Chapter 3 - Welcome Home?
The Lycans’ Realm.
The double doors of the small hall were thrown open with force, and the black-robed men who sat in a circle, in the middle of the hall turned with annoyance to look at whosoever it was that was bold enough to interrupt their meeting.
“Who dares—” one began to speak but his words vanished when he saw who it was. “The Alpha's son.”
“He has returned.”
“Impossible.”
“Gamma! You are here! You are welcome!” The one who had spoken first said again, as he walked away from the circle and rushed towards the door.
“Where is The Elder Superior?” Ikrus fired. The female in his hand was bleeding and the child was weak, the portal that brought them here had been merciless to them, and he had no use for the Elders’ silly pleasantries.
“He is meditating in the High Room—”
Without waiting to hear any other thing, Ikrus rushed to the High Room, only to find two guards by the door, stopping him.
Stopping… him?!
“The Elder Superior is not to be disturbed—”
“Step. Aside.” He gritted. When the guards looked at him, recognition set in along with fear. One pushed the door open for him while another quickly announced his presence in a shaky voice before they both stumbled out of his way.
The room smelt of lavender and all those numerous lit candles. Something about that made him rageful, and in his mind, he could already imagine the whole room ablaze.
The Elder Superior turned to him with shock and even more shock when he realized what he had brought to him.
“A Ringer! Alive! Treason! You—”
Ikrus laid her on the floor and the baby by her side. “Heal them. Pull the Ringer out of her.”
“The Alpha forbids—”
“HEAL HER!” In a flash, Ikrus had his claws around the Elder Superior’s neck and his eyes flashed red. “Or no one leaves this room alive.”
The Elder Superior's heart raced with that and his gaze darted to the side before he looked down at the Ringer and the baby that was faintly breathing by her side. He blinked with fear and he nodded shakily. “The— others—”
Ikrus sent the guards at the door to get the rest of the Elders. They were there in no time, trying to heal a Ringer, and then seal it away. Wasting precious resources on this human and what was certainly her child instead of getting rid of them.
It was no secret, along with the mark on her neck that served as a confirmation, that the female was the Gamma’s mate.
The news spread like wildfire that a human was in the Realm, that the human had a Ringer within her, that the human was the Gamma’s mate but not just that, she already had a child that certainly wasn't the Gamma's. But most of all, the news that shocked everyone was that the Gamma was back!
How was he back without the Elders’ summon?
The news spread to the Alpha too but in more crime-painted words; his own son had gone against his orders and made him into a fool to the whole pack.
His son had committed a crime.
The Alpha’s son had committed treason.
The Alpha was furious.
What insolence!
For a crime as great as that, the punishment was death, but for Ikrus, death wasn't sufficient.
It would never be sufficient.
Something else would have to do.
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Ikrus stepped into the throne room waiting for his punishment, his chest swelling with anger. But his father wasn't on the throne, instead, he met someone else.
“Ikrus!” a female's voice cut through the air as she ran to him with nothing but absolute joy. She jumped into his arms and for once since he got back to his Realm, Ikrus smiled as he caught her in an embrace.
“Oana.”
“I’ve missed you so much!”
“I have only been gone a couple of Moons.”
He settled her back on her feet and brushed his hand over her blond hair. Oana’s skin was as bright as the sun, her brown eyes always reflected the warmness that forever lived in her heart, and the sound of her laughter always made the Pack House feel more like home. She embodied positivity even in the color of the dresses she wore.
Her bright yellow was a contrast to his dirty and bloodstained black fur clothes, just as their lives were in contrast to one another. At least, one of them was loved by their father.
He was happy about that.
“Even a Moon is too much. You know that, brother. Tell me everything about the Realms. Tell me! Tell me! Tell—”
“Yes, tell us. I heard you found your mate. Is that true?” The Luna asked as she stepped into the room, beautifully dressed in white and a sincere smile playing on her lips.
Ikrus' smile broadened instinctively but before he would have the opportunity to say a word, the Alpha stepped in with a goblet of wine in his hand, a long golden robe hanging by his shoulders and leaving his hairy, broad, and scarred chest open.
Ikrus’ smile vanished, and the warmness in the room vanished. Gone, just with the Alpha’s presence.
There were many things Ikrus hated about his father but nothing served as a constant reminder of his hatred as much as his father’s appearance did.
Ikrus looked almost exactly like his father, the hooked nose, the tired yet observant eyes, the everything!
He would usually cut his hair short so he could at least have something different from his father, but during his hunt in the other Realms, his hair and beard had grown long, and now, they almost looked like each other’s reflection only that one was younger.
He hated it.
“Alpha.” They all fell on one knee as he settled into his throne, a frown etched into his face as he drank from his goblet. Then they stood up.
“Father—” Ikrus started to approach the throne but the Alpha sent his goblet crashing against him, making him halt with the splash.
“You Bastard!” He slammed his fist against the throne’s armrest. “No son of mine would ever go against me as you have done!”
“I am your only son.”
The sound of a slap echoed in the throne room and Oana gasped, while the side of Ikrus' face burned from his father’s heavy hit.
“You will remedy your action.” The Alpha turned away from him and started heading to the throne. “You know what to do.”
“No.”
His father’s claw swiped across his face and just as he hadn't shielded himself from the slap, he didn't shield himself from this. Oana yelled from behind him, she was already crying. He wished she hadn't been here to see this.
His father’s eyes flashed red and slowly his robes shredded as he became bigger, his wolf surging to the surface with rage.
“I. Am. Your. Alpha! You. Will. Do. It!”
Ikrus took a stumbling step backward. “NO! I WILL NOT. I WILL NOT KILL MY MATE LIKE YOU DID YOURS! I will not do to her what you did to my Mother!“