I didn’t know what to say. I felt so much guilt for my sister and my dad. I wasn’t there when he passed, as I was so mad at him for leaving me with Mom. I should have been there for my sister, but I was too selfish and wouldn’t listen to Stevie when she said she needed me to be there the day that he was buried. She never told me Dad was murdered. She let me think he died of illness. I was angry all over again that she lied to me, but I needed to put my feelings aside for now and be there for my sister.
“Stevie, I am so, so sorry. I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. I was so selfish.” I hung my head in shame, knowing my sister had to deal with our father’s funeral and burial on her own.
She shook her head and leaned over the table, her hand extended to me. I pried one of my hands from Kai’s and grabbed my sister’s. She looked at me with sadness in her hazel eyes.
“I forgive you, Ry. You had no idea what had happened, and I couldn’t tell you all of this over the phone. We didn’t want to tell you any of this at home, as we had a feeling they were still watching the house. That’s why we left so soon after you arrived. We needed to get here and alert the coven and the pack, as well as Randall. If the fae are waging a war, we will need all the help we can get.”
“I will help you all in any way I can. I will not let them get away with hurting our dad, Stevie—I swear.”
“If what you say is true, why would the fae return now after so many decades of peace, and why only target your father?” Kai asked no one in particular. He seemed like he didn’t believe that the fae were to blame, and that made me suspicious. Why is Kai defending these people, when he just heard that they killed my father?
“We have no idea. That’s why we came here to seek answers we could not get at home, and to train Ryan. We fear that they now know of her existence and will come after both her and Stevie,” Chase said, looking Kai directly in the eye, almost like he was challenging him.
“We must all prepare our people. The coven will want revenge for their king being killed at the hands of the fae. As their queen, I must honor their wishes.” Stevie was pinning me with a look that implored me to understand what she was saying.
“You mean you want to kill the person that killed our father?” I couldn’t murder someone in cold blood! We had a justice system for a reason.
She just nodded. I couldn’t believe what the hell she was saying.
“You can’t just go around fucking killing people Stevie, that’s wrong—it’s murder,” I said, in shock.
“I can and I must— blood must have blood. That is our way, sister, and you will soon learn that.” She snapped, anger lacing her words. What the hell is wrong with my sister?
“You are not the only coven queen now, Stevie,” Jax retorted.
“I am the oldest, therefore the role is mine, not my sister’s,” she snapped back at him.
“That may be the case, but she can challenge you to a duel for the crown, can she not?” Jax asked.
I felt all eyes on me in that moment. I didn’t know how to answer that, so I said the first thing that came to my mind.
“Let’s talk about my dreams and how Kai is in them,” I said, looking to anyone for answers before my eyes finally settled on Kai. With a sigh, he answered my question.
“Because of my gifts.”
“What kind of gifts?” I asked.
“The kind of gifts that let me enter people’s minds. I can alter their moods and emotions, if need be. I am the king’s secret weapon.” Well, not so secret anymore, dumbass.
“So that’s why you were there last night? To get my sister and Jax to agree to change this treaty thing?” I heard the others gasp. Were my feelings for Kai real? Or were they part of his emotion control power? Jax stood up, leaning on the table, with a glare on his face. He was growling, and his eyes were changing color. They weren’t chocolate brown anymore—they were yellow. Holy shit, I think Jax might be changing into a wolf right in front of me.
“You son of a bitch. She’s right, isn’t she? That fucker was trying to con us by using your gifts to get us to agree!” he roared. Tyler put a hand on Jackson’s shoulder to calm him, but he just shook it off. Kai stood and leaned over the table so he and Jackson were nearly nose to nose.
“I have to follow orders and what my king wants, whether I think it’s wrong or not. I must do as he asks.” Okay, that’s a bit weird. So Kai didn’t like doing what Randall wanted all the time? That’s good to know.
“Bullshit, Melakai. The enforcer is back in full swing now, ladies and gentlemen. You would have tried to kill us last night if we didn’t agree, wouldn’t you? That’s why all those guards were nearby—in case all hell broke loose when you tried to take us out!” Jackson did have a good point with that.
“What is done cannot be un-done, Alpha, so there is no use worrying about what has not come to pass,” Kai said, with annoyance thick in his tone.
Jackson couldn’t take it anymore. He jumped across the table and grabbed Kai. It all happened so fast. I could see arms swinging left and right. Everyone was trying to break them up and shouting directions and threats. I grabbed hold of Kai’s arm, but just as I gripped him by the elbow, he spun around and grabbed me by the throat. As soon as he realized it was me, he instantly dropped his hand, but it was too late. Jackson hadn’t stopped. His fist connected with Kai’s jaw, and I heard a crack. I was sure his jaw was broken from the force of Jax’s punch.
I couldn’t watch any longer. Kai was hunched over on one knee, a hand on his jaw, and was struggling to stand. I jumped in the middle, before they could continue to harm each other, and pinned each of them with glare of fury.
“Would you two learn to use your fucking words?” I shouted.
“That fucker deserved the punch he got for laying hands on you, squirt,” Alex snapped. I looked over my shoulder to glare at him—he was not helping the situation.
“Not helping, Alex.” I then retuned my focus to the two brooding males. “Both of you need to cool off and come back when you can apologize to each other, okay?”
With a reluctant nod from each of them, they left the cabin, letting us know they would be back later to discuss the treaty, again.
Chapter 13
After Jax, Tyler and Kai left, Stevie and I told the boys we were going to go for a walk to catch up. They feigned hurt feelings, but truth was, they didn’t care, and they wanted to watch some game that was on TV. Boys will be boys.
Stevie and I walked at a moderate pace through the woods, down a well-warn path that clearly had been used by animals and humans.
“Dad used to bring me up here all the time as a kid. I loved coming here—it always meant I could stop hiding who I was and be free. I couldn’t do that back home.” Stevie spoke with a faraway look in her eyes, like she was reliving a happy memory.
“Why didn’t you and Dad just move here then?”
“He would never move a country away from you, Ry—even if it did feel that way to you growing up. We tried to come for you, Ry, so many times. But Mom got tired of our pleading and said if Dad came by again and tried to take you from her, she would expose what we were to the humans. Humans can never know we exist, Ry. They can’t handle what they cannot control. They would exterminate us. That is why the treaty is so important—it keeps all the supes in the world in line.”
“I never knew you tried to come for me. I just assumed Dad didn’t want me. Mom always said Dad only wanted you. I guess I just believed her; I gave up waiting for him to come save me, Stevie. I know I shouldn’t have, but I did.”
“I never knew how hard it was for you until the first time you managed to get a hold of me and we finally saw each other after so many years. That’s when I got a glimpse of how bad it was. I saw the bruises, Ryan, no matter how hard you tried to hide them, Sissy. I am so truly sorry, from the bottom of my heart, that I couldn’t get you out. I was scared and weak, but I swear I will never fail you again, my sister. I am not scared or weak anymore.”
I
knew she was telling me the truth. I could hear the conviction in her voice. I knew, no matter what life threw at us, we would always stick together and fight for each other. We were two halves, but together we were whole.
“I know, Stevie, and you don’t need to be sorry. It wasn’t your fault. We were children. We didn’t know any better.” I gave her a playful bump with my hip to lighten the mood, which made her laugh. I was glad; I hated seeing her so sad.
“So anyway, enough sad shit. What’s the deal with you and Melakai? I know Jackson Marshall is into you, as well. I can see the way they both look at you.” I shook my head at her —she was so wrong.
“I don’t know. Jax is nice and very handsome, but I don’t know what to think about him, really. It’s so confusing. Melakai, on the other hand, the day we came here, and I had that dream, I didn’t even know who he was. I didn’t know he was real. Now I’m more confused, because I can’t tell if my feelings for him are real or are they part of his control over people’s emotions.”
“I get what you are saying, I do, but Jackson would be the better choice, if you ask me. Melakai seems so doom and gloom all the time. Would the guy’s face break if he smiled? As for the emotion control…I have no idea, Ry. That is something you will have to ask him.”
“Don’t be mean. I don’t want to jump into anything; I have way too much going on as it is, and a guy would just make things ten times worse.” Changing the subject, I asked. “Why Alaska though Stevie?”
“Because this is where, dad was born.” That was news to me. I thought dad was born in New Zealand, like us.
“I didn’t know that. I guess it makes sense now why we are here. Why did dad leave?”
“He was sent on an overseas trip or something like that, some witches were going rogue in New Zealand and dad had to clean up the mess. While he was in New Zealand, he met mom. I guess he decided she was worth giving up his place here, to be with her.”
“Were our grandparents okay with that?”
“I don’t know to be honest. Dad never talked about his parents much.” Oh, that’s strange.
“Are they still here, in Alaska?” Stevie had a look on her face that I couldn’t read.
“I don’t actually know, I have never met them. I assumed they died because I have never seen them at the coven. Dad would always change the subject if I asked about them.” Why would dad do that? What was he hiding?
We chatted about more mundane things as we walked through the woods, finding our way back to the cabin as dusk was approaching. We needed to be ready for the wolves and vampires when they came to discuss the treaty—and I now understood why it was so important.
Chapter 14
When we arrived back at the cabin, the boys had dinner ready, so we quickly ate and then I headed to my room to have a shower before everyone arrived. Stepping back into my room with a towel wrapped around my hair and another around my body, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a man sitting on my bed.
He had blond hair that fell to his shoulders, blue eyes like the ocean, and a strong, tall frame. His shirt wrapped perfectly around his large arms. He was hot! He stood with his hands held up, as if surrendering. I don’t know why I didn’t scream for the others to help, but I felt a sense of calm wash over me, so I stood rooted to the floor.
“I do not mean to frighten you, Ryan. I am here because I need help, and you are the only one I believe can help me. Will you hear me out, please?” I couldn’t speak, so I just nodded. He took three steps closer to me. There was only a foot of distance between us. His scent hit me hard—he smelled of wild flowers and trees. I loved wildflowers. He chuckled, as if he knew what his close proximity was doing to me. What the hell is wrong with me? I seem to be getting turned on by every damn guy, I need to get my shit together.
“My name is Simon. My people are being framed by one the clans, who are a part of your treaty. My people had nothing to do with the death of your father.”
Holy fuck, he was fae.
“You’re a fae, aren’t you?” I asked him. He nodded. “I don’t know why you are here, asking me to believe you. I don’t even know you, and from what I understand, it’s pretty obvious who killed my father.”
“I had nothing to gain from your father’s death. He was a fair ruler and a good king, but more than that, he was a good man, Ryan.” He spoke as if he knew my father.
“Did you know my father?”
“Yes I did. I helped your grandfather gather the intel he needed to create the treaty, so we could all live in peace, and my people would stop being hunted. Many lives were lost in the last war between all the supernatural kinds.”
“So, you knew my grandfather as well then?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you telling me this and not my sister? I don’t know much about all this supernatural stuff. I just found out I was a witch yesterday.”
“Ah, but you are so much more than just a witch, Ryan. Ask your precious vampire Melakai. He knows the truth.” There was anger behind his words, and I couldn’t imagine why.
“What do you mean?” And how does he know about Kai?
“I’m afraid our time is up. Please heed my words. My people are not to blame.” I could hear it in his voice—he was telling the truth, and that confused me even more. “I will find you again, Ryan.”
He turned and just vanished. I had no time to ponder what the fuck had just happened, because my bedroom door flew open, and Jax and Melakai barged in with feral looks on their faces. Melakai came to me and put his hands on my shoulders, leaning in to sniff me. He bloody sniffed me!
“What the hell do you both think you are doing in here?” I snapped, yanking my body out of his hands, just now noticing that I was half naked. I gripped my towel tighter.
“Who was in here with you Ryan?” Jax asked, with an agitated look on his face. I don’t know why I lied, but I knew if I told them what just happened and who was in my room, all hell would break loose.
“No one was in here.” They both gave me a look that said I was full of shit.
“I can smell someone else was in here, Ryan. I can’t place the scent, but it is familiar to me. I know you weren’t alone,” Jackson said, taking a step forward.
“So, you’re calling me a liar then?”
“I can tell when you lie, love,” Jax replied with narrowed eyes.
“I heard you talking to someone, tell me who it was,” Kai demanded.
“One—don’t fucking tell me what to do, and two, get the fuck out, both of you—NOW!” I shouted. How dare they fucking barge in here.
With one last look at me, they both turned and left my room. I finally released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, and quickly got changed into some leggings and a long-sleeved shirt. On my way out, I grabbed my Ugg boots and slipped them on. I felt like we needed to hold off on blaming the fae. I didn’t understand why I trusted what Simon said about his people not having anything to do with my father’s death, but I did.
Chapter 15
Upon arriving in the kitchen, I saw that everyone was seated, waiting for me to join them. I saw a space between Alex and Melakai, but after what had just transpired in my room, I did not want to be anywhere near Melakai. I walked over to the table and nudged Alex over so I could sit between him and Chase. Alex looked confused, assuming I would be more than pleased to sit next to Kai. Yeah, not right now buddy—he’s on my shit-list.
Once seated between my two cousins, I addressed the group.
“Sorry for keeping you all waiting. I was rudely interrupted by two overbearing jackasses, which delayed me.” I delivered this with a fake hostess smile. Chase was giggling beside me, and Alex coughed to mask his laughter.
Stevie pinned us all with a disapproving look that had us sitting up straight and wiping the smiles off our faces.
“Don’t worry about it, Ry. We all just sat down,” Stevie said. “Now that we are all here, let’s discuss the treaty, shall we? Ry, just to fill you in a bit, every time
a new leader is appointed, the treaty needs to be re-signed, so that all parties are up to date with what is expected of each coven, pack,vampires and fae.”
“Do all the vampires, packs, covens and fae all over the world have to obey this treaty?” I asked.
“Yes, they do, as we are the head of all of our kind. If any witches step out of line and judgment must be passed, they are brought here to stand trial before our coven elders and king, while now it’s queen. Same as for the wolves and the vampires, I don’t know how the fae do things. They do have an elder council like the rest of us though.” Stevie answered. I nodded my understanding. I guess since everyone hated the fae at the moment, they wouldn’t be signing the new treaty.
“Okay. Now that Miss Knox is up to speed, may we continue?” Randall Cane asked.
“Yes, why don’t you start, Randall, and tell us all why you want to change the treaty and what your reasons for the changes are?” my sister asked.
“I want the fae realm completely sealed so that they may never enter this realm. In order to do that, I need the witches to try seal it and the pack sign off on it,” Randall said, like we were all supposed to agree with him.
“If we do that, Farrarie will die. You know it needs to be stabilized by Earth,” Alex said, with a look of shock on his face, as if he couldn’t believe Randall had just said what he did.
“I am well aware of that, Mr. Knox, but I do not care. Their kind has done enough damage, don’t you think? And if what Melakai has told me is true, I would think you would be open to this idea, given what they did to your uncle.” It was clear what Randall wanted.
A Beautiful Dream: The Dream Trilogy Page 7