Once Lost Lords (Royal Scales, Book 1)

by Stephan Morse

  “You think that’ll settle it?” Malcolm’s forehead wrinkled as he looked my way.

  “We’ve got history,” I answered casually. Daniel and I went back nearly two decades so he would believe me. He could take this box and do a DNA test or whatever magic Western Sector had.

  “I don’t know why he’s so overbearing about this. Normally Daniel’s reasonable.” Julianne said with a trace of annoyance.

  “Someone’s pushing him,” I remembered that much from the note at least.

  “Someone is pushing Daniel? Seriously? That won’t end well.” The short bartender looked surprised. It was the same expression to cross my face once I got the note implying all my belongings were being held hostage. Even now, if I thought about it too hard, a tremble of frustration started up.

  “Our guests are close,” Jude Sauter said to her Alpha.

  Both packs were watching the same direction. A figure almost popped into existence between the trees. He was dressed in an immaculate suit laced with a faint trace of purple thread. Hair was slicked back with gel. I tried not to get annoyed.

  Only vampires could move like that. It took me days to get part way here the first time and they cleared it in hours. Everyone else was beyond fast.

  Another vampire popped in. The second male’s head was shaved, but there was no mistaking the cross-shaped welt. His pale skin made the scarring even more pronounced. Both vampires were dressed in black without a sign of dirt or leaves. The second one that I had fought with before looked directly at me and opened his mouth to give a brief hiss. Some of the pack members nearby twitched from the aggression.

  My nose inhaled a whiff of peppermint and I tensed. Kahina didn’t pop into existence like the other two. She strode in from the darkness behind them. Both her bodyguards separated to make room.

  Wrapped around her was something that could be oriental. Slits on either side of the fabric traveled to mid-thigh. Her clothes weren’t entirely black. There were weavings of purple among the rest of the light dress. Evan’s fire and the moon above only cast out so much light and wolves were color blind when transformed.

  “You made it!” Julianne ran over, completely ignoring both the show and either imposing bodyguard. They didn’t move to intercept the tiny Indian woman.

  “Of course I did.” They hugged and the whole mesmerizing presentation lost some power. Kahina and Julianne joined our group while the bodyguards stayed in the distance.

  “We’re all here?” Julianne’s grandfather gave a level stare at Malcolm and the tiny bartender.

  “Everyone Thomas thought was useful, essentially because I gave him a list.” Julianne took credit for the gathering.

  “Quick thinking.” My brow furled a bit.

  “Well, I wanted a plan in case Daniel did something stupid. But I didn’t know we’d have to meet out here.”

  “Something stupid? Daniel has sixty or more trained soldiers with him.” Kahina’s words came forth. I was distracted by her dress, giving it sidelong glances. It was one of my favorites.

  “All human?” I asked.

  “We were all human once.” Kahina retorted.

  I paused and stopped eyeballing the dress. She was going to use every forum available to poke at our history. It sounded like Kahina thought my treatment of her was less than a person. That was a completely baseless tone to take with me.

  “Yes, all those with him are human.” She relented and gave an answer.

  “Like last time.” I tried to move past all the silly thoughts that crossed my mind. Clearly I was reading too much into our words.

  “I wasn’t aware you’d noticed last time,” Kahina said.

  “I do pay attention.” I gave in to her baited tone.

  “I wonder what you pay attention to sometimes.” Kahina was practically inviting me to follow the words back to us, but this wasn’t the time for it.

  “You’re both the prettiest,” Julianne said with a sigh. “Can we focus on the army invasion?”

  “Please.” Malcolm chimed in. I looked at the other wolves nearby. At least Jude had a faint smile on her face. It almost balanced out Julianne’s grandfather who looked to be a step away from dropping a hammer on someone.

  “This isn’t a sector operation. Daniel’s mixed up in something else.” I quickly said. During our escape from the housing complex with Evan, all the people we fought were human. Maybe it was an extremist supremacy group?

  “So what?” Malcolm said. Julianne was the only other person besides me and Kahina who actually knew Daniel that well. It seemed weird that no one else understood his temperament.

  “We can plan defenses just in case. If it’s not Sector sanctioned then we’re allowed to protect our lands.” Julianne’s grandfather said.

  “Let’s see what we roll out to welcome them.” Malcolm was on board with the whole thing.

  “I’ll introduce you to the two elves, they’ll have a good idea if anyone,” Julianne said.

  “I don’t need an elf to show me around my own woods.” Her grandfather sounded affronted. The wolves and Julianne walked towards where Evan slumbered. Hopefully, they would leave the elf alone.

  That left me, Francis’ widow, and Kahina with her bodyguards.

  “Go help with the plans.” Kahina turned her head slightly to the other two. They managed to have nearly identical looks of irritation but followed orders. Then there were three.

  “I wanted to thank you for what you did. My late husband wasn’t exactly a good man, to me or my daughter.” Jude said while looking between me and Kahina. She was wolf enough to pick up on the awkward vibe.

  “My pleasure,” I said with a smile. That night had been fun, aside from the long trek home and the condition of my legs. Jude nodded and left as well to meet with the others.

  One of the Alphas shouted towards the other wolves that were scattered around the area. It might have been an order to scout the woods, or maybe Julianne had suggested that we be left alone. Whatever it was, even the golden eyes slowly vanished. Then it was just Kahina and me.

  I held my breath and stared at her. She stood there motionless, lost in thought. Her deep red eyes were focused on something unseen in the distance.

  “Are you in that much danger?” I broke our frail silence. The question caused her to blink, but there was no answer. “Kahina?” I moved slightly. Her eyes regained focus and pupils dilated.

  “Try a different question, Cat-nip.” She said haltingly. This time, I blinked while trying to process her statement. The scent of peppermint grew stronger as Kahina focused on me.

  “Are they going to kill you?” Maybe if I rephrased it. Her eyes softened a little, but then a cold edge of distance overlaid her face again. Maybe not cold, but very deliberate.

  “A different question, Cat-nip.” She bit at the words as they came out. It was hard to tell, but Kahina seemed close enough to reach out and wrap one arm around if I wanted. The idea further muddled my mind.

  “What should I ask then?” I was frustrated. Things would be easier if we could return to the idealistic years gone by.

  “For my answer to what you said.” She answered my question.

  “What did I say?” I had no clue which statement Kahina was talking about. My eyes glanced around and verified we were still being allowed vague privacy.

  “You asked at Julianne’s if I was still yours. So ask again, am I yours?” Kahina was even closer now. Had I stepped toward her? Or had she moved closer to me? Which way did she want me to ask that question?

  “Are you still mine?” My words were soft and doubtful to my own ears. All the times I’d tracked her, Evan had said they were a form of laying claim.

  Both her eyes shut so gently that I was riveted. Somehow Kahina made it into my arms. My hands settled lightly around her waist, her arms wrapped around my neck. I could feel her body from pelvis to chest as she leaned over and whispered.

  “Forever, Cat-nip. If you want me.” Her pet name for me hung in the air.


  “I do.” The words were out before I had a chance to think about them.

  With that simple exchange of words, Kahina had given herself to me. I could feel her, feel both feet in light shoes, and feel the fabric wrapped around her skin as it rustled. My senses were hyperactive and tightly focused on the woman in my arms.

  Candy had felt nothing like this.

  It was…

  This was….

  Hell. I could feel her movements as if they were my own. Her heart beat slowly but strong. A tensing in arm muscles as she ran fingers through the back of my hair.

  She was, by her own admission, utterly mine. That switch in the back of my head had flipped completely. This woman was in danger. What was mine was in danger. Anyone who put her there would be run over by a freight train if I had to tie them to the tracks myself, get in the train and press go.

  I felt her slide those extra-long teeth along my neckline. A tongue ran parallel as she drug a tingling trail along the skin. What was worse, I could feel how badly her body cried out to do something about it. It felt good. Hell, too good.

  “Kahina.” I was groaning.

  She hummed in response. It was distracting. I had to have some control. We couldn’t get back together just because she’d said yes.

  “Kahina we have to stop.” Everything felt pleasantly foggy.

  “Why?” Her smooth lips curled in a smile.

  “There’s people here.” If she didn’t stop then that little purple and black dress would be in pieces on the ground. Or maybe not, last time we had shoved parts of the dress to one side.

  “Maybe a little bit?” Her voice was distant and hopeful.

  “After, we’ll talk after.” I tried not to shiver. We had been in a good spot and then her dammed vampire drives kicked in.

  Wearing this dress, saying those words, how much of this was a clever ploy? The thought sobered me instantly. Other thoughts ran through, Daniel’s impending army, the wolves in the area, her bodyguards, how badly she wanted to taste a little blood.

  “Mmmh.” Her lips were tracing slowly along and I had a hard time not pursuing her body’s suggestive movements.

  “Later. Kahina, later.” I pulled her back feeling myself sink down to earth.

  “Promise?”

  “We’ll talk.” Not here, not right now. I don’t know if I could bear the mind trip that had come every time she took my blood. Not without serious mental preparation.

  “I have waited, Jay. I can continue.” Kahina smiled and backed up, untangling us from each other.

  Her hands sliding away gave a pleasant feeling of warmth. Kahina swayed off towards the direction Julianne and the others had gone. I tried to watch her go. My eyes were unfocused as my other senses told me exactly what every inch of skin under those clothes felt like.

  Hell.

  It was very, very difficult to reign my mental senses. The feedback was incredible. Kahina’s feet stepped carefully, legs strutting by, and the fabric of her dress. She knew exactly how to tease me.

  Many moments later, after she disappeared into the distance, I regained some sense of self-control. That sort of sensation overload might kill a man. Now was a perfect time for the drink Julianne had mentioned earlier. An entire ocean of them.

  Julianne wasn’t serving, and Daniel was closing in. Evan wouldn’t be able to leave the area while both Kahina and Julianne were here. I couldn’t leave them. Not after the last time I witnessed someone get on the wrong side of Daniel.

  Worse, part of me was scared by how easily my feelings had flipped. One simple statement from Kahina turned the internal switch of possession around. A connection formed so quickly it might have always been nearby. With a simple thought, I could sense Kahina nearby, talking to Julianne. Her mouth smiling absently.

  I scratched at my arm and tried to figure out how to make sure those dear to me didn’t suffer from this situation.

  Chapter 21 – Adapted to Darkness

  Stop one was sneaking over to Evan. I had to see if the elf had suffered from the pack members' pestering. Afterward, there would be a reckoning between me and Daniel over this army nonsense.

  The male elf had managed to right himself again. He sat huddled over a fire, his hands held out trying to soak up the heat. Everything about him was different from the man I’d first run into.

  “I need to ask another question.” I hunkered down next to him.

  “I will try to answer.” Evan was sitting in front of the fire that popped and crackled from a fresh log.

  “This was something I was already told.”

  “That may make it easier. The binding is on providing you direct answers to what you are.” The elf nodded slowly. His long blond hair fell in clumps. The poor guy hadn’t bathed in a while. Although, he managed to smell like a blueberry. That was weird.

  “Candy,” I had to stop and correct myself. Candy was the name for her playful side. Her serious personality was the other name. “Kanda’rila Ro’hal, told me that you had killed all your Lords.”

  “We killed the greatest, but we did not kill them all. Others finished what we started.” He answered.

  “Why? Without pushing.” I quickly added the second part.

  “A reason?” He stared intently while trying to figure out how to skirt the bindings Candy placed on him. “Fear.”

  That was a rather broad answer. “Of my people?”

  “No.” Evan looked across the distance to the others, Kahina, Julianne and the other pack members. “Of theirs.”

  “Vampires?” Kahina was the most dangerous one to me. I could understand elves killing others to stay safe from vampires two thousand years ago.

  “All of them,” Evan said.

  I stared at people of all races, wolves, vampires, and humans. What was it that caused issues? Add in the fact that elves delivered the blows then all four races were somehow responsible for my race’s extinction.

  “Stay safe, Evan.” It was time to go.

  “You will protect us, Lord. I am confident. It is what you do.” He sounded tired, but at least the elf was conscious again. Maybe he had taken a short nap. “If you choose to.”

  “You make me sound like an angel.” It was hard to be quiet, almost pointless to bother.

  “I can say what you are not, Lord, and you are nothing so noble.” The male elf sounded amused for once in his depressive life.

  “A demon then?” Religion was one of the few items still intact. The Purge could never manage to censor every Bible out there.

  “To some.” Evan still sounded vaguely amused. Both eyes narrowed at him and I nearly missed his faint smile. The elf shook his head back and forth in a negative. Hell. He did have a sense of humor.

  Daniel would leave with his precious box of goods. Evan and the rest of the group would be safe. Afterward, I could figure out what do with Kahina.

  What was Daniel’s angle by holding all my possessions hostage? He should believe me about Arnold’s dead body, yet he still marched. He knew it would make me mad. He knew and pushed on. Was he trying to pressure me into something besides Arnold?

  Everyone else was huddled in a gathering of war. Except me, I needed space. My presence would contribute little to the efforts. I didn’t try to sneak away, but I didn’t advertise either.

  Softly treading feet from behind told me that someone was following already. Only two feet touched the ground so it was humanoid.

  “Boy.” A western twang let loose.

  I turned to look at the silver-haired elf. We had never talked directly. The old man had the distinct look of having been in these woods for the last hundred years and was probably less social than me.

  “Boy, I brought that box along.” He shook the wooden container and it rattled around.

  “Why do that?” I asked.

  “You talked about telling your partner to shove the box sideways, seemed like a good plan. Figured you’d headed off to do that.” The old elf shrugged and ran a tongue along the inside of his lip. “
Might solve this here standoff, then you and them hens will shut it and pull out.”His hair looked thin and ghost-like in the darkness, but what I could see of his face was serious. He rattled the box again in my direction.

  “They know you grabbed that?” I asked.

  “Won’t matter one way or another. Figure one way, you’re shot, another way, we’re all in clear. That or we do things the hard way.” The elf spat on the ground and pulled something out from a pouch. It smelled like bitter chewing tobacco.

  “You think it’s worth a try?” None of the wolves had been on board with my plan. They appeared intent upon preparing for a wide-scale war.

  “I reckon.” The elf’s voice was out of context with the woods around us.

  “You know where Daniel is?” I took the box from his hand. That freed the elf up to get his bow strung. His motions were well practiced and calm.

  “I can figure which ride’s his, sure,” He might have said. The accent made it difficult to clearly understand.

  “And how do we get Daniel’s attention?” I hoped the elf had an answer for that too. My option was to stand there menacingly against a squad of armored people. It couldn't be that easy.

  “Just saddle up and ask. Doubt they’ll shoot you, what with you having what’s left of their precious heir.” He said while picking up his bow and testing the sight a few times. The results must have displeased him because he scowled, spit and proceeded to tighten the string.

  “What do you know about that?” I stared down at the box’s top again and tried to figure out what a snake with wings had to do with everything. I had never seen a creature like this before.

  “Nothin’.” He sounded firm. Hell. Evan wouldn’t like me punching his grandfather.

  The old elf would probably put an arrow in me anyway. My arm had recovered, but he had additional ammo readily available. A day’s worth of healing had reduced a bleeding wound to scar tissue.

  “Come on. Your partner’s close.” The silver hair cowboy sounding elf stalked off.

  “What are you going to do?” I turned and promptly went after him. Elves usually forgot the rest of us had to avoid branches and trees.