Jana : A Prince's Tale 3

Jana woke up when he felt panic strike him. He opened his eyes and looked around and saw the cot. It had his two and half-year-old in it. Jana smiled as he lifted his son up who started whining. 

"Let go," he mumbled unintelligibly and squirmed his way down and toddled to the door. He then proceeded to the room next and Jana groaned. There was no getting him back now.

Kanwar opened his door and saw his nephew and lifted him up.

"Is your dad being mean again?" asked Kanwar.

"Kanwar, what are you teaching him?" asked Jana swatting his brother's head and getting little Arth from him. All his brothers spoiled him rotten.

Kanwar looked at Jana.

"There is a meeting with the 16 clans today. I just got a request," said Kanwar giving the letter to Jana who took it and sighed seeing Jeev take Arth in his arms. Jeev was more responsible.

"I will feed him. You see what it is," said Jeev, having noticed the document in Jana's hand.

Once they left, Jana looked at Kanwar and touched his cheek. There were black marks forming there.

"Is it your wolf?" asked Jana.]

Kanwar nodded.

"Maybe you should talk to Eka," said Jana.

"Well, it was him who banished me from Myrkovir taking my right away to even visit my uncles and little cousin. Not the other way around. And it's not me who has refused to see my face in the past fifteen years," said Kanwar, his voice going harsh as he said it and then he stormed off.

Jana, having been a very reckless youth himself could see why Eka distanced himself from Kanwar. But Kanwar was not going to believe it unless he hears the reasons from Eka himself which seems unlikely as he never even steps out of Myrkovir now. Eka and Kanwar never saw each other after they turned 17. To be honest no one knew if they were even mates. But the breaking of the friendship cost them both a lot.

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Jana sighed as he went down. He saw Jeev feeding Arth as Carles encouraged him. Carles was very laid back. And most of the days, when he did not need to attend to his hunter duties, he can be seen cuddling with Arth.

He saw Ivory and Aren trying to tie Keira and Ava's hair and groaned. Jwala was glaring at the girls.

"When were you going to tell me about this guy you are dating Ava?" asked Jwala.

"Leave it alone. We will deal with it later," said Ivory, his voice firm as he looked at Jwala glaring at her to back down.

She just groaned and went and sat near Ira who patted on her back.

Vir came running in.

"Brother, there is an attack in the northern frontiers. There are rogues as well as members of the northern packs," said Vir. He was as good a hunter like his dad and Kanwar hated not having him around. It was like his right hand was missing when it happened.

"Ask them to get them locked with silver and bring them in," said Kanwar.

"Pran is there," said Vir.

Anger rushed through both Jana and Kanwar when that sentence was uttered.

"What the fuck is he doing at the edge of the forest. Ask him to get back home immediately. I am going to put a leash on all of you," said Jana glaring at Ishq, France and Jeet. Jeet was only 13 years old and Avadh and Iker had him much late in life.

He scrambled to Carles' side who shaded all three from Jana's wrath.

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Jana looked at the total chaos in the hall. They were a big family. Anthony was away in Ilse. If he and his family were also here the numbers would have been much bigger. He has heard stories that their family had as many as 200 people before they were killed when his dad was young.

All the parents were away on a 90-day trip which all the kids had planned for them to the last detail. They wanted their parents to have some time to themselves.

Jana turned. Kanwar was standing by the side.

"I will have to punish all the trespassers or all this will set a prerogative for other packs. Do you know what that means?" asked Kanwar.

"War with the Mantini's," said Jana.

"Alpha Magnus Mantini is going to come with a blazing sword," said Kanwar.

"We are ready. We have to upkeep the law. They were seen with rogues and their statements seem fishy. This is no ordinary pack territory. This is where the royal palace is. This is where the King is. No one, not even the northern pack should be able to trespass without severe consequences," said Jana firmly. Kanwar nodded.

Anthony came up the stairs.

"Brother," both hugged him.

"You both behave like I was missing for a month. I was only gone for a week," said Anthony and sat down.

"So, we are going to war?" asked Anthony.

Jeev looked at him.

"You know the rule," said Jeev.

"Yes, and I agree with you," said Anthony and got up.

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"What happened?" asked Jana without turning when he felt a comparatively small figure leaning against his shoulder. He was washing up in the kitchen and He knew who it was. 

Jeet was a baby to all of them. Though he was their brother all the older ones saw him more like a son. 

"Is everything going to be okay?" asked Jeet.

"Yes, we are going to be fine. Don't you know that you have the King and the most powerful warriors under your roof," asked Jana placing his arm around Jeet who scowled?

"But he is Alpha Magnus Mantini. Even our pack wolves are scared of him," said Jeet.

"We are not the pack wolves, are we?" asked Jana.

Jeet was biting on his lip still worried.

"Tell you what, you get to tell the whole story to dad's when they get back," said Jana.

Jeet smiled.

"I miss them," said Jeet.

"I miss them too. They will be back soon," said Jana.

"I know. Shit, I behave like a baby," scowled Jeet.

"That is because you are a baby," teased Kanwar who walked in.

"I am not. Arth is baby," said Jeet stomping his foot and throwing beans at Kanwar.

"Not helping your case and do you know what the punishment is for attacking the King?" asked Carles, making the last question serious making Jeet scowl.

"What? Are you going to throw me to the wolves in the woods? Oh, wait a second we are the wolves," sassed Jeet.

"I punish him to be tickled till he squeals like a baby," said Kanwar.

Ivory took to the task as all the others cheered on.

"Bullies," scowled Jeet.

"Aw no, it is just that you are the youngest of us," said Anthony lifting up Jeet.

"Brother, put me down now," squeaked Jeet and finally Anthony put him down.

"You are all mean," he scowled and took Arth and marched off.

The Alwar De Russe elders knew a war was coming. Sleep was slow to grace them that night.

Magnus woke when he heard the slamming of a door. He sat up and got dressed and rushed down. It was the woman he slept with the night before. She was trying to move something. This was his outhouse. He never brought his Lay's to his house. For one, he had no intention of parading various people in front of his brothers. Second, he did not want them in his personal space. He knew that classifies him as a dick in the book of judgement but he did not give a flying fuck as to what others thought.

Her name is Lyra. One can even call her a mistress because he met with her whenever he needed the release and was not in a mood to go and get some.

He grabbed her and she coyly looked at him. Magnus often questioned his choice in lays.

He took her upstairs and pounded into her cunt till he came again in her and he felt all the stress leave him. Magnus moved away from her. He always uses protection to avoid weird stuff from happening, like getting someone up the duff.

Magnus was on his way out when he started to feel dizzy. He was not sure what was happening.

"Magnus," he heard his older brother's voice and he saw Samuel choking Lyra as Clement tried to

talk to him.

"Don't spare her," muttered Magnus realizing he was poisoned before he took Clement's arm.

Once he was taken to the healers, they tended to him.

"I will never know how he realizes someone has a murder intention on him," said Clement.

Samuel sighed. "Thank the universe he has it or he would be dead by now," said Samuel running his hand through Magnus' hair.

Magnus was the middle child. Samuel used to rule the pack until five years before. Till then Magnus was his warrior. Then he lost his mate. Samuel had been a ruthless Alpha and then he found his mate in the moorlands. He had rejected the mate outright as his focus was on his pack and his brothers and she was a warrior of the moorland pack and obsessed with killing him. He thought rejection would be the better option when they first met and somehow her wolf reacted badly. She died before him screaming in pain. Samuel was not sure if he even felt guilty. But he couldn't focus on anything anymore and gave the pack leadership to Magnus who was not very eager. Magnus liked his life as it was. He used to roam around, hunt, get laid, repeat.

Samuel was glad for his decision. Magnus's anger was far more controlled now. Magnus was awake even as the poison was drawn from him.

Samuel waited till Magnus could breathe and sit up.

"Why the fuck did you sleep with her when you knew she was planning on killing you," snapped Clement. Clement was the more reckless hunter. Yet, he is now asking questions which go to say a lot about the stunt Magnus just pulled.

"Well, I fucked her over, didn't I?" sneered Magnus. Magnus can forgive almost anything but betrayal.

Clement scowled at him but sat down next to his brother and leaned on him.

"I can't wait for you to find your mate. Someone should take you or neither me nor Sam will have peace," said Clement.

Magnus looked at Samuel who was also rolling his eyes. Clement always liked to talk like the oldest.

"Oh, really grandfather. You are under the misconception that someone can tame me? Magnus Mantini" snorted Magnus.

Samuel agreed, somewhat.

Clement looked at him.

"We will see, won't we? Your power variations are not something caused by physical fatigue and you know that," said Clement.

Magnus did not say anything. Clement went outside as some hunters came there. After listening to them he walked in furious.

"The King's hunters have taken our hunting crew along with rogues who were seen in the area," said Clement.

"What? " asked Magnus and Samuel alike.

'Avadh Alwar was the greatest King in the history of the Kingdom. However, that does not give his sons the license to run an Emergency rule," said Samuel.

"And they are going to learn that now. Can't hide behind their dads' stature and power now, Can they?" sneered Magnus, furious.

"Wait, is it wise to antagonize the King?" asked Clement.

"Well, it is not the King who makes the decisions and if the King goes against the public and packs, yes I see nothing wrong with going up in arms against the King either," said Magnus.

Samuel was silent which meant he agreed. Clement sighed.

"I am coming with you," said Samuel.

"No, Brother, you trusted me with this pack, now you should be able to rest and you know there is nothing I am not capable of," said Magnus.

Samuel sighed and looked at Clement.

They will just have to follow him without his knowledge.

"Jana is loved by people. He is noble, kind and generous and above that the most powerful warrior of Manowar. I am not saying that we are not powerful, but he has the added advantage of being a prince too," said Clement.

"Well, we will show the biased thoughtless prince that he will not go unquestioned and he knew they are our pack. A good prince and King should have respected the power packs. This shows their utter disregard for our power. After this everyone will know that not even the King is above us," said Magnus.

Magnus was furious as he changed into his dark black wolf form and commanded his packs. They charged into the woods. Samuel and Clement hid their smell and followed him.

Magnus' immediate lieutenants Pavel and Remi are both mates and they were on both his sides. They reached the northern end of the woods. Heavy protection was there in the area. It was already the next daybreak by then.

It was the law that there were no wars in daylight. So they waited for the sunset to get back their people. Magnus saw the palace as it darkened and the palace lit up in all its glory. As he stood looking at the palace, he felt something odd. Something was not right.