by KC Kellersen
Whoever this Sarina was with Lillian, she was not to be messed with. I, however, wasn’t going very far. This was why I was here! This was a good opportunity to see how Lillian interacted with the alphas. Plus, I needed to know who this Sarina was and how she plays into the mess. She was probably the receiver of the 6th plate. With another long look at Oliver, I left the room with my head held high.
Once I was out of sight, I pressed my arm to my throbbing ribs and walked slowly towards the back wall of the throne room. The throne room is front and center in the castle, the walls have arched windows with pained glass all around it and is surrounded by halls connecting different portions of the castle. It’s surprising that the Queen wanted to have their meeting here, where it was quite open.
She was confident, too confident. I took advantage of the lack of privacy and placed myself at the window, behind the throne. There were a set of pillars with just enough room for me between them and the window. It was also right at a junction of halls; if someone came, I could quickly go down one of the three hallways to escape notice.
Gently, I tucked myself down with my back resting on the pillar, my eyes just over the ledge. I should be able to see and hear everything from here. The guys had arranged themselves in a straight line; No emotions crossing their faces. The easy-going laughing friends were long gone and the hard-emotionless men, that did the Queens bidding, had taken their place. It took a few moments but finally the doors swung open and Queen Lillian and a red eyed woman entered the room.
Lillian was definitely the prettier of the two women but barely. Her grey streaked brown hair fell flat and dead against her shoulders. Her oval face was covered in thin wrinkles, that distract from her grey blue eyes, small button nose and peach lips. Her pale skin made her appear sickly. If you discounted the scowl permanently attached to her face, she was regal, even with her aged appearance.
Though I couldn’t understand how she looked so old. Us wolf-shifters were blessed with unnaturally long lives and she was only just older than my mother. I looked for similarities between them, but with her wrinkled skin and hardened features it was difficult to imagine a familial relation. It made me sad to think of my mother and the harsh treatment she has received because of Lillian, so I focused on the other woman.
She must be Sarina. Looking at her now, I could understand the warning from Oliver. Sarina was tall for a woman, with strong lean muscles. Her long legs and body were punctuated with curly fiery red hair. Her pale skin was perfectly smooth. She had a sharp straight nose and thin lips. Her bright red eyes are unsettling enough to kindle nightmares. If that wasn’t enough to send shivers down my spine, the sheer power radiating off of her was. She was terrifying and a new level of fear spiked just by looking at her.
Lillian sat on the throne and began speaking without any preamble, “You have a new assignment. You will be leaving for Ironridge tomorrow at dawn with a small army. You WILL bring back Luna Willow for questioning. You will NOT betray me. Now, Sarina add your spell. I want the fourth alpha and I will not tolerate mistakes.”
I was completely disgusted and enraged by her command. To attack a pack and steal their Luna was so very cruel. It didn’t surprise me to feel the royal power flowing from Lillian as she spoke to the men. What did surprise me was the way she phrased her commands. Like she was trying to make it as black and white as possible. As if they could interpret the command how they wanted to without the qualifiers. She couldn’t just say ‘go get the Luna of Ironridge’, her specifics had to be there.
Why though? Did the alphas openly disobey her orders if they could? Wait that’s it! A spell! The royal power wasn’t enough to control the alphas, so she was using this woman to put a spell on them! That was beyond fucked up; A new low for our history. Sarina must be some sort of witch. I thought they were just nightmares created by those in the human world, to get their children to behave. What sort of power does this woman harness to put a spell on them?
Sarina moved closer to the men, she straightened her hands straight down her side and said, “Bound by loyalty on this hour, by the blood of your alpha power… Let your will and mind drift, to the Queen you will submit!” Black tendril seeped out of her hands during her little speech, they surrounded the men and entered them slowly. Their faces went from a range of disgust and fury to completely blank. The only one had showed any emotion was Oliver, his eyes still showed the anger, though he was trying very hard to hide it. Why though?
Excessive power still emanated from Sarina, but her words were calm, “I assure you, not even the mate bond can break my spell, they will complete their mission.” With each word her stance had shifted, the power simmered. She looked almost bored now.
Determination filled me. I needed to find a way to undo it. We needed them back in the fight on our side. The people of Ayorlyn needed them, almost as much as they needed a proper Queen. I had to find out what Sarina is and how to stop her spell. No one should have the power to interfere with the mate bond, that was a gift from the Moon Goddess herself. What sort of dark creature was she? And why was she here?
I heard footsteps coming down the hall from the front of the throne room. With regret, I left my hiding place and headed for my room. Once I was safely inside, I ran over the conversation I had heard. I needed to warn Liam. The alphas were under a spell from a witch, they were after Liam’s mother, and ultimately, they were looking for him. I wrote out a quick letter:
L, Ironridge tomorrow Willows in danger. Looking for you. Witch cast spell over Alphas. A
It wasn’t late enough to sneak out without being seen, so I killed time by showering and nursing my still throbbing body. I wished Zetia was here to talk about this with me, she would have something humorous to say to make this easier. I waited in my room until I was sure no one would be awake. I headed for one of the terraces and slipped outside. The brisk cool evening air surrounded me. I pulled my cloak a little tighter and jumped from the ledge to the path below. It was a short drop and easier than using the kitchen door. Fresh pain shot through me when I landed, and my vision blurred. I had to keep going, this is why I was here.
I prayed to the Moon Goddess that Zev would have returned from his trip home. If not, I would have to leave for the First Village tonight myself. It would be worth losing my position as a spy to save Liam’s mother. I had only just gotten my first piece of the puzzle. There was more to be seen here, of that I was certain. Once I was in the same area I was at that morning, I whistled for Zev. Hoping against hope that he was back from the First Village. When I didn’t hear his caw right away, panic filled me. I whistled again and waited in tense silence. His short caw came from the other side of the wall, I released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
He landed on my shoulder and I quickly untied the letter from Liam and replaced it. “Sorry Zev, but this one is important. I need you to fly home tonight. When you get back, I promise to give you tons of scratches! Home to Liam!” I tucked Liam’s reply into my dress. I watched Zev fly away, with the ball of dread in my stomach becoming heavier and heavier. Please make it on time.
Chapter 6
Oliver’s POV
Alina’s silver eyes bore into mine with such anger, it startled me. I was confused. With a blink of her eyes, the rage shifted to lust. I forgot the rage and confusion and threw caution to the wind. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her body close to mine. I could feel her soft body touching mine from breast to thigh. Her heart was racing as she reached her arms up over my chest. Her eyes dipped to my mouth and I breathed out her name as I lowered my mouth to hers, slowly. My groin tightened, my heart raced, and the anticipation built to massive proportions. Just when I was, but a breath away, she disappeared. My arms were empty and the crushing feeling in my chest made me fall to my knees.
I sat straight up in bed, dripping sweat, and looked around my room. I was alone. I groaned and laid back in bed, I could imagine a much better ending for that dream. The pain in my chest lingered and was i
ntense even now. It reminded me of the pain Sarina caused me. Fynn, what the hell was that?
A dream.
Yeah, a pretty fucked up dream. Though I had to admit, I liked the first part. Maybe a little too much. Ignoring my pulsing body and Fynn’s irritation. I got up and dressed in my travel clothes. Simple denim pants, black shirt, and black cloak. You never knew when you were going to need to blend into the dark forest. I strapped my knife to my thigh and belted my sheathed sword to my waist.
I wrote out a quick letter to Devin.
Interception 4-5 moons from Ironridge. Protect the Luna!
There was a slight knock on the main door, I knew it was the guys. I rubbed my hand over my chest once more as I looked at the clock, 2 am. Apparently, we would be leaving well before sunlight. I grabbed the note I wrote for Devin, my small pack and headed for the door. The guys were never very talkative when they were in Sarina mission mode, so I followed them silently down the stairs and out the front door of the castle. The cool night air stole chills down my arms but I didn’t really feel it. Because of Fynn’s presence I couldn’t feel the cold the same way a human would, or even the alphas. I watched the men pull their cloaks tighter with pity.
When we entered the market area it was still completely dark. As we neared the stables, I took my normal exit. Slipping away from the guys easily, knowing they wouldn’t hear me or even look back at me. I ran the two streets to Devin’s shop and knocked quickly. It wasn’t common for humans to live in the market areas, but Devin was addicted to his work, and he also knew I needed him close.
When Devin opened the door, I shoved the letter at him and ran back to the alphas. They hadn’t made it very far and I was back before they even noticed I was missing. I have delivered many letters under their noses in the past. It wasn’t one of my more graceful meet ups with Devin, but he would understand once he read the letter. I trusted him to get my message to the rogues.
Waiting at the stables was 10 of Lillian’s sentries, already astride their horses. We each mounted the remaining four horses. 5 of the sentries headed out first, followed by the alphas, then me, and finally the five other sentries. We were definitely being guarded on this trip. Even with Sarina’s spell, Lillian was trying to ensure we succeeded. She wanted my mother badly, but I was not about to let that happen. The market was quiet as we left, the horses hooves clopping on the ground was the only noise around. It was going to be a long trip.
It was a full two days’ ride before we would reach Ironridge. I normally looked forward to going home, even if it was bittersweet. I had to keep up pretenses when anyone was around, but it was nice to let the memories of my childhood flow over me, and to see familiar, friendly faces.
I didn’t feel good about this visit, only dread. Yes, I had my plans in place, but they had failed before. I prayed to the Moon Goddess that my letter made it to the rogue army before it was too late. If Lillian got a hold on my mother, she would torture her and likely kill her to get Liam’s location. I didn’t know what her plan was, once she got all four alphas together, but it wouldn’t happen on my watch. I have not suffered for the last 10 years just to fail now. I would lay down my life to protect my mother and my brother, but I couldn’t risk the alphas lives to do it.
As we got farther from Ayorlyn, the darkness dissipated, and the road roughened out. It became almost comfortable. I had to keep my posture rigid, and my face blank since the sentries were behind me. But it was nice to be out of the castle. We rode mostly in silence through the countryside. Every now and again, the guards would whisper unimportant things to each other, but otherwise everyone was stoically quiet. I missed the real alphas on missions like these. Their lighthearted banter, even in dark situations, lifted the dread and pain of what was coming and making the trips bearable.
As we rode along through the day, I tried to figure Lillian out. Why go after my mother, after all these years? Why does she need Liam anyways? What’s her plan for the four alphas? How does Sarina play into it? There weren’t many explanations I could think up. I couldn’t even imagine what her end game was, her mind was all sorts of fucked up. I chased the thoughts in circles.
When the sun fell beyond the mountains, we finally stopped and made camp for the night. We had encountered no one, not a single soul on the main road to Ironridge. There were normally at least a few humans, merchants, farmers, or something headed towards the castle. Unease trickled through me and I felt like we were walking into a trap. Fynn, what do you think?
Something is definitely amiss.
I noticed that the humans were looking around as well, as if they were waiting for something to jump out and get them. “Guards! Do a two-man rotation while we sleep. It’s too quiet around here.” I ordered. It would be better if a wolf-shifter was able to stay up, but the alphas would sleep, and I couldn’t keep watch on my own and I needed my wits about me when I got home.
Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke from the same dream, with the pain just as prevalent as the first time. I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I laid motionless contemplating the possibilities of the dream. Is this just the first stirrings of attraction that I have felt? Could she really be my human mate? A second chance? What did the pain in my chest mean? Would it really hurt if I never saw her again? I could chase the thoughts around my head for hours, but I was no closer to an answer, Fynn left me to my musings not offering comment but I could feel his amusement; Even if it was trying to hide it.
When the temperature dropped signaling the coming dawn, the alphas stirred awake. The invisible force of Sarina’s command kept them all business, controlling every action. The humans made breakfast quickly for the group, luckily. When it was just us on our special missions we often went without food. The alphas didn’t realize they were hungry. Or maybe the command just didn’t reach their base instincts. I delayed by talking tactic about what we would do once we got to Ironridge. It was the only thing to keep the alphas from saddling and riding away. My plan was to avoid loss of life wherever possible, somewhere inside the guys agreed with me because they didn’t argue my plans, just sat staring as I spoke. When everyone finished eating, I finally quit stalling. I saddled the same horse from yesterday and mounted up.
My body tensed more and more the closer we got to the village. There were still complications I hadn’t talked about with the guys. Both Cord and Dale’s mates were from Ironridge and they would be there. I knew roughly where they lived, but once the girls caught their mates’ scents, they would be forced to come and see. I would have to deal with the heartbreak in Dale’s mate and the fury from Cords, though I assume she will be hurting just as much. I let that particular worry fade. In the grand scheme of things, it was almost trivial.
It was almost dark on the second night, when we reached the outskirts of Ironridge. We still hadn’t seen anyone at all, even the forest was quiet. There was normally guards at the great stone arch that led into the village but there was no one there. We were all confused as we rode slowly into the village. It was just as silent as the forest had been. No kids wandered the streets, no one peered from the stone houses. A few doors were even ajar on the empty houses. Where was everyone? Did something happen to them?
With disquiet filling the group and we headed for the packhouse. No one came out to greet us, as was customary. But with the empty village, it shouldn’t have surprised me. I dismounted and walked up the main steps; the others stayed on their horses. My fear and trepidation faded, when I finally let it sink in. No one was here. We wouldn’t have to take my mother to the Queen. I wouldn’t have to run mate interference. I wouldn’t have to watch any of my family, or my friends be killed. I let the relief wash over me.
“Sentries – take up guard at the gates. Alphas – search the village for anyone. I will search the packhouse,” I ordered, and they all listened, thankfully. This has never happened before, the spell and the command from Irene didn’t cover this possibility so they had no direction to follow. I watched as the group dispersed, th
en I went inside the packhouse to find some sort of clue as to where my family had gone.
“Mom? Dad?” I called as I walked through the empty halls. I went towards my parents suite hoping for something, other than nothing. I was both disappointed and relieved at the same time. There truly was no one here. There was, however, a note on the neatly made bed. I opened it with trembling fingers.
We are safe now. We miss you. Mom.
I wasn’t sure if they would return here after I left or not, so I grabbed the pen from the nightstand and wrote back on the little paper.
Soon. Stay safe. – O
After killing an hour around the entire packhouse, except for my old bedroom, I searched out the alphas. They were spread around the village peaking in doors and looking through windows. I gathered everyone up, except two guards for the main gate, at the packhouse. With one of the sentries preparing dinner, I tried discussing plans with the alphas.
“What should we do?” I asked, hoping to prompt them into conversation. Maybe the command from Lillian would fall away and I would have my friends back.
“Tomorrow we should search the area thoroughly. We cannot leave without the Luna.” Dale said, his voice emotionless.
“We should split up to cover more ground and meet back here at night,” I said. They nodded at me and fell silent once more. So much for a conversation. When the plates were empty, and the kitchen cleaned up, I assigned each man a room in the large house. I finally headed for my bedroom, the bed would be too small, but it has been 10 years since I was last here and I couldn’t deny myself the pleasure of being in my own room; Surrounded by things I found important as a pup.
There were drawings on the walls, books on the shelves and toys in the corner. My room was just how I remembered it, except the small bed was exchanged for a larger one and the wardrobe was empty of child clothing. It was comforting but also made the sorrow well up inside me. I tried not to imagine the childhood that I lost but embraced the fact that my parents had prepared for my homecoming. Even though happiness seemed to evade my family at every turn, I laid down and fell fast asleep with hope in my heart.