Chapter 25
BELENUS
I wasn’t quite sure I’d heard King Nechtan correctly. Had he just offered me assistance in usurping the summer throne? I studied him for a minute while I considered his offer.
“Is the Winter Court so worried about autumn that they’d offer help to a neighbor they share a fragile treaty with? Our war is not as old as that… or as forgotten among our people as you might think,” I said cautiously.
The king maintained his cool composure and continued to stroke the tired, pregnant mac-talla. “Simply put, yes. I would say so. I have not been king for as long as my father, but I can tell you that I’d rather establish balance than risk more bloodshed in the long game,” he answered grimly.
“You break the pattern of your brutal ancestors,” I mused but was taken aback by his scowl.
“We were never as barbaric as you perceived,” he retorted icily.
I placed my hands up in supplication. “Forgive me, King Nechtan. An insult was not my intent.” He seemed somewhat mollified for now, but his jaw clenched. I needed to be more careful with my wording. I glanced at Hekla, who was also giving me a disapproving look.
Shit.
Great job, Escort growled.
“When are you executing your attack on the throne?” the king asked, calming as he stroked the creature who’d fallen asleep on his arm.
“As soon as I return. There is not much time. I had planned on being back…” I answered, trailing off and counting the days in my head. I grimaced at how little time was left. “After dawn, I will have three more days before the wedding. Not that I haven’t already broken the contract. They won’t know that until they see me, though. I need that time! I need to find a way out of that contract.”
“There is no way you will be able to march to the Summer Court within three days’ time,” King Nechtan informed with a shake of his head. I hesitated, not exactly wanting to divulge that I had a map with connecting doors. How did I want to navigate this?
“There may be a way,” I replied evasively, “but I must think on it before I run it by you.” I needed to peruse the map and consult with my mate on our next course of action. In the meantime, they could march us west.
“Then I suppose we should get going.” King Nechtan nodded curtly and turned to where he’d left his warriors. I glanced up at the sky, knowing we only had several more hours before we had to find enough shelter for the bat-shifters. The gods knew I was exhausted too.
The Sun God spilled his rays into the horizon, but we discovered that the nearby spindly woods were too sparse to offer decent coverage. Fortunately, King Nechtan worked with his men to erect shelters made of snow. I imagined that being outside of their court must have cost them quite a bit of magic. I was not only appreciative of their efforts, but I was also surprised by how dedicated they were in their assistance. I would keep an eye on them, but my gut told me that King Nechtan and I were on the same page. I also… trusted Hekla’s judgment too.
Hekla and I poured over the map in private and isolated the best door to the Winter Court. Nothing went straight to summer. “We may have to blindfold the king and their men, and I have a feeling they will not cooperate. Like an alpha, the king would want to know about any doors to his court,” Hekla murmured, tracing a finger idly on the paper. “It’s a vulnerability.”
“I know that I’d want to know if there was a hidden door to my court,” I sighed while rubbing my temples. I was damn tired and ready to sleep with the rest of the shifters. “Fortunately, I do know now because of this map, but I’d understand his fears about it.”
“Would mentioning the godlings help?” Hekla asked, looking up at me with her gorgeous, sparkling eyes. I was momentarily distracted by them, but I shrugged and twisted my lips in thought.
“Let’s sleep and speak to him when the Sun God goes to rest,” I replied, folded the map, and led my mate back to the shifters to retire.
·
I was woken just before nightfall by King Nechtan, who held up a letter that he seemed to want to discuss. I looked over at my mate, so sweet in her sleep, and hesitated in my decision to wake her. I was torn between wanting to make sure she got enough rest and including her in all important discussions. I also had to wonder if she was already with pup… or fae.
Grow up, I reminded myself with some irritation. Hekla can handle it. She’s already a queen by nature alone.
She’d kick your ass for letting her sleep through anything important, Escort remarked dryly. I grudgingly acknowledged his point and gently roused her.
“I received a report from my scouts in the Winter Court that a woman claiming to be your sister was apprehended in our territory and held for questioning,” he said, handing the letter to me .
“Emer?” I fumbled with the letter and read it thoroughly. “What the shit? She was looking for me?” I asked no one in particular.
“Do you think something happened at the castle?” Hekla asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.
“It must have if it drove her into the Winter Court all by herself,” I muttered in shock. I looked up at the king and asked, “Can we request a rendezvous on our way west so we can talk to her?”
“Considering she didn’t seem to be spying or attacking anyone, I think we can arrange that,” the king said, studying my expression. I knew he was going out on more than one limb for me, and I was grateful for his flexibility. He might have a grim and cold countenance, but I think he held out for more hope than he was willing to admit.
I wanted to ask if my sister had been tortured or beaten for information, but I had a feeling that would be a terribly stupid and offensive question. I had to show some trust as well. I would get Emer’s retelling of it too, of course.
“On my idea for shortening our travel time,” I said, wording my idea cautiously, “I’ve been told there is a direct fae door from the Unseelie Court to the Winter Court.” I stopped to assess his reaction to that bit of news.
Aside from his nostrils flaring, the king didn’t betray any of his surprise, and replied, “Continue…”
“I have been sworn to secrecy about its location and the one from the Winter Realm to the Summer Realm. I am… uncertain how to proceed without disclosing the location to you and your warriors.” I tried not to hold my breath, but I was anxious to get this talk behind us.
“How did you get this information?” the king demanded harshly, drawing his brows and pursing his lips in ire. The disclosure of an unknown door from winter to summer had fractured his demeanor.
“Triskelion,” I confessed with a sigh. “Triskelion divulged it to speed up our trip to the Night Court. Hekla fed a fear gorta, and things lined up for us immediately.” I shrugged helplessly, not able to prove it and unwilling to tell him of the map’s existence. “I realize this all sounds outlandish, but the Sky Gods and godlings are motivated to help the children of the Sky Gods and dethrone the summer queen.”
“Triskelion has been quiet for hundreds of years,” King Nechtan said in a low voice and regarded me with a degree of suspicion. I threw up my hands and looked at Hekla.
“We promised Lion,” Hekla said, worrying at her claws. “That’s magically binding, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I growled and paced.
“You are really testing my trust here, Prince Belenus,” the king warned, crossing his battle-hardened arms. “The existence of these doors leaves my court vulnerable.”
“Only my mate and I know of their existence—except for Triskelion, of course,” I replied, trying to reassure him.
“Let’s make a promise, then,” Hekla said firmly. “A promise to not use the doors in a way that would threaten the peace and safety of your court. Then we’ll blindfold you and pass through the door.”
I bit my tongue at Hekla’s bold offer. Once again, she laid everything out on the table.
She’s a wolf, Escort reminded me. She won’t play fae games, Belenus. She’s aiming to get shit done.
I scratched the back of my neck and didn’t reply to my wolf, but he was right. We were playing by her rules now, and they’d worked well so far.
“I must express that I am very unhappy about this.” The fae king glowered. “I insist we detail the promise, and once you take the throne, Prince Belenus, we will need to discuss how you plan to safeguard the summer door to our court.”
“I think that’s reasonable,” I said, letting my shoulders drop in relief.
Once we established detailed terms of the promise, both Hekla and I bound ourselves to it, shaking the king’s hand to magically finalize the agreement. As we neared the location of the unseelie door, I reminded King Nechtan of the plan. “We’ll blindfold you a mile from the unseelie door and remove the blindfold a mile after we’ve left the winter door.”
The king and his warriors grudgingly allowed themselves to be blindfolded, and Hekla ordered the shifters with an alpha command to link hands and close their eyes. We led them carefully through the door over several hours and trudged through the frigid snow to a place where I was comfortable removing their blindfolds.
I held no illusions about that door remaining a secret. I was sure there were a number of ways the king could try to track his way back to it, even if I could remove the snow tracks. I was more concerned about the door from winter to summer, but that was nowhere near the top of my list of priorities.
The king took in the scenery when he pulled the blindfold from his steely gaze. “Remarkable,” he said. “There was a door under our very own noses.” Snow drifted down, and he adjusted his cape over the mac-talla.
“How shall we rendezvous with Emer and your guards?” I asked, motioning for the warriors and shivering shifters to continue our westward trek. The king unfolded a map and leaned over to discuss our current location with Slaine. Once they sorted out where we were, King Nechtan pointed northwest.
“We have a half a day’s ride to the rendezvous point. They’ve already left the castle and should be there first,” he said. I turned around to see how the bat-shifters were doing, and they appeared as miserable as Hekla. I could sense her temptation to shift into a wolf far more equipped for this weather.
I held a hand out to her and said, “I want to carry you. I am very cold.” I tried not to let a rakish grin destroy my serious mask, but she saw through me anyway. She was too smart to fall for it. She shook her head but beamed at my attempt to warm her. I knew she didn’t want to appear weak. The things we did for our image… I supposed the wolves must have that same dilemma.
We marched on, and once I saw Emer’s strawberry-blonde hair among a bevy of winter warriors, I ran ahead and enveloped her in a hug. I’d never been so happy to see her, and I suspected she felt the same, now sobbing in relief. “B-Belenus! I’m so sorry! I d-didn’t know where to find you!” she cried, rubbing her puffy eyes.
“It’s ok. I’ve got you now, Emer,” I consoled. “But why in the shit are you here? Did something happen?”
Hekla and King Nechtan caught up with us and waited for her explanation. Such was Emer’s distress that she only spoke after Hekla encased her in a comforting hug. “Belenus, I… I overheard Mother say that…” She stopped in the middle of her sentence and froze as though the Winter Court had wrapped her in ice. Beneath her pinkened, frozen nose and cheeks, her skin paled. She was staring at something behind me, and I turned sharply to see what had shocked her.
Nofre was being held back by a surprised Ferrer and Luzia. His nostrils flared, and his knuckles blanched as he fought some kind of internal battle. I didn’t know what happened to his shirt, but it was gone and large, charcoal bat wings were spread wide, twitching and flapping in his agitation. His chest heaved and his fangs lengthened, but then he slammed his eyes shut as though he had suffered some agonizing injury. When he tried to turn from us, Ferrer and Luzia helped him stumble away, both looking back worriedly but offering no explanation.
I returned my gaze to Emer to find her trembling lips trying to form words. Her eyes followed Nofre’s departure with a look of horror, and she quietly uttered one word.
“Mate.”
HEKLA
I gawked at Emer, who was huddled against me. “Nofre’s your mate?” I blurted in surprise and gawked at Belenus. He appeared just as stunned, but I could feel a flurry of emotions through our bond. He went from shock, to disbelief, to a very brief flash of gladness that was quickly drowned out by disapproval and shame.
I reached out and grabbed his hand. It’s ok to feel confused. This is all very overwhelming. I will go talk to Nofre if you take care of your sister, I said to him. We must address recognition before anything negative escalates.
I don’t think Nofre would hurt her, mate, Eventide murmured in an attempt to comfort him.
Escort was, I believed, purposely silent. I could imagine him telling Belenus not to be prejudiced against the bat-shifter who was mated to his sister, and I think he ultimately didn’t trust himself to speak. As assertive as Escort could be, I believed he knew when to stay quiet.
“Let’s continue westward, shall we?” I prompted King Nechtan. He pressed his lips together in impatience, and he obviously wanted to know what Emer had to say, but she didn’t look like she was going to talk anytime soon. She just stared off to where Nofre had disappeared, lost in dissociation. She didn’t look happy, and I very much remembered that she mentioned not ever wanting a mate—a husband. I hoped she meant a fae one.
After the king got his warriors moving again, I gently moved Emer to Belenus, who brought her out of the way of the marching warriors and shambling shifters. Taking in the entire group, I realized we’d have to stop soon and hunt. I had no idea what their metabolism was like, and I was certainly famished.
I followed Nofre’s scent to the end of the four hundred and twenty-four shifters, where Ferrer and Luzia were arguing with him. “Nofre,” I said gently, trying to get his attention, “what happened back there, aside from recognizing Emer?”
“Emer?” he echoed and glanced up at me with weary red eyes. He looked like he’d shed several tears since leaving the front of the colony. “Her name’s Emer.” He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes tight. “Did you see how she looked at me? Like I was a monster?”
“Well, to be fair, you did look like you were about to attack her,” I said. I knew it was blunt, but I wanted to get to the heart of the issue. I wanted to see how I could help. Emer would soon be the king’s sister and needed some stability in her life to handle any given responsibilities.
“I didn’t want to attack her… I wanted to claim her,” he said, looking away in shame. “The next time we feed, the males may fight over her since she’s the first unmarked, unrelated female we’ve encountered.”
“Fuck,” I cursed. “I hadn’t thought of that. That is a problem…” I stared down at the snow while we trudged behind the colony. For a little while, as I pondered, all that filled the air was the crunching of snow underfoot. “I don’t know how many males we have with us, but that would be too many to handle if it turns into a fight. I don’t want to see any injuries or deaths over something like this. There are already too few of you as it is.”
“Perhaps you or Belenus should try to get ahead of us. Distance might solve the issue if you’re far enough away,” Luzia suggested.
“No! I don—” Nofre began but then shut his mouth tight. I knew what he was going to say. He didn’t want to be separated from his mate, a common sentiment among shifter males.
“We haven’t had a fated mate join our colony for… probably well over a hundred years?” Ferrer said, looking to Luzia for verification. She shrugged with a pout, seeming not to know either. “I’d say that at least ninety-five percent of us have never had sex.”
“Fuck!” I cursed again, flinging Zorian’s favorite swear word about willy-nilly due to how extreme this all was. They’ve been really missing out, and I couldn’t imagine how pent up they must be. “Emer must be especially precious to you then, being the first fated mate in forever for a colony member. Don’t you think that announcing that fact to your colony would inspire them to protect her instead of claim her? ”
Nofre looked skeptically over to Ferrer, who sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. It’s hard enough to think of anything but breeding after eating. It’s possible. I suppose if she were mine, I’d probably announce it t—” Ferrer didn’t finish before Nofre crinkled his nose and snarled at him. “Blood clots! Back off, Nofre,” Ferrer snapped, stepping away from him. Luzia put some distance between them as well.
“That’s normal, Ferrer,” I said with a sigh. “He’s going to be territorial. Best to word things with care. You all have a lot to learn about having fated mates. I’m tempted to throw a class together.” I muttered that last part to myself.
“I’m utterly terrified of something happening to her,” Nofre admitted with a strained expression. I could already see that by how taut the cords in his neck were, practically pulled bowstring. “I’m going mad with anxiety being so far from her already.”
I took a deep breath, letting the crisp scent of pine fill my lungs while I thought. “Belenus isn’t a general for nothing. He will keep his sister safe, but you’re going to have to talk to her,” I counseled.
“The prince’s sister?” Nofre exclaimed and halted. He folded his hands over his nose and mouth, looking overwhelmed. The pressure he was under must be crushing. “I… I can’t talk to her. She looked so horrified. She smelled so good, though! What if I bite her?”
I had an urge to joke about her potentially enjoying that but held my tongue. Luzia crossed her arms and said, “You might have to fast, Nofre.”
“That’s a good idea,” he said and pointed at her, immediately agreeing. “I will do that. It will keep my mind clear.”
“And your cock calm,” Ferrer said casually. I held a snort of laughter back and begrudgingly agreed.
“That will weaken you, though, Nofre. Keep that in mind,” Luzia added .
He started walking again, returned his hands to his face, and muttered, “This bloody sucks. Vessel, I’m truly relying on your guidance here.”
“And you will have it,” I replied simply, placing my hands in my pockets. “I know you are a good male, Nofre. I can sense that. What do you want me to do? Speak with Emer or arrange for you two to talk with supervision?”
“If you could convince her that I’m not a monster first, that would be preferable,” he mumbled.
“If that’s what she thinks, she won’t truly believe that until you both get to know each other, but I will do my best to allay her fears.”
“Thank you…”
I jogged awkwardly in the snow back to where Belenus quietly chatted with Emer. It was a relief to find her talking again, though she seemed depleted. Catching up, I held her hand without saying anything and glanced over at Belenus.
How is she doing? I asked my mate.
She’s still in shock. She found his behavior monstrous and frightening.
Did you explain his nature?
I went over their history, yes. She’s a little calmer. More sympathetic, he answered, but she’s still scared of him.
Nofre did point out a serious problem, though. She might be approached by many males after the shifters eat. She’s the first unmated, unrelated female they’ve encountered.
Fuck, Belenus cursed. He was on the same profanity page as me, apparently.
They recommend taking her ahead of the group if possible, I added.
We do have the horse she arrived on, he said in realization.
I don’t think Nofre can be separated from her, though, my mate, I disclosed and proceeded to tell him everything I discussed with the three bat-shifters.
This is very problematic, he uttered in frustration .
Can’t we just use an alpha command on them to keep her safe? Eventide chirped.
I stopped in my tracks and smacked a hand to my forehead. Someone bumped into me from behind and apologized profusely. That was my fault, though, and I swiftly returned the apology.
I am the dumbest she-wolf in the world, I moaned. I caught up to my mate and Emer, feeling like a complete idiot. My brain must still be processing the Moon Goddess’s blessing. To think I forgot I was an alpha!
Over our bond, I felt a mixture of amusement and relief from Belenus. I didn’t think of it either… he consoled and chuckled out loud. Emer’s lost gaze darted to him, but he dismissed the unspoken question with a shake of his head.
“Emer,” I said softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Can we talk?”
Belenus marched ahead to give us some space and Emer sighed. “Is this about… him?”
“Oh yes, it absolutely is. Did you know that he’s freaking out back there, worried to pieces that he scared you and that you think he must be a monster?” I asked, knowing that she communicated as bluntly as I did. My goal was to ‘humanize’ him.
“No…” she admitted, a small guilty pout pulling at her lips.
“When he saw you, he had this massive urge to protect you. You know how territorial these dumb males get.” I smiled and nudged her in the ribs. The corner of her lips twitched a little.
Ooh! We almost got a smile out of her. Keep going! Eventide cheered.
In a lower voice, like I was gossiping about something juicy, I asked, “Did Belenus tell you about their crazy post-eating instinct?” She shook her head and her eyes lit with curiosity, locking onto mine. “They get crazy horny after eating,” I shared, giggling quietly. “It’s an urge they developed because they’re at risk of going extinct. The first time they ate, they all went off to masturbate!”
She released a bark of laughter and then covered her mouth, glancing back at the colony of shifters. “No… Really?”
I nodded with wide eyes, smiling wickedly. She snorted again but blushed this time, cheeks growing rosier than they’d been from the chill.
“Anyway, I just wanted to comfort you by letting you know that Nofre’s decided to fast. He won’t eat for now because he doesn’t want to pressure you on accident. Instincts are a nightmare, aren’t they?” I patted her shoulder, moving into the guilt-trip phase of my plan.
She gaped, stricken. “He’s going to starve himself?”
“Yupper puppers,” I verified calmly, like I was talking about the snowfall.
“Because he doesn’t want to pressure me into sex?” She seemed to be having a hard time accepting that.
Excellent. Monsters don’t sacrifice their well-being for others. Nicely spun, Eventide complimented.
Thank you, I replied smugly.
“He’s used to starving. He’ll be ok.” I rubbed her arm in comfort, laying it on thick.
Now she simply looked aghast. “Where is he? I think this warrants a conversation…”
I twisted my lips in a grimace and replied, “He’s afraid of scaring you again. Maybe wait a day or two to talk?”
“No!” she snapped and stalked off into the colony to find her fated mate. Had Emer not been so vulnerable, she would have seen right through my little strategy. Honestly, I was surprised this worked at all.
I broke into a broad grin and Eventide released a proud howl of victory. Belenus fell back to return to my side and held my hand. “I can feel that you are very pleased with yourself,” he murmured into my ear. His breath made me shudder, and I sent a feral grin his way.
“She went off to confront Nofre about his self-starvation plan,” I reported proudly .
“Let’s hope that doesn’t turn into a fight,” Belenus drawled.
“Our fights always seem to turn out well,” I whispered suggestively, and his pulse quickened.
“Well, if it turns out well for them, I may have to see what happens when I give you a reward.”
Ok, stop, I ordered him. You are making my panties wet.
Uh, no. This is revenge for teasing my cock so mercilessly. Next time I get you alone, I’m going to reward you so well, you won’t be able to walk for a week. I’ve got a beautiful golden trophy right here for your display case.
Belenus, stop!
No.