Shifter Crown: Valley of Truth and Denial (The Shifter Crown Series Book 1)

by Desni Dantone

  “Yes. It helps me to shift in the mortal realm. I don’t need it here.”

  “Because there is already magic here?”

  He smiles. “A limitless supply.”

  My hesitation is brief, and only because the words still sound foreign to me. “I could shift here? Without help?”

  He studies me closely before amending, “With some guidance, yes.”

  I drop the chain with a decisive nod. “I want you to help me shift.”

  “Okay.”

  His soft response takes me by surprise. I don’t know why his affirmation of what we both know needs to happen makes me nervous. I am a shifter, and I am supposed to shift. I may be the first one in history to throw up beforehand, but I can do it. I will do it.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Luca wonders, as if he can read my mind. Or he has eyes and can see the terror on my face.

  “I’m ready,” I assure him—and myself. Glancing around his room, I ask, “How do we do this?”

  “We’re not doing it here.” He chuckles. “I can’t have a newly freed wolf running loose in my room. We’ll do this outside, where you are less likely to break something.”

  “What if I run away? Or get lost?”

  “You won’t get lost,” he tells me. “I’ll be with you.”

  “Oh. Okay.” I take a breath and wring my hands. I glance at him, waiting for some sort of instruction considering I have never been here before. I don’t exactly know where the front door is.

  Luca is watching me with a curious gleam in his eyes. “Why now?” he asks.

  “Because it’s time,” I answer simply.

  He hooks a brow, waiting for a better explanation.

  I sigh. “Because I don’t want you to get hurt again. You almost died protecting me, and I can’t let that happen again.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “I saw the fight, Luca. I heard it. That bear—”

  “Could have easily killed me,” he finishes. “The only reason it didn’t was because it was more concerned with you.”

  I absorb the severity of his words and decide I don’t like the direction this conversation is going. “What do you mean?”

  “I wasn’t its target. You were. It was trying to get to you.”

  My mouth drops open, but not a sound comes out.

  “I don’t know why,” Luca adds in my silence. “I was sure this had to do with my family’s position in the Kingdom. I thought they were attacking you to get to me, but that grizzly had an open shot the other night. It was clear that attack wasn’t about me.”

  “This is all about me? But why? How?” I sputter. “I don’t know anything. I didn’t even know what I was until you told me. Why would anyone want to hurt me?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Luca mulls.

  “And?” I press when he doesn’t come right out with it.

  “There is so much more you need to learn about this world, and how you fit into it,” he tells me. It’s a warning.

  I swallow hard.

  More secrets. More truths. I fear what I don’t yet know. There is only one solution, and I ask it of Luca now.

  “Teach me.”

  Chapter 21

  My lesson is put on hold while Luca slips on a shirt. I’m mildly disappointed until he leads me outside, onto the balcony, and I find a whole new world to be in awe over.

  “It is a castle. You live in an actual castle.” I gape at the three-sided stone structure that dwarfs us, with its wide arches, thick battlements, and tall turrets.

  Luca shrugs. “It’s just a . . . big house.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I marvel at the courtyard below. It, alone, is half the size of a football field, and all three sides are bordered by two-story stone walls that make up this so-called “big house.” No, castle. I don’t care what he says, it’s a castle.

  Two large archways are chiseled into each of the three walls that surround the courtyard. All are built out of a grayish-brown colored stone and accented with rustic, dark wooden beams. It is nothing like the modern-day architecture of the world I am familiar with—at least not in the last several hundred years.

  “I feel like I’ve stepped back into the medieval ages,” I murmur as I take it all in. “Only. . . better.”

  “The family that holds the crown built much of the Kingdom eight hundred years ago, out of materials unique to this realm. Most of the buildings you will see are from that time.”

  I grip the waist-high marble wall that fences the balcony. It feels surprisingly sturdy, almost like new. “This is an eight hundred-year-old castle?”

  “Magic.” Luca shrugs. “The King prides himself on keeping the traditions his family started. He doesn’t promote change often. Even if we wanted to build new, he would never allow it.”

  “The King? He lives here?” I whisper. “Is he here now?”

  “No,” Luca assures me. “The King lives in his own . . . castle. This is the Caspan estate.”

  “This is just for your family?”

  “Sort of.”

  Luca leads me toward the stairway chiseled into the outer wall. What I couldn’t see from inside his room is that it doesn’t only go down, to the courtyard, but it goes up as well. Luca’s room is on the second floor, but the stairs take us higher, to a thick battlement that encircles the entire perimeter of the castle. From there, we have an unobstructed view of what surrounds us.

  “Wow,” I breath. I spin in a slow circle, unsure where to look first. It’s all spectacular.

  We appear to be in the center of a town, or small city, surrounded by smaller buildings, all built out of stone and wood. Pebble-lined streets curve around and snake between the buildings, connecting them all. I don’t see any cars, or vehicles of any kind, but there are plenty of people walking.

  Not people. Shifters. In human form.

  Beyond the limits of the town is wide open space. In the distance, I spot another castle surrounded by a cluster of smaller buildings. To the other side, the same thing. On the horizon, I see the shadow of what appears to be yet another castle. And way beyond that, high up on a hill overlooking it all, is the mammoth of all castles.

  “That is where the King holds court,” Luca explains. “He lives there with a household of roughly three hundred. Most are servants, but a few members of his family, his advisors, and their families also reside there. Royal and noble families each have their own quarters at the palace, for when they visit.”

  “You have a room there?”

  Luca grins. “My family has a wing.”

  “You have an entire wing in the palace? Do you use it?”

  He shrugs. “My father does on occasion. I rarely attend court.”

  I shake my head. “Unbelievable.”

  “Each royal family has their own estate,” Luca further explains. “That’s where we are now—at the Caspan’s estate. We live here, in our . . . castle. Several nobles reside in their own dwellings within the town. You’ll notice that those of higher standing live the closest to us, in the larger dwellings. It is like that in all of the provinces.”

  I point at one of the castles in the distance. “That’s another province?”

  “That’s the Bain family’s estate,” Luca answers with a nod.

  I recognize the name from the letter on his desk, but I don’t ask him about that now.

  “How many royal families are there?” I wonder.

  “Seven.” Luca’s eyes darken and I imagine the true answer is much more in-depth than the one he gives me. “Some are larger than others, some more influential, but all are royal. The Caspan line is strong. We’re one of the more powerful families. This province is prosperous.”

  “But the King is from a different family?”

  “The Restons have held the crown for centuries, but their reign is about to end. The King has no heir, and his health is fading. The crown will be up for grabs soon. It’s a dangerous time. Everyone wants power, and many want the crown.”
/>
  I note his tone. “You don’t?”

  “I don’t want to be King,” Luca says, “but I don’t have much say in the matter either.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m a natural alpha,” he says like that explains everything. “My father is Duke of the Caspan family. He is the rightful leader of our estate, but he is not an alpha. The trait skipped him, went from my grandfather to me.”

  “Why does that matter?”

  “The crown must go to an alpha,” Luca answers.

  “What about the other seven royal families? They don’t have any alphas that want the crown?”

  “There are three, currently of age, that are eligible for the crown, but only two of us have the potential to actually claim it. The other is from a weaker clan. The shifters, as a whole, will never get behind that family. The palace would be overthrown under their reign. It has to be me, or the alpha from the Sayer family, to maintain peace in the Kingdom.”

  “Is there a vote to decide?”

  “Something like that,” he tells me evasively.

  “Luca?”

  “What?” He grins like he is hoping to distract me. It almost works.

  “How is it decided?” I ask.

  He sighs. “A series of challenges. Winner takes the crown.”

  “Can you just . . . not compete?”

  “It’s not that easy,” he says.

  “What are you not telling me?”

  “There cannot be more than one eligible alpha,” he says. “The final challenge is a fight to the death. I either take the crown, or I die.”

  I blanch. “But you’re an alpha now. What is stopping the current King from killing you now?”

  “He already has the crown. The King holds the power. Young alphas will always come up, but if a strong family already holds the crown, those alphas settle into the role of Duke in their own estates. It’s only an issue when the King dies with no heir. This is the first challenge for the crown we have had in centuries.”

  “Can’t the rules be bent?” I hope because this whole thing sounds a bit archaic.

  “Only the current King can amend the rules, and he doesn’t like change. Remember?”

  I scoff. How can he be so blasé about the whole thing? He either doesn’t fear death like most do, or he has no doubts that he will win. But to win, he will still have to kill another. And then accept a position he doesn’t want.

  He studies the stricken look on my face with a smirk. “Don’t worry about me, Sav. It’s not happening yet, and you have enough to worry about now.”

  “I know,” I mutter. But I will still worry, especially when I remember what Dom told me about the Kingdom. “So the Sayer family is the one with the alpha you will face?” He nods, and I look out over the vast land that surrounds us. “Where are they?”

  “You cannot see their estate from here,” he explains. “They live on the other side of the palace.”

  “And the third?” I wonder. I don’t know why, but I want to understand everything there is to know about this. “What family is he from?”

  Luca looks down at me, and I start to worry that he isn’t going to tell me. That doesn’t make any sense, though, because it’s not like I actually know any of these royals.

  “Luca?” I ask.

  “The Ashtor family,” he says quietly.

  “Ashtor?” The name bounces around in my head, and something sparks. It can’t be recognition, but that sure is what it feels like.

  “What is it, Sav?”

  “The name . . .”

  “What about it?” Luca watches me intently.

  “Nothing.” I step around him and walk toward the stairs.

  “Sav?” He grabs my arm, stopping me. “You recognize it, don’t you?”

  “No.”

  “Sav.”

  “I don’t know.” I shrug out of his grip. “Maybe. Should I?”

  He looks down at me for a long time, and I know his answer long before he says it. “Yes, you should. It was your mother’s maiden name.”

  “My mother . . .”

  She was an Ashtor? I know she was a shifter, but I assumed she was a normal shifter, maybe one of the King’s hundreds of servants, or a noble’s daughter. Not . . .

  I gasp. “She was royal?”

  Luca nods.

  “But that means . . .”

  “You are royal,” Luca finishes for me when I can’t.

  I feel it. A giggle. It’s bubbling up, and there is no way I am going to contain it. My hand clamps over my mouth when it bursts free, but it’s too late. I literally laugh in Luca’s face.

  “I suppose that reaction is better than anger,” Luca grumbles.

  “I’m sorry.” I hiccup. “I swear you just said I was a royal.”

  “You are.”

  I bend over to hold my waist when another, stronger, wave of hysterics washes over me. “I’m sorry.” Hiccup. “I just . . . I can’t . . .” Hiccup. Hiccup.

  “You’re a princess,” Luca explains, earning another roar of laughter from me. “You may not be full-blooded, but you still carry the Ashtor line. Sav, your mother gave that to you. It’s something to be proud of.”

  That last statement sobers me up quickly. “My mom . . .”

  “Yes, she was an Ashtor,” Luca explains again like he knows I need to hear it a few more times before I believe it. “They’re a small family with a shrinking province in the north, but they are most definitely royal.”

  I look around, but I’ve momentarily lost the ability to tell direction.

  “More than any other royal family, the Ashtors have chosen to live outside of the Kingdom. Your mother was one of many who left. I don’t know why. My parents claim to not know why, but I’m starting to suspect they are not being entirely honest with me.”

  “Why?”

  “I think there is a reason the Ashtors are leaving, there was a reason your mother left, and possibly . . .” He trails off with a frown.

  “What? Tell me.”

  “It may be why she is dead now.”

  I stiffen at his subtle suggestion that my mother’s death was anything other than an accident. “What are you saying, Luca?”

  “What if it wasn’t an accident?” He pauses to study my face. “What if someone got to her? What if whoever was responsible for her death is now after you, because you are also an Ashtor?”

  “Is that normal to kill members of a certain family just because they leave the Kingdom?” I wonder.

  “No, but—”

  “Dom’s family left. They don’t seem to have this problem,” I point out.

  “They’re not royal,” Luca reminds me.

  “You think that matters?”

  “I don’t know.” Luca shrugs. “All I know is that someone is after you, and there has to be a reason.”

  “A bullshit reason,” I mutter.

  “I agree. But, for some, you being an Ashtor may be all the reason they need.”

  I suddenly feel exposed. Even surrounded by stone battlements, I am vulnerable. Whether the threat has anything to do with my heritage or not isn’t my biggest concern. I am in danger. Period. I cannot rely on anyone to protect me—that includes Luca. My safety is on me, and me alone.

  I start toward the stairs with renewed purpose.

  “Sav!” Luca calls after me.

  I don’t stop. I don’t wait. I hurry down all three levels. By the time I reach the courtyard, Luca has caught up to me. I’m glad because I don’t have any idea where I am going.

  I give him a grateful smile when he takes my hand to lead me out of the courtyard. He guides me along the quiet street, past rows of perfectly sculpted stone buildings, and far beyond the shadow of the castle that he calls home. He stops when we reach a vast field of tall grass sprinkled with purple flowers. A warm breeze rolls through the grass like waves at the ocean and tosses my hair.

  Despite the serenity that surrounds us, a nauseating sense of unease stirs in my stomach. I know why Luca
brought me here, and I know what I must do. I also know that once I do this, there is no turning back.

  I will be a shifter.

  Luca’s eyes are on me, as observant as ever. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”

  I gaze out into the field, counting the number of flowers for some silly reason. Stalling—that’s what I am doing.

  “You have to want it, Sav.” Luca peers down at me with a challenge in his eyes.

  “Well, I don’t,” I snap. “I didn’t want any of this!”

  “You’re not listening to your other voice,” he says. “Listen to her, because she definitely wants this.”

  I scoff. “She’s a wolf.”

  “Your wolf,” he growls. “It’s in your best interest to listen to her from time to time.”

  “How am I supposed to do that?”

  “You tell me. She’s in your head, not mine.”

  I turn away from him with a groan. “Why does this have to be so difficult?”

  “It’s really not difficult at all.” He steps behind me, close. His voice is a whisper in my ear. “You said you were ready.”

  “I am.” I pause. “I thought I was.”

  “What is holding you back?”

  My answer comes quickly. “Fear.”

  “What are you afraid of?”

  This one takes a moment to realize. “Of losing myself.”

  “You will still be you.” Luca places a hand on my shoulder. With gentle pressure, he turns me around to face him. “You share your soul with a wolf, but everything that makes you who you are will remain the same.”

  “What about her thoughts?” I wonder. “How am I to know the difference?”

  “You’re going to have to figure that out over time,” he replies. “You will learn to coexist as one voice.”

  “Is that what you do?” I think about the most recent attack. I said some things to his wolf that night—things I wouldn’t have said to this Luca. “Are you, like, one with your wolf?”

  He shrugs. “In a way.”

  “So you are still . . . in there? You remember what happens when you shift?”

  Luca smiles when he finally understands what I’m trying to ask. “Is that what you’re worried about? Not remembering your time as a wolf?”