Page 161 of Taming the Kraken

“One of the things I wanted to talk to you about. We have taken over as King and Queen. I will explain more after this situation is settled.” Reiya turned her head to see Mikah walking toward a beautiful woman with red hair.

Mikah smiled as he walked up to Brandy. The guard released her and stepped away nervously. The moment he did, Brandy took a step toward Mikah, and he pulled her into his arms. He cupped her face and kissed her softly, losing himself in her scent as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“How dare you? She is MINE!” Noah roared as he struggled to his feet. Ice instantly formed around him and held him firmly in place.

Mikah growled and looked over at Noah. Another man claiming his mate made the primal beast in him want to attack.

“Bring her over here, Mikah,” Alexa commanded. “Let Mom handle it from here.”

Mikah looked down at Brandy, whose beautiful emerald eyes glowed up at him. Her eyes were glossy, and he lowered his head to kiss her eyelids. He wrapped his arm around her and slowly led her toward Ken and Alexa.

The feeling was so intense. It was as if lightning had struck him and the fog within him vanished. The moment he saw her, he knew she was his. He didn’t understand why he didn’t know it before, but he did now, and she seemed to feel the same way. He tingled where he touched her, and a warmth flowed through him. Why didn’t he feel this before?

“You came for me,” Brandy whispered against his chest. Moments ago, she was desperately trying to figure out how she could escape. She was being forced into a mating ceremony, and she felt hopeless. Now, the man she couldn’t stop thinking about was here, and suddenly he was her mate. Was it a trick? Was it some sort of spell? Because she never felt the strong pull before. But it was there. And he was warm and comforting, and his arms felt like home. The sweet sparks heightened her senses, making her body seek out her mate’s touch. She unconsciously leaned closer as she gazed up at him.

“I’m sorry it took me so long. We have a lot to talk about.” Mikah gave her a small smile and searched her eyes.

“That we do.” Brandy let out a quiet chuckle.

“Your majesty, the druids have always been private. All fairies are allowed to govern their own kind. This is a direct interference—” the elder in the front began.

“I will not allow anyone to be forced into taking a mate. This is not how the druids work. It is not how any of the species work. The druids have always been one with nature. They respect the mate bond. Though yours is a bit different, because you can shapeshift. You have three to four animals you each choose to shapeshift into. Usually, your mate comes from another druid who has chosen similar creatures. Of course, you know it doesn’t always work that way. The mate bond forms with people whose souls recognize one another. I understand you took a step away from this in order to preserve the druid line. All druids were ASKED to take a druid mate.” Reiya looked over the four elders in front of her.

“This was allowed because they were asked and not forced. But today, this is not the case. You were about to force a bond on someone.” Reiya looked over at Mikah and the woman wrapped in his arms. “This is wrong. These are not the druids I know of.”

“We aren’t all like that!” A man spoke out from the seated crowd.

“We were forced to go along with this!” a woman shouted.

“It’s Noah’s family’s fault. They threatened to cut off our supplies if we didn’t comply.” An old man stood up and pointed toward the front. “The elders are being blackmailed in order to keep our people safe.”

“Quiet, you old fool!” Noah hissed as he struggled against the ice holding him in place.

One of the elders in the front sighed and shook his head. “We were wrong, but we didn’t know what to do. This is our way of life. This little village of ours here … it is all we have. Our people have little encampments all over the world. We blend in and try to stay out of the way. But everything changed for our encampment.” The old man frowned and looked at the couple sitting in the front.

“Noah and his family took over the businesses. At first, they were just offering to run them for us. But as they grew the companies, they also grew in control. They supplied the money to take care of our village, and it was up to them how money was distributed. They became our beneficiaries before we knew it. When they started pressuring us about Brandy, we didn’t know what to do. We wanted Brandy to choose him for herself and were giving her time to get used to the idea. But after her last fertility checkup, we couldn’t wait anymore. She was losing her window, and druid babies are too important to miss out on.” The elder watched the fairy queen look over at Brandy curiously.

“She still feels awful young. There is a newness to her powers. Isn’t it too early for her to miss her window?”

The elder nodded. “Usually the window is always there, and there are moments when it peaks. But—” He shook his head and looked over at Brandy.

Brandy looked away and bit her bottom lip. She knew why it looked like she’d missed her window. The elders never once even suspected she was pregnant. Mikah rubbed her shoulder soothingly. She wondered how he would react when he heard she was pregnant with his child.

“These companies have always belonged to the elders?” Reiya asked, and the older men in the front nodded their heads.

“We just needed help running them.”

“Are you willing to give the businesses back to the elders?” Reiya turned her head to look at the couple sitting in the front.

“We built them up. They were nothing when we took over,” the man said indignantly. “We’re not just going to hand over all of that hard work.”

Reiya gripped Lee’s hand and shook her head slightly. She could feel his frustration at this couple. “Very well then. By the power I am granted, I separate your lineage from the druid clans. You will bear the mark of the exiled.” The couple in the front gasped, and Noah cried unbecomingly in disgusting sobs.

“Why don’t you come to Elysia? Bring all of your people there to live. Everything you need is already there, and your people will be safe.” Reiya watched the four elders looking back and forth at each other. Then they slowly nodded their heads in agreement.

“Thank you. We will make preparations to move to the fairy kingdom.”

Alexa released her ice from Noah, who fell to the ground sobbing. He crawled over to his parents, who helped him to his feet.