Prologue

It began as a whisper in the air. The once beautiful postcard-perfect night had now become a dome of dark nimbostratus clouds, domineering over the full moon that once hung in the night sky as a mandela. It was obvious what was to come, a heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. As the first electrifying lightning zipped across the sky, the clouds began to cry, starting with a drizzle before gradually augmenting into a heavy downpour. The road that led to the palace of Trinigad was deserted and the sounds of the rain pounding against the tiled floor like a drum could be heard as the hooves of horses rioting against the cobblestone became eminent.

The horses were in numbers with werewolves riding on them, headed towards the humongous white-marbled palace that stood at the center of six packs. It was known as the palace of Trinigad.

The palace of Trinigad was where the Alpha king, Williams Trinigad, stayed with his family. Alpha king Williams and his forefathers were the only living Lycans in existence and they'd been the rulers of Trinigad since its beginning, and underneath them were six werewolf packs that cohabitated peacefully with one another. The horses continued to rage towards the palace, with Benetton, second-in-command and beta to Williams Trinigad, in the lead.

As the horses came to a sudden halt, Benetton dismounted his stead, along with the werewolves who followed closely behind. With a deep sigh, he combed his rain-beaten blonde hair to the back with his hand as he turned to face the mens that had tagged along with him. Benetton was a huge man, a giant, towering above seven feet. Accompanying his height was his massive build, a build that put him amongst the heftiest wolves in all Trinigad. As Benetton stared at the men at his front, a smirk appeared on his face. They weren't in the palace to talk with the Alpha king, they were in the palace for one thing, and one thing only; to wage war against the Alpha king.

"Alright, mates," Benetton's voice was loud and clear, even the sound of the rain had nothing against it. "We all know what we're here for, don't we?"

"Aye!" The men shouted back in sequence, with their fist up in the air as the rain continued to rain down on them. The cold didn't bother them, after all, they were all werewolves.

A smug smile made its way to Benetton's face. He was glad at the revolt, he was also excited by the readiness of his men. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, and he was not about to let it pass. A chance to remove the current alpha king from his position. It was his time to take over. It was a coup d'etat. "Show no mercy!"

They all stormed into the palace as the men gradually began to turn into werewolves. There was no guard in the palace and that could be attributed to Benetton buying them over to his side. It wasn't like the guards had any choice because Benetton gave them none. It was either death or joining his side. The whole palace was in disarray as Benetton men raided the palace, killing everyone they came in sight with.

While his men maimed and slaughtered, Benetton made way into the King's Chambers, his sword tapping against the floor as he dragged it up the stairs. He soon got to the doors of the chamber. Huge doors made of the finest and strongest oak, there was no mistaking, the Alpha king was in. As he kicked down the giant doors, the sound of thunder could be heard and Benetton's hefty figure stood menacingly at the doorway. Benetton welcomed himself into Williams chambers, and seated on the bed was Alpha king Williams. At the far end of the room, next to the open verandah, was young Lucan Trinigad, only son and the youngest child of the Alpha king.

With swift movement, Lucan apprehended Benetton, stopping him from taking another step closer to his father. The boy was only seventeen, yet, he acted like a full grown adult. His looks were matured, and he was almost the same height as Benetton. Lucan had an uncanny resemblance to his mother, Selene, one of the most beautiful women in Trinigad. Lucan was a beautiful boy — people termed him beautiful, rather than handsome, because of the ethereal beauty he possessed. He had long white hair, hazel eyes that could be mistaken for a light bulb in the dark, pale skin, and his ears were pointed, like that of an elf. In terms of appearance, Lucan bore little resemblance to his fellow Lycans

"I didn't expect you to be so calm, Williams Trinigad." Benetton spoke the first word as a huffing wind rose up, stirring the flaps of the curtains by the verandah. The rain persisted still. "Shouldn't you be on your knees begging for your life? My men and I aren't going to spare any of you."

Unfazed in the sight of danger, Williams let out a deep sigh, eyes fixated on his Beta; the man he once trusted the most. Williams was a man in his hundredth year, but he didn't look like it, rather, he looked like a man still in his youth with long dark flowing hair. He had hazel eyes; but unlike his son, his hazel eyes didn't glow in the dark. "I heard about the prophecy also," Williams said, standing up from his bed. He took a step forward, his hands aligned by his side. "But don't you think there can be a diplomatic way for this to be solved?"

"Diplomatic?" Benetton laughed rollickingly in a mocking tone. "We Trinigadians can't watch you Lycan's ruin the kingdom. The prophecy given by the old sage clearly states that the kingdom of Trinigad would spill blood under the rule of Lycans, and as far as we all are concerned, the only living Lycans are you–– The Trinigads."

"True, but I doubt a coup is the necessary solution," Williams tried reasoning with Benetton. "Since the beginning, we Trinigads ruled over the six werewolves packs under us. It's been over a thousand years since your pack and the other five packs beneath us lived in peace without war, and it is all because of our dedication as the only living Lycan family. Don't let a prophecy ruin all we've built, Benetton."

"It is too late now, don't you think, Williams Trinigad?" Benetton said, immediately catching the young Lycan pup off guard by throwing a heavy punch on his face.

Lucan Trinigad fell to the floor in pain as he growled loudly, his fangs were slowly protruding, and his canines were becoming apparent. Alpha Williams Trinigad quickly ran to crouch beside his son who was groaning in pain on the floor. Just as Williams glared at Benetton, tons of men began to troop into the chambers, surrounding the whole room. They were all Benetton men, formerly Williams Trinigad men.

"Isn't it pathetic? You and your son are weaklings on a rainy night." Benetton remarked, moving closer to Williams and Lucan who both had looks of surprise clouding their demeanor. The father and son were both appalled with the fact that Benetton knew about the weakness of Lycans. That secret was one the Trinigads kept to themselves ever since their existence, because they knew it could be used against them, and they were right to keep it a secret because eventually Benetton used it against them. Lycans couldn't stand the cold which made them lose two-thirds of their powers, stopping their transition into a killing Machine.

"How did you know that, Benetton?" Lucan asked.

Benetton shrugged, staring out of the open verandah. "As your father's right hand man, it was quite obvious," he laughed, gesturing to the men around. "Tear them apart, let this palace bleed. We take no prisoners."