Unleashed

Chapter Two: The Lycans

Mila

My uncle and Rebecca had decided to walk with me and Felix during our stroll through the garden and to the ludus, something that Felix hadn't really appreciated. Even though he hadn't said anything about it, I knew how he felt. I knew he wanted to go with me alone.

When we entered the ludus, my heart had pounded rapidly inside my chest and a moment later, I found myself standing before them.

The Lycans.

I caught myself gaping at them with an open mouth when I stood only a few meters away from a line of Lycan men. I felt a little bad thoughm because when we entered, they were right in the middle of training. Darius had shouted that they had no manners to keep fighting without paying respects to their master and more importantly, a special guest. The Lycans quit and stood in line before me and the others. Darius yelled that if they wouldn't bow down this very instant, they would be severely punished.

So, the men were now kneeling before us, and they were as tall as I was standing up straight. I felt so tiny while they seemed so massive.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the man kneeling on the left of the line.

Connor.

He had his head hanging low, his long dark brown hair falling into the sand, but looked up after my uncle shouted out his name. Darius ordered him to undress and shift, and while I had never been this excited in my life, it also didn't feel right.

"This really isn't necessary, uncle," I whispered at Darius.

It's known that Lycans don't want you to see them turn to their wolf form because it's a sacred moment for them. Felix had told me about that last year.

"You're too good, my girl," Darius said as he patted my left shoulder.

When Connor didn't immediately respond, the man that trained the Lycans-Caspian was his name-took a small vial out of his pocket and held it underneath Connor's nose. "You want this, you filthy beast?" he shouted, making Connor growl. "If you do, and I know you do, then you better do what the master just asked of you!"

Connor's coal-black eyes looked at me with fury as he slowly stood up.

I didn't know what the little vial contained, but an uneasy feeling crept up my spine, and for the first time in my life, I was wondering if my uncle was as good to his fighters as I thought he was. The way Connor looked at me, eyes so full of hate, made me think that Darius wasn't. I thought that the Lycans were happy under Darius's care, but they didn't look happy at all.

"Uncle, I don't-"

"Enough, Mila!" Darius raised his voice. He still said it with a smile, but there was this tone in his voice. A tone that said that I shouldn't go against him, especially not with people around us. "You were the one that wanted to see the beasts, now you can. Be grateful."

The other Lycans began to grunt when Connor took off his dirty shirt and pants, leaving him naked before our human eyes. Truthfully, it felt uncomfortable seeing him so...so...exposed. I knew he had to do this because of me, and I think he hated me for it. I felt bad, yet I couldn't keep my eyes off of him either. I didn't like it, but I wanted to see it as well. I've never seen a man fully naked before. It made my cheeks burn and my breath hitch in my throat. I tried to ignore the flesh hanging between his legs because it made mine tremble.

I heard Rebecca joking how she'd never seen such a big one like Connor's manhood before, making the men laugh. I didn't laugh, but I did look. I was just as bad as the rest of them.

Connor was very muscular and had more chest hair than most of the men I had seen half-naked during a swim. His face was unshaven too and he had a short black beard. I didn't find it unappealing, even if most other people probably did. To me, he was handsome, just a different kind of handsome. He looked rugged, rough, strong.

"Now, reveal your true nature to us, beast," Darius commanded before he laid his hand around my waist. "Mila, this is what makes me most proud to own this beast. Out of all the Lycans that I've ever seen, this one is the greatest. Other lanistas have offered me money, gold, even diamonds for it. But it's mine and I'll never sell it."

"Him," I said, looking at Connor who furrowed his thick eyebrows at me. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I knew he'd heard me.

My uncle, however, pretended he didn't and commanded Connor once more, who followed the order.

In front of our eyes, he revealed his Wolf shape to us. It was only a matter of seconds before his eyes had changed from black to bright green, and his bones had broken to sculpt his new form. A form that I would describe as a wolf-man. He stood tall and straight and was even more muscular than he was before. His fingernails had been replaced with claws and his teeth were pointy like those belonging to a wolf. He was hairier than before too. His tanned skin had been replaced with black shiny fur.

"There it is. Isn't it gorgeous?" Darius asked. "Don't be afraid, little niece. It won't harm you."

"H-how are you so sure that he won't harm me?" The Lycan looked so angry and aggressive, showing me his teeth. Honestly, I was afraid of him. And wasn't it my uncle himself that had always told me we needed to be careful because Lycans were still beasts?

"I'll tell you all about that later. Do you want to see a fight between them?"

Connor growled. I didn't know if he wanted me to say yes or no, but then I thought about the fact that if he was going to fight, another man would have to change too. My thought was that he didn't want that.

"No, I don't want that. I think I've seen enough."

***

Later that evening, I sat in front of the window while the Lycans were still outside. It was almost a full moon. Only two more days and the moon would be round. Lycans loved these few days of the month the most and I think they also loved to be outside during these days, underneath the moonlight.

Some were training, some were watching, but I didn't see Connor anywhere.

I felt so bad, I couldn't draw one line. Drawing had always been what I did before bed, but now nothing came out of my hands. It bugged me thinking about the fact that Connor probably hated my guts.

Others would laugh at me for even thinking about what a Lycan would think, let alone be bothered about how he felt about me, but it wouldn't leave my mind.

I sighed.

The whole situation just bugged me. Darius had told me he would explain the content of the vial, but he hadn't, because he had "grown-up things" to do when we returned to the villa. My uncle still seemed to think of me as a little child. I understand it though. In Liandro, I'm his responsibility. My mother would personally castrate and behead him if something were to happen to me.

So, I had to wait to know the methods used to tame the Lycans and it sure made me wonder what was inside that little bottle and why Caspian had used it on Connor...