by R. C. Reigh
She was perfect and her scent was driving me crazy, but there was something else there, too; something foreign marring her intoxicating aroma.
My head snapped toward her scrawny male emissary. It was him. I could smell him on her.
A flare of rage sizzled through me. My heart was racing like a herd of wild beasts as the need to shift coursed through me. I needed to take action. I had to get out of here before the need to destroy him consumed me and I did something I would regret.
Clenching my teeth with the strain of forcing keeping my wolf contained, I stomped toward the door. When I reached my guard, I turned around again. I stared the princess down as I jabbed my finger toward the male human.
“And you need to end it, now,” I barked, blood heating to a rolling boil as my anger crackled through the core of me like an earthquake, “or the next time you see him he will be missing a jugular.”
I stormed out.
Amelia was mine.
As soon as I was out in the hallway I wanted to go back. Partly to tear that human boy to shreds for touching her, partly to just be near her. When I closed my eyes her face still haunted me. Like a siren, those perfect pink cupids-bow lips beckoned to me. The allure of her scent still groped around inside my head like strangling vines, crushing out rational thought.
Ellis and Ivan dutifully filed out behind me and we hurried down the hall.
Fated. . . Had my father known-- even back then? Had he seen the signs? Would he have even known what to look for?
That scent though, gods. How the hell was I supposed to focus on fighting magic and dragons with that kind of distraction floating around the arena?
Other than being powerful shifters, there was one other feature that we shared with Dragons. The soulmate bond, fated, mate. . . call it what you will, but it was impervious, unbreakable. It meant we were destined for one another, that our souls were two halves of one and that we belonged together.
Fating happened so rarely that not much was known about how it worked. Due to our dwindling female numbers, it wasn’t even on the radar of things that were possible anymore. I didn’t even know that we could be fated to another outside of our own. Maybe that was the reason it barely ever happened, because we didn’t often mingle with the humans. Even while on patrols we kept our distance from them.
I couldn’t let this get out. The other kingdoms could use it against me. No, they would use it against me. The pack would know, of course. They would sense the change in me physiologically.
Speaking of the pack, they would need to start showing respect when it came to her. No more inappropriate comments. No more gestures. They needed to show her the reverence of a queen, because that is what she would be. Their queen. The future queen of Carpathia, because she was mine.
As we barreled down the hall, I unsnapped my cape from my shoulder. Without stopping, I tossed off my jacket and sword belt allowing them to fall to the stone floor. I needed to clear my head.
“Alone,” I barked and my emissaries fell behind. I raced out of the tunnel at breakneck speed and gave into the urge to turn before rage consumed me.
I needed to let the wolf run.
Cora
Holy crow, that had gone badly. Not that it hadn’t been expected, but for a few short moments there I thought he might actually be willing to let her go.
And he had threatened to end Adam. That had been surprising. I had hoped that he might see reason. I mean, who would want to marry someone who obviously did not want to marry them? Maybe he had already come to grips with the reality of the situation. There was no way their parents would have ever agreed to let them break the treaty.
Amelia nearly leapt from her seat when he had shot down her request. Now, she was standing there with her fists clenched, shaking like a volcano about to explode.
“Adam, you need to leave,” I ordered. “Take the interior stairs back to your turret in case he comes back through.”
To my surprise, Adam nodded and obeyed without a fight. Even though I outranked him, he had usually used Amelia’s title to ignore me. I guess having your girlfriend’s big bad fiancé threaten to tear your throat out would do that to a guy. He quickly fled up the stairs like a dog with his tail between his legs.
“Erghhh. . .“ Amelia let out a scream as she ventured to the sofa and tossed a pillow across the room. She sank down onto the fluffy cushions, thrusting her head into her palms and cursing the princes’ name in a stream of expletives that almost made even me blush. . . almost.
“How did he know?” Her head flung up to look at me, red faced and streaming with tears.
“I have no idea,” I said as I sank down next to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
I hated to see her like this. It was no time for I-told-you-so, there was never going to be a time for I-told-you-so, but I couldn’t say I hadn’t seen this coming. Instead, I hugged her tight while she sobbed.
In a way, it was a relief it was over. All of the sneaking around was getting out of hand. I didn’t know what she had expected, but I was fairly certain it had felt like she had been backhanded by the inevitable.
Prince Dane was definitely an arrogant jerk, but, on the bright side, at least he was hot. Maybe once everything calmed down he would prove to be a decent guy. Then again, he was a prince, so. . . probably not.
“I’m not giving up,” Amelia declared suddenly, snapping her head up from her hands. “So help me, I will force him to hate me so much that he will beg me to end it.”
I sighed. Well, this didn’t sound like it would bode well for anyone. I could only hope that she might be more reasonable in the morning.
*****
As we trudged into the cafeteria on the first official day of classes, Amelia was determined as ever to end her engagement.
Normally, the Carpathians sparred in the mornings, but unfortunately not this morning.
I saw the wolf from across the room. Well, not the literal wolf, but the prince. Thank goodness that we hadn’t seen the wolf last night. If he had changed, Adam would be dead and Avonlee would be on the verge of war. Who knows what else would have gone down, but I probably would have died fighting.
Yes, thank the gods above he hadn’t shifted and for that, I have to say, I was pretty impressed by his self-control.
The prince had attempted to send Amelia correspondence last night, which had only made her more agitated. She didn’t bother to read them, which resulted in a small pack of paper wolves marching around the balcony after her until she eventually asked me to spell them back to him unopened.
Across the cafeteria, the roar of laughter drew our attention to Dane’s table. Two Carpathians had each other in headlocks and were wrestling one another to the floor. The prince and his entourage were shouting taunts and laughing at the pair scuffling on the floor. Apparently, the big bad wolf was in a much better mood this morning.
I glanced over at Amelia and, from the way her lip twitched and the death glare she was aiming his way, it seemed that she had noticed too.
Amelia
I sighed and I twirled the quill in my fingers at my desk. Seeing Prince Dane and his friends laughing this morning, seemingly without a care in the world, had made a mockery of my situation.
I despised them all.
At the front of the classroom Professor Sophus trilled on about the history of goblin siege, but I wasn’t listening. I shifted in my seat to get a better view of the table that was the closest to the door. From my new position I could see him clearly in my peripheral. Adam was staring at the professor like his monotone ramblings were the most interesting thing in the world. He had been avoiding me since last night.
I chewed my lip as I returned my focus back to my paper. Within moments the bell rang and the professor was dismissing the class for the next period. Adam shot to his feet quicker than I did and was rounding the doorway into the hall before I was even out of my chair.
I hurried past the other students still gathering their things and ste
pped into the hallway to catch up to him. I spotted the outline of a boy about Adam’s size up ahead turning the bend of the far hall.
I quickened my pace after him, weaving through students and teachers that had started spilling out into the corridor. As I turned around the corner I nearly slammed into the prince.
As if expecting me he looped his arm around my shoulders and directed me down a side hallway. Turning my head as he ushered me away, I caught a fleeting glance of Adam retreating through a crowd of other students and into his next class.
Anger boiled inside of me as I glared at Dane. How dare he have the nerve to do this? I considered trying to escape, but the prince’s iron grip was so restrictive there was no use trying to get away. I wouldn’t have been able to without making a scene and I was still hoping we could handle this quietly.
He maneuvered us into an alcove while his friends lingered behind in the secondary hall.
In some ways this kind of secret meeting reminded me of stealing away with Adam, but it wasn’t even close to as enjoyable with the beast that stood before me.
“What are you doing?” I hissed, breaking free of his grasp once we were out of sight.
“We need to talk and you’ve ignored my correspondence.” He grabbed my wrist as I tried to slip away.
“Well, I’m not interested in having anything to do with you.” I wrenched to free my wrist and he let me go.
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, princess,” his arrogance thrummed with an aggressive energy that was entirely as natural to him as breathing.
“Not as far as I’m concerned,” I sneered.
“Have you ended it with the loser yet?” His eyes narrowed as he closed in, towering over me. His crisp winter scent washed over me as he drew nearer and my lips parted as I inhaled sharply.
“It’s none of your business.” I put my hand up to create space between us, but when my palm met the immovable stony plane beneath his shirt, I knew it was pointless.
His eyes flickered momentarily to my hand before snapping back up to my face when I pulled it away.
“As your fiancé, it is entirely my business.” He raised his brow, lips pressed into a hard line.
“No,” I said, crossing my arms and lifting my chin, anger searing through me.
“No, you haven’t ended it?” His body remained like a statue, rigid with tense coiled muscle. His deep gravelly tone was a warning.
“No, it’s not your business and, no, I have no intention of complying with anything that you demand of me,” I shot back defiantly.
His lip curled in a sneer.
“Why are you so hell bent on defying a royal decree? Is it the loser? Is that what’s got you so determined to start a war?” His tongue slid over his upper teeth and his narrowed honey eyes fervently searched mine for answers I’d never allow them to share. His fists balled before he jabbed a finger at me. “You’re disrespecting your people.”
“No, you’re disrespecting the people of Avonlee by refusing to end this sham of an engagement,” I scoffed.
“Well, you’re disrespecting the honor and memory of every Carpathian soldier who ever gave their lives protecting our accord by acting like a spoiled brat.” His expression was rigid with scornful disgust.
How dare he! My temper spiked.
“I detest you,” I began. “The idea of being anywhere near you for the rest of my life is revolting. I’d rather be devoured by the undead than marry you.” I kept my voice low, loathing dripping from my every word. “And, for the record, Adam is not a loser and threatening my emissaries is a declaration of war.”
“You shacking up with one of your emissaries is also a declaration of war.” He gave a callous half-shrug.
I wanted to smack him, but I’d only end up hurting my own hand. The nerve of this creep.
“I’m not interested in tainted goods,” he continued. “Perhaps I should speak with your father and demand the hand of one of your sisters, instead.”
“Excuse me? I haven’t shacked up with anyone. How dare you suggest I’d be such a trollop. I find your accusation offensive,” I snapped back in vehement defense of my honor.
A sly smile crept over his all too perfect face. Apparently, I had just told him exactly what he had wanted to hear. He goaded me right into divulging what he wanted. I can’t believe I had played into that so easily.
“I hate you,” I seethed. My cheeks flushed red with anger.
His lip quirked up as his eyes flicked over me to the throng of students in the hall beyond us. His composure remained cavalier and focused over my shoulder when he arrogantly shifted past, patted my head and smirked.
“So naive.”
Kessara
I sauntered through the sea of students with my shoulders back and hips swaying. It always delighted me to leave a trail of turned heads in my wake. I was the predator, they were the prey, and they knew it. Like a mountain lion amongst a herd of deer, they hung together so as not to be singled out for the kill. Safety in the distraction of numbers. Lucky for them, I was merely passing through. . . for now.
The females glowered at me, green with envy and self-doubt, but I didn’t mind the glares. It just proved that I held power over them without even lifting a finger of my magic. There was something satisfying about the way they parted before me. Lusting or hating, I was a force that couldn’t be ignored.
A group of girls narrowed their eyes as I approached. I gave one a playful little wave before I pressed open the door and stepped outside, allowing it to slam shut behind me.
They were all just tools to me, and I was going to make them all suffer. Suffer for treating the House of Night like second class, suffer for the disrespect their kings and queens had shown my father.
The Kingdom of the Night could destroy all of them on a whim, but we didn’t, and for that, they should be thankful and bow down to us.
My father should have been the king over the capitol of Laramidia at the end of the five-hundred-year war, but they had named Eustis instead. That old fool. He was far too lenient to lead the realm to its true potential. He was too old to see the danger that was growing in the north. My father had tried to warn them, and yet they all accused him of meddling to start trouble, trying to incite fear and another needless war.
They hated us and pretended to tolerate us only because they feared his power. Well, I was about to show them what real power looked like, what fear and pain looked like. A little game of betrayed secrets and broken hearts was about to take place in this perfect little palace of theirs. I would make them pay for the disrespect their families had shown us. They would all suffer, and I would savor every minute of it.
I continued down the path to my tower, carelessly toppling benches and withering flowers at will with little bursts of my magic.
Call it pent-up energy, if you will, but I felt somewhat satiated in the immediate gratification of destruction.
I eyed the Bastion walls and curled my lip. The classes here were a farce. I already knew the details, and far more, about the goings-on in our kingdom than these professors ever would.
A little voice whispered in my head.
Play nice, Kessara. Make the minions like you, Kessara. . .
Ugh.
At last, I had arrived at my tower. I hadn’t bothered to move in after the soiree. Having a kingdom on the outskirts of Laramidia had its benefits. My eyes adjusted to the darkness as I stepped inside. It looked just as my father had described, and I could feel his powerful enchantments buzzing all around me. He had spelled countless precautions in place to facilitate my work and all sorts of devious deeds. My father trusted me explicitly, so there was no need for even a chaperone. That also meant that there was no one to interfere with our plans.
I poured myself a beverage before my feet ascended the spiraling iron staircase. Upon entering my lavish quarters, I was surprised to find a note waiting for me from the kingdom of Avonlee.
I flicked it open with my magic. It was an invitation fro
m Lady Coranithe offering to practice magic in the Dome at my convenience, if I should so desire. Interesting. It would have been better if it had been from the princess herself, but I had to start somewhere.
I wasn’t much interested in learning from my counterparts in the kingdom. My power was advanced well beyond their wildest dreams. Magic had been instilled in me since birth and, thanks to my mother, my magic was unique.
I considered the note. It was important that I play nice and get friendships flowing. I needed to set up a reputation of being the wicked sorcerer’s poor, misunderstood daughter so that I could really get things going. With another quick wave of my hand, my reply flew out between the shutters to the balcony.
My attention was quickly drawn to the scrying mirror that hung over the marble vanity. As I approached it, a wave of mist tumbled toward me through it, like a fast-moving dust storm of varying shades of green and gray. My father was calling. I waved my hand ,and his face appeared in the mist. His thick dark hair, light skin, goatee, and mustache were so clear that it was as if I were looking through a window.
“My darling.” His dark eyes beamed with pride.
“Father.” I smiled back.
“Enjoying your new abode?” He raised a black, bushy eyebrow as he grinned.
“Yes, much more than the others, I’m sure,” I nodded as I sat upon the chaise across from the mirror.
“How was your first day? Making friends are we?” His eyes were cunning as he stroked his goatee with his long, nimble fingers.
“They all underestimate me, but soon some will believe that I am one of them and others will fear me. Whichever best suits our needs.” I waved my hand in the air as I twirled my chalice in the other.