Chasing Forever: Jacob's Story

Dinner with the King.

 The King's men show up at training roughly around dusk the next day, holding two bundles of clothes for Ezekiel and I each to change into. "Follow us." One of them says to us when we walk over to them.

 After a quick glance over our shoulders at our brothers, who all pause in their training to nod respectfully to us as we pass, we take off running, following the King's men up a narrow path toward the castle.

 I remain silent the entire run, my brain going through a million different outcomes to the situation we could be getting ourselves into tonight. Thank god I sent the letter to Chyenne out today.  I think to myself. At least, if anything does happen to me, she'll know I love her.

 Just before we reach the castle the King's men slow down and turn to us. "You two seem a little scrawny to be princes." The one in front says, his eyes narrowed. "It's be pretty easy to kill you."

 I take them in, automatically defensive, and I can tell by the way Ezekiel tenses beside me that he's doing the same. Two wolves, tow vampires. I think without taking my eyes off of them. We could easily take them and they wouldn't know what hit them.

 "Not as easy as you'd think." I say, quietly, flashing my eyes at them.

 The one in front raises his eyebrows. "You sure about that, kid?"

 I incline my head. "Try me."

 He steps forward, dropping the bag, and I prepare myself for a fight. He's easily a head taller than me, but he's clumsy. He doesn't carry himself like he got a full training before joining the Legion. My eyes land on his left leg and I realize he has a bad knee, he tries to keep all his weight on his other leg.

 I grin at him just as he throws himself at me, slamming my shoulder into his chest, winding him. Before he can recover I drive my elbow into his bad knee, forcing him onto the ground and holding him down.

 "Told you." I say quietly. "Not so easy."

 I let him up, picking up the dropped bag and Ezekiel grabs the other one. "We're supposed to be led somewhere to change." E says diplomatically, although he's smiling wildly about my defeat of the King's men. "Would you mind taking us?"

 The second King's men helps up his friend, keeping his eyes on me warily. "Uh, of course." He stammers. "It's this way, I'll take you."

 I nod at him and watch as he hands the other guy a letter. "Take this back to the King, let him know they're changing." After a sour look in my direction, the other grabs the letter and runs off in the other direction; limping heavily. The remaining King's men turns to us smiling. "Sorry about him. He's angry he didn't get chosen to train King Henry's boys."

 I nod. "It's alright."

 "You're Jacob, right?" He asks and I nod. "We've heard a lot about you. You're grandfather is the King of the werewolf kingdom right?"

 "Yeah," I say. "And this is Ezekiel-"

 "Ezekiel Michaelson." He says excitedly, reaching out to shake both our hands. "The son of the vampire king."

 Ezekiel glances at me, then back at him confused. "You seem to know a lot about us."

 "And yet we don't even know your first name." I finish for him following the boy, because he certainly can't be much older then 17, towards a small shack. "Strange, don't you think Ezekiel?"

 "Very." He agrees.

 The boy looks over his shoulder at us. "I'm Josiah." He says quickly. "My father is a Count."