by Leia Stone
Kade stepped up to my side then, from where he’d been propped against a wall. “I have a plan,” he said. Nix was perched on his shoulder looking down at Finn. Our familiars were probably having a silent conversation.
“Arianna, Nikoli, and I will head east. The treeling said that was the quickest way to the dark fae lands from where the mecca stone would place us. Monica, Blaine, and Victor follow soon after, head a few clicks west of our trail, but start curving around to meet up with us eventually. It will look like two small traveling or hunting parties, but if things go wrong we can assemble quickly as a group. Jen and Calista can stay behind, taking two of the spare seats on my council, handling any affairs you think would be in the queen’s best interest.”
In that moment, the fae could have burst into the room and slaughtered us all. We were that stunned. It was one thing to try to form a mate bond with a wolf shifter, but Kade had just offered two of my wolves a seat on his council. Even if it was just temporary, it was still completely unprecedented.
Jen stood taller, her eyes wide, face lit up. I think she liked that plan very much. Calista would be absolutely ecstatic when she heard this news. She was currently off doing some sort of conference call with the alphas in the borough, keeping updated with the changes from Selene. I couldn’t wait to tell her; this was a huge opportunity for her, one she deserved. The Red Queen’s council hadn’t changed in over a hundred years, so she had known she’d never have a shot there, despite her qualifications.
Outside of the council seats, I could see everyone else was more than okay with Kade’s plan. I was the only one not happy with all my people coming to the Otherworld, but I would tentatively admit Kade might be right. My plan to go alone would put me at a greater risk. Bringing a magic born along was definitely a huge help. Teamed with Kade and me, we might have a shot at defending ourselves against a small party of fae attackers.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Blaine said. Monica and Victor agreed as well.
“Well, I guess it’s decided. We all go together.”
Unease rolled in my gut. This was the best plan, but it still wasn’t a great one. There were no great plans when it came to traveling to the Otherworld and taking on the Winter Court. I made a silent promise to myself: if one more friend or loved one died at the hands of the fae, I was going nuclear and taking out as many of those pointy-eared bastards as I could.
Kade interrupted my murderous thoughts: “Time is of haste. Prepare your traveling packs. Make them lightweight and practical. Nikoli will give you each a healing tincture that may help against any fae magic or peculiar encounters.”
Peculiar encounters. I didn’t even want to know what that meant, but the ercho came to mind.
“Wear plain clothes, nothing branded or overly fashionable. We want to blend in,” I added. No doubt we’d be attacked on sight if we strolled around the Otherworld in our designer Earth gear.
Blaine and Victor nodded and then they were gone. Monica and Jen said their goodbyes as well, until I was standing before Kade. His deep copper eyes were soft. He ditched his king mode now that we were alone, back to being my mate. Mate. That word held so much meaning in the shifter world. Even without a ceremony or rings we were mates, no one could deny that.
“You realize we could all die right?” I said, wishing that no one had to risk their life but me.
He stepped closer and brushed his fingers along my lower back, sending chills up my spine. “In bear culture, we take honorable deaths very seriously. What better and more glorious way to die than trying to save a beloved friend?”
I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. “Would you stop being so perfect.”
He chuckled, rumbling deep in my ear. “It comes so naturally to me though.”
Hah! I smacked his arm and was about to lean in and kiss him when Calista burst into the room.
She was dancing on the balls of her feet, clutching her tablet.
“What’s up?” I asked, stepping back a few feet from Kade to bring the PDA down a notch.
She thrust the tablet in my face. “Operation reinstate Arianna’s crown is in full effect!”
“Operation what?” I laughed, before sobering enough to read the long text before me. Kade and I were both careful not to touch the device. Even so, we were close enough that I could feel the static electricity. Stepping back a little, I read.
My dear beloved wolves,
As you may have heard, Selene and the council stripped me of my crown just after the battle on the Island, the same battle where we fought alongside the bears and defeated the fae who dared to come into our world and try and take our power – the battle where I used so much mecca to kill the fae that it nearly took my own life. I would have died if it weren’t for King Kade.
Yes, the rumors about the king and I are true. I have known him since I was fifteen, and as much as I tried I could not deny my heart, as I would never expect you to. If you believe loving a bear makes me unfit to rule, then by all means I will go in peace and allow Selene to be your leader. But if you saw what I saw on that hill, bears and wolves fighting and dying together to defeat our common enemy, and a king that loved a queen so much he put his own life on the line to save her, then I insist you speak up and stand with me.
Selene does not see the fae as a real threat. She thinks she can beat them on her own, but I know we need to band with the bears in order for our races to survive. I am sworn to retrieve my trusted friend and advisor, Violet, from the fae lands, and when I return, if it is your wish, I will rule again. And I will take the life of every dark fae that threatens us.
Forever yours,
Queen Arianna.
“You wrote this?”
I wasn’t surprised that she had chosen almost the exact same words I would have used; she knew me better than anyone else. But I was blown away by the heart in this letter. She really was okay with Kade and me, with bears and wolves working together.
Calista grinned. “I did and … please don’t hate me – I know I should have checked with you – but I couldn’t wait to send it out to the entirety of the wolf shifters on my email list.” She had hundreds of thousands of shifters in her contact list. Selene was a true idiot for not locking Calista out of everything.
“I’m not mad, Cal. I know I need to fight for my crown, but right now my focus is Violet. Thank you for stepping in and filling the gap. So what was the response?” My question came out tentatively. I would fight no matter what, but it would be easier if I wasn’t battling everyone.
“The responses are pouring in, and the majority are with you, Ari.”
Her answer nearly knocked me over, as a couple of tears spilled down my face. Kade placed his hand on my lower back, his other gripping my hand. My people had not yet given up on me, and that filled me with more drive and motivation than ever before.
I cleared my throat so I could speak. “Let’s get Violet back and then take Selene and the council down.”
Bears and wolves would rule the boroughs together, if it was the last thing I achieved.
Chapter Fifteen
There’s no business like fae business.
We spent the next several hours going over our plan and triple-checking everyone’s packs to make sure all the important stuff was in there, including the map I’d had drawn up based on the treeling’s directions, and enough dried meat and fruits to last two weeks. Now it was almost 9 P.M and we were on our way to the bench that Trixie had spoken of.
We must have looked like quite the group, dressed in dark colors, lots of leather and natural fibers, all of us wearing backpacks. We had briefly debated leaving Finn and Nix behind, but neither of them would agree, and even if we insisted I knew they’d follow us somehow. So they were coming. We were stronger with our familiars, and I was glad to have Finn with me.
As Kade’s driver pulled up to the bench, we all got out and I noticed two people sitting on the bench already, a man and woman. When we opened the door, they froze.
> “K-King Kade,” the man stammered, jumping to his feet. He was dressed in nice slacks and a button-down shirt.
“What are you doing here?” The woman was standing behind him, running her hands along her dress and looking nervously down at the golden disc at her feet.
As I stepped closer I could feel the pulsing mecca coming from the disc. We were at the right place.
Kade was angry. I could feel it simmering in his energy, but we had more important things to worry about. He’d have to deal with his people’s tendency to borough hop at a later stage.
“I’m going to the same place you are, to Baladar’s club,” he said shortly. Nix landed then, in all her glory, on his shoulder.
The man and woman were frozen with fear, staring at Nix as if waiting for her to peck their eyes out.
“Ummm…” The man didn’t know what to say.
Kade waved him off. “Come on, show us how it’s done and I will allow you one more night of partying before I shut this down.”
The couple seemed unsure, like this might be a trick, but after cowering under the steely gaze of their king for about twenty seconds, they caved.
Both of them sat down again and placed their feet precisely on the disc. They started to breathe slowly in through their nose and out through their mouth. “It’s just like vortex,” the man said between breaths. “Only not as strong, so most shifters can use it. We just have to wait until after 9 P.M for it to work.” He glanced down at his watch and smiled. “It’s time. Oh and this is a direct link, you don’t have to tell it where to go. Just picture traveling along it.” Then, in a surge of mecca, they were gone.
“This is a very public place to have a vortex.” I turned around and noticed there were a few people in the park. Weirdly enough, no one seemed to be looking in this direction. If anything, their eyes skimmed over the spot like it wasn’t even here, like there weren’t half a dozen shifters standing around a golden disc.
Kade followed my line of sight. “I think it’s spelled. The energy is off and it smells strange,” he said.
Nikoli stepped forward and bent down, looking around the bench. “Yep, it is. The humans see nothing here but an old dirty park bench. Not the sort anyone would want to sit upon.”
Interesting. Just how the hell did Baladar set this up, and how many more did he have?
“Arianna…” Kade reached out for my hand and I took it, sitting with him on the bench. Nix remained on his shoulder,
Finn settled into my side, placing two paws on the disc.
The swirl of mecca beneath my feet was just like a vortex, but I could sense there was only one path. The rest of the magical crisscross of lines were not available. With a deep breath, I focused on the one path, Baladar’s brownstone in Manhattan, and we were sucked into the vortex.
Arianna, forgive me.
That voice echoed through my head. The mecca was still trying to tell me something.
Before I could concentrate or try to focus on it, I was spat out of the vortex and into a grassy park area, underneath a large tree with shimmering pink flowers. Music was blaring, lots of bodies moving to the heavy beat. Looking around, I recognized the landscape. We’d made it to Baladar’s. This was his club night.
“Key?” The voice to my right had my head swiveling. Two beefy bear shifters were paused on either side of us. There was security on this vortex entrance as well apparently.
Kade growled then, and both of them about cried when they realized it was their king. Their knees slammed against the grass as they bowed deeply. “We’re so sorry, Your Majesty. We did not realize you would be here tonight.”
One of them was stammering out the explanations, the other seemed to be struggling to breathe. Kade’s expression remained hard, and I could see that despite his generally easygoing nature, he could slip into king mode no problem.
“Find Baladar. Now.” His command was low, no yelling, but the two guards shot up like he’d stabbed them in the heart. They took off, disappearing into the mass of bears on the dance floor.
Within seconds they were back, a flash of purple between them. Baladar. He wore a regal looking, deep purple suit, with a felt top hat. Opening his arms wide, he greeted us with a smile.
“Your Majesties, what an honor! Calista told me to be expecting you.”
Kade’s bear let out another low growl, and I stepped in front of him, drawing the magic born’s attention. Yes, Baladar was kind of a rule-breaker, but he was also powerful and helpful, and seemed to really like me, so I wanted to keep him as an ally.
“Sir Baladar…” I nodded my head in greeting.
His face grew somber as he assessed my face. “I was so sorry to hear about the dethroning.”
I gave him a small smile. “Thank you. It’s temporary, I believe. Selene won’t be queen for long. Right now what I need help with is getting my best friend back. Violet was taken to the Otherworld.”
I heard a crackling noise. Behind me, the rest of our group was traveling in. Monica, Blaine, Victor, and Nikoli appeared, striding straight across to join us.
Baladar assessed the group, stopping on my huge familiar. “Yes, I heard she was taken. I fear you’re not prepared for the unique and dangerous things you will encounter in the fae lands.”
Why was he speaking ominously and staring at my familiar?
I tried to draw his attention back to me. “I’m not a queen or shifter, who would ever leave a friend behind. Violet is my best friend. The fae took what’s mine and I will be getting her back.”
“She’s been spending way too much time with the bear king,” I heard Monica whisper behind us, followed by a few chuckles. They weren’t wrong. I was getting all bear-possessive like him.
Baladar nodded. “Yes, Violet is a special soul. I hope you can get her back.”
Kade was still growling when he said, “We can and we will.”
Baladar looked from me to Kade and back, tilting his head slightly as he examined us. “I was wondering when you two would realize.”
And we were back to the riddles. “Realize what?”
Baladar grinned. “Come on, you haven’t recognized it yet?”
I fought the urge to punch him, my wolf rising up, prepared to strike. We had no time for this, we had to move out of here and get this journey started.
Before I could say anything, Kade stepped into him, his voice flat as he said: “Just tell us, Baladar. We have no time for your mysteriousness.”
Baladar leaned over, bringing his head closer to us as he lowered his voice: “You’re bonded mates. Like the original shifters. You can speak into each other’s minds, feel the other’s emotions, sense when the other is in danger, no matter how far away. Haven’t you felt it? I can see it.”
I understood his explanation, but I wasn’t sure I believed what he was saying. Modern wolves didn’t have bonded mates. It was like an old tale from the origin of shifters, and no one knew if it was actually true or just made up.
Turning to Kade, I reached out a hand, feeling for that spark of energy that was always between us. The closer I got, the stronger the pull. Had this changed since we’d made love? For the first time I tried to speak to him using the same path I did with Finn – a bonded mental connection. As my energy expended, I realized my heart was hammering. I both feared the truth, and hurt at the thought that it might not be possible.
Kade? I focused the question, not sure if Finn would hear too.
Kade’s arms went around me and he lifted me up into his body. How is this possible? His deep voice rumbled through my mind, and right then, as our thoughts mingled in our consciousnesses, our energy let out a deep gonging sound, like a bell had been struck. My body sank into his as mecca danced around the room. Both of us glowed purple, and some of the space inside, from where Selene had stolen my energy, was filled.
“I can feel you,” I said out loud, still not used to speaking with him in my mind. “Your energy, your strength.” My voice dropped to barely a whisper. “I can feel y
ou.”
Kade kissed me then, long and hard, the purple of our skin brightening. I could see it beneath my closed lids. Using our bond, he said to me: I can feel you too. Everything. Your kindness, your heart, your loyalty and love for all your people. Your love for me. I am not sure I’m worthy, but I will never take this for granted. You are my bonded mate. My true one.
My true one, I echoed back, losing myself in his embrace.
Eventually we had to stop kissing, but Kade kept me close to his side. He turned to Baladar, and I could feel the happiness and confusion within him. “It is true. We’re bonded mates. But how is this possible? I thought bonded mates were a fairy tale? No bears have ever bonded in such a way. There are stories, but no evidence of it.”
So it wasn’t just the wolves.
Baladar shook his head. “They were very common back in my day, when wolves and bears inter-mated. You see, the combination is only possible with the opposite race. It’s how things were meant to be. Yin and Yang. Balance. The reason bears have male heirs and wolves have females. The leaders have always been meant to be together.”
Holy shifter babies. We had intentionally separated the races, and by doing so kept everyone from meeting their bonded mate. It left an awful pit in my stomach. Not to mention … how freaking old was Baladar? Wolves and bears had not been together for hundreds of years, clearly since the time of the original shifters.
I could see that all of our people were affected by this revelation, by the knowledge which had been lost, knowledge which would have helped to strengthen our people. When did this all start, the division between us?
Nikoli cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but we must hurry if we’re to make the changing of the guard.”
Kade and I separated ourselves then, the purple mecca fading from our skin. Never separated now, love, he said, before a mental barrier fell between our minds. I could feel him there, but the thoughts weren’t actively flowing between us. He’d done that, separated our thoughts, and I was grateful. It was going to take me some time to figure out how to isolate Finn and Kade in my mind, and how to only project the thought I wanted each to know. It wouldn’t be long, though. All my years meditating and using the bonded connection to Finn had been good training.