Chapter Forty

Ibarely sleep that night, excitement and worry warring within me and filling my veins with adrenaline that makes it impossible to calm down enough to rest. In the morning, I’m awake, washed, dressed, and ready to go before Leisel even wakes up. Once my little sister awakens, I eat breakfast with her before heading down to the library where I agreed with Wyatt I’d meet him and Camden. The witches are due here within the hour, and the closer it gets to their arrival, the more amped up I feel.

As expected, Camden and Wyatt are both waiting for us outside the library. They appear to be in a tense, not altogether friendly conversation, whispering to each other in harsh tones. Perhaps they’re more concerned about the witches’ visit than they’ve let on. As soon as Camden glimpses my approach with Leisel, he straightens, slaps Wyatt on the back a little too harshly, and gives me a smile.

I haven’t seen him since the morning after we had sex, and I’ll admit, I’ve been keen on avoiding him because I don’t know how to approach him after how I acted. I’m embarrassed by how I literally tore at his clothes like an animal. I suspect the full moon had some sort of mythical effect on both of us—something that Camden probably knew in advance and neglected to tell me. At this point, I’m growing used to his clever way of navigating our situation, so while I should be mad…I realize it truly was only a matter of time before we had sex and he marked me.

The strengthening of our bond becomes patently clear when the simple act of making eye contact with him lights up my body. Strangely, I’m not lit up with lust this time—more so an eagerness to be near him, to be touching him even if it’s not in a sexual way. There’s a strange force within me that’s yearning to simply be close to him which startles me. I expected that my lust would be on overdrive around him since we consummated. Instead, it seems that consummation settled the part of me that was constantly wanting Camden that way and has opened up another side that simply wants him.

“Good morning,” Camden tells me as I approach, his smile brightening. “Are you ready for the meeting?”

I inhale a deep breath and nod. “Wyatt and I spent last night perfecting the treaty we’ll present them with.”

The proposal we sent via liaison was meant to dangle certain incentives that would bring witches to the table; the goal today is to actually get into the nitty-gritty of negotiations and get all of our signatures on a piece of paper that will bind shifters and witches together. Not only as allies for upcoming wars but as two species that will start to intermix and intermingle, creating a cohesive continent and showing the rest of the world that such things are possible; different species can work together.

“I read over it before coming down here—it looks great. Mutually beneficial, articulately worded, and something you should be proud of,” Camden says.

I feel a flush of pride as he praises me, more so than I have in the past. Partially because of our strengthened bond, but also because I put my heart and soul into the treaty. Not only will it bind the wolf-shifter nation with witches, I also wrote in aspects that are guaranteed to help humans—amendments that prioritize giving aid to human villages scattered around this continent, aid that will be the first step in making it possible for humans to lead lives that aren’t drowned in poverty and difficulties.

“Thank you,” I murmur.

I’m surprised when Leisel releases my hand and wanders over to Wyatt, telling him, “You were right about Grimm’s Fairytales, they’re awesome.”

Wyatt blinks down at my little sister, also looking surprised at her initiating conversation without prompting or first checking with me.

A small grin forms on his lips. “Don’t tell me you’ve made your way through all the books you’ve borrowed already?”

Leisel rolls her eyes. “Of course I have. I got those books ages ago.”

Wyatt’s eyebrows rise as he squats down to eye level with Leisel. “You got those books a week ago. You’re a fast reader, huh?”

Leisel nods. “Mm-hmm. I get it from Sierra, I think. She reads, like, a million books a week.”

Camden steps closer to me as our siblings continue to chat, murmuring, “They seem to be getting on well, and you no longer look pale as a sheet every time they interact.”

I lift a shoulder. “I’ve gotten to know Wyatt a bit better, and he’s surprised me. He’s very intelligent and forward-thinking, definitely an asset to shifters.”

Camden lets out a soft snort. “He’ll be the first to agree with you.”

A guard rounds the end of the hallway, bowing his head before saying, “Three witches have arrived on the property, Your Majesties. They’re being escorted into the entrance hall as we speak.”

Leisel bounces on her toes with eagerness—she’s been brimming with excitement ever since I told her we’ll be meeting with fellow witches earlier in the week. Wyatt stands to his full height, rolling his head to crack his neck.

Camden says to me, “This treaty will be your triumph if it goes through, so I’m leaving you in charge of negotiations. You’ve already proven to be a far more capable diplomat than me; I’ll just be there for support.”

That warms my heart. The trust he’s showing in not only me but my capabilities, makes my defenses against him crumble a little more. He could take credit for my hard work—nobody would stop him—instead, he’s choosing to push me into the spotlight.

“Thank you. I won’t let you down,” I respond quietly.

“I know you won’t,” he responds easily.

I take Leisel’s hand, following the guard down several halls, three sets of staircases, and into the entrance hall of the castle. It’s a grand hall decorated with light marble boasting a high ceiling with a glass dome top, letting in rays of morning sunlight. Stationed at the entrances of the room and on either side of the grand staircase are pack warriors, dressed in formal blue clothing indicating that they’re members of the King’s personal guard—a tidbit I learned from Wyatt a few days ago.

Three figures stand in the center of the entrance hall. A striking image with the sun haloing them, they appear almost ethereal in both beauty and power.

At the front stands a woman who appears to be in her late twenties, with long loosely curled raven-black hair, steel gray eyes, and golden skin. I can feel the magic coming off her; it’s startlingly powerful, almost worryingly so. She’s a similar height to me, and while nothing about her physical appearance is intimidating, sensing the strength of her magic is all I need to know I would not want to be on the opposite side of a battlefield from her.

Slightly behind her and to the right stands a taller, more imposing witch, with almost as much magic radiating off her as the one in front. Somewhere in the vicinity of five-seven, this witch has long platinum-blonde hair, and vivid hazel eyes that, on second glance, are made up of green and yellow with flecks of mocha and gray. She looks like she’s sizing every shifter in the room up, as if preparing to take them down in case things go sideways.

To the left of her is a woman who looks like a pixie—she can’t be much more than five feet tall, and she has the stereotypical red hair and vivid green eyes that old books associate with witches. The magic coming off her is particularly interesting because it feels like heat of some sort, calling to me in a way I’ve never experienced.

“My name is Camden Kent,” Camden says, “I’m Alpha of the Rockwell Pack and acting monarch overseeing all shifters. On behalf of my kind, I’d like to welcome you to Kinrith. We’re honored by your presence here.”

The witches all give him brief, dismissive glances, before turning their gazes on Leisel and me. The tall blonde gives me a long look up and down once she’s done staring at the wolves surrounding me like they’re her next kill and says, “I thought you’d be taller.”

The one in front shushes her. “Please excuse Reyna, she skipped the manual on manners in childhood. I’m assuming you’re the famous Sierra?”

Famous?“I’m not sure about famous, but I am the only Sierra I know.” I draw Leisel closer to me as she watches the other witches with wide-eyed wonder like they’re mythical unicorns. “This is my younger sister, Leisel.”

The dark-haired witch smiles, showcasing a perfect set of pearly-white teeth. “It’s very nice to meet you both, and good to see you’ve been kept in good health. My name is Odelia, I’m the high priestess of the Nightshade Coven.” She uses a hand to motion to the blonde witch. “This is Reyna, first Elder, and to my left is Claire, second Elder of the coven. We thank you for extending an invite.”

Reyna gives her a startled glance. “We do?”

Claire, tone coated in exasperation, mutters, “Can you try to be polite for thirty seconds?”

Reyna blinks at Claire, looking genuinely confused. “But why would we be thankful for being invited to shifter land? I still maintain we should’ve made them come to us. Those two witches look fine, and the Alpha and Beta are keeping their expressions blank, but every other wolf we’ve passed looked like they wanted to either bite us or burn us at the stake.”

Interesting. I haven’t asked anyone in the palace what the popular opinion is among shifters regarding allying with witches, whom they historically avoid, but if it’s more negative than positive, that means there will need to be some serious PR work to avoid protests and riots.

Odelia goes on as if Reyna hadn’t spoken, directing her words to me. “I assume you were the one who drew up the proposal brought to us? I sensed strong magic from the writing itself.”

I straighten my back. Time to stand behind my politics. With a nod, I say, “I was. The Beta, Wyatt, was of great help.”

Wyatt has been surprisingly helpful throughout our project. His insight has been nothing short of integral, and his perspective and knowledge of mythic history combined with my perspective and knowledge of human history is what made our proposal so solid and worthy of the witches’ attention.

Odelia nods. “Well, then, why don’t we get to it? Your proposal outlined a potential alliance and treaty that would benefit both sides greatly. I’m eager to discuss.”

“Please, follow us,” Camden responds.

Greta steps out of a corridor where she must’ve been waiting, and says, “I can take the young Princess back to her chambers.”

I look down at Leisel to gauge her reaction. The conversations with the witches will probably be graphic since we’ll need to discuss the war with vampires that is set to break out at any moment, and I don’t want to draw her into the darker part of the world we live in any more than I already have.

“I have to go do my morning lessons,” she tells me. “Will you read to me before bed tonight?”

I lean down to kiss the crown of her head, telling her, “Of course, sweet girl. Go on, now, and try not to give your tutor too much trouble.” Apparently, my little sister has a tendency to correct the castle tutors and get into arguments with them over particular things—a combative trait she probably got from me.

I watch as Greta whisks Leisel away, then join Camden as he leads the witches up the staircase toward the room where we’ll be holding official negotiations. The space is situated in a wing of the castle I haven’t explored yet, with dark wooden walls and polished stone flooring. A rectangular table is set up in the center of the room, large enough to seat ten people, with ten accompanying cushioned chairs. On the table is a tray with a water jug and several crystal glasses, along with a stack of papers—the official treaty I hope to get signed today.

Camden takes a seat at the head of the table, I stand behind my chair to his right, and Wyatt sits to his left. Odelia seats herself at the other end of the table, with Claire on her left and Reyna slouching in the seat to her right. It doesn’t take a genius to tell that Reyna is the least excited about their visit here, but it seems that Odelia has the final say, so she’s the person I’ll have to appeal to most.

I pick up the treaty with all the terms and amendments outlined from the center of the table and toss two copies in front of Camden and Wyatt. I then walk over to the other end of the table, setting copies in front of Odelia, Reyna, and Claire.

I return to my seat, smooth down my blouse, and say, “Let’s get started, shall we?”