A Lycan's Bride

Amolia, the greatest witch to ever come into existence, sat in the silence of her cabin atop the peak of Mountain Rainer, safely away from the realms down below. She'd been a young child of eighteen when she'd moved beyond the boundaries of Firestone Hearth, aware it wasn't where she belonged. A vision quest had shown her a truth to what very few people were aware of, a fate that was soon to unfold in the future and what needed to be done. The reason why despite her family's inability to comprehend the reason for her decisions she'd left their sacred home, to head out on this journey of his.

It had taken more years than she'd been hoping to reach this point, but at long last it was upon her and soon her promise would be made true. She's almost here, she thought. Chuckling as she sensed the essence of the woman that moved towards her sacred cabin, having sensed her decision the moment she approached the mountain. The unknown woman was unaware that her arrival there had been predestined long before she'd come to the world, as this was always meant to happen.

A knock came.

From where she sat upon the brocade chair in the corner of the room with a careless wave of her hand the front door came open on its own. Amolia motioned to the cloaked figure that stood in the doorway, making no attempts to greet her at the door, "Come on in my lady."

The one beneath the cloak made their way into the cabin, astonished to see that on the inside was an enormous estate rather than it appeared on the surface. Rather than focusing on the surprise that she felt in that moment her soft lilac eyes focused on the one who'd welcomed her in, that not aught more than a child, "Is your mother home my child?"

She giggled, "My dear my mother has been gone from this world since long before your great-grandmother was born, so I'd have to say no to your question."

She frowned, "I...

"What brings you here?" she cut in. No doubt the woman was doubting her capabilities due to her outside appearance, unaware of the truth of the one that was currently sitting before her.

She took a breath, "Amolia, the Firestone witch."

A broad smile broke out across her face at the announcement the woman had made to her, no less than what she'd known would be the outcome, "Then, your majesty, rest assured that you've found the one you sought."

Her eyes widened, "You?"

"Yes, majesty," she agreed.

Her voice shook, "Do you know me?"

Amolia smiled affectionately at the cloaked woman that'd come to be in her own tonight, a wealth of emotions flooded the center of her being, "Let's say I've been waiting a very long time for you. So there's no need for you to hide your face from me, Natalliah Ravenwood."

Coming to see her identity had been uncovered by the girl shaky hands came up to open the cloak, removing the garment it was laid across the chair. Then standing there her honey gold curls were allowed to fan all around her and her luminescent blue eyes focused on the young girl before her. "Do you know why I've come?"

Yes, but didn't tell her that. Amolia motioned to a chair across from her, "Tell me what brings you here."

Showing no response when the chair moved on its own towards her Nataliah lowered down in the seat as had been suggested, focusing on the one before her, "I want to have a child."

"Hmm," she mumbled.

It was her incentive to carry on, which she gladly did. "My husband and I have tried for a great many number of years, despite the warnings it'd never be possible, but have proven failures in this regard. We can't conceive for our mixed bloodline."

"You're a werewolf," she mused.

She nodded, "He is a lycan."

Her eyes rounded, "A mingling of the houses, it's forbidden."

Natalliah bobbed her head, "I fell in love with him as did my beast the moment that I laid eyes on him, for that reason I was cast out and a price has been placed on my head if I was to ever return. I didn't care. He's my mate. Now we only wish to have a child. Our witch said that you'd be able to help."

Rising from the chair she'd been sitting on Amolia moved to a giant cupboard that appeared out of nowhere, casually rummaging through her tonics, "Yes, I can enable you to have the cub you and your mate so desire."

"Thank you," she cried.

A hand held off her cries of excitement, "First you must understand that this help does not come freely, all magic comes at a price, even one as innocent and pure as the birth of a child."

"Anything," she vowed.

Chuckling under her breath at the response she'd received from her, truly wondering if she understood the choices she was making for herself. In the end, it failed to matter, this was the path that had been chosen for the both of them and neither could deter from the path of prophecy. Reaching for the vial she'd been looking for she moved towards the cauldron that appeared in the middle of the room, then poured the mixture inside, "If you are sure, I need you to place exactly five droplets of your own blood, a string of your hair and your most prized possession on you."

Understanding the decision was left in her capable hands Netalliah reached for the knife that was extended out to her and moved to the cauldron. Pricking the tip of her finger just like she had been instructed, she placed exactly five drops of her own blood inside, then a lock of her hair. Lastly she reached for the left hand where an enormous blue diamond rested, that her mate had given her when they were united into marriage so many years before.

She held it out. "My most prized possession."

Pleased when the woman had completed the steps she'd given her, she added an additional vial and then placed the contents into a jar. Amolia handed it to her, "When you get home place this jar beneath the bed where you and your husband share, leave it to fester for one month, then on the next full moon both of you need to drink. Be sure each of you gets half and all drink, then when you consummate the pact your child will be granted to you."

"Thank you so much," Natalliah cried.

The witch stopped her from leaving, "Just know by doing this, you have acknowledged there is a price to be paid. Forewarned my contracts can never be broken. In three hundred years time upon the crowning of the new king I will come to claim what rightfully belongs to me."

"I promise," she vowed.

The woman had no sooner departed from the cabin when a woman stepped out from her hiding place in the shadows, her blood-red eyes could not be denied. She grinned broadly, "She did it?"

"Yes my lady," Amolia spoke to her presence not surprised to have found her eavesdropping, knowing that she wanted to play a part in the interaction, "If you want this, you know what needs to be done."

Never giving herself the time to think of her decision she moved to the cauldron, just like Natalliah adding her own blood and hair into the cauldron, handing over a family amulet to her. Swirling around the contents to be found inside of the pot she cast a spell on the elixir in the hopes for it to achieve the goals she'd been aiming for. It was poured into a jar.

"What do I do?"

Amolia grinned, "Bury it in the deepest, darkest, most powerful depths of the family crypt, leave it there for two hundred and fifty years. Then on the rising of the moons, when three moons share the sky at once, drink it all and you shall finally have what you want."

"Thank you, Amolia."

As the woman left her cabin Amolia was granted with a vision of the future, of a dark-haired man covered in tattoos, wrapping arms around a red-eyed girl. Tonight had ensured that the future would be mapped out for both of them, neither woman was fully aware of the choices that were made for them tonight. In all due time, she thought. Three hundred years to be exact.

Excited at the prospect of the outcome of the journey she'd taken Natalliah made the trip back home. To Animalia. Kingdom of the Lycans. The land of her husband's birth.

At one time the thought of coming anywhere near this place illicit a wealth of terror inside of her. Every child of Can Lupus knew the dangers of coming anywhere near this place, that could bring death. Only now as she walked through the gates of the inner city of the kingdom Natalliah expressed none of the fear that'd once occupied her thoughts. All thanks to him. Oren. Her beloved mate.

From the moment she'd laid eyes on the much older man her heart was forever claimed by him, not even understanding the depth of love she'd grown. Though the brutish bastard he'd been only seen her as the enemy at the time, a way to strike out at the werewolf kingdom, he'd soon changed his tune. Despite his best intentions not to and boy he fought against anything romantic coming between them, he too had developed feelings for her.

"My love," King Oren greeted her.

Rushing into the arms of her husband she failed to care how inappropriate their actions were, it'd been close to a week since she'd felt his embrace, "I've missed you."

"I feel the same," he growled lustfully as he stared down at his beloved wife, leaving little doubt of the thoughts he was having at the time, "Hopefully it was worth it, as I'm never allowing it again."

She held up a jar, "It was."

"We'll have a child?"

She nodded, "Yes my love."

Just like the witchling had instructed her to do she placed the jar beneath the bed she shared with her husband, to allow the elixir to reach potency. Even as she prayed that she was granted her fondest wish she never once doubted what the witchling told her, Amolia's abilities were legendary. If the witchling assured her a child would be granted, then as long as she followed the directions to the letter then a child it'd be.

Every morning she awoke Natalliah and Oren stood on the bedside praying to the gods this worked, envisioning the child they hoped for in the future. Showing both the goddess and the magicks that neither of them had lost faith, both of them believed. And every night as they came before the altars, both recited the same prayers with visions of their child in mind.

On the rising of the next full moon, Natalliah poured each of them half the contents in the goblet, cautioning him every drop had to be consumed. Despite the liquid being bitter and nasty to the taste neither of them allowed this to stop them, determined nothing would get in the way of their dreams. Then once the concoction settled in their stomach feeling the essence of the magic flowing through their veins they consummated their love.

Queen Natalliah's screams of excitement shot through the castle nineteen days later, as she rushed into the arms of her husband to announce the presence of the cub growing inside of her. None could deny the soft pattering of a heartbeat that came inside of her womb, or the ever so slight mound that'd surfaced to her stomach. Queen Natalliah was pregnant.

The entire kingdom rejoiced when seven months later the queen was thrown into labor and after a difficult night produced a son for her husband. A son she called Toren, meaning special born. A miracle child. The first hybrid in existence, born of magic, his birth marking a change soon to come. A change none of them were even aware was to take place, that'd forever change the world that they presently lived in.

Unaware to them nearly exactly two hundred and eighty years later, the young Prince Toren still very much a child at heart, Empress Lorelle gave birth. Another miracle child. Two days following the most difficult birth Empress Lorelle presented her child to the kingdom at large, a little girl with the most startling white hair with one red eye and one luminescent blue.

The Empress smiled down at those who'd gathered around in the courtyard, holding up the child she'd laboriously brought into the world. "I present to you Kilah Pyper, Princess of Blood Vayne."

There was a chorus of cheers.

Princess Kilah "Mommy?"

"Yes, princess?"

"What are we doing here?" I, barely at the age of three, looked up in askance of my mother as we walked threw the snow. At the time I didn't understand the importance of the little outing my mother had chosen to take us on. Nor could my young and innocent mind fathom how much my life was about to forever change.

My young mind could not understand why my mother had brought me to this place, the land of our enemies. What could she be thinking? Did she not know how dangerous they were? I was so afraid of what could happen if any of them learned of our presence here, I was far too young to die. Yet, even as I trembled and shook at the thought of what was to come, mommy did not seem to share my views.

"There's someone very special I would like you to see," Mommy said holding onto my tiny chubby baby hand and leading me deeper into the woods. She had come to a decision of what needed to be done and none of my complaints could sway her mind.

"Who?" I wondered.

"You'll see," she promised.

All too soon my mommy stopped as we reached the edge of the woods, clearly having reached our destination. Dropping into a crouch next to me, she smiled and her eyes glowed brightly, there was such happiness there. "Look out there sweetie, do you see him?"

I saw the man with the dark shaggy hair and eyes that were such a bright blue I never thought to see. My fear was forgotten in the face of the beautiful man, a strange yearning built inside of me. I wanted to go to him, to let him hold me in his arms and to remain at his side forever.

"Mommy, I feel weird?"

She smiled. "What do you feel?"

"He makes me feel...safe," I finished, my upturned face frowned and I was stumped by the feelings that washed over me then. "Something tells me to go to him, that together I will always be safe."

That smile was back on her face as she came sit down on the ground and patted next to her for me to sit. Mommy bobbed her head. "His name is Prince Toren, one day when he's grown he will become the Lycan Alpha King, to rule over all of his people."

"Like me," I giggled.

Mommy stroked the side of my face in a loving manner. "Yes, my child, just like you he was born into royalty and like all of us royals we must look out for our people."

My face scrunched up again. "Whose he to me mommy?"

"He is to be your husband."

My eyes brightened. "Really?"

"Yes, my daughter," Mommy assured me. "Just as I promised the witch that brought me you one day, when you are older, she will call upon us. When she does the two of you will be united in marriage and together you two will lead us to a brighter future."

The biggest smile I'd ever expressed washed across my features right then, at what I was being told by her. I'd known that mommy had brought me here for a purpose but I never imagined it'd be this. "I think I love him, mommy. Do you think he will love me?"

"Yes, in time, I think he will."

Excitement built inside of me at her assurances, my eyes cast out on the horizon as I watched him. So many thoughts and emotions flooded threw my young mind, too naive to understand the complicated future I faced.

Two years later.....

"Kilah?"

"Where are you, daughter?"

"Where is that girl?"

When my mother's voice rang out among the walls of the castle we called home, I was not in residence to hear her. Nor anywhere close by. At that very moment, I found myself slipping threw the trees of the forest, hundreds of miles away from the castle. I knew mommy wouldn't be pleased when I finally returned, but my excitement couldn't be contained. So despite the trouble I'd surely be in, I'd snuck out against her wishes.

Again.

As I stepped out of the thick green brush surrounding me, I reached the edge of the cliffside. Smiling at the thought of where I'd come to be I slowly sat down on the ground and watched in the distance. Though I was more than a couple hundred yards away from my target, heightened vision allowed me to see beyond the human eye. Happiness blossomed in my heart when I saw the doors to the castle open and a man walked outside.

It was Toren.

My king.

My future husband.

I watched Prince Toren move around the yard, as others seemed to be surrounding him in the yard. A grin lifted up the corner of my lips as I spied the men, instantly recognizing who they were. There'd been other times these same men had come around him, often spending hours training beneath the sun. I was right. I sat there kicking my feet excitingly and munching on crackers, as I watched them training together. Toren was so strong, none of them could take him down and all too soon he'd put all of them on their butts.

I was gone by sundown.

One day my king, I promised.

One day we'll be together.

When I finally took it upon myself to return to the walls of the castle my Mommy waited, impatiently tapping her foot. She watched me as I sailed threw the gates of the castle and hands were planted on her hips angrily. "Do I need to ask where you ran off to this time?"

"No," I said honestly.

Sighing in exasperation Mommy threw her hands up into the air, growing frustrated at my answer. "Damn it Kilah, why do you insist on doing this? I've told you a million different times it's not safe for you out there."

"I had to see him," I told her.

"What if you'd been seen?" Mommy continued on her rant, not willing to cool down now that she knew I was home safe. "You're a child, you're in no way equipped to deal with the outside world. If one of them had found you and discovered the truth of what you are, then I'd be arranging your funeral now."

Even though I knew Mommy was scared and had her reasons for keeping me inside, it didn't stop me the next time. The both of us knew that it'd only be a matter of months before I escaped again and we were right.