Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
Malcolm's place was a farmhouse nestled in the heart of Society land, just across the river. We were still within our curfew time, so there was no need to skulk in the shadows. The reason for our visit was unconventional—I didn't have a pack. Normally, this kind of thing would've been handled by my alpha. I'd have approached them, asked for the mating, and it would've been processed through all the proper channels.
Technically, I was teetering on the edge of being a stray, but my mother and I danced on that edge due to the absence of panthers in the area. We had no choice but to fend for ourselves.
Tia and I caught the bus. It crossed the river but fell short of Malcolm's place, branching off and terminating at a roundabout about a mile back. The walk didn't faze us. If anything, we felt safer treading Society land, where the chances of encountering a Human were practically non-existent.
Malcolm's estate loomed at the end of a long, winding driveway. I wasn't certain if the drive belonged to him or if it was simply a lane leading to his property. A farm flanked one side, likely human-owned.
As his house came into view, its windows glowing like warm beacons in the encroaching darkness, Tia suddenly yanked me back. "What if he says no?"
I halted, squeezing her hand reassuringly. My panther was doing backflips, a mixture of anticipation and nerves. "Then we'll figure it out. Malcolm's fair. He'll hear us out." At least, I hoped he would. I cast a glance back along the path, the imposing structure of the house seeming to loom over us.
It struck me then how much this place had been a constant in my life, a surrogate for the pack structure I'd never truly known. Malcolm had always been there for me, a guiding presence in the absence of not just an alpha, but a father too.
"Whatever happens, we're in this together. Remember that," I said.
She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips despite her obvious nervousness. "Together."
We reached the door, and I knocked, my heart thundering in my chest as we stepped back. It didn't take long for the hall light inside to flicker on, followed by the creak of the opening door. Malcolm raised an eyebrow at me, his gaze sweeping across both of us with laser-like intensity. "Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice betraying nothing.
I straightened my shoulders, feigning a confidence I desperately wanted to feel, and met his gaze head-on. "Can we talk to you about something? I know it's late, it's just ... It's really important."
He sized us up for a moment, his eyes flicking between our faces and our clasped hands. Then, with a nod that seemed to carry the weight of the world, he stepped back to let us in.
I'd been in the house before, but every time it struck me how alive it felt. The place breathed with an energy all its own. It was warm, welcoming, and felt like an extension of Malcolm himself. But then, Malcolm had a family—a wife, his son Stephen, and his two daughters, Gemma and Evie. Walking in, you could almost feel their presence lingering in the air. This was a family home, and it pulsed with life and love.
It was Gemma we saw first. She was a little younger than me, emerging from the kitchen in just a tank top and shorts, her feet bare against the worn wooden floors. She smiled when she spotted us, curiosity radiating off her in waves.
"Hey, everything okay?" she asked, her voice light but her eyes searching.
I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady. "Yeah. I just need to chat with your father." I didn't mean to be dismissive, but she didn't take it that way.
Malcolm turned to his daughter. "Tell your mother I have someone in the office and I'll be back in a moment. She's in her shed." With that, he ushered us into his room.
The room was massive, dominated by a giant table slightly off-centre. This wasn't just Malcolm's workspace—it was where Society and the Preternatural council convened to make decisions that affected our entire community. I couldn't even begin to fathom what it was like to be part of the Royal house, to witness and participate in shaping our world. It was so far removed from the life I knew, it might as well have been on another planet.
This wasn't just an office, though. It was the crucible where laws were forged, where the fate of our kind was decided. And there Tia and I stood, about to ask something that would change everything for us. Maybe not for all of Society, but for our slice of the world? Absolutely.
Tia's hand tightened around mine again, and I returned the gesture, drawing strength from her presence.
"So," Malcolm said, settling into his chair with the gravitas of a judge about to pass sentence. "What is so important that it couldn't wait until morning?"
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. This was it. No turning back now, no matter how much my instincts screamed at me to run. I cleared my throat, willing my voice not to shake. "I wouldn't have bothered you if I had an alpha to go to. I ..." I began, pausing as Malcolm's stoic gaze bore into me. He didn't interrupt, his face an unreadable mask. "Tia and I ... we want to put in a petition to mate. I'm not sure who I'm supposed to go to. I just thought ... I figured, since you're the closest thing to an alpha I have, maybe I'd need to come to you."
I watched Malcolm's face, searching desperately for any reaction, any hint of what he might be thinking. I reached out with my senses, trying to get a read on his emotions, but they were locked down tight. Malcolm was a master of stoicism. There was no reading him, even if I tried. Unlike my mother, there wasn't even a membrane to push against. It was all locked away, a void of emptiness that gave nothing away.
"Have you spoken with your mother about this?" he asked, his voice measured and calm.
I stepped closer, drawing on a well of confidence I didn't know I possessed. "I thought it would be better to speak to you first. If I can get your approval, then it's already done. And in the eyes of the law, with me about to turn eighteen, I'll be an adult. I know she's going to be mad at me, and maybe she'll shout and all that stuff, but this is my choice, right? Once I hit legal adult ..." I trailed off for a second, my heart racing as I prepared to drop the final bombshell. "I want to join the Sentinels too."
"Raven ..." Tia's voice was soft, coupled with a sharp gasp. I knew I hadn't told her before we got to Malcolm's, but in all honesty, I hadn't actually made up my mind until that very moment. Standing in front of Malcolm seemed to make everything fall into place, the pieces of my future clicking together with startling clarity.
"If I don't sign up, then I'll just remain the same and nothing will change in my life. It makes sense," I said to her, my voice taking on an edge of desperation.
Unlike Malcolm, her emotions rolled off her, and I had to choke back the intensity of it all. "I can lend you the money. We can talk about this." Her desperation hummed against my senses, but I pushed it back. I had to, or I'd falter.
"I need to do this." I looked back to Malcolm, my resolve hardening. It was shitty of me, maybe, to just drop it on Tia like that, but it was the only way. As I stood there, everything in me agreed—this was my path forward. "I'll sign up. I know that puts me in your hands for the next two years of my life, right? Even if my mother protests my mating, once I've signed up, it's your say."
This was the thing about being a Sentinel. It wasn't like signing up for the human armies. Malcolm would own me, body and soul. There was no leaving this, no falling out or medical discharges. My life would be under his total control. He had that power, and my life would be his for the next two years, no matter my age. There was no simply pledging allegiance to the council. We gave our lives for it.
"My mother won't be upset about the Sentinel part, though. She had wanted that for me, right? She asked you?"
"She had."
"Good. So, if Tia and I mate, and I become a Sentinel, she benefits too? She will be protected and looked after while I am away?"
He wasn't saying much, and not giving anything away, but it was there—echoes in his head that I couldn't reach and grab for. "We have to do all the appropriate tests and go through the rules, but yes, if I approve your application and the council signs off on it, then she will get benefits from you." He looked to Tia then. "You're in college too?"
"Yes." Tia bowed her head, acknowledging Malcolm's status. "Preternatural anthropology."
"And you plan to further your education?"
"I aim to work for the DSA," she stated. "That's my goal, at least."
Malcolm leant back, scrutinising us. He drummed his fingers on the desk, stretching the silence. He reached for his top drawer, extracted some papers, and slapped them onto the desk. My heart hammered, something inside me stuttering—this was it, the moment of truth.
"I don't need to consult the council about your Sentinel application. My signature approves it." He tapped the papers. "I prepared this in advance, anticipating our conversation." He extended the documents. "Read them, sign, then return them." He paused, his grip tightening on the papers. "But consider this carefully. Once submitted, there's no going back."
I stepped forward. Tia clutched at my hand, no longer seeking reassurance but trying to restrain me. I pulled away. "Raven ..."
Ignoring her, I focused on Malcolm. "I don't need to read it. This will clear my debt with the humans?"
"If that's your wish. We can allocate the rest to you or Tia, whatever arrangement you prefer."
I snatched the papers, grabbed the pen, and scrawled my signature. If I took them home, Tia would try to dissuade me.
Malcolm observed silently. When I finished, I thrust the papers back at him, and he offered another set.
"This is the mating application. You'll need tests, samples to ensure compatibility. The process won't be too rigorous for you both." His words implied tests for genetic compatibility, to safeguard future offspring. This highlighted why Humans dominated us. While Others seemed numerous, we paled in comparison to human populations. Every mating aimed to produce another generation of Others. But Tia and I ranked low on the Society ladder, so the scrutiny wouldn't be as intense. They'd mainly ensure we wouldn't produce disabled panthers. Our world couldn't afford drains on resources.
"Will the mating process take long?" Tia asked. Tears glistened in her eyes, pain radiating from her, but she contained it for Malcolm's benefit. Not for me. I felt it, thick and heavy, and regret gnawed at me. But this was best for all of us.
"Not too long. Your lower Society status means more lenient rules."
We signed the forms and handed them back. Malcolm extended his hand. "I'll hold these for a week before filing. It'll give you both time to reconsider."
I retreated to Tia's side, reaching for her hand. She didn't reciprocate. Squaring my shoulders and puffing out my chest, I nodded. "Thanks, but we don't need it. You can file them."
Another pause from him. "Allow me to give you both a ride home. Curfew is almost upon us."