Chapter 50: Rhys
“I was just trying to bond with my sister,” Ethan protested, curling into himself a little, the same way Grace was trying to do at the very same time.
“This isn’t the time for bonding, we haven’t decided what to do with you yet,” I said cooly. “You were brought here to give us information on Lycans. We had never heard of Lycans until one attacked my pack a couple weeks ago, and then we found you. There’s next to information out there. I can’t find a single book that mentions them, so I want to know exactly what we want and then we might spare your life, though it truthfully isn’t my decision.”
Ethan’s face fell even more, but he shrugged, trying to act like he didn’t care that much.
“What do you want to know?” I could tell he was trying to keep his voice casual.
“Start with where they came from.” I commanded, “And what they are.”
Ethan nodded, and I could tell he was trying to decide where to start with his story. He had mentioned several things in the dungeon, but I wanted to know if his story stayed the same or if he changed anything. This was for Grace, but it was also a test on my end.
“Well, Lycan’s, like werewolves, are children of the Moon Goddess.” He answered after some thought. “They are half werewolf, half human, hence the different form. We were created by werewolves and humans marking and mating each other during the full moon.”
“Is that why your form is bipedal?” I asked, wondering why I had never even heard a legend about Lycans if they came from werewolves.
“Yes, I believe so,” Ethan answered. “Honestly, there’s a lot of lore about how we got our form, but to me, that makes the most sense.”
“If you lived with rogues,” Grace asked, drawing out her thoughts. “How did you learn about Lycans?”
“Lycans aren’t super common,” Ethan answered easily, “But they aren’t super rare either. Most Lycan packs try to live a normal life in the human world or pass themselves off as werewolves for safety purposes.”
It made sense. Kind of. They were half-breeds, stuck not really fitting into either world quite perfectly.
“Is that better or worse than what the werewolves do?” Grace asked, and I could tell she was feeling a bit more comfortable with the situation.
“I don’t think you can compare the two. Lycan’s were hunted a long time ago because people saw us as mutts. We got the best of humans and werewolves in my opinion, but not everyone saw it that way. They thought we shouldn’t exist, that were causing, ‘chaos among the humans’ and it caused all sorts of problems for Lycan’s causing almost every pack to change in one way or another to protect themselves.”
“So, they live in packs like werewolves?”
“Yes, usually, but it’s not as big of a deal as it is for full blood werewolves.”
“Can you fully shift into a wolf, or can you only do that other thing?” She asked.
“That thing is called a Lycan, but it’s really just an extension of ourselves if that makes sense. Werewolves are like two separate beings in one, while Lycan’s can change, but it’s still just us. Have you had your first shift yet?” He asked.
“No.”
“Really?” Ethan said in surprise. “Well, we should probably work on that. The first time is a little painful, but now I can do it without feeling anything at all. Have you never just wanted to shift?”
“Shifting is complicated.” I interjected before more could be said about Grace not being able to shift... “No more questions about her.”
“Sorry,” Ethan raised his hands as a peach offering. “Would you like me to show you a shift?”
“No, thank you.” Grace replied simply, and I knew it was because the thing terrified her, even if her brother didn’t anymore.
“Okay...” He looked like he didn’t know what to talk about next.
“And are our abilities the same as werewolves?” Grace asked.
“Some are,” Ethan answered easily. I could tell this was the first question all night that he could talk about forever. “We have similar abilities in the senses of sight, scent and hearing. We also have the ability to fully feel our mate, unlike humans. But Lycan’s can’t mindlink the way werewolves can. Mates tend to share an ability similar to mindlink, where they can share thoughts and feel feelings, but within the pack as a whole, it’s not a thing. And in the same breath, Lycan’s can sense each other, which is how I have always found you over the years, werewolves can’t do that.... At least in the same way.”
“You said you kept tabs on me.” Grace stated, seemingly changing the subjects.
“Yes.” Ethan looked nervous by this declaration.
“Did you know things were bad?” She asked.
“I didn’t and don’t know the extent of anything,” Ethan told her nervously, and I watched him fidget in his chair with his cuffs, but he also seemed determined to tell her the truth. “However, I did hear rumors sometimes. “
“Why didn’t you come save me?” She asked, a vulnerable look crossing her face.
“I was just a kid, Grace... I wanted to come get you and drag you back to the nowhere lines, especially after the Luna passed, but there was a lot of danger there. I was just going to be taking you from somewhere unsafe to somewhere else unsafe. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.” His voice broke a bit, but he tried to hide it.
“It was my fault she died,” Grace mumbled, and I could feel her grief like it was my own.
“No, it wasn’t.” Ethan said adamantly, looking surprised. “Why would you think that?”
“I was thrown in the dungeon for years because of it.” Grace answered looking aghast at his declaration.
“I think you were a scapegoat, Grace.” He responded, his voice softening in an attempt to reach her. “There were lots of rumors after it happened. Just because our father didn’t take the time to look at the facts, doesn’t mean that others didn’t. I don’t believe you’ve ever killed anyone. I don’t think you have a mean bone in your body.”
“You don’t know me.” Grace whispered.
“No. Not officially.” Ethan agreed. “But I do know that you would have made a far better Luna than Kinsley. You are a Lycan, Grace, and the faster you accept your identity, the quicker you will realize that you will realize what was always meant for you. That you should have inherited the pack, not Kinsley."