Chapter 133

Dylan pov.

We walked a while, me and Owen, the lad that saved me the day before, we casually walked from one district to the next, idly talking about anything and everything that came to mind. However upon entering the lycans district I couldn't help the groan and the eye roll that, at this point, seemed to be inevitable as soon as I entered a new border.

I really was getting so sick and tired of all the stares and murmurs that forever surrounded me whenever anyone ever laid eyes on me for the first time.

Was it really that much of a shock to see me? I mean I get it to an extent, I was after all the person who everyone thought was going to become the queen, but i rejected the king at every opportunity, and I did so rather publicly.

Maybe it was my rejection of King Josh that caused the looks and not my almost royal title? Maybe non of that mattered, at all, maybe it was simply because of all the abuse I had received, and people took pity on me.

Honestly I imagine it was a mixture of all three. I admit I would most likely be gossiping about it myself if I was simply a viewer and not the sole participant.

I guess , that no matter what, complete strangers will always know more about my life than I did.

"Why do people always stop to stare at me? I'm not even with the king now!" I hated it I really hated it. No matter where I went or what I did, people still always made connotations to the king.

"Your the kings mate, that makes you kind of famous, especially to humans. I think it would be weird if everyone ignored you." Owen chuckled as he lead me through the human district of his pack.

More and more people quickly began to leave their houses and gather round me and the lad who accompanied me. A group of kids, probably a little older than Freddie, I'd say they were around nine or ten years old, I couldn't help but chuckle at all their excited little faces at my arrival, I really did feel like a celebrity, I chuckled even more when I began having questions fired at me.

"Wow... are you really the queen?"

"Your pretty."

"Why are you here?"

"A real princess!"

"Hello." I awkwardly spoke as more and more kids began to flock and jump around me in excitement. "Are you all ok?" What was I supposed to say to a group of kids who very much seemed to actually like me.

"Is it true that if I eat more I'll be strong like you?" One little girl asked innocently. What? Had she actually looked at me? I was essentially as strong as a twig, I've genuinely seen grapes stronger than me. "That's what my mommy said." We’re parents really using me as a role model for their kids? I couldn’t help but wonder why, I mean I was an idiot, if I’d just accepted the king then maybe things would have turned out different. Of course I doubt I would be happy with him, and he would have still, most likely turned me into an example for all humans.

It was a tale as old as time itself, if he could do that to me, then imagine what he could do to you.

"You can be as strong as whoever you want to." I stated crouching down slightly so I was on the same level as the kids in front of me.

“I want to be just like you when I grow up.” I had no idea I was seen this way, maybe Clarke and Lewis were right. Maybe I didn’t understand how much of an impact I have had on people.

“Trust me kid, that’s the last thing you want…” I really didn’t mean for it to come out so sarcastic and I watched the little girls face drop instantly, obviously I felt really bad, so I gave her a small nudge with my arm and smiled. “Besides, you’re pretty awesome, I wish I was more like you.” Instantly her lips turned into a toothy grin and she turned to a couple of children behind her.

“You hear that? The queen wants to be just like me.” I chuckled at her confidence, before looking to that Owen guy for help, while he too just stood silently giggling at the situation. “Can I show you our punishment stage?”

“Lily! That’s enough.” A man quickly stepped forward and placed his hands on the girls shoulders, it was very obviously her dad. “I’m sorry your grace, Lily doesn’t seem to have a filter when it comes to certain things.” I smiled and crouched down to the girls level again before winking at her.

“Maybe you are more like me than you think.” Now that really got her excited as a small squeak flew out of her mouth and she very slightly began jumping on her feet. “Right now though, I really need to see the alpha of tour lycan district.”

“But the Lycan district is on the way, you have to pass the stage.” She whined causing me to roll my eyes, I just knew Freddie would be just like this when he turned this girls age, well he would have been if mom was still with him.

“Ok, lead the way then.” She quickly grabbed my hand and began to pull me along through the rest of the district. Another child, a boy quickly grabbed my other hand and I instantly became like a magnet for all the kids who lived here.

By the time we actually got to the stage, parents were trudging behind us keeping a close eye on their children while a group of about 30, all different ages surrounded me, happily talking and giggling away, with that Lily girl still clutching onto my hand. I was like a super nanny, or a teacher or something like that.

I wouldn’t even mind, I’m not really all that child friendly, sure I was good with Freddie, but I’d practically helped raise him so knew everything about him. Other kids though, they were a mystery to me.

“See…” Lily quickly stopped and gestured over to where the punishment stage lay. The two large oak poles designed to restrain your wrists had several large beams of wood nailed directly through the center creating a sort of shelving unit. On top of each shelf we’re large rectangle pots decorated with flowers of all colors. The stage had a large silk banner hung on it bringing forth a bewildering beauty that I didn’t think was possible for something designed to inflict torture. “It’s never once been used.”

I was in awe as I looked at the scenery in front of me. How many districts refused to conform to the rules set out by the king and his family? How many alphas refused to order the punishments of those who spoke against law? I was born in the wrong pack.

“It was only fitted because that was the law, Alpha Dalton never agreed to conform to the royal requests. The humans and wolves remain separated like the rest of the world, but we’ve never punished a human for speaking out of turn.” Owen added onto the girls declaration and smiled at my shock.

This was incredible. The sheer fact that packs and districts could have been like this and instead I grew up in one that was more than happy to raise a whip, at anyone who so much as breathed wrong in front of a Lycan, had my mouth opening and closing like a fish as I stared at the floral arrangement not two feet away from me. “Of course, upon royal visits we turn everything back to a dictatorship, but typically the humans and wolves barely even interact.” My companion continued as I remained unmoving.

I’ll be the first to admit that it was still a long way off equality, and the human district was still in fact clearly lacking compared to the Lycan district, but this wasn’t at all the worst way to live.

There was No fear of pain or maltreatment, and everyone was in essence able to continue their lives relatively normal. Supply’s were clearly still difficult to obtain, the royals did after all make it law that the human sector only receive a certain amount of supply’s each month, but this was nice. I just wish Freddie could have grew up here instead.

Maybe then I wouldn’t have received so many punishments.

“I like it.” I admitted with a small sad smile playing on my face. If Adrian was older then this is the type of pack I imagine he would have commissioned. Instead the guys father was an extreme loyalist hellbent on human domination. Disgusting bastard. “Alpha Dalton seems like a reasonable leader.”

“Alpha Dalton isn’t our leader. My dad is. He’s the human districts mayor.” Lily piped up, squeezing my hand slightly and still beaming from ear to ear every single time our eyes locked. She was absolutely enamored by my presence.

“In that case, I’ll have to speak to him too. Can you go and get him for me?” She nodded before running off shouting ‘Daddy’ at the top of her lungs. “Owen, does her dad ever attend pack meetings then? You know, to keep up with current affairs?”

“No, every once in a while, alpha Dalton would meet him here at the center to relay any important information, but honestly, when I say the humans stay separated, I mean there’s very little contact, made. They even use the old church to hold their classes there so the school setting is segregated too.” Crazy, it was baffling that a human and pack district could thrive like this, and it was so odd to see everybody relatively happy.

“You wished to see me, your grace?” I heard before seeing Lily quickly zooming back over to me, dragging the gentleman from before behind her with some vigor for a ten year old. I quickly took him aside away from the kids and audience that seemed to be excited every time I blinked.

“You’re really the mayor?” He nodded quickly before turning his head towards his daughter who was now having a verbal argument with the boy who held my opposite hand when we walked here.

“That girl will be the death of me, I swear.” Once he’d gotten over his lack of shock at his daughters antics he turned back to me. “I am, I was elected four years ago.”

An election? I had typically completely forgot that elections used to be a regular occurrence, of course, that was going back to a century ago. Elections made so much more sense in retrospect, for the majority to choose who rules them, instead of being saddled with the child of an already shit ruler. Nepotism at its finest.

“You’re the voice of reason here. There’s something you need to know, and then you’ll need to explain the situation to everyone else.”He nodded his head and sighed at my words. He already knew to an extent what it was about, I could see it in his eyes.

“We’re all very much aware that the rebellion is growing, The next district along have been trying to get Alpha Dalton to join for at least a year.” I nodded my head quickly in agreement but my words were the true informants.

“The rebellion is growing, but Royal Beta Oliver discovered its location.” His shocked head turned towards me and his eyes widened at the news, if he thought that was shocking then he was about to keel over. “You know about the smuggling trade too?” He once again nodded his head and I swallowed thickly knowing I was about to throw a bomb.

“Well... The Rebellion, closed the Sectors Borders!”