by KC Kellersen
“You should not listen to the Queen,” she said forcefully. “My mother says she is a bad person! By the way I like your bird. He is very pretty.” The power forcing me to ask about Liam vanished like a snap!
A little dumbstruck I talked about Zev, “Yes, he is. His name is Zev. He is my companion and he really loves neck scratches… like this.” I whistled out and he landed on my shoulder. I scratched his neck just like he like it. I whistled again and he flew back to her.
I snapped back to the present. No way! The girl from all those years ago… is her. The silver eyed servant that has been wreaking havoc in my life, is her! The reason that I no longer am required to listen to Lillian! How did I not recognize those eyes immediately?
I quickly and quietly followed the sound from Zev. When I got closer to where I thought the call had come from, I could hear her soothing Zev with soft words. The final confirmation I needed. “Hey pretty boy, you look nice and shiny. Are you getting enough to eat around the castle? Huh pretty boy?” Her voice was low and mesmerizing. I could listen to her all day, but I wanted to see her.
I moved in close, sneaking around the thick trees, stopping just before a bunch of twigs littered my path. She had no clue I was here. She was contentedly scratching Zev’s neck and he was rubbing into her. He made a new gurgling noise he never made with me. Clearly Zev was in love with her. I made the right choice in leaving him with her all those years ago.
She looked sad but her heart was pounding fast, as she tied something to his leg, I got my confirmation that I had also found my spy! Her! I stayed in the darkness waiting for her to make some sort of move. I knew I could trust her, not just because she saved my family, but no spy of Lillian’s would be that kind to a bird.
I wasn’t sure about facing her out here in the middle of the woods, after snooping on her. I slowly backed away from her. When my step snapped a twig beneath my boot I froze. She whirled around and squared off into a fighting stance. Her eyes never locked on me, and I realized she couldn’t see me. I remained stock still as she searched the darkness. When Zev started rubbing on her neck once more, she whispered something, so low I couldn’t hear it, and Zev flew off. I watched her gracefully disappear into the tree’s towards the castle. Luckily not towards me.
I wanted to approach her now that I knew she was the spy. But I had to do it tactfully. I wanted her to trust me, and if I approached her out here in the darkness, she would flee. I needed to do this right.
Chapter 9
Alina’s POV
As I neared castle, I froze as the dark shadow of a man moved into my vision, arms up in surrender. This was just not my night to be a spy! It was Oliver, I relaxed my stance just a little. What was he doing out here? Was he out in the forest just now? Did he see me with Zev? The questions whirled in my mind.
“I wish you wouldn’t have sent him off,” Oliver’s deep low voice filled the quiet night. His arms fell to his side with a slap. I knew he was talking about Zev, which means he was out there watching me. Why not approach me out there in the dark? Why wait until I was close to the castle, thinking I was free?
“Why, so you could stop me from sending my letter?” I challenged. If he was working for the Queen I was already caught, so what did it matter? I put on a brave face that I didn’t feel. My stomach was queasy as I stood tall, facing off with Oliver, not knowing which way his allegiance fell.
“Oh no! I wanted to say hi. It has been 9 years since I have seen him.” That startled me, I had expected something completely different to come out of his mouth. Does that mean he finally remembers me? Did he know of the power I have? Did he know I was the spy?
“You remember?” I asked tentatively, not really sure how to test if I could trust him. With Zetia it was easy, she wasn’t a real threat and she was so very personable. This large intimidating man, even without his wolf form, could smash me in a second. If he were so inclined but let’s hope not.
“I don’t know why I didn’t recognize those silver eyes right away,” his voice was amused. “Did you know?”
“Yes, I knew. I never forgot,” I said stiffly, still a bit defensive. “Why are you out here? You going to turn me in?” I took a step backwards away from him. I wasn’t stupid enough to think I could win a fight against him. However, if he was anything like Liam, I might be able to outrun him. It wasn’t as dense here as in the forest, but I would try. Perhaps that’s why he waited to approach me, where he had the advantage.
“Not in a million years! Please don’t run,” I couldn’t really see his facial expressions, so I couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. I stood silent, waiting for him to make his move. “I am not going to hurt you Alina. I just have a few questions for you.”
“What would that be?” I asked suspiciously.
“It’s not really safe to talk out here,” he said. His shoulders drooped a little and a smile stole over his features, his white teeth gleamed in the darkness. “Come on little Kitten, lets head inside where it will be easier to talk.”
“Why should I trust you? How do I know you aren’t going to turn me in?” I asked and I took another step away from him.
He didn’t make a sound for a long moment and finally whispered, “Because of you, I don’t have to listen to the Queens orders. Whatever you did that, day 9 years ago, I have been able to ignore her commands... And I need your help.”
It was my turn to contemplate. This is one of the reasons I was here, was to see if I could trust him. He did confirm what my mother thought about the royal power. I could use it now, but I need to know that I can trust him. I could either let the fear control me or I could take a chance. He waited patiently, as I ran the thoughts through my head; never making a move towards me. If he was working for the Queen, I wouldn’t be able to get any more information from them as a servant anyways. Finally, I nodded my head and gestured for him to lead the way.
I followed him silently around to the opposite side of the castle from the servants quarters. There was a terrace entrance to the tower where he was living. We went up the stairs in silence, but he stopped at his door and held his hand up. He creaked the door open very quietly; he relaxed visibly and pushed the door open all the way. After we walked through, he closed the door behind me and gestured for the first doorway.
There was a fireplace front and center with books extending all the way to the tall ceilings. The middle of the room was filled with two large sofas, a few chairs, and two separate desks. It was comfortable and cozy.
“It is safe to talk here; my unit is soundproof,” Oliver said taking a seat in one of the large chairs. I picked a seat on the sofa that was across from him. I sat stiffly. Adrenaline still pumped in my veins and I was not really sure how this would go. Was he just buttering me up to get answers, then toss me in the dungeon?
“What is that you want to talk about?” I asked, the suspicion still evident in my voice.
“Let’s start at the beginning. What’s your name?” That is definitely the beginning, hopefully he wouldn’t ask for my last name.
“You know my name.”
“What’s your real name?”
“Alina is my real name,” I said wryly.
“Okay, what do you know of my family?” A hard question to answer, but not impossible. If I went into too many specifics I would give too much away.
“I know that they are safe, that’s what matters.”
“Do you know my brother?”
My real answer would give too much away so I evaded, “I think everyone knows your brother, the missing alpha of Ayorlyn and all that.”
He looked at me skeptically. “Yes, they do. But you thought I was Liam all those years ago. Why?”
“Because you look like him.” I shrugged casually. I knew what he was asking but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. He wasn’t giving me anything to trust him with and I wouldn’t risk Liam. Even if this was his brother. No, especially since this was his brother. It would crush Liam, if Oliver was the one who turned him i
n, even unwillingly.
“Okay… why are you here, I mean how did a human, such as yourself, get tangled into being a spy? And who are you spying for?” I laughed at his questions. He couldn’t seriously think I would answer that.
So, I evaded again, “It is everyone’s business what happens in our kingdom, not just wolf-shifters, for one. And for two if I answered that, I would have to trust you. Which I am not sure I do.”
“You are here aren’t you?” he asked puzzled. It was at that moment I realized it. I wasn’t the coward I thought I was. Afraid yes, but not a coward. I was afraid because I was risking my life. For the sake of hope, I did it willingly. Just like my mother said, ‘just don’t let fear keep you from doing what is right.’ This was the right thing.
“Yes, I am. Because I figured knowing the truth about you was worth my life. That doesn’t mean it is worth the life of everything I stand to protect.”
“That makes sense. I just assumed you being here meant you trusted me. How can I prove that you can trust me?” His eyes were sincere, there was no mask there today. Just genuine sincerity. I wanted to trust him, but I wasn’t stupid.
“It’s not that easy and you know it.” At the broken look on his face I added, “for starters you can tell me about the witch.”
He didn’t hesitate, just started talking, “I don’t know much about her. I am not being vague. Sarina comes around when Lillian summons her, does a spell over us and leaves. Her power fluctuates after a spell, like she has a limited reserve or something. When she does use her power, she could make almost anyone do anything. Lillian’s power is limited to how it is interpreted but Sarina’s has no grey area. When she adds her spell, the orders become black and white.”
So, I was right, Lillian’s command is subjective. Lillian’s and mine. It was also a comfort knowing that Sarina’s power was limited.
“Why doesn’t the spell affect you the way it does the others?”
He looked at me surprised. “Is it that obvious?” he asked, and a touch of fear entered his eyes.
I shrugged, “I don’t know how obvious it is to them...” I didn’t want to admit that I noticed every little change in him. So, I continued on, “What happens to the wolves who go missing?”
“Again, I don’t really know.”
“You’re not really helping your case here,” I teased just a little, relaxing into the conversation.
He chuckled softly and I wanted to melt into a puddle. Trusting him was going to be very difficult if I didn’t keep my damn hormones in check. “It is not that I don’t want to tell you, I do. All I know is that we put the wolves in the dungeons and the next day they are gone. I caught Sarina going down there once with them, but she came right back out. I snuck down after she left, and the wolves were already gone. I did overhear Lillian and Sarina talking once, Lillian acts like it is some sort of payment or something.”
Okay so the missing wolves are for the witch. What could she want with a bunch of wolf-shifters? Is she really just killing them? But why bring them here to be killed? Did we really need the why’s though? Or should we just end her. What if the wolf-shifters were still alive? Could we find them, without her? It was a little information but not enough, the same questions surfaced.
“Okay. What do you know of the rogue army?”
“Here is where I trust you and I do.” He took a deep breath and said, “I know everything about them. Again, not trying to be vague, it’s true. I created the army. Though it is much more than that.” I felt my jaw drop a little. He created the army.
How? Why? What? Did he mean he trusted me? How does he know that?
I let all those questions go and focused on what he was telling me, “What do you mean ‘more than that’?”
“It started a long time ago when I was a kid. I read in one of my parents books about a wolf-shifter, Joni, who wanted to join the human world. His alpha did a simple ceremony to release him from the pack hierarchy to allow him freedom. After I was taken, the Queen forced us to go into the different territories and generally cause mayhem. Our main objective was to find anyone who could help us find Liam, but killing other wolves was part of her commands. After I met you, I was able to resist her commands, so I started intercepting the alphas before they could kill others. But I was having trouble doing it on my own, without being caught.
“After the alphas and I got our wolf-spirits, Lillian switched from her kill orders, to capture any wolves we could. When I finally remembered the story of Joni, I broke the first pack link. His name is Amos, he helped me from then on. Saving as many of the captured wolves that we could, before they were brought back to the castle. Not just warriors, but anyone that I could without being caught.”
“Why did you create the army, and not just let them live as rogues?”
“I have been trying to gather enough power behind me that I could take on Lillian and Sarina.” He looked determined to end this. “We figured that since Amos’ pack marking had changed; he wouldn’t be accepted into the pack anymore. So, he and I found a safe place for him to shelter any other wolves that I could free. When we got to a large enough number, we started taking out the sentries. That is, when I could warn them fast enough where they were going to be.”
“What is with the rogues marking?”
He took a long breath. “I have no clue. No marking like that exists in all of Ayorlyn history. I have spent hours researching it. When I broke the link with Amos, we were both stunned.”
“Why not use this on the alphas to free them from the Queen commands?” I asked.
“I thought of that the first time I did it. But Joni, the first to leave the pack, lost all his power in the pack. I cannot have the alphas lose their rightful place in their packs and risking the future of Ayorlyn on a guess. I need a permanent solution. Either a way to break the spell or a way to kill Lillian and Sarina.”
“What about the white wolf, do you think she can help you?”
“I didn’t even know there was a white wolf until tonight. I overheard Lillian and Sarina talking about avoiding the prophecy if they killed the white wolf. Though now that I have heard of it maybe that’s what the marking stands for. It is a white wolf.”
“You don’t know what the prophecy is?” I asked incredulously. It seemed like everyone knew about it. It was what people hoped for. Wished for. What kept people from escaping into the human world. What kept Ayorlyn from completely falling to darkness. He looked at me with confusion. “Oliver, this prophecy was sent to every Luna in Ayorlyn after you and the alphas were taken by Lillian. At the right time the White wolf will appear, mending bonds she will end the reign of fear. On the darkest day in the darkest hour, the white she-wolf will reveal her power. With three to protect she is not alone, her mate by her side she will claim the throne.”
“That means the Queen knows who the white wolf is, and she is going to kill her!” He jumped to his feet, ready to take action right this second.
“Sit down Oliver, I already took care of that threat. And she is only guessing that it is the white wolf. They are after a pup,” I said calmly, and he looked at me once more with confusion and irritation. “What do you think I was doing with Zev tonight? Sending a love letter? No, I was telling my contacts about the pup they are sending the alphas to kidnap tomorrow. They also have a trap planned for the traitors that come to rescue her.”
“They aren’t sending the guys tomorrow. They are sending them in two days’ time. I overhead Irene talking about it after I got my orders.” He was frustrated by my calmness as he paced in front of me.
“I must have heard the first part of the conversation, while you caught the ending. Sarina is calling the shots on this one, she seemed desperate for this girl; Apparently, the child is thought to be quite powerful. Sarina had Lillian instruct Irene to pass the word about a white wolf sighting and that the alphas were to leave in two days’ time, in reality they will be leaving tomorrow morning, with an army to leave behind as a trap.”
&
nbsp; He looked hopeful, “You’re contact will get the girl first?”
I rolled my eyes at him and looked at the clock. “Yes, Zev will have already reached them by now. They will move into action before the alphas can get to her.”
Oliver stiffened visibly after I spoke, and fear spiked through me. After all that I had just told, here was what he was looking for. Perhaps he was seeking information for the Queen after all. I stood from the sofa and eyed him warily. He was thinking hard about something, but his body was completely frozen.
“We have a problem,” he said, and his eyes finally met mine as he took a step towards me. “We have company coming.”
Chapter 10
Oliver’s POV
“Shit! I need to get out of here,” she said with a slight tremor. Her body tensed and ready to flea at a moment’s notice.
“No, they are already on the stairs I can smell them. It’s the alphas. I don’t trust them to know you are the spy. They would give you away without meaning to.” She relaxed her stance a little, but it was not going to last once she realized my plan. I could hear the front door opening and closing, they would be walking in any moment.
“I should hide.”
Thankful that I gave the alphas her as an alibi earlier in the day, I whispered, “Too late for that.” I closed the gap and took her into my arms, just like in my dream. But there was no lust in her eyes. Fear and confusion but no lust. Guilt twinge through me as I lowered my mouth to hers. Whatever trust I just built with her would surely go out the window now.
I could hear the guys moving quickly towards the door. I wanted to smile at how easy it would be to keep them in the dark this time, and not even have to lie. Well I was lying by omission, but who counts that? When Alina wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed up on her toes, I lost all train of thought. I groaned into her mouth and pulled her even closer. Tilting my head slightly, deepening the kiss to scorching levels. Her body was pressed to mine not a breath of air was between us, and I could feel every soft curve of her body. My groin tightened and I wanted to rip every piece of clothing from her beautiful body. One hand slid from her waist to the soft curve of her ass. I squeezed slightly and pulled her hips even closer to me. We both groaned at the sensation.