The Blood Contract

Chapter Three

Jonathan's P.O.V

How did she know what happened? I had asked Anthea for details and she described the whole scene as if she was there herself. It was hard to get it out of her, but she was able to help in the end. The arrows we found by the crime scene belonged to humans, the marks left on my father though were not. The King of the werewolf Kingdom was known to be the strongest amongst us, how could mere humans defeat my father? It didn't make any sense at all. Something was going on and it irritated me that I didn't know the what? the why? and the how? Our investigators though, found a huge amount of wolfsbane in my fathers blood stream, besides that fact he also had silver steaks all over his body, one each pierced through each knee and one each pierced through the joints where the arm meets the body. They really did a number on my father, but for sure they had help, the question still stood, what creature helped the humans kill my parents?

Still in my trail of thoughts I hear a knock on my door, I was sitting in my father's office which automatically became mine not even 24 hours ago.

"Come in" I call out before I see Derrick walk in. "Jonathan everything is set and ready for the ceremony later this evening" Derrick reports. "And what of the investigation?" I inquire more interested in the investigation of my parents rather than the ceremony that's supposed to make me King. Don't get me wrong. I've trained and have prepared for this moment all my life but not while there is a threat just outside our doors. "The investigator is still on it" Derrick claims. "grrrrr.. Tell him to work faster! His King and Queen were murdered! There will be no rest until the culprits are found." I growl out in annoyance, not at Derrick though, just at the situation. 

Tonight was the full moon and I was to be crowned king, yes this is too fast, I didn't want to rush the ceremony but the elders pushed for a quick ceremony before anymore attacks, if no one was installed at ruler, there would be chaos and many would fight to have the crown. Werewolves were reckless and dominating in nature which is why it was always important to have a head, a ruler, a King or Queen if to came to that. Anthea was special and we all knew it, she was the first female born into the royal family in over 4000 years. Every generation had only male descendants, our father was an only child, his father before him had only one other brother, his father before him had three other brothers basically only brothers each generation until now. I guess that why we always protected Anthea, what she didn't know was that she was special and that was what we feared, that one day someone might come after her and we would not be able  to protect her. But that day will not come as long as I'm here. I promised our parents that I will protect with all my life if anything were to happen to them and that started 19 hours ago.

"Is that all?" I ask Derrick, as I just realized I got lost in my trail of thoughts again. "Yes." Derrick nods as I nod back indicating that he was free to leave.

***

Anthea's P.O.V

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I was always told I looked beautiful just as my mother did but I never really thought anything about it until now. I could see my mother in myself and it just pained me to think my last image of her was when she took her last breathe. The whole day all I thought of was the dark cloud like figure. Was that what killed my parents? Why did it say I belonged to it? Better question, why did I feel soo drawn to that darkness. And it was darkness all over, I could feel it's black heart if it even had one. One thing is for sure, I wasn't going anywhere with it.

I twirled around to inspect the dress I was given to wear tonight, it clung onto my skin like it was my skin itself, a beautiful white dress that just reached above my knee. The lace on top of it looked like beautiful petal shapes. It had cap sleeves and my favorite part was the low-back that did justice to my back. Tonight, Jonathan was going to be crowned King, many people couldn't tell but I could see it, the pain my brother felt. He was not in the mood to be crowned, all he wanted was revenge but we were governed by the elders of the werewolves. What the elders said, we went with cause they were our connection to the Moon Goddess, yes the ruler has the overall say but at the moment no one had that position which is why my brother had to be installed as soon as possible.

"Anthea? Are you ready?" Chloe walks into my room, yes, she just walks in, she is my best friend basically my only friend after all. 

"Yes Chlo, what about you?" I turn to find her in a beautiful navy blue dress, also knee length with spaghetti straps. She had her hair pinned up, while I had my hair side braided loosely and placed on top of my left shoulder. 

"You ready?" Chloe asked as she grabbed my hand. "Yes" I gave a short answer as I followed her out to where the ceremony was to be held.

***

"Do you Jonathan Alfred Greyback accept to be our King, The King of all werewolves?" Matthew one of the elders ask Jonathan. They stand in the middle of all the wolves gathered around the stage from all packs around the world, mostly the heads of these packs. All werewolves in our Kingdom also stood around i anticipation waiting for my brother's answer. 

"I Do" Jonathan answered, while he was knelt with one knee down to the ground and the other up before the elder. "Do you accept all responsibilities and pledge your loyalty to all werewolves?" Elder Matthew asked again. "I Do" Jonathan answered. The elders cut open their palms using a small knife elder Matthew got out of his pocket and poured droplets of blood into the golden chalice that a werewolf passed to elder Matthew. 

"We hereby crown you as King of the Werewolves, Jonathan Alfred Greyback. Drink." Elder Mathew announced as he instructed Jonathan to drink the blood of the union between him, the Moon Goddess and all werewolves. Automatically, the blood flowed through his veins and as if we could see it, it moved to the left side of his neck and a bright light sparkled just where his collar bone meets his neck. There appeared a crescent moon with a small crown in between, this mark only appears on the rightful ruler approved by the Moon Goddess herself. People cheered as this happened. 

"Who do you choose as your second, your majesty?" Elder Matthew asked Jonathan as soon as people calmed down. "I choose Tristan Clark Silver as my second" Jonathan stated nodding towards Tristan as he joined him on stage. Elder Matthew handed Jonathan the knife and watched as Jonathan sliced his palm, took out a bit of blood with his fingers and drew a moon on Tristan's chest just above his heart.

"I hereby appoint your Tristan Clark Silver as my second" Jonathan stated as we watched his blood being absorbed into Tristan's body. Jonathan howled in approval, Tristan howled in acceptance and soon after we were all howling in recognition of our new King. 

It was a full moon so everything we were feeling was intensified by a thousand, Jonathan shifted and just like a wave the need to shift was un-bearing. It was a thing we werewolves had, when our Leader, or our King in this case shifted we all had to, there was no way to stop this. Tristan shifted, Derrick shifted, the elders did, Chloe and I did and down the stage we watched as everyone else shifted. Jonathan howled once more indicating for the werewolves to make way, they split like the red sea and Jonathan ran out, I followed just behind Tristan with Chloe and their dad as we all ran with Jonathan. Every werewolf joined as we ran through the forest along our territory howling in declaration of our new King.