The Transformed Box Set: Books 1, 2, 3, 3.5

by Stacy Claflin

  "It had nothing to do with keeping us in control of ourselves? It was all about you keeping us under control?" Cliff fumed. "You two aren't leaders."

  Alrekur laughed. "They're not even vampires. They've been leading for about eight centuries and no one has ever suspected a thing. They're pretty crafty, wouldn't you say? They even fooled your parents, who worked with them so closely."

  Cliff moved forward but stopped when my father put his hand out in front of him. "You two can take this outside later. For now, we're all on the same team. Do we have an understanding? I'm still king until I pass the proverbial crown to Alrekur. Will you two give me your word to get along until at least the war is over?"

  "I can play nice," Alrekur said. "Even though he's playing house with my Sonnast."

  "She's the entire vampire kingdom's Sonnast," Cliff retorted. "She doesn't belong to you."

  Alrekur raised an eyebrow.

  "Is there any news that I should be aware of?" I asked, trying to diffuse the tension. "We were busy training and didn't make it in time for your meeting."

  "Not a problem, daughter. Your time is better served preparing for battle. Francine's troops are on their way, but to our knowledge haven't reached our woods yet. Once they do, we'll have one final meeting—and you'll need to be at that one. It will be imperative that everyone knows who's on our side, especially with Francine creating vampires for herself."

  "We're going to the grounds to train for battle," Alrekur said, looking at me. "Just the Fyrsturae. Would you like to join us? You haven't really trained until you've trained with us. We've got about eighteen thousand years' experience between the nine of us." He looked at Cliff. "You've got about twenty, no?"

  "I'm tired," I told Alrekur. "I'll consider joining you after I've had something to eat."

  "You should. We can help you to increase your skill level like you never imagined."

  I nodded. He walked up to me, put both of his hands around my face and placed his soft, warm lips on mine. A familiar current ran through me, starting from my lips and circling all around. Even though I was somewhat used to the sensation, it still caught me off guard. I was aware of Cliff watching us, but there was nothing I could do except to react to the kiss. I could feel my mark tingle in response to it.

  Alrekur pulled away just as abruptly as he had started. He winked at me, knowing that even in front of Cliff, there was a part of me that couldn't resist him. He reached for my mark and rubbed it gently, causing a wave of euphoria from the mark to course through me.

  Don't do that while we're in battle.

  He grinned his devious smile, which made me want to kiss him all the more. Trust me, my Sonnast. There's no way that I would do that then. It puts both of us in a weakened state…for fighting at least.

  I rubbed my mark, feeling more and more relaxed as the blissful feelings danced through me.

  "Get your hands off of her!" Cliff ordered.

  Alrekur laughed. "She doesn't seem to be objecting."

  Not wanting the exhilaration to end, I forced myself to step back and tried to glare at him.

  "Do you see how the mark glows?" Alrekur asked, looking at Cliff. "Does it do that for you? Or is it only me?"

  Cliff's eyes turned red and suddenly he had his hands around Alrekur's neck, fangs extended. "Don't touch her unless you have her permission. She's not your possession, even though you think that someday she's going to choose you. Even if she does, it's not someday now!"

  Alrekur chuckled. "Apparently it doesn't light up for you. What does it do, shock you?"

  Squeezing his hands tighter around Alrekur's neck, Alrekur made choking noises. Cliff narrowed his eyes. "Don't touch her again."

  He reached up and removed Cliff's hands from his neck. "You're actually pretty strong for a non-Fyrsturae. Hang on to that anger while we're on the battlefield. You'll be a much needed asset."

  "I'm more than just—"

  Feeling in control of myself again, I put my hand on Cliff's arm. "Just let him go."

  "Does she rule over you?" Alrekur asked, laughing. "What's that expression? Does she wear the pants?"

  Cliff jumped at him again, but I put my arms on his shoulders this time. "It's not worth it." Then I threw myself into his arms and kissed him with as much passion as I could, knowing that we had the audience of my parents and the entire Fyrsturae clan. "You're the one I love," I whispered, while still kissing him. I could feel him relax and he returned my kiss with force.

  When I pulled away, Alrekur looked amused. "Aren't you two just adorable? Too bad her mark stopped glowing. It's so pretty when it glows."

  Cliff narrowed his eyes again.

  "You know," I said to Alrekur, "if you want me to join you later, you really should be nicer."

  "You're right, my love." He stroked my mark, and I could see his arm light up once more in the same color as my mark as the ecstasy began to rebuild.

  I stepped back before I had the chance to melt at his touch again.

  "I'll see you soon," he said, and turned to join the rest of the Fyrsturae. They all walked down a different hallway with my parents following.

  "How arrogant can he get? And how could you kiss him? Do you actually have feelings for him?" Cliff demanded.

  "Are you kidding me? He kissed me! I didn't kiss him."

  "You didn't exactly attempt to stop him."

  "If I tried pushing him away, it would only make things worse."

  He raised an eyebrow.

  "Do we have to talk about this? I'm tired. Let's get a bite to eat."

  "He's kissed you before! I'm right, aren't I?"

  "Like you said, he's an arrogant fool and my parents have spent more than enough time encouraging him. He knows I love you, but he also thinks that eventually I'll choose him. Don't let him get to you." I took his hand and started walking.

  "I can't believe him."

  "If you let him get to you, he wins."

  "You'd choose him?"

  "He wouldn't win me! He would win the power struggle. I choose you; you've already won."

  Cliff stopped walking, causing me to stop suddenly as well. He pulled me close and held me tight. "I'm sorry that I'm acting like a fool too."

  "You have nothing to worry about. It's you that I want. And I want a tenth line full of our children."

  He stroked my cheek, following a path down my chin to my neck. When he reached the mark, it shocked him once again. His eyes flashed red.

  "Don't worry about the mark. I don't care about it."

  Cliff shook his head.

  TWENTY

  The tension in the room was palpable as the werewolves stood at one side and most of the vampires tried to stay as far away from them as possible. My father was once again reminding everyone that we were on the same team. He also reminded us that many had chosen to fight against their own kind alongside of us.

  I could tell that none of the vampires fully believed it. I expected someone to attack, but everyone stayed in their places.

  Toby and I kept making eye contact. It was our first time seeing each other since parting ways as I left for the castle. I was standing with the Fyrsturae and Alrekur was standing almost on top of me, as if to show everyone that I belonged to him. Cliff, Toby, and Tanner were all in the room as well. I noticed Tanner looking at me curiously. I didn't know if on some level he knew that we had a past, or if he was simply taking in the Sonnast, as so many others had done.

  I did my best to focus on what was being said, but it was challenging, given that all three of the guys that I'd ever loved were in the same room, and here I was standing next to one who had spent thousands of years waiting for me.

  Taking another look around the room, I made the effort to memorize everyone's faces so that I would know who was on our side in battle. That's when I noticed Hailey. We made eye contact and I gave her a questioning look. She smiled. Toby filled me in and of course I wanted to come and help you! I nodded in thanks, hoping that she wouldn't get hurt. I was sure that
she'd had no battle training.

  My father and Darek from Germany were explaining the battle plans. Francine and the werewolves had already entered the woods. They were still hundreds of miles away, and a group of faeries were working with other immortal creatures in the forest to confuse them, keeping them from reaching the castle before we were ready to attack.

  Groups of pixies, which I weren't sure were any different from faeries, were rounding up the unicorns that had returned to the forests. The beasts had agreed to fight with us in battle and would let the royal vampires ride them as well.

  I fought back a smile that was trying to escape. I still had the fairy tale image of unicorns being frail, girly creatures in my mind, and the thought of strong, powerful vampires riding them into battle seemed like more of a comedy sketch than a serious plan to win a war. I knew that unicorns were actually extremely strong and intelligent with the greatest poison in their beautiful, spiraling horns, but it was hard to keep that in mind after growing up in the human world.

  My father asked us to take a moment to look around the room at everyone's faces. It was a good thing that we all had memories that humans could only dream of. After spending a minute looking, we would all be able to remember those fighting on our side.

  As we headed out the door, my parents handed out small vials of blood. "These are full of werewolf blood, in case you're bitten," he told me. "Each of the Fyrsturae are getting one and about one in three of the royals. We don't have enough for everyone, so take good care of it."

  "We couldn't get enough for everyone?"

  "There should be more than enough. Not everyone will be bitten and every group going out will have a couple of vials."

  Once outside, I ran as fast as I could for the training grounds to grab my favorite sword, and a bow and arrows. I must have made record time, as fast as I had run. When I returned to the castle, the Fyrsturae and the top ranking royals were mounting their unicorns. There was one standing alone near Alrekur, which I assumed to be mine.

  I walked up to him, careful to make eye contact, and I showed him my empty hands so that he would know that I meant him no harm. He whinnied as I drew near and I let him sniff my hand. I'd had no equestrian experience of any kind, so I went with what I'd learned about dogs. He nuzzled my hand, so I then stroked his mane. I was surprised at how silky it was. I'd expected it to be coarse.

  Alrekur held out something in his hand. "Give this to him."

  Taking it, I saw that it was a large cube of sugar. I raised an eyebrow. "Is this some strange peace offering to make up for earlier?"

  He laughed, shaking his head. "Unicorns have a sweet tooth," he said. "If you give him something sweet, it'll help build his trust in you. Another thing you can do is to take a shaving of his horn and swallow it. It will help you to communicate with him."

  "Won't that hurt him?"

  "No more than filing a nail hurts you."

  "Isn't the horn poisonous?"

  "Not to the touch, and the shavings won't harm you. They actually have a great many useful purposes. When the horn stabs someone, it releases a strong toxin that can kill most immortals. Which is another reason why communicating with unicorns is so important."

  "Have you had a shaving of your unicorn's horn?"

  He nodded. "That was the first thing I did after giving him a sugar cube."

  "What do I use to get the shaving? How long does it last?"

  Alrekur held out his hand again and I took a small piece of metal with rough edges on one side from him. "The more you take, the longer it'll last. I'd take at least a handful, not knowing how long this battle will last."

  I nodded and then held out the sugar cube. The unicorn reached over and ate it from my palm, tickling my hand. When he was finished, I stroked his mane again and then scraped his horn cautiously, not wanting to upset him. Little, sparkling flakes flitted off and I caught them with my other hand.

  When I'd collected a handful, I looked at Alrekur. "I'm supposed to eat these?"

  "That you must. Being one with a unicorn is a great advantage in battle."

  I stared at the glimmering flakes, nervous.

  "What are you so scared of?" Alrekur asked. "It isn't as though they're going to bite you."

  Shaking my head, I put my hand to my mouth and let the unicorn flakes float down into it. What would my friends back home think? I was surprised at how sweet the shavings tasted and they nearly melted in my mouth like snowflakes. I almost wanted more, but thought that that would be weird.

  "How will we communicate?" I asked.

  "When you need to, it will happen naturally. Do you have everything you need?"

  "I think so."

  "Good," he said. "Stay close to others as much as possible. If the enemy gets you alone, that's when you're in the most danger. Whatever you do, try not to get separated from your unicorn. If you stay near me, I will protect you with my life as well. Though anyone on our side should, too. You're more powerful than the others, equal only to the rest of the Fyrsturae."

  "I have fought in battle before. I beat the leader of the Moretti's."

  "Those were common vampires. This time, we're dealing with an army of royal-made vampires and also werewolves. Who knows what else Francine has up her sleeve? I wouldn't trust her any further than I could throw a Leviathan."

  Watching our vampires ride off in every direction, I nodded. "I don't trust her, either."

  I could no longer see Cliff or anyone else that I knew, so I mounted my unicorn and followed Alrekur's lead. He gave a slight kick to his, so I copied the movement and we were both off.

  "Why are we riding them when we're so fast ourselves?" I shouted. Even though he was next to me, it was hard to be heard over the wind at the speed that we were moving.

  "They're more powerful than our best weapons and it allows us to save our energy for fighting," he shouted.

  I nodded as I clung to the mane of my ride. The unicorns weren't as fast as we were, but I was impressed at their speed nevertheless. They were truly magnificent creatures. I looked ahead and focused on the woods around us. I was becoming mesmerized by the creature, but I needed to pay attention to my surroundings.

  My unicorn began to slow down slightly and all of my senses went into overdrive searching for what might be lurking nearby. I looked up at what I could see of the darkening sky through the thick trees. It was a full moon; what else would I expect? Of course Francine would wait until then, since she had the majority of the werewolves on her side. That also explained why Toby hadn't tried to see me, aside from the fact that I was almost always right next to Cliff.

  Looking over at Alrekur, I saw that his unicorn had slowed down as well and he was looking around. Something was definitely going on in the area.

  What do you think it is? I asked when he looked my way.

  Whatever it is, it's pretty far away. Do you get a sense of the direction?

  No. I wouldn't have noticed except that the unicorns slowed down.

  I think there are several enemies. We might be surrounded. If we get separated, which will be their plan, of course, do not lose the unicorn under any circumstances.

  I nodded, feeling that something was moving closer. I prepared to reach for my bow, which used both wooden and silver arrows. If we ran into common vampires or werewolves, I'd be fine with the arrows. But if Francine had made vampires with her blood then I'd have to be more creative. Unicorn toxins would come in handy at that point.

  Alrekur looked at me. Be ready.

  I am. I can feel them too. So can the unicorns; they keep slowing down.

  They—

  We heard a noise to our left and our unicorns stopped in their tracks. Alrekur pulled out something that looked like a silver boomerang with spikes and held it at the ready.

  Three wolves ran out from the shadows toward us, growling and snapping. I reached for my silver-tipped arrows and shot at one of them. He yelped and slowed down, but didn't stop. Alrekur threw his weapon and it sliced a secon
d wolf in the side, causing it to squeal and fall over. The weapon returned to Alrekur.

  The other two werewolves were still headed our way. I shot three more arrows at the one I'd already hit and he fell to the ground, closing his eyes. Alrekur threw his device at the last one, and this time, it went straight through the beast, cutting it in half.

  "That was easy enough," he said as he caught the bloody weapon again. He stuck it in his pocket.

  "I have a feeling that it's going to get a lot worse," I said.

  "Of course it will. Both sides are going to suffer grievous losses. So long as you survive, that's all I care about. Francine wants to take you down. It's personal." He paused. "Do you hear that?"

  "It sounds like a plane," I said, imagining that my parents had ordered bomber jets.

  "More of the royals are arriving," he said. "I heard that your father's 'twin' is even coming. He's so angry with your parents that I'm not sure which side he's going to be on."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Your parents killed his real twin, remember? They took on the shapes of the twin and his wife, and have been acting in their place for the last eight hundred years."

  My eyes widened. "You don't think that he'd really try to settle that score now, do you?"

  "You never know what a vampire who's been in hiding for centuries will do. Let's get moving; we've got a lot more werewolves and vampires to kill."

  I nodded and our unicorns took off before either of us could give them a kick. They must have been in tune with us. That had to have been what Alrekur meant when he said to become one with it. I was feeling more confident. I wasn't sure if it was because we'd killed three werewolves so easily or because of my connection with my unicorn.

  As we went on, I listened for anything suspicious and kept sniffing for the scent of werewolves. It would hard to tell which ones were on our side by sight, but they knew what we looked like, so if any were to attack, then they were fair game. I could usually tell when a vampire was watching me by the hairs standing up on my neck and sometimes my skin crawling.