Chapter 5
Piper
After a snowstorm delayed us overnight and into the next day, our chopper finally touched down outside the gates of Dragonspire late afternoon. The gates to the city were closed, and shifter soldiers, too numerous to count, were stationed on the walls as well as at ground level.
Tamaro whistled when he saw the castle in the distance. It was impressive, even if you knew what to expect. “Captain, you sure you’ll be okay without backup?”
I patted his shoulder. “We’ll be fine. Just let us grab our things and go home to your mate and baby girl.”
He nodded, though he still looked like he wanted to insist. It was probably only our months of service together that held him back.
I gave him a hug, and Matteo and I grabbed our bags, then hustled out of the chopper. Before I shut the door, I yelled to be heard over the sound of the blades. “Thanks, Tamaro! I owe you one.”
He waved my words away, and when Matteo and I were clear of the liftoff zone, he took off, heading back to the States.
I spun when I heard a throat clearing behind me. A man stood there, looking grizzled and dangerous. He had a jagged scar running down one side of his face, a shaved head, and he was big enough to stop a semi.
“Mind telling me who you are and why you’re here?” he asked with deceptive mildness.
“My name is Piper Winstead, and I need to see the Prime.”
“The Prime’s hours of holding court are over for the day, miss. You’ll have to come back next week.”
I shook my head, refusing to be dismissed. “It’s an emergency. I know Everly, his mate, if that helps at all.”
The shifter sighed and took a few steps away, communicating with the keep via a discreet earpiece.
When they responded, he nodded up at someone in the gatehouse, and the gates opened enough for us to go in.
“Belos will escort you,” he said, nodding toward another guard coming toward us.
Belos was deceptively small, but I sensed the dangerous energy swirling around him.
I thought it was entirely possible he was a ninja.
At least, I wouldn’t have been surprised if someone had told me he was.
Belos nodded at us and motioned for us to follow him.
As the doors slammed shut behind us, I looked around.
The city within the keep’s walls was interesting.
It was vibrant and busy, with shifters of all kinds, shapes, and sizes going about their daily lives, even at an hour when most other places would be closing for the day.
I spotted various shops and restaurants—a grocery store, a general store, a bakery, a bookstore, and many more—just in the main square.
As we moved past the area where most of the food vendors seemed to have set up shop, my stomach snarled in hunger, and Matteo chuckled.
“That dinner at the diner seems like it was a long time ago.”
“It was a long time ago. I didn’t think to bring anything with me, and we didn’t have the opportunity to stop anywhere to grab snacks.”
“Maybe Prime Alaric and Everly will feed us,” he said, his tone hopeful.
As we made our way up to the keep’s massive front doors, Belos spoke with a guard there, who nodded and let us in.
A steward met us. “This way, please.”
As I glanced around, impressed despite myself by the beautiful castle, I tried not to get my hopes up that we’d been able to get in and secure an audience with the Prime, because the hard part was going to be getting the Prime’s help and protection and asking him to contact the Elemental King so he could track Barrett down.
Barrett had already killed once, and he wouldn’t stop coming after me and Alanna.
Who knew how many people he would hurt or endanger if he wasn’t stopped?
The steward stopped outside what looked like a massive throne room. “There are others ahead of you. Just wait in the back until it’s your turn to speak with the Prime.”
Had I gone back in time? This was bizarrely medieval.
Everly noticed us as soon as we entered. She nodded, then turned back to the man who was speaking to the Prime.
I tuned everything else out as I thought over what I wanted to say.
When it was our turn, I peeked behind me and saw that the throne room was empty except for a few guards, the Prime, Everly, Matteo, and me.
“Piper,” Everly said with a warm smile, coming down to give me a hug. “It’s so good to see you. And you too, Matteo. Is everything okay?”
The Prime smiled at his mate but remained where he was. It was easier to address my issues with Everly. The Prime, even though I knew he was a good man, had such a strong aura, even contained, that it sometimes felt like a predator had my neck in his teeth.
“Everly. It’s good to see you as well.” I nodded, then drew in a deep breath and released it on a quiet sigh. “We’re in trouble, Alanna and I. We can’t keep running or living like this, with the threat of Barrett hanging over us. I’ve come to officially ask the Prime and Queen for their help.”
Maybe it was awkwardly worded, but I wasn’t a wordsmith, and I wanted them to know that this was an official request. I wasn’t here as an acquaintance.
Everly nodded, looking subdued as she found her seat again, and the Prime’s expression darkened. “Can you tell me more about what has happened?” he asked.
Nodding, I began at the beginning and ran them through the most recent events—Barrett’s mercenaries trying to run me off the bridge, and then showing up at the airport.
The Prime leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His face was intent as he listened.
“They’re dangerous. Not just to myself and Alanna, but to others.
There were many people caught in the crossfire on the bridge today—people who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
If he’s not stopped, he’s going to hurt a lot of innocent people, including me and my niece.
He’s already killed my sister.” My voice broke for a moment, and I had to clench my fist and simply breathe until I regained control. “Please help us.”
When I finished speaking, he sat back with a sigh.
“I want to apologize, Piper. In all the craziness of becoming Prime and finding my mate, I forgot your needs, and I neglected your safety.” He sounded frustrated with himself, and I blinked in astonishment.
From meeting Everly, I’d thought he would be a good man, but I hadn’t been prepared for this.
My stomach snarled again, even though this was the most inconvenient time ever, and Matteo snorted. I threw him a dirty look but couldn’t help being a little embarrassed.
The Prime must have also heard, because he eased my embarrassment by saying, “Why don’t we discuss this over dinner? I’m starved.”
Looking relieved, Everly hurried toward me and hugged me again, despite the harried expressions on her bodyguards’ faces. Even though I’m not much of a hugger, I allowed it as her bodyguards followed her, looking resigned.
She held on for only a moment or two, clearly reading my awkward body language, and pulled back, smiling at me. “I’m sorry for the reasons you’re here, but I’m so happy to see you again. Where’s baby Alanna?”
“I left her with Riggs and the bear clan. I trust them to protect her while I’m here seeking help.”
Everly nodded as she steered Matteo and me out of the throne room. The Prime trailed behind, looking deep in thought.
When we entered the dining room, food was already laid out on the large table.
There was so much of it that I couldn’t help being surprised.
Was this a normal dinner for them? I sat in the seat that had been pulled out for me and waited a moment to see if there was some custom where the Prime ate first, but he waved Matteo and me to start, so we quickly began filling our plates with everything within reach.
There was a huge salad—the loaded kind that could substitute for a meal, not the skimpy dinner salads—along with loaded potato salad, deviled eggs, roast, baked potatoes, several vegetable dishes, ham, rolls, gravy, and bread pudding.
The room was quiet as we dug in, and then, when the desserts were being set out, the Prime said, “I’d like to send some of my guards back to the Lodge to help protect you and Alanna.
I’d also like to send you back in my private plane.
My guards will go with you to keep you safe on the trip back, if that’s okay with you. ”
Relief flooded through me, and I had to stop spooning brownie à la mode onto my plate and just breathe for a moment.
When I was no longer in danger of breaking down at the dinner table or falling to my knees in abject gratitude, I grabbed a doughnut as well.
May as well eat my feelings. “Thank you. I’m grateful for any help you can give us.
” Remembering that I needed to contact King Asharien, I said, “I hesitate to ask, but I was wondering if you had a connection with the Elemental King? He’s the only one with a chance of actually tracking down Barrett. ”
“Good idea. I’m sure King Asharien can locate him,” Everly said as she filled a small dish with different flavors of ice cream, then started adding toppings.
The Prime made a face. “Generally, I would say it shouldn’t be a problem. But from what you’ve told me, Piper, Barrett doesn’t sound like he’s in his right mind. Fractured minds are difficult, if not impossible, to locate.”
I set my spoon down.
I hadn’t even thought of that. For a while, I thought he was on drugs, but it turns out he’s probably just crazy.
“Don’t worry, Piper. My clan’s on it. We’ll protect you both,” Matteo said.
I gave him a small, grateful smile. I’d been too proud at the beginning of all of this, certain that I could keep my niece safe on my own terms. But the long days and endless nights, where I got little to no sleep because I was listening for an assassin’s bullet, had worn me down to nearly nothing.
By the time Everly had come along, I would have taken the paw of a rabid dog with fleas if it meant help.
“That’s… not ideal,” I finally answered the Prime.
Understatement.
The Prime nodded. “At least, that’s how it works for me. It might be different, though, because he’s an elemental.”
As we all finished our dessert, Everly and the Prime showed us to our rooms on the second floor.
They were two guest suites that linked through a shared door.
I thought this was going overboard, but Matteo explained that Riggs would mangle him if he failed to protect me, and that the connecting rooms were perfect.
After I said goodnight to everyone and thanked them for their hospitality, I shut the door and glanced around.
The room was gigantic. A chandelier hung above the king-sized bed, throwing prisms of light onto the dark wood furniture.
Splashes of color brightened the room, and the flooring was deep, thick carpet that made me sigh in delight when I took my shoes off and felt how luxurious it was.
I made use of the ensuite bathroom, showered quickly, then threw on some sweats, a sports bra, and a tee shirt. I debated putting my socks and shoes back on, but decided against it because I loved the feel of the carpet on my feet so much.
I made sure to pack all of my things again so I could grab my shoes and bag at a run in case of an emergency, though. I’d had to learn that the hard way.
Matteo knocked on the adjoining door, and I moved quickly to open it.
“Yes?”
“Do you need anything?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, giving him a flat stare. “You can tell Riggs I’m fine, Matteo.”
He gave me a look I couldn’t read, then said softly, “You know, it’s not a crime for someone to care about you, Piper.” Then he shut the door, and I stared at it in shock for several moments before I finally moved and went to bed.
As I lay there, before sleep tugged me under, I found myself agreeing with him. When had it become a crime for someone to care about me? When had I gotten so hard-hearted?
Uneasy at the direction my thoughts were turning, but exhausted from the day, I finally drifted off.