1. Arthur

Chapter 1

Arthur

December

1508

" I t's good to have you back. Although I won't say it's a bit disappointing to see you return alone. I had high hopes for Spain," Father said to me. I had to agree though. I had really hoped to find my One while on my travels in Spain. Sadly, nothing. Not even a twinge. I'd spent months there, visiting many different cities, yet I never once found anything more than someone to spend an unfulfilling night with.

"Yes, it was most disappointing. Perhaps next time. There's always Italy, I guess. Or Greece," I said.

"True. We have some new families that have reached out, looking to join us. And there are those few that have reached age while you were gone," Father told me.

Ahh, yes, how could I forget about them? Our coven was small, but I wasn't overly interested in finding my One in someone I'd watched grow up. It would be…odd.

"I'm not sure he's into that idea, love," Dad said. I smiled at my alpha father. He might not be a warlock, but Wallace was a powerful tiger shifter, and he was much more perceptive than many gave him credit for.

"It would be most uncomfortable," I stated.

Father laughed, and Dad gave me a sympathetic look.

"Only until you sensed their aura. Then it wouldn't matter anymore."

I sure hoped he was right if that were the case. "Time will tell, I guess. How has everyone been? I don't mind traveling, but it can become tedious." I wasn't exactly eager to rush off somewhere else anytime soon. I wanted to spend some time here at the inn and reconnect with my family, both birth as well as my coven family.

"That's understandable. Everyone is well. Your dad and I have discussed possibly moving the coven."

We all knew this was coming. We'd been here a long time, and there were those in the nearby village who had started to ask questions again. Others were overly concerned about so many men living together without an equal number of females.

"I'll do whatever it is you need for support." I would. Not only was I my fathers' firstborn, but I knew one day, I would be running the coven. It had already been discussed. Thankfully, there was no rush, despite my years.

"I'd expect nothing less. Now, tell me, do you think it's possible you'll find your One in one of our younger members?" Father asked.

I sat back and thought about the question. Did I? No. The only younger member of our coven that I had been even remotely drawn to had been Patrick. He'd been utterly beautiful with his blond hair and crystal-blue eyes. There was simply something striking about him that had always caught my attention, despite my attempts to ignore my thoughts of him. He had been completely off-limits because he was entirely too young, which made my thoughts of the younger warlock questionable. The last I'd seen of Patrick, he was just turning seventeen, and his parents had decided to move away.

"No. I'm sorry. It's not to say I won't find my One in someone here now. But the coven isn't overly large. Wouldn't I have sensed them by now?" I said instead.

"Yes. One would believe so. Perhaps you'll have better luck with new members. There truly is no rush on our part, you realize that, correct?" Father said.

I nodded. They'd been mated for several hundred years already, and although I wasn't what some would consider old by warlock standards, I was tired of being alone. I wanted someone for longer than a night.

"Yes. I understand. But I'm ready to start that part of my life if at all possible. I can be patient though. It's not as if I don't have any choice in the matter."

"I know it's frustrating to wait. If I could help, I would. But Primrose has gone quiet," Father said.

I smiled while shaking my head. If you were a goddess, you could ignore people, even warlocks you'd created, whenever the mood struck.

"It's quite all right. If you two will excuse me, I believe I'll have a walk on the grounds before I retire for the evening." I got up from my seat and left the front room of the inn that we used as our coven house. It was where I'd been born several hundred years ago. We'd updated and had added to it over the centuries. But I understood Father and Dad's concern with regards to our safety. The safety of those in the coven had always been one of Father's biggest concerns, even before he found Dad and they had me.

Above all, we had to remain safe. Granted, we were more powerful than humans and could easily overpower them if needed, but that wasn't the way we chose to live. We wanted to live alongside them peacefully. We did our best to blend in, going as far as only using our magic when absolutely necessary.

I left the inn and headed toward what used to be one of my favorite spots. We had a small brook that ran behind the main house, and there were several places that were perfect for sitting and reflecting. I'd done a lot of that. As their firstborn, I knew from a young age there were expectations of me that any other children wouldn't have. That was an issue though. I only wanted to make my fathers proud.

I had done everything I could to ensure that I never disappointed them. I listened to Father intently when he was trying to explain the magic that coursed through my body. I studied until I fell asleep from exhaustion. I went to the others in the coven and learned everything I could from them. I was what most would classify as an overachiever. But my efforts had paid off, and I was a powerful warlock in my own right.

Now, if I could only find my One, someone I could spend the rest of my lifetime with and start a family with. I wanted that. I longed for someone to spend long winter nights with. My other half who would give me sweet smiles. Someone to have a family with.

I wandered around the property a little before heading toward the stream. I'd spent many summers playing in the area, often using the calm waters to cool down when the summer became too warm. This time of night, I expected to be completely alone, but I sensed another presence before I arrived at the brook. Never did I expect to see the utterly beautiful woman that was there, but I knew who she was before she turned to look at me. Who else would have a glow around her other than my father's creator?

"Arthur, you've turned into such a handsome warlock. Please come."

I bowed slightly, not quite sure what the proper etiquette was when talking to a goddess. I'd seen her from afar before, but never had she come to talk to me personally. I had assumed she only talked to Father, but apparently, that wasn't the case.

"How may I be of service, Goddess?" I asked, still not looking up from where I was bowed.

"I see Edison has told you who I am. You may rise. There's no need for such formality."

I offered a small smile while tipping my head toward her. "Father has indeed let us know who you were. But even if he hadn't, it is difficult to not know when one has a certain glowing presence about them."

"Touché. Very well, then. I'll get to my reason for being here."

"If you require my services, Goddess, you only need say so." I would never deny her. It simply wasn't something you did.

"Hmm, yes. Very much like Edison," she sighed. "I had hoped that Wallace would lighten him up a bit, but it would appear not if you are just as formal as he is. I'll have to drop in and see him after we're through. I'm here regarding your One, Arthur."

She had my complete attention in an instant. She had news of my One? She had come to tell me who my forever love was? "My One. Are they okay?" I asked.

"He is. For now, but he's going to need you very soon."

"He?" I was being matched with a male? Personally, I thought that was wonderful news, but I would have been just as happy with a female One. I would never be so picky when it came to someone who was supposed to be my absolute perfect match.

"He, yes. You need to go to Switzerland and rescue your One. His parents, I'm afraid, there are some issues with them, and they're trying to force a pairing with a young female that simply isn't for him. Sadly, it won't end well with his parents. They will need to be dealt with, unfortunately, or they will continue to cause issues for not only you but him."

"Meaning I'm to kill my One's parents?" Would he ever forgive me for such a thing?

The goddess looked at me with a sad expression on her face. "No. That task isn't yours to bear. But your One will need you immensely after."

That was completely understandable. "Very well. Am I to get more to go on other than Switzerland? Or do I just magick in from place to place until I feel his presence?"

"Your One is at the northern point of a lake, where he's been since his parents moved there when he was younger. Go without haste. I'll have your fathers following shortly."

The clearing was suddenly inky when the goddess left, taking the light that was with her. Switzerland. It was the middle of the winter, and I was headed to Switzerland. Winters were much milder in England, but Switzerland was going to be cold. With that thought in mind, I had myself bundled against what I knew would be breath-stealing temperatures.

I teleported myself to Switzerland and found myself on the shore of a frozen lake. The dim lights of Zürich were easy enough to see, but I figured I'd have a time of it locating my One. At least I knew two things: my One was male, something that was a relief as I found much more enjoyment with male relations than I did those of females, and I knew my One was at the northern point of a lake. That perfectly described the location of Zürich. That was more than some had to go with, so I was thankful for that.

A quick glance around, followed by a slight expense of magic to feel for others, told me that everyone else had enough sense to not be out in the bitterly cold weather like I was. I teleported to the edge of town, just outside where I could feel the aura of others. I didn't want to take any chances in someone seeing me, but now that I was here, there was a pressure in my chest, pushing me to locate my One.

"Where are you?" I whispered as I started walking down the narrow street. I felt nothing from my One, which told me I was on the wrong side of town. I had no real plan, other than to walk from one end to the other and back until I located the man that was mine.

It wasn't until I had reached over the halfway point that I started to sense something. More aptly put, my aura started to vibrate. That was a sure sign that my One was somewhere nearby. I knew he wasn't in the direction I'd come, but was he ahead of me? Or to my left or right? Which way did I need to go? I figured there was only one way to find out, so I continued on straight ahead.

A block later told me that I'd chosen poorly when the vibrations I'd started to feel had dissipated. This caused me to turn around and backtrack to where I'd first started sensing them. He was here somewhere. I knew it. The goddess had even said so. But now that I'd gotten a slight sense of him, I was even more determined to locate my One.

I went back to the direction I'd come from, and when I started sensing him again, I stopped. I was certain I looked like I'd gone mad, standing there in the middle of the street during the icy night, but I needed to call upon my own senses and see what they were telling me.

When I concentrated and listened to my aura, it told me to go right. I walked in that direction and wanted to weep with joy when the vibrations steadily became stronger. My One was here. He was in a house somewhere in the area, and I was getting closer to him.

I opened myself up to what was going on around me, and my senses took me down a dark passageway. Not something I was overly concerned about since the vibrations just continued to increase in strength. My One was down the walkway, therefore I, too, would go down it.

I discovered that the passageway led me to a tavern, and I didn't hesitate to enter through the door. I was met by the scent of stale ale and unwashed bodies, but I would not let that deter me. I glanced around, looking for an open seat, and I finally located one off to the left side. I squeezed into the chair and sat there, waiting.

He was here. My One was in this tavern somewhere. Was he behind the bar? In the back? Upstairs? One of the other patrons here? I wasn't sure, but that wasn't the biggest concern. Was he human? I should have thought to ask the goddess. Then again, from past experiences that Father had with her, there was no guarantee that she would be forthcoming with more information.

What she had said was that my One was here, as he had been since his parents had moved here. He needed me, and his parents were going to be an issue. Issue in what way? Were they going to stop us from being together? Most frowned upon two men together. It simply wasn't done. Would we face those issues? Most likely.

I had more questions than answers, and I knew I wouldn't get any answers until I located my One. But how did I go about that? I didn't even have a name to ask for. Darn goddesses and their helpful yet unhelpful ways.

I ordered an ale when the young lady came and asked. Her gaze lingered just a little long for my liking, and I kicked myself for not changing into something a little less nice before I rushed off in search of my One. Nothing could be done about that now. I was simply here to locate my One and see if I could determine how difficult it was going to be to convince him that we were meant to be together.

The door opening drew my attention, and I fought a smile when my fathers entered the tavern. Very well. The goddess obviously had followed through and sent them along with me. Did that mean they were the ones who would be dealing with my One's parents? I still had more questions than anything.

I was a bit surprised when they joined me at the small table, but I completely focused on Father when he pursed his lips.

"Did she tell you who?" Father asked.

"No."

"Where?" he questioned.

I shook my head. "She said at the point on the lake. I took that to mean Zürich. I used my own senses to lead myself here to the tavern. My body is vibrating so much it's becoming painful already. He's here somewhere."

"Want me to look upstairs?" Dad asked.

"No. I'll locate him. Did she say anything to you at all?" I asked.

"Yes. It seems that we'll be dealing with a familiar face," Father said as he slowly stood up. I turned in my seat, trying to see what he did, but I couldn't without drawing more attention to our table.

"Be right back," Father said, and then he rushed off into the crowd of people. I looked to Dad and wondered how he dealt with Father at times.

"Should we be concerned?" I asked.

"Doubtful. Are ye excited? Yer to have yer One soon."

I took a deep breath and wished I hadn't. The stench in the room was overwhelming. "It's an exciting thought, yes. Do you think I'll have an easy time of it?" I asked Dad. He might have been an immensely powerful tiger shifter, but he was very levelheaded and often had been who I or my brother, George, had gone to when we were in need of advice.

"I think ye two will have no issues whatsoever," Dad said and nudged his head in the direction that Father had gone. I turned my head just in time to see a very familiar head of blond hair come into view. I'd spent more time dreaming about that blond hair than I cared to admit. He was so much younger than I was.

"Patrick," I whispered. His eyes widened before they filled with a sadness that I couldn't understand. Was he truly unhappy to see me? I had only ever been kind to him, despite his parents. They weren't the nicest people, and there had been many issues with them over the years they were with our coven. But I had thought that Patrick was always the sweetest and kindest, despite who his parents were. That didn't explain why he was unhappy to see me.