Pain

Chapter 1: Prologue

Talon and Avalyn thought they could stay happily ever after but the gods had a different plan.

Twelve years after the birth of their children, war suddenly broke out between the humans and the werewolves.

Talon's family broke apart. Each member dispersed to a corner of the earth unknown to the others.

An enemy stronger than they had ever anticipated was at play.

The humans captured Avalyn through trickery and overthrew the Lycans. Talon went missing.

Axel, their first son, found himself captive in the hands of the humans, and his siblings, Blade and Scarlet were sold to an unknown land, one as a child prostitute and the other as a maid.

Their Lycan wolf was inhibited by drugs. They were left powerless with no hope of survival.

In a small town governed by humans, Axel worked tirelessly at the young age of twelve. With his parents not there to save him, the young boy struggled to survive.

"How dare you leave the pen open?" His master screamed, launching a long twisted whip onto the young boy's skin.

"Forgive me, master, I forgot—" The sound of the cackling whip swallowed his explanations as it kissed the air before landing on his scarred body.

Axel curled himself into a ball as the whip landed all over his body.

"You useless animal! You will stay out here till I find you worthy again!" The cruel master screamed, whipping him till there was blood gushing out of multiple points on Axel's body.

Then he pulled at Axel's ears, dragging the boy along till they got to the centre of the farmhouse.

He chained him up to a pole on the platform where animals were killed and left him to die in the cold.

Axel didn't cry or scream for help. He had only one light-tattered shirt that did nothing to protect him from the cold. His body was cut in so many places, he couldn't even feel the sting anymore.

Just like his father, he had thought himself to endure his pain. He knew that this suffering wouldn't last forever.

A day would come when the lycans would take control again. Lycans would rule the earth again and the humans would pay for everything they did to him and his family.

From the corners of his eyes, Axel noticed a shadow approaching him. There was only one burning torch at the far end of the farmhouse, just behind the human king's palace. But it wasn't enough for him to see whoever was approaching. He narrowed his eyes and looked straight ahead.

He didn't want his condition to make him appear weak. He was a Lycan, he should always act as one.

But as the shadow stepped out of the darkness and unto the only light flickering in the cold night air, Axel recognized them.

It was Violet. The human princess strutted closer with her hands well hidden beneath her cloak.

"Axel, are you hungry?" She asked, her blue eyes twinkling in the dark.

"No, I am fine," Axel grunted, refusing to accept sympathy from the same people who snatched everything away from him.

But seven years old Violet didn't mind. She came closer to where Axel was chained and she sat down.

Axel scoffed. "You shouldn't be here. It's not safe for you."

"But you are here. You'll protect me," she replied with a smile.

Axel felt a deep blow in his heart. Her smile reminded him so much of his mother. It brought him peace but even at his young age, he knew this was only an illusion.

Violet was innocent now because she was young, as soon as she grew older, she would become just like her cruel parents.

Violet pulled her hands out of her cloak and brought out a piece of bread. "I saved this for you from the dining table..."

Axel wanted to refuse the food but his stomach growled. He needed the food. He couldn't remember the last time he had anything to eat.

He made to take the bread forgetting about the chains around his arms.

"Oh, I can feed you..." Little Violet said, noticing the setback.

Axel frowned and the Lycan spirit in him returned. He shouldn't be accepting favours from a human girl... much less the princess.

"Forget it. Go home before you get cold," he whispered as he stared at the bread in her hand. He was really hungry.

Violet shook her head and took matters into her hands. She drew closer to Axel and broke the bread between her soft hands. Then she brought it to his lips.

"You should eat so that you can be strong and handsome like a prince..." She said with a big smile on her face.

Axel refused but Violet was stubborn and determined, in the end, he ate from her hands.

This wasn't the first time Violet was bringing him food. Each time she got the chance, she saved a piece of her food and brought it to him when no one was looking.

She dropped the bread on his thigh and she got to her feet. She unhooked her cloak from around her shoulders and wrapped it around him.

"Mother says it will get colder in the night. You should have it." She smiled at her handwork and resumed feeding him.

He appreciated her kindness but he couldn't bring himself to consider it because each time he looked at her, he remembered how her people had tricked his mother and destroyed their home.

"You should go home," he hissed.

"Not until you finish eating." She insisted with a small frown on her face.

The feature looked wrong on her face. She wasn't made to carry such a thing as a freon.

"Aren't you scared of me?" Axel whispered.

Violet smiled and looked into his eyes. "You are a prince. I can't be scared of you because I know you won't hurt me."

Her reply added even more pain to Axel's hardened heart. Could Violet really be different from her kind?

"You there!" A guard suddenly shouted pointing in their direction.

Violet's hand stopped feeding Axel midway as she turned to see what was happening.

A guard was rushing toward them and her parents were behind him.

Axel spat out the food in his mouth and glared at the guard coming at him.

Before the guard could get to the centre more joined him and they all rushed toward the children.

"Stay away from her, you animal!" The first one spat taking Violet away from Axel's side.

The king and queen got closer. They were red in the face and the queen scurried to take Violet from the guard.

"Oh my dear princess, are you hurt? Did he touch you? Are you okay?" She asked. She moved Violet around inspecting every inch of her skin in the dim light.

Violet's eyes wavered with a cloud of confusion at the questions her mother threw at her.

"I am fine Mommy, Axel didn't hurt me. He can't hurt me. He is my friend!" She declared innocently.

The queen let out a soft gasp and turned to her husband. "He has bewitched my baby!" She whimpered hugging Violet close to her large torso

The King's eyes narrowed and he closed the distance between him and Axel. He grabbed the chained boy by the neck and lifted him higher.

"You dare lay your filthy hands on my precious daughter!" He landed two heavy slaps on Axel's cheeks, his body shaking with anger.

"You animal! Guards, whip this fool till it is engraved in his skull never to associate with a princess!" He spat on Axel's face and dropped him to the cold ground.

"No! Father no! Do not beat him! He is my friend. He did nothing wrong! We were only talking!" Violet tried to explain but her words fell on deaf ears.

The guards who had been itching to flog the Lycan boy raised their whips and executed their order without a flinch.

Axel had been flogged on several occasions but the one he got, was one never had he anticipated for the first time, he screamed in pain.

But the King and the guards laughed, enjoying his suffering.

"Stop beating him, he is my friend! Stop beating him!" Violet had tears in her eyes as she struggled in her mother's hands begging them to let poor Axel be but no one listened to her.

"Take her to her room! I want to watch this," the queen said and a guard stepped aside and dragged Violet away.

She continued screaming, crying, and begging them to let Axel be but the guard was only concerned about taking her away.

"This would teach you to keep those slimy fingers to yourself! You little pest!" The queen chuckled as she watched Axel being flogged.

Axel was beaten so hard, his body grew numb. His eyes were swollen and his skin was bloody but he held on to his consciousness.

He wanted to get a good look at all of them. He wanted to remember them so that the day the goddess smiled down at him again, he would have his revenge.

As the whip fell on his skin, he made a silent vow to cause them the same amount of pain they caused him.

An eye for an eye.