by Riley Storm
“Don’t I?” The angry, brutish-looking man took a step forward, and everyone tensed. “Don’t think I’m stupid, Kirell.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Kirell drawled lazily, though she could feel through where their hands connected that he was ready to leap into action at a moment’s notice, his every muscle taut.
Klebra turned to talk to his followers. “Don’t you think it’s convenient that just as Kirell here is nominated to a Title Holder’s position, he magically produces a mate none of us had ever heard of or even had an inkling about? What a coincidence.”
She went still as seedy black eyes focused on her, looking her over from head to toe. Klebra leaned to the left and right, evaluating her from all sides. Then he gave her a twisted smile that sent fear racing down her spine.
“You’d better hope, for your sake, that things are what they seem,” he said in a soft, predatory tone. “Because if they aren’t, if I get the slightest whiff that the two of you are making this up, then I won’t hesitate to invoke Invalidat. And you might not like that.”
Natalia could feel the fear coiling in her belly. Her instincts were screaming out to her, telling her to back away, to get out of danger. And there was no doubt about it, Klebra was dangerous. But she didn’t step back.
Weakness wasn’t something she could show, she realized. Not to this man. Not to any of them. They were part animal, after all, and they would respect toughness. This was a charge, a territorial thing. Klebra was coming at her full speed, and if she wavered or ran, he would win.
“And you might not like being made a fool of in front of everyone, but that’s exactly what’s going to happen if you keep questioning the two of us and our feelings for one another,” she snapped, letting her anger flow through her words.
Klebra paused, and then his mouth twisted into another grotesque smile. He stood up straight, looking at Kirell this time. “She’s got some spirit to her, I’ll give you that. But we’re not fooled. Many people doubt the legitimacy of this. I will prove it too.”
“Whatever you say, chump. Now get the fuck out of my way,” Kirell growled, also standing his ground, not even bothering to acknowledge what Klebra was saying.
Natalia looked up at him, letting admiration at his toughness shine through even while she leaned in closer, giving Klebra a little show of her devotion to Kirell.
After a long standoff, the three men facing them backed away and wandered down the hall. Everyone in her party, including herself, sagged slightly in relief.
“Thank you,” Kirell said to Kedd, then walked down the hall a bit and opened up a panel, motioning for her to head inside.
She followed. They had to go a round-about route to join up with his room, but the instant they were both inside, she wheeled on him.
“What the fuck is going on in this house, Kirell?” she snarled, fury boiling over as she advanced on him, finger upraised and pointed in his direction, hair billowing behind her from the sharpness of her movements. “Just what have I gotten myself involved in? You owe me some answers, and you owe them to me right now!”
24
He was backed into a corner, figuratively and literally.
Natalia had pursued him across the room as he backed away from her, until there was nowhere else for him to go. He could push past her of course—she couldn’t stop him, not physically—but the truth was, he didn’t want to do that. Telling her everything would be difficult, but after her display of loyalty to him in the hallway, he owed her something.
“Very well,” he said, motioning to the nearby couches. “I’ll tell you everything I can.”
They sat down on the same couch, but there was a marked space between them, an indicator of her level of anger and potential distrust in him.
“Several days ago, there was an attempted uprising in Ursa. A rebellion. A coup. Call it whatever you want. A large contingent of the House wanted to overthrow the King and Queen and take control for themselves.” He closed his eyes, remembering the shock when he’d first heard the news. When he’d seen with his very eyes one of the traitors ripping the throat out of the guard next to him.
Violence wasn’t new to Ursa. Or Canis. Or any of the shifter Houses really. They fought all the time, for dominance, for women, for money. It was how a shifter honed their skills if they weren’t in the military. Experience.
Fighting was one thing. Killing though…while it was not rare, it wasn’t a common occurrence either. There was always a reason for it, and it was usually done as a punishment. Wholesale slaughter of his people, by their former friends? By the men they thought of as brothers? That had shaken Kirell to his core.
“It was bad,” he said at last, trying to maintain a neutral, dispassionate tone. “Very bad. A lot of people died. A lot of my friends died.”
“I’m so sorry,” Natalia said softly.
He felt her hand on his leg, and knew she wasn’t consciously reassuring him, that she was still too mad to do that. That should tell him something, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. His mind was too distracted.
“We fought back. Those of us loyal to the Queen.” He didn’t have to say that the King had been killed. Natalia understood.
“That’s why Klebra called you a traitor earlier when he stormed in here.”
“Yes.” Kirell hung his head. “The term has been thrown around liberally since it happened. Mostly people like Klebra using it to try and further their own agendas.”
“Is this a normal thing?” she asked.
“No. I’m not aware of such an organized attempt to overthrow a legitimate ruler in the history of all the Houses. It was unprecedented, and unexpected. We weren’t ready for it.” He growled angrily, the sound filling the room.
“I don’t understand then. Why would they do it in the first place?”
“Canis,” he spat. “I can’t prove it, but I would bet you any money that their upper leadership is behind it.”
“Why? I’m sorry, I don’t understand why anyone in Ursa would ever trust them. Don’t you hate each other?”
He shrugged. “It was just a rivalry, or so I’d thought. Kind of like brothers. Yes, there was no love lost between us, and we fought often, and occasionally even killed members of the other Houses. But if we were ever challenged by others, then we would all band together against them.”
“Others? What do you mean by others?”
Kirell hesitated. “It doesn’t matter,” he said after a moment, brushing it off. Now wasn’t the time to tell her about the human magic users and the hatred they had for shifters. That was another story for another day.
“Okay. How do you know it was the Canim? That’s the right term, right?”
She didn’t believe him, but he didn’t blame her; it was obvious he was avoiding answering the question. Still, she was going to let him continue without pressing, and he was thankful for that.
“Yes. House Canis. The Canim. House Ursa, the Ursidae. But the reason is simple. They wanted to be in charge, and they weren’t. House Ursa has been the most powerful for over a century.” He declined to mention to her just what had happened to allow them to ascend over House Canis.
“And now the wolves are in charge?” Natalia was putting the pieces together, he could see it all happening in her head.
“Yes. Ursa is weakened. Still more powerful than Panthera or Raptere, mind you, but we are in no position to challenge Canis. They will rule the Council for the foreseeable future. It is not a good time.”
“What does all this have to do with Klebra and his hatred for us? Is he in league with the wolves as well?”
He pondered that question, as he’d done ever since Klebra had come forward. “I don’t think so. Not directly, at least.”
“You mean he’s working for someone who is?”
Kirell smiled at her. She was smart, and for someone who had no experience in this sort of environment, she was picking up on things quicker than he was expecting.
I need to make sure to gi
ve her more credit. Stop underestimating her.
“I think so. I thought we’d killed the leader of the coup, Captain Kven. But I’m starting to wonder if he was only the second in command to the real leader.”
“Who’s that?”
He shrugged. “I have exactly no clue. Whoever they are, they’ve kept themselves hidden extremely well.”
“What is Klebra’s plan then? And why were so many people looking at me as if they hated my guts, without even knowing me?”
Sighing, he rested his head on the back of the couch. “It all comes down to legitimacy. The former King was the rightful ruler of Ursa. He was the Knight, the heir to the House, and when his predecessor died—it’s not a blood lineage thing but dictated by the previous ruler—he ascended to the throne with his mate.”
“The Queen…who became ruler because her mate died, not because anybody appointed her. And I guess there are a lot of people who aren’t fond of that?”
He started to speak, but she held up her hand, eyes glazed over as she played that train of thought through.
“And of course, she nominated you to the position, so you’re also disliked by those people, and I, by forcing you to walk me around publicly, have now become associated with the Queen via you.” She buried her head in her hands. “Fuck, what the hell have I gotten myself involved in, Kirell? Some sort of blood feud? And what the hell is Invalidat?”
“It’s an ancient rite,” he said quietly, answering the most pertinent question first. “One that hasn’t been invoked in hundreds of years. It…tests the mate bond. To prevent this very thing.”
Natalia’s eyes were hard as she looked at him. “And how bad will it be if we’re forced to…do whatever is involved?”
“The worst,” he said quietly.
“The worst. You mean death. It will kill us.” She balled up a fist and smacked him in the arm.
The physical pain was negligible, but the hurt he felt was far greater than could be measured.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t think Klebra even knew about it, let alone would threaten to use it. Like I said, it’s been hundreds of years since it was last used, maybe more than a millennia, I don’t know. I’d have to go look it up.”
“It doesn’t matter!” she shouted. “You should have led with that. “Oh hey, I need you to pretend to love me, but also if anyone doubts us, they can subject us to a test that will kill you. Doesn’t that sound like a fun way to spend your weekend?”
He tried to explain, but she got up and stalked away, pacing back and forth across his room, talking inaudibly to herself. Eventually, he got up and intercepted her course, putting his hands on her shoulders. She ducked away and continued to walk back and forth.
“Natalia…”
She looked up abruptly. “I want out. I’m going home. This is unbelievable. I didn’t sign up for this, Kirell. You lied to me. I’m going home.” She started snatching up her stuff.
“You can’t,” he told her. “You showed yourself to everyone. It’s too late. You’re better off sticking with the plan. If you leave now, everyone will know.”
“Not my problem,” she said icily.
“Please, just listen to me. It’s going to work out fine. We have the support of the majority, that’s all that’s necessary. Stick around for a few more days, attend the confirmation ceremony with me tomorrow, and then you can go back to your life, with some money in your pocket and I’ll sign the documents to get you your Green Card so you can stay here. Don’t throw it all away now.”
She walked over to the nightstand and snatched up the car keys he’d left there. “I’m not throwing anything away. I’m keeping my life. Even if I have to go back home, I’ll still have that, and it’s much more valuable than your money. By the way, I’m borrowing your car.”
Walking over to the wall, she pushed on the panel until it clicked, and then walked inside without turning back, leaving Kirell to stand there, dumbfounded.
His first thought was to chase after her, to try to calm her down and make her see logic. But he couldn’t, because she was right. If she stayed, she was in mortal danger. He would protect her as best he could, but in the end it might not be enough. Klebra was dead set on ensuring Kirell didn’t become Captain, and his will to do whatever it took had caught Kirell by surprise.
No, he had to let Natalia go for now, to give her some time to cool off before he approached her again. Everything could still be salvaged. There was time before the ceremony still, enough that she could sleep off her ire tonight and still be at his side tomorrow, if he played his cards right. It wasn’t the end of the world.
Not quite.
25
“There you are!” Loren said, flinging her door open at the third knock.
“Hey.” She pushed past her best friend and into her house, dropping the few belongings she had with her, including the dress.
“Nice, um, outfit. Where did you get such smashing clothes?”
Natalia looked over the brown sweats outfit she had on. “It’s a long, long story. I don’t even know where to start. Do you have any wine? I need a glass. Or a bottle. Maybe a case.”
“Hoo, boy.” Loren sized her up. “Sit,” she ordered, pointing at the couch. “Pizza, or Chinese?”
“Chinese?” she said, flopping down with a loud sigh, not bothering to disguise her current sentiment toward the world as a whole.
“Good choice.” Loren made a quick phone call, opened a bottle of wine she had hidden away in her fridge somewhere and then poured them both large glasses. “Alright, start talking.”
Natalia sat up and took a sip of the wine, using the time to formulate her thoughts. During the drive back—which had been exhilarating, and she still couldn’t believe Kirell hadn’t tried to stop her from taking the multi-million-dollar machine—she’d worked on her story. It pained her to lie to Loren, but she couldn’t tell her about half of the things she’d learned while with Kirell. No matter how mad she was at him just then, the Queen’s threat still loomed over her head like a guillotine.
“These people are fucked, Loren. It’s probably a good thing they never interact with the rest of us. I swear, it felt like walking into an old-world aristocracy in there. Formal Houses and positions of power and politics… and—holy fucking shit—it was just so ridiculous!”
“That’s so interesting.”
“Not really,” she said dryly. “If you think it’s that good though, I’ll set you up with one.”
Loren perked up. “Would you really do that?”
“Oh, God. No! Trust me, you don’t want it. They’re hot, sure, and at least Kirell is really good in bed, but trust me Loren, you don’t…oh shit,” she muttered, noticing the reaction on her friend’s face.
“YOU SLEPT WITH HIM?” Loren exclaimed excitedly. “No fucking way. My little prude hooked up with him?”
“I’m not a prude, I just don’t like jumping into bed with guys as easily as some.” Her tone left no question about who the some meant.
“Ya, ya, ya. Whatever. I’m proud of you. It was good?”
Natalia just smiled, letting her mind drift back to the sight of Kirell on top of her, his muscles gleaming with sweat. Or the casual way he’d picked her up and pinned her to the wall of the shower before having his way with her. Even just the memory of things like that had her body reacting.
“You have to set me up with one now. Does he have any friends?”
“A few,” she said, laughing at the joke. “I’m not sure they’re your type though.”
Truthfully, she wasn’t sure how Loren would adjust to the idea that they were shapeshifters and to the levels of violence in their culture. Her mind was a little bit more rigid, and Natalia felt that having her worldview shattered the way Kirell had done would be too much.
“Whatever, give me a night, I’ll have some fun.” Loren bobbed her eyebrows up and down.
“You’re impossible!” she drank some more, and told Loren everything that had happened, w
hile leaving out the bits about shifters and the threat to her life from multiple sources.
“Why are you back here if everything is going alright then?”
“He omitted a few truths, and I got mad at him.” She held up a hand to forestall the questions. “I don’t want to talk about what.”
“Okay.” Loren smiled and dropped it. That’s why she was such a good friend. She knew when to push and when not to. “What about the whole husband thing? Is he going to get you a Green Card so you can stay?”
“Yes.” I think so.
For that to happen though, she would have to go back to him.
“And after that, you’re done? You two just go your separate ways and that’s that?”
She nodded slowly. That was the plan. Leave Kirell and the shapeshifters all behind, like a wild dream in her past. Their agreement would be complete, and they would no longer need to interact with one another. Simple as that.
Isn’t it?
Why did it feel like that would be the end, instead of the beginning of the rest of her life here in the United States? Shouldn’t she see it as the key to her freedom, to be able to live the life she wanted to live?
With her anger spiking, Natalia reached out and grabbed the glass of wine, downing a healthy mouthful. She was supposed to be furious at Kirell for dragging her into his madhouse of a world, not sad at the prospect of not seeing him again. Why was her brain betraying her like this? Latching on to that fresh anger, even if it was directed at herself, she took another drink.
Loren was looking at her with concern. “Natalia? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.” She hoped the lie wasn’t as obvious as it felt.
“Tell me.”
Apparently, it was obvious.
“Ugh. You know, he’s actually a decent guy, Lore. Yes, he had some secrets he should have told me about earlier, but he’s always treated me really well. I think I enjoyed his company.”
“You have a crush on him?” Loren was leaning forward now, far more eagerly than Natalia was comfortable seeing.