The Delta's Daughter Chapter 26

MARCUS

I walked through the door of our home. I could immediately hear the girls giggling from Lamia’s room. At the far end of the hall. I lifted my nose scenting my mate and followed it to the kitchen, where I found Vivian pulling dinner out of the oven. Before she could even register my presence, I was behind her wrapping her in my arms, taking deep gulping breaths of her calming scent. I needed my mate, my wife, the mother of my daughter. I needed her like never before.

“Sweetheart,” she said slightly, pulling away from me to look up into my eyes. Her blue orbs glinting with worry as I tangled my hand in her hair and brought our lips together. I would never get enough of her.

As the kiss broke, I pulled her closer to me, pushing her head against my chest. I just needed to hold her, my wolf needed to hold her.

Vivian’s soft and sweet voice called out to me again “Sweetheart, what is going on? I could feel your anger earlier. Tell me what has made you so upset?” her arms snaked around my neck as she once again looked up at me.

I smoothed her golden blonde hair with my hand and held her waist with the other. I sighed heavily, letting the tension wash off me before I began to explain everything that happened in the Kings office, the discussion about Lamia, me losing a grip, Kellen almost choking the life from me.

I had never seen the king’s son so angry, I have to admit, I was proud of Kellen standing up for Lamia, even to her own father. It was the first time I had seen him use his full strength and power. He would be a formidable Alpha and King. He was already showing more power than his father and no doubt he was stronger than him now. This did not go amiss, as he had held me by the throat, my feet lifted from the ground.

I reluctantly pulled away from my wife, grabbing some plates so we could sit and eat and enjoy the meal she cooked for us. I rubbed the base of my neck, still sore from Kellen’s hand and nails digging in.

“I’m just so worried Viv, she doesn’t deserve this drama. For all her troubling actions and defiance, she is a good girl.” I stated.

“And smart too! Don’t forget that. Look at the end of the day, we owe it to her. She needs to know the truth, along with the dangers and history. She is a big girl and more than capable of making her own decisions…”

‘I know that Viv, but to me she is still a child.”

“She will always be our little girl, Marcus, but she has grown into a fine young strong woman. We can only support her and offer our guidance.” Her tiny hand reached for mine, wrapping my fingers in comfort. “And as much as you are going to hate this, Kellen is right, it is her choice and we owe it to her to be open and honest and let Lamia make her own decisions.”

She was right, I hated that Kellen was also right. I was still uncomfortable with him and my daughter’s relationship, but everyone else seemed to be on board and believed they were fated mates. I still had my reservations. Whether they felt the pull or not, I still could not come to terms with it. I understand the bond they have, but for whatever reason, my gut would not let me accept that they would be fated.

When Vivian and I found each other we had discussed our history and I knew of the Dire Wolf lineage in her family and she knew that my family had royal Lycan blood running through our veins. But neither of us would have ever guessed these genes would awake in our daughter, creating someone and something as powerful as she was becoming.

Lycans were all but extinct. No one had seen one in many, many years. My grandfather, who was half Lycan, had a wolf form and the gene had only appeared through mine and my brother’s eyes. Otherwise there was no other indication that we were of Lycan descent. I still wondered what this meant for Lamia. Would she possess Lycan traits? Her eyes already glow, but will she hold the strength and power of a lycan? Or will she only possess the traits of a Dire Wolf?

There were so many unanswered questions and ‘what if’s’ when it came to Lamia. We knew she was special the day she was born, but we weren’t prepared for how special she would really become. None of us were. The gravity of the situation wasn’t sitting well with me.

She may be hard-headed, strong willed, and powerful, a formidable warrior and no doubt make a great leader in her future. At the end of the day, she was still our little girl.

Any sense of normalcy that had graced us through our years seemed to be slipping slowly through all our fingers.

We still had no idea why rogues were breaching our borders, looking for something as one rogue we had caught confessed. There was still the matter of missing pups and other young shifters and the rogue attacks that were happening among some of the smaller packs in our kingdom.

We were no closer to finding a link between all these happenings and the attack on the prince when they were on their way home, the attack where Lamia had killed the bear shifter. And there is still no solid indication of why bear shifters were working with wolves. If there was a connection to all these incidents, we were all none the wiser.

Despite the lack of information, still, I had a sickening feeling Lamia would be cast in the middle of this, especially with the new revelations of her being a dire wolf. Couple that with our Lycan heritage, Lamia, could and would be a very dangerous wolf.

“Will you be showing Lamia the present you and Beta Michael built for her in the morning?” feeling the warmth of my mate's arms come around my waist from behind as she cooed in my ear. I turned and engulfed her tiny frame, nuzzling in to her neck and placing light kisses onto her neck. All these years and the sparks have never once faded.

“I will. Alex wants her to start help training the elite guards, this is perfect timing. Besides, I don’t think I can wait another week, she will love the agility training this will provide.” I smiled, thinking of the gift we had built her, the reason our old house was torn down.

It was true we were expanding the training fields, but it was because of the agility course Lamia had initially designed. It was such a great idea that the King, Beta and I had unanimously voted to build it while she was still at the Alpha academy. We were all still highly surprised that she hadn’t noticed, asked or even discovered it.

I was to show her the new course, her design, tomorrow morning before the gathering.

Lifting my mate up in my arms, her legs automatically wrapped around me, a low lusty growl escaping past my lips “Come let us go to bed my mate, I can smell you want me.”

“Always my love, always” Vivian said, an unmistakable look of lust in her darkening blue eyes.

 *****

KING ALEXANDER

After Kellen and my Delta, Marcus, left my office, I poured myself a stiff drink and sat back in my chair behind my desk. I gulped my drink down and reached to pour another snifter of cognac. This time, when I brought it to my lips, I took a small swig letting the bitter yet fruity undertones dance on my tongue, smacking my lips together as I swallowed, letting the slight burn of the liquor slowly hit the back of my throat. Leaving a trail of warmth where it travelled. As soon as the moment of the warm amber liquid had passed, I downed the rest of the glass in one go. This time I poured a bigger glass, but sat and stared at the glass and bottle sitting in front of me on the mahogany desk. I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed in frustration.

Standing up after what felt like hours but was only minutes, I held my glass and sipped the satisfying bitter liquid again. The huge floor-to-ceiling window I stood at looked out towards the back of the palace. I could see the royal gardens to my left, that were in full bloom with the June heat, boasting colorful rose bushes and trees of green, smaller flowers lining the gravel walkways. In the center sat a gazebo and I could see my Queen and the Beta’s mate, Olivia, sitting in deep conversation.

I took another swig, welcoming the lessening burn with each taste. I averted my eyes and was now looking beyond the gardens to the training fields that sat towards the right. I could see warriors training, some were sparing, others were running. I could faintly make out my Beta’s baritone voice as he yelled instructions. 

Beyond the training fields and indoor gym, some miles off, the rolling hills began where the dense forest ended. It had been a while since my wolf and I had been able to navigate our land, running through the thick brush and mossy ground, weaving through tight-knit trees.

My kingdom stretched far beyond and even further than those hills. As the King, not only did I have my own pack to run, but I was also responsible for many other packs. I was the Alpha of Alphas, you could say. ‘King’ was just a formal title. Each Alpha runs their own packs. I only stepped in if there was an issue with the higher ranking wolves or they needed my support in some way.

If the issues became bigger, then I would include our council. The council is made up of six elders. These elders were either past Alphas or prominent figures from a pack who helped to keep our laws in place as well as up hold them.

If I should fall before I could name Kellen as my successor, the council would step in as a collective ruler until my heir was crowned or a new ruler was named. They were the keepers of law, lore and knowledge. Without them, a king could rule as a tyrant or dictator. As much as the council annoys me, they work for the people and for our kind, chosen by the Alphas.

As much as I hated it and did not want to, I knew I would need to talk with them about Lamia Langley. At that thought I downed the rest of my drink in one fell swoop.

Lamia.

I sighed deeply at the thought of her and the revelations of her and her wolf that had come to light in these past few days, weeks.

I remember the night her and Kellen were born. Her cries were heard only a few minutes after my sons. I could not call her my daughter because she wasn’t mine, but the moment I held her and looked into the same deep green eyes as her father, I knew I loved her like my own. It was a few weeks later after their birth that we discovered her and Kellen had identical birth marks. Their bond wasn’t apparent until they were eight, but I could swear it was there before then. The countless nights Kellen would cry and only calm when they were with each other. We were all sure they were destined mates from the beginning. I was still sure and had no doubts up until this afternoon when Marcus voiced his concerns.

Even with Kellen being adamant that their bond had evolved and, by the sounds of it they were already feeling the mate pull. Now… now that doubt had crept its way into my mind, festering at the forefront.

If Lamia was not Kellen’s mate, I wondered what it would mean for this kingdom's future. I have watched her grow from a spunky, head-strong child to a justified, noble warrior. Who was still just as head-strong and out-spoken but had the strength to back it up. I took another swig, finishing the glass and went on to pour another, settling back in front of the window.

At the age of fifteen, she had become more than a formidable warrior, surpassing not only her father but every other warrior in the pack, including myself and my son. Don’t get me wrong, I was just as proud as her father with her skill and strength, but also worrisome too. Luckily, she had a good head on her shoulders and was a caring, kind soul. If she had or became anything else, she could be a hindrance and a dangerous wolf, not only to the pack but to werewolves alike. In anyone else’s hands, her strength and power could be potentially treacherous and ugly. She was literally above the law, so to speak.

She was a born leader, hence why I wanted her to attend the Alpha academy. I had no idea what her role in our kingdom would be, but I wanted her to have the skills and mind set of an Alpha. She already possessed the qualities to lead, but growing up with the boys left her a little rough around the edges. She also needed to learn how to be a Luna. She is not just a pretty face, she is smart, calculating and strategic, and, like her father, she is a general.

I didn’t understand why before, but now with the new revelation of what her wolf is, coupled with the Lycan from her father’s side, I understood. I understood what she was and why she was, but I had no idea what the future held for her.

If she wanted to, with the power she held, she could make me submit. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. We always knew she was going to be special, but I don’t think any of us knew how special she really was. Her mom carried the Dire Wolf gene, her father a Lycan royal gene. Being king wasn’t just about who was the strongest Alpha. It was about history, blood, heritage and strength.

I had always known the Langley’s held some royal blood in them. The first time I met Marcus, his wolf had challenged me on the training fields. That day we had beaten the shit out of each other, his wolf finally submitting to me and pledging his allegiance. For some reason the gene had not been passed on to his older brothers, as far as I was aware. Which always made me wonder why Marcus had not taken the Alpha position instead, leaving it to his older brother. He was clearly the stronger wolf, even if he was the youngest of the three. 

You can tell by the eyes if a wolf holds a royal gene, instead of going black or darkening, they instead glow. In most cases, when your wolf comes to the forefront, its eyes will darken or go black. If you hold a Lycan gene, blood of the pure, your eyes will shine brighter, letting other wolves know you are of royal blood.

The funny thing is, they say Lycan’s are the blood of the pure werewolf, but that’s simply not true. First came the Dire Wolf, spanning back almost 15000 years, a wolf. But unlike our wolves today, then came the Lycans, a strong and powerful shifter with speed faster than the human eye but not without fault. They may be strong and fast, but their wolf from was weaker than that of a dire wolf or even ours. Their skin is easily penetrable. Their healing abilities are slower and their human form more prominent to that of their wolf form with high foreheads and a longer face, long limbs and flanges, like they are in a beginning state of shifting. They were also taller than the average person, usually standing at least 6 feet, even the females.

I met a Lycan a long time ago, when I was but a small boy. I had been travelling with my father when we came across a village of Lycans, nestled somewhere in the vast mountains of the north. It was so long ago that my memories elude me.

Something as rare and as pure Lycans were all but extinct these days. After merging and mating with humans for centuries, the werewolf evolved into what we have today, so those who carried a lycan gene or blood were considered royalty or at least of high esteem.

So what did that make Lamia? The million dollar question.

We needed to speak with Lamia before I informed the council of what she was. Her safety was the upmost priority. However, I knew she would not take this well.

I couldn’t blame Marcus for being pissed at Kellen. After all, neither of them is of age and he only has his daughter’s best interests at heart. Although he did seem to forget, not only was Kellen an Alpha, but Lamia was too. Alphas tended to have stronger urges and sexual relations tended to curb those urges and keep our wolves satiated. She was not an exception. Or maybe I was more okay with their relationship because it was my son?

Rogues, war, politics and diplomacy I could handle. This, I wasn’t so sure. I needed to push it to the back of my mind, at least until Sunday. If I was this stressed out about it, I could only imagine how Marcus felt.