by Arizona Tape
But now they sure came in handy.
Regan and I dusted ourselves off as we sprinted towards our attacker and sure enough, he was grumbling into the leaves with a rather smug JP sitting on top of him. How I loved that man.
“Why are you attacking us?” Regan’s deep voice boomed through the dark night as we looked at the rather shaggy guy in front of us.
Was this really the guy giving us a hard time? He was just a boy.
“T-Tell him,” JP added as he poked our attacker in the ribs, earning him a mean glare.
But with every prod and snarl, it quickly became clear that the man wasn’t about to talk. Regardless of his looks, he was easily one of the most composed attackers we had come across in a while.
“He isn’t going to talk,” I sighed, my hands placed on both their shoulders. “Let’s just tie him up so we can figure out what to do with him.”
JP nodded and twisted the arms of our assailant behind his back. With a double knot, I strapped his arms down and Regan threw him against a tree.
“What should we do with him?” I whispered, eyeing the boy who was still refusing to talk.
“W-We can’t kill him, c-can we?”
That was JP for you. During all my travels and all the people I had met, JP was still by far the kindest soul I had come across. He was shy and sometimes, a little awkward, but by far, his best and most outstanding quality, was his kindness. There wasn’t a bird too small or a person too damaged that didn’t deserve his sympathy.
I grinned. He had definitely rubbed off on me over the years we’d been together and I certainly didn’t mind. Everyone should take a page out of his book.
But as much as he was right, what else could we do. “But what if attacks us again? He almost got me...” I muttered, holding up a lock of hair that was noticeably shorter than the rest.
Regan nodded, glaring at him as well. “He’s skillful.”
“Could we just leave him behind?” I proposed, hesitantly looking at him.
“T-Tied up against this t-tree?”
“Isn’t that a bit cruel? What if nobody finds him?”
Regan nodded at him. “He’ll escape in a second.”
“So why tie him up?” I asked, not sure if we should risk him not escaping.
“T-This way he c-cant keep following us.”
Hesitantly, I looked at the young man again. “He looks like he’d find us easily... He found us here, didn’t he?”
“True...” Regan admitted.
“And we still don’t know who sent him or why he’s attacking us.”
“T-That is problematic... W-We could try and s-scare him a little?”
Regan cracked his knuckles and neck. “Sounds good.”
“S-So the usual s-spiel?” JP asked, making Regan grin. A flutter danced across my stomach as I watched my two men play nicely together. It had taken us a while to get to a point where they were both okay and comfortable with the situation. Most of the time, they pretended they weren’t very fond of each other. But secretly, I knew they had grown to care for one another deeply. They were an unlikely duo, which always played to their advantage.
And they knew just how to spin it right.
“I-I’m going to untie him,” JP stuttered, loud enough for the guy at the tree to hear. Confidently, he strode towards our attacker, a determined look in his eyes.
“Like hell you will,” Regan boomed, grabbing JP by his shoulder and yanking him back.
“Guys!” I shouted, running after them like usual, hiding a smile. It had been a while since we did this play, but it always worked. I stepped in between the two men and placed a hand on both their chests. Hmmm, if only we were doing something else now... No. Focus.
“W-We’re not killing him,” JP firmly protested, his voice only trembling at the end. He was so good.
“Get off of me,” Regan growled, shoving JP’s chest. Hard. Nobody would’ve guessed this wasn’t real.
Clumsily, JP stumbled back, trying to to regain his footing. I knew he could’ve easily found his feet, but he knew how to become this awkward figure.
Regan cracked his neck, his muscles rolling underneath his shirt. Gods, he was so hot. I could just jump him right now.
“Y-You can’t. Danny, say s-something,” JP protested, pulling me into the play.
Like the damsel in distress, I clung onto my mate’s shoulder and batted my eyelashes at him. I felt his body relax the moment I pressed myself into him, a reaction he couldn’t stop, no matter if we were pretending or not. He always let up for me.
“Sweetheart, please...” I begged, my voice hoarse and seductive.
Regan groaned loudly as he pushed me away, a frustrated look painted across his face that I knew was real. My sultry voice was one of the things he couldn’t resist. Ever.
He stomped over to the tree and yanked the guy up by his collar, the ropes we bound him with untangling. Good thing we did this play, it seemed like the assailant had already untied himself.
I watched the muscles in Regan’s back flex and I knew he had a cold hard look in his eyes. There was no way anyone could see through his bluff and guess that this was all a play. Regan was too convincing. He was so convincing that if I couldn’t feel his wolf calm and relaxed in his chest, I would have thought he was releasing some sort of pent-up frustrations. But no, he was just that good.
“Tell us why you’re here or die now,” he growled, slamming the young man hard against the tree.
He flinched, but he remained silent, refusing to meet Regan’s intimidating glare.
I pretended to reach for Regan so I could pull him away and found JP’s hand on my arm, pulling me back. Just like expected. I turned around and hid in his shirt, while he soothed me. The scent of honey filling my senses as I clung to my man.
“D-Don’t, he’s out of control,” JP whispered, just loud enough for our attacker to hear. That usually did the trick. When they thought that neither of us had a grip on the massive man, their tongue untied and they blabbed whatever information we needed.
But not this guy. He didn’t even peep.
“Say goodbye to the world,” Regan snarled, effortlessly pulling up the man by his collar.
Without blinking, our attacker let himself get dragged away, just staring at our group with dark eyes.
Was this a trick? Were we missing something? Why was this play not working?
“Wait...” I narrowed my eyes and approached the boy with his shaggy dark hair. I knew I was standing too close, but there was something intriguing about him. I tilted my head to the side and tried to catch his gaze.
His dark eyes bored into mine with a sadness that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Not since I last looked in the mirror that was. And then it all became clear. He knew a lost fight when he saw one.
“What’s your name?” I softly asked, knowing that this could easily be the worst mistake I made.
The dark guy just stared back, wordlessly. His eyes boring into mine like he was able to read my deepest thoughts. I crossed my fingers behind my back, praying that I didn’t just willingly stare into the eyes of one of the old sorcerers of this world. If he was one and blessed with the gift of foresight, he’d break down my mental walls in a heartbeat, set the wolf free in my chest and I’d be devoured by my own spirit. But there was just something about him...
“Darren,” the dark-haired guy suddenly spoke, his name falling from his lips like the last flower before winter. It was almost a resolve, as if he decided that his name would be his last word.
I stared at him, a glimmer around his neck catching my attention. I reached out to him, ignoring his flinch, and pulled a necklace from underneath his torn shirt. A necklace I could have recognised with my eyes closed.
I tugged on the piece of string, tearing it from his body. I could feel hot anger flame up in my stomach as I realised there was only one way he could’ve obtained this. By killing the rightful owner.
“Whom did you take this fr
om?” I snarled, bringing my face only inches from his. I didn’t care who he was or where he came from. I would destroy him. Darren glared back at me, a different kind of anger flaring up in his eyes as well. “Give it back,” he growled, like he was in any kind of position to make demands.
“Where did you get this from?” I asked again, dangling the chain with the amulet in front of his eyes.
“It’s mine. Give. It. Back,” Darren spat out, his teeth angrily clenched together.
I turned to Regan and JP, hoping they got what I was on about. From Regan’s flaring nostrils and JP’s disappointed look, I could tell they knew. There were only a couple of things that would upset Regan and this was one of them.
The necklace was part of a priceless heirloom that had run in our families since the beginning of time and only the rightful heir was allowed to bear it. Only the prince was allowed to wear it.
“Do you know what this is?”
Darren struggled against Regan’s grip as he tried to snatch the necklace back. “Do you know what this is?” he countered back, a desperate look appearing in his eyes as he clawed in open air.
And then he said a sentence that I had never expected. One that shook me to my very core.
“Don’t let me die without it,” Darren asked, almost pleaded.
I eyed the necklace again, noticing how it slightly gravitated back to the young man and instead of wondering where he got it, I suddenly wondered about something else. Was this his?
I exchanged a quick glance with my two lovers and without even having to ask, Regan lowered Darren to the ground. The dark-haired boy fell to the earth as he eyed the necklace desperately.
“Are you the lost heir?” I asked softly, not even sure if this could be true.
Darius Laruel had been missing for more than two years. There hadn’t been a sign or a spotting of him ever since.
Surely, this shaggy looking guy couldn’t be the man who would be king someday? Who would be my king someday.
Chapter Seven - Darius
“You’re Darius Laruel, the lost prince,” I stammered, my mouth dry and my hands trembling in excitement. My brain was only slowly processing the reality of the situation. We just found the lost heir to the throne.
“I prefer Darren,” he corrected me, still eyeing his locket and me desperately. I stared at the amulet in my hand, not believing I was looking at the original piece.
“Could I have it back?” Darius, no, Darren asked. I glanced at JP and Regan, who curtly nodded. Hastily, I handed the necklace back.
“My apologies, I didn’t realise...” I started an apology, but Darren interrupted me with a humourless chuckle.
“You didn’t realise you were in the presence of royalty?” he mocked, using his fingers to make air quotes.
I stared from Darren to Regan and frowned. I didn’t understand. How could this young, shaggy looking guy be a prince? Not just a prince, but the first in line for the throne? What was he doing here? Why had he run? Why was he attacking us?
“I did not, no... I didn’t expect to find a prince here at the edge of the Woods of Erald. And I certainly didn’t expect him to be attacking us. What the fuck are you doing?” I asked, none of it making sense. Why would the heir be running around, robbing people?
“Trying to survive,” Darren said, running his hand through his dark hair. I stared at the young man sitting in front of me, trying to figure out what was going on. The dark lines underneath his eyes told me he didn’t sleep much, even though he looked exhausted. The tight skin around his eyes a sign he didn’t laugh much either.
“W-Why did you a-attack us?”
Darren shrugged, yawning as he cracked his knuckles. “Like I said, just trying to survive, man.”
“So nobody send you?” I eyed him suspiciously, still not convinced that the heir was going around robbing people so he could “survive”. Surely, there must be more to it?
“Why would anybody send me? Look, people coming out of the Woods of Erald are usually in a haze. Taking them out is easy. You’re the first ones who actually put up a fight.”
I stared at him, trying to read his emotions from his face. He was either a brilliant liar or he was telling the truth. Beside, I couldn’t imagine the prince being anyone’s employee. He certainly would be too proud for that.
And even if he was a sell-sword, Chesca would never hire him. He was too good and could’ve actually killed us. That was probably why she kept sending sub-par assassins and mercenaries after us. Just to make it very clear that she could get her hands on me anytime. I guessed it was more a game than anything else to her. Like everything else she did. This war was just one of her twisted ways to torment me. She couldn’t care less about the actual politics of it all.
So if Darren wasn’t sent by her, it could honestly just be a coincidence that we had run into him. Maybe he really was who he claimed to be. Darius Laruel. The lost prince. Running around in the middle of nowhere, throwing knives at people and robbing them of their money and probably their lives as well.
“Do you know of a certain Chesca?” I asked again, still suspicious about the whole thing. This didn’t make any sense.
“Not that I can recall, no.”
“Y-You sure?” JP asked cautiously. I could tell that he was still on the fence about this whole prince thing. Regan nudged us and hesitantly, I stepped into a little circle.
“D-Do you think he is w-who he says he is?” JP whispered, staring at the young man who was sitting on a random stump of wood.
“Yes, I do,” Regan answered, surprisingly enough. He wasn’t one to just take somebody’s word for it?
“Why?” I hissed back, still looking at Darren, refusing to let him out of my sight for one second.
“Add a beard and grey hair.”
I tilted my head as I mentally added those features to Darren’s face and as I did, the pieces suddenly clicked. “Ooooh.”
“W-What?”
“He’s the spitting image of the king,” I blurted out. Regan nodded, a smug glint playing in his eyes. He must’ve felt quite pleased with himself for connecting the dots first. “So we’re sure he is Darius. What’s he doing out here? Why did he run?”
“C-Can we just ask h-him?”
I chewed my lip as I stared at Darren. He didn’t look like he was a big talker, but then again, it couldn’t hurt to try. Maybe he feel more comfortable revealing his secrets if we told him who we were.
I reached out for Regan’s hand and gently squeezed for reassurance. He gave me a nod of encouragement, as I spoke out a name I had always loathed.
“Forgive us. I should’ve introduced myself, but you were too busy throwing stars at me. My name is Danielle D’Ors, daughter of Aldwin D’Ors and the sole heir of my clan’s lineage. This is my first mate Regan Sy, son of Reginald Sy. And this, this is JP. He’s also my partner.”
A snort escaped from Darren as he faced us. “Are you trying to tell me you two are the heirs to the noble houses of this land?”
With a nod, Regan and I revealed our own horn necklaces. Mine was engraved with a slender wolf and decorated with beautiful roses on the edges. The red rose had always been our insignia and since the beginning of our lineage, we had prided us on our flame red hair. I repressed a smile. Both JP and Regan were dark-haired. It was highly unlikely that any of my children would have a trace of our signature red hair. Maybe for the best.
Regan’s amulet was carved much more roughly and had two swords crossed over a wolf. His house always did value strength over anything else. No wonder his father disapproved of Regan mating with, as he called it, “a delicate rose”. I just wished that Regan had come to me instead of going on a journey to forget about me. Although ultimately, that was how I had bumped into him in the middle of nowhere, so it might’ve been for the best, after all. Ever since I met Regan, I felt stronger and more in control of my wolf. He gave me the confidence and the strength I always lacked. He was my perfect match.
Darre
n inspected our necklace and nodded, a glint of something appearing in his eyes. He believed us. With a rather serious look, one that didn’t suit his youthful appearance, he turned to us. “What are the daughter of Aldwin and the son of Reginald doing together in this little town?”
“What is the crown prince doing here?” I countered.
The young man chuckled. “Touché.”
Chapter Eight - Redistributor
“Why did you run?” I asked curiously, eyeing Darren. I had always wondered what made him abandon his post, but then again, who was I to talk? When trouble came knocking on our doorstep, in the form of my two friends and an angry army, I had chosen to flee with them.
“Disagreements with my old man.”
“About?”
Darren squinted, an amused look on his face. “You sure are nosey.”
“I’m damn well nosey. You’ve been missing for over two years. People have been speculating and wondering what happened to you.”
“What are they saying?” he asked, looking genuinely curious.
I glanced at Regan and JP, wondering if it was a good idea to tell the prince exactly what the people had been saying about him. Maybe I should start off with a small rumour and build up to the...
“T-That your father m-murdered you. That you are s-secretly transforming into a g-girl. That you went a-absolutely bonkers,” JP summed up, listing all the crazy rumours on his fingers. I grinned. No going easy then.
“Those are... Interesting.”
“Not as interesting as the truth. That the future king is squatting near the Woods of Erald and assassinating travellers.”
Darren shrugged as he picked at his shirt. “I don’t actually kill people. Usually...”
I cocked an eyebrow. “You sure? Your shurikens said otherwise.”
“Hey, if I wanted you dead, you would be ten feet under by now,” he defended himself, looking rather insulted. Apparently being called a poor shot was much more offensive than being called an assassin. Men...