Rodeo Rancher

by Lauren Wood

  Brother and I had never really seen eye to eye. Maybe this was his way of reaching out to me to show me that he still cared. Even with that thought, I was terrified for what I might find when I caught up with Kit. The darkest part of night was falling and the baby kicked harder than ever before inside of me.

  Just when I was ready to turn around, the trees parted into a clearing. I remained at the edge of the trees so that Kit wouldn’t see me. I searched the clearing but he was nowhere in sight. As I turned to leave I heard a branch snap just a few feet away from me. I froze, it was Kit.

  He was staring into the darkness with the moon directly at his back. Then something strange started happening. The wind stopped. The night fell completely still. Kit’s body began to shake, slowly at first but became exaggeratedly more vicious with each passing moment. Something seemed to be possessing his body. I couldn’t hide anymore and watch him. I screamed out but quickly covered my mouth with both of my hands.

  Before me stood a dark creature. At about seven feet tall and completely covered in thick bristly hair. Its silhouette resembled that of a starved bear. Its breath was heavy and eyes hollow as he turned in my direction. My body was frozen with fear. Kit had changed into a beast in front of my eyes. My brain couldn’t process what had happened. This was the beast that had killed my father. The beast that had killed King Erroll Nord and had sent my life spiraling. Kit had killed my father.

  The beast took a stepped toward me, slowly. “Stay away from me you animal!” I cried out. The baby thrashed around, something was wrong. As fast as they could my feet took me running through the woods. I held my stomach trying to calm down the baby, it was too soon. When I reached the castle, I turned back and Kit was nowhere in sight. I ran straight to the barn and jumped on the tallest, fastest horse, Midnight. Without a thought I dug my heels into his hips and sent him in the direction of Darden. I needed to tell Brother that I knew who had killed Father.

  “Midnight, faster!” I hollered. We raced through the night onward to Darden. There were still a few hours remaining until we would reach our destination. The baby didn’t seem happy as it twisted and turned. I tried talking to it to help it calm down. “Baby, it’s alright. I have gotten you away from that man, that beast. We will be safe in Darden you just hang in there. They will all love you there.” I cried out in pain.

  Night was beginning to break and I could see a glimpse of dawn on the horizon. Midnight had slowed to a fluid canter and I had somehow managed to settle the baby. I could still feel its squirms but I was no longer in dire pain. Morning was beginning to show it’s face when I arrived at the outer limits of Darden. I knew I was trespassing but this matter was far too urgent. When I arrived I would plead for Brother’s forgiveness and offer to complete my punishment as a servant.

  I could see the small huts and shacks of the town nearing. At this point in the morning there should have been more people swarming the town but from what I could see at this distance it was desolate. Where were the merchants selling their international goods? The baker should be at the market selling his sourdough and sweets as the people made their way to work at the mills. There was no one around.

  Slowly Midnight and I walked through the narrow paths of town. I could see Miss Caleigh Clarne picking through the rubble down the path. “Miss Clarne! Caleigh!” I called out.

  Her gazed darted in my direction. Her face used to be plump and pink with a dazzling smile constantly plastered across it. Today her face was sunken and grey, her thin lips creased into a frown. She looked frightened and defeated. “Mira?” she asked in a broken voice. “Princess Mira, is that truly you?” weakly she smiled in my direction.

  I dismounted Midnight and ran to hug her. “Oh, Caleigh it is such a pleasure to see your familiar face!” I held her close. “Do you know where my brother is? I need to see him immediately. I have discovered something quite horrid.”

  At this mention Caleigh pulled away from me. “He is a horrible man Mira. He will be of no help to you.”

  This confused me. What was she speaking of? “Caleigh I do not understand.”

  “Mira, look at me. King Montgomery has starved all of the townsfolk out of their homes. Many took to the forest to thrive and forage. Anyone who stayed has since taken ill or gone into hiding. Very few of us remain Mira. He has taken Darden for himself. You need to stop him!” her frail hands gripped my shoulders sending pain down my arms.

  “Caleigh, you’re hurting me.” I tried to break free from her grasp. She only tightened her grip.

  “Mira. Help us!”

  When I was able to free myself, I mounted Midnight and headed for the castle. Everything I saw tonight confused me and weighed on my heart. At the entrance of the castle the guards seemed relieved when they saw me approaching.

  “Princess Mira, you have returned!” the guard greeted. “However you should not be here, it is no longer safe here you must turn back.”

  “Mr. Lane I must see my brother. There is something I need to tell him!” I pleaded. What was happening in Darden?

  “If you must Mira but please tell King Montgomery you snuck in the back. He will have my head if he finds out.”

  I reached out and gave him a generous hug. “You have my word.”

  The corridors were dimly lit and there were large cobwebs draped in every corner. I took the steps one at a time and tried to conjure the words that I would tell Brother. How was I to tell him that the man he married me off to had caused our father’s death? There was no way he would believe me.

  Reaching the top of the stairs I heard laughter behind the door to my right. My bedroom. It must be Brother! I eased the door open and peaked around the corner. There stood Toil Germaine, his back to the door. He was dancing about with jewelry draped from his neck to his feet. His laughter echoed through the room. Without warning a sharp pain shot through my stomach and I shrieked in pain. This was an interesting way of announcing my presence. Toil spun around with a look of alarm plastered across his mug.

  “Why are you here?” I managed to muster together in between jabs of pain. The baby was coming. “Where is my brother?”

  Beads of sweat formed on his brow. He stammered about in search of a response.

  “Do you know who killed my father? I know you do.” His look of fear fell blank. I grabbed the door frame for support. “Why didn’t you warn Brother before he shipped me off to that dreadful kingdom to live with a beast?”

  This seemed to catch him by surprise. His surprise quickly changed to panic as a voice sounded behind me. “Tell her everything you know.” It was Kit, not the beast but the real Kit. He scooped me up and laid me on the bed. Without taking his eyes off me he continued to speak to Toil. “You know something and I am not letting you leave this room until you have told us everything.”

  “You tell it, Kit. You are the reason Father is dead!” I screamed, swatting at him to leave me alone.

  Kit rested his hand on my head and brushed my hair out of my eyes. Leaning in he whispered “I know what you saw Mira but it wasn’t me who killed your father. I may have kept this secret from you but I would never harm anyone. Especially not King Erroll Nord.” He kissed my forehead and turned his speech back to Toil who was now cowering in the corner. “Mr. Germaine. I will ask you one more time politely. What do you know about the attack on King Erroll?”

  “I was starving, what was I to do?” he cried. “He made me do it. He made me!”

  “Who made you do what?” Kit questioned. The baby was well on the way now. I cried softly, scared I was about to join Mother and Father too soon.

  Toil squirmed uncomfortably in the corner at this question. “He promised me safety and riches.”

  Kit knew I was in trouble so he instructed Toil not to move. Kit ran down the corridor in search of a bed nurse. When they returned, I could feel the baby fighting its way into the world. Grabbing Toil by the arm, the two men left the room. Only myself and the nurse remained. I was so scared and confused. I couldn’t stop crying
. Pain enveloped my entire being.

  “You need to push, Mira.” The nurse instructed.

  I couldn’t push. I needed to know what was going on. Did Kit kill my father? Who was Toil babbling about? The baby couldn’t come now, not like this.

  “Mira, push!” The time that followed has escaped my mind. It felt as though just like that, my baby boy entered the world. The nurse took him to a wash basin to clean him up. She swaddled him tightly into a cloth and placed him into my arms.

  I cried with happiness for this small child. Tucking him closely under my arms he settled in asleep. As exhausted as I was and as badly as I didn’t want to leave my son minutes after his birth I handed him to the nurse. “Something terrible is happening and I need to help.” I propped myself up and swung my legs of the edge of the bed.

  “Mira please, rest. You have been through so much I need you to lay down.” The nurses pleaded with me.

  I shot her a look and she seemed to understand. She nodded and stepped to the side. Just as I reached the door, it swung open. Toil in tears and Kit looking tortured. “What is happening?” I begged to know the truth. Kit’s eyed searched the room for the baby, his child. “It’s a son.” I smiled. He swung down and hugged me hard. “Please Kit, I need to know.”

  As badly as Kit wanted to embrace his new son, he understood that I needed answers and something had to be done. “Nurse, guard my son with your life. You will be rewarded for your efforts.” He grabbed my hand and we exited the room. “We need to find King Montgomery immediately.”

  His eyes were so stern it frightened me. “Why do we need to find my brother? Who did this Kit?”

  He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. When he seemed to calm himself he turned to me. “I need to explain what you saw earlier in the forest.” My heart picked up pace, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear this. “My family was cursed one hundred generations ago. One of my ancestors wished our kings to die a death of old age and not warfare. He was granted his wish at a cost. The cost of beauty. Every time the new moon surfaces, our bodies are transformed into a bear-like creature.” His eyes searched mine to see if I was following. “Mira, we are shape shifters. You need to understand that after so many generations of shape shifting we have evolved and can control our actions when we take our forms.”

  “So it was you that killed my father?” A tear traced silently down my cheek.

  “No Mira, I promise you it was not.” He wiped the tear away with his thumb. “After speaking to Toil Germaine I have discovered that your brother too has been granted a wish. He wished to be king. His cost the same as mine. Now with each new moon he has turned into a beast only he had no boundaries. When he came to the realization of his capabilities he quickly plotted his actions to become king. Toil was an easy target. He was feeble and greedy. King Montgomery knew that if he offered riches that the petty man would agree to anything.”

  I could not believe what I was hearing.

  “Since he knew King Erroll would make his rounds through the town and would never say no to a personal invitation into a townsfolk’s home, he formed his plan. Toil was to ask the King inside and he would then complete the task. Knowing that the Bataran family were bear shifters he married you off to me. He figured you would eventually see my true colors and point the blame on me. Which he was close to achieving tonight.”

  Tears poured from my eyes. I shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss Miss Caliegh Clarne. She had warned me of my brother’s wrongdoings. Brother had truly unraveled Darden and taken it for himself. Kit wrapped his arms around me and held me close. He understood that this was not easy information to process. “We have to find him.”

  “Sir!” We heard the nurse’s voice call out from the bedroom. “Mr. Toil Germaine has escaped. He said he is going to find the king to tell advise him of your presence. You must leave immediately!”

  Kit disappeared down the corridor toward the nurse and our newborn son. “Did he say anything else?”

  Her expression fell and she appeared suddenly scared. “He told me that the king is going to do something terrible once he finds out.” Her voice faded.

  I felt ill. What would he possibly do? “Did Mr. Germaine have any mention about what the king may do?”

  The nurse’s eyes remained glued to the floor, she clenched her hands tightly in front of her. “He said he was to seek revenge against you for exploiting him, Prince Kit.”

  Kit snatched our son out of her arms and grabbed my hand. We were running down the corridor toward the exit. “Kit, where are we going?” I cried out.

  His face was stern. I had never seen such a look of terror, it frightened me. Our son slept soundly in Kit’s arms as we collected Midnight and began our journey back to Soundsforth. I watched behind me as the remains of Darden faded into the horizon. It may have been the last glimpse of my home I would ever see.

  I could tell we were approaching Soundsforth from the trees in the distance. They stood tall and heavy. Despite the wind their branches held strong. At this point Kit had yet to say a word. “What do you think Brother has done?” I asked in a small voice.

  “I believe he is trying to break my family’s rein. I believe he is trying to eliminate my father, the king, through warfare.” I could feel a bite in his words. He was truly terrified.

  “What exactly does that mean?” I tried to sound brave.

  “There is no way to know. Never has a Bataran, a king of Soundsforth, been murdered since our curse was set. What I am afraid of is the power King Montgomery possesses. He has not yet learned how to contain his shifting. His actions will be unjustified and blood will spill at his hand.”

  There was nothing I could say. The remainder of the journey we rode in silence. I held our son close to my chest and watched him as he slept.

  Soundsforth was quiet. We approached the castle not knowing what we may discover. Kit ran ahead in search of his mother and father. I saw him halt dead in his tracks. Peering around I could see his mother laying across the floor, her body trembled. She was sobbing.

  “Mother!” Kit lunged forward and scooped her up into his arms. “Mother are you alright?” She continued to cry into his chest.

  “My boy. It’s your father, they have taken him. He has been murdered and his body has been stolen.” She let out a scream.

  “What happened?” I cried out to her.

  “A shifter that I have never seen before forced his way into the castle. The guards shouted out to warn us but you know your father. He always wishes the best for all beings. Your father tried to speak to him to find out his name. The creature would not listen. As he approached us we knew it was not one of us, it was not a Bataran. Then it pounced on top of him until his body fell limp.” She ducked her face into Kit’s arm, shuddering as she relived the moment.

  “Mira.” Kit stood and looked directly into my eyes. “Stay here with Mother.” He pushed past me and headed straight for the doors. I knew exactly what he was about to do. I feared for my Brother and Darden.

  The entire kingdom was outraged at the sudden loss of King Laurence Bataran. The entire town was stirring as the news spread to the men, women, and children. Something had to be done and they looked to their new King Kit Bataran for guidance. His decision for action had already been made.

  Kit had decided that his only option was to avenge his father and mine by hunting down the shifter, my brother. All of the men in Soundsforth gathered their horses and set out to find this beast. Kit knew exactly where he would find King Montgomery. They galloped through the thick forest toward the clearing where I had found Kit the night before.

  Through the dark clouds, the moon fought to show its blue face. I watched out the window beside Elmire, our hands clasped together. It took everything I had to remain strong for this woman who had just lost her husband. Every so often she would rise out of her chair and pace the lengths of the room. The baby seemed to keep her mind calm. Every time he would make a sound she would immediately tend to his need.

 
; “He looks so much like his father.” She would repeat over and over again. “He will be a great king someday. Has he a name yet?”

  Through all of the madness that engulfed this day I hadn’t thought to give my son a name. The choice was clear. “His name is Erroll.” I replied. “He is named after my father who was the greatest king I have ever known.” I smiled down at that helplessly small child but couldn’t help but worry for my husband and my brother as the day grew darker.

  Thoughts continued to spin through my mind. Why would Brother want to kill Father? I always knew that Brother wanted so badly to be king but I never expected him to take such extreme actions to achieve it. Flashes of the angry beast attacking my father played in my head. My fears shifted back to my husband leading the townsmen toward such danger.

  When they had reached the clearing the men saw King Laurence’s body propped up against a tree stump. Motionless. One man, unable to contain his outrage, tore through the clearing with a baton above his head charging into the night. Out of nowhere, the creature pounced through the darkness killing the man in one motion. This caused many of the men to step back closer to the tree-line.

  Kit’s mind raced as he attempted to conjure up a plan. So far he had only been seeing red and marched forward. Now that he was here, in front of the beast, he needed a plan. He decided to use his voice.

  “King Montgomery Nord.” There was silence and the beast took a step toward Kit. “I am Kit Bataran of Soundsforth. You are trespassing on our land. Please, return to your kingdom. We mean you no harm.” Kit took a step toward the creature. “Haven’t you already gotten what you wanted? You are a king are you not?” The two stepped even closer together. “Why must you take our king away from us? He could have taught you so much, he was a great king.”