# Maddoc POV
Maddoc stood stiffly while his assistant fussed with buttons, sashes, and all the regalia that made up his finest livery. The medium teal fabric, accented with black and crafted from the finest silk money could buy, set off his blue eyes beautifully. His shirt was paired with black silk pants that left little to the imagination, showcasing his muscled, toned physique. Over the shirt, he wore a teal and black vest with intricate embroidered designs depicting the moon in various phases of her cycle. Atop it all was a splendid black cloak, held together at the neck by an infinity knot.
"Looking like a King," joked his Beta and best friend, Alexander. "This silk is crazy soft!"
"Keep your dirty mitts off! You already tracked in mud and you're still covered with it!" Aimee, the King's personal assistant, admonished Alexander, not bothering to hide her annoyance. She would have to have the palace maids clean the floor again—the same floor they had just finished an hour ago. These men, despite their grace and charm, could make one hell of a mess.
"Guilty as charged! I went for a run with the dogs and forgot it had rained earlier," Alexander said sheepishly, his green eyes sparkling with mischief, as they often did. "I guess I had better go get ready myself." He bowed theatrically and made his way down the corridor to the elevator that would take him to the third floor, where the Beta and other high-ranked officials resided. The fourth floor was reserved for the Lycan King and, eventually, his Queen.
"He looks like he found a mud pit and rolled around in it like a puppy," Aimee said to Maddoc as she stepped down from the stool she had used to reach his shoulders. Aimee was all of five feet tall and human. Maddoc was unusual; most Lycans would never consider having a human assistant, but Aimee was no ordinary human. She had a fierce personality and great fashion sense, and her ability to handle the press was remarkable. Her piercing glare and sharp tongue had shut down many a reporter who asked inappropriate or invasive questions. She dealt with the barrage of females who threw themselves at the King, sometimes literally, with her knack for using the element of surprise to defend Maddoc. No one expected that a five-foot human could challenge a Lycan, at least in the initial stage of an attack. Her job was to deflect the threat so it could be handled by one of his bodyguards. She had saved him more than once. To see Maddoc with Aimee and assume he was vulnerable was a mistake that could lead to a hospital visit or, worse, a funeral for the would-be attacker. She was a powerhouse in every sense of the word.
Her only weakness? Puppies. Show Aimee a puppy, and she would melt like a snowman in July.
The palace was home to seven dogs, and Maddoc owned a large acreage that served as a sanctuary for abused and abandoned canines. The staff there tried to find homes for the dogs, but if given a choice, most of them would probably choose to stay at the sanctuary. From a dog's perspective, it was a luxury resort.
Maddoc loved dogs, too. He had met Aimee when she was working at an animal shelter, and he had gone there to adopt a puppy. That puppy, a yellow lab mix named Flappers, was now ten years old. He got his name when he stuck his head out the sunroof of the limousine on the way home, causing his lips to flap in the wind. Maddoc and Alexander had found this very amusing. Flappers was quite the character and was treated like royalty. He had his own room inside the palace, though he often snuck into Alexander's room and slept under the covers in the Beta's bed.
Alexander and Maddoc had been best friends for as long as either of them could remember. Maddoc was the only son of King Xavier, who had ruled over all of the Lycans and their cousin species, the werewolves, for several centuries before deciding to retire to a private island with his mate, Maddoc's mother, Queen Lorraine. Maddoc visited them often, finding the island a welcome reprieve from the chaos that came with ruling over all the werewolves and Lycans in the United States and Canada.
Trying to keep the peace between humans and werewolves was not always easy; both were short-tempered at times and too eager to fight, choosing war over diplomacy. Most humans believed werewolves were imaginary, but as the population grew, it became harder and harder to stay separated. Humans also created some fantastic products and services, opening up a market that provided cell phones, clothing, amusement parks, and vehicles—their ingenuity was undeniable.
Most humans had never seen a Lycan, as they passed as regular werewolves to humans. This was for the Lycans' protection; there were some humans who would exploit their extreme strength and deadliness for profit. Add this to the fact that the appearance of a fully shifted Lycan would be terrifying to the average human, and the secrecy made sense. Humans tended to destroy what they feared, and while their strength was no match for the Lycans, they did possess superior technology and weaponry.
"I sure hope I'm looking Kingly," Maddoc chuckled, fully aware of his good looks. He knew he was what most women would consider a prime catch. He was one of the most eligible bachelors in the world but was determined not to give up on finding the mate the Moon Goddess had chosen for him. Only she would be his Queen. He had, understandably, given in to his needs with many females over the years. At his age, he would have lost his mind if he hadn't. He hoped that his fated mate would understand, wherever she was, that despite his primal urges, he had been longing for her for almost 200 years.
For a Lycan to find a mate was often a difficult process, given that they would be considered an endangered species if humans knew they existed.
A Lycan and a werewolf could be mated; the species were biologically compatible and nearly identical. Both could shift between two forms: wolf and human. The wolf form resembled a super-sized wolf. Lycans could also shift into a third, even more powerful form. In this form, they were nearly indestructible and deadly.
Werewolves had both a human and a wolf consciousness that worked together, as did Lycans. The Lycans' ability to shift into a third form, which blended the physical attributes of the human and wolf forms, made them different from werewolves. They were alleged to be the most ancient and the strongest, and most Lycans believed they possessed superior intelligence.
Having traveled the world in search of other Lycans and his mate, he knew that there were idiots and geniuses on all sides. He found the need to prove superiority a waste of time and effort. Collaboration would make all of them stronger. More than any leader before him, this was his passion: to end the wars and misconceptions and unite them all. They weren't that different from humans, really. There were some cultural differences, but there was a sense of common decency among them. Unfortunately, humans, in particular, took any threat to their belief system as an affront and would go to great lengths to defend even false beliefs. The same could be said of some werewolves.
"What are you so deep in thought about?" Aimee asked him as she finished and prepared to head to her quarters to get ready.
"Oh, the usual—politics, avoiding World War Three, and finding my mate," he replied. "It would be nice to have some little Lycans running around the castle, you know?"
"Yes, it would," she said, giving him a sympathetic smile before heading down the stairs.
True mates were specifically designed to fit together by the Moon Goddess, the deity of werewolves and Lycans. She was a being powerful enough to weave matter into their creation, and she created them in pairs. Werewolves could choose a mate if they didn't find their fated one and still have pups. Lycans could do the deed with anyone they chose, but there would not be offspring unless the parents were created for one another by the Moon Goddess. More than any species, Lycans found themselves looking for love.
Maddoc sat down in his office, turning his leather chair to gaze out the window. The castle grounds were beautiful this time of year; everything was beginning to blossom. A large lake covered with white-capped waves began half a mile from the castle. It was a windy day, but the sun had warmed it enough that the staff had some of the sanctuary dogs swimming and fetching various toys. He was headed to Blue Moon, which was higher in elevation and tended to be a little cooler.
Maddoc always had mixed feelings about these events. He hoped to find his mate but had often been disappointed. It did not escape him that finding his mate among these familiar packs would mean she was quite a bit younger than he was. The age difference might seem daunting, but not when it came to accepting a blessing from the Moon Goddess. Their souls had always known each other—fated mates. His wolf and Lycan, Koda, often told him they had not yet found their fated one. His beast was excited, insisting that this would be the time.
"Koda, you say that every time," Maddoc laughed as Koda earnestly insisted that this time he was serious.
"She will be there; you will see!" Koda had convinced himself, but Maddoc refused to get too hopeful.
He said a silent prayer that his long search would end soon. He was an eternal optimist but had to admit he was slowly losing hope. He needed a Queen. The vapid, plastic, power-hungry females he often hooked up with would make terrible mates; not one of them had been fit to be Queen. Many were petty, jealous, and catty. It wasn't that he wanted to have one-night stands, but sometimes that was all he could tolerate.
He had met plenty of females he felt protective of—who felt like sisters. He loved them, but not in a physical way, not like a fated mate. Beautiful ones, like his Beta's mate and some of the she-wolves he had met, even a handful of humans, fell into this category. They were physically attractive but not to him. Unfortunately, he was often attracted to beautiful females with evil intentions, or perhaps they were drawn to him—his power, his money, not his soul.
He needed his mate.
As he headed to the shiny black limousine and slid into the back with Aimee and Alexander, Aimee reminded him about a young she-wolf named Tara who would be undergoing her first shift shortly after his arrival. Imagine—a first shift birthday on the night of the full moon! He had not seen an event like this in almost 50 years.
He had been informed that Tara was "over the moon" to have him present on her birthday, and he chuckled to himself. He hoped her shift would be as painless as possible, though he knew that first shifts were typically quite excruciating.
He remembered Tara; she had been a pup when he heard her playing the piano so beautifully. He had followed the sound to the piano room at her father's mansion. She had been so nervous in his presence—a cute pup, one that he felt needed protection. He knew a lot about the Blue Moon Pack and that she was safe among good werewolves.
She was important somehow to have triggered his protective instincts. He always listened to Koda about certain things.
Tara was Beta William's youngest daughter and a very talented musician. Her older sister, Talia, had been gifted with magical powers—more powerful than anyone, even Talia herself, knew. The Beta's daughters from the Blue Moon Pack were reputed to be stronger than some Alpha's sons. There was even talk of them taking over their pack someday. Females in the Alpha position were rare and always formidable. Lunar werewolves were given magic by the Moon Goddess, making them incredibly powerful. It was a genetic trait that could be passed down, but occasionally it could appear randomly. Lunars were the rarest of werewolves, often hunted by those seeking to exploit their power.
Power was far more valuable than money, especially to those who intended to use it to harm rather than help. Power had corrupted many leaders; history taught that above all else. Maddoc shook his head. "James, could you play some music?"
"Of course, your Majesty. Which playlist?"
"How about some good old rock and roll?" Aimee suggested.
Maddoc grinned. "Start with Pantera."
Soon, Maddoc and Alexander were headbanging, enjoying themselves, while Aimee held back, afraid to mess up her hair. Several large vans full of guards and warriors followed them as they made their way to Blue Moon for what was sure to be a memorable night.