average human’s Reviews > Unwilling Queen > Status Update

The king and three queens are there, as well as Archie and a man who I assume is his father when Gracelin joins him and kisses him passionately. Also standing at the table are Brodie and Hunter, as well as the two other men I recognize from Night Watch One. There’s also another large man who looks very much like Hunter with a petite woman by his side, and two young adults.
Violet stiffens next to me, and I can practically feel her distress. Before I can ask her what’s wrong, Lucas hurries over and offers me his arm.
“Please allow me to escort you,” he says kindly and walks me to the head of the table next to his seat, and he pulls out the chair. I sit, and he pushes it in before returning to his seat, which is next to mine. Violet and Gretchin both take seats next to one another farther down the table.
“Please let me formally introduce ourselves. I believe you know my wives, but I’m Lucas. It is very lovely to finally meet you, Colbie.” The king inclines his head gracefully, and I feel like he means what he is saying.
The three queens also murmur their greetings. Layla, who is on my other side, grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze of encouragement.
“Oh, I can feel your animal now,” Mia murmurs quietly, “but there’s still something that’s slightly different about it.”
“None of that now. Let’s enjoy dinner first, and we can talk about official stuff later. I’m sure Colbie is starving. She slept right through lunch.” Evie frowns at her co-wife, who apologizes.
Lucas continues his introduction. “Sitting next to Gracelin is her mate, Adam.” The big, brawny man gives me a wave. Next to him, Archie bounces up and down on his chair. “And I believe you’ve met our grandson, Archer, before.”
I smile at my young friend who waves enthusiastically and then tugs on his dad’s shirt. “Didn’t I tell you how pretty she is, Papa? She and I are going to get married. She agreed to wait until I finish high school. Colbie, you promised to sit next to me.” Unfortunately for him, Adam was taking a drink when Archie announced this, and he chokes on it in surprise.
“Archie, honey, Queen Colbie’s mates are chosen for her by the goddess,” Gracelin says gently, and he stops bouncing, crosses his arms, and pouts his bottom lip.
“But I love her,” he argues plaintively.
“And I love you,” I assure him, seeing he’s close to tears. “You don’t need to be my husband for me to love you,” I tell him, and I can see him thinking.
“Fine, I will be your sidepiece.”
The table explodes into laughter and surprise at his announcement. I’m slightly bemused at a child knowing that kind of term and using it correctly.
Mia frowns. “Where on earth did you hear that?” she questions her grandson who leans in conspiratorially.
“I heard Councilor Mason telling one of the maids that she was his sidepiece before they cuddled and kissed in the supply closet down the hall from Grandpa’s office. I don’t want to kiss Colbie, but cuddles are nice, and she said we could play Shifter Quest together.”
I said nothing of the sort, but the mischievous little kiddo is resourceful.
The laughter cuts off, and there are looks of surprise all around the table and a number of rumbled growls, which sound slightly aggressive.
“Councilor Mason is a mated man,” Lucas tells me quietly.
“Mated vows are sacred to shifters, so being in a relationship outside of them is taboo,” Layla adds. “It’s the ultimate insult. It’s disgusting, and it marks a shifter as untrustworthy. I would suggest that Councilor Mason not make the cut for your new council.”
I make a mental note. I hate cheaters anyway, but it sounds like it’s worse as a shifter.
Lucas clears his throat, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.
“I know you know Brodie and Hunter, but what about the other two rascals, Liam and Gem?” He points to both men who incline their heads. Gem gives me a wink, and I can see Liam is trying and failing to contain his scowl.
“We’ve met before,” I tell the king who continues.
“Our son is a part of their team, but he couldn’t be here for this dinner,” he says through slightly clenched teeth, and I get the feeling he’s not impressed. “The five of them will be your security until you are crowned. They will also help you with shifter 101. They are going to be your go-to for any questions you might have, and of course you can come to any of us as well.” He gestures to himself and his wives. “I will be giving you lessons on the politics of ruling, and the girls will be teaching you all the etiquette. It’s exhausting, and a lot of it is mind-numbingly boring, but it’s all essential.
“Lastly, let me introduce General Bryson, his wife Sable, and his son and daughter, Talon and Ember. He is the night watch and shifter army general and one of your advisors if you choose to keep him. I can’t give him a reference worthy enough to encompass how helpful he has been, and despite the fact that he’s my best friend and confidant, he’s also very good at his job. You can also go to him for advice.”
“He is also Hunter’s father,” Layla murmurs quietly so I have that important information. “They are all dragons and extremely loyal and protective. They are a good family to have as your support system.”
I give a small nod of acknowledgement for her recommendation before smiling at the family.
“It’s lovely to meet you all, and I look forward to getting to know you over the coming weeks,” I say, hoping I’m not portraying how nervous I am. The four of them give me polite but genuine welcomes, and the food starts to come out, servers placing plates in front of us and offering a range of drinks.
Nothing official is discussed over dinner, and instead, we enjoy the meal, the conversation light and flowing authentically. I thought I’d be uncomfortable around all these strangers, but I almost feel a kinship with them, like we’ve known each other for years instead of only just a few hours. There’s laughter and teasing, and I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a meal quite so much.

82%

“How many were there in total?” I ask.
“I think twelve women were marked, but as soon as I made up my mind, even before I told anyone, those marks disappeared, and they were asked to leave the palace. I’m sure you will have more to choose from since you will have six mates,” he tells me, and I stop mid-step, and he jostles to stop next to me.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I ask him, and he winces.
“Has no one said anything about that? Damn. There are six consort crowns. The magic also dictates the amount of mates a king or queen has. Mostly it has been three, which they say reflects the amount the goddess has, but a couple of times in history, it’s been two or four.”
“How many had six?” I ask, and he grimaces.
“None.”
I feel nauseous, and I put a hand against my stomach. “I couldn’t even manage a relationship with one man, let alone six. I can’t do this.” My breathing starts to rush in and out of my lungs, and I feel a little lightheaded in my panic.
“Breathe, Colbie.” A steady hand on my back helps me focus a little better, and the soothing, commanding tone helps get my breathing under control. “In and out slowly.” I blink and focus on who’s giving me instructions. Hunter’s bright green eyes are glowing. I’ve noticed they only do that when a shifter’s emotions are heightened. I get lost in them, letting them ground me and help reel in the panic.
Swaying a little, I fill my lungs before releasing them and realize my panic has settled and a wave of calm now rolls over me. There’s a soothing, purring kind of sound coming from somewhere, and I look around for a cat, but then I step closer to Hunter and lean in, listening to his chest. “Are you purring?”
His cheeks turn a little pink, and he steps back, his nostrils flaring. “Yes, sorry. My dragon was trying to make you feel better,” he admits, and out of the corner of my eye, I see his mother and the queens exchange a curious glance.
“It helped, thank you.” I hook my arm through Lucas’s again and drag him forward, away from the others, to continue the uncomfortable conversation.
“So how many men have appeared since I’ve been unconscious? Please tell me I have a decent selection to choose from?” I hiss, still feeling somewhat agitated, though Hunter helped immensely. As I walk away from him, the power in my chest seems to reach out for him, and a yearning sensation takes hold of me, but I ignore it. Surely someone would have mentioned if any of the men at dinner were marked. I certainly didn’t see any glaringly obvious wrist shackles.
There’s an awkward pause before Lucas sighs and sags slightly. “None.”
The nausea and panic return. “What do you mean, none?”
“Now, don’t panic. I’m sure they will start arriving tomorrow. I’m thinking maybe the magic going haywire interfered with the process.”
We arrive at a large, reinforced door, and he puts his hand over a biometric scanner. “One of tomorrow’s jobs is to key you in to all the security around the palace, as well as show you the vault, but for now, I’ll open everything for you.”
A light flashes, and a small beep rings out as the door unlatches, and we step into a huge, circular room with a large domed roof. It’s empty except for a small seating area around one side. The rest of the guests file into the seating area to observe, while Lucas toes off his shoes and gestures for me to do the same.
“Most shoes don’t have the same spells as the fabric,” he warns. “It’s easier if you kick them off so your animal doesn’t get tangled up in them when you shift.”
I do that and put them off to the side out of the way. Before Lucas can go any further, Gracelin approaches, holding out a black velvet bag. “It’s time to remove the charm. Drop it in here, and I’ll give it back when you are done,” she tells me, and Lucas frowns with confusion.
“What does she mean?” His eyes drift to the pendant and cord around my neck, and his eyes widen with surprise.
“Oh, I hadn’t realized you put it back on.”
Gracelin nods. “Yes, I think it’s part of the spell. It encourages you not to notice it. She was wearing it after the first influx of magic again, and nobody put it back on her. It’s why none of you could feel an animal inside her.”
“That is some very powerful magic. Where did you get it?” Lucas doesn’t sound angry, just curious.
“From a friend in the human zone who has an interest in magic.” I don’t give him any details, and he doesn’t push for them.
I remove the pendant and drop it in the bag. There’s a chorus of grunts and shouts of surprise, and when I look up, everyone is once again on their knees with their heads bowed, including the king.
He gapes at me in shock. “I have never felt anything so powerful before in my life.”
I coax my animal to ease up on the dominance, and I see exactly when it pulls back. Everyone is able to get to their feet again.
“I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to help you,” Lucas admits as Bryson approaches us and Gracelin returns to the viewing area, the bag containing my pendant held away from her body.
Bryson eyes me with caution and curiosity, but it doesn’t feel malicious. “Your Majesty, will you allow me to assist the king in coaxing your animal out? I believe it’s going to take more than just him.”
“Please call me Colbie, and of course, any help I can get is much appreciated.”
Lucas shakes his head like he’s trying to clear his mind. “I don’t know if the two of us will be enough. Whatever she is, its dominance and power are off the charts. I’ve never felt anything like her before, and I think I’ve met all the different kinds of shifters over the years.”
“What if all the boys help? Surely when faced with that much dominance, we should be able to force a shift.”
Lucas nods, and Bryson gestures for the rest of the men to join us. “I’m sorry, Colbie, this is going to hurt, but hopefully with all of us, it should be quick. If I do it on my own, it’s only going to draw the shift and pain out.”
I nod my understanding as we all move to the center of the room. Bryson and Lucas take their spots, and Adam and the four night watch males fan out around me.
“Everyone, step back a few steps. Let’s give the girl room,” Mia calls out from her spot, and when I look at her, her eyes are narrowed in concentration, but Evie gives me a thumbs-up and a smile of encouragement.
“You’ve got this, cupcake,” Gretchin shouts, and I raise my eyebrows.
“Cupcake?”
“Meh, you smell like them, so it seems fitting,” she replies, and I chuckle nervously but take a small sniff of myself. I can’t smell anything, but I appreciate her attempt to distract me.
“Okay, on three I need you to command her to shift, but unlike when you’re commanding a regular shifter and you only use a little bit, you need to use as much dominance as you contain. We’re actually lucky most of you are on the higher end of the dominance scale, and unlike when you stop once a shifter starts to change, you have to focus on her through the whole shift. The first time is the hardest. Alright, is everyone ready?” Lucas asks after issuing instructions.
He gets nods and murmurs of assent, and then he counts down. I can’t stop myself from bracing for the pain again, but there’s a throb of reassurance from inside my chest. When Lucas reaches one, there’s a loud, echoing boom as the seven men command me to shift.
I was expecting resistance and pain, but what happens is nothing short of miraculous. My body seems to fold into itself, the sensations gentle, calming, and encouraging. I mostly lose track of what’s happening, the feelings becoming disorienting, and when I blink my eyes open, my perspective of the world has changed. My view is multifaceted, like I’m seeing through multiple pairs of eyes from all sorts of angles, and it takes my mind a little time to sort it all out, but eventually, it all seems to filter in, and my brain processes everything differently. There’s still a sense of myself, but there’s an overriding sense of otherness as well—a more animalistic me. A myriad of scents assaults me, and I try to filter through them, but they are confusing, and it’s tricky. A few of them make my mouth water, like I want to take a big bite out of whoever smells like that. I lick my lips and do a double take.
“Holy fuck.” It’s a whisper, but I have no problem hearing it. I swing around to look at the person. With that action, I finally comprehend I have more than one head. “She’s a fucking hydra.”
I look down and notice I have a huge, serpentine body as large as Hunter’s dragon, but I’m skinnier and don’t have wings. I’m more streamlined, like I’m designed for gliding or swimming, and I have six heads with long necks. I’m a gorgeous blue green color, which I bet camouflages beautifully in the water. I lift a clawed front leg and try to take a step forward, but I misjudge and stumble and go down hard, my body awkward and uncoordinated. I’m unable to slow or stop the descent.
“Shit, watch out!” The men scatter so they are not trampled or squashed by my massive form.
A mournful wail escapes my mouth as I squeeze my eyes shut in the hopes I can pretend I’m dead, feeling embarrassed beyond belief at how uncoordinated I am. Someone approaches me, and when I open my eyes, Brodie stands there with a look of awe on his face, his Caribbean blue eyes shining with his inner animal. He smells so good, like the woods on a hot summer day—pine and cedar, crisp and refreshing, with a hint of warmth like the sun shining through the trees. He strokes a hand over my head.
“It’s okay, we will work on that. By the time we’re done with you, everyone will fear the formidable and magical shifter queen,” he reassures me.

85%

Istare with no small amount of shock as Brodie strokes one of the heads of the downed hydra. Holy crap, a six-headed hydra. I don’t think there has ever been a hydra shifter in the past. Dad and Lucas are huddled together, whispering aggressively, but the rest of us ignore it.
A sorrowful yowl that is complex in its musical depths comes from all six heads. You can almost hear the embarrassment from the poor creature.
It was nearly comical how uncoordinated she was, and I know exactly how that feels. My first step as a dragon sent me tumbling to the ground, shaking everything in the nearby area. Thankfully the magic in this room stops that from happening. I can’t refrain from reaching out to one of the other heads, stroking it gently over its eyebrow ridges much like she had done to my dragon earlier. When I look up, both Liam and Gem are doing the same thing. It’s like we are all drawn to her and can’t resist trying to comfort her.
Fuck! I snatch my hand away, knowing getting too close to her is just going to lead to heartbreak. No one may have presented themselves with her marks yet, but it’s only a matter of time. We need to present a united and neutral party, here to protect her but not influence any of her decisions. It will be hard enough for her to pick a mate with her human instincts still riding her hard. Her new shifter instincts should point her in the right direction though.
Stop stroking the new queen. Have some respect, I snap telepathically to my bond mates.
Liam is quick to listen, scowling at the hydra like she lured him in, but Brodie glares at me. Gem doesn’t listen one little bit, but I see flames surrounding his hand, so I’m assuming he’s healing her somehow, and I don’t berate him.
“Has there ever been a hydra shifter before?” I ask as the queens and Mom approach us carefully. Colbie doesn’t move. It’s like she’s exhausted. Her eyelids on all six heads barely flutter. I’m not sure why, but maybe Gem can get to the bottom of it.
“None recently,” my mother answers. She is one of the shifter knowledge keepers and has a wealth of information about the past. “I can’t think of any since the war, to be honest. They were one of the first shifters targeted by the humans. They took out a lot of the mythical families because they figured they were the most dangerous.” She’s staring at our new queen with awe on her face. My mother is basically shockproof, because raising three dragon children fortifies a person against most disasters, so to see her ruffled is slightly amusing.
“What are the hydra’s powers?” Queen Layla asks my mother as Gem steps back, removing his hand from the hydra’s head.
He is standing at the far one, so he makes his way back over to us. We’ve all gathered in a little group off to the side. I kind of feel bad talking about Colbie like she’s not even here, but I don’t think she even notices.
“Is she okay?” King Lucas asks before my mother can answer the queen.
“Colbie is fine. I get the feeling she’s embarrassed, and she got a little battered and bruised when she fell. That’s a lot of body weight, but she’s also exhausted. Don’t you remember how draining that first shift is? It’s not fair to ask her to shift back just yet. Give her a moment to rest and recharge,” he says, his attention on the hydra. He has a contemplative look on his face.
What is it? I ask him telepathically, but instead of answering, he just gives me a small shake of his head. Okay, he doesn’t want to talk about it here.
“A hydra’s powers are quite impressive. They are virtually unkillable in this form” —Mom waves a hand at Colbie— “which is why the humans targeted them in their two-legged form. To start with, her claws and blood are poisonous, and then there is the ability to breathe acid, which has no neutralizing agent. It can eat through any substance, including metal and armor. Then there’s the regeneration, which makes them virtually immortal. On top of all that, there are her fangs. She can bite someone and transfer her venom, which will give them the ability to regenerate, even from death.”
“Holy fuck.” Dad looks at the new queen with respect.
“There is also one last ability that was a secret only shared amongst other hydras. I’ve searched everywhere to find what it is, but as far as I know, it died with the last one. It was never written down.” Mom sounds frustrated. She always says that no mystery remains unsolved as long as you try hard enough to solve it.
“I think I might know what it is,” Gem says, drawing his attention back to the group.
“Did you see something when you were healing her?” Mia pushes impatiently.
“Kind of. Didn’t really see something, but I brushed across something inside her psyche—something I don’t think she even realizes is there. It was a ball of magic that isn’t like any other I’ve felt before.”
The king huffs, and the queens wear expressions of disappointment. “It’s probably just the royal power your feeling,” Layla reminds him gently, and he shakes his head vehemently.
“No, I don’t think it is. Remember when Gryffin sliced Lucas open during that sparring match and I had to heal him? He has also been hit on the head and had a slight concussion,” Gem reminds us. We were fighting as a bond group against Lucas and Dad. It was our assessment to join the night watch. “I felt Lucas’s royal magic then, and this is not like that at all.”
“Okay, so something new. What do you think it is? Was it similar to anyone else’s magic you’ve felt before?” Mom sounds excited.
“Yes and no.” Gem’s eyes shift to look at me, Brodie, and Liam, and he frowns before returning his attention to our parents. “I think that maybe Colbie is a dual shifter. I think I can feel another creature inside her.”
The gasps and exclamations of surprise echo through the room. “A dual shifter? That hasn’t happened since before the war either.” My mom rubs her hands together with glee. “This is wonderful.”
One of the hydra’s heads lifts, like she was listening the whole time. She uses her front legs, which are very much like my dragon’s, to push herself upright, gathering her back ones underneath her and lifting her huge body so she towers above us. With her long, elegant necks, she is easily taller than my or my dad’s dragons, but her body is more streamlined and not as large as ours.
One of the heads drops down and nudges Gem in the belly, and he stumbles backward and laughs. “She asks that we all move out of the way in case this goes wrong. She’s going to try to shift again.”
“How is she talking to you telepathically?” Liam scowls. “That only happens between bond mates.”
“And us. Kings and queens can talk telepathically to all shifters,” he reminds my grumpy bond mate, and that seems to settle him slightly, but he’s still eyeing Colbie suspiciously. “Is she going to shift into something new?” Lucas asks as we all move backward again and stand behind the viewing area with my brother and sister, Violet, and the two princesses. Archie has been chatting excitedly this whole time, and the five of them have been distracting him so we could all talk.
“My future wife… sidepiece, is beautiful,” he announces to no one in particular. He claps his hands and bounces up and down on his mother’s lap. He’s right. She is gorgeous. Her whole body isn’t covered in scales like mine is, but they do cover her long necks, the sensitive areas behind each of her legs, and beneath her belly. The rest of her looks smooth and shiny, like an aquatic creature, and she glimmers under the lights.
One of her heads dips down, and she licks Archie’s cheek. Gracelin pales with worry, but Archie squeals with delight and pushes her away.
“Eww, Colbie, sidepieces don’t lick each other.”
Brodies snorts and mutters, “Want to make a bet?” Liam slaps him upside the head.
“It’s okay, Gracelin, they have to consciously spit their acid. Colbie won’t hurt Archie,” Mom assures the princess. Fuck, I would be worried about the same thing, but my mom’s words seem to ease Gracelin’s concern.
Magic seems to permeate the air as Colbie prepares to shift again. It should be instinctual after the first time, and it feels very much like what other shifters feel like before they shift, just way more powerful. My breath gets caught in my lungs, and everyone around me is also having trouble breathing.
She’s using too much power! Liam shouts inside our minds. My body shakes as I try to hold off my own shift. Everyone around me trembles as their animals try to push forward. Poor Archie has no chance of resisting. His body reshapes, and a small orange and black tiger cub curls up on Gracelin’s lap, whimpering.
Suddenly, the hydra form folds in on herself—there one moment and gone the next. Violet screams, and my brother wraps an arm around her, pulling her into his chest and shielding her eyes. Instead of blood and gore and bits of Colbie spread across the room when the magic clears, there’s a large, jet-black wolf curled in on itself, watching us with lavender eyes.
“Holy shit, that looked nothing like our shifts,” Brodie mutters and takes an unconscious step forward. I bet his wolf is riding him hard at the sight of another one, but does he want to assert his dominance or submit to her?
“She is a dual shifter,” Mom says with reverence in her voice.
“Well, this is certainly going to make challenge day interesting,” Mia says with a smirk of satisfaction.
Colbie isn’t done. Her body shifts again, and this time when the magic clears, she throws around a magnificent mane while stomping a hoof, her large, gorgeous wings stretching out wide.
“A pegasus!” my sister shouts with excitement.
“Wow, not one, but two mythical animals and three different forms.” I can’t help but hear the worry in Layla’s voice. “Poor girl, it’s going to take some hard work to get a handle on all those shifts.”
The magic activates again, and we all hold our breaths, waiting to see what will happen next. This time, her small, curvy body is lying in the middle of the floor. She appears to be unconscious, and Gem hurries toward her and scoops her up, releasing his healing magic.
“Just even more exhausted. I’m not surprised. I’ll take her up to her room, but I recommend we up her intake of food over the next few weeks while she practices. She’s going to need all the energy she can get,” he says after assessing her body.
“And the sooner she bonds to her mates, the sooner she can take energy from them. Hopefully they start arriving tomorrow, and it’s an easy pick like it was for us,” Mia says to Lucas, who is watching the new queen with the same kind of worry he has for his own children.
Brodie scowls at her words, but we don’t have any right to say anything, and thankfully, he keeps quiet.

“I think she should wear that pendant that suppresses her animals and stops her from shifting. Control is going to be hard to learn, and we don’t need her shifting into her hydra inside the palace and bringing it down around our heads,” Adam says as he watches his wife stroke a reassuring hand over their son’s body.
“Yes, that’s a great idea.” Gracelin holds out the pouch the pendant is in, and Evie reaches in and pulls it out.
She wrinkles her nose. “Wow, that is powerful. It suppressed my animal by just holding it.” She places it over Colbie’s head then pulls her hair out, and the tension seems to drain out of the unconscious girl.
“Come on, let’s let her rest again. Poor thing has been through so much.” Gem follows the queens and my mother out of the test room, followed by our siblings and Violet, leaving my bond group, Dad, and Lucas behind.
“Whoa, so not what I thought was going to happen,” Lucas admits, nervously running his hand through his hair. “A hydra. Who would have thought?”
“At least no one is going to want to fuck with that,” Dad points out.
“Damn, how is she going to find any mates who aren’t absolutely terrified of her?” Liam smirks meanly. “Let alone six of them.”
Brodie glares at him. “Shut the hell up, man. That isn’t helpful.”
“No, but he’s not wrong,” I agree reluctantly. “Male shifters are notoriously arrogant. It will be a blow to their ego that their mate is so much more powerful than them.”
“Aramis wouldn’t choose partners for her who would be resentful. Trust me, whoever she ends up mated to will be the perfect fit,” Lucas argues, the voice of experience.
“I think Lucas is right. I can think of half a dozen very powerful shifters in my army who aren’t in bond groups, and those are just the ones I know of. Remember, the call goes out across the shifter lands. You’ll see, everything will work out like it’s meant to.” My dad is quick to agree with his friend. “Now, you guys should head off to bed. You have your work cut out for you to get her up to speed with all her abilities. Hunter, talk to your mother, she may be able to find some books with more in-depth information about hydra shifters, not to mention the pegasus abilities. You’re going to need to know those too, so you can work with her on them.”
I don’t have the first clue about pegasus powers, so any help I can get will be appreciated. “Yeah, I’ll do that first thing tomorrow morning,” I tell him. With that, we all take our leave.
“Oh, and boys, find out where the hell my son is, and when you do, let him know I want to speak to him.” Lucas’s tone is deadly. The man is usually so easygoing, but I would not like to be in Gryffin’s shoes right now.
“He’s following up on an anonymous tip about the shifter kids that are still missing. He promised to be back tomorrow. I’ll let him know you need to speak to him,” Liam says, flat-out lying to the king, and Brodie and I gape at him. It’s not like Liam to cover for one of us. He likes to stir shit up and is happy to watch the fallout.
“A tip?” Bryson scowls. “Why did I not know about this?”
“We think it’s a wild goose chase, which is why he went on his own. The village he’s going to sits at the base of the Aramis Rift. It’s unlikely to be true because it’s so inhospitable there, but we didn’t want to ignore it just in case.”
Well, he’s not lying about that. The village he is going to is exactly where Liam said, but the reason is wrong. It softens Lucas’s anger, though, so Gryff better kiss Liam’s ass when he finally returns.
“He better be. We’re having a formal dinner to introduce Colbie to the rest of shifter society tomorrow. It will be broadcast to all of them. It will look like sour grapes if the son of the former king is not in attendance, so make sure he’s there.” He growls the last bit, his tiger pushing forward.
We assure him we will before the three of us take our leave.
“Fuck, he better be back,” Liam growls as we head toward our suite, “or I’ll kick his ass myself.”

88%

I crawl a little farther, my tail twitching and my ears pricked for any hint of whoever it is. My claws almost ache with the need to grab hold and never let go. What the fuck is wrong with me? As I get closer, I reach out, trying to get a feel for the person who is tucked away in one of the empty stalls. They are definitely a shifter, but a low level one. Their power feels miniscule, and I can finally make out the voice of a woman. She’s giggling and talking nonsense, and when I peer through a crack where the door of the stable hinges to the wall, I see her surrounded by kittens. Some are snuggled in, cuddling with her, and others are leaping and playing around her.
My gaze rises to her face, and I’m stunned by how gorgeous she is. Lush, plump lips perfect for nibbling are turned up in a beautiful, serene smile. I can’t see the color of her eyes, but her long, dark lashes match the silky mane of jet black hair that flows around her shoulders as slick as a waterfall. She’s sitting cross-legged, and her long dress hides her bottom half, but the top half molds to her perfect curves like a lover’s hands. The scooped neckline gapes a little as she leans forward, and the tops of her round globes push forward, begging for me to run my tongue over them.
My tiger forces out a chuff, wiggles his ass, and crawls forward playfully, pushing past my control and taking the reins. I can’t do anything to stop him, and her sharp intake of breath lets me know she’s at least heard him.
“Archie, is that you? If your parents catch you out here, nothing is going to save you this time,” she calls out in warning instead of panicking and retreating, which would have triggered my tiger’s instinct to chase.
She knows my nephew? Maybe she is palace staff or even his nanny whom I have not met.
My tiger doesn’t stop. Her eyes widen when she sees him tummy crawl into view, and her mouth rounds in a perfect O that I can’t help but think would look good wrapped around my cock.
“Oh, definitely not Archie,” she says cautiously and gathers the kittens closer like she’s going to protect them. They have no sense of self-preservation, though, and start hissing and spitting in my direction, the fur on their tiny little backs sticking out at all angles, trying to make themselves look bigger.
My tiger rumbles at them, and it’s all it takes for them to scurry away, finding hiding spots far away from us. The girl still doesn’t move, and my tiger wiggles his butt and stalks even closer. The surprised look on her face turns to one of amusement, as if she thinks his actions are funny. He is pleased she is not scared of him. They both watch each other closely, and I note her eyes are a magnificent shade of lavender, much like the dress she’s wearing. As he gets closer, her intoxicating scent makes us giddy. Could this beautiful woman be our mate? She certainly smells good enough to eat, but surely if she was, the guys would have let me know. I can’t see our bond mark anywhere on her, but there isn’t a lot of exposed skin.
We finally get close enough to lay our head in her lap, and that’s exactly what my besotted tiger does. He sighs with relief and rolls onto his side, exposing his belly. Holy crap, he wants her to rub it like she was doing for one of the kittens.
She snorts, unable to control her laughter now. “I know somewhere inside you is a human, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m supposed to rub your tummy or not. That’s kind of weird.” Her fingers clench like she wants to but isn’t sure if she should. He bats a huge paw in her direction, almost like he’s begging, and I feel mortified. I’m never going to be able to look her in the eye once I shift back.
“I’m assuming your creature is fully in the driver’s seat, otherwise this is definitely a little weird,” she says, finally making the decision to give him what he wants. She leans forward and rubs his belly and coos to him.
“What a big, beautiful, majestic…” She pauses and lifts her eyes to look. “Boy,” she finishes, and he stretches, giving her better access, enthralled by her attention. I look a little closer, seeing if I can recognize her. There is something familiar about her, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I’m sure I would remember running into such a stunning creature when I visited my family in the past.
Her fingers drag soothingly through our fur, and I feel our eyes drift closed. We’re worn out from all the running we’ve done today, and a little nap in the lap of a beautiful woman who smells delicious is his idea of heaven.
She giggles, and I feel her settle back against the wall of the stall. “Okay, kitty, you can have a little nap, but then I need to return to the palace before anyone notices I’m gone.”
She’s silent, and I drift off to sleep. The next thing I know, I wake up alone in the stall, and the pretty girl is nowhere in sight. How the fuck did she get away without us noticing? I ask my cat, and he shrugs, showing her leaving quietly, not wanting to wake us. I didn’t wake, but he noticed and allowed her the charade. When I berate him, he insists he has her scent now and can track her anywhere.
I decide maybe it’s for the best, and he gives me back the reins. I move through the castle, the magic doors opening for me in animal form. My claws are noisy on the marble floors, and as I move toward my wing, I’m waylaid by one of my sisters.
“Finally made it, did you, idiot?” Gretchin is leaning against the doorway of her suite, which is on the same floor as ours. She has a mug of something in her hand, and when I sniff, I can tell it’s hot chocolate. “Dad is pissed. The new royal appeared today, and you weren’t here like he requested.”
I don’t shift back. I’m not in the mood to argue with my sister. Instead, I push past her, stalk into her room, and jump up onto her sofa in her lounge area. I roll around on it, leaving black and white fur all over the thing, scent marking it so her own cat will be pissed at the intrusion, before jumping back down and leaving again.
“Real fucking mature, asshole,” she screeches and slams the door in my face, but I chuff with amusement. It saved me from a lecture. If only it would work with my own team. I continue down the hallway and brace myself for whatever their reaction is going to be.
I shift as I get to our suite and open the door. It’s silent inside. It is late, but I hadn’t expected all of them to be asleep. I sent them a message before I left that I was on my way. Not even Gem is waiting for me, which is very unlike him. He must be really mad at me. I consider waking him, but I’m not in the mood to be scolded, so instead, I make my way to my bed.
I think about showering, but there’s a part of me that is pleased I smell like cupcakes and frosting, even after shifting back. I don’t want to wash it all down the drain, so instead, I get to my room and strip before climbing into bed. Right then and there, I decide to give up my search for the sixth member of our team. The rest of them must be right. He doesn’t exist or really doesn’t want to be a part of our bond, so who am I to force him?
What if this means we never get a marked mate? Someone who bears the same mark as the rest of us, our perfect counterpart to spoil and cherish? Well, if that’s the case, I’m sure we can find someone who will make us just as happy. The gorgeous girl from earlier comes to mind, and I have to resist the urge to stroke my hard cock to the memory of her hands running through our fur. Instead, I grit my teeth, roll over, and bring up thoughts of the asshole alpha from the village today. That’s enough to dampen my desire. Tomorrow, I’ll make everything up to my bond group, starting with Gem.