Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy

by Jennifer Collins

  "No, you don't. It's boring."

  He moved his face so their noses were touching and their mouths were inches apart. "Nothing worth hiding is boring." He closed the distance and touched his lips to hers but didn't kiss her; he only gave her a little touch before backing off. "Gotta find Syney, right?" He started down the hall before turning back to her. "Coming?"

  Noelle took a deep breath as she realized she hadn't actually been breathing for the last few moments. That man was going to be the death of her. She pushed off from the wall and hurried after him.

  They found Syney out on her balcony, sitting on a swinging bench Noelle had found for her in a storage closet a week ago. Syney didn't smile at them, not even when Gabe fell onto the bench beside her.

  "You OK?" Noelle asked, standing across from her.

  "Uh? Oh, yeah. I just... I'm thinking. I need a plan," Syney said.

  "The plan should be to find yourself a nice stupid Magic User, not your wolf," Gabe said.

  Syney looked at him. "Once you go wolf, you never go back."

  "Oooooh, nasty girl."

  Syney finally smiled and gave a short laugh.

  "Oh, so, you guys...yeah...OK," Noelle stammered.

  Syney sighed. "No, we did not. Something happened and it scared him off, and now he's ignoring me. And neither of you knows this, by the way."

  "Like I would want to repeat it." Gabe shivered in disgust.

  "Your secret's safe with me." Noelle smiled and caught a pointed look from Gabe.

  "She's good at secrets," he said quietly to Syney.

  "Shut up," Noelle snapped.

  Syney rolled her eyes. "You two are going to kill me." She looked at Noelle. "Can you help me?"

  "Anything. What do you need?"

  "Well, I'm thinking my best mode of attack is seduction. All this duty crap bogs him down, so I need to make him think with a different body part. The problem is that all of my clothes, even the ones they gave me, are pretty chaste, and I don't have any makeup."

  Noelle smiled. "I know just the place. We can go in the morning."

  "Awesome! Now I just need to get him into my room."

  Gabe rolled his eyes. "He's your Protector. That should be easy."

  "Now you're helping? By the way it's not so easy when he's avoiding me."

  "I can tell him he has to take you to dinner tomorrow," Noelle offered. "I'll tell him I'm busy and that he has to pick you up."

  Syney made a face. "Might not work, but I guess it's the best we can do."

  Noelle smiled and looked at Syney and Gabe as he started needling her about Hunter's "animal" bedroom behavior. Syney hit him but laughed. For the first time since she had been in the palace, Noelle felt at home...with a royal princess and a Vampire—go figure.

  Mellisandrianna

  She was feeling weaker. It always happened at the end of the month, but this time it was worse. She assumed it was because of the amount of magic she had been using, and it was all that little bitch's fault. Syney of House Vilori. At least she wasn't causing too much trouble right now. Mellisandrianna had feared the worst, but Syney had kept her distance for the most part and was trying to assimilate. But that wasn't enough for her. She wanted Syney gone for good.

  The door to her throne room opened, and Grass entered, followed by Leaf and Justice, her personal secretary. It was time for her daily report, but she wasn't in the mood to hear about her palace. The weakness was making it hard to concentrate. She needed to fix it and soon. She called for Grass to come forward, and he did instantly.

  "I think our monthly appointment needs to be moved up," she said quietly.

  He nodded once, indicating his understanding. "This afternoon?"

  "It can wait until the evening."

  "Yes, Your Majesty." He stepped back. "Your daily report."

  She gestured for the men to go on while she held her other hand to her forehead as if she could hold back the headache that pounded there.

  Leaf stepped forward. "The scouting party should be back tonight. As of last report, no one was breaking borders, although they reported increased Shifter activity close to the border of our land."

  "My land," she said with an edge.

  "My apologies. Your land, Your Majesty."

  She smiled. "Anything else?"

  "It's almost time for the annual ball," Justice said, stepping forward. "Might I suggest the day after tomorrow? It sounds as if the scouting party will be bringing good news that may be celebrated."

  Mellisandrianna sighed. She cared little for the balls and festivals but found that if she didn't hold them morale declined. She didn't care much for people, but they were her people, so she did what she could. "That's sounds fine. See to all the preparations."

  "Yes, Your Majesty." He bowed and stepped back.

  "That is all," Grass said, dismissing the two other men. He turned back to Mellisandrianna when they both left. "Blond or brunette?"

  She smiled. "Surprise me."

  He bowed and headed out.

  Mellisandrianna rested her head against her throne and tried to clear everything from it. This sometimes helped with the pain and weakness, but all it did now was give her a crick in her neck. Damn that little bitch, she thought with a frustrated sigh. Something needed to be done and soon.

  Syney

  I look like a ho, Syney thought with a smile. She turned sideways and nodded with approval. Noelle had made good on her offer and taken Syney to a market just outside of the palace. There she found an amazing collection of every kind of merchandise you ever could want. Gabe bought some funky-looking red fruit and munched it down as they perused the different clothing and cosmetics shops. One thing was for sure—the people of the Village really liked their leather. Syney suspected she could have found leather underwear if she had looked a little harder. As it was, she picked out, with Noelle's help, a black leather dress that was skin tight, strapless, and fell a good distance above her knees. It was a "Come and get me" dress, as Gabe had pointed out with a wink. She also had grabbed a black leather jacket that caught her eye. She never had been a leather girl, but this was the new Syney, and she needed to embrace her. The makeup of the Village was pretty interesting. Everything looked clear, no color at all. Syney had given Noelle a confused look. Noelle laughed and grabbed one of the containers that said "Lips" and put some of it on. She put a hand over her mouth and called out, "Pink, dark with a sparkle." When she dropped her hand, her lips were that exact color. It was the first magic Syney had seen embraced in the Village, and she smiled at the craziness of it. It had turned out to be a perfect outing, which ended with a pair of black heels that would drive any man crazy, or so Gabe had said.

  Syney pursed her now red lips and checked to make sure her black eyeliner was just right before running a brush through her pin-straight hair—thanks to another amazing booth in the market—and slipping into the heels. She turned back to the mirror. Perfect. And perfect timing as a knock sounded at the door.

  "Come in!" she yelled, trying not to sound too eager.

  Hunter stalked in, slamming the door behind him.

  Syney flinched at the sound but pushed forth a smile.

  He stopped in front of her, his expression filled with anger. He didn't seem fazed at all by her appearance. His eyes never even left hers. "You left the palace without me." Anger laced his normally calm voice.

  Syney looked at him innocently. "Yes. So what? Am I a prisoner?"

  "No, but you need to tell me when you want to leave, and I'll go with you."

  "That would be hard with you ignoring me."

  "I'm not ignoring you."

  "The hell you're not. Don't I look nice?" she asked with the most seductive smile she could muster.

  "Never leave without me. Do you understand?" he said slowly, as if he were talking to a child.

  "Yes, Dad. I understand."

  He rolled his eyes and headed back out of the room.

  "Wait! Where are you going?"

  He st
opped and let his head drop forward. "I'm going to dinner." He turned back to her. "Unless you feel like leaving again." Now it was sarcasm dripping from his words.

  Tears welled in her eyes. This whole thing had been stupid. All she had done was make Hunter even madder at her. "You know, over everything else, I never thought of you as mean."

  He looked away from her. "Maybe you just don't know me."

  "I thought I did." She brushed a tear away, thanking god the makeup was all waterproof, or she would look like a messy ho.

  Hunter turned to leave again and even grabbed the doorknob, but he didn't open the door. "You don't want me. I'm no good for you."

  "Why? 'Cause you're a Lycin? Maybe some of these stupid laws need to be checked over 'cause...you shouldn't stand in the way of something like this."

  He turned back around. "Like what? Do you understand it? Because I don't." He pulled up his shirt and moved closer to her. "This...this is a myth, but it hurt like hell, so it's got to be real, right?"

  Syney looked at his chest and saw a burn mark the size of a quarter. She reached out to touch it—she felt almost compelled to—but he took a few steps back and dropped his shirt. "It's called an 'amator,' " she said.

  "I know. But it doesn't exist."

  "Obviously it does," Syney said, wringing her hands together. One of her hands, the same that had given him the burn, was tingling again.

  "So...you're my soul mate?" he asked, not believing a word of it.

  Syney took a step closer to him. "Is that so bad?" she asked quietly.

  He looked at her, and he was her Hunter again. "No, I guess not."

  She smiled and took another step, but he countered and stepped back.

  "You don't want me. Trust me. I'm damaged goods," he said.

  "And I'm not?"

  "Do you really have an answer for everything?"

  "Yes."

  He gave a short laugh but sobered up quickly. "If you knew the real me, you wouldn't...care about some stupid soul-mate thing."

  "Then just tell me. Give me everything! Because I promise I'll still love you when you're done." She stopped and realized what she had just said. She took a deep breath. She had meant it.

  He looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm not sure I want you to see me that way."

  "Hunter—"

  "My father is the reason my family was banished."

  Syney forced herself to breathe. This was what she wanted, but something deep inside shouted at him to stop; she pushed it down. "Go on."

  Hunter turned away and sat down on one of the couches. "He was a Protector to a royal princess. I'm not sure which one. My mom never told me. But she... died on his watch. So his family was banished...and he was executed. That's why the queen doesn't want me with you—because she knows deep down that I'm going to fail you just like he did."

  Syney fell to her knees in front of him and took his hands in hers. "That's ridiculous! You're not him. You've saved me how many times already?" He wouldn't look at her, so she took his face in her hands and forced him to. "Are you listening? You...are...not...him."

  Hunter put his hands on hers. "There's more."

  She smiled. "Let me have it."

  He was silent for a moment. "I'm... before you..." He stood up and began to pace.

  Syney took the seat he had left and laughed. "Just spit it out."

  He stopped. "I'm paired...already."

  Syney frowned. "What? I don't get it."

  He swallowed audibly. "Her name is Fern. She's on the Royal Guard."

  Syney stood and turned to the wall. Her hand flew to her mouth. Paired, duh. Hunter was engaged—and not just regularly engaged either. Spiritually and religiously engaged. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught him heading for the door and spun around. "Where are you going?"

  He looked at her. "I thought—"

  "Where is she? I assume I would have met her already if she was here."

  "She went out with a scouting party before we got here. They went to check the borders of the land of Magic Users." He paused. "They're due back tonight."

  Syney nodded and wiped some tears she hadn't realized were falling. "Do you...love her?"

  Hunter closed his eyes. "I thought I did. And then you stumbled into my life, and I'm just...not sure of anything anymore." He opened his eyes and looked at her, waiting.

  Syney nodded and swallowed. "Is that it?"

  He nodded.

  "Sure you're not a serial killer or used to be a woman?"

  He shook his head.

  She sighed and walked over to him. "You haven't told me if you like my dress."

  He looked down into her eyes. "It's a bit slutty for me."

  "I was going for that. Gabe said it says, 'Come and get me.' "

  "It does."

  She took his hand and led him to her bed. She hopped up on it and pulled him down on top of her. "Then what are you waiting for?"

  He smiled and kissed her. This time felt even better than the other night. He was gentle, seeming to know she had never done this before, but still kept it passionate and hot in all the right places. Syney avoided touching his chest, which was pretty difficult, since her hand wanted nothing more than to grab hold of it and finish what it had started. It was everything Syney had ever wanted her first time to be like, all the way down to his whispering, "I love you" into her ear more than once. He even stayed the night, wrapping his arm around her and holding her until they both drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

  The next morning, however, Syney woke up alone, stretching across the bed. She looked for Hunter's warmth and calmness but found nothing but a cold pillow. She sighed and sat up, pulling the sheet over her chest. This wasn't every girl's dream, especially not Syney's. She feared she had lost him again, and then she remembered that what's-her-name, Fern, should be back, and realized that she probably did lose him, and it wasn't anything she could fix.

  Hunter

  He didn't want to open the door. He knew what awaited him on the other side, and he wasn't sure he could act as if nothing was wrong. There never had been a moment in his life when he had thought something was missing. He had accepted everything that had happened to his family and moved on from it because there was nothing he could change about it. Just being around Syney, however, changed things. But there was no way they could be together in any other way than they were required to be—Protector and protected. He grabbed the door handle and pushed it open.

  Fern was the ideal Lycin female—tall, lean, all muscle but with a delicate woman's curves as well. Her black hair was down, falling by her waist, which made her even more alluring. Hunter had been surprised when they had been paired. Banished families didn't get paired with members of the Royal Guard. But Fern had been ecstatic about it, diving right into the role of his mate—spending time with his mother and joining him in most of his activities. Most Guards patted him on the back over the pairing, telling him how lucky he was to get such an amazing match, and he had agreed with them at the time. But now nothing made sense.

  Fern looked over at him as he entered and gave him her kind smile, which looked a lot like her mad smile or sad smile. For all of her good qualities, Fern was a Lycin through and through, including the rough personality. She wasn't mean or rude, but personable she was not. She was the night to Syney's day.

  "I was expecting you last night," she said, reaching him in only a few steps.

  He leaned down a few inches and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I got caught up."

  "With the new princess, I suspect. I've been hearing interesting things about her. Is she adjusting to the Village well?"

  Hunter nodded. "As well as could be expected."

  Fern's features softened a little. "It still feels surreal. I can remember the prophecy when it was first made. We never thought there could be an end to the war. But she will do it, right?"

  Hunter shrugged. "She's just a girl."

  Fern shook her head. "She's the last Vilori. She'
s meant for greatness."

  Hunter forgot how much of a believer Fern was. He never had given much stock to the prophecy until he had been named. And now he couldn't seem to separate the young woman from the famed Chosen One. "We should go eat."

  "Of course. It'll be nice to have a full meal. I enjoy being out in the lands, but the food could use much improvement."

  The dining hall was nearly vacant, being that it was so early. They grabbed an empty table and talked about Fern's mission. Hunter had been surprised when the queen ordered a survey of the borders, but now, as he listened to Fern, he saw the prudence of her ways.

  "There was a lot of Shifter activity along the northern border. We heard them at night and during the day, but we saw no movement over our lands."

  "The north? I thought they stayed east," Hunter said, his interest piqued.

  Fern nodded. "We noted the unusual behavior in our report to Commander Leaf. He seemed equally disturbed. We recommended a longer operation to monitor the situation."

  "That would be the best. Maybe a squadron or two... just to monitor."

  Fern stared off behind Hunter for a moment. "Is that her?"

  Hunter glanced over his shoulder and caught Syney's look as she talked to Noelle by the door. He looked back at Fern. "Yes."

  "She's beautiful."

  "Yes," Hunter breathed. He hadn't meant to say it.

  Fern looked back at him. "Why is she down here and not in the upper dining hall?"

  Hunter shook his head. "It's a long story. Let's just say Syney does things her own way."

  "Princess Syney," Fern corrected.

  "Right. She's not very formal, and she'll yell at you for calling her 'Princess.' "

  Fern cocked an eyebrow. "Interesting. And why is there a Vampire here?"

  "That's Gabriel McMann. He comes with Syney. Kind of an unpleasant package deal. He saved her life in the Human Realm, and she feels...indebted. He's annoying but harmless."

  "Harmless? A Vampire harmless? You're not turning soft on me, are you?"

  Hunter stiffened at the question. "No." He suddenly felt the need to get away for a moment before he said anything else. Fern seemed more and more harsh to him as they talked. He couldn't remember her being that way. "Excuse me for a moment. I have to check something with Syney." He stood up and heard her whisper, "Princess." He rolled his eyes and headed over to where Syney still stood. He didn't want to have this conversation, but it needed to be done, and the sooner the better.