love you! I wanted to scream after him but it was too late.
Cursed be my body cells for making me a late bloomer! If only I had bloomed fully, I would have gone to war with the rest of my clan and maybe just maybe I might have had a much better chance at preserving the life of my best friend and now... Lover.
I was pathetic inside out.
Seventeen years and all I could show for it was just projected silver claws and glowing amber eyes at the sight of my own blood asides from my heightened sense of hearing and vision and super speed. I wish I could say something was special about me but honestly nothing was. All I wanted was peace between the Lycans and werewolves on a platter of gold and rubies.
I guess my cousin, Lexandrea was right... Only late bloomers hold unto the damned legend while real Lycans actually go to war to preserve their clan. I didn't deserve to be in a world like Kosmos.
I was going to fall to the ground, dig up dirt and sob till my heart's content but then I heard footsteps and I had to rush back to the palace without being seen.
Following my usual route, I appeared at the back of the palace in less than no time. I climbed the stone walls of the palace till I got to the window of the passage way on the third floor where my room was situated. I climbed through the window gingerly, careful not to make any attention-drawing-noise as I made my way through the Royal hallway.
But something was off because usually at night while my father slept in his Chambers, there was always two guards standing outside the huge brass doors of his extravagant bed chambers unless he was in the throne room...
The thought wasn't appealing in any way.
I shrugged and kept walking towards my room door which was twenty soldier steps away from the entrance to the Chief's Chambers, suddenly several guards carrying burning torches circled me and intercepted my movement.
By the tapping sound of boots behind me, I recognized who it was immediately, my nerves tensed and I felt my body go hot all over as I turned around.
"Not so fast... Cousin." The red-liped shrewd being said devilishly.
"What do you want Lexandrea?" I asked, steeling my anger.
"Let's just say, you have some explaining to do." She smiled mischievously as she came closer to me.
Usually we were the same height but her high boots always made her seem taller plus she was a year older than I was.
"Seize her!" She commanded the guards and they made attempts to carry out her bid swiftly.
"Don't lay your filthy hands on me, what's the meaning of this?"
"I think we both know Chief Acwulf hates being made to wait, I'll say you better play along because the more time you spend resisting, the more aggressive he's getting down in the throne room." She smiled sweetly and tucked my hair behind my ear revealing the scar between my face and ear.
I slapped her hand away in irritation.
~ ~ ~
I saw the look in my father's eyes, it was the look that bespoke of how helpless I'd made him in this situation, fingers were pointed, stones casted and none missed. I was guilty. He was disappointed but justice had to be passed.
The dungeon of arts had not been used in ages, it was meant for the most notorious criminals. Rumors say the arts on the wall and voices of the ancestors had been known to drive people whom were sent in there mad if they were truly guilty and that no one usually comes out alive.
I thought I'd known fear the day I'd almost fallen off the valley of the bridge mountains into the heavy torrents of the river below and Nathanael had saved me but right now it was way more intense. I had seen my last moonlight, I was going to die.
My name is Lycandra Acwulf, the seventeen year old heir of Chief Acwulf, the next ruler of the Lycans (The Winter Pack) if I survived till the silver moon appears and most importantly... The only late bloomer in all of Kosmos.
And I was going to die a late bloomer never having the privilege to see my full form.
"Lock her in the dungeon of arts."
~ ~ ~