Page 18 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

“Yes, is that obvious?”

I feel him smile.

“Tonight is supposed to be a happy night. It’s exciting. It’s something we celebrate every year, and there’s rarely ever any outsiders. Consider yourself lucky to attend.” He laughs, lightening the mood. He breaks away from me, taking my hand. “Come with me. I want you to meet someone.”

We weave through small clusters of people drinking and talking and stop next to a large tree away from the fire and crowds.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back,” he says.

“Okay.” I smile and nod.

He goes over to a group of men and talks for a moment then heads back toward me with another man next to him. Rhett is tall, but this guy is really tall, like well over six feet. He has short, black-gray hair and a strong jaw with gray-speckled stubble covering it. He has the same pale-blue eyes as all the Lycan.

“Lyra, this is Larc. He’s my pack leader,” Rhett says as he moves in front of me.

“Pleasure to meet you, Larc.” I extend my hand, and he takes it, giving me a broad smile.

“The pleasure is mine, Princess Lyra.”

“Just Lyra please.” I smile. His hand is warm, and his touch gentle but strong.

“So how long have you and Rhett known each other?”

Larc elbows Rhett in the shoulder. “This guy I’ve known since he was born.”

“And how long have you been his pack leader?” I asked, honestly curious.

“Well, when we’re born, we’re assigned a pack, but your true bond develops more after you go through the shifting, and that’s when you are duty bound to your pack leader— until he dies that is. Then his second in command would take over the pack, and you would be bound to him,” Larc says, shifting his weight.

“What do you mean by duty bound? What if you don’t like the pack leader you’re assigned to?”

Rhett laughs and Larc continues, “Well you don’t really have a choice unfortunately. Once you’re duty bound to a pack leader, there’s no getting out of it unless the pack leader dies. If the pack leader makes a command everyone in the pack must follow it. There is no choice. It's like our blood answers to the leader. I know it’s a lot of power for someone to have over others, but we don’t abuse it.”

“What if you asked everyone in your pack to jump off a cliff? Would they do that?”

“Yes, they’d have no choice, but don’t worry. No one's going to do that, and if one of us did we’d have to answer to all the other pack leaders and face judgment,” Larc clarifies.

“How many pack leaders are there?”

“Seven if you include me,” Larc says.

“Is there anyone ranked above the pack leader? I thought Aidan had told me he was in charge of the Lycan Realm. Is he just another pack leader?”

Rhett and Larc exchange a disgruntled look, and I get the feeling neither of them care for Aidan much.

“Aidan is in charge of the Lycan Realm. You could say he is the pack leader of the pack leaders,” Larc says.

“What if something were to happen to Aidan? Does he have a second in command?”

“Not exactly. A higher power would have to come into play to find a replacement for Aidan,” Larc says.

By the hard look that passes between the two males, I get the feeling I should change the subject.

“Are you Luke’s pack leader as well?”

“No, Luke has been assigned to Zog’s pack. After tonight he will be relocating to the Shifting Forest with his pack.” Larc doesn’t look pleased.

“Come. Let me refill your drink and find us a spot to sit by the fire. The stories are about to start,” Rhett says, taking my hand and nodding goodbye to Larc.