by Haley Weir
"What was that about?"
"I asked Damien to meet me for lunch tomorrow and I let the agency know that I wanted a second date with you."
"Are we calling them dates?" Caleb asked with a cheeky grin. Rina’s fingers trailed down his chest, causing goosebumps to prickle down his arms. Caleb wondered why his stomach was in knots over her meeting with Damien. Though he cherished his friendship with the wolf shifter, there was something about Rina that made him want to fight for her.
"We can call it whatever you want, but calling it a date is just easier." She tied her hair back and pressed against him until there wasn't even enough space for light or air to pass through. Caleb thought about kissing her on the lips—something he hadn't done up until that point. But kissing was something that people in relationships were fond of. In the end, he settled with a quick peck to her cheek and an affectionate stroke of his thumb against her jaw.
It was easy to see how Rina had ventured into modeling. She reminded him of a young Sophia Loren with all of her grace and sensuality. And, while most people expected him to think differently, Caleb wasn't usually attracted to glamorous women. Instead, he was often swayed away from the Hollywood stigma of beauty and leaned towards women who had character. Women who were more...juicy. Rina had the soft curves he coveted, but she adored her life in the spotlight even more than he had when he was an athlete.
He frowned as Rina dozed off as the night grew even darker. Snow fell softly beyond the window, but Caleb was far too engrossed in his thoughts to pay it much attention. Twice already had Rina slept peacefully in his arms. Caleb feared his possessive nature might blur the boundaries she had set in place. He understood just how true Olivia's words had been. Now that he had tasted Rina and knew what she looked like in the throes of her pleasure, Caleb knew getting her out of his mind wouldn't be easy.
He reminded himself not to panic, that Rina wanted to take things slow.
There was no pressure, no obligations, and no commitment. Instead of stressing over possibilities, he focused on planning for their next date. Hell, he was lucky Rina wanted a second date with him. They had both behaved poorly, but he was grateful for the chance to do things over and correct mistakes. Caleb spent most of the night on his phone. It wasn't until three or four in the morning that Rina stirred. She threw her leg over his hip and pulled him closer to her wonderful body. The fragrance of her shampoo and the natural pheromones that surrounded her soaked into his bed and filled his senses.
He was held hostage by all that was Rina. And Caleb had begun to wonder when he would be able to hold her again as the steady beat of her heart lured him into a deep sleep.
Chapter Six
Castle Black
Destiny, Alaska
A monster snored in her ear as awareness slowly crept across Rina’s mind. She plucked off her false lashes and blinked around the room, tempted to swat at Caleb until he stopped rumbling. Her back ached like she had been kicked by a horse, so Rina slid out from under his arm and shuffled towards the bathroom. She turned on the light and jumped at the sight of her reflection. Fate had blessed her with beauty only to curse her to never look like a model first thing in the morning. Mascara came off in flakes, and her eyeliner had migrated to the side of her face. Rina smelled of sex and sleep sweat as she turned on the water for a nice bath.
It wasn’t surprising that the plumbing hadn’t been updated in over a century, but at least the water was hot. When the tub was almost filled to the top, Rina slid into the steaming waters. She laid her head back and rinsed her face free of day-old makeup. “Come in,” she called as someone knocked on the door. A maid scurried into the room and unfolded a small table before placing it beside the tub. Rina watched as the young woman fussed with bottles of soap and oils. “What’s your name?”
“Kassa.”
“Nice to meet you, Kassa. I’m Rina.”
The maid ducked her head and set out a pile of clothes. “These should fit you, Miss. But if something isn’t to your liking, then simply ring the kitchen and someone will be up to assist you. We are pleased to be at your service.”
“I’m sure they’re fine. Thank you,” Rina replied. “And you don’t have to call me Miss or anything like that. I’m just Rina.”
Kassa’s nose scrunched in distaste. “But...you are Master Caleb’s mate. Mrs. Tandr, the housekeeper, said we are to address you properly.”
Rina’s heart stopped for a moment.
Mate?
“What do you mean, I’m Master Caleb’s mate, Kassa?”
“Oh, dear! I sensed the mark and assumed...no! Never mind, I’ve said too much. Ring if you need anything, Miss—Rina, I mean. Oh, the king is going to have my sadoi for breakfast.” Kassa left the bathroom so quickly that it was all a blur. Once the flustered maid’s footfalls disappeared, Rina stood up from the tub and walked over to the mirror. She checked her arms, legs, belly, and rump, but found nothing.
Whether it was by fate’s design or by the speed in which Rina checked herself over in the mirror—her hair moved aside, baring her neck. She gasped as she looked upon a brand much like Casey and Giddeon’s. A heart with an infinity symbol looping through its center stood out against the tanned hue of her complexion. It looked tender and red around the edges. Rina touched it gently, hissing when the scar sent electric pulses down her arm.
She jumped back and slipped on the wet tile. Rina hit the floor, knocking over the bottles that Kassa had meticulously placed on the table. She winced as the door opened. Caleb rushed over to her and lifted her off the floor. He wrapped Rina up in a towel and carried her to the bed.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine...I just...might be losing my mind."
"Can I get you anything?"
For a moment, she actually believed he cared about her. Rina nodded her head and pointed to the clothing the maid had brought her. Caleb ran to fetch the items, bringing them over to her in record time. "I'm going to get dressed and call a taxi. I'll visit with Casey before I go, but we both have a lot to think about."
He seemed almost disappointed as he grabbed a pair of pants from the wardrobe and pulled them on. "I could drive you."
"I think I should be alone right now. Something...strange is going on, and I need to figure it out before I make any decisions."
Caleb bobbed his head along with her words.
"But you're still meeting up with Damien, right?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe," he repeated sarcastically.
"Are you seriously giving me an attitude right now? I need to think about some things, and either you're mature enough to handle that or this goes no further than last night." Rina stood up and yanked the dress over her shirt. It fit almost perfectly, aside from a few extra centimeters of fabric that held loosely around her middle. She stepped into her heels and kissed him on the cheek as she passed by.
The door closed behind her, and Rina heard what sounded like a car crash on the other side of the door. She shook her head and made her way to Casey's room after calling for a taxi. Rina knocked softly and slung her purse over her shoulder. "Can I come in?" she whispered.
The door cracked open and she was greeted by a shirtless Giddeon. He chuckled and opened the door to allow her inside. Casey sat at the center of her bed with her back propped against the headboard. Baby Sam was nestled snugly in his mother's arms, and Rina's heart sang. The tiny infant had cried through most of the night, but he slept peacefully against Casey's breast. Rina got a little closer and gently stroked the miniature hand that was balled up into a fist.
"I bet you can't wait to have children of your own."
Rina cleared her throat and blinked past the burn in her eyes from holding back tears.
"I can't. Have children, I mean."
Casey looked stricken. "Oh, god. I'm so sorry, Rina."
"Don't be sorry. I'm fine." Those words seemed to be the theme of her life. They played on repeat in her mind even when the pain in her heart called her a liar.
Kodiak Island
Alaska
The last light on a winter's day faded as waves crashed upon the shore. Caleb had only intended to watch from a distance, but curiosity had gotten the best of him. He felt the call of his kin. It pulsed with every beat of Seth's heart, drawing Caleb closer and closer to his brother. Closer to danger. But, like Rina said, he had every right to search for Seth. Giddeon was king and Alpha, but Caleb was an Alpha in his own right. Though he did not lead a sleuth of his own, he was a pure-blood male in his prime. He need not call on Giddeon's magic to summon the change like the others.
Caleb turned off the engine and tied the boat up on shore. He approached the island in a place humans weren't known to dwell and used the cover of darkness to his advantage. A strange sensation crawled up his spine when his boot touched ground. It had felt like...magic. But that was not possible. The Reckoning was nothing more than shifters trapped in their human forms. They were angry that Caleb's father had abandoned them during the war when the Russian soldiers claimed Kodiak Island for themselves. Taking Seth had been an act of treason against the king and a catalyst that jump-started a new war.
The Reckoning did not have magic of their own, which meant they must have used Seth to place wards on the island. Caleb cursed, for no amount of sneaking could protect him from being detected now. He walked along the jagged, rocky terrain until he found markings on the trees. They were a warning to shifters and humans alike, a statement of dominance and ownership over the forest.
"What the hell are you doing here?" a voice hissed behind him. Caleb turned around just before he was slammed against a tree. Damien. "God, Caleb, you're a special kind of stupid for showing up here. Their leader probably already sent hunters to find you."
"I need to find Seth."
"No shit," Damien snapped. "Why do you think I'm on this godforsaken island? I'm not out here scratching my ass and looking for daisies in the snow."
"Very funny. Look, I appreciate what you're doing for my family, but I can sense Seth. He's...underground. Maybe in a cave or something."
"Don't you think I've checked the caves?"
"You don't understand," Caleb said. "I can get to him. I feel him. In my blood."
Damien shoved Caleb back towards the path.
"Get out of here before they catch us both."
"Damien—” his words were cut off by the sound of a gunshot. The bullet hit Caleb in the chest, and he began to shift. "Run! There's a boat about ten miles east."
Damien disappeared through the trees as Caleb was swarmed. He shifted, forcing the bullet out of his chest as his body reformed. Caleb panted. Waves of nausea and pain swept through him like a fierce storm. Five men surrounded him, guns aimed at him from all directions. But he was far too weak to fight them all. The rebels parted to make way for a man Caleb had never seen before. Somehow he knew that this was the true leader of the Reckoning.
The male was no doubt an Alpha. Dominance bled from his pores and hovered in the air like a fine cologne. Caleb held perfectly still as the male approached. Long, black hair cascaded down his bare shoulders. He knelt before Caleb and smiled. It was then that Caleb noticed the eyes...eyes that he had only seen on the faces of his eldest brother and father. It had not been Seth that he sensed on the island, but this male who bore a striking resemblance to the kings of old. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you, Caleb. After all, our father went through great lengths to ensure that our paths never crossed.”
A surge of magic rippled over the Alpha. Scars marred his flesh from head to foot. Claw marks slashed across his face from one corner to the other. Caleb had a similar scar on his back from when he had angered his father. “My name is Madeu, and I am the rightful heir to the throne.” Madeu reached out and touched Caleb’s shoulder. It forced him back into the form of a man. A pained growl reverberated in his ears.
“Lies...”
“Octavius was loyal to our father. So loyal that when the Russians took me, he fought back. King Samael was all too eager to let someone like Octavius fall to ruin in his stead,” Madeu explained. “We were tortured, forced into experiments until I freed us all. Octavius became an abomination while my powers were unlocked. His sacrifice is what kept me alive. The others...they try to cope with their human forms as best they can.”
“If you’re my brother, why would he keep you a secret?”
“Because my mother was human and he didn’t want his lineage tainted by inferior blood.” The words were spat with a great measure of hatred. “Unlike you, I was born without a bear form. That’s why the men in my camp aren’t able to shift despite me being an Alpha. I was never given that particular gift from our father.”
“Is that why you took Seth?”
"He has power. If I can reverse the serum the doctors used on Octavius, I may be able to extract that power and take it for myself." Madeu stood up and snapped his fingers. Men yanked Caleb to his feet. "Instead of cowering, I learned everything I could from that hellish place. When we liberated the island, I created a kingdom of my own."
Chapter Seven
Destiny Falls, Alaska
She checked the time again and kicked the tree beside her. Rina had waited nearly two hours for Caleb at the chosen location for their second date. Though he hadn't called her in a week, she still had the decency to have shown up. Rina dialed Giddeon's number and stared down the side of the mountain where Caleb had saved her. "Where's your brother?" she asked the moment an answer came from the other end of the line.
"You'll have to be specific, Rina. Seth is missing, Balor just returned to the mainland this morning, and—”
"I'm talking about Caleb, and you know it," she barked into the phone. "If he's avoiding me, then that's fine. I just expected him to be man enough to say it to my face instead of just blowing me off."
"Rina...Caleb is missing as well. No one told you because we weren't aware you two were...involved until Olivia mentioned it."
Rina couldn't breathe. She felt terrible for having thought the worst of him. Caleb was missing. She hurried back towards her car with the phone pressed to her ear. "When did you find out he was missing? Couldn't he have just gone out of town for a while?"
"No. Caleb's truck was here along with his phone. Damien and Balor returned from Kodiak Island on Caleb's boat," Giddeon answered. "Without Caleb."
For the second time since she called Caleb's brother, Rina felt as if the world dropped out from under her. She slid into her car and slammed the door. Her knuckles turned white with how tight she gripped the phone. "If Caleb is on Kodiak Island, how is he missing? Go get him."
She had a feeling he hadn't meant to reveal so much to her.
"Giddeon, if you know where Caleb is, then call the police and go after him!"
"It's not that simple."
"Why not?" she asked. "He's your brother. You have to do something."
"I can't risk my people! I have a wife and child; their future rests on my shoulders. If anything happens to me, there's nothing keeping my enemies from storming the castle and taking the throne for themselves."
"What is this? Lord of The Rings?" Rina sped towards Castle Black. She turned a sharp corner and skidded across the ice. Rina whipped the wheel around and stayed on the road.
"I know it sounds strange to you, but I have my reasons for not going after Caleb and Seth. There are things happening that I’m not able to talk about. You just have to trust me."
Rina rolled her eyes and honked the horn as she came to a stop outside of the castle gate. She hung up the phone and ran over to the guard's door. The same tall, brooding man answered when Rina knocked. She caught sight of Nassa just inside the door. "Can you take me to the king?" Rina requested, ignoring the man who eyed her suggestively. The meek maid bowed her head and led Rina through the courtyard. Giddeon stood before his throne, dressed in a custom Italian suit as he scratched at the stubble on his jaw. Those unsettling blue eyes flashed in the pale light of the chandeliers. "
You shouldn't be here right now. I'm on edge enough as it is."
"I'm not going anywhere until you explain to me what the hell is going on with your family!" Rina walked up to Giddeon and ripped open his shirt. She pointed to the scar on his chest and shouted, “Why do I have this mark on my neck?”
He looked genuinely startled by her behavior. “What?”
She turned her back to him and pushed her hair aside, revealing the scar that had appeared on her skin after she spent the night with Caleb. “I need answers, Giddeon. I’m sort of freaking out right now. Marks like this don’t just appear. You told us that you and Casey got the brands because it was a family tradition!”
“It’s a lot more complicated than that and, for the record, the marks aren’t identical.”
“Just be honest for once.”
Giddeon relented. He sat upon his throne with a strained huff and crossed his legs. Though his posture was powerful and commanding, it wasn’t arrogant or condescending. “You saw a bear on the mountain the night you almost died. In your heart, you know it was Caleb. He said you saw him, Rina. It wasn’t just your mind playing tricks on you.”
“That’s not possible.”
“It is,” he replied. “My bloodline is very powerful. We’re not just kings, but descendants from ancient primordial gods who had the ability to transform themselves into bears. For centuries...eons, even, we have lived among you in plain sight. And yet it is only recently that these marks began to appear on us and our mates. Yours is similar to mine and Casey’s, but your infinity symbol is a braid of thorns.”
Rina touched the back of her neck. “I must be going crazy.”
“You’re not crazy, just fated to spend the rest of your life with my brother.” A smile appeared on Giddeon’s face. “I know it’s a lot of pressure. Trust me, it’s futile to fight against it. You saw how Casey and I were when we first started courting.”
She stepped away from the throne. “This is your fault. Your agency paired us together!”
