Fantasy Trials of Royalty [Closed]

[This Is Me]

"Delaney!"

Thornton stormed out of his room, trying to keep his bellowing laughter at bay. Despite his younger sister being 15 years old, she still hadn't hit her moody teenage stage, and was instead still a massive child at heart. Hence why Thornton was currently running after his little sister after he'd awoken to find her drawing a button nose and whiskers on to his face in permanent marker.

Chasing the flowing locks of black hair down the stairs, he caught her in the kitchen. Pinning Delaney to the floor, he proceeded to tickle her sides until her laughter filled the air and tears of happiness slipped past her scrunched up eyes. His own laughter filled the kitchen, "How dare you make me look cute."

"Now, Thornton, let your sister up. It's time for breakfast." Thornton looked up at his mother, hands on hips with an easy smile on her face. The grin he wore didn't fade as he stood up and helped Delaney up after him. "Your father's informed me you're doing the long patrol today, so you've got to have a big breakfast."

"Yes mother." Thornton couldn't help chuckling and kissed his mother on the cheek. However, despite being 23 he still did exactly as his mother said and filled up on a breakfast of pancakes, bacon, syrup and anything he could get his hands on. After all, being a werewolf had its perks with such a high metabolism.

After breakfast Thornton had spent nearly fifteen minutes scrubbing the permanent marker from his face, before heading out of the house to start his patrol. He hadn't yet seen his father this morning, knowing he was probably dealing with important business and paperwork regarding the pack. As soon as he'd stepped outside, he shifted into his marbled black and brown wolf. Shaking his fur out, Thornton set off into the forest. He headed away from the pack house and right to the edge of the territory, before he turned left and followed the border along.

Around half an hour into his patrol, and having made only small dent in his patrol route, Thornton's nose picked up on an unfamiliar scent. A scent tinged with something close to fear, but definitely a scent he didn't recognise. This was his job. As soon-to-be-alpha of the Red Forest Pack, named after the red tinged to the trees bark, this was Thornton's job. Protect the pack at all costs.

 

[SolitaryNoodle]

The forest floor was strewn with dark leaves suffocating the few resilient spots of grass that had survived this long, they made a soft crunching sound every time Em took a step. The noise was lost on him as his playlist moved on to a louder tune, still he could imagine the complete serenity of the woods this early in the morning, and longing for it he removed his earbuds. The last city he had lived in had been large and bustling, and the wolf in him had hated every minute, even if he had to admit there had been good details about it all.

A distinctly electronic noise broke the calm as one of those details made itself reminded with a text. Em hauled the phone out of his pocket and checked what Alicia had written this time.

want to buy this cutie will u visit if i do? x

Attached was an image of the smallest kitten Em had ever seen, and he was almost tempted to go back just to see how Alicia, his flatmate back in his last hometown would handle the responsibility of taking care of a cat. And maybe even more interesting, how a cat would like their tiny flat. Laughing silently at the image of that kitten getting lost among the heaps of fabric and sewing supplies Alicia had stacked all over Em sat down on a fallen tree and threw off his bag to rest his back. He had already begun typing out a playful response, when he remembered that he very well might never see Alicia again. The smile fell from his face and he quickly closed out of the message. As Em blinked hard, he figured he might as well rest and have breakfast.

He'd downed a sandwich and half a bottle of water when the scent reached him, a scent he knew instantly despite not having been in contact with in months; werewolf. And it was coming closer.

"Shit," Em immediately stood up and shoved the rest of the food back in the bag. Reasoning that he must have accidentally entered someone's territory and that if he just got back out of it both he and the approaching wolf could go on with their days he turned and started running back the way he came. He was fully aware that the wolf would catch up with his human legs, but he really didn't have it in him to deal with something like this this early in the morning, so hope was better than anything. And if the wolf took him for a malevolent intruder and attacked, well, that wouldn't be so bad.

 

[This Is Me]

Thornton had caught a strong sniff of the scent of the other werewolf and had gone bounding off after it. He knew it was only one wolf because the scent wasn't deviating and there was only one trail; he didn't have to inform the pack, he could sort out just one lone wolf. I'll show you dad.

The muscles on his legs pumped faster, the reddish bark of the trees blurring past him but still in focus with his heightened senses. The scent was getting stronger and stronger, mixed with the hint of food. Despite only having just finished breakfast, Thornton's stomach grumbled and if he wasn't in such a serious situation he could have chuckled. He was always hungry. But now was not the time to be thinking of food.

As Thornton was nearly on top of the scent, his mind ran over all the scenarios in which he could be faced with. This could just be a lost wolf, or it could be the opposite of the spectrum and this wolf was out for blood. What Thornton hadn't expected however, was that as soon as the back of this werewolf came into view, was for them to be in human form. To cross into another packs territory, with no permission, and in human form was just asking to be hurt. Luckily though it was Thornton that was dealing with this and not another, more brutish member of their patrols, or his father.

Pushing his legs faster, Thornton bounded in an arc around the intruder, smelling that there was a slight hint of fear in the air. Skidding to a halt in front of the lone wolf, who in actual fact looked more like a teenage boy to Thornton, he crouched down, hackles raised, teeth bared and a menacing growl ripped through his muzzle.

The boy froze, and Thornton took a menacing step forward, assessing the situation. This intruder was going no-where, but it also didn't look like he'd put up much of a fight. As Thornton assessed the boy, he took in how he looked from head to toe, his eyes lingering longer than they should've done in such a situation. Throughout his life he'd never found someone that had made him look twice and think, yet here in a situation that could possibly endanger his pack, he was somewhat gawking at that said person; pale skin somewhat enhanced by the early morning sunshine breaking through the trees.

Thornton shook his large head, his composure relaxing just that little bit. He shifted back into his human form quickly, needing to interrogate the lone. He brushed his shirt down and readjusted his tan shorts, before turning his hard stare to the boy. Somehow, in human form the lone looked a lot more attractive, causing Thornton's insides to squirm slightly and him having absolutely no idea as to why. "You're trespassing on the Red Forests Pack territory. What is you business here?"

 

[SolitaryNoodle]

Em's heart was beating fast from exertion and anticipation, through all his life as a lone wolf he had always managed to stay out of pack territory, or at least pass through in the permitted ways, never staying longer than absolutely necessary. So this was new grounds for him, he had gotten lazy, hadn't checked for markers or scents and now he was paying the price.

He was fast for a human, but of course he was no match for a wolf, and so Em admitted defeat the moment the wolf passed him and blocked his path. The large wolf in front of him was dark, and both the size and the way it carried itself told Em that this was definitely a young alpha. With a sting of pain he was reminded of both his older brother Novak and the heir in his adoptive pack, and he had to shake his head to clear the memories that flooded his mind.

As the wolf growled Em took three deep breaths, if this truly was the soon-to-be-alpha he had every right to kill Em on sight and he would prefer to die calm, not with his heart in his throat. Calmer, Em held his ground when the wolf advanced, frozen but not out of fear. He had been prepared for this for a long time now. That eventually something would catch up with him and now his only focus was to stay in the moment, not let anything distract him, and keep his composure. Naturally, that was when the werewolf decided to shift into a ridiculously attractive man.

Em stared as the man brushed himself off, all his careful planning for moments like this temporarily forgotten. It wasn't until the man locked eyes with him that Em remembered the seriousness of what was going on. He blinked and took yet another deep breath before dealing with this the way he had always been prepared to do. Palms turned to the man he left his arms hanging a bit away from his body, clearly displaying that he was unarmed, Em let his head fall slightly to the side and back, baring his neck the same way wild wolves would do to show submission.

Not changing his composure Em answered the question, "I wasn't aware that I had passed into your territory, and I apologise for not paying attention, but I assure you I mean no harm. In fact, had I known that your territory spanned this area I would have requested permission to pass through as soon as possible. If you feel the need to bring me before your pack then I won't resist, but as I'm not far within your borders, perhaps you could just let me go? I swear that I'll stay away in the future, now that I know of this territory." With that, he offered a small, apologetic smile, hoping that the honesty of his claims came through.

 

[This Is Me]

Thornton crossed his arms across his chest, his muscles slightly bulging under his t-shirt. He tried to keep his glare solid, but as soon as the lone showed submission it faded into a look more resembling awe. It was very rare that a lone recognised the submissive position because most of them had left pack life so as to take orders from no-one. When a lone showed submission it warranted a protective worry about where they had come from and why they were out alone.

As soon as the lone started speaking, Thornton relaxed his arms and they fell to his sides. The voice coming from the boy was soft, no harsh tones to it at all, and despite the situation he was in, his voice remained calm. Everything about this boy was throwing Thornton off track, and when a smile graced his plump, pale lips, strangely the young alpha couldn't look away. Clearing his throat, Thornton strode towards to boy, standing right in front of him, looking down. Upon noticing the pale colour of the lone's eyes, once again he struggled to look away.

Eventually, Thornton got his act together. "Despite your acknowledgement of your mistake, I must bring you before our alpha. He will have the final say as to whether you are granted permission to leave. If you are not granted immediate leave, you will have to stay within the pack until you have proven yourself to be true to your word and no threat to the pack. Is that understood?" As much as Thornton wished for his voice to be stern, it hadn't been.

Then again, there was something about this lone that made Thornton want to be kind and the idea of his father granting him immediate leave caused a twisting sensation in his gut. "I'm going to have to escort you further in to the territory, and so that you get no ideas of wandering I will have to hold your arm. Is that okay?" Is that okay? What was he thinking? He was the soon-to-be-alpha, he didn't ask lone wolves if it was okay to escort them into the territory, it was something that would be done no matter what.

Upon taking hold of the lone wolf's upper arm, his grip was tight but not enough to bruise. "I need to ask some further questions before you are brought before the alpha." Thornton glanced down, only now taking in how small the boy was compared to him. It made him smile softly, but he lost it quickly when he realised he was supposed to be being serious. "Name? Age?"

 

[SolitaryNoodle]

Having proved that he knew his position and situation, Em deemed it safe to meet the other man's eyes without risking offence. He locked onto the pale blue gaze, determined to not be the first to look away. Something about the stranger made him feel uneasy, not threatened in any way, but comforted, and that was such an inappropriate reaction to this that Em grew weary. He'd met tons of people through his wandering days and not all of them nice, but he had always managed to keep his senses about him, except for now. And that scared him most of all.

At the stranger's response Em's shoulders fell, this was expected but a disappointment nonetheless. The soft tone of his voice did little to keep Em from twitching at the poised solution, staying with this pack was the worst case scenario. Who knew how long they would force him to stick around and what if someone found him during that time? What if the hunters were still on his trail and found him? What if the Red Forests Pack discovered who he was and made him re assume his titles? He wouldn't be able to handle that, he couldn't. He would have to run away before that happened. Running would make his life a bit more difficult as he would then have committed an actual crime but it was worth it. Once he settled on that plan of action Em nodded.

"I understand. Whatever your alpha decides on, I'll accept it." He frowned at the request, it would have been appropriate for a pack wolf discovering a lone on the territory to drag them back to the pack any way they saw fit, conscious or not, so this request for something so simple was outright historical. Em couldn't keep the question out of his voice. "Of course? Do what you must."

The wolf's hand was large, warm, and gentler than Em would have expected from the look of him. As they walked he decidedly didn't look at the wolf, determined to not let himself get distracted by him again, how he acted now could be what sealed his fate. Therefore his eyes were busy searching the woods ahead of them, now carefully looking for both visual and scented clues about the pack as he repeated his usual lies.

"My name is Em WInters, I'm 22 years old, and I was part of the White Valley Pack up until eight years ago. They shunned me due to disagreements with the pack's alpha." It wasn't exactly a lie, Seth, the boy Em had grown up alongside who had become the new alpha had tried to convince him not to leave. Somehow, Seth had been unable to see the danger Em presented to his pack. They hadn't been walking long when Em caught scent of more werewolves and his heart started beating faster, this would be the first time since he'd run away that he would be among his own kind, and fear mingled with ill-advised excitement. "Are you taking me in front of the entire pack at once, or do I get to meet your alpha first?"

 

[This Is Me]

Thornton nodded his head, showing he was listening to the lone, who went by the name of Em. To him, Em seemed like a genuine person, but he knew his father was having some troubles with viscous lone wolves prancing around the outskirts of the territory every now and again, and other close by packs had suffered various attacks. They couldn't be too careful at a time like this, and Thornton somehow had a feeling he'd make Em stay to survey him. That idea made Thornton want to smile; ridiculously.

"You'll be meeting the alpha alone. You won't meet the entire pack unless the alpha decides it necessary for you to stay under surveillance. You'll have to inform the alpha of exactly what you've just told me, and I apologise for your previous pack shunning you. Also, the alpha will require your full name, not just the shortened version Em." The lone's name sounded perfect rolling off of Thornton's tongue, and when he glanced down at the brunette mop of hair, he saw the slight flicker of his eyes in his direction and couldn't help but wink down at him.

All members of the Red Forest pack knew that when a patrol came back with an unrecognised wolf, they were to not approach. However, there weren't any rules on staring, and that's exactly what every one of them they passed, did. Thornton could feel the slight fear rolling off Em, and he squeezed his hand around his arm in what was hopefully a calming manner.

Upon entering the modified ranch pack house, that had been extended over the years to accommodate for their growing pack numbers, Thornton directed Em up the maroon carpeted stairs and to the right and back towards the front of the house. The decor in the house was simple, wooden floor boards accentuated with the occasional maroon rug and plain walls on which hung photos of the pack. Nothing fancy, but it did the job it was built for. At the end of the corridor there was a large mahogany door, and after knocking one, his fathers voice resounded.

Upon entering the bookcase covered room, and standing Em in front of his fathers desk, Thornton let go of him, somewhat not enjoying the loss of contact. Clearing his throat, Thornton's father looked up from his paperwork, a brooding and dark look on his features as he took in the stranger in the room. "Who is this Thornton?"

"Alpha. I found this lone wandering our territory on the eastern border, about 10 foot from the edge. He posed no threat to myself and I believe he poses no threat to the pack. He is just wishing to pass through, and made the mistake of misjudging the size of our territory." Thornton responded, standing at attention.

"Very well." His piercing glare turned from Thornton to Em. "Explain to me. Who are you? Where are you from? And how did you make the mistake of misjudging our territory? These are trying times lone."

 

[SolitaryNoodle]

The further into pack territory the faster Em's heart beat, his situation appearing worse with every word the stranger spoke. Entire pack. Surveillance. Full name. His initial plan to run at first opportunity seemed impossibly naive in this light, and if it hadn't been for the strong hand on his arm the nausea would have threatened to fell Em. Or, maybe the hand was only one part. For some reason Em couldn't help but comforted by the other man's voice despite the threats his words posed.

"There's no need to apologise, you weren't part of it. But thank you." He looked up and was met with a wink that he could do nothing but smile quickly in reply to, before going back to his nervous surveillance of the woods around them. They had reached far into the territory now and more and more pack members were looking at them. Em gave them all a quick glance over but didn't meet any eyes, far to afraid to spot someone who had met him back in the White Valley to risk it.

When they finally got into what Em assumed was the pack house they were blessedly alone and Em could breathe out. Now that it was risk free, he made an attempt to look over everything to get a grip of his surroundings as fast as possible. He didn't have much time before they reached their goal and stepped into an office that immediately sent Em back to his own father's. What brought him back to the present was the sudden lack of touch, something Em missed not seconds after it was gone. The pack's alpha spoke, addressing... Thornton? Em looked over at the werewolf that had guided him here, giving his wide shoulders, dark hair, slight stubble, and muscles more than a once over. Em had hoped to not make any bonds here, it would be easier to run if he knew no one, but as he'd already learnt Thornton's name that ship had sailed now.

As the alpha addressed Em, he met his gaze calmly, making sure that his voice remained even as he replied. "I am Emmet Winters of the White Valley pack, or I was until I was shunned. Since then I have lived among humans, and used my freedom to wander from place to place. I have no contact with any of our kin, pack or lone, and therefore my knowledge of pack territories is getting dated. I assure you, Alpha, that I had no intention of breaching your borders and I deeply apologise for the offence. If you allow, I will make my pledge for allowance to pass through and be out of your borders as soon as I can."

He knew he was taking a risk asking to pass through, but he just couldn't take this. He couldn't risk all of these lives, so he had to lie. "I know that I don't have much to offer due to my stature, but I will do anything you need doing, your grace. I have a meeting with a friend in a town on the other side of your borders, and I need to get there, so if there's anything I can do to earn your good graces I will do it."

 

[This Is Me]

Thornton had tried to stand still and to attention whilst Em, Emmet, spoke, but his voice was drawing something deep within him so he just turned around and stared. He had known Em wasn't his full name, and upon learning his full name was Emmet, there was an even deeper pull towards the lone wolf. A soft smile graced his lips, but it fell when he heard him talking of passing through the territory immediately. Of course he knew that was Em's plan, but it was something he didn't want Em doing. Thornton wanted to get to know this wolf, he just couldn't understand why.

Thornton was an alpha in training, so he knew the signs when someone wasn't telling the whole truth. They always had a tick, and Em's tick was the slight shift of his gaze down to the floor and back again. He didn't want to be a part of packs, that was true, but the reasoning was off. He hadn't realised it before when Thornton had been escorting Em to the pack house, because he couldn't see his face, but now it was obvious. His father must have realised something too.

"Thornton. Thornton!" He jumped, turning back round and clearing his throat, knowing his father would be having words with him about his behaviour in a serious meeting later. "Do I have your attention?"

"Yes alpha." He ducked his head slightly to show submission. Despite being next in line he still had to show his obedience to his father; that was pack life. Thornton stood back to attention, but moved back and across so he was close enough to Em to feel his body heat. His father could be a truly terrifying man, with his dark hair and even darker glare; one in which he was pointing at the both of them. The slight strain of his age showed when he rubbed at his temples, the glare lessening upon coming to a decision on Em's fate.

"Whilst your pledge seems true and innocent enough Emmet Winters, I cannot, at this time grant you the permission to cross our lands. It is a troubling time for our pack and the many surrounding packs in regards to dangerous lone wolves that have banded together. Therefore, I cannot let you pass. Whether you are telling the truth or not, I will not have it on my conscious for an innocent lone to be left to the hands of these monsters, and likewise, if you are a spy, I cannot let you go and you will be found out." His father took a deep breath, and stood, walking around to stand imposingly in front of the two.

"I apologise for the inconvenience caused to you. However, if you wish to meet this friend, I will allow it but only with the accompaniment of Thornton and a small group of our fighter wolves. Otherwise, welcome to the Red Forest Pack Emmet Winters. I leave you in the hands of my son. I trust you can handle this Thornton?"

Thornton forced the grin from forming on his lips, knowing it was far from an appropriate time to show such an emotion. "Yes alpha. Em will be safe under my watch and care."