The Sovereign Heir (Book 1)

August 2020

My mother pulled off the excuse I begged for. I watch remotely, while Bryant hovers over me like a hen, helping me flat iron my hair. Nikki definitely has some doing in him knowing about and using a flat iron. I’ll let him keep his little secret. You’d swear he was older than me, towering over me flaunting his height in my face. “Stop hovering damn it. You’re worse than a mother hen. When did you become such a hair perfectionist?”

“Fine, I’ll let you walk around like shit then!”

“Okay, okay… can you help me finish the back after I’m done spying?” He nods, plopping down on the chair next to me. “Here they come, let’s see what’s really up with these Lycans.”

“Good evening, your majesty. May I present my son’s Prince Nolan, Prince Edwin, and nephew Prince Alexander.” They all bowed to my mother with honest respect.

“King Alder, I had assumed there would have been more of you in attendance.” My mother was getting straight to the point.

“In light of the Princess’ unavoidable early departure for school, we decided to make the affair more casual.”

“Laina, Laina….Elaina! Earth to Elaina what are you staring at?” Bryant got up, standing right next to my side. “Are you ogling the prince? And I mean Prince Nolan.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He was slightly taller than our father, his face is chiseled like I’ve never seen before. He had a rich golden tawny complexion, pure muscle and lean at the same time. Those eyes were a perfect balance of grey mixed with haint blue. His dirty blonde hair was closely cut on the sides and the top messy loose curls. Is this what my mother was talking about, the mate bond? Now I’m kicking myself from not going to dinner tonight. Something stirred in me, was my Lycan side aroused? Nah, can’t be, it hasn’t popped out in four years. “Shut up, Bryant, I’m just trying to get a sense of what is up with him, nothing more, and no I don’t like him. He is going to be just like the others.”

They all enter the dining hall with my parents, but the prince fell back and began to look at the portraits on the wall. Was he stopping at the portraits of me? No?? He is! Prince Nolan studied each one carefully from my infant portrait to the most recent one done this spring break last semester.

“Breathtaking!”

Did he just call me breathtaking? Wait, he didn’t move his lips, how did I hear him? I haven’t completely integrated with my beast so hearing Lycans internal dialogue is a hit or miss. How was this even possible? He lingers at my last portrait before he moved to the one of my legion, commissioned in the realm before the battle. Just as he was about to look closer, King Alder summoned him to the dining hall. That was a close one.

“I would like to congratulate you both in person for winning the war four years ago. If it were not for you , it could have spilled over into this world.” He just pissed my mother off and my dad’s vein is starting to pop out in his forehead again. Shit is about to get real.

“King Alder, you should thank our legion and their commander, they did that. Titus and I only helped in one small incursion. But strictly under the general’s command. The legion of a hundred took out five thousand in the dark army in three months, eighteen in the realm.”

“Still very impressive to say the least. I would love to meet him, maybe even help train our warriors in his battle style.”

My dad was about to blow at the Lycan king regent, insinuating that this was done by a man. He interjected before King Alder could continue rambling. “You mean she, Alder. The commander is not a he. But she is the fiercest commander ever to grace the realm and the world. The commander and her legion are on sabbatical after training new realm candidates. If they are needed to assist with your current problem, that can be arranged.”

King Alder looked dumbfounded, like he was just smacked in the face on both sides. His misogynistic demeanor couldn’t manage a woman leading in war, much less that we had very few casualties. If his mouth stayed open any longer, it would hit the floor. Prince Nolan cleared his throat to end the awkward silence. “We would be honored if she would make the time to help us if this matter does not resolve soon.”

My parents seemed more at ease with Nolan than King Alder. My mother gave him an authentic warm smile. “I’m sure she can accommodate you when that time approaches. Prince Nolan, I’m sure you are aware of all the would-be suitors that have attempted to woo our daughter and that none have been successful to date. Unlike the others I would like to give you a fair warning. Elaina is very strong and confident, if your intentions are to stifle her in any way to control her; it will not end well. I would hope you are seeking her out with sincerity. Lycan’s have a nasty reputation with over dominating their mates in a way that is similar to oppression, slavery even.”

Nolan’s father attempted to speak, but Nolan cut him off before he even got started. “Your majesty, it is true our kind has had its significant share of having a bad reputation. I will not lie; I did grow up in a time women were very suppressed. However, I have changed with every decade I have lived, broadened my viewpoints. If a mate bond is not present, I will not force the situation. If she chooses to establish an informal or causal relationship past our political dealings, I will welcome it .“

My parents were mind linking each other and pulled me in like a three-way call. “Sweetheart, your father and I have delved into his mind. He isn’t power hungry like the others. I’m not 100% sure but he is taken with you just from your photos. He may be promising!” What in the fuck! I feel so betrayed right now! “Well, he is handsome, but I make no promises. I’ll work with him and the Lycan hierarchy for the sake of the werewolves. I may treat him in the manner of an associate, I can’t tell you that it will go any further than that.”

My dad was rumbling around with his thoughts before chiming in. “Munchkin, I want to say something without you getting mad at this old man. He is the first man you actually called handsome. I know you’ve been watching.” Why? Why must my dad put me on the spot like this, uggh! “I mean they were all handsome, he just looks better than the others, nothing more!” I can tell they weren’t going to drop this. “Are you sure, Sweetheart? We would never judge how you feel.” I think Titus and I pushed her little too far tonight. “I’m positive, let’s talk about this later, got to get ready for the club tonight.” Damn, they were persistent.

“Bryant, I need you to make the guys do some recon and check with the other supe communities and see if they’ve had any unusual rogue attacks or missing members in the past few weeks to months. For those that have not had any issues, have them update all security protocols. Run a diagnostic to see if any data breach occurred pertaining to medical records. Do not tell them of my suspicions and give everyone my seal as validation for the old school communities.”

“On it, do you think…”

“Yes, I think this is where they are now using these kidnappings as funding to support Allister’s resurrection, or they are looking for specific DNA markers in this world to reconstruct his body. Since we destroyed their pillaging operation four years ago, they are looking outside the realm. Now to find exactly who is funding this operation, the why is obvious. What other ways have they turned to in order to raise capital? Almost anything in the black market here and in the split dimensions that border this world. Trafficking has increased even in the human population. But this is deeper, I have a theory, but I rather not overstate my assumptions just yet until we have proof.”

“This is why you are the next heir of the throne, always ten steps ahead. I could never do it and glad I was born last.”

“I actually feel one hundred steps behind, if I wasn’t so wrapped up in my own issues, I would have sensed this coming before it started.”

“Laina, do not beat yourself up for any of that. You took on the emotional and mental drama not just for us, but everyone in the realm who suffered. The fact that you’re still standing, still keeping perfect grades and rocking out our businesses says a lot. Anyone else would have gone mad and committed suicide a long time ago,” Bryant kisses the top of my head before orbing out. I continued to stare at Prince Nolan.

I wonder could it really be possible? What the hell am I thinking? I quickly brush my hand over my scrying table then walk out the room. I quickly put on my knee-high boots grabbed my keycard and climb in my roadster. I left out the back entrance to head to club Ominous. I needed to put some feelers out there in addition to the recon! In the back of my mind, I knew my parents were right. There was something about Nolan, it was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I’ll figure it out another time.