Chosen One

by Scarlett Dawn

  I was riding in the back of a limo.

  With Sin.

  In 2035.

  The violence on the street had quickly halted as my guards Frost and Farley, the only two left alive, and Sin, had killed the last of the men under Philip Masterson’s payroll. Elder Harcourt had placed me almost exactly where I had been taken from only what appeared to be minutes after I had been assaulted. The MIA arriving on the scene within ten minutes of the fighting started, Sin’s car having been demolished in the explosions, so we were in one of the MIA limos.

  I hadn’t spoken yet, chaotic thoughts swirling through my mind, trying to decipher certain issues, and even a bit of confusion at the difference in this 2035 time compared to the past—technology, and the general pace, much different here, that slowly righting itself as I kept a firm grip on my control. Sin sat directly next to me with his arm firmly around me, obviously worried, done trying to get me to speak, his confusion clear from what had happened to me when I had disappeared. My hands were tightly clasped on my lap as we traveled back to the manor, King Collins having been phoning like mad to Sin. My cell phone was in my purse, but it was obviously dead, Sin communicating with him every few minutes that we were alright and on our way home.

  Exiting the limo eventually, I stared at the manor for long moments, never believing I would be so damn joyful at seeing it again, before I allowed Sin to usher me inside, both of us hearing the commotion of the Elders and Rulers and spirit Elementals and Prodigies from a formal living room down the hall. Sin tightened his grip on me, his hold already brutal, and marched us straight back to the room, Frost and Farley, following directly behind.

  “We obviously can’t find him, so we need to hurt him any way we can! We take down his goddamn businesses. Take away his fucking money supply. Take away his funding.” Elder Jacob’s voice demanded loudly as we neared the open French doors. “We can’t just stand around and let him continue to attack us.”

  “I agree we need to do something, but he will absolutely go into hiding if we do such,” Queen Ruckler stated clearly. “I want that bastard dead. Not just his businesses.”

  Fergus’s voice sounded, and my shoulders stiffened, my control almost slipping as my heart rate started to speed, his tone loud and gruff. “They should be here by now. Call them again.” A pause. “And why the hell isn’t her cell phone working? Are you sure she wasn’t injured?”

  Elder Zellers voice, stating calmly, “They’re coming down the hallway now.”

  Sin maneuvered me the last few feet, and we turned into the room. I held perfectly still as King Collins rushed me, enveloping me in a hug around Sin’s embrace since Sin wasn’t releasing me, and my King placed his hands on my shoulders, leaning his head back, eyes darting back and forth between mine. “Are you okay, Caro?”

  It was so odd hearing my name. “Yes.” I couldn’t help that my voice was void. “I’m fine.”

  Blue eyebrows slammed together, his gaze running over my body in a professional manner before they quickly darted to Sin. “What’s wrong with her?”

  Sin’s voice was quiet. “Shock, maybe? She hasn’t spoken, except for what she just said to you.” He licked his lips. “Something happened out there.” A gentle nudge of my foot against his, and he stuttered, amending, “She’s lucky to be alive with the gunfire and explosions.”

  King Collins nodded once. “Shock is understandable.”

  He started trying to pull me away from Sin, even as Sin quietly muttered, “Not for her, it isn’t.”

  But I waved both of them away, twisting from their holds when they damn near started a battle of tug of war with me, letting my gaze wander about the room. My gaze first landed on Elder Jacobs. I eyed him, seeing only slight differences in his appearance these years later, his dark eyes watching me closely. My gaze next landed on the Prodigies. No, I shook my head. The Elders, their change more than Elder Jacobs, but not so much it messed with my mind too much, and I started making my way directly toward them, knowing this was the truth by their initial reactions to me in 2035, but still asking calmly, “You got my letters, didn’t you?”

  Instantly, I saw them all jerk, their careful expressions altering to varying degrees as they rushed toward me.

  Elder Fergus made it to me first, stopping in front of me, then he was gently lifting my chin, amber eyes filled with regret stared down at me, not hiding his emotions at all. “I’m sorry. I,” he shook his head, “we shouldn’t have abandoned you like that. We were mad, furious…but we should have been bigger than the men we were.” Amber eyes darted between mine in the hushed quiet. “After we got the letters you sent, we put our anger aside and went to your apartment, but it was empty, and you were gone. We thought you had just left.”

  “Elder Harcourt arrived and abruptly took me back.” My chin trembled the barest bit, but I nodded jerkily. “I’m not mad at you guys. I understood. I didn’t like it, but I understood.”

  Elder Fergus grabbed me into a bear hug, holding me tight, whispering against my head, his own voice choked, “I’m so sorry.”

  “We all are,” Elder Venclaire stated directly beside us, having heard him as I hugged Elder Fergus back just as tightly, and I opened my one eye that wasn’t pressed against Elder Fergus’s chest. “We’re sorry, Caro. You were our friend.” He shook his head, placing his hand against my cheek. We shouldn’t have cast you off like that.”

  “You were upset. I understood.”

  Nelson smiled a bit, his eyes sad. “At least we had the letters.” He chuckled quietly. “Hitting a plant and gossip-gawking-pain-in-her-ass staff cleaning up the mess.”

  Elder Venclaire mumbled, “Leaf on my shoulder.”

  Elder Kincaid grunted. “Twig in my hair.”

  Elder Fergus’s voice was muffled from my hair. “Falling backward over luggage.”

  Elder Kincaid’s brows puckered slowly as I smiled sadly. “Caro…how did your apartment get cleaned out if Elder Harcourt just appeared and took you?”

  I blinked slowly, rubbing Elder Fergus’s back, pulling away gradually. Shaking my head, stating on a hoarse voice, “Everything was there when I left. It wasn’t empty.” I wasn’t going to say anything about my last night in the past, if no one had told them.

  Golden brows snapped together, and Nelson stated, “Well, it was empty of any of your belongings.” He looked thoughtful. “Maybe Elder Harcourt came back and removed everything, leaving no evidence of you?”

  I shrugged a shoulder, King Collins having moved up behind me. “Alright, that’s enough,” King Collins muttered, pulling me back under his arm, sounding confused. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’d like to find out.”

  He ushered me to a green couch, grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around me, acting all kinds of hovering while Sin sat close, but my eyes had turned cold, the change in my emotion now that my quick reunion was done. My gaze slowly moved around the rest of the room, landing briefly on…Elder Merrick. He watched, damn near reminiscent of how he had appeared not only an hour ago to me, but forty years for him. He sat on a red chair almost in a bored manner, his head tilting the barest bit, black curls dangling over the side of his face. But, his eyes…his eyes of navy blue held only a feral intelligence as he gazed back at me unflinchingly, and nothing had changed for him, or for me, our hatred barely masked. Him, from sleeping with someone of another faction, and me, for being betrayed in the most intimate of ways.

  I inhaled deeply…and quickly looked away when I wanted to rip his damn head off, placing a gentle kiss on Sin’s cheek, murmuring, “I’ve missed you.” Trying to keep cool, I put my elbows on my knees, and let my head drop into my hands, staring at the floor. One more inhale, and an exhale, then I began coolly, “Only an hour ago, it was night, and I was in 1994.”

  I inhaled heavily. “Philip Masterson in the today of 2035 kidnapped me. Sin shot him at the last moment. The bullet traveled through the force he was taking us back in time with. It moved at a snail’s pace, but when the silver bul
let touched his flesh, it stopped our progress. We ended up in 1993, which was not his intended destination, I’m assuming. When pedestrians began to attack him, Philip Masterson went back. Without me.”

  Another shaky inhale. “I sought out Elder Farrar with the Primal Diamond.” I licked my lips, and stated a lie, which I prayed no Shifters contradicted me on, even the one who hated me. “I found Elder Farrar, but I lost the Primal Diamond in the process, the damn thing as small as it was.” I paused. “I’m sorry, Leric, it’s who knows where back in 1993, but anyway, Elder Farrar could not take me back to 2035. He wasn’t powerful enough, and supposedly, Elder Harcourt would have found me if I wasn’t supposed to be there. During my course of time there, I met the then Prodigies, who were Fergus, Kincaid, Nelson, and Venclaire. I also met Elder Jacobs and Elder Merrick, and the then King Townsend, King Samson, King White, and King Bridges. All of them eventually found out I was from the future when the Kings went and drugged me to find out who I was and what my story was since I had no background.”

  Another inhale. “I managed not to spill any world ending secrets for the around five months I was there before one night, which, again, was only an hour ago for me, Elder Harcourt showed up, said my time was up, and brought me back through time.” My voice was a bit harsh. “And now, it’s forty fucking years later, I’m once again the Prodigy in 2035, my brain is still spinning a bit in dimensional warp shit, and I would like to go take a shower and go to bed before any questions are asked of me.”

  A long beat of silence, then Queen Ruckler muttered, “She’s not lying.”

  “I am going to kill that bastard!” King Collins barked so damn loudly, and furiously, even I jumped a bit, turning to stare at him over the back of the couch. “Do we have any Commoner drugs here?” He waved a hand at the room. Silence only greeted him, and he barked, “I’m serious, people. I know some of you imbibe. Like Valium or even some damn marijuana she can smoke to help her sleep through this reality transition?”

  My mouth parted, but I slowly shut it, thinking that might be a decent idea.

  King Zeller cleared his throat. “Yeah…um,” he sounded hesitant, “I may have something. I’ll be back in a moment.” He left the room in a blur.

  “God, I’m going to kill that bastard,” King Collins muttered again, starting to pace, his eyes never leaving me. “You’re alright? You weren’t harmed?”

  My mouth opened again, but I shut it, thinking how to phrase my answer. “It’s nothing I can’t get past.”

  He punched the air, spinning a bit with the action, muttering curses under his breath.

  And I couldn’t help my gaze wandering back to Elder Merrick. Because, yeah, I could definitely get past it after I kicked his fucking ass. Bloodied him. Stabbed him a few times in specified locations on that body of his. Then, possibly buried him in the back yard with Sin’s help. Hopefully still alive as I spit on his grave.

  Frosty, navy blue stared back at me evenly, and the bastard’s lips actually tilted the barest bit, a blatantly cruel challenge.

  And Lord, I started glowing dimly, my jaw clenched, nostrils flared, barely able to keep myself from blasting him, my hands shaking with the need as my blood boiled.

  His lips only lifted further, the barest bit, baring his teeth, his own eyes starting to glow dimly.

  “What…?” King Collins stopped pacing off to my side as everyone in the room froze, and he flicked a finger between the two of us as we stared each other down. “What the hell’s going on?”

  “Hatred.” Elder Zeller inhaled heavily. “And I mean a lot of it.”

  More flicking of King Collins finger as he instantly took two steps forward. “What’s happened?” A pause, his head cocking. “What happened in the past I need to know about?”

  “You are a piece of shit,” I growled low in my chest straight into navy glowing eyes.

  “You want to try to take me for doing my damn job?” Elder Merrick leaned forward, his head cocking in a completely animalistic fashion. “Then I fucking dare you.”

  “Whoa!” King Collins held his hands up between us even as we both started rising, the blanket falling off my shoulders, stars of fire starting to glow in my palms. “Wait just a second!” Brown eyes were huge on his face. “Explain…now!”

  Elder Jacobs also stepped quickly between us, hands out, eyes glowing, stating, “It was our job to protect the Prodigies, Ms. Jules. You were an unknown. We did what we had to.”

  What he had to. My chest heaved at that kind little reminder. I inhaled heavily, slamming my hands together, the room literally shaking, rumbling under everyone as I snuffed the fire out in my palms. “You’re right.” I was shaking I was so furious. “It isn’t as if I don’t know what betrayal is. At least it was for a fucking cause I agree with this time.” I rolled my head on my shoulders, trying to calm down before I said too much, did something I would regret, then glared at Elder Merrick. “But I still fucking hate you.”

  “Right back at you, spirit bitch,” Elder Merrick purred quietly, his wolf growling low.

  “Alright, that’s fucking enough!” King Collins shouted at Elder Merrick, his expression furious.

  King Zeller blurred into the room, asking, “What the hell’s going on in here?” He eyed all of us closely, half the room now standing, preparing to stop a fight. “I’ve got Valium.”

  “I hope you brought enough for two.” King Collins continued glaring at Elder Merrick, but snapped his fingers at King Zeller. “Bring ‘em over.” More snapping, more hurried. “I know you can move faster than that.”

  I took the pill without argument, staring at the ground so I wouldn’t have access to seek out Elder Merrick after seeing him chuck a pill across the room, his wolf growling loud enough King Zeller didn’t try to give him another, almost grateful I would be in a haze soon.

  King Collins put a careful arm around my stiff shoulders, tucking me in close, moving me slowly forward. “Sin, why don’t you take—”

  “On it,” Sin stated brusquely, a growl in his own tone, pulling me under his arm.

  And as we moved forward, my eyes slowly lifted and steadily met Elder Merrick’s where he gazed at me between Queen Ruckler and Elder Kincaid, both of them trying to calm him after I had damn near directly challenged him.

  Sin’s tone was a menacing purr against my ear while I held Elder Merrick’s gaze levelly. “What’s your plan for this justified betrayal?”

  “Revenge, of course,” I whispered on a mere breath, so no others in the room could hear. “Of the bloody sort.”

  “My favorite kind,” Sin murmured steadily, also now staring over my head as we moved, watching Elder Merrick. “Wanna tell me—”

  “Nope,” I stated as we exited the room.

  “Well, let me know if you need help, love.”

  I squeezed him tight, stumbling a bit as the Valium took hold. “God, I’ve missed you.”

  Sin caught me, lifting me into his arms in a child’s hold against his chest. I blinked blurrily up at him, watching him waver in and out. King Collins’ words were the last I heard on an echo behind us somewhere as he barked, “Before the damn press gets here, I want to know everything that happened forty years ago.”

  Chapter Nine

  The Valium had helped clear, and calm, my mind so I could think properly.

  Think properly on the right course of action for revenge, that is.

  So now, in the pre-dawn light, I lay in wait. After Sin had done some recon for me, I had found Elder Merrick took early morning runs through the woods of the manor. And this morning was no exception. In fact, Sin’s contact told him he had taken off extra early, along with the general area. I hadn’t asked Sin who his contact was or how he had managed to get it, but I knew it was good…because Sin was that good. After escaping our room, and guards, by going out the side window, I had slunk in the early darkness, careful not to trip any of their alarms, knowing those easily from King Collins mandate the Prodigies know their surroundings, and protect
ions.

  And now, I sat on a tree limb, downwind, but toward the manor, out of sight from where I had spotted Elder Merrick’s clothing pile. My dart gun was ready, as it had been for the past half hour, and I was only waiting to take his ass out. Sure, there was another pressing matter I needed to take care of, but this one had—selfishly—taken priority, fury still boiling through my body like damn potent lava.

  And revenge came by a sweaty Elder Merrick walking through two trees, his gym shorts already on as he pulled his shirt over his head. I waited a few moments, eyeing him down my sight of the gun, waiting for the moment he noticed me. Because I wanted him to. I wanted to come at him head on…at first.

  And like the wolf he was, he stopped dead in his tracks not a moment later, his head cocking. He went completely still. He sniffed the air once. His lips curled viciously, his eyes glowing instantly as his head turned directly in my direction, his gaze bearing straight on me.

  My own lips curled a bit as he arrogantly began prowling directly at me.

  “Hello, Caro,” Elder Merrick purred softly, unfazed I had a dart gun aimed at him. “Come to try to take me down?”

  I lowered the gun a bit, so I could stare him straight on, my own eyes glowing down on him where he stopped ten yards away from under the limb I was on. “Oh…I’m not going to try.” My head cocked. “I will take you down.”

  His wolf growled quietly. “You are no match for me, and you know it.” He flicked damp curls from his face. “Run along before you get hurt.”

  My brows rose. “Any consideration for me getting hurt was trashed over forty years ago.” My eyes were cold on him, just as his were on me. “Which was only yesterday for me, you bastard. And,” my lips curved, “you once told me two is always better than one, which I agree with wholeheartedly when you really trust the individual, so I don’t believe it will be too much trouble taking you down.” I tapped the tree twice with my foot.