Her words elicited a different wave of emotions inside me. I had no words… so I kissed her. My lips closed over hers, lingering as I yearned to feel the relief I needed from her. It never came, and I feared I would never truly find it.
When I pulled away, Sarah’s lips curved into a smile and as she hugged me, my gaze shifted to the doors that led into the house. Zelin stood on the other side of the glass, cold eyes focused on me while her hands fisted at her sides.
Our eyes met, and without a word she turned around, and left.
I stood, startled by her behavior, taking Sarah with me.
“Is everything okay?” she asked confused, as unease grew in me.
“Yes, I’m sorry. I just remembered we have an engagement tonight. I’m sorry. I wish we could hang out longer, but I’ll need to start getting ready soon.”
“Don’t worry. I should be going home too. Thanks for inviting me here today. I loved spending time with you and your family.”
“We loved having you here. You are one of the guys now.”
She grinned.
I led her back into the house, where Len offered to drive her home.
My steps took me to Zelin’s room, and I faltered as I found the door crookedly hanging from its hinges. Pieces of broken plaster had fallen to the floor, and I wasn’t sure what had caused her to slam the door so hard that she had nearly destroyed it.
Walking into the room I found her staring out the window, her back to me. I didn’t need to see her face to know she was hurting, her pain flowed through me.
“Zelin, I…” my words faltered as she whirled around and her glistening eyes focused on mine.
“You are not alone, you hear me,” she barked at me, and the blood drained from my face. “You will never have to go through anything alone. You have me. I am yours. I was born for you, Gustav. You’ll always have me.”
Her words were clipped, filled with rage even as a tear fell from her full lashes and slowly slid down her cheek, slicing through me.
Shock rendered me speechless. I had never seen Zelin cry.
Eisen Ritters weren’t born like the rest of us. They were sent here by the Great Moon to protect the Moon Prince or Princess. Zelin had been created only for me. Her soul split with mine so we would forever be connected. She wasn’t born to love, or to mate. Her life mission was to protect me. A mission that would end the day I died.
When my heart stopped beating, so would hers.
Her every word was true. She was mine.
My form blurred and I appeared before her in a split second, pulling her into my arms. “I’m sorry, Z. That is not what I meant,” I defended, knowing she had heard my conversation with Sarah.
Zelin’s hands connected with my chest, pushing me away, and forcing me to stagger back a few steps.
“You can talk to me about how you feel. You say no one understands, but I do. I understand you, Gustav. I am always with you in every way. Just because I can feel your emotions, it doesn’t mean you can’t to talk to me about them. Don’t close yourself to me.”
Another tear escaped her, but she didn’t bother to wipe it away.
“Do you know how hard it is for me to know you are hurting, but you won’t even tell me what it is? It’s like we are apart all over again.”
I rushed to her again and held her tightly to me, using my enhanced strength to keep her in place, in my embrace.
“I’m so sorry, Z. My words weren’t meant that way,” I whispered into her ear as her emotions coursed through me. My arms tightened around her even more, cradling her to my chest. “Please forgive me for being so careless. You are everything I have.”
Her gaze met mine as she lifted her head from my chest, and my eyes bore into hers.
“You mean so much to me, Zelin. Feeling you connected to me was the only thing that helped me through the time spent with those monsters, even when I hadn’t met you yet. Feeling you then gave me strength, and knowing I have you gives me strength now. I could never have come here without you. I need you just as much as you need me. You are mine.”
My thumb gently brushed the tears off her cheek.
“I’m sorry.”
Her arms wound around me, accepting my apology, and my heart slammed against my chest, as did hers. Our need mixed together as raw energy rushed inside us, and I realized for the first time how truly powerful our connection to each other was.
Regardless of the turns our lives took, Zelin was mine, and I was hers.
5
Our SUVs stopped in front of the Alpha Supreme’s mansion later that night; taking us to the party he was throwing in our honor.
I wasn’t much for formality, but if I had learned one thing from Uncle Axel, was that diplomacy in our race was important. He was a very tactful man, and had an uncanny skill for negotiations. He made sure to instill that in me, especially after the way I was raised the first years of my life.
We might be wolf shifters, but that didn’t make us animals. Pack diplomacy was crucial, as it was essential for building lasting relationships between the leaders of our race. Being the Moon Prince set me above the other Alphas, but regardless of that, I was now in another Alpha’s territory.
It was imperative I played nice.
“We are only as strong as we make each other,” was my uncle’s motto, and I strived to live by that rule.
The valet set outside the main entrance opened the doors for us, and Zelin stepped out before I could. Her hand rested on the hilt of the silver sword, as she performed a 360 inspection on the area.
Bottomless onyx eyes stared into mine as she turned around, straightening before me. She was dressed in her royal Eisen Ritter uniform, which consisted of a fitted military suit in a burgundy-red fabric with gold buttons, and golden stripes on the neck and cuffs of her sleeves, accentuating the outfit. It resembled something worn in the old kingdoms, but with a modern touch.
The suit was fitted to her form as though it had been sewn on top of her, molding to her female body flawlessly, and accentuating her every curve. A small red cape hung sideways from one of her shoulders, golden cords highlighting the edges, and the ReinheitWölfe crest was proudly stitched on the left breast of the jacket, over her heart.
Her scary-looking sheathed sword hung from her hip, emphasizing once again her fierce character. Tonight, Zelin was in full warrior mode. Unlike earlier this evening, not an ounce of emotion could be found in her. Her senses were sharp, her gaze alert, and her mind focused on only one thing—protecting her charge.
With her nod of approval, I stepped down from the vehicle. My crown slightly bumped against the roof of the car when I failed to lower my head enough to avoid it, and I growled internally. I hated that thing.
The pristine suit I wore clung to my muscular form, tailored specially for me. The jacket was burgundy-red like Zelin’s uniform, but only the jacket. It had a wide golden neckline, gold long cuffs on the sleeves, and golden braids over the shoulders.
Black pants completed my outfit with gold and wine-red stripes on the outside of each leg. Honorary medals grazed the left breast of my suit, awarded during my training with the royal army. They were placed above the ReinheitWölfe crest embroidered on the jacket, and finally, the gold crown I wore on my head.
Normally, the Moon Prince crown held a moonstone in the shape of a teardrop on its center, gifted by the Great Moon to enhance our powers, and essence, but the stone was passed down through generations, and it currently sat on top of my mom’s crown. The queen’s crown.
The guards outside the mansion fell to one knee the second their eyes found me, and Zelin took her place at my side. Behind us, Ms. Elizabeth accepted Audrick’s offered arm, giving him a coy smile while he handsomely smiled at her, and they began to walk up the stairs after us. The twelve knights flanked us.
“This is a formal welcome to the ReinheitWölfe Prince to Chicago. They are doing this to be nice with you, baby, so it requires absolute propriety from you and everyone else. Make sure th
e knights behave and stop complaining… Give a kiss to Zelin for me. Love you.”
I could hear my mom’s words as though she was still talking to me through our bond.
Two guards stationed at the entrance, bowed, opening the large wooden and glass carved doors for us. A tall, slender man with brown hair and blue eyes greeted us, motioning us inside. He was dressed in a tuxedo uniform, like a butler.
“This way, Your Majesty. Eisen Ritter,” he bowed to Zelin and I, and then began to guide us through the home.
The sound of our shoes hitting the marble floors resounded along the hall as we walked, and I silently wondered if everyone here was a shifter, or if Walter had trusted a few close humans with our secret.
“They all are,” Zelin sent into my mind, hearing the echo of my question in hers through our link.
We followed the man until we entered a wide hallway, and Walter came out to greet us. His blue eyes filled with awe, respect and pride as they fell on us. “My prince, Iron Knight, welcome to my home. I can’t express what a distinguished honor it is to have you here.”
He offered us a full bow, making me uncomfortable once again. Hadn’t we already gone through this? It felt strange to have him treat me this way after we had agreed to be informal with each other. I wasn’t used to royal politics.
“You have an incredible home,” I answered honestly, appreciating the Mediterranean style mansion. “Thank you for the invitation.”
“My pleasure. Shall we? My guests are anxious to meet you.”
Two more men opened the doors before us at his command, to reveal a ballroom. The large open space had the same Mediterranean elements the rest of the house possessed. With warm tones, ornate plaster moldings, elegant wooden furniture, and luxurious fabrics, it seemed as though the estate had been hand plucked from Italy—like a monopoly piece—and set in Chicago.
It had definitely been designed and built specifically for Walter, and it took one look at his wife to know why.
I wasn’t sure what it was about the woman, but it was evident she was Italian as she walked in an elegant bronze gown towards us. She looked like a young Sophia Loren, which I only knew because she was a favorite of my grand uncle, Eginhard. He watched her movies all the time back at the castle.
We stepped into the ballroom just as the woman reached us, brown eyes twinkling with excitement and wonder while she curtsied.
“Mio principe, che piacere incontrarti”—My prince, what a pleasure to meet you, she graciously welcomed with a smile. “Eisen Ritter,” she curtsied to Zelin too, who offered her a polite head bow, remaining silent.
“This is my wife, Francesca, from the Sicilian pack,” Walter introduced.
“Il piacere è tutto mio”— the pleasure is all mine, I answered. Reaching for her hand, I brought it to my lips, placing a kiss on her gloved fingers. “Thank you for having us tonight. You have a beautiful home.” My gaze shifted to Walter. “And a gorgeous wife, if I may say.”
Francesca giggled; blushing, and her husband chuckled at her reaction. His eyes beamed with pride. “Of course you may. It’s the truth.”
He grinned at her, caressing her cheek tenderly and her blush deepened. It was clear their love was true.
“We met five years ago, when my son and I vacationed in Italy. I ended up visiting with the Sicilian Alpha Supreme, and met his sister. Little did I know, I had just found the mate with whom I would spend the rest of my existence. It was love at first sight. Before my trip was over, we had claimed each other and mated.”
The story brought a smile to my face. “I’m glad you found each other. Do you have any children together?”
“Not yet,” she answered candidly. “But soon, Goddess willing. We wanted to take a few years to enjoy ourselves as mates, before taking the next step.”
“My prior mate, Madeleine, passed away twelve years ago,” Walter offered. “It hit my son and I very hard for a while. His mother died at the hand of the Hunters.”
My chest constricted at the news. Yet another reminder of the plague the Hunter organization had truly been, and how many innocent shifter lives they had ended simply because we were different, and they were afraid of what they couldn’t understand.
Unfortunately that was a human trait we couldn’t ignore, and the reason why we could never allow any other human to find out about our race ever again. I was relieved my parents had finally eradicated the Hunters from this earth.
“I’m so truly sorry to hear of your loss,” I offered sincerely. “I hope she’s found peace with our Great Moon.”
A second mating wasn’t common for our race, because the pain of losing a mate was debilitating, but for those who succeeded in becoming even stronger and daring to live again, it was a blessing.
Walter was a noble man; that was clear from the moment I had met him. I was sincerely happy he had found a second chance. Zelin’s eyes connected with mine, and the gleam in them told me she shared the sentiment.
“I’m know our Great Moon has blessed your love, but I still wish you all the happiness you deserve together,” I offered, genuinely wishing them the best, and reached for the Alpha Supreme’s cheek.
With the words, the energy awoke inside me, and my essence flowed into him. Walter’s eyes glowed blue as he received my energy, and he took in a sharp breath with the feeling, just as his wife gasped in surprise. Smiling, I reached for her too, cradling her cheek, and infusing a part of my essence into her as well.
The room fell eerily silent as the guests noticed our arrival, but no one moved a muscle while they witnessed my gift.
Shock and reverence remained in Walter and Francesca’s eyes, even as my essence left them, and the blue light faded from their irises. They had never experienced that because they had never met my mother, or I before, and we were the only ones who could offer such peace.
Walter grinned, finally coming out of the haze. “Gustav Von Reinheit,” he announced loudly. “Our Moon Prince.”
Turning to face the crowd gathered there tonight, I noticed the men and women begin to move towards me—like moths drawn to a bright flame. As they got closer, their eyes began to spark blue—wanting to alight like Walter’s had done—in response to the power they sensed alive in me.
Because I didn’t possess the Moonstone, I couldn’t share my essence with all of them at once, so I reached for them, briefly touching their hands, shoulders, and cheeks as I moved through the multitude. Zelin walked by my side.
One by one they fell to their knees before me, until the whole room was at my feet, and my command. The sea of glowing eyes that surrounded us receded when I closed my essence to them, and the guests stood once again. Some smiled with glistening eyes, while others let the tears slide down their faces and applause filled the air.
The experience was humbling, and frightening. No one except the queen should hold that kind of power over a shifter. The pack welcomed me like I had seen many welcome her, except she was every bit worthy of that praise.
I wasn’t quite sure I was.
* * *
The party went smoothly as I was introduced to the families and leaders of the Chicago pack. Audrick and Ms. Elizabeth seemed to be having a good time as they mingled with the others, and danced together, especially after her dream of meeting Walter came true. She swooned so hard when Walter smiled at her, Audrick had to hold her arm in case she fainted.
People were still arriving to the party, though, and I was happy to find out how pleasant and kind they all were. This was my favorite part, spending time with them, one on one, and seeing who they really were aside from their titles, or lack thereof.
It was so interesting to learn what they had each been through during their time here, with the Hunters, or integrating themselves into society more openly, and without fear once the enemy was gone.
Unlike our kingdom in Germany—where every citizen was a shifter—the rest of our race around the world had lived on the brink of fear and secrecy, trying to protect humans while
staying in the shadows—overlooked and insignificant, even when they were neighbors or colleagues.
Although our race still had to remain secret to humans, now they were able to peaceably live among them, befriend them, go to school with them, be their lawyers or doctors without the fear of being prosecuted.
“It is such an honor to have you here, Your Majesty. Honestly, I never thought we get the pleasure of meeting a member of the royal family here in our lands,” Konrad Larson, the Illinois Alpha Chancellor admitted. He stood next to Ronald Becker, the Alpha Mayor, Friedrich Meyer, the Alpha Justice Chief and their mates.
They lifted their glasses to us, taking another sip of champagne while Zelin’s keen eyes dutifully roamed the room. Though it was a pleasure to meet them, I wanted to go back to talking to the regular shifters, their lives and experiences here. I felt more comfortable with them that I did with the Alphas.
“Gustav,” I reminded them, taking an appetizer from the server’s tray. “It’s an honor for me too. Everyone has been amazing.”
“We are privileged to meet you as well, Iron Knight. I never though I’d have the pleasure to meet one of your kind in my lifetime,” the Alpha Justice Chief confessed. The others agreed.
Zelin smiled politely, accepting the compliment. “Likewise, Justice Chief.”
I handed an appetizer to her, giving her a wide grin, and she took a bite, but not without narrowing her eyes at me. She knew I was sweetening her up, to make up for putting my foot so far down my throat earlier that it had almost come out of my ass.
I handed her a glass of champagne too, taking the empty one from her hands and her lips twitched in amusement. The Alphas around us chuckled at our unusual behavior.
“What an honor, Your Majesty.”
The loud greeting came from behind me and I repressed a grunt. Gustav, my name was Gustav. If I heard someone call me that one more time… sigh. Keeping my cool, I faced the newcomer, and shock immediately rendered me speechless.
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