Mine At First Sight
Chapter 3 - Edric The Grump

▪️E D R I C▪️

The gentle tapping of my boot against the stone floor reverberated off the walls as I stood in my study glaring at the painting in front of me.

Crossing my arms over my broad chest, I slowly observed the large family painting. It was encased in an intricate dark wooden frame, hanging securely on the wall, and I often contemplated throwing it into the fire.

The painting was of my father and mother, the late King and Queen. They sat in the front, while my older brother Einarr and myself stood proudly behind them. Next to my father stood our younger brother, Eginhard, and bundled up on my mother’s lap was our youngest brother, Eckart.

As my eyes narrowed on the smile that adorned Einarr’s face, it brought a sour taste to my mouth, causing me to grumble. To this day, I still could not understand why he killed our parents and betrayed our family seven years ago.

Before I could stop him, he had escaped beyond the Soljord Mountains, and I had been hunting him ever since.

Raising a hand to the left side of my face, my fingers slowly grazed along the jagged scars that ran from my hairline down to my jaw. A gift from Einarr, just before he had descended into complete madness.

The bright colours of the setting sun pulled my attention away and I walked towards the window by my desk.

The beauty of the sunset only added to my infuriation.

Since the gruesome death of my parents years ago, I felt that there could be, should be, no beauty in the world. Meanwhile, the insolent sky was illuminated in vivid colours of pink and purple, embellishing itself in dazzling splendour.

I glowered, wishing that I had the ability to just reach out and rip the mocking swirls of colour right out of the sky.

A sudden knock at the door pulled me from my dark thoughts.

The grey of my eyes darkened as I snarled and turned away from the window.

With a slight sniff in the air, I knew who it was, and I growled softly, not wanting to deal with the clingy female Lycan at the moment.

“Enter!” I barked out.

Beyza came in and closed the door behind her.

Running a hand through her long black hair, a small smirk played on her lips as she approached my desk. It was hard not to notice the blatantly loose ties on her top which were left open to purposefully display the swells of her breasts, and her light brown eyes sparkled with mischief as she eyed me.

“What do you want, Beyza?” I asked impatiently.

“I’ve missed your touch, my King,” she said seductively, while walking around the desk to stand in front of me.

As she attempted to reach out to touch me, I swiftly grabbed her wrist in a bruising grip.

“What have I told you about knowing your place?” I rumbled.

Gasping at my roughness, she coyly replied, “I apologise, but I only mean to please you. You have not come to warm my bed these last few months. Have I done something to upset you?”

Scoffing, I flung her hand away.

Her obsession with me as of late was beginning to get on my nerves. Beyza knew of our arrangement, but I supposed that, like most females, she thought it would be permanent.

Unlike some creatures, Lycans and werewolves did not have a fixed mate bond.

They were free to love whomever they wanted. Of course, like with anything else, some relationships could be more intense than others.

Among the more powerful families, arranged betrothals were not uncommon.

Naturally, since I was the King, I could have any Lycan female I desired. I knew that many of them, like Beyza, were hoping to become the new Queen.

Unfortunately for them, I had never been interested in being King and had no intent of ever settling down. But with Einarr gone and my parents dead, I had a duty to the empire. My true love had always been the ocean, and I missed exploring other lands across the open seas.

Mistaking my silence for consent, Beyza took one of my hands in hers.

Placing my fingers at her throat, she boldly said, “I missed you, my King, and the way you would tightly hold me as you claimed me hard and fast from behind.”

Without hesitating, my grip tightened around her neck, my hand partially transforming.

My bones cracked loudly as my hand shifted. Sharp claws, that protruded from the tips of my large furry fingers extended and dug into her pale skin as I shoved her roughly against the wall.

As Beyza arched her back and moaned, I squeezed harder. I watched as her eyes closed while the scent of her arousal intensified.

Tightening my hold even more, I effortlessly lifted her off the floor.

“How easy would it be to snap your neck?” I murmured while leaning in closer.

With a gasp, her eyes popped open and she came face to face with my piercing gaze. It was in that moment that her arousal changed to terror as her fingers grasped at my forearm. The flush on her face deepened with each passing moment and her eyes started to water as she whimpered helplessly.

Growling, I released my hold, causing her to fall to the ground.

“Get out!” I snarled.

Beyza remained on her hands and knees; her deep wheezing coughs filled the room. She attempted to apologise; her words incoherent as she fumbled. I simply turned my back on her, my eyes returning to the scenery outside the window.

“I will not repeat myself…” I stated, my tone void of emotion.

Scrambling to her feet, she finally found her voice as she stammered, “Y-yes my King,” before scurrying out of the room.

The door barely closed before it was reopened again.

Immediately knowing their scents, I sighed then grumbled, “What now?”

Ghaffar and Faeda were my second and third in command respectively and I trusted them with my life. We had all been friends since we were children, and they were two of a handful of people who could openly express themselves to me.

“Are you still angry at the sky for being pretty?” Faeda teased, looking from me to the window.

Briefly closing my eyes, I took a deep, calming breath.

“Trouble with the females again?” Ghaffar asked, while shutting the door behind him.

Unashamedly ignoring their questions, I huffed out, a frown on my face, “Not now, you two.”

I looked at my two closest friends as they sat on the other side of my desk.

Ghaffar’s skin was unnaturally pale, and his long hair was white which often meant that he stood out among the crowd. He had what was known as vitiligo, or as some of the humans liked to call it, the white disease. But unlike them and their backward way of thinking, we did not discriminate against individuals afflicted by it.

While his facial features gave him the appearance of being calm and approachable, he was often a very terse and intense individual. His blue-green eyes were so intense and penetrating that one felt as if he were looking straight into their soul.

Faeda, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

Her dark brown skin was smooth, and for as long as I have known her, she had always shaved the entire left side of her head, leaving the rest of her coily curls in braids.

Despite the unsmiling look she often had on her face, her personality was cheerful, and her deep brown eyes were quick to sparkle. Although, her politeness was not to be mistaken for weakness, for she was a lethal warrior.

Clearing her throat, Faeda said, “You know, if you want me to kick Beyza’s ass for you, I will.”

“I’m quite capable of fighting my own battles, thank you,” I remarked with a flat tone.

“Of course, you are…” Faeda noted with an arched brow before continuing, “Maybe if you would stop bed-hopping and replace a Queen, then perhaps you wouldn’t have a bunch of horny female Lycans dry-humping your door.”

Ghaffar leaned back in his chair, “I understand your reservations, given your last marriage, but the Malvar Empire needs a Queen, you need an heir.”

“What the hell is this shit? Is it harass King Edric day? Need I remind you two how that union ended?” I ran a hand over my face and gripped my low beard as my fingers cupped my chin.

Crossing her legs, Faeda answered, “Look, we of all people understand what you went through. Being forced to marry your brother’s betrothed is no one’s dream. But your parents declared Einarr unfit to rule, so you had to do what was best for the kingdom.”

“Best for the kingdom…” I groused. “As for needing an heir, I have two younger brothers. Eginhard should be ready to take the throne in a few years, then he can take a Queen and make as many heirs as he desires. Until then, I’m merely keeping the seat warm for him.”

From my tone, they knew not to push the subject.

Changing the topic, Ghaffar said, while stroking his clean-shaven jawline, “Anyway, everything is in place for us to head down to Vizra Rorik’s region. The full moon is in three days, it will be interesting to meet this purple-eyed human face to face. I still don’t understand why you waited this long to go claim her, but I’m happy that you finally decided to. I cannot help but be curious to see what sort of powers she may possess and how we can use them to help protect the empire against whatever mayhem Einarr is planning.”

Lenna, I silently said her name.

The curiousity she invoked within me since I had first learned about her existence over a year ago had been alarming, and I often found myself thinking about her and what she might be like.

Consumed with intrigue, I read up extensively on every and anything that I could replace on those who had possessed such eyes in the past. Unfortunately, there was not much information available, as most of those books had been burnt during King Eberhard’s reign.

It was one of the reasons why I waited so long to go meet the young human healer.

For the past year, I battled with myself on what to do with her. I did not like the curiousity she roused within me. My mind was consumed by thoughts of her and I did not even know what she looked like.

The council had insisted that I should bring her back to our territory. But I had quickly silenced them, stating that I would act on it when I felt like the time was right.

The fact that she was a human did not sit right with me.

I thought it absurd, insulting even, that we Lycans would need her help. Unfortunately, with the latest attacks from my brother Einarr, I slowly began to realise that, regrettably, I had no choice.

Pushing the thought away, I ran a hand through my dark hair.

With a scowl, I replied, “I agree, Ghaffar, but let us not get ahead of ourselves. After all, she is the first of her kind in centuries and there’s no telling what powers or lack thereof she may possess. From the intel that was gathered over the last twelve months, the Vizra and her parents are just as clueless as we are.”

“But she does possess the gift of sight, no?” Faeda asked, before continuing, “I have read some of the reports from the Vizra and he stated that Lenna has dreamt the deaths of many within the region before it actually happened. One thing that I do know is that it’s going to be interesting having her sleep up in the castle.”

Nodding, Ghaffar added, “Indeed, there has been a lot of talk about our King taking his first ever human slave. As well as the fact that a human has never stayed in the upper castle before, much less sleeping in the floors meant only for royalty and those closest to them. You can imagine why many are curious.”

Bringing my hands to rub at my temples, “I don’t see what all the damn fuss is about! Given how unique she is, I figured that it would be best to keep her as close as possible. I have no doubt that by now, Einarr has heard about her, especially given the increase in random attacks at the borders these past few weeks. I would have thought you’d all be happy that I was finally bringing her to our region, given the harassment I’ve had to endure from many of you this past year.”

Ghaffar remained quiet, sensing my growing agitation, but Faeda, as usual, pressed on.

“I heard some of the Lycan males talking. Rumour has it that Lenna’s a real beauty and that her eyes can bring any man to his knees.”

“And?” I frowned, knowing exactly what she was going to say next.

Shrugging, Faeda casually replied, “Well you know, I thought that maybe you would be interested in taking the human to bed.”

Ghaffar suddenly choked.

Waving my hand in front of me, I shook my head as I scoffed.

“You know very well that I don’t sleep with their kind, and you’ll do well to choose your next words carefully. Best friend or not, do not test my patience today…” I frowned; my deep tone warned while my nostrils flared.

Shifting in her seat, “Well, she’s not exactly a normal human. I mean, she will be your human slave, no? I doubt you’ll enjoy smelling the scent of other males on her, I’m just saying, perhaps you might be inclined to claim her as your–”

My fist abruptly slammed down onto the wooden desk, ending the discussion.

“Fine, be your usual grumpy grump self! If you’re not excited to meet her, I certainly am! I cannot wait to see this little human,” Faeda smiled, trying the lighten the mood.

“This affection that you have for humans is almost too bizarre at times,” Ghaffar commented with slight disdain.

Rolling her eyes, she responded, “Excuse me for being curious. I do believe that they were made for more than just enslavement. After all, once upon a time, humans like her were in abundance, their power rivalling ours. Not to mention Lycans and werewolves had no problems marrying them in the past.”

“Faeda…” I cautioned, “You know that we don’t speak of such things.”

“I know, but perhaps we should…” Faeda’s words trailed off as the specific sound of the Lycan’s horn suddenly echoed across the castle.

Our bodies stiffened because we all immediately stood. Our conversation was forgotten, knowing that the signal could only mean one thing.

There was trouble at the borders.

Not wasting any time, we shifted into our Lycan forms and rushed downstairs towards the armoury.

Having been filled in on the exact location, we soon found ourselves near the forest a few miles away from the Eastern border of the empire.

Needing to concentrate on the attack of a group of Lugarhou werewolves, I was happy that I could focus my mind on something else besides the little human healer.

The clangour of metal mixed with the shouts of those being slaughtered dissipated. Of course, the werewolves stood no chance against our brute strength, but unlike previous attacks, their increased resilience did not go unnoticed.

After a while, only silence lay on the red-stained grass in the forest clearing.

“There’s no full moon, how are they able to shift? It seems that Abidan was not hallucinating after all, the old goat!” Odun exclaimed, the thrill of combat exciting him.

Abidan was the overseer of the Lycans who patrolled the perimeters. They were not primarily in charge of defending the empire as that responsibility belonged to another group of Lycans who were commanded by Odun. Those Lycans were specifically bred for combat and were the best fighters in all the land.

The Lycan social structure was simple.

The King and Queen ruled them all, and in their absence, their second and third in command fulfilled the necessary roles. Hierarchy was based on strength, and various tasks were delegated based on whatever skills a Lycan possessed.

There was a highly respected inner circle of Lycans, and together they ensured that everything in the Malvar Empire ran smoothly.

Currently, this inner circle consisted of myself, Ghaffar, Faeda, and the top ranking Lycans from the other various groups, which included Abidan and Odun. There was also Drengr, an outstanding Lycan healer, as well as Klaus, who was a most highly valued elder Lycan.

Over the last few months, there had been more attacks than usual on the more isolated areas of the empire’s borders. As a result, an increase in patrols had been ordered.

“My Lord! There are more coming through the trees!” Ghaffar, roared as he readied himself.

His words cut through my thoughts, forcing me to refocus.

I observed the way his clawed hands tightened on the silver swords he held in each large fist. Ghaffar’s long canines glistened as he turned his massive body to face the assault. The light of the moon often gave the illusion that his silvery white fur was glowing.

Teeming out into the open, more than two dozen werewolves charged madly at us.

Puffs of air escaped from their snouts, while saliva dripped from their mouths, their eyes glowing with bloodlust. It was as though they were fearless, running towards the large Lycan beasts ahead of them.

Never had I seen such boldness in the eyes of a werewolf before.

As a young, dark-brown werewolf viciously rushed at me, I ducked then swiftly punched my hand through his chest. My claws tore through its body, leaving a gaping hole as his warm blood soaked into my black fur.

Another brown werewolf immediately jumped at me with its mouth wide open.

Angling out of harm’s way, I easily countered his attack and stared into its black eyes while holding its snout and chin in my hands. It growled and whimpered as its claws haphazardly swiped at my chest while I raised its body off the ground.

I ripped the creature’s face in half with ease.

Throwing the discarded remains to the floor, I snarled in annoyance. My clawed feet pressed more firmly into the forest ground as I tilted my head back and deeply howled. The sound reverberated throughout the surroundings, while my wounds immediately healed.

“Some of these werewolves are so young!” I noted with a scowl.

“And yet, how is their strength this impressive?” Ghaffar questioned, his weapons stained with blood.

“How is any of this even possible?” Odun asked, as his silver battle axe sliced through yet another enemy, blood gushing onto his beige fur, as he added with a grin, “Not that I am complaining, you know I love a good fight!”

“You know as well as I do that there’s no honour in killing children!” I snapped.

“Perhaps not, but they seek to attack us and it’s my job to protect the empire, no matter who or what the enemy is, they will all be dealt with in the same manner.”

Just as I was to reply, my thick black fur suddenly bristled as a familiar eerie howl reached my ears.

“Einarr…” I growled the name of my traitorous brother.

The remaining Lugarhou whined in response before they began to retreat.

Raising my nose to the air, my eyes narrowed as I demanded, “Bring one back alive this time!”

“Yes, my Lord!” Odun bowed, then began barking out orders.

Ghaffar, Faeda, and the others went to ensure that the borders were secured, and within the blink of an eye, they disappeared among the thick trees as they headed beyond the border line.

I stayed behind to observed the corpses.

This was by far the most aggressive attack that we had ever had from the Lugarhou.

There was clearly something unusual with these young werewolves, they were being altered somehow. These werewolves that had once been young men and women should have been at home in their beds, not trying to start a war.

One by one, their bodies shifted back into their human form under the night sky.

Looking at their youthful faces, I could not help but wonder how it was even possible for them to be able to change into their wolf form without the light of the full moon.

“What are you playing at, Einarr…” I murmured and sheathed my blade.