The Lycan King's Army: Read Chapters 1-5

Morgan, the Alpha’s Daughter. Book 1

Morgan’s p.o.v.

“Goodbye. I know that none of you will miss me, but I will miss the place I once considered home.” I whisper as I get on my bike.

Over my shoulder, I take a last look at the cottage I called home for the past ten months for the last time. I start the engine of my bike, and it roars to life in the silent evening. I know exactly where our patrols are at the moment, and I don’t waste time as I cross the border of our territory.

Leaving Blue River Pack behind in pursuit of my new life. A life in the Lycan King’s Army, far away from the people I thought loved and cared for me.

My name is Morgan, and I am the youngest Pup of Alpha Tate and Luna Giselle of the Blue River Pack. In a week, I officially turn seventeen, but I got a small surprise at midnight.

“I still don’t understand why you showed up today. This is so confusing.” I tell Amra, my lycan.

Okay, maybe I need to back up a little. I can hear the wheels in your head grinding, trying to figure out why I would leave my family and my pack.

Almost a year ago, I had my Sweet Sixteen party, and Mom had organized it to perfection. I am not a girly girl, so pink was out of the question. Mom had used a few of my favorite colors: indigo and maroon.

From the tablecloth to the decorations, she used indigo and maroon throughout everything. Only our Pack members were invited, as in every other year, and that applies to every party we have had.

Whether it was a party for me, the Pack, or one of my six older Brothers, Mom and Dad never invited other Packs; it was an unwritten rule within our Pack. It had been that way for centuries, and I doubt it will change anytime soon.

“Sis, let’s go outside for your gift.” Ashton, my oldest brother, had said. I probably screamed like a little girl in excitement when I saw what they had gotten me.

It was the best thing my family could have gotten me for my Sweet Sixteen: a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, ordered in my favorite colors: black, indigo, and maroon. Even the outfit, helmet, and boots are black, with indigo and maroon accents.

“Mom had a say in some of it, you know how she can get.” Ashton had whispered as I got everything that came with the bike.

The jacket and the pants fit me like a glove, both made of sturdy material. My helmet was and still is my favorite next to the bike, because Declan made sure our Pack’s crest was airbrushed onto it using indigo and maroon. A Wolf lying near a water shore.

The boots have a two-inch heel with every possible protection feature, and again, I knew Mom was behind it, but it didn’t bother me at all.

Dad made me promise not to ride my bike until Asthon taught me how to ride safely, and I had to keep a straight face when I made him that promise. If only he knew I had been riding Ashton’s bike for six months already.

“Thank you.” I had repeated it over and over as I hugged my parents and my six brothers.

I thought that I was the luckiest girl in the world with a family who loved and cared for me, but nothing could have prepared me for the year that followed my birthday.

Waking up the morning after the party was great; I had a smile on my face, and I doubted it would ever disappear. If only I had known what that day and the following days would bring, I might have run away much sooner.

I had gotten out of bed to take a shower, and as I washed my hair, I thought about what to do that day. I had the day off, as Dad called it, because they figured I would sleep in after my party, and even though I woke up later than usual, it was still early.

The first thing on my list had been breakfast, and my stomach had rumbled in agreement. I grabbed my training outfit from my closet, even though I didn’t have training today. I wanted to go through my training on my own because I doubted that our Gamma would expect me.

As I exited my room, I thought it was too quiet on our floor. This was usually the time when everyone was running around to make sure they got to their destination on time.

Dad would be rushing out the door for his morning meeting, Asthon following right behind him for the same reason, and Mom would call after them to make sure they were on time for lunch. My other Brothers would be running around to make it to training on time, and again, Mom would be yelling for them to be back on time for lunch. The only one who never rushed anywhere was me.

But that day, it was deadly quiet on our floor, even our Omega wasn’t in the kitchen, and I was glad I could make my own breakfast. I sat down at the kitchen island with my breakfast and my coffee, still not understanding why no one was around.

“Did I forget about an important meeting?” I asked out loud, hoping to trigger my brain.

After I finished my coffee, I rinsed off everything I used to place it in the dishwasher, and I made my way down the stairs to go to the training grounds. Every Pack-member I walked past looked a little confused, and I had to stifle a smile. Looks like everyone thought I would be sleeping in today.

“I did miss something.” I had mumbled softly as I walked down the last flight of stairs, and saw that Dad’s office door was closed; he was probably in his usual morning meeting with his Beta and Gamma.

One of the few times during the day he would have his door closed, and I walked toward the back of the Pack-house, the fastest way to get to the training grounds.

Again, I was met with confused looks from Pack members, and it was starting to annoy me. Why would it be so strange to see me out and about? Other than my party from the night before, nothing unusual happened, and that meant I woke up at a decent hour.

I had shrugged my shoulders as I reached the training grounds, only to be met with more confused looks from pack members.

It was the start of a very confusing day, and I still don’t understand what I did to deserve the treatment I got from my family and our pack members.

My brothers and I were raised with strict rules, even though we were the Alpha’s children.

I might have been Daddy’s Little Princess, but I was never a spoiled brat. Mom and Dad provided us with everything we needed, and if we wanted something extra, we had to work for it, something we had always accepted without arguing.

By the time I got back, Dad’s office door was still closed, and this time I wondered what was going on; usually, it would been open by now. As I passed the Beta floor, I heard a lot of commotion, but I ignored it because I was in desperate need of a shower and I wanted to be downstairs in time for lunch.

“Where the hell is everyone?” I asked out loud as I entered the Alpha floor, but I knew that no one was around to answer me.

After my shower, there still wasn’t a member of my family on our floor. I walked around the rooms and came to the realization that no one had been back here for some time.

Right then, I wished Dad had initiated me into the Pack the day before, but I understood that he didn’t want me to have a splitting headache during my party.

It would make things a little easier, though, if I could have linked Mom or Dad, but I would probably find out at lunch what was going on. I felt a little better knowing I would see my family in a few minutes.

“You'd better have a damn good explanation, or I might break some bones.” I knew none of them would jump out of the woodwork, but it made me feel a little better.

I was wearing light blue, high-waisted, skinny jeans, an off-the-shoulder black shirt, and some boots. I even put on a little mascara and had my hair braided down my left shoulder.

Mom would usually be up here before lunch to change her clothes, which worried me. I checked my agenda on the way down to check when Mom had planned our next Mother-Daughter day, and I nearly lost my footing when I didn’t see it scheduled for this week. I reviewed the agenda for the next three months, but I didn’t see any Mother-Daughter days scheduled.

Chatter was coming from the dining room, and I had put my phone away as I entered the room. Every conversation halted for a second, but soon the room was filled with chatter again, and when I turned towards our table, I noticed my family wasn’t there yet.

I waited for my family and the rest of our leadership to join me for lunch, but the moment they noticed I was sitting at the table, their conversation went from talking out loud to talking through the mind-link, excluding me.

“Mom, when is our next Mother-Daughter day?” I had asked, but she hadn’t responded at all. She was too busy talking to our Beta female.

I had looked at the rest of my family, and each had their gaze on their plates, but it was clear to see that they were having a conversation.

Can you imagine how confused I was that day? Amra and I have been talking about it since she showed up, and neither of us can figure out the complete one-eighty my family pulled on me.

“You had an amazing bond with your family, and none of them seemed to worry about ignoring you,” Amra mumbles as we ride further away from the territory.

My upbringing was different from most Alpha children. I spent most of my time with my Dad or one of my brothers, because girls in our territory had shown me that they weren’t interested in me, but in my brothers.

It was during my first year in school that I quickly learned that girls wanted to be my friend in hopes of meeting one of my brothers, and if none of them were around, they would find any excuse to leave.

My mind is still boggled. Why didn’t they realize that I was no longer working alongside them? Why didn’t Dad realize that I no longer asked him questions?

“We will be going in circles with these questions. Only they can answer those questions, but I doubt they will ever give you the answer.” Amra states.

The more time passed after my Sweet Sixteen, the more people started to ignore me, and after three months of waking up on an empty Alpha floor, I wasn’t sure if I should scream or cry.

If I managed to wake up before they left, I would get ignored. So, I stopped interacting with them in the morning.

“Dad, do you have a meeting today?”

“Ashton, can I help you with something?”

No matter what I asked, none of them responded.

School had become even worse because I didn’t have any friends. After all, most of them didn’t want to be my friend for who I was, but for who I knew.

“I loved helping my brothers after school. Whether it was filing papers or getting coffee as a young pup, and when I got older, I was allowed to help with more important things.” I say to Amra as my mind wanders back to my childhood.

Dad would let me sit at a small desk of my own in his office as long as I was quiet, and I would sit there reading, writing, or drawing. Sometimes I would do homework, but most of the time it was done during school hours.

Mom always said that by watching my Father and my Brothers work, I would know the work my Mate would have to do on a daily basis. It was one of the things most Lunas no longer understood, as they were busier with their parties and dinners.

“It also gave you another advantage.” Amra points out, and I know exactly what she is talking about.

Most Alpha children have no idea about their parents' duties. I, on the other hand, know every nook and cranny of our Pack-house, I know every position of our Warriors that are not running patrol, and I know every route our patrols run.

They never run a route twice in a row, and our hidden Warriors are an extra security measure, and I know all this because I have spent so much time in Dad’s office or that of my brothers.

This helped me in the past year to start leading my own life, because no one saw me moving around the territory. I think I know more about our Pack on my own than all my Brothers combined.

“You will be a great addition to the King’s Army. You have more knowledge about a pack’s leadership than most Alpha children, and it will be to your advantage.” Amra points out.

She is right, because I know which Packs we have an alliance with, which Packs are friendly with us, and which Packs we need to avoid for whatever reason. I know who the Wolves and Lycans are in the Pack's leadership, and who will take over which positions in the future.

As I grew up, I would hear Dad talk about other Alphas that spoil their Pups rotten, giving them everything they asked for. Dad wasn’t like that; he made us earn our “extra” things, as he would call them, and those were usually things we didn’t really need.

I earned them by spending a lot of time in the kitchen, helping prepare meals throughout the day, and I love cooking or baking. At first, I would measure the ingredients the Omegas needed. When I was old enough, I helped with cutting fruits or veggies.

For the past few years, I have helped with cooking and baking for our Pack members, and Mom is really proud of what I have accomplished so far.

With my time being divided between the kitchen and the office, Mom decided that we would have a Mother-Daughter day once a week, which could be a day at the spa, a shopping spree, or just sitting in the garden talking about significant events in my future.

I would rather have spent my days on the training grounds with my Brothers and our Warriors than with Mom and the other Lunas talking about whatever it was they would talk about. As I already mentioned before, I am not a girly girl, and this was her way of bonding with me.

I think she secretly wrote down everything I told her so she would know how to organize every event to my liking. I really enjoyed my days with Mom, as long as it was just the two of us; when other females joined us, the conversation always ended up on parties and their dos and don’ts.

“Our last Mother-Daughter day was a month before my birthday. How could she have forgotten about them?” I ask Amra because I still don’t understand how this happened.

“Mom, can we have our Mother-Daughter day tomorrow?” I asked that question at least once a week during lunch for three months straight before giving up.

“I am busy. I don’t have time.” Was her answer before she would rush off with our Beta and Gamma females. They would even halt their conversations when I walked into the room, and if I lingered too long, they would continue through the mind-link.

My Dad and my brothers had been the same as Mom. Barely any responses to my greetings or questions, and I gave up on them around the same time.

Three months of barely a simple “good morning” or hello” from my Dad and the short remarks from my brothers like “not now,” “too busy,” “don’t have time,” and a few more along those lines, and I was done.

My training stopped because our Gamma no longer showed up, and every meal was spent in silence, even though it was clear that they communicated through the mind-link.

Something I couldn’t use, as Dad still hadn’t initiated me into the Pack, and every time I tried to bring it up, he cut me off. Typically, every Pup gets initiated into the Pack on their sixteenth birthday, but for some reason, Dad forgot that he never held the ceremony after my Sweet Sixteen Party.

“Why didn’t anyone notice I stopped having meals with my family? Why didn’t anyone notice that I was no longer staying on the Alpha floor?” Questions I would ask myself, and now I could find out if Amra could make sense of it.

“I can’t answer those questions, but it doesn’t make sense to me at all.” Amra is curled up in the back of my head as she responds.

After being ignored for months, I was wandering around the territory, just contemplating what to do with my life, and that was when I found a small cottage close to our northern border.

“Let’s see how long it takes before anyone notices I moved out,” I had said as I walked through the cottage. Deciding that if they no longer wanted me around, I would oblige to their wishes.

If I weren’t on the training grounds, I would be at the cottage, trying to find a new purpose in life, and it took me some time to find it.

I would sign up for the Lycan King’s Army, but I wasn’t really sure yet what kind of position I would like. I had moved quite a few things to the cottage by the time I made up my mind, and I would spend my days there taking some tests.

I hoped those tests would help me figure out what I was good at and which positions within the Lycan King’s Army were best suited for me.

After two months of spending most of my time in the cottage, I decided to go down to our Archive before I went back to my own sanctuary. I wanted to retrieve my file from the Archive and update it myself.

“I doubt anyone has taken a look at it in the months since my birthday, or someone would have noticed that I wasn’t initiated into the Pack.” I had mumbled.

Like every other morning, I made my own breakfast, and once I was done, I erased every trace of my having been in there. I placed a few items from the pantry into my backpack before I headed out the door.

Walking down the stairs, I went over everything I had already brought to the cottage, and I noticed that even our pack members were too busy to greet me as I passed them. No one stopped me when I entered the Archive, and it only took me a few minutes to find my file.

As I had guessed, the last entry into my file was from my Dad. It was on my sixteenth birthday, and it just stated that I turned sixteen that day.

“Damn, do I mean that little to you?” I asked in a whisper, but I knew that no one would answer me.

Morgan’s p.o.v.

“You did everything you could to get their attention. You did your best.” Amra points out.

“Maybe I should have broken a few bones to get their attention,” I growl in response.

It has been something that shot through my mind every once in a while, but I never acted on it.

It was after I got my file that I decided it had been enough. I had cried enough tears, and I had had enough sleepless nights.

I would focus on my future, a future away from this Pack and my family. I had taken everything from my backpack and placed it where I wanted it.

It was never my intention to move out of the pack house completely, but that day opened my eyes. I had been doing one of my tests, and after a few hours, I checked the alarm on my phone, which told me it was nearing dinner time, but I decided to eat at the cottage and continue with my test.

By the time I was done with the test, it was dark outside, and when I checked the time, it was almost midnight. I didn’t hear anything outside when I strained my hearing, telling me that no one had noticed that I was not in the Pack-house or in my room, and I decided to spend the night at the cottage.

“Let’s see how long it will take for someone to notice I am missing.” I had looked up at the ceiling as I got ready for the night.

In the weeks that followed, I took every test I needed to and went to the training grounds as I had every day. No one paid me any attention, not out there or inside the pack house, when I went up to the Alpha floor to take a shower.

I would take a shower before going to Dad’s library and grab one of the many books he has on Werewolf and Lycan laws. Every piece of evidence of me being on the Alpha floor was gone before I would walk out again, and I would repeat this as often as I needed.

One morning, after months of the same routine, I walked into the kitchen to see Colton standing there.

“Good morning, Colton.” He mumbled something in response, but I didn’t bother to decipher it, and when I turned around, he was no longer there, leaving me on my own again.

It was the day that I decided to test if everyone had forgotten about me, and the outcome upset me more than I thought it would.

After training and lunch, I changed into my leather outfit to go for a ride, and when I reached the gate, our Warriors let me pass without asking questions, something that had always been a huge No-No in Dad’s eyes.

I just let it slide as I sped away from the territory, enjoying the freedom of riding my bike, and when I returned, no one stopped me to ask where I had gone.

I ended my day as I always did, reading a book in my bed until my eyes became heavy and I turned in for the night.

Ashton’s p.o.v.

During Morgan’s Sweet Sixteen party, Dad told us we had an early-morning meeting in his office the next day, and that there was something very important he and Mom needed to discuss with us.

“I gave Morgan the day off. It will give me the time to tell you what you need to know, and Morgan gets to sleep in for a change.” Dad had whispered when Mom had distracted her.

I had checked on her before we all went down to Dad’s office, and I was surprised to see our Beta and Gamma couple present as well.

“What I am about to tell you is never to leave this room. If this gets out, it will cause a lot of problems, and we will get attacked for it.” Dad had stated, and I knew he wasn’t kidding.

“Most Pups born into our bloodline are males, and once I have told you everything, you will understand why most will think it is a good thing. A hundred and fifteen years ago, the last female was born into our bloodline, and despite all the precautions her family took, it ended badly for her.

Like every other female in my bloodline, she received her gift on her seventeenth birthday, at the exact moment she was born, and a year later, she found her fated Mate. Her Father asked him to stay with them for a week, and during that week, they got to know her Mate, who was a well-respected Alpha of a large Pack.

They felt they could trust him with their Daughter and her secret; they told him about her ability, and he promised them he would protect her with his life. For a few years, everything was fine, but as time passed, he realized what she could do for him and started forcing her to use her ability.

The punishment for disobeying him grew worse over time, and in the end, she saw no other way out. When she found out she was pregnant with a female Pup, she took her own life, and I know that his Pack is still waiting for the day that another female Pup gets born.” Dad had said, and for a moment, none of us had said a word.

Fletcher was the first one to break the silence, “Is that why you called her Morgan?”

We had always wondered why she had a male’s name, but with this information, it made sense, and Mom had nodded her head at his question.

Dad had called the meeting because he wanted our help to prevent the same thing from happening to Morgan, and we met every morning after that to discuss our best course of action.

“What kind of ability will Morgan get when she turns seventeen?” Hudson asked Mom one day. A question that had been occupying all of our minds.

All Mom could tell us was that on her seventeenth birthday at three minutes past eleven in the evening, she would receive her gift from the Goddess.

Mom had researched the Pack’s Archive and found out that there had been seven females born into Dad’s bloodline. Two of them had been able to hear thoughts, two of them had been able to sense Werewolves and Lycans from a mile away, one of them had been able to hear sounds from a mile away, and one of them could read memories of places as long as they had happened within twenty-four hours.

“I started planning for her seventeenth birthday from the day she was born. I added more to the list as Morgan got older, and removed some as things changed.” Mom had said.

Landon made a giant printout of the list and taped it to the wall, a reminder for all of us that we still had a lot to do, and I was relieved every time we got to cross something off the list.

The celebration was planned with the clearing near our western border in mind. It made it easier for us to keep it a secret from her.

We concentrated on one task at a time, and right now, my office is covered with fabrics in indigo and maroon. We need to decide which ones to use for the party.

I smile as I think about our little spitfire. At only 5”5 she is a force to be reckoned with. If she gets pissed at you, there is nowhere to run or hide. I found that out when I tossed a few of her papers in the bin next to her desk. Not only did she kick me, but she also refused to talk to me for two days.

Each of us has a story like that about her, and the older she got, the worse her tantrums became. Mom and Dad always say she is worse than all of their Sons combined.

If you hear every story my Brothers and I have, you will know that Mom and Dad are very accurate.

Some may think we fear our parents, but there is only one person we all really fear in this world, and that is our baby Sister. At first, she will be pissed at us for keeping this a secret, but once Dad explains everything to her, she will be grateful.

“Dad, why was the King’s Council never informed? Why didn’t your family ask for witnesses?” Hudson had asked Dad a few weeks ago.

Dad thought about it for a few days before he told us it might prevent Morgan from facing the same fate as our ancestors. Tomorrow morning, Mom and Dad will leave to visit an old family friend, and I will contact the King’s Council.

I will also ask them to send some witnesses. I believe that the more people who know, the safer Morgan will be.

Declan holds up two pieces of fabric, and even though they are her favorite colors, I doubt she would like the fabrics. He tosses them in the bin after I shake my head.

Landon has been watching him for a while now, and I wonder when he is planning to put Declan out of his misery. Landon slowly gets up to walk over to Declan, and he is looking at all the fabrics spread out on Declan’s desk.

He grabs one after the other to toss them into the bin without saying a word, and steadily, but slowly, he clears the desk until only a few fabrics remain.

Declan sighs in relief as Landon just made his life a little easier. Both of them look at the remaining pieces and reach for the same one at the same time.

Looks like we have finally tackled that task, and I see Michael smile as he checks off another box.

Morgan’s p.o.v.

”How long will it take before they figure out that we left the territory?” I ask Amra. I am not expecting an answer from her, but I need to ask anyway.

After I had taken all the tests, I received an email from the King’s Army confirming that I had been accepted into the Army. I didn’t have to go through any extra trials or tests, and I decided that I needed to plan my departure to reach the King’s Army on the day I would turn seventeen.

I moved my bike from the garage to the cottage, and so far, no one has asked about it being missing from the garage. I ordered myself a bigger backpack so that I could take a few things with me, and the rest I had sent to the Academy a week ago. It will be in the room I will call home for the next few years.

I had been woken up in the middle of the night to soft singing in my head, and for a moment, I thought I was in my room at the Pack-house, that was, until I realized that the voice was unfamiliar to me.

“Happy Birthday, Morgan.” I heard the voice say, and I automatically answered, “You are a week too early.” Only to be met with laughter in my head.

“Silly girl, I am in your head. My name is Amra, and I am your Lycan.” She responded, and again I told her she is a week early, but then she told me that I was born a week late.

Making this my birthday instead of a week from today, don’t ask me how that is possible because I have no clue, and Amra doesn’t want to explain it.

I allowed Amra to go through my memories, and when she reached the memories of the past year, she became furious. She understood why I wanted to leave, but she asked me to give her one chance to find out why my family started to ignore me, and I reluctantly agreed to join our family for dinner tonight.

The rest of that day, we spent talking about my childhood, about our family, and everything I learned over the years from following my Dad and my Brothers. She liked looking at my memories of the Mother-Daughter days I spent with Mom, but she got angry when she couldn’t find one from the past year.

When I walked into the dining room, I mentioned to Amra that our family wasn’t present yet, and I sat down in my usual seat. It took a few minutes for everyone to be present.

An Omega placed my plate in front of me, but she didn’t look surprised to see me at the table, and I wondered if anyone ever noticed I hadn’t been here in months.

I concentrated on my food as I let Amra do what she wanted. I didn’t try to start a conversation with my family, and when I was finished, she told me that our parents’ Lycans didn’t acknowledge her, not even Ashton’s Lycan had acknowledged her.

We left the dining room before dessert was served, and we walked back to the cottage to grab our backpack.

“I am sorry, my human. I hoped that I could make sense out of the past year, but I have no answers.” Amra retreated to the back of my head as I grabbed everything we needed and headed out to my bike.

I finally look over my shoulder to take one last look at the territory I was born in, but I don’t feel the sadness I was suspecting. I feel relief and determination. I feel lighter than I have in months.

Luna Giselle’s p.o.v.

For the past week, my Lycan has been acting strangely, but she can’t recall anything happening during the past week to justify her feelings.

Well, nothing out of the ordinary, that is, and we both decide it has to do with our little miracle’s birthday. Today, we will spend the day on our own floor while our pack members organize the final details for the party.

Tate walks out of the bathroom as I walk out of our closet, and he smiles at me before he asks me if I have everything under control.

“Of course, I have everything under control. I can’t wait to see her face when she sees what we have organized for her seventeenth birthday party.” I answer as I wrap my arms around his waist.

I walk into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. I am going to make Morgan all of her favorite dishes. Colton and Landon are already setting the table as I am pulling everything I need from the pantry and the fridge.

Ashton walks into the kitchen with a strange look on his face, and I ask him what is wrong.

“I don’t know, Mom. Titan feels as if he missed something major. We have gone over the past week, but we can’t figure it out.” Ashton answers me, and I tell him that Sage has the same problem.

“We have been so busy organizing everything, we had to reconfirm that the King would send witnesses, and I think we are just worried that something might go wrong.” Ashton mumbles.

“Roman has been acting the same, but he can’t explain it either,” Tate says, and I think it is safe to say that we are all worried that something might blow up in our faces.

We talk about tonight’s party as the boys help me get breakfast ready, and as they bring everything to the dining room, I walk towards Morgan’s room to wake her up.

As I walk down the hall to her room, something feels off, and I start to feel anxious the closer I get to her room.

“Is something wrong?” Tate asks from behind me, and I tell him that something doesn’t feel right. Ashton pushes past me to open her bedroom door, and then it hits me. I can barely smell the scent of my daughter, and Sage starts to whimper in my head.

“Her stuff is missing. Her closet is almost empty, and most of her things from the bathroom are missing.” Ashton is running around her room like a headless chicken.

“All pack members to the pack house. NOW.” Tate sends out through a Pack-wide mind-link, and within seconds, I can hear footsteps and paws pounding the stairs and the ground. Everyone is quiet when we step onto the front porch.

“Morgan is missing, and with how faint her scent is in her room, she has been gone for a while. I want the entire territory searched, and if anyone can think of anything strange, I want to hear about it; no one will get into trouble.

We want to know what happened. We need to figure out why she is missing and if she left on her own accord.” Tate says, and in seconds, everyone takes off in different directions to search for our Daughter. Her Brothers rush off as well, and Tate holds me in his arms as I quietly break down.

“I am near a cottage at the northern border. I can smell her scent strongly here.” Fletcher announces through the mind-link after two hours of searching for Morgan.

Tate sends all her Brothers towards him, but an hour later, they still haven’t found her. One of our Omegas who works in the main dining room approaches us with a worried look, only moments after my sons have returned to the pack house.

“Is there something you would like to tell us?” I ask her as she stops near our table.

“Luna, I mean no offense with what I am about to say. Morgan hasn’t been to the main dining room for lunch or dinner for months. I didn’t say anything because none of you seemed to be worried when she no longer showed up.

A week ago, she came in for dinner again, but left before we served dessert. I noticed her bike missing from the garage about a month ago, but I thought she might have gone for a ride, as she has done quite often the past few months.” She says, and I just look at her as Tate thanks her for telling us.

Once we are all back on the Alpha floor, I break down and start sobbing as Tate wraps his arms around me.

“Mom, if she left the territory, we would have felt the Pack-bond snap. She still has to be in the territory.” Landon says as he places his laptop on his lap, and Colton runs out the door.

A few minutes later, Colton walks back into the room, and his face doesn’t predict much good: “Her file is gone, and I can’t find her initiation papers.”

Tate mutters “Fuck” as he jumps off the couch, while Colton sits down.

“We were supposed to initiate her the night after her sixteenth birthday, but we were too busy going over the gift she might get.” Tate mumbles.

I try to remember the last time I spoke to her, and for the life of me, I can’t remember.

“I didn’t have a Mother-Daughter day with her once since she turned sixteen,” I say, and one after the other remembers that they brushed her off after we told them about her seventeenth birthday.

“She left on her bike, she crossed the border not far from the cottage,” Landon says, and Tate calls off the search for our daughter.

She left the territory, so there is no use. I spend the rest of the day in a daze, and at dinner, I get the worst news I could have gotten.

Ashton tells me she hasn’t been in the dining room for nearly a year; they even saw footage of her trying to talk to one of us, and it always ended the same way.

We would tell her we were too busy, or we would cut her off by walking away from her; we pushed her away from us by forgetting how much she meant to all of us.

Morgan’s p.o.v.

Ever since I left Blue River territory, I have been noticing a change in myself. I can’t explain it yet because it is very erratic, and every time I think I've got it figured out, it changes again. One thing I do know for sure is that my hearing has increased a lot, and I am not talking about being able to hear things close to me.

I was riding through a forest when I heard whimpering, and I stopped because I thought it came from beside the road, but I had to walk over a mile before I found the source.

A female from about my age was lying on the forest floor, cuts and bruises all over her body, and I took her back to my bike to attend to her wounds.

Her Father was grateful I found her and made sure she came home safely. It was also the first time I thought I heard someone’s thoughts, and at first I wanted to ignore it, but I decided to inform her Father as he walked me back to my bike.

He didn’t ask anything, he just nodded his head, and I hope he will keep it in mind for the future.

It is my seventeenth birthday, and I am finally at the gate of the Academy. I get quite a few strange looks, but every Wolf and Lycan steps aside to let me pass, and the Lycan at the gate gives me an even stranger look.

I pull to a stop in front of him, and I remove my helmet, only to be met with a dumbfounded look from the Guard.

“I am reporting for duty,” I say to the guard, and he asks me for my acceptance letter. I pull it from my back pocket, and when I hand it to him, I take the chance to look around me.

Every Wolf and Lycan around me is staring at me. I am not sure whether it has to do with being female or with being only 5'5. Well, maybe it has to do with the fact that I just arrived on my Harley, and Amra is laughing in my head.

The Guard gives me directions to the main building, and after I put my helmet back on, I ride through the gate, heading towards my future. I watch the terrain as I slowly make my way over to the entrance.

The main building is where I will get my education and my meals, while most of the other buildings house the students.

The moment I pull to a stop, every Wolf and Lycan on the front steps turns around. Almost every female has a smile on their face as they look at my Harley, but the moment they look at me, those smiles falter.

I get off my bike and remove my helmet without looking at any of them, and I hear gasps when my black hair comes into view.

Elder Larson walks down the steps, and I hold out my acceptance letter. He nods his head as he takes it from me. He smiles when he opens it, and within a second, another Elder approaches us.

“You will be skipping the first two weeks of training; your test results were the best we ever had, and it would be a waste of time to make you attend.” Elder Larson says.

Most of the other Wolves and Lycans stare daggers at me, looking like they don’t like to find out that someone is smarter than them, and I have to stifle a smile when Elder Larson informs me I will only have to attend the introduction morning.

“I am Elder Emmett, and I will be your tutor for the next two weeks. We think you could become a great asset for the King, and I will put you through a few more tests to see if our instincts are correct.” Elder Emmett says.

The introduction morning showed me that most of these Wolves and Lycans think very highly of themselves.

They barely paid attention to Elder Larson as he explained what they could expect over the next two weeks, and during lunch, I could hear their remarks on some of the other students, remarks that pissed Amra off.

I did pay attention, and I got the hidden message that Elder Larson gave: excel in your classes, and you might end up as a team Captain. But the other hidden message he gave was one I would enjoy much more; if you failed, you would be sent home without a chance to ever be accepted again.

My two weeks with Elder Emmett were amazing, and I surprised him by passing every test he gave me. He tested my knowledge of the Pack hierarchy, my knowledge of our laws, and during my second week, he gave me hypothetical cases to solve.

I spent lunch with the rest of the students, and with each passing day, I grew more annoyed with them.

The worst out of them was Nigel, the second Son of the Alpha of Shadow Rock Pack, and a close second was Marge, the second Pup of Shadow Rock Pack’s Gamma. Both of them thought they were the best of the best, and both were arrogant enough to boast about it.

Today, we will hear who has made team Captain and who will be sent home. I doubt Nigel and Marge realize that they might be on that list, and I can’t wait to see the look on their faces when they hear that they are not as good as they seem to think.

I have watched the other students over the past two weeks, and I know who I will choose for my team if I get to choose my own team.

I sit down in a seat at the back of the room and let my eyes glide over the other students, all of them chatting among themselves.

Every conversation halts as Elder Larson steps onto the stage, and I hear a few gasps when the King follows him up there. Another thing most of them didn’t hear during the introduction morning.

“Good morning and welcome to the final day of the try-out weeks.” Elder Larson says, and I can see a lot of confused faces. Elder Emmett chuckles softly, and I glance at him to see a smirk on his face. I think they knew not everyone had been paying attention.

“Today, you will find out if you have what it takes to become part of the Lycan King’s Army or if you are being sent home. For those who end up in the group that gets sent home, a little warning. You will never get a second chance.” He explains, and I see a few faces pale.

Amra is chuckling in my head, and we both have an idea of who might be on the list to be sent home.

“I will start by announcing the team Captains, after that I will announce the students who failed, and last but not least, I will announce the Unit Commander.” He says, and everyone starts to mumble, another indication they didn’t pay attention during his speech on the introduction morning.

“This year’s students will be split into seven teams, meaning that only thirty-five students will remain by the end of the day, and that means that over forty students will be sent home.” Elder Larson explains.

I watch every student as Elder Larson starts calling out names, “Flora, Beck, Waylen, Moura, Enzo, Orson, and Morgan.” Each of us gets up after he has called out our name, and I see a few strange looks when I get up.

“The seven of you will get your own team once your Unit Commander has made your teams. Please sit down again. I will now announce who will be going home.” He states that before he picks up the list of names, he will call next.

One after the other looks devastated when they hear their name, and I see Nigel and Marge looking rather smug as most of those around them hear theirs. I have been counting the names Elder Larson has called out, and I know he has two more names on his list.

Nigel and Marge are still looking as if they made it, but the moment he calls out Marge’s name, I hear her growl, and when he calls out Nigel’s name, we hear a loud roar coming from him.

I stifle a smile at the look on their faces. Elder Larson orders us to be quiet, and the moment the room is silent, he looks at the students.

“As I already said, I still have an announcement to make. For those of you who didn’t pay attention on their first day at the Academy, I will explain what a Unit Commander is. A Unit Commander is in charge of the teams from this year; every team Captain answers to the Commander. Unit Commander is the highest position you can have within the King’s Army.

As Unit Commander, you appoint an assignment to a team, you report to the King after an assignment is completed, and you will report to the King if someone doesn’t perform to the best of their abilities. If a Unit Commander deems a team member unfit, the team member can be removed from their team.

It doesn’t mean you will be sent home; it means you will be reevaluated and assigned to another function. Your place within the team will be filled by someone who was removed from a team and has proven themselves.” He says as he looks around the room, and this time the King gets out of his seat to step to the front of the stage.

“It is my honor to announce this year’s Unit Commander. I have been watching each of you over the past two weeks, and I know that Elder Larson and Elder Emmett made the right choice by suggesting this student. This year’s Unit Commander is Morgan.” The King says, and I just stare at him. I hadn’t seen that one coming.

“You can leave for your rooms and pack up your belongings. I expect you to be out of the territory within the hour, no exceptions.” Elder Larson says, and it becomes a noisy mess when over forty students get up to leave the room.

Morgan’s p.o.v.

Royal Guards are waiting just outside, and I see them following those who have been sent home, probably as a precaution. I hear Marge complaining to Nigel as they walk toward the door.

“What the fuck is this! Some punny Wolf gets to be Unit Commander, and they send me packing. I will show them next year what they tossed aside.” She mumbles, and Elder Emmett gets up.

“Marge, you won’t be coming back. Anyone who gets sent home has no chance of coming back.” Elder Emmett states, and I see a murderous look in her eyes. Nigel seems to have a bit of a brain left as he pulls her with him and growls at her to shut up.

“These are the files on your team members: personal information, training results, and test results. Everything you need to assign them to a team of your choosing.” Elder Emmett hands me a tablet.

In the meantime, Elder Larson has informed the other students that I will be assigning members to each team in the morning and that we have the rest of the day to settle into our new building.

“Tonight, you will stay on the visitor floor of your new home. After Commander Morgan has assigned the teams, she will also appoint you to your Quarters. It will be your home for as long as you are in service of the King’s Army, and we expect all of you to uphold the oath you will take in the morning.” He says before he dismisses us.

I follow the others towards our rooms as they chat among one another, and I already hear a few claiming their team Captain, but I doubt I will allow it. I need strong teams to function at their best, and that means I have to look closely at their files and form teams that can hold up their own.

I am the first one out of my room, and I wait for the rest to show up, but as I had expected, most take off down the stairs. Those who waited with me understand that I know where we are going, and once everyone has cleared their room, we head down the stairs to find the others in the living room.

Instead of telling them to follow me, I walk out the front door, and I hear a few giggles and chuckles behind me.

Our building is the third to my right, and we will share it with a unit that has served the King’s Army for ten years. Let’s see how that goes with some of my team members.

When we arrive at the building, I hear someone shouting from behind me, and as I turn around, I see the others running towards us. Waylen is the first to open his yap, “Why didn’t anyone tell us where you were going?”

I look at him before I sigh deeply, “Why would I? You didn’t think it was necessary to wait for the rest of us.” I respond.

I turn on my heel and head up the steps to the front door. I know the other unit isn’t around at the moment, and I walk up the stairs to the visitor floor once we are all inside.

“Pick a room, but don’t unpack. It will only be for tonight, so there is no need to get comfortable.” I say before I open the door in front of me.

I spend most of my time going over every file, only taking a break for lunch and dinner, and by the time I turn in, I have assigned every member to a team Captain.

I woke up early this morning, and after getting dressed, I went for a run around the territory, a run I take every morning. Everyone I pass along the way either smiles at me or greets me, and I return the favor each time.

I run back into the building and hear voices coming from the living room, but I know none of them belong to my team members. I stop in the doorway to look at the males who are occupying the living room.

“Good morning,” I say to get their attention, and I see annoyed looks in their eyes, looks like they don’t like newcomers. Too bad for them, I am not going anywhere; they'd better get used to seeing me around.

“They are worse than Nigel,” Amra grumbles in my head, and she is right. Nigel was an ass, but at least he would return my greeting. Without saying another word, I head up the stairs to take a shower, and I get dressed in my standard uniform for the last time.

After today, I will be wearing a Commander’s uniform, showing everyone I meet who I am within our unit, and my team Captains will receive another uniform as well.

I walk down the stairs to see my team members waiting for me, and we all head out to get breakfast. I notice that the other team isn’t in the living room anymore.

“When we get back, we will discuss the teams and move to our side of the building. The right side of the building will be our home from here on out; the left side belongs to Commander Jaylen and his unit.” I say, and I see a few males and females smile.

“Let’s see how fast I can get Commander Jaylen in my bed.”

“I hope that team has a few willing females.”

I hear in my head, and I ask Amra if I am going nuts.

“No, you are not losing your mind,” Amra answers as I shake my head to clear my mind, and I follow my team into the main building to get some breakfast.

We get in line at the buffet, and I point out to the others where we will be sitting from now on, like every unit, we have our own table in the dining room.

Every unit sits along the outside of the dining room, and every student or pulled member can sit at a table in the middle. Our table is situated near some floor-to-ceiling windows.

During breakfast, we all look around at the other units, and I notice that I have the largest unit; most of them have five teams. Our unit is the only one that has seven teams, and I stifle a smile when I see the other Commanders coming to the same conclusion as I did.

By the time we walk out of the dining room, Commander Jaylen walks in with his unit, and I see him looking at every member in my unit. I doubt he will be able to figure out who the Commander is.

Elder Larson is waiting for us outside the dining room, and he guides us towards the library, where we will take our oath.

Elder Emmett will recite the oath, and all we have to do is say, “Yes, I will or Yes, I do” after every question.

There are eight Elders standing around us to make sure we all answer and to expose those who try to avoid answering. Amra is front and center; she wants to see how some of my unit will respond to the oath.

Elder Emmett starts to recite the oath, and each time everyone answers in unison, that is, until the last part of the oath. “Do you promise to withhold yourself from having sex with your own unit members and those of other units? With the exception of you finding your fated Mate among them.”

Almost everyone responds with “Yes, I do,” and I know who didn’t respond.

Five members of my unit are called towards Elder Emmett, and he asks them why they didn’t answer; each of them tells him they hadn’t expected that to be part of the oath.

“This is a part of the oath, because history has taught us that a broken off relationship causes trouble within or between units.” He answers.

He repeats the last part of the oath, and all five answer with “Yes, I do.” As we all did, and I will make sure they understand the consequences if they break a part of the oath.

We all get our new uniforms before we head back, and I tell everyone along the way to place them on their beds before I divide the teams.

My members and I are the only ones inside the building, and I wait in the living room for everyone to show up. I see that a few sit down together, the ones who decided they would become a part of a team, Captain’s team, and the rest just sit down wherever there is a seat available.

It takes about fifteen minutes before each of them is quiet, and Flora is the one to start talking.

“I have already picked my team members, so why don’t I start announcing my team?” She asks, but I just shake my head.

Luckily, she is smart enough to keep her mouth shut, and I grab the tablet to pull up the list of the teams I made.

“I went through each of your files, and I have come to the conclusion that each of you actually has a brain,” I say, and everyone chuckles. “I mean that you will all be able to understand my reasoning when I explain how I came to my decisions, and to make it a little easier, I want to ask you to compare our unit to a Pack.

Pack members have to answer to an Alpha, but if an Alpha had to talk to every member one by one, it would take forever, and for that reason, only one person will answer to the Alpha. Which basically means that an Alpha has different teams throughout his Pack and he needs to make sure that every team within his Pack is the best he can have.” I explain, and I see all of them nod their heads.

“Flora, have you ever watched the Warriors in your Pack train?” I ask her, and she answers that she has.

“Have you ever questioned a decision your Head Warrior made while pairing a team?” She answers my question affirmatively.

“Can you explain to everyone why you questioned him?” I ask her.