by Aria Winter
“Nyx.” Kai chuckles beside me. His blue eyes dance with barely restrained amusement as he playfully punches at my arm. “Yes he is, and it seems that you”—he arches a brow at her—“are the one and only person capable of rendering him speechless.”
Growling, I snap my head toward Kai and narrow my eyes. That insufferable blue jay. He enjoys watching me flounder like this.
A small snicker off to the side catches my attention, and I notice Devon. His green cat eyes watching me with a sly smirk on his lips.
I clench my jaw in frustration at my inability to compose myself around a beautiful female, I turn again to her and bow low. “Forgive my manners. It’s just that I’ve never seen someone as lovely as you before.”
Her soft, pink lips part beneath my gaze and curve up into a stunning smile. She blushes and lowers her eyes. “Thank you.”
I grin, glad to have given her a compliment that made her happy. It is true. She is the most beautiful female I’ve ever beheld. And I am glad I told her, even if nothing can ever come of it. In truth, she has already ruined me for all others. I will never want anyone else now that I have met her. I shall die celibate. For who could ever appeal to me now?
I will be her faithful guard for the remainder of my days. And when I die, it will be with her name upon my lips.
Kai arches a brow at me, and I give him an icy glare. “What?”
“Ella just asked you another question.” His voice fails to hide his mirth.
I’m known for getting lost in my head from time to time, and it seems being so enraptured with her has caused me to do it again. “Forgive me.” I stare deep into her lovely blue eyes. “What did you ask of me?”
“I asked how to spell your name.”
My brows go up in surprise, but I spell it for her anyway. “Why did you wish to know this?”
She looks at me as if my question is absurd. “Because if you are one of my guards, I should know how to spell your name, shouldn’t I? It’s important to me to get it right.”
My heart stops again. Ella is as thoughtful and caring as she is lovely; I am a lost male indeed.
As my gaze travels over the room, it seems that I am not the only one who is lost here either. Each of my brothers gaze at her longingly. After she has been married off to the prince, I suspect each of us will die old and alone. For who could ever find a mate to compare with this perfect creature before us?
My thoughts return to my nightmares of the Wolf Queen murdering her. As I look to Ella, I know for a fact that each and every one of us would die before we’d allow any harm to come to her. I care not if the Wolf Queen made herself the ruler of our kingdom. If she dares try to harm Ella, we will make certain she pays with her life.
Chapter 8
Devon
It is easy to see that Ella still has many questions for us, but she is exhausted. She makes us promise not to leave while she sleeps. As if we would ever even do such a thing. But then my heart clenches when she thanks us with tears in her eyes simply for being here.
She has only just met us, and already, she treats us as if we are treasured. In truth, we are the ones who should be treating her this way. Fate was generous indeed when it chose us to guard her.
Already, I can sense the tightening of the bonds between us now that we have found her. If it is already this powerful, I cannot imagine how much stronger it will be once she seals us to her. I can think of nothing I would rather do with my life than ensure she is always safe.
Well... actually, I can think of one other thing. I would love to take Ella as my mate. But that goes entirely against our mission. Besides, why would she want any of us when she will marry the prince?
More specifically, why would she ever want me? I am a cat shifter. Our kind is usually not wanted. Many females fear us because of how we mark our mates. The ones who are brave enough to be with us suffer the mark’s pain during the first mating.
But it does not matter because Ella will be queen once she marries the prince. She is not destined to be with any of us. It will have to be enough to know that a wonderful life will be hers after we help her catch his eye at the ball.
I have never laid eyes upon the male, but already I both hate and envy him. He is the most blessed of all males to be destined for her. Of this, I am certain.
As she lies nestled between Cash and Finn, Kai and Nyx each sleep at the top and the foot of the bed, respectively, leaving nowhere for me, of course.
I am always the odd one out. I do not think they do this on purpose; it is merely the way of things.
So, I lie down just inside the door to guard against any unwanted visitors. Ella assured us that her family never comes up here, but I will be waiting if they do. And I promise to make them pay for every mark and lash upon her back. I can hardly wait for morning to come. With it will come the justice my Ella rightfully deserves. My vow.
The first of the sun’s rays peeking over the horizon brings the sound of a carriage. It seems Ella’s family has only just returned from wherever they were last night. I get to my feet, ready to descend the stairs, when something nudges at my consciousness.
I turn, thinking it is one of my bond brothers but am surprised when I see Ella staring straight at me.
“Where are you going?” her soft voice asks across the bond.
I am her guard, which means I should hold nothing back from she whom I serve and protect. I meet her blue eyes evenly. “I am going to make your stepfamily pay for all the wrongs they’ve done to you.”
She shakes her head. “No,” she speaks aloud, startling my bond brothers sleeping around her. “Don’t hurt them.”
“Why not?” I ask, unable to hide the confusion in my voice. “They have hurt you many times.”
She sits up, wincing as she does. “Because to do so would make us as horrible as them. And that’s not what I want. That’s not who I am.”
I stand taller, lifting my head. “No, you are not. But that is why you have me. Why you have all of us.” I allow my gaze to travel over my brothers. “We are here to do what you cannot, to protect you.”
Kai gives me a confused look and opens his mouth to speak but stops when she stands. “I said ‘no,’” she hisses. “I will not allow you to do to them what they’ve done to me. I wouldn’t wish this even on my worst enemy.”
My hands curl into fists at my side as I think about the marks across her back. They are many, and they are deep. The several scars that crisscross her delicate flesh tell me her stepmother has beaten her many times before. Murderous thoughts fill my mind as I think about the one who did this to her. I want to end her stepmother for daring to even touch her.
But I cannot disobey the order of the one I vowed to serve and protect. “Fine,” I grit through my teeth. “They will remain untouched as you have asked.”
Anger burns through me. Ella’s heart is too tender for this world. It is a weakness to allow an enemy to live. I spin toward the door to start for the stairs.
Kai’s voice calls out to me through the bond. “Where are you going?”
“To procure a dress,” I snap, turning back to face him.
His blue eyes widen at my sharp tone. He may be a blue jay and I am a cat, but he is a fierce warrior and commands respect from all who know him.
Thinking better of showing my irritation to our leader, I dip my chin in a subtle bow. “I will not disobey her word, if that is what you are worried about.”
He is silent for so long it worries me that I may have gone too far. But after a moment, he replies. “Be careful, brother.”
I concentrate on shifting my form so that I appear to be wearing clothing. A fine suit of blue with white trim to give me the appearance of a wealthy gentleman. With my eyes downcast, no one should notice anything strange.
This is the only thing that troubles me about being a cat shifter in the human world. No matter my form, my eyes stay the same. Green eyes with vertically slit pupils that betray what I am to any who see them. However, it matt
ers not, for I know exactly where I am going, and the person I plan to meet with will understand what I am and not question me.
The market is bustling with activity. I have never seen it so busy before. Not that I come to the human world very often. But when I have in the past, it has never been this much of a hive of activity.
Everywhere I turn, it is difficult not to bump into people. As I make my way through the crowds, I soon realize why. Everyone is talking about the royal ball. As a result, the dressmaker’s shop is much busier than I expected. Several women are lined up outside the door, waiting their turn to get in.
I know it would only be proper to wait my turn, but I am impatient, and Ella is the Chosen One. She is the reason for this ball in the first place. The rest of these women do not realize they are wasting their time entertaining thoughts of catching the prince’s eye. Once he sees Ella, all others will pale before her beauty, and he will be just as lost as I am.
I sigh as I consider this. It is our mission to ensure they end up together, but deep down, it feels wrong. What if he is not the male that she wants? What if we push them together and she ends up miserable?
After all, the prince is royalty, and from what I’ve observed of the Wolf Queen and her pack, they are not always the most considerate of people because they are so used to having their way.
The moment I walk into the store, the owner lifts her head and stares directly at me. “Sir!” she calls out. “I have your order ready in the back. If you would, please follow me.”
I drop my chin in acknowledgment and follow her through a small door to the back of her building.
As soon as we’re alone, she spins to face me with a thunderous expression. “Why are you here?” she practically hisses. “You know it is dangerous.”
Unfazed by her anger, I arch a condescending brow. “Is it not dangerous for you to own and run a shop in the human world, being what you are?” I gesture to her form.
Although she appears human to everyone else, a shifter could recognize Rina for what she is a mile away. The vibrant blues and golds of her dress are a clever concealment for her lovely tailfeathers. Their beautiful plumage is quite a sight when they are on full display. I should know. She tried to tempt me once, this peacock shifter.
It was during her heat cycle. Impossible as it may seem, she had her eye on me as her mate in her desperation to sate her need. But I put that notion to rest by gently refusing her with the explanation that I’d been assigned to guard the Chosen One. My life will never fully be my own.
In truth, I did not feel any pull toward her, and I’m confident we would have made a poor match. Especially once her heat cycle ended and she fully returned to herself. She said as much when she thanked me later for not taking advantage of her in that state.
A young boy walks in and takes her hand. He smiles up at me, and I note the soft downy feathers concealed beneath his façade. It seems she found a mate after all, and I am glad for her.
At least she gets her happy ending, whereas I am to forever follow Ella, knowing she can never be mine.
I drop to one knee before the child. “How do you do, young man?”
His mouth curves up in a grin. “Are you like us?” he asks excitedly. His eyes fill with a wonder that I am not used to getting as a cat. Usually, my kind are viewed with slight fear or disgust. It must not be very often that he gets to interact with others of our kind outside of his family.
“Yes.”
His smile grows even brighter. “Do you live here too?”
“No, I’m just visiting.”
He sticks out his hand for me to shake it. When I do, he grins. “Nice to meet you.”
I smile back at him and ruffle his hair. “You too, young man.”
He grins again and then skips away back to the front of the store.
I know why Rina and her husband live here. This is the only place they can make a fair living for their child. After all, what use do shifters have for clothing when we can manifest it on ourselves if we desire?
This is why most shifters who risk living in the human world do so. Because the trade passed down for generations by their family left them no choice. Rina’s great grandfather used to clothe the human royal family back during that time. I wonder if she still provides their clothing for them as well.
“What do you need?” she asks.
“A dress. Something to catch the eye of the prince.”
Her eyes widen. “Is it for her?” she asks, and I understand she means Ella—the Chosen One.
I nod, not wanting to speak her name aloud. Who knows what eyes and ears are spying on us, searching for information about our Chosen One. She was already attacked by one wolf shifter; the deceased shifter’s pack will be searching for him soon enough, if not already.
“Of course.” She claps her hands together excitedly. “I would be honored to create one for her.” Her gaze scans the room, searching the various bolts of fabric as if trying to decide which to choose. She looks back up at me. “Describe her, and I shall make a dress to highlight her attributes.”
I lift a thoughtful gaze to the ceiling as I picture Ella. “Long golden hair that is fine like silk. Smooth, pale skin. A slight and delicate frame. Luminous, ocean-blue eyes. Lovely and delicate brows, nose, and cheekbones that give her a fragile appearance, but it belies the strength of steel underneath,” I add, thinking of the marks across her back. “Charming and elegant, she—” I stop abruptly, realizing I’ve gone into far too much detail.
When I look back down at Rina, her lips tip up in a smirk. “It seems you have lost yourself, haven’t you, Devon?” She asks with a teasing glint in her eye. “Your head has been turned by a human.”
I purse my lips. It is forbidden for a shifter to take a human mate. This rule was in place long before the great war and the divide that followed between our two peoples.
There has been so much bloodshed between us throughout our history. Humans used to hunt and kill our kind, and any they deemed different, including witches—humans possessing the gift of magic.
It was believed that only shifters possessed magical abilities, and so any humans found to have this power were thought to be in league with us and murdered by their own kind for witchcraft.
What the humans did not realize is that my kind killed witches as well because they were seen as an abomination. Many shifters believe humans should not possess any magical powers.
That is yet another reason why I fear so much for Ella. The prophecy states that the Chosen One has powers of some sort—the ability to heal the land. The Elders do not understand exactly what form of power this is, however. They only know what the ancient texts have said. And Ella’s ability to communicate with us through mind speech could be deemed witchcraft by the humans as well.
I clench my jaw as frustration burns through me. She will have enemies on both sides. I only pray that we are strong enough to protect her and that the prince accepts her without question. Surely such a powerful person, with the whole of his kingdom behind him, could help keep her safe as well.
Rina flips her hair behind her shoulder and flashes a mischievous grin at me, pulling me back from my troubled thoughts. “At least it is not just any human you are smitten with. It is the Chosen One, so I suppose there’s that.”
I narrow my eyes. “You know it is forbidden to mate a human. Besides... as the Chosen One, she is to marry the prince.”
“Oh, stop. You know I am only teasing you.” Her expression turns serious. “How do you plan to pay for this dress?”
Closing my eyes, I concentrate, allowing the magic to flow through me. I think about which of my possessions I wish to retrieve before opening my hand. I feel it materialize a moment later. A perfect, green gemstone about half the size of my palm. All shifters carry their items this way. It is necessary to learn this magic at a young age so that we are always free to shift without worrying about any items we may wish to carry.
Rina’s mouth drops as her eyes widen in sho
ck. “You are too generous.” She tips her head in thanks. “I will make the finest dress to turn the head of the prince.”
“Thank you,” I reply, hoping that she makes Ella the most beautiful dress in all the kingdom. That gemstone was my most valuable possession. I hate that I must use it to dress Ella to attract the eye of another male. Would that I could have given this gem to her instead as a courting gift. To ask her to be mine.
“It will be ready tomorrow,” Rina says, pulling me back from my errant thoughts.
I turn and wave as I leave the building. With a heavy sigh, I head back to the estate. Rina is right. Although I only just met her, I am lost indeed when it comes to Ella.
Chapter 9
Ella
Devon leaves, and I hate that he’s angry. It bothers me to know he is upset with my decision, but I will not change my mind. I refuse to be cruel to anyone, even if they’ve been awful to me. That’s not who I am, nor is it who I wish to be.
It’s strange how he is human, appearing like the rest. He’s tall, with broad shoulders, short-cropped black hair, and a masculine square jaw that could cut glass. And just like his bond brothers, his entire body is chiseled muscular perfection. But his eyes are different. Even in his human form, they remain green vertically slit pupils. I think again of how he stared at me in disbelief when I asked him not to hurt my stepmother.
I look to Kai. “Where did he go?”
His sparkling blue eyes meet mine. “To find you a dress.” He tips his head to the side as he studies me. “You did need one, did you not?”
“Oh.” And now I feel even worse about our parting. He was leaving to do something nice for me. I hate that I practically snapped at him over him wanting to punish my stepmother. “Yes, I did.”
“Do not worry, Ella,” Kai adds. “Devon is... Devon.”
My brow furrows as my gaze rakes over Kai’s form. He gives me a bright smile as he leans on the door. His short, golden hair reflects brightly in the light. His tall, lean, muscular form is gorgeous—like something carved from stone and too perfect to be real.