Deidre

I stood looking out the window, fascinated with what I was seeing. Everything seems to be enhanced--as if I put on a new pair of magical glasses. I could see every detail even at night. I glanced up at the moon and something stirred inside of me that I could only pin as happiness.

I heard Invictus behind me. His smell encasing me as he approaches. I turned around to face him. He was truly a handsome lycan. How can anyone be this perfect? I tilted my head slightly as I examined him. My hand came out to touch his nose and then traced his lips. I could hear his heart beat and the way he inhaled sharply as I touched him. My hands dropped to trace his jaw line before pulling back slightly. He stopped me halfway. His hand came out to grasp my wrist.

I wasn't sure how I was taking the idea that I was not human anymore. In as little as a week, everything I knew has changed. I am not who I was before. I am in a place that I know nothing of. This world that Invictus had pulled me into was a world that I found myself extremely naïve in. I don't know who to trust or who to believe.

"What are you thinking?" He asked as he pulled my hand to his chest.

"This world is scary, Invictus." I whispered and I saw a light go away in his eyes and instantly I wanted to appease him. "It is not what you are thinking, Invictus. Everything is scary to me right now. All this is so new. I am dazed at how beautiful it can be and at the same time how dangerous it can be. I am still trying to put all the pieces together. I feel like I am constantly being pulled in every direction. I just-I don't know what exactly I want."

"You need time." He whispered softly and my eyes flitted to him. He let go of my wrist but my hand remained on his chest. One hand snaked around my waist and the other to cup my cheek as he pulled me close.

"I'm scared." I whispered.

"I know." His eyes dropped to my lips before meeting my eyes again. "I know, little moon. I promise you, I will protect you with every cell in my body. I will make sure you will never get hurt but in order for me to do that I need to you to tell me who was it that hurt you? Who was it that gave you that injury on your shoulder?"

"Was it what made me a lycan?" I asked now finding myself curious.

He nodded. "You can turn into a lycan with a claw mark or a bite mark. Who did it, Deidre?"

I chewed my bottom lip. "I am not sure. He was a guy that was around your father's age. He had a dragon tattoo that ran up his right arm."

Invictus's grips tighten around me. "Uncle Benny."

"Uncle?" My eyebrows furrowed.

He sighed and released me as he moved to sit on the bed. His hands cradled his face as he leaned forward and propped his elbow on his knees. I moved to kneel before him as I removed his hands. He opened his eyes to look at me and I can see how weary he was.

"Tell me." I pleaded.

"When my father became King, Uncle Benny was not happy. He wanted the position and had hoped his father would choose him. He worked a lot harder than my father. He studied a lot harder. He did every mission his father ordered him to go to. My father assumed the title will be handed to Uncle Benny too but when it came time for handing the title away, the titled was handed over to my father.

At first, Uncle Benny took it well but as time went on, he grew bitter. He grew jealous of what my father had. He ran away from home and then a hundred years ago he came back and said he had found his mate. He brought his mate to see my father. At first, we were all happy he was back and he had a mate to complete him but Uncle Benny's mate was a werewolf who sought only power and in her attempt she tried to murder my father."

I sat quietly in front of him. I can see the distant look in his eyes as he explained. I wasn't going to interrupt him. I was afraid he will stop and I won't get the chance to understand this world that I now am living in. His eyes lost the distant look and his eyes met mine.

"My father sentenced his mate to be imprisoned in the darkest part of our dungeon." He spoke. "He could've killed her but he knew it will set his brother off into a rampage which in turn will result in his immediate death. We couldn't hurt him. We did the only thing we knew to protect him. We took her away and hid her. He grew angry and fled the palace."

"Is this why he marked me? He thought I wouldn't survive the mark and I would die?" I asked feeling panic rise a little inside of me. Invictus pulled me up to sit on his thigh as he buried his nose in my neck.

"Yes." He simply replied. "I'm going to talk to my father. Uncle Benny is getting dangerous."

"Is your Uncle's mate still in the dungeon?" I asked.

Invictus nodded. "She is. She has been down there for a very long time."

There was another thing that bothered me and I needed to know.

"Who is Elena to you, Invictus?"

He pulled back from running his nose along my neck to look at me. "She was a lycan that I taken a liking to before I met you. I am not going to lie to you, Deidre. I had slept with her multiple times."

Jealousy stabbed in my chest and my stomach started rolling with hurt. I wanted to get away from him but he tightens his arms around me.

"You have to understand, Deidre. I have lived for many decades. I am almost as old as a dinosaur. I went so many years looking for you. I would've liked to remain a virgin for you but I didn't see you until only seven years ago. The moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were mine. I knew I was gone and I stopped everything with Elena. I left home to be closer to you." He explained and I somewhat calmed down. I knew despite what I was feeling that he was right. He spoke again. "I remained faithful to you the moment I set eyes on you even when you didn't even know I existed."

"Then why did you allow her to kiss you?" I asked.

"You were too quick, little moon. She kissed me and I was surprised because I thought I had made it clear to her that I no longer want any connections with her. After you left, I pushed her away." He replied.

"I don't like her." I mumbled.

"I don't like how other male lycans look at you." He replied and I saw a slow grin crawled on his face.

"I'm serious." I huffed, crossing my arms under my chest.

He chuckled and spoke again. "I am happy you are alive, Deidre. It scared the hell out of me to think that I had lost you and only when I just got you."

"Who said you got me?" I asked as I quirked an eyebrow.

"You're mine." He growled out. "If I can't have you, no one will."

"Well that's just mean." I replied.

"You feel the same way, little moon. I know you do. You're a lycan now. Your animal is just as crazy."

He moved us so that we now settled under the covers in my bed and I was safely in the crook of his neck.

"Go to sleep, Deidre. After you have fallen asleep, I have a few things I have to do. I promise to return to your side once I am done." He whispered gently.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I need to speak to my father." He was being vague again but I decided not to press him further. I will ask him tomorrow.

It didn't take long before sleep took over my body. I could faintly feel my body being moved gently and the warmth that lulled me to sleep earlier leaving me. I moaned a soft protest before snuggling further into the soft bed as I fell back asleep.