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He draws me flush to his chest and presses my cheek against his chest as his free hand threads along the length of my braid to the end, where he promptly undoes it and frees my tresses. He remains silent, and the only thing I can hear is the steady lub dub of his heartbeat. Even his heart has a deep bass quality to it, like his voice, and it is quite soothing to me. Hesitantly, I wrap my arms around his thick waist and hold on my fingertips, just barely able to lock themselves in place; instead, I decide to grip at his shirt and hold on. A shuddering breath moves through me before I continue on. “After the last time father struck me, I plagued him with nightmares for a week straight. Initially he thought it was mother but, when he figured out it was me, they sentenced me to live in the graveyard.” I close my eyes, hoping against hope that my admission doesn’t stain or tarnish the start of this relationship.
Egon pulls back suddenly and away from me, and I feel as though my heart is breaking. “He did what! How dare he!” His soft-spoken tone is replaced with rage and rattles the surrounding glassware. I open my eyes and I can see fire licking at the edge of his eyes, much like my haunted green glow flicks at the edge of mine when I’m irritated.
“I will kill him to avenge what he has done,” he practically growls. As he grits his teeth, his canines have elongated to that of his wolf’s. His beard changes and looks like the fur of his wolf. It moves back and forth between the hair of man and the hair of beast several times till I reach out to lay my hand on his chest to calm him. When I do that, he settles almost immediately under my touch. Taking exaggerated breaths, I get him to imitate me and eventually he calms down.
“Egon, I appreciate that you’re willing to seek revenge for me.” I glance down again, hesitant to tell him the next part. “I am Queen of the Shadow Court because my father no longer lives. They found my brother unfit to rule after his accident. Leaving only me as the last living heir of my father’s bloodline to rule.” My eyes take on their brilliant emerald glow, illuminating the vastness of the room. What few shadows in the room help me turn the lights off; allowing my eyes to light the room itself, making it look almost haunted.
“I killed my father. And I didn’t even have to get my hands dirty.” As the words leave my lips, I flick the lights back on as I look over at the vases and extend a hand to the one that had the daisies in it. Once my hands are in a direct line with the daisies, they wilt and then turned to ash right before his eyes. A wicked gleam is in my eyes and a slight manic smile on my lips as I turn to face him again. “My gift is like your gift, cremate, except there’s no fire involved. I desiccate through death touch whatever I’m most focused on. It’s how I carried out my father’s death sentence without even having to be in the room. Through the blood of my blood, I could reach him down in the cellar behind the bars in the dungeon without having to leave the banquet hall in Kaedyn’s kingdom.” I enunciate each word, putting the weight of my alpha power behind them. I allow him to feel the full magnitude of my wolf, and he smiles.
Changing the subject, he looks down at me. “There’s gonna be a ball conducted, dinner served, and then if you allow it.” He drops down onto one knee and takes my hands in his, looking up at me with his wolven eyes. “If you allow it, I will take you as my mate. Now and forever until Valhalla comes.” I’ve only read about moments like this in some of my romance novels, a Viking king pledging his life, the love in his heart, and his sword and shield to the maiden he loves. For some wolves, it’s not much different from a Viking oath.
Our word is our bond, just like our bite is like a human’s wedding band, except ours does not come off. I nod, looking down at him and smile. “From now until forever. Til Valhalla comes.” Repeating his oath back to him, the most brilliant beaming smile I have ever seen graces his lips. He leaps up, scooping me up in his arms, and spins me around before kissing me soundly on the lips. My heart rate speeds up, and I swear my wolf is going to rip free of me at any moment. As he sets me back down on my feet, he kisses me gently and then backs away toward the door, leaving me with my thoughts. My biggest thought now, what am I going to wear?
I stare at the door for far too long after he leaves. Moving toward the closet, I stare at the handle for much longer than I should. I know my other mates have already come and gone doing what they needed to do before the ball. Tonight, I’ll be entering alone, all eyes on me as I take my last mate. There is something that is just not sitting right, however. I don’t know if it’s the fact that this is how the Fire Wolves do it or that there is something is still setting my nerves on edge. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but when I figure it out, something is going to pay. Stepping into the closet, there’s an array of dresses. The colors range from white to black in every single color in between. Every shade you can possibly imagine. I glance over at everything, still not 100 percent sure which one to grab. Part of me wishes to go with something simple, but then again, this is the last mate to take.
I figure I’ll walk into this and make a statement. I choose what they call a Harlequin dress. With every movement I make, the color and the dress itself shifts, taking on a similar tone to whatever I’m closest to at the moment. I stand in the bathroom with the sink full of water, moving my hand over it, manipulating it making sure that I have the utmost control of that element. Once I’m fully dressed and my glittering crown is on my head, I knock on my door three times. The accompaniment is there, ready to escort me. As an odd request, I have two of the maidens walking with me, carrying bowls of water. They have no clue what I’m about to do and I’m sure that it will make the grandest statement when I walk in the door. We leave the room and I set the pace as they walk just slightly behind me, holding the bowls steady out in front of them. This is about to be an event that the Fire Kingdom will never forget.
Chapter46
Egon
I wait anxiouslywith bated breath for my mate to make her appearance. One by one Kaedyn, Sebastian and Hollis are introduced, and they stride into the hall like they own the place. The string quartet plays a nice smooth waltz, setting a nice somber tone for this afternoon. The melodic tones fill the room, prompting some to dance before the start of the festivities. I watch my mother fiddle with the rings on her fingers and then the bracelets around her wrist, and then finally back to the chain around her neck. My father is leaning over speaking to the dignitary sitting to his right talking about the boon that my mate will bring to this kingdom.
Honestly, I’m disgusted with father’s machinations. He has tried everything since the start of all this, just shy of six months ago, to get Bella here before all the other kingdoms. Knowing who she is to me and what weight that carries in this bond, I understand it. But none of us knew what she was to me. Pardon me, I’m slightly jealous of the others, especially Kaedyn, for the time that he’s had with her. But then I think of it in the grand scheme of things. I know that I have the rest of my life with her. Fire Wolves have the second longest lifespan, Earth Wolves have the longest.
Shadow Wolves’ lifespans are unknown mainly because they keep to themselves so much. Spirit Wolves are even more mysterious because there have been none in almost five hundred years. Bella is the first and most likely the last in existence because those of her bloodline are dead. The only other possible Spirit Wolf is her twin, and he lays crippled for the most part. It’s now that the music changes and they draw my attention to the back of the room. One by one the guests turn and look back toward the door and it is now that we see Belladonna’s mother pushing the wheelchair with her brother in it. The prince does not look well at all. He looks much more frail and barely alive than I would imagine him to be.
I don’t know how Bella will feel about this, seeing her brother in his condition. From what I was told, the Water Wolves have done as much as they can for him. He will never be who he once was ever again. The damage done by the Orcs has robbed him of the ability to walk. Since he cannot walk, he cannot shift and therefore cannot be king, which is why Bella ascended the throne in the Shadow Kingdom. The queen and her son move to a table off to the side, drawing more gazes and whispers than I’m sure they would like to. I can see Bella’s other mates looking concerned, watching what’s going on with their mate’s mother. Stepping down from my seat on the platform, I close the distance between us. “I didn’t know she was going to be here, guys.” They all glance at each other and then back at me.
“I kind of had a suspicion she was going to make an appearance,” Kaedyn says he looks over to Hollis.
“Yeah, the rumors said that she was going to bring Bella’s brother out one last time. We’re not sure to what end, but this is definitely a move on the old queen’s part.” The idea that she would use her wounded son makes my stomach turn. But then again, you can’t put it past some people using others for their own gain. After all, her husband was the king. He used his children as pawns in a gigantic game of what I would almost call political chess. Moving each child into a position to take over the entire nation. His original intention was for his son to rule over everything and take a female from each kingdom. Knowing what we know now and the fact that he could move Bella into that unfortunate position, she has completely risen to the occasion and has taken to the task like a duck to water. We watch hesitantly as her mother situates her brother in a prime position to see Bella when she enters.
I’ll be honest. I’m concerned, concerned that she’s gonna lose her temper and lash out more than anything else. Just as I get ready to express my concern to the others, the music changes once again and the doors open slowly to reveal Bella in all her glory. The music changes quickly and she stands with such a proud look on her face, and it makes my heart swell. Her gown shifts colors as she moves around, heading toward the thrones. I throw caution into the wind and rush to go sit near my parents, waiting for my mate’s imminent arrival. When she finally gets close, I see that she’s up to something. She raises her hands and orbs of water move from the bowls to her hands. The orbs move around as she shapes the water into whatever she desires. She laughs softly as the orbs take all kinds of shapes in her hands. Motioning back toward the bowls, the water returns to rest.
Then a gentleman moves forward with a bucket of dirt, and this one puzzles me. All I keep picturing is that pirate movie and the man running around yelling that he’s got a jar of dirt. She moves her hands in front of the dirt and as it rises; she shapes it several ways before she allows it to fall. She motions with her hands for the dirt to be removed. With the forward motion of her hands, the air blows straight toward me and I smile, seeing that she is now showing us the mastery of three of her mates’ elements. She motions for the lights to be lowered and when they do, the shadows surround her, caressing her because she is their mistress and their controller. She uses the shadows to elevate herself. Lifting herself up off the ground, she drifts over toward us like a specter. Once before us, she moves her hands again and the shadows lower, disappearing away to nothing. She smiles softly and then curtsies before us.
The lights come back up, and she begins her speech. “I, Belladonna Queen of the Shadow Court, ruler of the five realms, have come to claim my last mate.” With that, she extends her hand out to me and I accept it quickly. She steps back as I stepped down the stairs, her eyes locked on mine, glowing with the intensity of her wolf. I lean forward and gently kiss her lips. She smiles and then lowers her head and bares her throat to me. This insanely powerful female just subjugates herself to me, not because she had to, but because she wants to.
My father stands and steps down the stairs to be alongside the two of us. “I am proud to announce the betrothal of my son Egon to the Queen of the Shadow Court.” Cheers erupt round the interior. “They will solidify their bond by exchanging their bites before the entire court,” my father says, much to my dismay. Bella catches my irritation and reaches up with her little hand and turns me to look at her. She mouths that it’s okay and bares her throat to me on the side that only has one bite. Taking the hint of my mate, I bend down and caress her soft flesh with my lips. Just before I’m ready to bite, her hand slides up my chest and she holds my face to her neck. She slides me from where I’d intended to bite to up on her neck where the world would see. My wolf is howling, proud that she has chosen my mark to be seen above all others. Carefully, I sink my canines into her throat, avoiding her arteries. A surge of power moves through me like a wave. I feel invigorated and the soft echoes of the other mate’s ring in the back of my head.
I retract my canines from her throat, making sure not to rip the flesh or vital tendons on the way out. Licking her wounds, my wolf grumbles happily with each lap of our tongue against her sweet flesh. Her blood sings to me a song that I have never heard before. It speaks of love eternal and power beyond measure. I pull back and look down into her ghost gray eyes. She’s smiling. Arching a brow, she stares at me and then runs her finger over my throat. Puzzled, I tilt my head to the side and watch her for several moments, then it dawns on me. With our difference in height, she cannot reach my shoulder or neck. I drop to my knees before her and rest my hands on her hips. Beaming, she leans forward and kisses her way from my forehead to my throat. Her tongue runs the length of my carotid artery, feeling its pulse underneath that wet pink muscle. She opens her mouth wide, and I feel her press her still very human teeth against the muscles of my neck.
Then it happens. Her canines descend almost violently, slipping quickly through my flesh and muscle deep into my throat. A dark rumble reverberates in her chest and can be heard nearby. The lights flicker in the room as a storm brews in the interior. Winds whip up out of nowhere and the fluid from the glasses rise of their own volition. Several bouquets of flowers die, and the ash rises to join the water and it dances above the partygoers. The unlit valances around the room ignite and pulse with black flames. Bella releases my neck and kisses her wounds, lapping at my blood until the holes are sealed. A brilliant emerald glow encompasses the entirety of her eyes. I have never seen that much power behind the gaze of a female in my existence.
Stepping back, Bella still holds my hand as she glances around the interior of the ballroom. The elements are running amok, not causing any damage but definitely a disturbance. She raises her hands and slowly gets the room back under control. When everything is back to how it should be, she smiles sheepishly at me. “Whoops.” It’s the only thing to escape her mouth as she winces slightly, realizing how much could have happened. She glances back to her other mates, and I turn as well to see that they are just as astonished as I am. My father and mother are at a loss for words and stand staring. I guess almost willing whatever just occurred to be over. It takes several moments before my father gets control of the room again. And then he announces we are mates. The room erupts in joyous clapping and cheers. It’s now as Bella turns her head that she notices her mother and her brother, Ryker. Her jaw drops, staring at the shadow of a man that is her brother. Bella’s body trembles as she leans against me for comfort, staring at what is left of her twin.
Chapter47
Kaedyn
Just when Ididn’t think that Belladonna’s mother could sink any lower, she proves me wrong. My best friend and teammate, Ryker is basically a skeleton covered in skin. His eyes are sunken in, and his cheeks are hollow. You would think, by the look of him, that he’s been starved over the last almost six months of his life. The more I think about it, the more it makes me wonder who exactly was taking care of him while her parents were in my kingdom for the first set of trials. It’s no mystery that they were not the greatest parents. But you would think with their child wounded, they would try to be a little better than what they were. Apparently, I’m incorrect in my assumption and her mother is proving once again why she will never win the best parent of the year award. I watch the interactions cautiously as Bella slowly and hesitantly approaches the table where her mother and brother are seated. We, of course, follow behind, not wanting to be too far from our mate. What few people separate us from Bella’s mother and brother part like the Red Sea leave giving Bella a wide berth. I can see tears welling up in her eyes as she stares at the ghost of a man that is her twin.
If it wasn’t for the scar through his eyebrow that he got as a child, I never would have known that it was my best friend in that wheelchair. Her mother also looks very frail and malnourished compared to how she was when I last saw her. Upon reaching the table, the other occupants clear out and Ryker’s eyes have the faintest green glow to it. Whatever light that is behind his eyes is almost no more. Bella does not pay her mother any mind as she reaches out to grip her brother’s hand. He forces a smile, looking up at her and through the bond I can feel that her heart is shattering in her chest. Egon glances at me and the others, trying to decipher what he is feeling. Hollis does him a solid and scoots close to him to quietly get him caught up on the situation. The bond is a tricky and fickle thing until you’re used to hearing everybody else’s thoughts and everybody else is emotions, it’s very difficult to sort out who is who. It’ll become easier to for him once Bella puts the last of the bond in place and seals the deal with him.
Ryker tries to speak, and Bella doesn’t hear him. She lowers her head down and something catches her eye. She launches back, throws both arms out to her sides and shoves the four of us behind her. Her mother gets this maniacal look in her eyes and the shadows whip through her hair as she desiccates the table before her. It’s now that I notice the sun has completely set and as I stare at her mother and brother, their eyes take on almost a blood-red tinge. Her mother reaches up and removes a pendant from around her neck, smashing it on the floor. The glamour that is over both of them fades quickly. Ryker isn’t a skeleton, nor is his mother malnourished. Their skin is porcelain white and perfectly smooth; their scent has changed, and it’s almost the scent of rot. Her mother turns to look around the room and it’s then that the collar around her neck moves. We can see what appears to be a hole in her neck, the circle blackened by vampire venom. My heart stutters in my chest, thinking about the implications of what has happened.
The Vampire Relic must have had others within the castle promise her and her son power if they took their side. Aligning themselves with the Vampires and the Fae. The Fae will stop at nothing to prevent the second coming of the Spirit Wolf, the one wolf that can unite the packs and the elements to bring about a period of peace. Bella is growling furiously at the level of betrayal that she feels. Clearly her mother and brother have been sent here to destroy her. I can’t blame her for being angry or hurt, or both. This is not the way their family reunion should have gone. Bella glances back at Egon and he gives her a single nod. Within a matter of seconds, before her mother and brother can raise a tainted hand toward her, they are desiccated and turn to ash before us. Bella uses her power of pestilence and Egon the power of cremate. They are nothing more than a memory now. My heart breaks for Bella and I wish she didn’t have to deal with this. Hollis and Egon are the first to wrap their arms around her tightly, trying to soothe her. In the smartest move to date, Flint cancels the rest of the festivities, having his elite guard escort everyone from the castle. There’s not much to be said right now. Bella’s hurting and the Vampires have made one last move that none of us ever saw coming.
