by Haley Weir
Balor handed over a scrap of paper with barely legible writing on both sides. "It's from Blue. He says they're collecting shifter pelts."
Giddeon punched a nearby tree and the bark fractured, breaking away in sad lumps of wood that fluttered to the ground. "I never thought I would see the day that bears started trophy hunting each other."
"We're supposed to be protecting the forest, not tearing it apart with our hands." Balor shoved Giddeon aside and used some of the energy that allowed them to shift to heal the tree.
“All right, I want you with me, Caleb. They know what Balor looks like and we’re dead if they recognize him.” Giddeon turned to his two youngest brothers. “Seth, I want you to get the deputies ready to make arrests. If this goes bad, we’ll need witnesses that can defend themselves. Balor, I need you to shift and stay in the shadows. Our goal is to establish peace. If they get violent, we can’t shift in front of the deputies. Isolate the leader and get him arrested so we can question him.”
“And what if who we think is the leader is just a decoy?” Seth asked.
“We have to take that chance. Either way, we’re getting answers.”
~*~
Offkey singing of an upbeat eighties medley of pop songs finally came to an end when Casey stepped out of the shower. She brushed through her hair and danced around with the blow dryer. Her dress was beautiful and floated above her curves like the whisper of a touch. Casey got dressed and put on a bit of makeup.
She felt sexy and filled with a spark of life that had been missing for years. Olivia, Rina, and Diana wished her good luck as she hurried out the front door. The taxi waited just outside to take her to Castle Black. Casey hadn't wanted to drive in case she got lost through the dense forest trails and the labyrinth of roads that seemed to discourage wayward travelers from finding the castle. The taxi stopped outside of an enormous wall that surrounded the castle. "Can you stay for just a few moments until I'm inside?" she asked.
"Yes, of course."
Casey walked up to a door beside the large gate and knocked. A man the size of a yeti greeted her on the other side. "Do you have an invitation?"
"I'm here to see Giddeon."
The man leaned against the door jamb with a lecherous grin on his grizzled face. "No one sees the king without an invitation, but if you want to show me a good time…I might be willing to make an exception."
Casey flinched back. "Tell Giddeon that Casey is here. And I'll forget you just said that to me." The whole king thing was a bit strange, but Giddeon had said he inherited a throne that no longer mattered beyond these walls.
The yeti picked up a phone and spoke in a language she couldn't identify. When he hung up, a second man appeared. This one was just as large, but far more manscaped. He had the same ash-blond hair as Giddeon, but his eyes were an eerie shade of blue. "I must apologize about Gregor. He doesn't get out much,” the handsome blond chuckled. “We’re just happy he’s potty trained.”
“Watch it, Balor.”
“That’s Prince Balor to you, Gregor. It would be wise to put some respect in your tone.” Balor walked around Casey and fetched her bags from the back of the taxi. “You’ll have to forgive us, Miss Hartley. My brother Seth has gone missing, and it has put us all on edge.”
“Seth is missing? What happened?”
“Oh, I see my brother has told you something of our unusual family,” he supposed. “Good. I won’t have to man-splain you to boredom. As for what happened to Seth, all I can say is it’s an old family feud that got in the way of a lot of progress around here. Giddeon is doing what he can to fix it, but he’s a bit distracted. Your arrival seems like a blessing.”
“Does he know I’m here?”
“Nah, I thought we might surprise him.” Balor led her through a small guard’s station and out into a beautiful courtyard. The castle had been preserved with care through the decades and featured many of its original architecture. “Just through here.” He opened a large door, and Casey stepped into what looked like a grand entrance.
A massive staircase led up to a gallery that overlooked the main hall. She tried her best not to gawk at the gilded molding that lined the walls and archways. Balor asked a servant to carry her bags to the Queen’s Suite. “That’s quite presumptuous, isn’t it?” she asked as she lifted a finely arched brow in his direction.
“If the two of you will be having your making up, I don’t want it to happen anywhere near my quarters. But if you should need me at any time, I’ll be in the west tower. Head down this corridor and to the left to find the library. Giddeon will be finishing up with a meeting.” Balor left her standing at the bottom of the stairs gaping like a fish.
She was impressed by the youngest of Giddeon’s brothers and hoped to see more of him soon. However, Giddeon was the one she really wanted to see. Casey followed Balor’s instructions and opened a set of doors that gave way to a four-story library. She entered cautiously and closed the door behind her, not wanting to interrupt his phone call. Giddeon spoke in that language she had heard before and made a mental note to ask him about it later.
Her footsteps were quiet, but somehow, he had heard her coming.
The expression on his face was a mix of both horror and relief. He said a few more words before he ended the call and circled around the desk to stand before her. “Casey…how…?”
“I know I’m supposed to have an invitation, but I really wanted to see you.”
“If I had known you were here, I would have greeted you at the gate,” he replied, giving nothing away in his tone. His expression became guarded once more, and she felt an invisible wall erect between them. “How have you been?”
She had expected him to use politeness to distance her. “I’ve been a wreck. How you crawled under my skin in just a few weeks, I’ll never know. But whatever spell you’ve got me under, I need more of it. I did what you asked. I talked to my ex-husband and we worked through some things. I never would have known the full truth if you hadn’t pushed me to change.”
“Give yourself some credit. You did the hard part.”
“That’s true, but I woke up every morning replaying that moment in my head,” she confessed. “I’m ashamed that I acted that way. Even more ashamed that I allowed myself to get to a point where I couldn’t even trust my own instincts.”
“And now?”
“Now, I want to be here for you when you search for Seth,” Casey replied. “I want to give you advice when the time calls for it and then give you the same space you gave me. I want to sleep next to you and feel you beside me when I wake up. I’m tired of dreams and phone calls. I want the real thing. The real Giddeon.”
A flicker of something crossed his features. He leaned against the edge of his desk and unbuttoned his shirt. Her pulse quickened, but Casey pulled back on the reins when she saw the look in his eyes. This wasn’t seduction. This was vulnerability. He peeled back one side of his shirt. Tanned muscle moved with each breath he dragged in through his nose. But there was a mark above his heart that caused her to frown in confusion.
“You branded yourself?”
Giddeon shook his head with a laugh that held no humor. “You branded me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I wasn’t lying when I said there was something about you that intrigued me from the moment I looked at your profile. But you don’t know that I slept with your picture on my laptop beside me every night,” Giddeon sighed. Casey had forgotten how to breathe for a moment as his confession hovered in the air. “And this mark appeared on my chest when I first touched your hand at the restaurant. Ever since our first date, you’ve been like a high I can’t quit.”
“Giddeon, you aren’t making any sense. Marks like that don’t just appear.”
“This one did,” he stated with conviction. “I gave you that book about my family. If you had read it, then you would know that we aren’t what we appear to be.”
Her heart hammered in her chest. “You’re scaring me…”
“Then what I’m about to tell you could ruin everything you’ve been dreaming about.” He exhaled slowly and stood up straighter. “I’m not just a king to the people who live here...I’m their Alpha. My family are descendants of gods. In the beginning, it was only magic. But as time passed with each generation, our power manifested into a beast. As Alpha, I can summon the transformation of my people. Shifters, your people have come to call us.”
“Shifters? Like werewolves?” she asked skeptically.
“No, like bears.”
“This is insane. Are you even hearing yourself right now?”
Giddeon took a step forward, but Casey moved away from him. He dropped his hand and pointed to a painting above the fireplace. “The replica of that painting was at the museum. You asked me why the soldiers didn’t bear my family’s coat of arms. It’s because we were the bears, not the soldiers. I think deep inside, you’ve always known.”
“A bear?” Casey paced in front of him. “A bear?” she repeated. “You’ve got to be kidding me. If you’re a bear, then why don’t people know about you?”
“We’ve been here. I live in a castle hidden on the outskirts of a small town no one even knows exists. My family used to have an island back when our Sleuth, our group, was larger. My father was king then, and I was training to take over. The Russians fought against us, and we fled to the mainland before we were all slaughtered.” Giddeon pointed to the painting again. “They took over and called it Kodiak Island. Some started to question my father’s ability to protect them. Until recently, I thought they were wrong to question their king.”
“What do you mean?”
“He left some of the shifters behind,” he explained. “Without their Alpha, they were trapped inside of their human form. They grew to resent my father and everyone who shared his blood. If I had known...maybe I could have done something to help them sooner, but now it’s too late. Their leader has taken my brother, and now I have to find a way to get him back before they collect his pelt as a trophy.”
“Isn’t there a way to talk to them?”
“I tried. That was how Seth was taken. I tried peace, but the Reckoning didn’t want peace. They want war. Even if they didn’t, they attacked Balor and abducted Seth. My people will see their actions as treason against my family,” Giddeon replied. “We are nothing if not loyal to our kind.”
“Show me.”
“What?”
Casey approached him slowly, unsure of why she felt no fear as her hand rested over the mark on his chest. “I want to see you change. In my mind, creatures like you don’t exist. I need to see it in order to believe that what you’re saying is true.”
He laid his hand over hers and lifted it to his mouth before pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “If I do this...there will be no going back, Casey. This mark means that you are my mate. Revealing myself to you will be the highest act of devotion I can ever perform. It wouldn’t be a few dates strung together by text messages and phone calls. It would mean forever.”
Casey wasn’t sure if she wanted forever just yet. “Let me think about it. I want to be sure I’m not just rushing into something I can’t handle.”
“I respect your decision.” Giddeon took her hand once again and gave her a tour of the castle. Casey was blown away by the long history of Giddeon's family. She still wasn't sure if it was all a big charade or not, but she had hope that Giddeon wanted to be with her.
Their final stop was outside of the Queen's Suite. Giddeon's ears turned red as he hesitated outside of the door. "No one has been in this room for a long time…"
"I'm honored, then."
He pushed open the door and Casey was floored by the extravagant decor. Her gaze took in everything from the mural on the ceiling to the beautiful curtains. The bed was far too big for one person—or so she thought until she looked over at Giddeon. His shoulders alone would have taken up a massive portion of the bed.
"I'll see you at supper."
Chapter Eight
Castle Black
Destiney, Alaska
A profound sense of ease filled Giddeon knowing that Casey was in his home. Having her near meant more to him than he ever realized. There was a buzz of excitement just below his skin that didn’t seem to fade as time went by. He worked diligently, eager to get back to his mate as quickly as possible. The door to the library opened, and Balor waltzed in with a smile. “She’s lovely,” his youngest brother said. “The fates smile upon you, Giddeon. I had hoped for you to end up with a greasy hagwitch, but we can’t all get what we want.”
“Keep your eyes to the ground, Balor.”
“She’s not my type,” Balor snorted. It wasn’t long before his smile faltered and sadness returned to his gaze. “If those bastards hurt Seth…”
“I know. But he’s a strong male with the blood of kings flowing through his veins. Seth will prevail. I have faith that he may be able to turn this around for the better.”
“Do you think he can change their minds?”
“Or perhaps infiltrate them and turn the Reckoning against their leader,” Giddeon supposed. “Our brother will be fine. I trust him to handle this.”
“What about Caleb? He feels guilty about what happened at the falls.”
“None of us could have seen that attack coming. When Caleb realizes that, then he’ll work through it. Right now, he needs time to think. I say we give him that.”
Balor glanced at the clock. “Your dearly beloved should be down any second. Want me to crash the party or head up to my room?”
“I’d like some time alone with you, if you don’t mind.”
“I mind, but I’ll do it anyway.”
Giddeon huffed and stood up to adjust his suit before he headed into the dining room. The table had been set for a formal occasion. He desperately hoped it wouldn’t overwhelm Casey. When he told the servants there was a guest, they had insisted on putting on a show. Giddeon sat at the end of the table and watched the door unblinkingly until a familiar face popped into the room. She smiled and eased inside, wearing a beautiful dress just one shade lighter than her complexion. Giddeon’s prick swelled beneath the table, but he stood to pull her chair out.
When Casey sat in her seat beside him, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her neck as he pushed the chair towards the table. “You move me like I weigh nothing.”
“I like your softness, Casey,” he replied with an edge to his voice that dripped with lust. “My kind needs mates that are soft. Our males tend to be large and heavy. We need a woman that can handle us. So, in my world you are perfect. Built for being worshiped like the goddess of the old eras. Never question my desire for you.”
He returned to his seat, and the servants carried in trays of succulent roast, vegetables, freshly baked breads, and a slew of other foods that made his mouth water. Casey looked around the table with curiosity. “I don’t recognize some of these dishes.”
“They were passed down through the housekeeper’s family.”
“Everything looks delicious,” she said with a smile.
The servants scampered from the room happily, whispering in his native tongue.
“What language is that?”
“The name has long been forgotten even by me, but they are praising your beauty.” He winked playfully and watched the blush crawl across her cheeks. “How are you liking the castle so far? I know it can be a bit drafty, but I’ll have a servant light a fire for you this evening.”
“It’s...breathtaking.”
“As are you,” Giddeon replied. A gagging sound came from the corner of the room, and Casey snorted in a very unladylike manner. “Get out, Balor!”
“God, that was soooo cheesy.”
“I said, get out!”
Casey laughed into her napkin and fanned her face. “You were laying it on pretty thick.”
He felt the heat rising in his face and glanced away from her teasing. “He should be ashamed for interrupting. I told him to stay in his rooms.”
&nbs
p; “Balor’s quite charming in a pestering little brother sort of way.”
“I know all about pestering little brothers, sadly.” Giddeon watched her take a bite of the food on her plate and groaned. Ever since their first date, watching her eat had been torturous for him. The way her tongue flicked out to taste the food before she slid the fork into her mouth made his heart race.
"You're staring."
"I can't help it when you look like that," he replied honestly. "I know what your kiss tastes like, Casey. Staring is all I trust myself to do at the moment."
"And if you were to kiss me again? What would happen?"
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Giddeon imagined himself reaching beneath the table to stroke along the inside of her thighs. He felt his magic surge, and her gasp confirmed his suspicion that a phantom touch had done exactly as he imagined. To his surprise, he heard the shift of her gown as she spread her legs wider. Giddeon's eyes snapped open, and he watched the muscles of her throat work as she swallowed. The sweet aroma of her arousal caused his tongue to swipe along his bottom lip. Giddeon used his power to tease along the edges of her panties as a ghostly kiss pressed to the swell of her breasts. "Even without touching you with my hands, I can't help but explore. I'm not in control when you look at me with fire in your eyes or a moan falls from your lips."
She set her fork down and gripped the edge of the table. Her gaze locked onto his. "What if I don't want you in control? What if I'm tired of overthinking?"
Giddeon growled and launched himself at her. Casey was pinned to the wall in the blink of an eye. Her soft curves yielded to the press of his body as he lifted her until those delicious legs wrapped around his waist. His hand circled her throat, feeling her ravenous pulse as he swallowed her moan in a claiming kiss. Casey writhed against him. Giddeon swiped his tongue against the roof of her mouth and gripped her rear with both hands. Her fingers curled against his shoulders, nails digging into his shirt to gain purchase.
The door to the kitchens opened, and he was back in his seat as quickly as he had left. Casey stood with her back against the wall, breasts rising and falling with each heaving breath.
