Chapter 22

My father was going to be fucking pissed, but I honestly didn't care. He didn't care about my feelings either. I wanted to marry someone I picked. He didn't give a shit about that. He thought picking the most beautiful Theran girl who was the biggest predator was going to make me happy and give me powerful children.

Except that Theran girl was awful. She was a bully to the other Theran girls, and she smelled terrible. I didn't want to marry that and have to sleep next to it every night. I definitely didn't want to mate with it because we needed an heir.

My father didn't give a shit. He was planning my wedding without my input. My mother wasn't much better. I begged her to talk to him, but she just gave me some stupid fucking speech about how being the future king came with responsibilities and I couldn't have everything I wanted. I wasn't in love with anyone else and being forced to lose her. I just couldn't stand Pulvi and knew she was going to make a terrible queen.

I had a showdown with my father. I told him he could plan this wedding, but I wouldn't be there. The arsehole threatened to banish me and disown me. He had a temper and liked having things his way, but I knew he loved me. He'd never do that to me. My father needed to make a big show of putting me in my place, but I was nineteen and the future king of the Theran. I needed to make a show of dominance, too.

So, I left. And I intended to stay gone until after the wedding. He'd be furious with me, but he would worry, too. When I was sure he knew I was serious about this and wouldn't try to reschedule the wedding when I got back, I'd make my way back to Theran territory.

I was in no-man"s-land right now. Sono and Neptis got it and would hide me. I was pretty sure their dads got it at least better than mine did, but for the sake of peace, they'd rat me out. We usually avoided this area because of what we were told was out here, but I was pretty sure that was all fairy tales.

The breeze stirred as I ran past a tree, and I picked up the scent of another Theran. I didn't know why there would be one this far out, but this one was female, and she didn't smell like any Theran I'd ever met before. She smelled amazing. I wanted to meet her because I knew all the Theran, but I didn't know this one. Why was she out here and why did she smell like that?

I stalked her through the bushes until I saw a giant black cat streak past me. I greeted her like I would greet any other Theran I hadn't met before. I pounced on her and tried to roll her. I was much larger as a lion and my family was the only Theran who were allowed to pick lions when we chose our animals.

She should have known who I was immediately and submitted to me, but this one wasn't having it. She was also an alpha. I wasn't expecting her to smack me in the face with her paw to get me off of her instead of submitting to me. She surprised me and was able to get away.

She disappeared in a bush and when I went to follow, she had completely disappeared. There was no scent to follow. Even if she ran, I could have tracked that tantalizing scent. But it was completely gone. Who was this Theran?

I hadn't even seen her face and I might be in love.

I was stalking through the forest trying to pick up her scent again. As I got further into the brush, I could smell food cooking. I could also smell five humans, a Tempris, and a Farkhi all close together. That was a strange pairing. It had to have something to do with the Theran girl with the amazing scent.

I knew I shouldn't, but my father would want to know. I changed back into a man and sauntered out of the brush with my hands up to show them I meant them no harm. I was shocked to see the Princess Esylle sitting with five humans and Volaris. The Tall Man was with her, but he usually was. What was the princess doing this far out? What could Volaris possibly have to say to five humans when he knew most of their secrets because of his spies? I saw Volaris look up.

"Oris, what are you doing this far out? Does your father know you are out here?"

"Does you being out here have anything to do with the strange Theran I smelled earlier?"

Rather than getting the answers I wanted, the Tall Man got mad and slapped his hand against his knee.

"How many more people is she going to expose herself to before we get to Idric because she can't control herself?"

"Who is she? She's an alpha, but we don't know about her. She's pretty strong, too, because I couldn't roll her."

"You know who she is. Think about it and use your nose. A Theran should be able to tell better than any of us."

I liked Volaris. Sono, Neptis, and I all took lessons together in each other's villages so we knew how to work together among the different tribes. I learned with the Farkhi historian, but Volaris taught us, too. He tried to turn everything into a lesson, but he didn't usually speak in riddles.

"She smells better than any Theran I've ever met, but if I knew who she was, I'd remember. Trust me, you don't forget that scent."

Volaris looked irritated with me and I couldn't imagine why.

"Boy, were you taught nothing? What are you doing so far from the Theran camp? You shouldn't be out here. Go back to your father."

"I'm sure my father would want to know why you are out here with five humans, the princess, and another Theran that our tribe doesn't know about."

"There are things I need to tell your father. Since you are here, you can relay that message. There are things happening that I've needed to tell the other tribes about, but I've had to wait because the situation is complicated. The Theran you smelled didn't roll in anything. She is Theran and so much more."

"How is that possible?"

"Think, Oris. How can someone be Theran and more?"

I didn't know why Volaris didn't just tell me, since he wanted me to pass something along to my father. He grew up with my father. Volaris knew what he was like. My father wanted all the details and got mad if something was missing, even if you had no way of knowing it. It wasn't fucking possible for anyone to be more than Theran.

"I don't know what you are talking about, nor why you are refusing to answer. I don't know why you aren't telling me the message you want me to bring back or why you are here with these strange traveling companions. Why is the princess so far away from the castle?"

I saw Volaris start to answer, and I was sure it would be another riddle, then I saw Sono fly into the camp and change into a man. Of course, Sono was here, too. His father treated him more of an adult than mine did and thought him capable of being included in these kinds of things. But Volaris was pissed.

"Why are you here and not back at camp? You need to be there organizing things!"

"No, you need to be there," Sono shot back. "Joron is safe with us. There are spies watching the Barons. They know about the girl and they are sending men after us. They also have plans to raid the tribes looking for her. They want to study her and now there are suspicions about Esylle and Joron since Esylle left with her. They are also looking for the Tall Man because they think he knows something."

This sounded like the start of another war, but I couldn't imagine what they could want with the strange Theran.

"Go find her," Volaris told Sono. "I think Oris scared her. I'm not repeating everything twice. If she's calmed herself, tell her to come back for her answers."

Oh, I don't think she was scared of me at all.

"Are you at least going to tell me about the strange Theran before she gets here?"

Volaris just gave me a mysterious look.

"You'll get it when she finally gets back. If you don't, then all of us failed with your lessons."

Rude.