by Kris Black
Alina had to assure Mary that she had been well taken care of. It was clear that Louis had neglected to tell her the state that Alina had returned to the castle in. She was thankful for that; seeing Mary’s pitying eyes and to have her tip-toeing around her would break her heart.
“I’m glad that your father took care of you. But, I’m even more glad to have you back here. It wasn’t only his lordship who missed you.”
“Thank you, Mary. I’m glad to be back.”
And she was, she truly was. She only wished that things would return to how they had been before. Before she had learned of her heritage, before she had endured Calista’s ire, before… Well, there would always be that barrier in her mind now. Of the Alina before, of life before.
“I still have the other enchanted mirror,” Alina said as she limped into Christian’s study. She was holding the mirror she had stolen from Calista in her hands, its weight a comfort, a weapon. She had searched her ruined gown for it, the blood dry and crusted into a rust-brown. If nothing else, she had taken a weapon the queen had used to terrorize her people. That was something Alina had achieved with her time at the castle.
Christian laid down the papers he was reading. His eyebrows shot up in question, but he said nothing.
“I’ve been missing for a few days, I need to see how my father is reacting. He has no idea how or why I left - and just days away from my coronation ceremony. I can’t imagine what’s running through his mind.”
Christian opened his mouth to say something, before thinking better of it and closing it again with clear vexation. He clearly wanted to understand the circumstances that lead to Alina’s return, but she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. He hadn’t tried to push her on it. In fact, they hadn’t discussed it at all. It was almost as if it hadn’t happened. Like she had gone on vacation and come back different.
But his tip-toeing around her was also putting her on-edge.
“I see.” He said and waited for her to make the first move.
Alina picked up the gilded mirror gently, pointing it towards her face. It was heavy and ornate, but nothing indicated that it was enchanted - not unless you knew about it. Her own reflection showed in it - paler than normal, but alive.
“Show me my father.”
The reflective surface of the mirror swirled for a moment before focusing on Belmont. Alina gasped when she took in his surroundings. “Christian, is this what I think it is?”
Christian stood from behind his desk and strode over, looking into the mirror over Alina’s shoulder - near to her mark. Even overwhelmed with the image before her, his lips and mouth markedly distracted her so near her neck, her mark. Her body tightened despite herself. The bite tingled, like a limb that had been asleep.
“If you think it is a war room, then yes, it is what you think,” he said, his warm breath on her ear.
“Someone abducted the princess!” Calista’s voice rang out. She didn’t look her usual, put-together self. Her hair was in disarray, her crown was a little crooked. But the most telling mark was the dark circles under her eyes.
Alina wondered what it would be like, for the queen, to be mourning a son and pretending he was nothing more than a ward of hers.
“And he murdered the son of a duke. If not him, then who else? From the sanctity of their own home. If he can access these realms, we can access his, no matter the curse!”
“We will stay our hands,” Belmont announced with no room to question him. His voice sent a cold chill down her spine. The unadulterated fury permeated the air around Belmont. It was the first time since meeting her father that she understood who he was on the battlefield; how he’d go head-to-head with soldiers and generals and return the victor. “There is more to this than meets the eye. It may just as easily have been the faeries. Or a sell-hand. My Ward’s heart was ripped out of his chest and my daughter is missing. We must stop speculating and focus on finding who did this and get my daughter back.”
She couldn’t watch anymore and sat the mirror face down back on the mantle, breaking the spell.
“It doesn’t matter what they think.” Christian moved back towards his desk. “They can’t get on these lands.”
“Unless it is a full moon and they know whereabouts to look,” Alina argued. “My father had intelligence on Aldholt before the curse hit, he fought your kingdom for years. He pointed almost directly at Prydell on the map. If he knows, others must remember too. If they find out all they need is the light of a full moon, we’re doomed. Can the pack stand up to an army?”
“The real question is can the army stand up to the pack,” Christian growled, an alpha defending his pack. His eyes flashed yellow like he was a second from shifting into the wolf.
“That wasn’t the point I’m trying to make.” Alina sighed.
“This is all speculative. You heard the king, he ordered everyone to stay their hands.”
“I have to go back as soon as possible and sort this whole thing out. Once they see that I am fine, everything will go back to normal.” Alina moved around Christian and he launched his arm out, grabbing her by the elbow.
“No.”
“Christian, you can’t stop me,” she warned, pulling her arm from his hand.
“I could if I wanted to. But I won’t, not if you’re determined. But you have to think of the greater good in this situation.”
“Greater good?”
Christian reached out and brushed a knuckle against her cheek, grazing it with heat and leaving a trail behind. “We need to break this curse.”
“Are you suggesting abandoning our people and going to the faeries?”
“Not abandoning. We can only leave or arrive on our lands during the full moon. During the next one, we will leave and go find the faeries. The sooner we have their part done, the sooner we can finish this. We can even do the human ceremony in the meantime.”
Alina’s heart clenched. “No. We have to wait for the human one.”
Christian looked at her puzzled, “Why? We are members of the pack, mated like we’re meant to be. Why not just perform the human ceremony? It seems simple enough.”
“Because,” Alina squeezed out. “It has to be on my father’s lands.”
“Then we will get this mess done with the faeries and go to your father. We will get his permission and marry the human way. We can invite the whole kingdom if that’s what you want.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you, Love. For wanting to marry me. For helping me unravel this curse bit by bit.”
“Wait,” Alina paused. “What about you? Will it be difficult for you to shift off your lands during the full moon?”
“Ah, that’s another thing I meant to tell you about,” Christian said. “It just hasn’t come up. Since our mating, I have found that I can control when I shift. In fact, during the last full moon, I stayed a wolf almost a full day and a half just to test the theory.”
Alina froze. A day and a half… the last full moon. She remembered back to Belmont’s castle and the pain she had experienced. At first, she thought perhaps it had something to do with Christian’s transformation but decided it an impossibility because of the difference in time.
“I was a wolf when you got back. I had been experimenting and as soon as I felt you on my lands I shifted.” It had been Christian transforming. “And what’s even more amazing is the pain has dulled from it.” Christian continued. “I think it had to do with our mating. Isn’t that amazing? I could even go without shifting during the moon if I wanted, I think.”
“Would you say that it halves the pain?” Alina whispered, closing her eyes.
“At least halved,” Christian smiled, then caught sight of her body language and tensed. “Halved… no. Please tell me it isn’t what I think you are saying.”
Alina remembered her body twisting and moving in the most excruciating pain she had ever felt in her life. That was half. Only half of the pain Christian had been experiencing every month since he was just a sma
ll boy.
“I’m never shifting again.”
“No, Christian,” Alina said. “I won’t take your wolf from you; I can handle it.”
“You don’t have to handle it. It’s done. I won’t put you through that.”
“If you have to shift - shift. Don’t let me stop you if you have to.” Alina crossed her arms and Christian nodded, but Alina saw by the set of his eyes that he wouldn’t shift unless forced to.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Eve of the Full Moon
The eve of the full moon arrived sooner than either Alina or Christian had expected. Some pack members had secured items for their trip earlier that day and Alina and Christian had spent the evening in each other’s company, not sure when their next days of comfort and peace would be once they started their journey.
Earlier that day, William and Christian had argued until they were both furious and red in the face. William had insisted that they needed more protection, that two royals out in the world alone were asking for trouble. Christian, of course, had taken offense to that and insisted they needed William to stay on the grounds and, as Beta, control and take care of the pack in his absence.
Besides, Christian argued, if they were able to find the faeries they didn’t want to appear a threat to them by having a multitude of people and guards.
Safe to say, William had stormed off with a stern no that wasn’t about to change soon. Christian had been in a foul mood ever since.
After listening to what seemed like hours of Christian’s angry quill scratching against parchment, Alina sighed and sat her novel down. Christian looked up and Alina gave him a stern look.
“Is this how you want to spend our last night at the castle for who knows how long?” She demanded. “Being angry at William and ignoring me?”
Christian grinned and sat his quill down, disregarding whatever letter or demand he had been scratching out. He strode over to Alina and knelt over her, smirking. “Oh, I can think of much better ways I would rather spend our last night,” he said before leaning down and captured her lips with his.
He had kissed her since she had returned - pecks here and there. But this was the first time he had started a soul-searing kiss. His lips fought with hers for dominance. His hand came up to tangle in her hair, holding her head still. Alina’s back arched into him with want before he trailed his hand back down and pressed on the mark on her neck with two fingers.
She all but screamed in ecstasy.
What was that?
“Our marks are hypersensitive to each other,” he leaned down and whispered a response to her unasked question. “Come to bed with me?”
She wanted to be with him so much it was an ache. Alina nodded and followed Christian to his bedroom. Their bedroom, because she hadn’t slept in hers since the first few nights she had returned.
Christian shut the door firmly behind them, smirking at her as he strolled towards her. Alina smiled as he closed the distance and recaptured her mouth. He was bliss. He was everything. Walking her backward, holding her face in his large, capable hands Alina felt safe.
“I love you,” Alina whispered, inhaling his deep woodsy smell.
“I love you more than there are stars in the sky, Love. Never doubt that.”
The next day, the castle atmosphere was bittersweet. It was the same as Alina had remembered it - full of jittery anxiousness and enormous amounts of energy as everyone anticipated the transformations to come. At the same time, they understood that Alina and Christian, if all went to plan, would leave them for, at the very least, a month. Perhaps more than that.
Christian had a lot of paperwork and final directives to give. Alina had left him to get his affairs in order without her hanging around and following his every move. Instead, she spent her time saying her goodbyes to Elizabeth and visiting with her brother.
“It seems like you only came back to us yesterday,” Elizabeth complained. “Can’t you hold off leaving until the Spring? It has to be easier to find the fae folk during the Spring and Summer. How do a few more months compare to the years?”
“I am sure William can keep you preoccupied while I’m gone. I believe you mentioned at one point that he must have a lot of pent up… passion from his years of abstinence with you.”
It was Elizabeth’s turn to flush and Alina got great joy in jokingly embarrassing her friend.
“I will miss you,” Elizabeth said finally. “You’re my dearest friend.”
Alina grasped her hand. “Don’t fret, I’ll be back before you miss me.”
“You said that to William last time,” Elizabeth frowned. “And it’s not true. I miss you as soon as you’re away from my sight. Just… just be careful, Alina. And come back.”
“Of course, I will.”
“Are you worried about tonight?” Alina asked Charles, who was strolling through the castle with her.
Ever since recovering his strength, he wanted nothing more than to never stay in bed again. He was always up and trying to find something to keep his hands and legs busy. The pack was happy to show him around and let him help. It reminded Alina a little about how she had been when she had first arrived at the castle.
“No, I barely remember the transformation last time,” Charles confirmed. “It is a blessing that it erases the memory of the pain. All I remember are bits and pieces - enough to excite me and tease me. It isn’t as bad as I had envisioned.”
“Do you think you could be happy here?”
Charles flushed. “I believe so.”
Alina’s head cocked slightly, and she looked at her brother wily. “I know that look. Charles, did you meet a girl?”
His blush deepened to crimson, but he said no more, no matter how much Alina badgered him.
“Whoever she is, I am happy for you,” she said finally.
“It’s so bizarre,” he offered. “Like there is something constantly pulling me into her path. I can’t stay away from her, even if I. wanted to.”
Alina smiled, happy that her brother would be okay.
“Do you have to leave so soon though?” He demanded.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Do you think breaking the curse will stop the castle from changing into wolves?”
“I’m not sure what breaking the curse will do, or how it will affect everyone involved. But either way, it is better than everyone’s mutual destruction like Maeve wants.”
“In either case, safe travels little sister,” Charles said and patted her head. “I wish you luck on your journey to the faeries.”
I’ll need it, Alina thought.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Isle of the Fae
Christian was jittery. Alina wasn’t sure if it was because he was nervous, was delaying the shift to a wolf, or because there was a pack of wild wolves roaming around the trees while they stood exposed by the gate. Maybe a bit of everything, she supposed.
“So how are we going to do this?” Alina pulled her cloak around her tighter, the winter air biting at her skin and fingers. “Do we just walk off?”
“Show me where you can leave.”
Alina walked over to the gate, resisting the urge to blow on her hands for warmth. She clenched the inside of her cloak and walked through the open gate. Christian moved towards the gate and put his hands up, testing the invisible barrier.
“Can you go through?”
Christian didn’t move - didn’t pass through the barrier. As the minutes passed by, the night grew colder and colder. Christian took two steps back, then four, then ten.
“What-” Alina wasn’t able to finish before Christian rammed into a barrier as solid as a wall at running-speed. In a flash, it flung him back yards, cursing as he impacted, hard, with the snow- and ice-covered ground.
Alina raced back onto the ground, kneeling beside him despite the frigidity of the ground and air. “I thought you learned the last time that the brute force method doesn’t work,” she scolded.
“Well, I’m not un
conscious.” He stood before helping her up, brushing the snow from his clothes.
“And what would I have done if you were unconscious? I can’t drag you all the way back to the castle!” He shrugged and Alina resisted the urge to push him back onto the ground. The stupidity of it all. “What’s the back-up plan, now that hope and sheer force didn’t help?”
Christian’s jaw clenched.
“There is no back-up plan, is there?”
“In all of my years under this curse, we’ve never been permitted to leave these cursed lands. I thought maybe it had changed. It, evidently, has not. There is no other plan. We’ve already tried all the other options.”
“There has to be. We need the faeries to break the curse!” She started shaking - out of anger, out of cold. Christian pulled her closer, wrapping her up in his warmth.
“Perhaps this journey is meant to be done by you alone.”
“Absolutely not.” She stood firm. “We are not separating again.”
She needed to figure out a way to get to the Isle of the Fae. To leave Prydell and get to her mother’s kingdom. There had to be a way. The faeries may have retreated to their kingdom, but there were still some that lived in the human kingdoms. Brigit had stayed behind in the greenhouse in Lormount. Finley had come through some portal to cure her of poison at the bequest of the fireflies. He had come again to help her after that.
Finley - the same faerie who she had met in the woods she had grown here, in Prydell.
“I think I might have an idea.” Alina jolted, pulling back from Christian. “How well have you explored the forest… the forest that I grew?”
“I’ve been through there a few times. Why?”
“Have you ever seen a circular clearing?”
He thought for a moment, his brows pulling together. “I believe so, a little way in. What are you planning?”
“That’s a faerie grotto. I think - I think I might be able to use it to make a portal to the Isle of the Fae.”
