by KC Kellersen
“That is why I am still here. With the prophecy you told me, maybe the white wolf will come soon and end this whole thing.”
“Perhaps that’s why Sarina wants Ruby so badly. I got a letter from my contact today saying she was safe,” I confessed.
“Can you have them try and verify that she is the white wolf? Wait, did you say Ruby?”
“Yeah, I overheard them say her name. Ruby from Stillforest, just a pup.” I eyed him curiously. Did he know her?
“Shit. That’s Ryan’s mates little sister. I’ve met her, she’s a sweet kid. Are you sure you can trust your contact not to harm her?” he asked with dread filling his eyes. The happiness was fading, I wished we could go back to the playful time from just a moment ago.
I looked him over for a long moment. Now was my time to trust him. My stomach churned as I spoke, “We’ll come back around to the mate thing. But for now, answer me this; Do you trust your brother?”
“Yes, with my life,” he said slowly his head tilted to the side. Assessing. I looked at him with one eyebrow raised until it clicked in his head. “My brother is your contact?”
Chapter 13
Oliver’s POV
She replied with a simple, “Yes.” Yes… She did trust me! And my brother was her contact! I should have known my brother wouldn’t be sitting back waiting for this to end. He would be an active part to protect everyone he could. I also should have guessed when she said I acted like him, instead of letting jealousy cloud my thinking! I had so many questions, but I waited for her to speak.
When she didn’t say anything, I prodded her gently, “You can trust me Kitten. If I wanted you caught, I would have told the alphas about you. Or taken you straight to the dungeons as I was ordered to do.”
“Alright. I guess it is my turn to trust you and I pray that it isn’t misplaced.” She gave me a hard look as she slowly made her way to the edge of the pool, where I was leaning against the side. “I grew up with him, he is my best friend. By the way, he is liable to punch you when he finds out you kissed me. Just fair warning. Brother or not, I am like a little sister to him and he is very protective.” She laughed at my expression and continued, “Liam was raised by Iona Black and her mate. He came to us when I was 10 years old. Your mother had heard of Lillian’s plans and hid Liam away with Iona, so he couldn’t be taken. Though, she never thought they would take you. We moved from place to place before settling… where they are now.” Oh great, hey brother it has been 10+ years, pop! That’s for kissing the Kitten. Focus Oliver!
I didn’t comment on the threat but went straight for the heart of the issue. “Wait… are you telling me that your mother is Iona Black? The Banished Princess of Ayorlyn?”
She scoffed and replied vehemently, “She did not kill that child! I am not sure why Lillian blamed my mother for her death, but if you ever meet her you will understand just how NOT capable, she is of that sort of evil!”
“Calm down. I believe you; I was just verifying I had the right people assigned in my head. So, that’s how you broke Lillian’s command all those years ago. You are of royal blood.” I drew the correct conclusions quickly. I also realized, she was a wolf-shifter and Dale was right. Fuck, any and all fantasies about her just flew right out the window. Right along with even the faintest of hope I held for choosing my own future.
Told you, you shouldn’t have kissed her.
“Yes and no. I am of royal blood but only through kin of the second princess. According to my mother, I shouldn’t even have the royal power, but for whatever reason, I do. I have a theory about that, but I won’t know for another two weeks.” This was the second time she had said something along the lines of two weeks. Dread filled me.
“What happens in two weeks?” I asked and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.
“I get my wolf-spirit. Don’t worry, I will be leaving the castle before then. My plan was to only be here for a month.” I was right. I didn’t want to know the answer. The thought of her leaving made my chest ache. It was coming up so fast.
“You’re a wolf-shifter?” I asked and then shook my head. That didn’t make any sense and didn’t come out the way I wanted. I changed directions, “Never mind, okay so, what did you plan to accomplish in the month you were here. Maybe I can help fill in the blanks.”
“I had three objectives. Alphas, rogues and missing wolves. I know about the alphas, now I just need to figure out how to free them. Thanks to you, I know all about the rogues. And I am not sure what to do about the missing wolves. At this point, I can only hope they aren’t dead. There is a lot of good people who are missing. I want to check out the dungeons before I leave but I am not sure if I can get down there safely. I guess, even if I cannot get any more information, I trust you enough that I could leave Zev here and we could keep the channel open between us. We can’t wait forever to make our final move, now that we have the entire Ironridge territory behind us, we stand a fighting chance.”
She was smart, I could see the wheels turning as she made plans. She would have made a ten times better Queen than the one we have. Too bad Iona wasn’t the first born. Then perhaps both our lives would have played out the way it was meant to. She would have been Queen, and I would have lived here, happily, protecting her. I felt the need to do that anyways.
“Well, if Ruby’s the white-wolf, then that solves the alpha problem. I have the rogues to add to whatever army Iona and my brother have gathered. And, we can find out about the missing wolves after we remove Sarina and Lillian from power.” It sounded simple, but I knew it would be much more complicated on a large scale.
“Theoretically, it’s a good plan. But you are forgetting one thing. Ruby is just a child. She has another 10 years before she gets her wolf-spirit.”
“If Sarina and Lillian already know she is powerful, then perhaps she has her power early. Like you.”
“Okay, Let’s just assume for a moment that she is the white wolf. And that she has the power to ‘mend the bonds’ before she gets her wolf. We would need to figure out a way to get the alphas to her. I don’t want to risk bringing Ruby here. Lillian thinks she is the white wolf, and Goddess knows what Sarina will do to her. Could we bring the alphas in on our plans?” Those were some big If’s in that scenario. The alternative was waiting for 10 more years before they could be saved. Could we hold off Lillian and Sarina for 10 years? Doubtful, Lillian is already very angry and building up steam for something.
“I can only tell them so much. One little command and they would give up their mates without blinking,” I said with a shrug. I wished I could tell them everything, that I could use them as support.
“Oohh, speaking of mates, let’s get back to that. There are too many if’s to worry about Ruby just yet,” she said bringing the conversation back around. I didn’t want to go down this path, because she would inevitably ask me to revisit my most painful memory.
“Ryan was the first one. We were out on a mission in Stillforest when he started going a little crazy. It was like he was trying to fight the spell. I kept a close eye on him and noticed he was watching this girl. I made the connection that she was his mate, so I ensured that I was the one to ‘capture’ her. After the alphas left, I returned her to her family and explained the situation. She was relieved that he isn’t really a monster that they all feared. When I told her that he couldn’t recognize her because of a spell, she said ‘That fucker! He gets the pretty tattoo’s and I don’t!’” Alina laughed, but I continued, “When I got back here three days later, I noticed he did in fact receive the mate tattoos because she recognized him, but because of the spell he couldn’t recognize her without going against the Queen’s orders.”
“She sounds like a spitfire. Poor Ryan, and he doesn’t even remember her?” I just shook my head. “Okay, what about Dale and Cord. Did they find their mates?” she asked.
“Yes, Dale’s mate was found next. She is a shy little woman from Ironridge. Apparently, she didn’t leave the library all that ofte
n, which is why I don’t remember her, and we hadn’t encountered her before. She will be a good Luna for him one day.” I sighed, when this was all over, they would have their forever after’s lined up and waiting for them. And I would have nothing, but a chance to go feral... “Cords girl is feisty, and also from Ironridge! She was ornery as hell growing up. After I explained what was happening, she punched me in the face and broke my nose. She said, ‘You better tell him to hurry the hell up!’” We both laughed at the memories I shared but I felt the smile fall. Next was me, she was going to ask. And why wouldn’t she?
“What’s wrong Oliver?” she asked sincerely.
“I’ve been all over this country. Multiple time through the years and still haven’t found my mate... I guess when the time is right it will happen. That’s what Fynn always tells me.” It was really hard to lie to her. But I wasn’t ready. I might never be ready to voice my fears aloud.
Her eyes narrowed slightly but she didn’t call me out on the lie. She merely asked, “Who is Fynn?”
“Fynn is my wolf-spirit. A pain in the ass goody two shoes.”
I can hear you.
She laughed but I couldn’t join in. I got out of the water. I didn’t want to talk about my wolf-spirit or the mate bond anymore, not with her. Not with anyone. “It is getting quite late. We should call it a night Kitten.” I didn’t want my time with her to end per say, but I needed some time to think and clear my head. I felt the memories forcing through the walls in my mind. I would need to be alone, when they came crashing down.
“I can always meet you here tomorrow evening again. It’s been nice having someone to talk to the last couple days,” she suggested hopefully.
“You’re right, it has,” I said softly.
“Okay after you, Mr. Dimples” she said in a serious tone, bowing slightly and gesturing for me to go first. It was so ridiculous the laugh burst out of me. It lightened my mood just a little, which I think was her goal. She must have sensed the darkness fall over me.
When we got back to the castle, I left her near the servants entrance while I went around closer to my tower. It was easier to sneak through the gardens and paths than through the hallways.
My unit was blessedly empty when I arrived. The alpha’s must have given up waiting for me and gone to bed. I helped them through their spell sleep before I met Aline, but I couldn’t fill them in on the mission, since I wasn’t there. I did know that it was a failure all thanks to Alina. They didn’t take the news as hard, since I had just told them about the Ironridge trip. The failed missions were easier to swallow, I would imagine.
I went straight to my bed and crawled in. I wasn’t exactly tired, but the memories were pushing in. I laid in bed and waited for the darkness to consume me. They didn’t come, instead my mind drifted to Alina. That poor girl has been through hell in the last two weeks. She has endured more physical pain than I have in my 10 years.
I wanted to send her home. I wanted her to stay. The two sides battled within me. I knew I couldn’t send her home early, even if she would listen to me. It was painful to even think she would be leaving in two weeks. It was selfish of me. Completely selfish.
I was, stupidly, falling in love with her. Well maybe not love, but I was quite certainly obsessed. But why? I shouldn’t want to be around her like this, she wasn’t my mate. There is no way I would have received the mate markings when I shifted for the first time unless my mate’s wolf had recognized me. She didn’t have her wolf yet; it couldn’t be her. No matter how much I wanted her... My mate was probably gone, that’s why the markings disappeared. Or maybe she rejected me. The pain lanced through me as the memory finally broke the walls. I drowned in the darkness long before sleep finally claimed me.
***
The next day I met Alina at the training center after dinner. The door was unlocked, she was waiting for me. She put the book she was reading away as I came down the stairs.
“Hey Kitten!”
“Hey Dimples. Anything good happen today?”
“Lillian and Sarina stayed upstairs, so nothing new.”
“How’s the spy search going?” she asked amusedly.
“Ha. Ha. Very funny. It’s actually quite tedious. What’s the plan today?”
“Well I was thinking about what you said yesterday. I think we should ask Liam to try and verify that Ruby is the white wolf or not.”
“That’s a good idea!” I popped up from the couch and headed for the secret door.
When we were both outside, she pushed the door almost completely closed. Not that anyone could see it out here, the forest was pretty dense and from the maps I had studied. There wasn’t even a road leading back here. Just open wilderness for miles.
She whistled and I heard Zev’s return caw. I smiled brightly as he came from the castle side of the wall. He landed on her shoulder.
She said, “to Oliver.”
I stuck out my arm as he hopped over to me. He landed on my arm and made a loud caw in my face. He remembered me, but he didn’t love me like he loved her. Sadness and happiness wared inside me.
“He is as beautiful as I remember. Hey old man!” I scratched his neck and he pushed into my hand. Without a call he left my arm and went back to Alina’s shoulder. I let him go without fuss, he would get to know me again, someday. “Do you have a note already written?”
“Yeah. Here. Will you tie it to his leg. My shoulder is hurting me today.” She held the letter out, but I could see the pain it caused her.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t even ask how your day was. Irene brutal today?”
She rolled her eyes at me, “Isn’t she always? She landed a kick pretty hard to my upper arm and the bruise is deep.” I grabbed the letter out of her hand and read it.
Ruby might be White wolf? Can you Verify?
“Short and to the point,” I said as I tied the letter to the leather strap.
“Well, yeah. Zev’s legs are small. I keep the letters pretty simple.” When I was finished, she said, “Home to Liam,” and he flew off gracefully. We went back into the training center and locked the door.
Settled on the couch we started talking as we did yesterday in the water. But she participated this time; telling me stories of Liam and her growing up. Things she has seen in the territories when the alphas and sentries were not around. The hope the people had.
I listened as she spoke of her family, which included my brother with a sense of jealousy. She may have had a hard life growing up, but she was happy with them. I didn’t have that here, not really. The guys and my mission made it bearable to be here, but I haven’t had the happy encounters like she did. There was not a lot of love undertone in my backstory.
She told me about the servant Zetia, which I didn’t know was a wolf-shifter until she said something. I didn’t know that wolf-shifters had crazy tendencies until I met Alina. But now, apparently, there were two. Both crazy enough to brave Lillian, Sarina and Irene. Zetia and Alina.
When I finally crawled into bed that night, or rather morning, I felt better about the future. With Alina’s help we might just have a chance.
Chapter 14
Alina’s POV
Oliver called out to me “Kitten, come on!” I smiled and ran to him. I jumped and threw my arms around his neck. He pulled my legs around him and kissed me sweetly. “It’s over Kitten. Now we can be together!” He spun me around. His happiness caused a euphoric feeling in me. Suddenly it was different, the scene was the same, but I knew instinctively that it was a different time. He held me still spinning around. I broke the kiss and smiled at him. “Mommy! Mommy!” I heard a small voice call, I wanted to turn and look. But Oliver wouldn’t let me turn to look. He held my face and kept my eyes on him.
I woke slowly with a smile still playing on my lips. When I stretched and sat up in my bed, I replayed the dream... I was so done for. I was falling in love with Oliver. Shame filled me; I should not be feeling this way. Having feelings for another wolf would not bode well when I final
ly met my mate. I needed to cut off these feelings and quick. Boy that was familiar.
I dressed and got started on my day. It went by quickly, since Irene spent a lot of time outside the castle. I got nasty remarks from her but not many beatings. I did my work, her work and anything else that might need to be done. When I saw Oliver, I pretended he didn’t exist, he did the same. But just the sight of him had my heart racing. Please Goddess, have him not notice! That would just be embarrassing.
When my work was done, I went out to get my response from Liam. My good mood from the fast day fell.
Cannot verify if she is the white wolf, but she is powerful. Found my mate!
I went to the training center, filled with so much fear and anger that I couldn’t even appreciate that Liam had found his mate. I changed into some workout clothes from the wardrobe and started lifting weights. It was a good medium for my anger, and I needed the pain in my muscles. What were we supposed to do now? If we couldn’t verify that she was the white wolf or not, how the hell were we going to break the spell on the alphas? It’s not like we could sit around and wait 10 years for her to shift. Even if she was powerful, if she wasn’t the white wolf, who’s to say that her power would be the right power to undo the spell? I was angry because I didn’t want to admit, even to myself, that I was afraid. Afraid that we would never be free of Lillian. That she would kill all wolf-shifters before the white wolf came.
I moved from machine to machine around the room. By the time Oliver came down the stairs I was dripping sweat and breathing heavy.
“Easy Kitten. What’s going on?”
“This!” and I pushed the letter to him. I turned my back and headed for the washroom. I didn’t want to see his face, when the hope we kindled the night before left him. I didn’t want to see his face fall into resignation like it did when he talked about his mate.
I showered and let the hot water cool my burning muscles. It wasn’t a very smart move for me to do that. I was going to be very sore tomorrow. I dressed in my original clothes and braided my hair. When I came out Oliver was sitting on the sofa in the library section. I went over and sat next to him.