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Chapter 2
Ryder
As my driver pullsinto the huge gated community I take the views in. I hate snow, but the Queen’s castle is stunning with the snow on its roof. Which is odd to me, its summer, why is there only snow in this community. My driver comes around and opens my door.
“Because my lovely Ryder, I wished it so.” I hear the Oracle’s tinkling laugh come from the front steps of her castle, as if she just read my mind. Surrounding her are her men.
I get out of the limo and bow. “Oracle.”
“None of that now, come in, come in. We’re to be family soon, you and I. No more of that bowing and Oracle nonsense.” I stare at her in confusion.
One of her mates looks at me and shrugs, while giving me a grin. Hmm.
“We’ve prepared a feast, it will be just us of course, others are busy at the moment.” She gives her mate a look and he takes off to do whatever cryptic shit she’s talking about.
“Food sounds lovely.” After my long drive what I need is sleep and food, in whatever order that comes in. I wonder if Dagan is here yet.
The other Kings and I aren’t close but we’re not enemies either. And whatever is coming, with all the cryptic shit our Oracle has dished out recently, I’m thinking it’s good that we aren’t.
I take a seat next to her and notice a pitcher of blood in front of me. By the smell it’s O Neg. before I can grab it to pour a glass, the Oracle uses her magic to fill my cup and my plate without moving an itch. Well, that’s handy. Probably also why she has no maids either.
“Now, this isn’t going to be easy to hear, but you are to sit and listen until I’m done. Originally, I had summoned all of you here, but in my visions, because of what the first King did, she will need more time before all four are thrown at her.” She looks to me, making me wonder what the hell one of us could have down to deserve that look.
“Now, as you know, I have a daughter. One I had to give away to protect. Well, it’s time for her to come home.” That could only mean one thing. “Yes, my Ryder, I’m to be murdered by Christmas. I never see who does it, but I feel great sorrow, it’s to be someone I know and love.
“It’s not them, my mates, I know that you were thinking it, unfortunately they go with me. You know this. It’s not just a witch thing, it’s a mate thing. One mate dies, they all die.”
Clearing my throat. “So, what does this have to do with us?”
“You are mate to my daughter. All four of you.” I drop my fork to my plate and sit back, staring at our Oracle in shock.
“Our kinds don’t share, especially not Kings,” I scoff.
She nods stiffly. “I know, and for the first time in history all the Kings of the races and the true Queen will come together. My daughter, Raven will be thirty at the Witching Hour. Once it happens you, Ryder, will need to be kept in a locked room. We all know, as I’ve been there, and we’ve all seen, how the mate call works. Thankfully, Luc and Nev are on missions, too far away to feel it. It’s why I’ve kept them away for now.”
“Does this, Raven, know anything?” I ask.
“Yes, she does now. We’ve spent the last four weeks preparing her. She’s to be the next Queen. Not only that, in my visions I’ve seen the next Oracle. A rare cross breed. All four of you will sire this child on my Raven. Four biological fathers. So rare, so magical.” The Oracle’s eyes mist over. “I’ll never be able to fully help teach her, but I’ll be leaving all my books and things for you. You will be the ones that will have to teach her things.”
The Oracle leans forward, “Ryder, you are the man with the most patience, I’m trusting you to help heal my daughter. Dagan didn’t listen well to me when he first got here, so he has no clue that Raven didn’t know anything about this sort of thing. He hurt her, badly, but time has passed and she has forgiven him.”
Hurt my mate? My fists clench.
“I wish it could have been stopped, but it’s already been written. Plus, Raven needed to grow and learn from it. He scented her and claimed her before her birthday when she didn’t know this sort of thing.”
“He raped her.” I state, feeling my anger spike.
“To her yes, that is what she thought. For some reason, the mating call sounded early, only he felt it. She didn’t, and he will go unpunished because it’s our way. You know this.” I do, I’ve seen it. When Karma and her mate were in the same city, both took off on a wild frenzied chase, didn’t even get each other’s names before they were naked in the middle of a busy street, fucking. “She has since gotten over it, how much? I’m not sure but he’s no longer in the dungeons.” She smiles. I frown, confused, she just said he wouldn’t be punished for what he did. “Raven, my strong girl had him put in there as punishment, at first she wanted him executed. But now he’s in a suite of his own and they’ve since been intimate again.”
