Chapter 14
Aaliyah's POV
The following morning, after taking my bath, I stood in front of the mirror to braid my hair when the door opened, and Piper came in carrying a tray of food.
Sitting at the table, I opened the plate of food. There was bacon, eggs, coffee, and fruits. I stared at the food, feeling my stomach grumble with hunger.
Lifting my gaze to Piper, who was arranging the bed, I spoke up. "You're a Lycan, right?"
Piper turned to face me, raising one brow. "A wolf."
I cracked a smile. "Are all the servants in this estate wolves?"
She shook her head as she returned to arranging the bed. "Not all. Have you ever seen a Lycan in its form?"
"No," I replied, thinking of what Tristan would look like in his Lycan form. "I would like to know more about the Lycans."
"When you're done eating, I'll tell you everything you need to know," she said.
I nodded, turning my gaze to the food and began to eat as she spoke. "I've seen different relationships between a Lycan and a wolf, but none ends well."
I frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"One of them dies, and it's mostly the wolves that end up dying," she replied. "Which is why it's uncommon to see both kinds in a relationship. When the King announced you as his bride, I was surprised."
Not sure of what to say, I took a sip of coffee, leaning back in the chair.
"For those relationships that work out, what happens with their children?" I asked. "Do they have both Lycan and wolf?"
"So many years ago, a Lycan married his son to a young female werewolf. The union, though not out of love, managed to work," Piper said. "They had a daughter. That young girl…"
"What happened?"
"She was called an abomination in the land," she replied. "One with so much power and anger inside her. At the age of fifteen, after having her wolf, she started killing both kinds. Though she hadn't had her Lycan form, she still had the strength of an hybrid."
"None were strong enough to stop her," Piper continued. "At the age of eighteen, when she was ready for her first transformation as a Lycan, she died."
My eyes widened as I listened to Piper.
"She could not complete the transformation. The girl, though still a powerful hybrid, died during the transformation," Piper said, briefly glancing at me before returning to her task.
"Are there any hybrids in this present world?" I asked.
"No," she replied. "Sadly, most of them could not transform into their Lycan form. That's why I'm…"
"Speak."
"I'm afraid," she said. "Though we aren't close enough to be friends to be saying this, I still think that once you marry Tristan, you'll be Queen. You will bear his child and…"
"You're afraid that the children wouldn't survive?" I asked.
She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Yes."
"Does Tristan know about this?"
"Yes, but you know the King. He's stubborn and only follows his rules," she said, throwing the old sheets into a basket.
"I will take my leave now," she said, bowing her head slightly as she walked away.
As I sat there eating my food, I thought about what happened yesterday with Tristan. I began to imagine how he felt killing his own father.
Pain?
It would be of more anger and rage.
After finishing my food, I walked towards the door, holding the knob. Was it locked?
I tried to open the door, but it was locked. Was this Tristan's idea? Did he think I wasn't to be trusted after what happened yesterday?
I frowned, balling my hand into a tight fist as I knocked on the door. The door slowly opened, revealing two bodyguards that had followed Tristan to my pack, Marcus and Tyler.
They were dressed in black suits and trousers.
"You must be Tyler," I said, my eyes falling on the tanned-skinned guard.
"Yes."
"Hello," I said to Marcus with a tight smile.
"Can we help you with something?" Marcus asked.
The smile on my face faltered. "Why am I locked in my room?"
"We were given orders by the King."
I frowned. "So, you both are here to make sure I don't escape?"
"Not only that. We're also here for your safety," he said.
"I can protect myself," I said. "Can I leave my room now? I need some fresh air."
"The balcony has enough air for you," he said. "You can enjoy the view of the garden and the estate from there."
I inhaled sharply. "I'll be getting married to the King soon. Am I not allowed to be familiar with the estate?"
"At the moment, no."
"Why is that so?"
"Because the King is busy right now, and if something were to happen to you, we would be blamed for it," Tyler replied.
"Nothing would happen to me. For years, I lived without being guarded like this before Tristan came to take me away. So why would he want to change that now?"
"Because you'll be his wife soon, and he has a lot of enemies. It's better to protect you under this roof."
"Where is he?"
"Like I said, he's busy," Marcus replied.
"And there's no way to speak to him now?" I asked.
Tyler shook his head.
"What about the men impaled on the fence?"
"They're still there, but they'll be transferred later."
I nodded. "So am I supposed to stay here throughout the day?"
"Yes."
I frowned slightly, taking a step back when I heard footsteps.
The guards immediately turned around, bowing their heads. As I stretched to see who it was, I saw Hayley come into view. She was dressed in long blue jeans and a black jacket.
"Step aside," she said. "I'm here to see her."
Marcus stiffened, his expression turning serious. "I'm afraid we can't let—"
Before he could finish, she grabbed his neck, her expression shifting. Her eyes glowed red as her face slowly transformed into animal-like features.
"Do I need to make myself clearer, or would you prefer I break your bones?"
Tyler froze, his eyes widening as they both stepped aside. She released her hold, flashing him a smile as she stepped into the room.
Her lips curled into a bright smile. "We've met before. You must be Aaliyah, my brother's fiancée."