Unclaimed

Chapter Fourteen- Invaders

I sat stone quiet as I watched her prepare her food. She was once again, silent as she cooked. Watching her the whole time as she assembled everything into a seafood pasta. She's sighs as she serves herself a plate. Pouring herself a glass of wine and leaving to eat in her room.

It's late in the evening when my parents walk in.

My mother looked distraught while my father looked dejected. Both of them shaking off their coats and hanging it up as they shiver from the rain.

"Where we're you two?" I ask from my place by the fire. Sitting on the floor beside it to take in the warmth, throwing another log in.

"We stayed to hear the people. They couldn't stop arguing." My fathers gruff voice filled with exhaustion. He throws himself into the recliner across from me.

"You should have heard what they said about us." My mother pouring her own glass of wine, serving her own plate moving around Beau, who silently drank her wine as she scrolled through her phone, as if we weren't here.

"Queen Naomi can't control her war mongering husband! It's no wonder other lycans are challenging them!" She mocks bitterly recounting her visit. She continues as she twirls the pasta with her fork. "They have the nerve to say our efforts in helping to rebuild after the war were not enough!"

"Did you notice by the time we left the bar, the house right across the street had already been rebuilt?" My father asks as he stares into the flames in front of him. "We had only been in there for five hours. Before we walked in it was nothing but rubble."

His eyes glassy and the smell of alcohol on him was strong.

"Dad?" I reach my hand out shaking his knee. His eyes meet mine and there is a deep sadness emanating from them.

"Listen and learn son." He says. "The people here are teachers. There's so much to learn here. So much I couldn't teach you,-"

"Maxim!" My mother staring at my father as she drops her fork onto her plate.

"It will make you a better king." He nods, his eyes glazing over in drunkenness. Abruptly he falls forward and I catch him by the shoulders keeping him up. I hear him snoring and figured the drinks caught up with him. My mother helping me to bring him to their room. She fixes the sheets as I lay him down, taking off his boots for him. My mother throwing the duvet over him and I fix the windows to block out of the sight of the storm outside.

My mother sitting on the end of the bed, staring at my father and for the first time I see that she is, tired.

"It hurt. It hurt to hear those things said about us." She scoffs, half laughing as she runs her hand over the duvet. "I thought we'd done an amazing job after every war. I went out myself to see the family's afflicted."

"You can choose not to listen to what they say. You can ignore them." I offer.

"What good would that do? They would question the crowns authority for the rest of their lives! They would look at us in shame." Her voice getting quiet.

"What would you advise me to do?" I ask.

"Show them the crowns real power. That the future leader of our kind is strong, and a man not to be messed with." She stands taking the collar of the black wool cover and straightening it. "And that starts with claiming her."

"Ok, stop!" I whisper, my hands coming up to remove hers from me but she grips my shoulders.

"They won't listen to you without her." She whispers heatedly. "To be king, you need your mate. You need her, without her you won't be at full strength. With her no one will ever question you or dare challenge you."