Chapter 19
Cassie
Every full moon was important to my people. Of course it was. It was millennia ago that my people only changed on the full moon but old habits die hard. We weren’t locked to the moons cycles anymore but that didn’t mean we didn’t worship it.
And tonight the moon was full and bright as it hung in an almost cloudless sky.
Beautiful.
Lifting my giant shaggy head , I eyed it and the urge to howl was building in my throat. Such a primal feeling and one that I hadn’t felt since I had first met my wolf many years ago. Back then I had been a teenager and my control hadn’t been great. I was an adult now.
And I was in control.
Still the urge was there.
Shaking my head I tossed the thought away. The time for howling would come but it wasn’t now. Now I had to act the part. Act like the Luna in waiting.
No, not Luna , I reminded myself. Being Luna of a pack would be bad enough. I was married to the heir. One day I would be queen of the wolves. If my marriage lasted that long of course.
Which I doubted.
But for now I had a role to play. A role that I had been directed in all day.
Pulling my shoulder blades back , I lifted myself to my full height and stepped up on the left side of my husband's giant white wolf. And even though I had made myself stand up straight, he dwarfed my black beast.
Swinging his head around he watched me with his golden eyes. There was no emotion on his face, just a weary sort of indifference. That was fine, he might be beautiful to look at but there was nothing beautiful about his soul.
The king stepped forward. Suited and booted and just looking at what he was wearing I knew he wasn’t going to shift. Tonight prince Julian would lead the full moon hunt with me at his side. It was a honour I wasn’t ready for.
Not because I thought I would mess up but because stepping out next to Julian in front of all these people would put our relationship in the public eye and that meant when he finally rejected me, the humiliation would be even greater.
“Tonight.” The kings voice rose up , amplified by what I was guessing was magic and I dropped the ground. My nose on the mossy grass as he walked passed me. I stayed there. Prone and submissive as he continued to talk.
“We are greeted by a very special guest.” The old man chuckled. “The wife of Prince Julian and your future queen.” He stepped back and motioned to me and all eyes turned towards me. I stayed where I was. If I had been in my human body I would have been blushing scarlet.
“Tonight the next generation will lead you on the hunt. Just as they will lead you in life real soon.” He gave a nod and Julian stepped forward. His giant paws making tiny clouds of dust spiralling up.
Suddenly I didn’t know what to do. No one had said there would be a speech and everyone’s eyes were still on me.
Maybe they had done this on purpose. Maybe they both wanted me to make a fool of myself and slip up.
Julian swung his head to me, his golden eyes suddenly soft like he could how frightened I was and he wanted to put me at ease.
Slowly he walked towards me, dropping his head he nudged me gently and whined.
“You need to stand up and be by my side now.”
My head whipped around and my eyes flew open as his voice whispered in my head.
I had heard that some packs could mind link but I had never experienced it before. But then I had never really been a member of this pack. I run with other wolves that were like me. Out casts living on the fringes of our society. Now look at me, married to the prince and about to lead my first run.
It was crazy how life went.
“I know it’s strange. Just relax and let it happen.”
I couldn’t help it I giggled inside of my head. For a second Julian looked confused and then he scowled as he got it.
“Are you going to just lay there like a lump or do you plan on doing your job?”
All the kind gentleness was gone from his voice. It just went to prove he didn’t have a sense of humour either.
“Can they hear what we are saying?” It was weird having a conversation in my head. And I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to it.
“No, not unless I want them to.”
I digested the news and then slowly climbed to my feet.
“Good.” I ducked my head against his. Nuzzling into the fur of his neck I whined and I knew that everyone watching would see it as a sign of affection between us.
When in reality it was nothing of the sort.
“Bite me Julian.”
He froze for just a second and then answered me. “Best run then.” Throwing back he howled at the moon and the word “hunt.” Screamed in my brain.
After a second's hesitation the pack lifted their faces to the moon and howled back. Filling the night air with our chorus and I joined in.
I couldn’t not.
The primal urge was too much.
Julian leapt forward and without any prompting I went with him. Slightly behind but right at his shoulder and we ran. Our bodies elongating, our breathing mingling.
***
Running and hunting like this was like nothing I had ever experienced before. There was something freeing about it.
Like I was finally letting the animal side of me free instead of holding her back and she was enjoying herself. It didn’t even matter that we were running shoulder to shoulder with Julian. All that mattered was the moon above, the forest floor below and the smell of our prey thick in my nose.
It was -
Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement and only just skidded to the left in time as a wolf stepped in front of me. And I didn’t recognize him. He had not started the run with us.
Panic gripped me as he began to move towards me. Herding me away from the others and the safety of the pack and not one of them noticed what was happening.
Was this an attack?
Maybe Julian had decided to assassinate me.
“Stop running towards the cliffs Cassie.” A voice boomed in my head.
I shook my head like I could shake the voice out of my brain. “Then stop chasing me.”
He barked out a laugh. “I am not chasing you. You are running away.
“Who are you? I don’t know you.” The air that puffs from my nose looked like steam in the cold air.
“Peter, I am the king's personal enforcer and he wants to see you privately. Follow me.”
I hesitated but only for a second before I fell in to step behind him. We didn’t have far to go.
The king was sat, still in his suit on a cushion. Right on the edge of a bluff.
“Peter you can leave us now.” He said without turning. “Cassie come and sit with me.” He motioned to a cushion by his side. There was something silky folded neatly on it.
“There is a robe here for you.”
I shifted quickly and reached for it. Wrapping it around myself I took my place next to him and looked down. Letting out a sigh of appreciation of the view laid out below us.
The high full moon was mirrored perfectly on the lake below.
“This is beautiful. The lake and the-“ I fell silent. Memories were niggling in my mind.
“Yes it is but you have been here before haven’t you? Do you remember?”
I searched my brain. “Kind of.” I shrugged. “Bits and bobs. I was very young and came with my parents.”
I knew that much was true.
“You came with your parents for the funeral of my daughter and her mate.” There was so much pain in his voice that I turned to him.
This was so raw for him still. Even after all of these years.
“You held your granddads hand and cried even though you didn’t know them and I knew right then what kind of girl you were and what kind of woman you would grow up to be.”
“You did?” I lifted an eyebrow.
“Yes you are you grandfather's daughter through and through and what you did later that day just proved it.”
I frowned. “What did I do?”
The memory of cold water swirling over my head as I dived flooded me and I shivered. I hadn’t thought about what night for so long and no one had ever mentioned it again. I had thought it was a nightmare.
“A woman threw a boy into the water.” I blurted out in a rush. “I had snuck away and I saw them but I couldn’t do anything until she had run away. I swum in and dragged him out and then-“
“Then I came and revived him and sent you back to your parents.”
“Did the boy survive?” It had been years since I had thought of him but really that night and my mothers illness had shaped my future.
“You’ve been saving people ever since haven’t you?”
I remained silent.
“I never really thanked you for what you did that night but I want to thank you now.” He took a deep rattling breath. “Your mother needs a heart transplant.”
My tummy did a somersault. I had known deep down that it would be something like that but I had been clinging to hope. It seemed cruel indeed that she would wake up only to be dying.
“I have found your mother the heart she needs and the best shifter doctor in the country is at the hospital waiting for my go ahead.”
Slowly he removed an envelope from his jacket pocket and slid it over the grass towards me.
“All you have to do is sign this.”
I stared down at the brown envelope like it was a bomb. I didn’t want to touch it. “What is it?”
“It’s an agreement between us. I will save your mother and you will save my grandson. You were chosen to be his wife because of your goodness. He needs that.”
I agreed with that. Whole heartedly.
“I want you to promise that you will never leave him.”
I did a double take. “You are black mailing me?” My voice was high pitched. “Using my mothers health to keep me trapped in a loveless marriage?”
He remained silent. Only the sound of our breathing rent the air.
“You save people.” He said finally. “By signing that contract and giving me your word you are saving two people with only a swipe of a pen. Your mother will live and so will Julian.”
I stared down at the envelope and inch by inch my fingers crept towards it.
I had no choice but to sign and he knew it.
“Do you have a pen?” I whispered , jumping as one was thrust into my hand. Tearing open the envelope I pulled the pristine white paper out and found where I needed to sign. I didn’t bother reading it. There was no point. Whatever the terms I would sign because I wanted my mother to live.
The King nodded his head in approval. “You did the right thing Cassie. I knew you would.” Twisting his old body he called in to the trees behind us. “Peter make the call to the hospital.” Turning back to me he reached down and patted my hand. “You did the right thing. Your mothers surgery will be finished and she will be healing by the time you go home.”
I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. All I could do was cry silently because yet again I had no control over my life and now I was forever trapped with a man I hated.
And who hated me right back.
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