by R. E. Butler
“Move aside, shifter,” Bry said.
“Gladly. With Kaya.”
Bry pulled his swords from the sheaths at his back. Teck cast a quick protection spell around Shy and Kaya. He felt a burst of power at his back, and he knew that Shy had added his power to the spell. They had never worked together casting spells, but he was thankful for Shy’s quick thinking.
Teck let out a warning growl. “I’ve never kicked a horse’s ass before.”
He cracked his knuckles and settled into his power over the earth. He reached up and caused one of the thick branches over his head to break off, grasping it as it fell into his hand. He took a few more steps forward, away from Kaya and Shy, and sent his power into the ground. The earth shook beneath the feet of the Centaurs, and they stumbled in surprise.
“Release the girl or die at my feet.” Bry clanged his swords together, and the other Centaurs moved forward.
“I’m not dying today. You, on the other hand, should make your peace with your gods.”
Teck allowed his power to bloom as Bry kicked off and galloped toward them. He felt the heat of Shy’s power of flame kick up behind him, and he knew that his brother had shielded Kaya behind a fiery wall. Teck split the ground in front of Bry, but the Centaur was quick and leaped over the crack. Teck wielded the branch like a sword, but instead of raising it to strike as Bry came closer, he swung hard and let go, aiming for Bry’s legs. Catching him by surprise, Bry stumbled, and Teck cracked the ground again with a great rumble. This time, the Centaur fell into the wide fissure. Teck sealed the crack, trapping three of the Centaur’s legs in the ground.
The other Centaurs reared in alarm, falling back as Teck let loose of his bear and roared; the guttural sound of possession and anger bellowed from his throat.
“Drop your swords, or I’ll open a trench deep enough to bury you for a thousand years.”
“You’ll never leave with her.” Bry snarled as he tossed his swords to the ground. He struggled to pull his legs free from the ground. “The queen won’t allow it.”
Teck felt Shy’s power ease as the heat at his back dropped when Shy lowered the protective wall.
“It’s not really up to them,” Teck said. “Kaya is ours, and no one on this earth will take her from us.”
Kaya and Shy joined him. She linked her fingers with both of them, and the connection that he’d felt earlier flared once more. She’s wasn’t just their shared mate; she was something more – able to increase their powers and bring them together.
Teck watched the Centaurs as they slowly approached to help Bry. “I think they’ll be busy for a while. Let’s go find our parents.”
Making a wide circle around the small group of struggling Centaurs, the trio made their way through the woods. When he could no longer hear the Centaurs as they attempted to extract Bry from the ground, Teck stopped and turned to face Kaya and Shy.
“Something strange happened back there,” Teck said. “I’ve never moved the earth so easily before.”
Shy nodded. “I’ve used my power of flame to light fires from time to time, but when I drew on my power, a freaking wall of fire surrounded us.”
“Sweetheart,” Teck said, drawing her close and cupping her face, “what are you?”
“I don’t know.” She spoke softly, her voice cracking with emotion as tears pooled in her eyes. “My parents died when I was little. Daeton saved my life and the Centaurs adopted me. All I know is that I’ve been dreaming about you two for years.”
“Whatever you are, you increased mine and Shy’s powers.”
“Aren’t you twins?”
“Yes,” Shy answered.
“Then why are your powers different?”
Teck shrugged. “It’s the way of Wiccan power. Family members don’t always share the same natural powers. Our mother has the power of flame, like Shy, but I share the power of the earth, like our grandmother.”
“I don’t have any power of my own. I can’t change into an animal or call on a power. I’m just slow aging and fast healing.”
Teck exhaled loudly. “Whatever you are, we’re together and that’s all that matters for now. Let’s get back to the city, and then we can talk about the future. I don’t want the Centaurs to beat us back there and spread lies.”
Kaya walked between them, holding both their hands. His mind spun. He didn’t think it was possible for their lives to change so quickly. In a matter of moments, everything he’d ever wanted was suddenly within his grasp. He wanted to take her home immediately and not leave the tent for at least a month.
They left the woods and found their family waiting, with several Centaurs standing nearby. Stopping in front of their parents, Teck smiled at the looks on their faces – shock and happiness.
“Mom, Dads, this is Kaya. She’s our mate,” Teck said.
Their mother’s gaze moved between him and Shy several times before she smiled broadly. “Oh! I’m so happy for all of you!”
After everyone had been introduced, Daeton hugged Kaya. “Life is really strange, isn’t it? I never would have guessed that you would be my nephews’ mate.”
“I hate to put a damper on things, but we may have a problem,” Teck said. He quickly relayed their interaction with the Centaurs, and he informed them about Bry’s assertion that the king and queen would support him taking Kaya as a mate.
“Like hell,” Axe said. “No one in his right mind would try to separate truemates.”
“They were planning to make me choose a Centaur to mate by the end of the month, or leave the city.” Kaya said. “I told them I was having mate-dreams, but because I’m not a Centaur, they didn’t believe me.”
“I’m really not loving the Centaurs right now,” Filene said. “No offense, Perseus.”
Daeton’s husband shook his head. “No offense taken. My people aren’t led like Arsen. He rules like a true king, overseeing every aspect of Centaur life. I think being so segregated in this realm from other shifters has given them a sense of self-importance that hasn’t been earned.”
Teck looked at Perseus. “Do you think we should just leave? Will staying here put Kaya in jeopardy?”
“I don’t think so, but I honestly don’t know him that well. The best course of action would be to go to him immediately and explain the situation.”
Teck looked down at Kaya. “Ready, sweetheart?”
“Yeah.”
Ash smiled. “The important thing to remember is that you found one another. Nothing else matters.”
Their group headed to the king and queen’s home. Teck felt better knowing that his family supported them. He didn’t want to leave the Centaur city early, but Kaya’s safety was paramount. Within minutes, they arrived at the royal home. Before they knocked on the door, it swung open, and Arsen stared down at them.
Bry moved into view behind the king, and Teck’s bear rose swiftly to the surface. He growled softly, stepping slightly in front of Kaya.
Arsen looked over his shoulder, and then turned his attention back to the group on his doorstep. He frowned. Arsen walked out of the house and down onto the grass, followed by Sophie, Bry, and the other Centaurs who’d been with Bry in the forest.
Axe stood beside Teck, and Rysk and Tyrant flanked them. Teck felt the tension emanating from both groups, and the last thing he wanted was for a fight to break out.
“King Arsen,” Teck said, “my name is Teck Stalking Horse, and my brother, Shy, and I are Kaya’s truemates.”
Arsen arched his brow. “How do you know you’re truemates?”
Axe growled. “There’s no denying the connection between the three.”
“I asked the young male a question.”
“We shared mating dreams with her,” Teck said. Then he lifted her hand and pointed to her wrist. “She saw these symbols in her dreams, and they’re our names.”
“She’s no Centaur,” Sophie said. “She doesn’t have mate-dreams.”
“Moman, I told you about the dreams.”
Sophie shook her head. “No. You told me you dreamed about one man, not two.”
“Because you don’t think it’s right for a female to take multiple mates.”
An awkward silence settled over the group. A blush pinked Sophie’s cheeks. She sniffed and straightened her spine, with a haughty look on her face. “The daughter of the king and queen of the herd isn’t meant to be shared. It was always our intention for our only child to mate a Centaur.”
Every bear roared in anger. The Centaurs moved back, and their hooves stamped nervously.
“Your intentions don’t matter,” Adriel said, stepping in front of their group. He folded his arms and widened his stance, every bit the alpha male of the den. “Kaya has agreed to mate my grandsons. Either you accept it, or we leave immediately.”
“Dad!” Daeton said, rushing forward. Perseus and Ekho grabbed for her, but she slipped from their grasp. “You’d leave? I haven’t seen you for ten years.”
“He’s disregarding truemates, Daeton. What would you have me do?”
Daeton looked at the king. “Please don’t force my family to leave. We were promised they could stay for a few days. Whatever your plans were for Kaya, she’s an adult and can make her own choices. You should be thankful she found two amazing males as her mates. You should be embracing their mating, not trying to rip truemates apart.”
“Sire–” Bry interjected.
Arsen held up his hand, and the Centaur’s teeth clicked together as he scowled.
“You had mating dreams of two males?” he asked Kaya.
“Yes, Papan.”
He stroked his fingers along his jaw and looked at them. “I wanted you to mate a Centaur so you would be able to stay in our city where I know you would be safe. I always knew there was a chance that fate might lead you elsewhere.”
“They’re mine, Papan,” Kaya said. “And I’m theirs.”
“Arsen,” Sophie whispered.
He shook his head. “I need to speak with my wife. I’ll send for you in an hour.”
The king dismissed them, and they left for the trailers.
When they were all stuffed inside one of the trailers, Daeton said, “I think it’s a good sign.”
“Seriously?” Elizabeth asked. “He didn’t seem happy.”
“I know. I think he was just surprised. Dads have a way of expecting things of their children, right?” she said, nudging Adriel.
He snorted and put his arm around her. “Very true. Perhaps we should plan for the worst-case scenario.”
“Which would be?” Axe asked.
“Them sending us away.”
Tyrant said, “If they want the children to leave, Rysk and I will escort them back to the SUV and take them home. There’s no reason for the whole family to have to leave when the point of this trip was to spend time with the princess.”
Daeton rolled her eyes. “I keep telling you that I’m not really a princess.”
“Your father is king bear,” Rysk said. “That makes you a princess.”
“I never got a tiara, so I don’t think I’m really a princess.” Daeton elbowed her father with a smile, which he returned with a wink.
“I don’t think Arsen is going to ask them to leave,” Perseus said. “Kaya’s their only child. They’re going to want to get to know her mates before she leaves with them.”
“I hope you’re right,” Kaya said. “But even if they want us to go now, I’ve still gained so much more than I’ll lose because I found my truemates.”
Teck agreed one hundred percent.
The group dispersed and only Elizabeth, Ash, Axe, Adriel, Filene, and Daeton and her husbands remained inside. Rysk and Tyrant stood guard outside as a precaution. Although Teck wanted to go somewhere alone with Kaya, he knew that they needed to stay close by until Arsen called for them. While they waited, Kaya learned more about their family, and he wasn’t surprised that they welcomed her with open arms. Family was supposed to be like that – supportive and happy – not suspicious and demanding the way her adopted family was acting.
He’d heard the story of Daeton and her husbands rescuing a young female after Teck and his family had left the Centaur city ten years earlier.
“Shit,” he murmured.
“What?” Kaya asked.
“We missed meeting you by less than a day. If we’d stayed…”
She smiled sadly. “That would have been wonderful. Growing up with you two would have been amazing. Then we would have all had the mating dreams, instead of just two of us.”
Shy kissed her temple. “Fate’s an asshole.”
“He sure is,” Kaya agreed.
By the time the hour had passed, Teck was head over heels for his mate, and he couldn’t wait to get home and start their new life together. A young Centaur with long dark hair escorted them back to the king’s home, where Arsen and Sophie waited. Teck was prepared for a variety of circumstances – he was ready to fight, to leave, or to stay – depending on how the Centaurs opted to move forward.
Arsen had shifted into his fully human form and wore hide trousers and a loose long-sleeved shirt. Behind him, Centaurs in their half-forms watched with curious expressions. Teck didn’t sense anger among them, but he wasn’t taking any chances on letting his guard down.
“It’s not without difficulty that I’ve come to the decision I have,” Arsen said. “Neither of us took your dreams seriously, Kaya. I can’t explain why we didn’t, but because we don’t know what you are, we thought it unlikely that you’d have mate-dreams. We believed you’d been brought to us for a reason, and that someday you’d choose a Centaur to mate with. I told myself that it was for your benefit that I planned to force you to choose a mating, but in reality it was for my own peace of mind. I’m getting older, and I wanted to know that you’d be well taken care of.”
“I wish you’d believed me,” she said.
“I do, too. But I believe you now, and although it won’t make up for what I’m sure were many years of feeling isolated, we extend our hospitality to Daeton’s family for the remainder of their planned visit.”
“They’re Kaya’s family now,” Sophie said. “Kaya’s and ours.”
Kaya released her grip on Teck’s and Shy’s hands and hurried to her adopted parents. Sophie enveloped her in a hug, and then Arsen held onto both of them.
“I know you wanted the best for me,” Kaya said. “But Teck and Shy are my truemates, and nothing could be better than that.”
“Let’s try this meet and greet again, shall we?” Arsen said and cleared his throat.
Kaya faced the others, and her cheeks were wet with tears but she wore a broad smile on her face. “Come meet my parents.”
Teck and Shy joined her, shaking hands with Arsen and getting tight hugs from Sophie.
“We don’t have an empty trailer for you three, but we do have a really nice tent and bedrolls that you can use. Perhaps set up near the lake, where Kaya likes to swim?” Sophie suggested.
“That’s would be perfect, thank you, Moman.”
Teck and Shy’s family, who had been ready to defend if necessary, joined their group. Elizabeth and Sophie moved aside and spoke quietly, as Axe and Ash spoke to Arsen, along with Adriel. Kaya looked up at Teck.
“It didn’t really matter if they approved of our mating.” she said. “You’re mine and I’m yours, no matter who believes in my dreams.”
“I’m definitely yours,” he promised, kissing her lightly.
“Me too,” Shy said.
“Let’s get our tent set up,” Teck said. “It’ll be nightfall soon.” And he couldn’t wait.
Chapter 5
Kaya and her mates said goodbye to their families. Two big males named Rysk and Tyrant insisted on escorting the three of them to the storage barn where the tents and bedrolls were kept. They smelled like bears, but not like Teck and Shy smelled.
“You’re bears?” she asked.
Tyrant nodded. “Nearly extinct bears. I’m a cave bear, and Rysk is a
giant polar bear. We used to live in the Medes Realm, but now we live with the Cleveland den.”
“What made you decide to leave the realm?”
“We’ve spent most of our lives in the Medes Realm. When we came with Daeton and her family here ten years ago, Rysk and I both felt that staying in the Mortal Realm and joining Adriel’s den was the right choice for our future.”
“Are you brothers?”
“Just very good friends,” Rysk said. “We’ve fought many battles together. War can bond males closer than family.”
“Do your people mate-dream?”
“Not that we’re aware of,” Tyrant said. “But who knows what might happen in the future.”
“All I care about is that I won’t be having the dreams anymore. They were heaven and hell wrapped up together.”
Beside her, Teck chuckled. “Very true, sweetheart.”
Rysk pulled open one of the wide doors and they walked inside the spacious barn. She flicked on an overhead light that illuminated the interior. This barn was one of several that held supplies for the city. One barn was for food storage, another for tools, and this one for tents, bedding, and other home items.
They moved through the rows of materials, taking three bedrolls, several pillows, and two oil lamps.
“I think this is the tent Moman was talking about,” she said as she touched the tip of her shoe to a folded tent. It was large enough for six people, with screened sides that had flaps that could be lowered for privacy. Tyrant found a sizeable wagon, and after they loaded it with their supplies, she said, “We can make a fire, so we’ll need to take some wood from the stack at the back. Do you want to eat the evening meal with your family?”
