Chapter 21
HANNES
The moment I entered my mother’s office my gaze went to the life-size portraits that lined the walls on each side. Light ricocheted onto them from the chandeliers above us, making them seem more beautiful. My ancestors’ faces greeted me with each step I took, going as far as my eye could see.
This place should be a museum more than an office.
Of course, I never saw it that way when I was a child, playing hide and scare with my sister Alyce in this place while our parents worked to keep our kingdom safe.
I couldn’t understand then the importance each of these paintings held and the stories of happiness, loss, and sacrifice they concealed.
It represented the most important part of my past, but it was also the foundation of my future.
Smiling at the painting of my grandparents, I stopped before Mom’s desk—she was so enthralled by her response to whatever email she had just read, that she hadn’t even noticed me.
Her eyebrow rose boldly at my thought, and she looked at me from under her lashes, her fingers never stopping over the keyboard.
Never mind.
“Any updates?”
Mom’s attention fully lifted to me as she hit send and closed the laptop. With a heavy sigh, she stood. “Good news or bad news?”
“Good news.”
“We have successfully located and raided twelve of the possible twenty-five RavenWolf hidden packs in the United States.”
“Including the three Alyce and I uncovered?”
She nodded, walking around the desk to my side.
“That’s great news, Mom. Gustav’s Knight Force is really coming through for us, huh?”
“Allowing him to extend our army to the states was the best decision we ever made.” A small smile curved her lips, but it didn’t reach her aquamarine eyes. “Bad news is we still haven’t found any clues to where they could have taken Anastasia.”
“We’ll get there,” I offered, remaining hopeful even as my chest constricted with concern.
“I know…” Her hand cradled my cheek, her silent way of calling me down so she could kiss me.
I was too tall for everyone, something I inherited from my dad too. Giving her a heartfelt hug, I enjoyed her smooch for a moment, then straightened. “Any survivors?”
“Yes, many who will be brought here to face the King Eisen Ritter’s justice. The rest are being questioned as we speak. We are hoping to get any clues as to where to look next.”
Shit. I almost felt bad for them. Justice was the essence of an Iron Knight’s existence, the very reason the Moon Goddess had created them, and although my dad was a loving man—thanks to my mom—the fierceness our goddess instilled in him still flowed through his veins.
When the Knight stepped forward, nothing would stop him from making them pay.
“All guilty?”
Mom smiled, placing a hand on my heart and stroking my chest. “Thankfully, no. Most of the shifters didn’t even know what their Alpha and his hunters were doing. There are a lot of innocents, mostly women who have been pushed aside just to breed for them, and the children.”
“So fucking disgusting.”
“Don’t get me started.” Mom’s nostrils flared, eyes flashing blue as her hand dropped from my chest, fisting. Her crystalline grey claws protruded from her ire, forcing her to open her hand again or hurt herself.
Dad might be the Iron Knight, but Mom hadn’t earned the title of the Queen of War and Peace for nothing. If any wrong was committed, she could be even fiercer than my father... Though, unlike him, she didn’t need a sword.
Mom was brilliant, deadly, and had plenty of knights willing to risk their lives to carry out her plans without her lifting a single finger.
Everyone loved their Queen Luna, not just because she was the once-lost princess finally brought home, but because she was truly everything our Moon Goddess wanted us to be.
Most of all, she hated seeing she-wolves submitted to be nothing more than breeders. As she always said…
“Women were born to be Alphas,” she growled, the wolf showing herself in Mom’s voice and making me grin fully.
That was my mom, and she’d nurtured the perfect heaven here after taking the throne. Lucky for those innocent shifters, they, too, would be welcomed in our pack and offered the life they always should have had… becoming a Von Reinheit.
“Yes, they are,” I winked at her, making her smile.
“My boy.”
With her silent call, I leaned in once more, letting her hug me. She loved squeezing the life out of me, but I was a big boy, I could take it.
“No word from Dresden yet,” she added, stepping back. “But Bj?rn is still searching. Please let Natalia know that. We are all searching.”
“I will.”
“How is she doing?” Resting her hips on her desk she looked up at me, probably expecting me to say that my mate was a mess after what happened.
“Apparently, much better than we thought.”
Mom scuffed at that, turning around and returning to her seat. “Don’t be fooled by the strength of a woman, baby. What she went through would have traumatized anyone.”
“Well, right now she’s just focused on learning to use her powers so we can go find Anastasia and save her.”
Mom’s gaze briefly became lost beyond me, as though she was suddenly in the past. “She might not cry in front of us, but that doesn’t mean her heart isn’t tearing inside her.”
With her words, my chest constricted harshly because she was right.
“Are you going to see her now?”
“Yes. We are going to continue her training.”
“Bring her to me this afternoon after she’s had a chance to rest from sparring. I will talk to her.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Turning around, I began to walk out of the office but halted and headed back to her, giving her an exaggerated, sound-making, huge kiss on the cheek. A brilliant smile curved her lips—the same one I was proud to have inherited from her.
Her gaze twinkled with love, watching after me until I stepped out of the office.
Contrary to what outsiders might think, it was not lost on me how lucky I was.
I still had my parents, a loving family, and everything I’d enjoyed growing up in this perfect kingdom that my parents had risked and sacrificed so much to create—not just for me and my sister, but for every Wolf Shifter in the world.
A legacy that would be my greatest honor to continue.
“Oh, look! The mighty prince finally decided to join us this morning!” Natalia’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
My lips twitched while I tried my best not to smile as I walked out onto the clearing. I fucking loved it when she messed with me.
“I think you meant the privileged white man,” I countered, stopping before her and the guys.
Her perfectly groomed eyebrow arched, and she crossed both arms over her chest. “That’s what I said.”
Chuckles left André and Dante, but I cleared my throat. “I have news.”
Seriousness descended on them, and they all stepped closer. “Did Dresden reach out?”
I shook my head at Natalia. “I’m sorry. Not yet.
But we’ve been able to dismantle twelve of the RavenWolf hidden packs across North America so far.
Some of the Alphas and their hunters are being questioned as we speak.
With any luck, we’ll get some useful info from them before they face my father’s justice. ”
“What about the innocents?” Natalia’s mask slightly cracked, for the first time showing the distress she hid from us. “The women and children are not like them, they—”
“We know,” I reassured. “You don’t have to worry about them. Mom knows they are innocent. She is having them brought here so they can be welcomed into our pack as Von Reinheits and be given everything they need to live the life they deserve.”
Astounded, and confused Natalia looked into my eyes for a few seconds. “Von Reinheit, like my father? I mean, Natasha’s father. Dresden.”
“Yes.” A kind smile tilted my mouth. “Like Dresden Von Reinheit. Anyone from the direct line of the Moon Princess is a ReinheitWolfe, all other members of our family become a Von Reinheit.”
“But they are not your family. They were created by the enemy.”
Her skepticism was only natural, so I nodded.
“And yet they are innocent shifters. My parents will welcome them into our family regardless of how they were created. They might not have the shifter blood our goddess gifted us, but they are pure of heart, and that’s enough for us.”
A light of appreciation and understanding illuminated her red eyes, and I loved that she was finally getting to see who we truly were.
Being a ReinheitWolfe wasn’t about collecting power to be above all others. It was about using that power to make sure no one was forced to stay down.
“My mom also wanted you to know that Bj?rn is actively looking for Anastasia. If he finds her before Dresden contacts us, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Please thank the queen for me.” Natalia’s mask fused back together, her demeanor hardening before my eyes.
“You can thank her yourself. She wants to see you this afternoon. After our training.”
A what the fuck for? kind of look crossed her face before she caught herself, shrugging nonchalantly. “Sure. Are you ready for me to kick your ass again?”
Laughter burst from our mates, echoing in the forest.
“Kick my ass again? That would imply you kicked my ass yesterday, and I remember that very differently.”
Her plump red lips curved into a sensual smile, but she shrugged once more. “I don’t know what to tell you, Beasty boy, I totally kicked your ass. And I have witnesses.”
“One hundred percent,” André assured, amused.
“It was embarrassing, really,” Dante added, and I narrowed my eyes at them.
Traitors.
“Oh, you have them eating out of your palm, don’t you?” I teased.
“And out of other places too… Ouch.” Dante grunted when her hand connected with his arm. Hard.
“Fine. But you only get one chance,” I explained. “And just to be clear, we trained Isis, so…”
The good luck with that was implied, and that pissed her the hell off.
She was coming for my ass now.
If my idea worked, she’d stop relying on her old knowledge of fighting. Yes, she was an incredible fighter, but the hand-to-hand combat she was taught had been intended for fighting the bastards in her village and defending herself when she couldn’t shift.
Natalia was a full-on, powerful supernatural now. A hybrid. Those tactics were children’s play against the people who kidnapped her mother. She needed to access her powers in a fight, naturally, instinctively, to use them without holding back.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I closed my eyes. “Come at me.”
My senses awoke to her the second I closed them. Her heartbeat, her scent, the sound of her steps, everything formed the image of her in my mind as she lunged forward, telling me exactly where she would strike.
Whirling an instant before she could hit me on the right, I felt her breeze blowing past me and gripped her arm, yanking her back into my chest.
“I’ll give you three tries. No more, no less,” I whispered in her ear. “One.”
She pulled her arm from my grasp and stepped back, coming at me again.
Double kick to the chest.
My forearms flew in front of me, slamming against her boots and blocking her kicks one right after the other. Gripping her ankle, I yanked her into me once more. This time, I pressed our chests together while I anchored her thigh on my hip, my gaze boring into hers.
“Two. Only one try left.” My whisper mixed with her panted breaths while she glared up at me.
Her heart rate accelerated with us being so close, and I saw the fire ignite in her irises.
Let’s play.
Letting her go, I walked several paces away to give her space, but this time I pinned her with a smug gaze… letting her know she couldn’t best me.
Something told me Natalia was her best self when she wanted to prove someone wrong.
Flashing forward, she jumped into the air, confusion gripping me when she began to rotate like an ice skater. Before I could react, her boot connected with my chin, making me stagger back as fire wings erupted behind her and she spun once more.
The Beast roared inside me, fighting to come out, but I locked down every muscle.
My head flew back with her second kick a split second later, and then she kicked my chest, sending me flying into the trees. My back crashed against the ground, and I bounced a couple of times before sliding to a stop over the snow-covered grass.
Natalia landed over me, crouching while wild cheers and applause roared behind her.
Sensually grinning, she looked down at me, flaming wings dancing behind her and making her look like a goddess.
I was left speechless at the sizzling, dangerous beauty who had done what no other ever could… steal my heart.
And beat my ass.
Leaning in until our noses almost touched, she pinned me with her fierce gaze. “Never look at me again like there is something I can’t do.”
My lips stretched into the most brilliant smile I had ever given her. “Yes, ma’am.”
Watching her stand, I accepted the hand she offered and rose to my feet, but with the presence of her fire, another power burst from inside me.
Fuck. I mentally growled. I’d let my guard down.
Fur rippled over my arms and my hand—still in hers—transformed into the Beast’s with obsidian claws extending past her wrist.
Startled at my sudden transformation, Natalia gasped, staggering back.
She’s not going to hurt me, you bastard!
Deadly fire… The voice in the back of my mind reminded me.
Unable to stop the shift I felt my arms and legs extend within seconds, my head grew into the werewolf’s, and my clothes vanished into its spell until the Beast towered in front of her.
“I wasn’t going to hurt you…” Natalia’s saddened voice echoed in my mind, and for the first time in my life, I hated that part of myself.
“I’m sorry… It’s him.”
“Yeah.”
Disappointment briefly crossed her gaze, but she immediately masked it, turning around and returning to the clearing.