by Jen L. Grey
Even though I was standing right there, no one turned toward me. It was as if no one could hear me.
My uncle shifted back into his human form and, thank God, he had clothes on. This had to be some sort of dream; otherwise, none of this was making sense.
"Did you really think that Elena would win?" My uncle's blue eyes that matched both mine and my dad's shone with excitement. "Richard and Debra are already making plans to right the wrongs that had been done to us by both family and fate. You were never meant to be king."
"That's not true, and you know it," Dad said the words low and deep.
"Then why don't we fight for the title?" Darren laughed.
"It's not like it would change anything now." Mom took a step toward Darren, lifting her hands in the air. "We're all dead. That wouldn't resolve anything."
"It sounds like your mate doesn't think you can win." Darren laughed and took another menacing step toward them. "So it proves even more that I'm the one on top."
My dad stepped away from her.
"Corey, what are you doing?" Mom's mouth dropped open as realization dawned on her. "You can't be serious."
"Of course I am." Dad shook his head and glared at his brother. "He won't ever let this go. I have no idea why."
"You definitely know," Darren growled and took another step, closing the distance between them. "You had to take Gabby from me and then abandon her. I thought maybe we could reconnect, but she was still obsessed with you."
"I never knew you were interested in her. Besides, I’d found my mate." Dad threw his hands in the air. "If I could do it all over again, I would. That woman became the biggest pain in my ass."
"See, you didn't deserve her, just like you didn't deserve the crown." His hands clenched into fists.
"This doesn't make sense." Mom shook her head, making her long red hair bounce from side to side. "You married Debra. Wasn't she your mate?"
"Hell, no." Darren wrinkled his nose as if the thought alone disgusted him. "We were just on the same page. She helped orchestrate the whole thing."
"You tried killing my daughter again." Dad pointed his finger toward Darren. "I'm tired of you taking out your anger on people I love."
"That was the point." Darren shifted back into his wolf and lunged for Dad's neck.
No. He couldn’t hurt them again. I tried running toward them, but with each step, I discovered I didn't make any progress. The same distance between us was maintained despite my perceived forward motion. It didn't make any sense.
Dad growled and pushed his brother off him. "Stay back." Dad's words were almost indecipherable as he changed into his wolf. Dark auburn hair sprouted along his body as he shifted to all fours.
"Corey, no." Mom's face twisted in horror.
Darren began pacing around him, making it known he was the predator. Dad spun around, making sure his back wasn't turned to him.
It only took a moment before Darren charged at Dad once more. He lowered his head as if he was going to steamroll him to God knows where.
As his head shoved into Dad's side, Dad flipped his body over Darren’s, landing back on his feet.
A deep growl emanated from my uncle.
I tried charging forward again, but I couldn't gain any traction. I was stuck at this distance for whatever reason. It was as if I was only allowed to be a spectator.
Not wasting a second, Darren attacked once more. He stood up on his back two legs and fell on top of Dad.
Dad tried standing back on his hind legs, but Darren bit into the back of his neck and hung on.
Blood pooled and ran down my dad's red fur. However, it almost blended in. The only difference was the fur sticking together, making it visibly wet.
How the hell was this possible? This was supposed to be the afterlife.
"No. Corey," Mom yelled and ran toward them.
Darren unlatched from my father and bared his blood-soaked teeth at her.
That distraction was enough for Dad to be able to drop and get out from under Darren, causing my uncle to fall to the ground.
Within seconds, Dad jumped on his brother's back and forced him to the ground. However, Dad’s teeth never dug into his skin.
The black wolf thrashed underneath him, but my dad maintained control.
It wasn't long before my uncle shifted back into human form underneath him. Dad followed suit, still making sure that my uncle couldn't break free.
My uncle’s shoulders began to shake as if he was crying.
Dad rolled his shoulders, and blood began seeping through his shirt. He was injured.
"Look, I'm sorry." Darren's voice sounded pained. "I never meant to hurt anyone."
"That's a stretch." Dad released his hold on Darren and allowed my uncle to stand.
"Okay, but I didn't realize how far I'd taken it." He lifted both hands in the air in surrender.
That was bullshit. He had really meant to take it that far. Dad couldn't be falling for this.
"Look, I get it." Dad lowered his hands, letting down his guard. "It's hard to live this life. I know. If I could've saved Elena from this, I would've, hands down."
"Corey, be careful." Mom took a step toward him with her hand outstretched. "Every time you give him another chance, he winds up ..."
Before Mom could even finish her sentence, Darren pulled out a dagger that looked similar to the one that had been impaled in Louis's arm. He reared back and stabbed my father in the chest.
"No," I yelled and ran toward Dad.
He crumpled before our eyes, and blood began trickling from his mouth. "How could you?"
"Because I don't love you." Darren's face spread into a cruel smile, and he laughed. "How many times do I have to show you?"
"Dad." I sat up, screaming with tears pouring down my face.
"Elena, shh." Mason sat next to me and wrapped his arms around me. "It's just a dream."
"But it couldn't be?" I glanced around the room, looking for my dad on the ground, bleeding out.
"You've been here the whole time." Mason pulled me hard into his chest.
"When I passed out at the vampire prince’s house, I saw my parents. They said I should be dead, but destiny had things work out the way they should, and I didn’t have a lot of time with them. What I just saw was happening at the same place." My breathing was ragged, and my heart raced. "Darren killed my dad."
"I know that." Mason rubbed my arms, trying to get me to calm down.
"No, you don’t understand. He killed him again." Tears burned my eyes, threatening to spill over. "He killed Dad in the afterlife."
"You can't die in the afterlife." Mason's low voice was comforting.
"Why would I dream that?" It made no sense. "It wasn't a normal dream. It felt like I was yanked there and made to watch something. Every time I stepped forward; they moved another step away. It was like I was walking in place."
"Did your aunt spray something in your face or something?" A protective growl laced his words.
"What? No." My body stilled. "But my food tasted funny. Do you think ..."
"Yeah, someone had to have messed with you." Mason's fingers tightened on my arm. "Why did you eat it if it tasted off?"
"I figured it was just my nerves." I wanted to add that he had been dead set on it but didn't want to chance him feeling responsible.
"This is getting worse by the minute." Mason's body tensed. "We'll figure out what we need to do in the morning. Right now, we need sleep."
He was right, but I was scared. "Do you think I'll dream it again?"
"No, they're playing mind games with you, and you broke the spell when you woke up." Mason shook his head and kissed my head. "You should be safe now."
"Okay." I was even more exhausted than I had been when I went to sleep. I lowered my body and cuddled into Mason's chest. I needed his protective arms around me even more. If they'd been wanting me to be afraid to sleep, they'd won. If they could get at me even in my head, what was next?
Chapter Six
<
br /> When I woke up the next morning, I found the bed empty. If I didn't know better, I'd think I partied hard last night. My head was pounding; my heart was heavy, and I wanted to barf.
Forcing myself to crawl out of bed, I stood on shaky legs and grabbed my phone, putting it in the pocket of the jumpsuit. I glanced at the mirror and grimaced. I looked like I was on my deathbed. My hair was flat. My skin was pale, and there were dark circles under my eyes. I winced. I either looked sick or like I was on drugs. I wasn't sure which option was the best. I should probably take a shower and change, but I needed caffeine, like, now.
I walked into the den and heard Mason's voice coming from the kitchen. It was low and hushed. "They somehow got something in her food that made her have a nightmare last night." Something loud like his hand hitting the counter echoed into the den. "She had to watch her dad die all over again."
"Something isn't right." Kassie sounded concerned. "This doesn't make any sense. I've never heard of a normal run-of-the-mill witch being able to do all this."
"We've got to figure out who it is." Mona sighed. "Tommy, do you have any ideas?"
"For the first time ever, I don’t." His deep voice was even lower than normal. "It's like we're fighting the air around us. It has to be a witch practicing dark magic."
His words chilled me to the bone.
"You've got an eavesdropper." Ella walked out of the kitchen and pointed at me. "Oh, damn, girl ... Are you okay?"
"What's wrong?" Mason's voice tensed, and I heard his footsteps rushing toward me. As he stepped into the den, he paused. "Oh, baby." He hurried over to me and wrapped me in his arms. "Did you have any more bad dreams? I shouldn't have left you alone."
"No, I just need coffee." I didn't want him to feel like he had to be glued to my side. He may be my mate, but I liked having some air to breathe on my own at times.
"Okay.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me into the kitchen. With his free hand, he pointed to the table. "Go on and sit down. I'll make it for you."
Now that was something I wasn't going to argue with. I was under the watchful eyes of my three main guards as I sat at the table.
"You look like shit." Kassie frowned at me. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were doing a walk of shame right now."
"Thanks. That makes me feel so much better." Sometimes it was better not to say anything at all. I already felt bad enough.
"Wow. Our little princess is grouchy." Mona chuckled even though her brown eyes were full of worry.
"She's coming off a magic high." Louis sat at the end of the table right across from me and shook his head with closed eyes. "I've seen this done to my brother once. He had a rendezvous with a witch and woke up the same way. She'd tried to spell him to get some secrets. Little did she know that he wasn't privy to the information."
"How long did it last?" I'd never felt like this before. Even as a kid, I had never gotten sick due to my shifter half.
"A day or two." Louis frowned. "So at least, the end is in sight."
"That's it. I'm not eating out again." At least, not until this whole thing was over.
"It's for the best." Tommy nodded his head. "We've got to figure out what the hell is going on. I've never felt useless like I do now."
"I think we're all feeling that way." It was as though, no matter what we tried to do, something attacked us without warning.
My cell phone rang, the noise piercing my head. "Oh, damn it."
"You don't have to answer that." Mason placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of me.
It would be nice to ignore it, but when I saw Xavier's name on the caller ID, I had to answer. When one of the main alphas from Chicago called, it wasn’t usually a good thing. "Hello?”
"Queen Elena." It wasn't a question but more a statement of fact.
"Yes, is everything okay?" They normally didn't call randomly like this. We had weekly calls scheduled with the alphas in which we discussed everything.
"I'm not so sure." He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I normally wouldn't feel inclined to call, but after you and your mate did so much for us, I can't not."
My heart dropped. This was going to be bad. "I appreciate it so much. What seems to be the issue?"
"There are some rumblings that some alphas are beginning to conspire to take the crown from you."
"What?" I put the phone on the table and hit SPEAKER. I didn't want to have to repeat this to everyone. "I just put you on speaker. Mason and my close circle are near. It'll make this talk go much smoother."
"Of course, My Queen." He cleared his throat. "Even though you and the king have only been in place for a few months, there is a group of alphas that feel neglected and think that you show favoritism."
"That's bullshit," Mason growled.
"I know. We've informed them of that, but they think it's because we've been visited." He paused. "Your cousin is down there. They're backing him for the crown."
At some point, I had to stop being surprised. "Of course, he is."
"He's promising them things."
"That son of a bitch is going down." Mason placed his hands on my shoulders and began kneading.
"What cities are we talking about?" There was no telling who all were involved.
"Right now, we're talking about Nashville and Atlanta."
Of course, the bigger cities south of us. "Thank you for letting me know." At least, this time we might be ahead of the curve.
"It's an honor." His voice lowered. "If you need any additional support, please don't hesitate to reach out."
"Thank you." I pressed END and grabbed the coffee, taking a sip. Mason had fixed it perfectly with just the right amount of cream and sugar. "Can this get any worse?"
"Well, maybe we can try to pretend we don't know." Ella entered the kitchen and pursed her lips. "They probably don't know that he's called you."
"That's a good point." Louis frowned. "But you need to act on it quickly. The longer he puts those thoughts in their heads, the harder it's going to be to prove otherwise."
"Hopefully, they'll think they have more time to brainwash the packs." Mason nodded his head but leaned over, kissing the top of my head. "But we can wait until you're better."
No, we couldn't. "I love you for that, but, Kassie, please call the pilot, and get us scheduled to leave here in the next two hours."
"Elena." Mason's voice was low, laced with warning.
Fuck that. The longer we waited, the more they could manipulate and mess with me. "There's a bed on the new plane. I'll rest there. It won't make much of a difference anyway." The guards had wanted a new plane with more state of the art security features.
"She's right." Louis forced a sad smile. "The longer you wait, the worse it'll be."
"But she's not well." Mason glanced at Kassie. "Tell them."
"There isn't a right answer." She stood from her spot and took a deep breath. "I'll go make the arrangements."
The last thing I needed was another fight between Mason and me. I stood and turned around to face him. "I promise to sleep on the plane." I was barely able to stand for long; I needed the rest. "And when we get there, you'll be by my side."
His shoulders loosened, and he chewed on his bottom lip. "I don't like this."
"But she's right, and you know it." Ella pointed at her brother. "So let's get ready to go."
"Who said you two are going?" Mona arched an eyebrow and sat back in her seat.
Tommy grinned from ear to ear. "It's rare I get to see this side of her."
"Of course, we're going. We're the fabulous four." Ella shook her head like it was common knowledge.
"No, not this time." The last time we went somewhere, Alec, Mason's best friend, was captured by the vampire prince and held hostage. We almost didn't get him back alive. "I can't deal with anyone else I love getting injured. Just stay here and behave."
"But ..." Ella pouted.
"She's right." Louis turned to her.
"If y
ou say that one more time, I may slap you." Ella leaned forward with a sneer.
"I'll line up some other guards, and we'll get on our way." Tommy stood, and as he headed out the door, Kassie popped her head in.
"They'll be ready in two hours, let's get packing and move." Kassie waved us on. "We're stopping at the Atlanta hub first since it's the busiest and most influential."
That made the most sense. "Okay, let me go at least attempt to look presentable."
"I'm not being left behind." Ella crossed her arms and stood firm. "Every time we split up, something happens to one of us. We're going."
I didn't have the energy to fight. "Fine."
"Woot." She lifted both arms up in the air.
"Come on." Mason took my hand and tugged me to the door.
Within a few seconds, we were back in the bedroom. "You need to shower and lie down. I'll get everything packed and will stay close in case you need me."
That wasn't something I wanted to argue with. I quickly took a shower and got myself at least somewhat presentable. Then, I climbed into bed while listening to the comforting sounds of him near and drifted to sleep.
Arms slipped underneath my neck and my knees, picking me up from the bed. My eyelids began to flutter, but the comforting, earthy scent of Mason surrounded me. I snuggled into his chest some more and could hear his heartbeat pounding in my ear.
"Is it time yet?" I took a deep breath and opened my eyes as we were breezing through the den.
"Yes, everyone is in the car, waiting for us." He smiled at me. "Some of your color is coming back."
Now that he mentioned it, I didn't feel quite as horrid any longer. "I feel a little better."
"Good."
When we made it to the garage, Kassie was holding the door open for us.
Mason placed me gently on the ground, and I climbed in to sit in my usual spot behind the driver. Within seconds, we were pulling out of the garage.
"Have you heard any updates?" There was no telling what I might've missed while napping.
"No, not really." Tommy glanced in the rearview mirror at me. "Which is a good thing. They aren't making waves yet."