Chapter 22

I wish I could say I stood in that peaceful bliss, but that was asking for too much. My morning started with Kaydian pacing my tiny room. The white shirt she ditched last night strained against her curves. Her hair was in her favorite bun with the tip of her nose and ears red. Although we barely knew each other, I’ve learned enough of her ticks.

“Shit, Shit, SHIT!” she muttered.

The old bed creaked when I sat on the edge of the bed, causing Kaydian to notice I was awake. Her eyes widened as if the hounds of the afterworld were chasing her. The fragmented magic cruised through my veins, causing my heart to thump against my chest. My wolf was no better, as he sensed our mate's distress. A sickly sweet floral filled the tiny room, a blaring contrast from last night.

“What’s wrong, Kay?” I asked. “Would you stop pacing the floor? You’re making me nervous!”

“I used my magic to help heal you…”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry. Look, we can’t think about that right now. If something happens, it happens.” I said, as my shoulder tightened. Even having to think about magic will take years for me to get used to, but now that I could have caused the same witches to find us has my heart sputtering in my chest. Shit! What if they come and finish us?

She exhaled heavily as she plopped down onto the bed. Her tiny foot shook the bed until I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed air and time to think about what I would tell Oni. Leaping up from the bed, I grabbed the buckets for us. It will give me enough time to think about our situation.

The sun was glaring in the sky as I stepped out of my home and went to the hose. Hawk and I shared, filling up the bucket as I thought about Kaydian. Surely, a common witch wouldn’t be in much trouble. If they ban her from the coven, she will be free to live with us. It would be an adjustment since Oni had all but turned everyone against her. I would have to speak with my párah before we complete the ritual. Bad blood always had a way of clinging onto your soul like a demon, and I never wanted that bad omen.

“Swiftwater!”

Elder Alo shouted as I hoisted the four buckets in my hands. His eyes were wide like the phoenix pendant he wore, and his mouth was set in a thin line.

“Ayuk?i Elder Alo…” The hello died on the tip of my tongue as Elder Alo grabbed my arm and pulled—dragged me away from the hose to my house.

“Hold on, Elder Alo!” I shouted.

“They’re going to be here any minute, Swiftwater.”

Why was he so strong?

If this was anyone else, I would have fought them off, but I knew better. Elder Alo was our oldest Pack member, but he was an agile fighter in his younger years, and I doubt he ever forgot those fighting techniques. Once he dragged me in through the doors, Kaydian came rushing out of the tiny bedroom. He slammed the door shut behind me. When he turned back to us, his face relaxed a bit, but worry was still etched in his eyes.

“You need to hide or give yourself up. If I were you, I would not choose the latter.”

My head swiveled between Elder Alo’s patient face and Kaydian’s widened stare.

“How did...” I paused mid-sentence. “I know you already knew about Kaydian. You know everything. But who’s coming?”

Elder Alo cast Kaydian a sad look. The white tranquil of hair fell around his face, making him appear older today without his headpiece on.

“It’s time to tell the truth. Your time is winding up. What are you going to do, Kaydian?”

My frown pierced my face. A sick flutter in my stomach intensified. I don’t think I will be prepared for whatever secret Kaydian had stored away.

“But that will have to be for another time. Get her onto the roof and meet me at the clubhouse. We have less than ten minutes before the Golden Army arrives.”

My legs swaggered slightly, but I caught myself before I fell onto the couch. The Golden Army! Why would they come here for Kaydian? Those monsters only knew how to seek and kill for those royal bastards. As questions piled up in my head, I knew I would have to wait for those answers, but hell, if I won’t stop thinking about them now.

Kaydian stood in the middle room with her hand on her damn wrist, staring off into the distance. Her eyes were lost in her own little world. My feet moved on their own accord as I went before snapping her out of her daze. She looked up at me with unshed tears in her eyes.

“Let’s get you to safety. Time is going.”

She nodded. Her hand slipped into my waiting one, and I shuffled us out to the back. Under my home housed the ladder that I stored there for repairs. Quickly, I grabbed the ladder and helped Kaydian up to the flat top roof.

“Greyson…” she called right after I shoved the ladder back under the house. “I’m sorry.”

My feelings swirled around in my chest at the possibility that she could be the one thing I hated in the world. My head nodded, but I was starting to believe I wasn’t in control of my body or my decisions anymore. The walk to the pack house seemed longer than it should be as I watched the small crowd gather near the Great Spirit Temple.

Oni was already there, along with a handful of our best fighters. The lack of men worthy to fight had not gone unnoticed by us. When the witches war was over, we were never able to gather enough shifters that wanted to rebuild, much less fight. Most of the pack would rather play it safe and keep their heads down until we regain our numbers. That was easier said than done.

Tension was thick in the air as I approached the group. Last time the Queen’s trolls were here, they took half of our crops away with them. Leaving us in worse shape than during the last witches’ war.

The pack was bundled together, hanging onto Oni’s words like it was their last lifeline. And by the way, Oni’s face was twisted like he ate something sour while his arm flailed as he paced inside the tiny circle. I could see why. Elder Alo had probably warned Oni of our visitors, and that’s why he was on edge. The group parted as I walked through them, catching the tail end of the conversation.

“These devils think they can come to our village and scare us! We need to show them we can defend ourselves now.” Oni was shouting as I stood next to him. He was being loud and oh so wrong.

“Listen, párah is enthusiastic about our revenge. I can’t blame him. The witches have dwindled our numbers and stolen something from all of us. But right now, we have one too many enemies. The humans are encroaching on our property. Hawk and I noticed they’re building homes closer than before.” I paused, letting the frightened whispering die down. “Let's just give them what they want for now. Live to fight another day.”

Elder Alo’s somber speech drew agreement from the pack members in the small circle. All of them shook their heads and gave Alo their support as he continued, “I agree with Alpha Swiftwater. We’re not strong now, and we can’t afford to lose anyone in our villages. Let them search peacefully. This is what the Earth Creator would want. For us to be wise and think before we act.”

I nodded to him. A somber silence fell throughout the crowd. Oni’s deep growl could be heard through the forest, if I had to guess. His mouth formed a harsh line that made his face look aged. One thing about my párah was that he resented me for stepping up as the next leader of the pack. Everyone knew he wanted—demanded to be the pack leader after my father died, but I beat him out because the pack leader always goes to the first son.

“It’s time.” Elder Alo said, his voice just above a whisper.

Elder Alo always told me that the person who walks like a ghost is of the afterworld. I never believed him when he said the silly saying. That was until today. Our shifter hearing was sharp, better than any other supernatural, but the Golden Army remained undetected, even in a village filled with shifters.

Golden armor cladded soldiers slid into view as they encircled us. They stood out against the wooden homes like miniature golden statues of death. My eyes sought my roof as I looked just in time to see Kaydian’s small face peep over the rim of the roof at us. She took one look at my face and ducked back down. A sharp pain radiated from my upper arm. Hawk pinched me, drawing my wayward attention to the dreaded scene in front of us. Hawk and I both muttered, “Shit!”

In front of us was something out of my nightmare, a witch—giant, stalking toward us. His pale face contorted into a scowl with a jagged scar that ran from one side of his scalp down to his chin. He was dressed in all-black armor that made his skin look deadly pale. There were about forty men surrounding him. That was thirty more than what we had. When they stopped in front of us, my stomach dropped. We were neck and neck. An even match. The scent of fear was thick in the air as the non-fighting pack took a step back, leaving just the ten of us ready to fight if necessary.

I hoped it didn’t come to that!

That wasn’t what caught my wandering eyes. It was the woman on the chest of armor. She was the spitting image of Kaydian, except for she had a slimmer face as the truth dawned on me. My lungs squeezed, taking the last bit of air from me.

“Are you okay, Grey?” Hawk whispered.

All I could do was nod as my stomach clenched. She lied to me .

That didn’t matter right now. Pushing the disappointment into the bottom of my stomach. My knees shook ever so slightly. I hoped no one noticed.

“How can I help?—”

The giant in black turned to me. “We’re here on the Queen’s orders. We’re to search this place.”

“That’s fine… sorry I didn’t get your name again?”

His jet-black eyes roamed my body, and even though we were the same height, he made me feel five feet.

“Sir Reid…Will there be a problem?” Oni asked, with one of his eyebrows quirked.

“Sir Reid, right hand to the Queen and Youna heirs. It’s an honor to meet you again. I had the pleasure, before the war, of meeting you. My name is Elder Alo.” He stepped beside me.

Sir Reid, or the giant bastard, as I nicknamed him, bowed slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you again. We will search the grounds now.”

“Of course,” Elder Alo replied. “Our homes are open to you. We have nothing to hide.”

“R-Right, yes,” I stammered.

For reasons beyond me, I didn’t know why he made me so nervous. Was it because he could haul Kaydian away from me? The thought seemed moot as I remembered the lie that hung between us like stale air. But was I really mad at her? Or just disappointed. The Golden Army separated. Opening the doors to the small homes as they searched them. My palms became slippery with each door they opened. Hawk’s foot would make a hole in the dirt, clearing from his pacing before this was over. He leaned over and whispered, “Do you think we could take all of them if we shifted?” My poor friend has the worst timing known to shifters. Sir Reid whipped his massive body around. A frown embedded into his face, making his rose-colored scar stretch as he pinned Hawk with a look that made me shiver.

“He was just joking!” I said hurriedly. When Sir Reid turned back, I dug my elbow into his side.

I whispered. “You’re going to get us killed, Hawk!”

Sir Reid had inched closer to my home. My legs decided they were going to take me over there to the giant to stop him, but he stopped dead in his tracks. His sword clanged against his armor as he placed his large hands on the hilt to steady it. We couldn’t see the front of the giant when he turned his wide head.

“Swiftwater…” He said, “Who’s the pack leader here?”

“It’s me,” my párah said before I could respond. He stepped in between Sir Reid and me.

My face was flushed as I stepped away from him. With my hands fisted at my side, I fought back the curse I wanted to shout at him. This was going to be another thing the coven and he would hold over my head. They already see me as a weak leader. A disgrace to shifters. This will surely be the nail in my coffin.

Sir Reid nodded and turned his attention back to the homes near mine. My shoulders relaxed the moment he did.

“Chin up. Your uncle is making sure you live to see another day.” Elder Alo said, as his hand rested on my shoulder. “He would kill you right here before the pack if he had an inkling that you were a mixling.”

I nodded, too mortified to say anything else. Slipping back in the crowd of our pack. Their sideways glances made my throat throb as I held back the sob that was buried in my throat. Their eyes were painted with exhaustion and shame for me…and that word that always haunted me ricocheted in my head. Mixling.

Like a tarnish stain on my soul, the little doubt that was held over my head since I was born began to fester and grow. And now, I’m wondering if my pack and my uncle will ever truly let me lead.

Kaydian POV

Sir Reid planted his large boots flat on the dirt with his massive legs lined with his shoulders. Those haunted onyx eyes roamed our tiny home. Deep down in my chest, I knew he knew I was here . The wild thrashing of my heart was definitely from the thought of being caught on the roof of a shifter rather than the sun that was doing its best to melt the skin off my body. My heart thudded against my ribcage as I laid flush against the metal roof after Greyson had caught me looking at the crowd.

Every quick glance over the metal roof I took made the sweat trickle down my back. The repercussions of my actions weighed me down. Was this the most foolish thing I’ve ever gotten myself into? Yes. I think this topped it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t help that out of all the places in America I ended up here in this camp, finding my mate. With fear of madness preventing me from listening to reason and Greyson, along with my magic, made it harder for me to leave. Each time the rogue thought of leaving him sprouted in my mind, my magic squeezed my chest, driving the thought away. Even though I miss my home, my parents, and Del, it wasn’t enough for me to draw myself away from his tiny room and back to my wing in my home. Back to the smell of Chef Dubois making his signature crawfish étouffée, or gumbo. Back to my life.

“Princess Kaydian!” Sir Reid called out, speaking in our royal language. His thundering voice did nothing to calm the tidal wave in my stomach. “Your parents are worried about you. Your mother has been beside herself. Delphine is worried about you as well. Your mother assumes she had a hand in helping you escape, but I had to remind her what a persuasive witch you can be at times. I don’t know where the hell you are, but I know you’re nearby. You think you’re going to run away from your responsibilities to live in this dog kennel, then you made a sad mistake. If you’re not back home within the next two days, I will come back and burn every one of these dog houses. And don’t you think for one minute that your mother wouldn’t give me her blessings to do so…I can only hope you’ve bumped that thick skull of yours and forgotten that you’re a Royal of one of the strongest covens and not a dog whisperer.”

Sir Reid stopped mid-speech. His noisy breathing could be heard without me peeking over the roof. I’ve never been so grateful that Greyson didn’t know the old royal language.

My mind was too preoccupied with watching the tension filled visit. IT had failed to see that Bernadette, one of the castle’s ghosts, materialized into the space beside me. Her hand propped up on her head as she smiled with a glint in her eyes.

“You know he’s serious about it too! I heard him on the portal over saying, ‘If she’s laying down willingly with dogs, may Youna have mercy on her because I’ll drag her back to the castle.’ I’ve only seen Big Daddy this mad once, and that was when you almost got run over by a horse in the human town.” Bernadette babbled, without giving me a chance to process her appearance.

I sucked in my lips, biting down on the meaty flesh as my hand tried to suppress the scream that bubbled up my throat. My ghostly friend held her chopped finger to her mouth to silence me. She didn’t need to worry since my throat was too sore to speak at the moment.

“Oh yeah, they got one on both sides, too, Kay! But they’re not moving, so you’re safe…. with me, of course.”

My eyes rolled so hard at her corny joke that my heart slowed its pace. Bernadette was one of the humorless comedians to haunt the castle. She was the last person I wanted to see in my current condition.

“Bernadette! How did you get here?” I hissed between my clenched teeth.

“I hitched a ride through the portal with Sir Reid.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but it was hard to stop Bernadette when she was worked up.

“Man, oh man, Kaydian, you’ve done it now. Oowii! I don’t think I’ve ever seen your mother so mad and sad at the same time in my life,” she said. Her Mississippi accent was just as thick as ever as she shook her head. Between the soft tissue from her brain jiggling and half of the minced stringy black hair that hung on for dear life, had me fighting the urge to jump off the roof.

“Well! Go on, tell me then,” I said, trying to keep my voice low.

Sir Reid paused as he continued to walk back to the pack gathering.

Bernadette’s little body started to shake as globs of red coagulated blood splattered the metal roof and disappeared. The rotten smell of eggs permeated the air between us. The older the ghost, the stronger their sulfur scent gave off. As of right now, I would give my left leg to send her to the underworld as her scent drifted to my nose, causing a slight tickle in my throat.

“Sorry, you know that hefa stuck that knife inside of my throat before I died,” she said, wiping her mouth. I didn’t have the energy to tell her that she was a ghost, and it wasn’t physical blood. “Your mother has cried enough to fill the castle with her tears. Every night she paces that room of hers, worried sick about you, with that basta…”

Bernadette paused and shifted her eyes when I glanced at her.

Clearing her throat, she continued, “That lovely father of yours, I meant. A true visionary king of the ages... I know you think I’m lying, but you know, since you guys won’t help us, we just sit around and watch the madness unfold.”

Bernadette smiled, showing off her missing front teeth. My mother crying was uncanny. The only time she cried that much was when I fell from a tree and shattered my forearm.

The plunging sensation from my stomach had nothing to do with my current situation. But that everything, once again, was falling onto me. However, this time, who could I blame other than myself? I’d known better that Greyson’s soft eyes and demeanor would turn me into someone who would have killed everyone in California if I needed to be with him. “I hate my life.” Now, I can see how some of the common witches rather give up their magic than be tied to someone.

“Looks like Big Daddy Reid is retreating with the A team. Two days, Princess? What are you going to do? And why are you here? You know our enemies are shifters, right? Your…gracious father made sure of that.”

“Bernadette, you should really get going. You wouldn’t want to miss your ride back home,” I said, pointing to where Sir Reid’s enormous frame opened the portal, and one by one, the equally tall shoulders disappeared into the white light.

“Eh, I think I’ll stay and watch. It’s not like I have anything better to do.” She sighed deeply with her hand strumming the roof. “So, answer my question. Why are you here?”

One thing about ghosts. They were persistent.

My eyes shuttered as my shoulder relaxed. A slight weight had been lifted from my overflowing basket of problems.

Watching the small group clustered around Oni and Greyson, their pursed lips and doubtful eyes watched the two as Oni’s grumpy face contorted. The vein in his neck jumped as I heard him cut down Greyson in front of the pack. Greyson, always wanting to be the bigger person, stood there with his tail tucked between his legs. Some things weren’t acceptable. Between my stomach rumbling and Bernadette’s humming the old song she created in my ear, I couldn’t concentrate on what was being said.

“Fine,” was the last word I said before opening up my mouth and spilling out everything. I sat, still watching Greyson’s somber face while Bernadette’s little “Oohs” filled in the gaps. It wasn’t until the small group dispersed and Greyson walked back over to our home that I stopped speaking. The only sound between us was Greyson rattling with the ladder and my stomach protesting against me.

“Sheesh! I thought my life was sucky, but yours take the cake, my princess! You had to wait until you’re almost insane to find out that your mate is a…” she shuddered. Her red translucent body shimmered against the gray tin roof. “Shifter…and a virgin at that. At the very least, one would think Youna would have picked out someone with a bit of practice…as yourself.”

I narrowed my eyes at her the moment Greyson finally got the ladder in place.

“Stay hidden…you’re already working my nerves for that joke,” I said through my clenched teeth.

“Well, I mean, you’re the only one who can see me…” she muttered, but stopped speaking once she saw my eyes narrowed at her. Bernadette’s red body shimmered, and this time, she disappeared, leaving me to scoot the rest of the way off of the roof. Each step down the dilapidated ladder caused my anxiety to peek. It’s time to face the music. The time for the truth was long overdue.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Greyson asked through his clenched teeth the moment my feet touched the ground.

My fingernails itched my favorite spot on my wrist. The lie was at the tip of my tongue, but the heaviness in my heart won. Would he ever forgive me ? Tired of being somewhere I knew I wasn’t meant to be, but most importantly, I missed my mother and Del.

I couldn’t negate the fact that I was in love with Greyson and that was a major problem. A problem that my coven would never agree on. My mother’s bulging eyes as I told her that Youna, the goddess, fated me to a shifter. I would surely send her into an early grave.

“Sir Reid said the Princess was missing…” He paused as he shifted his feet. His brown eyes were glassy, as if his tears would fall at any minute. With a frown on his face, he continued, “Then I realized I was the one being strung along. You lied to me, Kay. You’re not only a witch, but you’re the Princess of the North American Coven, aren’t you?”

Hugging myself tightly, my body burned with shame as I shifted my gaze away from Greyson. I had to tell him the truth because time was running out, and like Elder Alo had told me, “I couldn’t delay the inevitable.”

“He was speaking to me. It’s an ancient language that only the Royals and their loyalists use.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “And you’re right, Grey. I—I’m the Princess of the North American Coven. They’re looking for me.”

“Why?”

It was a one word question. It shouldn’t make my palms sweaty, and my magic wanted to curl up and hide.

“I knew you would hate me, and by the time you told me about your parents. I—I’m scared to lose you…us. For so long, I waited for my mate to find me. Days turned into months. Months turned into years. Almost all the royal descendants found their mates early. Even my parents found each other earlier on. Everyone besides me.”

I cleared my throat. “I was falling into a curse called Greyson and I couldn’t escape. I knew it, my magic knew it, and most recently, most of the coven. The voice in my head appeared more frequently, and I had a breakdown in front of all the coven heirs. My mother and my father…they thought I wouldn’t make it. I just wanted to get away from everything, and I wasn’t expecting to meet you. Honestly, I’m falling for you. I can’t deny it, and maybe I’m being too eager. That’s the truth, but love can only take us so far.”

Greyson’s unshed tears broke free, staining his reddened face. Without a second thought, my hand swiped away the warm tears from his cheeks. He captured my hand, holding it close to him. My magic warmed my fingers. Although I couldn’t see it, I felt the energy from his sporadic magic.

Greyson closed those sad brown eyes and muttered, “I love you, too. I’m just not sure what to do next.”

My hand slipped from his hold. Sucking my lip into my mouth, I released a deep sigh.

“Greyson, maybe you can come home with me and we can go from there.”

His brown eyes widened as he struggled to make sense of what I just said.

“You want me to go into the lion’s den?” I could see the wheels turning in his red eyes. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he said, “Let’s just talk about this later. The pack is already…never mind.”

Greyson grabbed my hand and led me to the house.

“Well, he may be nothing to write home about, but at least he’s something to look at,” Bernadette said as she appeared next to me. Right before I threw her the evil eye, she said right before she disappeared, “Too bad he’s a shifter…and alive.”

Youna help me.