by Aria Winter
“Who are the Elders?” I ask for they keep mentioning them without any further explanation.
Cash answers. “They are the ones who interpret the ancient scrolls—prophecies written hundreds of years ago. They are written almost like riddles—difficult to interpret. But one thing is certain: the Chosen One’s prophecy is that she will unite the two kingdoms. The human and shifter kingdom will become one because of her influence and relationship with the human prince.”
I think back on the wolf shifter disguised as my supposed future husband. “The prince is probably already dead. How are we supposed to fulfill the prophecy now?”
“You are alive,” Finn says. “You are the key. Whatever happens otherwise is nowhere near as important as that. That is why we must keep you safe. You are to unite our two kingdoms.”
A tear slips down my cheek. “So, who are you going to try to marry me off to now?” I ask bitterly, remembering all that I just went through.
The wolf shifter was my first kiss, the first man ever to touch me so intimately. I wrap my arms around myself as I think back on it. I hate that this happened to me.
Finn pulls me into his arms and smooths his hand down my back. “Forgive us, Ella. It was our fault for leading you to him. We thought—” his voice catches. “We thought you would be happy with him. We did not know he wasn’t the prince. I’m sorry.”
Tears prick my eyes. “But how could you just give me away to someone else like that?” I take his hand in mine and place it directly over my heart. “Do you not feel something between us? Because I do. I feel it here, in my heart.”
I turn to Cash and take his hand as well. “I feel it for both of you. And I know it is wrong to feel this way for two men, but I cannot help it. And perhaps it’s too early to say it is love... but, if it is not, I don’t know what else it may be, because I have never felt it before the two of you.”
Finn and Cash share a glance then look down at me, their green eyes studying me intently. “You love us, Ella?”
“Yes,” my voice quavers. “And the entire time I was with the prin—” my voice hitches. “I mean the wolf shifter,” I correct myself. “All I could think of was you and Cash.”
Cash cups my cheek. “I must tell you something, Ella. The Elders warned us that the bonds would make us feel strongly toward you. And that you would feel strongly for us in return. What you are feeling may be a result of this and not—”
I press a finger to his lips to silence him. “Even if it is the bond, I don’t care. If what you’re saying is true and we are all bound to each other, then this feeling will remain, will it not?”
He nods.
Finn’s eyes meet mine. “I cannot deny that I have been drawn to you from the first moment I saw you.” He looks to Cash. “I’m certain my brother felt the same too. The Elders warned us of this. The pull of the bond is strong and it will only grow stronger once it is sealed. But we do not want to pressure you, Ella.”
“But what if I want you as well?” I ask. “Do my feelings not matter?”
“Of course, they do,” Finn protests. “But this is all new for you. We do not want you to make any decisions you might regret later.”
Perhaps he is right, but in my heart, I do not feel this way. My heart insists that I love them. And I don’t care if it’s the bond that has made my feelings blossom so quickly. I’ve never felt this way for another. I lift my eyes to them. “You do not care that I have feelings for you both?”
A gentle smile curls Finn’s lips. “No.”
“Do shifters marry humans?” I ask because if they do, I have never heard of this before. After all, only a few days ago, I believed shifters were only myths.
Finn’s expression falls into a look of sadness. “It is forbidden for a shifter to mate a human.”
“Forbidden,” the word leaves my lips in a hushed whisper. I could have died this night and all I could think of was my guards.
It’s obvious Finn and Cash care for me as much as I do them. But even as I consider this, I know deep in my heart that it is more than that. I love them. Both of them. And I do not care if such a thing is forbidden. People are trying to kill me. Why not grab what happiness I can... while I am still alive?
We move to the bedroom, and Finn starts a fire while Cash tucks me under the blankets in the bed.
He sits on the edge, and Finn comes to join him. His warm green eyes search mine a moment before he reaches across and brushes the hair back from my face and tucks it behind my ear.
“Sleep, Ella,” Finn whispers softly. “We will keep watch over you.”
I place my hand over his. “Will you—” I bite my lip as warmth creeps up my neck to my cheeks.
“What is it?”
“Will you hold me?” I glance to Cash as well. “Both of you? Like you did when we slept in my tower on the estate?”
“Are you sure you wish for us to lie beside you, Ella?” Finn asks, his gaze searching mine in concern.
“Yes,” I mutter, already feeling the hidden weight of the day lift from my shoulders. “I feel... safe with you both.”
But that is not the only reason. It is also because I could have been murdered and never felt the warmth of their arms around me again.
Finn crawls in beside me, and I turn into his arms, hugging him tightly. Cash lies down behind me, holding me close. I love being held by both of them. It makes me feel safe and loved.
Finn gently strokes my hair while Cash runs his hand soothingly up and down my hip. I tilt my head up to look at Finn. Tenderly, he skims the tip of his nose alongside mine. With his eyes closed, a deep rumbling purr vibrates from his chest. The soothing sound lulling me into a state of relaxation.
“Kai said the bond between us could be sealed with a kiss,” I whisper.
His eyes snap open. “Yes. That is how it is done. The permanent binding of a female to her guards. But you do not need to decide this now, Ella.”
“What if I’ve already decided?”
He stills and so does Cash behind me. His gaze holds mine. “You have been through much this night, Ella.” He presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “Rest. You are safe. You do not need to permanently bind us to remain so. We are already bound to you of our own accord.”
Everything inside me wants to cement the permanent bond with them. To seal them to me with a kiss. In my heart, I know what I feel is love, but I cannot silence the doubt in the back of my mind that insists this could all be the bond. So much has happened and I know enough of trauma, from all my years of abuse at the hands of my stepmother, that making rash decisions rarely turns out well.
So, instead of arguing that I am ready to seal them to me, I snuggle in between Cash and Finn, enjoying their warmth and safety. I think on their words. They claim we are safe here. Closing my eyes, I force myself to relax. And after what feels like an eternity, I begin to drift away into the oblivion of precious sleep.
Chapter 18
Ella
When I wake, it’s with a renewed sense of purpose. Morning light filters in through the window, casting a soft warm glow throughout the room. I stretch my body out between Cash and Finn. Finn’s arms tighten around my waist as I do so.
To be honest, I love this feeling of sleeping between them. Just as I loved it back at the estate when they all slept around me at night. But the events of yesterday have caused everything to come into sharp focus with sparkling clarity.
For the first time, I’m waking up somewhere outside of my tower and away from my stepmother’s cruelty. But the danger I used to face from her is far less than the one I must contend with now. Someone wants to kill me. Wolf shifters, specifically.
As my gaze travels over the room, it occurs to me that I’ve traded one cage for another. I cannot leave this place. Not until it is truly safe and no one is coming after me. Having this small taste of freedom away from my cruel stepmother has strengthened my resolve to live.
But that’s the problem. I don’t want to just survive, I want to
truly be free. And in order to do that, I need to understand more about this world and the prophecy. If the prince is as key to all of this as I am, I have to find out what happened to him.
I sit up in bed.
Finn and Cash sit up with me, each of them staring at me in concern. “Are you all right?” Finn smooths a hand down my arm. “Are you hungry?”
I nod.
After I shower and dress, I come out from the cleansing room. Finn’s eyes meet mine and I’m so grateful for them, my heart could burst. They were right to insist that I rest and not make any decisions last night.
I would not have regretted sealing them to me. Not in the slightest. But because I did not, it affords me the opportunity to lay everything out. If they are to be my guards and protect me, I want to make sure it happens on my terms. I refuse to allow a prophecy to dictate my life. For the first time in all my years of suffering under the cruel hand of fate, I’ve decided to take control of my life.
When we walk downstairs, Kai, Nyx, and Devon are already waiting. A table has already been laid out with plates of food for breakfast.
I take a seat at the head of the long rectangular table and my gaze travels over the selection.
“We made a bit of everything,” Nyx says. “We were uncertain what you might prefer this morning.”
Honeyed cakes, fresh fruit, toast, eggs. I’ve never seen such a feast. Not even at the estate. “How did you manage all of this?” I ask.
“Magic has many uses,” Nyx explains. “We have been storing food here for several years. In case we had use of this place. Magic kept everything in stasis, waiting to be used at the timing of our choice.”
I look to him. “Cash and Finn said you built this place many years ago. Why?”
“I had a dream,” Nyx explains. “That someday we would be in danger. That we’d need a place to hide. So…” His eyes sweep to Kai. “I spoke of this to Kai and we decided to act upon that information.”
My mouth drifts open. “You are a seer?”
He shrugs. “Of sorts. I often have visions of the future in my dreams.”
I lean forward. “And what about now? Do you know what happened to the prince? Or who is after me?”
He lowers his gaze. “The prince… I do not know what happened to him. But as far as who seeks to harm you… I believe it is the Wolf Queen. She is the ruler of the Shifter Kingdom.”
“Why would she want me dead?”
Although I’m looking to Nyx, it’s Kai that answers. “I believe it is because she may see you as a threat to her power. The prophecy states you will unite the two kingdoms. You and the prince. Perhaps it may also mean that you will rule over both as well. And this, she would not want.” He pauses. “We must find a way to secure your safety while—”
“I’ll not be married off to someone else,” I state firmly.
Kai blinks at me in confusion. “I… that’s not what I was going to suggest.”
I clench my jaw as anger sweeps through me. “And yet you were the one who convinced me to trust in the prophecy. You would have given me over to the prince because of some words in an ancient text.” I shake my head. “I won’t be used like that. Not anymore.”
His blue eyes are full of pain as his gaze holds mine. “Forgive me, Ella. I—”
I stand from the table. “We’re going to find the prince. And if he’s alive, we will rescue him and restore him to his throne. But I will not marry him just because of some prophecy. I will do whatever must be done to bring peace between the kingdoms. If that is what I am supposed to do, it will be done on my terms.” I meet Kai’s eyes evenly. “I won’t be a pawn of fate. Not anymore and not ever again.”
With that, I walk to the door and out into the clearing. The sun is shining brightly overhead as I make my way toward the tree line. My heart hammers in my chest as I struggle to push down the maelstrom of emotions deep within. After so many years of having to hide away my true feelings, it’s difficult to allow them to surface now.
It’s as if all the years of pent-up frustration and anger are roiling inside me, threatening to spill over. I don’t want to be angry though. I just want to be heard. For the first time, I will be the one to decide my fate. I won’t have anyone dictate it for me.
Footsteps behind me, draw my attention and I turn to find Kai on my heels. “Ella,” he calls out. “Wait.”
I spin to face him, waiting for him to catch up.
He blinks down at me, his eyes full of worry. “You are angry at me.”
Kai says this as a statement, but I know it is also a question. “Yes.”
Before he can speak, I begin. “I heard you, Kai. In the carriage on the way to the ball.” I pause, trying to push down my emotions before I continue. “When you spoke in their minds and you thought I couldn’t hear.” Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back. “You all have feelings for me. Just as I do for each of you. You made them all agree to ignore them. Told them that all they could be to me were my guards.”
“It is an effect of the bond,” he says. “It—”
“I don’t care,” I snap. “Even if it is, it feels real enough to me. And I know from what you said to the others that you each feel the same way too. And yet—” my voice catches, and a tear slips down my cheek. I quickly brush it away. “You were just going to give me away. Hand me over to some other man just because of some prophecy that you don’t even entirely understand.”
Kai reaches for me, but I step back.
He gives me a pained look. “Do you hate me?”
“No. I’m angry, but I don’t hate you. I’m to blame as well because I was just blindly going to go along with the plan, even though it felt wrong from the beginning.” I draw in a deep and steeling breath. “But no more. We have to find the prince. If he is the key to fulfilling this prophecy of peace, we need him. But I won’t marry him just to secure this. I refuse.”
I look over his shoulder to the others, allowing my gaze to sweep over each of them. My eyes land on Nyx. “Tell me more about your dreams and about the prophecy. If this is going to work, I need to understand everything.”
Chapter 19
Kai
A terrible ache settles deep in my chest as Ella walks away from me and toward Nyx. His brown eyes dart to me and I dip my chin in a subtle nod. She wants to learn from him. Not me. I have lost her trust.
She is right. I would have given her over to the prince simply because it is what I’ve been told we should do. The Elders ingrained this mission in our minds from the time we were young. I thought I was doing the right thing, but it is clear to me now that I was not.
I believed that giving her to the prince was a sacrifice I was having to make. It did not occur to me that it was a sacrifice on her part too. Ella is as brave as she is kind. Even despite her doubts, she would have gone through with marrying the prince because she trusted us. She trusted me. And I let her down. I delivered her into danger, and she could have died because of it.
Cash and Finn walk toward me, concern evident in their features. Devon places a hand on my shoulder. “Are you—”
I shrug him off. “I’m fine. I will fly the perimeter and make certain no one is nearby.”
Before they can answer, I shift into my blue jay form and take flight.
Chapter 20
Ella
Nyx explains the details of his dreams to me. How he saw the Wolf Queen kill me in his visions.
I meet his gaze evenly. “Are your dreams always right?”
“No. Sometimes, they are just dreams.” He hesitates. “But two wolf shifters have tried to kill you. That has to be more than just coincidence.”
“How do we find out if she’s behind it?”
“I believe that for now, we should stay here. We must wait and see what the Wolf Queen does.”
“Why?”
“You have escaped two of her assassins. If she is behind this, she will search for you now that you have gotten away. Either way, whoever was responsible for the attemp
ts on your life will not have given up so easily. We must wait to see who comes after you.”
I shake my head. “What if I don’t want to wait? What if we go to a neighboring kingdom? I could hide there. Start a new life.”
He takes my hand and gives me a pitying look. His warm, honey-brown eyes staring deep into mine. “It is not that simple, Ella. Whoever is after you, they believe in the prophecy and they seek to prevent it from happening. They will not rest until you are no longer a threat.”
Despite my fear, I meet his gaze evenly. “Fine. We will wait.”
When Nyx and I return to the cottage, Cash and Finn are already inside. They greet me with a warm smile as soon as I enter, and I return it in kind. Of all my guards, they are the ones I feel closest to. Perhaps it’s because they found me first, or maybe it’s just their personalities. I’m not sure, but I don’t question it any further.
I already have enough uncertainty in my life at the moment.
They offer me a plate of food since I left before I ate any breakfast earlier. I eagerly take it from them and sit at the table.
I glance over at the living area. “Where are Kai and Devon?”
Cash answers. “They are patrolling the perimeter.”
He looks to Nyx and something unspoken passes between them, but I do not ask what it is. Instead, I lean forward. “I want you to teach me to fight.”
Finn blinks down at me. “You have us. We are your guards. You do not need to—”
“Yes, I do.” I look to each of them. “I was the one who had to fend off the wolf shifter last night. It was luck that I was able to kill him. He could just as easily have killed me instead.”
Finn’s warm green eyes stare deep into mine. “You are right. We failed you. Forgive us, Ella.”
I shake my head softly. “You did not fail me. I just… I would feel better if I were able to defend myself. In case I am alone again with… an attacker.”
