A call to duty? (2)

Yes, you read right, ride.

About three months after I came, I had a dream. In the dream, I was standing in a sea, a large sea. I was in the middle of the sea, legs covered up to my knees but wasn't sinking. It was like an invisible stool held me up, or an invisible floor. The tides pushed and pulled around me, splashing and clashing and wetting my white dress and hair. My head was up to the moonlight as I inhaled and exhaled with eyes close, just listening to the waves and feeling the moon aura around me.

Then there was a voice, and that name again that I was called back at the castle. The voice ordered me to shift, and I did. It was the most painful experience, the most pain I had ever felt since I was born. I felt like my bones were going to shatter and my heart would burst out of my chest. It took me ten minutes to shift, but when Majesty stood on top of the water, howling to the moon and controlling the tides around her, I knew it was worth it.

I woke up to see my bed drenched with sweat, and Majesty silent. That evening, the pack went for their evening run and as usual, I sat on dad's back to ride him since I wasn't in the mood to run. Mum's wolf challenged dad's to a race, Lula was not on her back, thankfully. I got down from dad's back and let them go play. Thirty minutes later, I felt it, some rogues cross over our territory and I saw them heading to where mum was hiding away from dad.

Majesty panicked and pushed me to run. I was running and before I knew it, I was running on four paws. The feeling was amazing, indescribable, unfathomable. It was the best feeling in my life so far. We got there on time, mum was already fighting the rogues and one was about to clamp down on her neck. Immediately they saw Majesty, they were too afraid to move. Trust Majesty to over exaggerate her "majesty". The rogues were killed by dad, and I shifted back.

No one saw Majesty, they only said I moved in a blur and the next thing they felt was my wolf breaking free to save mum. My parents decided it was wise to keep my wolf a secret because you know, she's not the normal wolf you see everyday. I shifted sometimes to run, but Majesty was too fast for anyone to see. The girls and my parents were the only one who had seen my wolf. And of course, Lula. Majesty loved her little sister a lot, and would often take her out to run.

That was why Zira and Isla were so determined to knock me down so they could see my mystery wolf too, and ride her. Lula didn't make the story easy for them.

"Hey, Lu," I called, carrying her into my arms. Majesty urged me to sniff her and make sure she wasn't hurt. It was a habit, an unnecessary one. I did anyways, so she won't nag about me being a bad sister and human half.

Lula giggled with a squeal. "You don't always have to smell me, I'm fine. If I wasn't, mum would have freaked out on me already."

"Sorry, Majesty's order. Where's mum and dad?"

"Arguing over what she would wear," Lula giggled, "Mummy bought really nice dresses for the ball, but daddy said they are too much and expose and announce what is his. So mummy and daddy are arguing over it. Daddy wants to burn the dresses but mummy won't let him."

"Aren't you like too old to be calling mummy and daddy?" Isla asked derisively. Lula stuck out her tongue to her.

"It's cute when I say it, and I'm eight, not twelve,"

"Eight is old enough, genius," Isla retorted sarcastically.

"Okay, I'm going inside to make sure dad don't burn the dresses and mum don't murder him," Zeph announce.

"Ur, no," Moira said firmly, "I'll handle it. The last twelve times you tried to settle them, it resulted to something worse, so no. I'll go in there or let them solve their problems them…" Mum ran out hugging her shopping bags.

"Moira, lifesaver, thank goodness you are here. Hide this," she shoved the bags into Moira's hands. Moira quickly took them to the car and hid them inside. Dad stomped out that moment.

"You are not wearing that, Eleanor, I know what you are doing. You bought all those clothes to impress your ex who you know will be there,"

"Married ex of twenty one years ago? Baby, grow up already."

"I know you still think he is better looking than me," dad accused, pointing his index finger at her.

"Obviously," mum said under her breath, causing a loud gasp to leave dad's mouth.

"You still love him!"

"And I married you," mum added sarcastically. I dropped Lula and went over to dad. I grabbed his bicep with a amuse chuckle. Their bickering will never seize to amaze me.

"Okay, big guy, let's go for a walk,"

"Didn't you hear her? She still loves him," he kvetched as I pulled him out of sight.

"You know she is messing with you. You can't really stop mum, or can you?" He mock mimicked me silently, pouting his lips in a funny way. I laughed at his childish display, but said nothing until he was done letting his anger out by mimicking me.

"So, how's school?"

"Fine, the usual."

"You didn't attend the last pack dinner," he stated.

"Test."

"Any boyfriend?" He teased. I rolled my eyes, which made him laugh. "You are definitely your father's daughter," he laughed.

"Didn't you date thirty nine women and slept with fifty before you met mum?"

He pressed his fingers to my lips quickly and shushed me, glancing behind him to make sure mum didn't hear it. We were far away already. "I thought that was our secret?"

"You said I am your daughter, I'm not like you. I don't even want boys."

"That's because you grew up in a place with no boys… okay, if that was the case, Moira and Zeph would have been like you. Nevertheless, you are still like me, case close."

"Right," I drawled sarcastically. He chuckled and scratched behind my ear, because Majesty liked it.

"Hello, my little warrior, how are you?" He asked Majesty. I felt her nudge his wolf through the pack bond and he rubbed his head on it. I rolled my eyes at their display of affection. Majesty had change too. I guess being with the right people in the right environment, helped her as much as it helped me.

"So, this birthday is lasting a week?" He nodded.

"The king hasn't thrown a party for himself since he became king, so many is attending to show their support." Dad explained as we stepped behind a tree. I knew what he wanted, Majesty was nagging me for it too.

"Why? Is he belligerent or something?" I asked, taking off my sweater.

"Definitely or something. Although many say it's because of his father's sudden death and his early rise to the throne. The weight of power and responsibilities were too much on his young shoulders, so it crushed his enthusiasm and easiness. Many say he's always too serious, but I know he is just trying to be the best his father wanted him to be."

"You know him?"

"Been in a couple of meetings with him," dad said as he flexed his arms. Gosh, mom is lucky with this one.

"I understand how it feels to have responsibilities on you. Back at the castle, I had to live up to the ladies expectations as the so called next successor. It was pretty hard on me. Now imagine running an entire population of mystical creatures at fourteen. Especially as he ascended the throne at a time of rising conflict between elves and wolves. It must have stressed him to use his wisdom to avoid the war and bring back complete peace."

Of course I read about him, it was part of my history exam. I was amazed and fascinated by what I read. That was truly remarkable. Losing your parents at such age, before you had the chance to live, and then ascending the throne and stopping a war. It took all his wisdom, his tactics at that age to keep werewolves and elves in good terms. I also read on how he stopped the tribes of lycans from attacking the hellhounds, and the werefoxs from the hyenas. He was king of all canids. His father tried to take control of half of them during his early reign, but the present king successfully took over all werecanids.

Dad and I took off into the woods, letting our wolves out for a long run. Majesty was taller than dad, which was saying something because his wolf was huge.

‘So, he just decided to hold a birthday party this year?’ I asked telepathically.

‘Not actually. According to what I heard, the elders forced him to. He has been king for nearly seven hundred years now, and hasn't found his mate or a queen because he don't associate or stay at any mating ball. So the elders thought that maybe if he does hold a party, he might fortunately find his mate and she will help him calm down a bit. Or he can fall in love.’

‘So it's more of a “find the king a mate” party.’ Majesty chuckled.

‘If you put it that way, yes, that's what it is. I doubt he would be there for long anyways, he never stays.’

‘What will happen if he finds his mate and she dies?’ I asked the most obvious question. Dad's wolf gave mine a look.

‘Xyra, did you see anything?’

‘Yes, not clear, but a strong enough warning. He's going to run mad, isn't he?’

‘All lycans do when they lose their mates. Which is why the goddess restrain from giving them one.’

Which was true. With how easy they lost their minds after losing their erasthasis, it was best they didn't have one. No one wanted a powerful lycan to go wild and wipe out an entire population, just because their soulmate died. It indeed was why they didn't get one too often. In fact, one could stay for a thousand years and not hear of a lycan finding a mate. They usually just fall in love and get married or get married without love. The king was the strongest like I read. If him losing his mate would turn him against the entire population of living creatures, then maybe it is my duty to protect her.

Maybe, just maybe this is what I am meant to do.