The Bitten One

The teen sat in his bed, pondering what it would be like to be his older brother, Jace Draven. Jace was well known as the elder of us all, the Lycans, we're beasts, the villagers would say. They treat us like vile animals as if we're the villains in a fairy tale. Through the anguish of the Lycans, the beasts themselves were slaves to serve as guards for the blood-suckers themselves as they could be cautiously vigilant. Unlike Jace, his little brother wasn't born with the gift. Kadin was born human instead of a lycanthrope but was one of the strongest Lycan ever. Even if he was born a human being, his destiny spoke otherwise; this is his story.

The boy who's bitten was the strongest of us all. We didn't know what that phrase meant, only that someone with the royal blood of the Lycan family was more courageous than us. We'd know him by his strength, speed, heart, and loyalty to his family, who had ensured our safety and taught us how to control the lycanthrope within. The human race didn't know about us, nor the Vampires. The war between Vampires and Lycans has been raging on for eons; these humans are marvelously dull from a couple of centuries before the devices they've made. Kadin thought about the legend that his fourth father, Isaiah, had spoken of; in the visions, his fourth father had seen that Kadin was the strongest Lycan of them all when he came of age.

Isaiah knew that if the assumption is to take Kadin's power, it would be the end of the immortals; Vampires and Lycans alike. The gift was born onto the fourth grandson of the royal lycanthrope family. Isaiah knew Kadin was destined for the greatest war of all time that the Lycan clan has ever seen. He's a true-born leader. However, the battle wasn't ready for Isaiah's great-great-great-grandson, and the vampires weren't either. The day they feared would come to pass as Kadin Draven was, to become a man at age fourteen, the most high-powered Lycan of all.

The young black-haired and gray-eyed boy stared at his brother, "What is it, Kadin?" The nineteen-year-old caucasian male asked his younger brother. Jace put down his book as his brother smiled, "It's my birthday today." he paused before continuing, "Do you think mother would have been proud of me?" He asked his elder brother. Jace chose his following words carefully, "Kadin, you're the spitting image of her. She'd be so proud of the man you've grown to become." Jace let that settle in his younger brother's mind for a few minutes; flashes of his mother raced through Kadin's memories as a pit of pain made its way back in his stomach, just like those many moons ago. That night seemed to creep back into his mind as a twelve-year-old boy watched his mother being in pain, but it wasn't her that they wanted; instead, they wanted him. Jace had seen that look before and shook his little brother, "Kadin, please, look at me. It isn't your fault our mother died." Jace took him out of his thoughts as a tear fell from his gray eyes. He nodded at Jace as he was still blaming himself for their mother's death; she'd died protecting her baby boy. All she ever wanted to do was to keep her children safe.

Jack was ready to see his son become the most valued Lycan the immortals have seen. He went into the living room as his sons were on the couch as the eldest stacked the youngest trying to get him out of his thoughts, "Jace, it's my fault mother is dead." Kadin said as Jace wiped the tears away from his brother's face as he hugged Kadin, "It isn't your fault, my son." Their father told as he walked to them, "Now wipe those tears away and show them what a damn true born of a royal Lycan can be. You're our legacy, the strongest of us all." Jack said with pride as he gave his son a keepsake for his mother, "This was given to me by your mother; she wanted you to have it when you'd become a man." His father told him as he handed him a Lycan pendant with his mom's family crest was on it.

Before she became a Draven, her elder brother gave her their family crest and told her to give it to her youngest son. Kadin grabbed it and pulled away from Jace, "The clan is all waiting for you, Kadin." His dad spoke softly, "I'm ready." He let them know even as they walked out of their home and into the Lycan arena. Standing in the middle of his brethren was his grandfather whose born like Jace. He was the one to help Kadin with his strength, "My friends, the bitten one has come of age where he'll lead us to our victory and make us his pack, our Lycan leader is reborn tonight. My grandson Kadin is our Lycan prince." Jekel shouted to the clan as they howled into the twilight, "Are you ready young Lycan?" Jekel asked as his grandson gave him a nod as his grandfather shifted in his Lycan form. Black fur and his whole body began to alter into a humanoid wolf as he attacked his grandson by biting his neck.

All Kadin could hear was a low growl coming from the young Lycan himself as he screamed in pain as his body started to shift, "Let the pain in it'll make things easier; the worst thing you can do is not letting the pain in!" Kadin's father hollered as his son grew gray fur, claws, and razor-sharp fangs that could rip through flesh. Kadin sighed as he let the pain in, but it sounded more like a growl, "Owooo." He howled as he took his rightful place as the Lycan leader. At last, the pack was complete. Kadin's destiny occurred inescapably, but he didn't know the trials he had to overcome next would be challenging; the young Lycan had no idea what he was getting himself in.