The fight rages on.
So far, my mother and uncle have waged a war of arguments pro and con for me to take part in the upcoming tournament that will decide the next in line for the throne.
My mom thinks it is a lost battle because the King already has a nephew who everybody knows will be appointed as his successor anyway. No one really knows why the King is resistant to making that public, but it has been suggested that Lucius is not a fan of his nephew.
My uncle thinks it is a great opportunity to further advance my career. In his words, I could stay here and be the Alpha of my father's pack, or I could potentially be the next King of one of the most powerful nations on Earth.
I would only have to beat hundreds, if not thousands, of other Alphas from all across the country, some of them even older than me, since the contest is valid for people up to 25 years of age. What's not to fear?
To be fair, my uncle has been preparing me for this day ever since my father died, with incessant training sessions under the ruse of preparing me for Alpha. He has a political mind that I do not possess, so I suspect that he always knew this day would arrive, and he prepared me for it.
The question remains, would I even want to be King? It's not something one can aspire to; you have to be born for it. Had the King been able to have any children of his own, they would be King or Queen. For my money, we could benefit from having a Queen instead of a King. Just saying...
My mother basically has just accused me of wanting to leave her and my sisters to fend for themselves, to go get killed in a frivolous pursuit. She is mad, but so am I at the lack of consideration on her part. I am not a child anymore.
I got up from the table and walked out of the kitchen in silence, stomping the ground in fury. She always does this, guilt-trips me when she is out of legitimate arguments to convince me. I absolutely hate it. I know she has a point, but shooting me down without a proper discussion is not the way to go.
The days of people deciding my fate are long gone. I am my own man now.
I got into my car and drove to my best friend's place. He works for a living, but hopefully, he hasn't left for work just yet, and I can talk with him briefly. Unfortunately, at my age, most of my friends are either working to help out their family or away at college. I am the only one at a crossroads.
I am not at college and am also not working to make a living. My father left me some money in his will that I would only access when I became of legal age — last year — but it's nothing remotely like a trust fund. It's just enough money to buy my own clothes and go out to the local mall before I can start contributing at home.
My mother also works at a business downtown, but we will be in a bind when she runs out of my dad's insurance money. I know she counts on me to pitch in the future, and I want that too. But while my uncle doesn't book my ascension ceremony, there is nothing for me to do except for training.
Before I managed to leave the house, my uncle left me with some words of wisdom:
"Keep in mind that your father only got mated when he left his home in Alabama. You're already 19. If you stay here, you will NEVER get mated!"
His voice echoed throughout the house while my mother furiously stared at him, reprehensibly. She would slap him, but that is against the law — hitting mated people is a serious offense in the werewolf world. It could lead to the death penalty in extreme cases.
And there you have it. The most compelling argument that anyone could make. My father left Alabama when he signed up to be part of the Royal Army. My uncle also met his mate when he visited the Capital on a trip after he graduated from college.
The bottom line here is that if I were to find my mate here in my pack, I would have already found them by now. I am 19 years old, as my uncle stated, so I had a year's worth of opportunities for that to happen - you become able to find your mate when you turn 18, but you can only find them if they are at least 17. It clearly didn't happen for me. Now what?
Both men in my family met their mates at the Capital. I am many things, but I could never be called obtuse. The writing is on the wall. If I stay here, I will never be mated. What kind of Alpha doesn't have a Luna? My pack may be small, but they are all family folks.
I need to have someone with me when I ascend as the next Alpha of my pack, or that could count for nothing. I mean, what is a man without someone to love? I am not desperate for companionship now, but I wouldn't say no to a mate. After all, I am a werewolf; that's what our people do at my age.
If you are not a noble, of course. Those people rarely get mated unless they fulfill some type of challenge. I am not so sure about how that came about. What I am sure of is that I have a lot to think about.
Could I go there, find my mate, and return here without ever trying out for the tournament?
I would be known as a coward and forever tarnish the Pendragon surname my father worked his entire life to build, but that could be doable. Sure, why not?
Can you imagine the look of disappointment on my uncle's face?
Even my mother would judge me for it. Goddess forbids! My reputation would be destroyed even before I ascended as Alpha. What good would that do?
I talked to my best friend while having breakfast at his house. He lives close by, but it's faster by car. He agreed with my mother that it is a fool's errand and the nobles would never allow anyone who is not a descendant of the royal blood to rule our country.
But he also agreed with my uncle that I would likely never meet my mate here in this town. He met his mate during high school; she is now in college. He stayed behind because he needed to help out on his family's farm. They could not spare him, but they visit each other constantly because she goes to the State University.
When I returned home for my training session, I had a lot on my mind. What would I do?
Stay here, continue my training to become Alpha whenever my uncle sees fit.
Or do I risk it all in a somehow frivolous pursuit with the chance to find my mate?
I have to admit one thing: my uncle does know how to build a compelling case. It's probably the lawyer in him. At the end of my training session, my uncle was once again trying to persuade me to go with him to the Capital and shoot my shot at being the next King.
Can you imagine a commoner as the next Lycan King of the United States?
I am having a tough time picturing it, to be honest, but it does have a certain ring to it.
Now what will I do?
I am at a crossroads.
There are valid points on both sides of the table. I could make a case for staying here and eventually ascending as the next Alpha of our pack, though that could prove difficult to do without a mate.
Or I could try my luck at the tournament and maybe find my mate in the Capital of our country. It is where both my father and uncle found theirs, so it bodes well for my fate. What does not bode well for me, however, is the fact that Prince Elton will most likely win the tournament since he is the King's nephew and the favorite of the court to be the next ruling monarch.
Who's to say this tournament will be fair to everybody who participates in it?
Who guarantees me that there will be no shenanigans when it comes to the battles, favoring the nobles?
I have a lot of doubts in my mind, but the burning question that refuses to leave my head is this: where else could I find my mate?
Should I start a pilgrimage all across the state to find them? What would that guarantee me? There are no restrictions as to where your mate could be from. My mother is from Washington, D.C. My father and uncle are from Alabama, and my aunt is from Pennsylvania.
Even if I visit all the packs in Utah - which are not that many, to be honest - that still doesn't guarantee that I would find my mate here in my home state. As I see it, the Goddess's only parameter is that they cannot be more than two years older or younger than me, and they cannot be blood relatives of mine. She doesn't have any other restrictions, as far as I am concerned.
Literally, it could be anyone in America or even beyond that, in some extreme cases. But that is mostly in Europe, not here, but it is not impossible. I guess I have a lot on my mind...
After I was done with my training session, I got started on cooking lunch for myself. My sisters are at school and my mom is working. The whole day, my mind was absent, thinking about what to make of all this. Could I really be the next Lycan King of the United States?
Of course not, I could never. But I could possibly find my mate in the process, which is completely achievable. It is not unfathomable that out of all the people in the court, I could maybe find my mate over there. Then my uncle would have no choice but to step down as Regent.
Oh, that sounds like a plan. Even if I lose the tournament to be King, in the event that I don't die, I could still return and be the Alpha of my pack. I am totally okay with that alternative. In fact, I look forward to the day when I ascend in my father's place.
I know that this is what he had in mind for me and I take that to heart.
But I know for a fact that it won't come to pass without a mate.
Later that evening, my family and I were having dinner when my uncle knocked at our door once again. He did not hide the fact that he was eager to hear from me. He knows I am a grown man, capable of making my own decisions, but he also knows that my mother will put up a fight for me not to go to the Capital.
"Good evening, Pendragons. How are you doing tonight?" He smiled politely at my mother, sisters, and me.
"We were hoping for a quiet dinner and no disturbance, but I guess that's out the window now." Mom replied, taking a jab at him for coming in uninvited.
"I promise I won't stay for long, dear sister." Uncle Damian told her in his sleazy tone.
"I'm not your sister." She rolled her eyes in annoyance. She hates it when he calls her that. Damian walked to the kitchen and took a seat at our table, looking at me as he did that.
"Now that you have had the day to think about it, what is your decision, nephew?" He stared at me with a penetrating gaze. My mother was not pleased that he asked me that because, in her eyes, there was no decision to be made.
I turned to look at my mom, who was staring at me, waiting for me to tell him I was not going. My sisters looked apprehensive about me. I was apprehensive about possibly disappointing my family, one way or another. This is not an easy decision to reach by any means.
I am sweating under their piercing gaze, inhaling some air to give me courage. The room was stifling, and I was jittery, but it had to be done.
"I will be competing in the tournament." I announced, causing my uncle to cheer loudly.
"Make sure to write a will before you go. We need to know how you'd like to be buried and stuff like that. " Mom stated, irritated.
"Norah, however you may find me the villain of this story, I don't want your son to perish any more than you do." Damian spoke, empathizing with her.
Mom glared daggers at him for trying to compare his pain with hers.
"I already lost a mate. Now I could lose my only son. Don't pretend to know what it's like for me. You have nothing to lose, while I have everything." She spat at him furiously. She took a glass of water to calm herself down.
"I swear on my life that I would never put his name forth if I didn't think he had a fair chance of winning." He stated confidently. She just glared at him in silence.
"Good luck, big brother. If you're the King, does that mean I could be a princess?" Ariadne, my youngest sister, asked me enthusiastically.
"Yes, you would be a princess." Damian chimed in, ecstatically happy at my decision.
Mother left the kitchen in a hurry, holding back tears. I can tell she is afraid for my life. The vibe went dark for the rest of dinner. I know my mother has a legitimate fear of me getting killed in this tournament. It's not like men will hold back when they have a weapon in their hands.
I am fully aware of the odds stacked against me, but I need to spread my wings and fly. At least, try to find my mate. I know I will never be truly happy unless I am mated and marked.
The following days were spent preparing for the voyage. Bags, documents, it could take months for the tournament to come to an end, so we have to be prepared for any eventuality as much as possible. Damian left his Beta in charge of the pack - that pretty much runs itself - and we embarked on a bus straight to the Capital.
I am equal parts excited and terrified of the journey. I hope to return home soon.
We arrived at the gates of the Royal Palace, where we gave our IDs before we were allowed inside. It is a sumptuous place built by King George centuries ago to mirror the English Palace. It was kind of a slap in the face after the war for independence was won.
"Welcome to Château Blanc, there is a reception to be hosted by the King the day after tomorrow. One of the staff members will show you to your room." A soldier greeted me after we were registered.
"What about my uncle?" I asked him, puzzled.
"Only the Alphas who are participating in the tournament are allowed to sleep in the castle. They don't have enough rooms for everybody, and there are a lot of people coming." Damian told me, preempting what the soldier would say.
As we walked inside the castle, I was mesmerized by its refinement. From the decorations to the furniture, everything looked expensive and well cared for. Employees were everywhere, from soldiers to maids, among others. We were guided to the East Wing, where I could drop off my luggage.
Damian gave me a quick history lesson as he showed me the artwork and what each historical artifact we encountered meant. It was like going to a museum, but fancier.
"Oh, good. The peasants have arrived." A boy who could not be much older than 20 commented, looking at me from top to bottom with a disgusted expression on his face.
He was dressed in the most expensive fabric I have ever seen in my life, custom-made for him. There were two other boys on each of his sides, also looking at me in a patronizing way. The three of them kept staring at me like I didn't belong there. It was insulting.
Damn, he is the most handsome boy I have ever seen in my life! *swoon*
A|N: Run away now before it is too late!
You are in the wolf's den now, boy. #danger
Love,
Léo.
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