36. Your daughter will end up in my bed.

"Think again?" The voice changed; it sounded nowhere close to Eve. Whoever the mystical creature was- it didn't bother to hide its unique abilities. Ally tried her hardest to think if she ever heard about shape and voice shifters from the Underworld. Shifters were common species to meet, but none of them could copy one's voice as this creature did.

While Allt kept trying to figure everything out, Seraphima's eyes followed every movement she could notice near. That's one of the reasons why people were so afraid of the Royals; it was in their blood- tracking and hunting. Seraphima, the same as Ares, were killing machines, made by nature. The Moon Goddess loved her creation until she noticed how violent, vile, and wild Lycanthropes were. She couldn't put her children under so much danger, so it was unlikely to meet many of the powerful shifters, especially around the Kingdom. That is, until now. Now there were four. The Moon Goddess has to have a special place for all of them in her heart since she paired the young Princess to a deadly sin.

*"Can you notice anything out of the ordinary? I mean the newcomer, not the Underworld creatures?"* Ally whispered to Seraphima. Nobody could hear their inner conversations, but the Princess decided to act as if someone could. If the creature could steal their mother's voice, they might read her mind.

*"No, nothing seems to change, the same body heat, the same count of pair of eyes. Oddly enough, I do feel like someone close to us is near. Not only one shifter, but two- I think it's dad and Balthazar."* Seraphima caught on Ally's suspicion and decided to play along. Whenever one of them felt like there was something to do in a particular way- both followed each other's lead. That was one of their traits that others admired since most beasts didn't agree with their human side and the other side around.

*"Two? I think you might be wrong. Dad shouldn't be here by now, I bluffed, and uncle Balthazar won't leave Mary's side; it's her day. Oh Gosh, we can't ruin her day just because some assholes decided to attack. We're getting into trouble here, and I'm not talking about one with mom or dad."* Ally whined, refusing her beast's idea. Even if someone close to them was near, they shouldn't be. Ally is completely capable of standing her ground and protecting herself.

*"No, there's definitely two, both close to us. I can't see them though; for some reason, they're hidden."* Seraphima growled in irritation, annoyed by Ally's lack of trust. The beast wasn't coming up with ideas on her own; someone was watching from afar, waiting to jump in. And that someone was close enough to make her heart shake; therefore, the beast thought it must be her father.

*"Try to catch a scent, any. The creatures shouldn't have a familiar scent, so whomever you're talking about should carry one. Focus, Seraphima, I know that you haven't been out for a long time, but this is your time to shine. Close your eyes, think about home and breathe. You can do it!"* Ally encouraged her beast, silently playing The Moon Goddess, that everyone close to her would get out of the attack without any significant injuries.

It was enough that The Princess managed to get herself into trouble by wanting to see the lake, but dragging her loved ones along the way wasn't something Ally intended to do. The young woman wanted to see the place for the last time- after this night, she would go back to the castle. A simple walk in the forest didn't seem like something that could drag her into such danger. Then again, she was a Royal; everyone watched each step she took to find the perfect timing for an attack, the unknown creatures as well.

*"There's no scent. At all. But why aren't they talking anymore? Both creatures and the stranger disappear." Seraphima whispered; Ally could feel how distressed the beast became. Her eyes kept darting at all directions, she lowered her posture, getting ready for an attack.

Not a movement, not a breath or any sound- the forest died. Even if some animals were around, by now, poor things had hidden away from the terrifying place. Once so peaceful and calm hidden paradise was turned into a battlefield for the night creatures and Princess.

"You've become oddly quiet, don't you think so? Come on, do something, attack me if you dare. Keep on hiding behind the gatekeepers' death; I'll gladly kill you the same as I killed all of them. One by one." Seraphima turned her attention to the place where the voice came. It wasn't very clear, knowing that someone stood close to her side, yet she didn't seem to know the person. Of course, a lot would fight side by side with their princess, but not her beast. Most of the shifters feared impulsive beast, and all she had to do was kill some traitors in the heat of the situation.

"Would you look at that. The Princess is gorgeous, and so is her beast. I don't believe we have met before." The same voice whispered in her ear, startling Seraphima. Her eyes widened in disbelief- how could she not notice someone approaching, let alone that close.
"Don't be scared, my love, let your heart lead you." The voice whispered again. Within seconds a dark silhouette kneeled in front of her.
"You know who I am, let's say I had to play with the shadows a little, making sure my heart is safe, you know." The hidden male grinned at her facial expression.

Both Seraphima and Ally instantly understood that the stranger was Wrath, yet his appearance wasn't the same as always. He had changed; the aura surrounding him was extraordinarily domineering and dangerous. Ally felt the need to push her beast aside and take over the control; she wanted to get closer, to touch his face, and make sure it indeed was her mate. But as much as she wanted to end up in his arms- the young woman understood that it was not the place and time to do so. The most important thing to do now was to find out who those creatures were and how to kill them.

"You promised her time!" Seraphima growled, showing off her razor-sharp canines. If there was one special thing about Royal beasts, it was their unique humanity and ability to speak. Only a few knew that they could talk, some were more talkative, some never let anyone know, but the ability was there. Being able to form a decent sentence didn't mean that people could understand them- the low, animal alike voice didn't make talking an easy task. On many occasions, they sounded more as if they were growling and snarling, not talking. The beast wasn't happy for countless times Wrath kept breaking his promise; it didn't matter if his intentions were pure for the good of Ally or rather selfish. She wouldn't trust the deadly sin before, and now, even more.

"Time is something I'm more than willing to give, but it has a price. It's your safety, no matter how far, or for how long I am away- safety is a must. I might creep in the shadows, but I have my eyes everywhere if you're under danger- I'm here. This time you shouldn't be too angry; I'm not the only one who's invading your privacy. And no, I'm not talking about those wannabe monsters." Wrath winked at Seraphima and tilted his head to the right as if trying to tell her something. By how he acted, both of them understood that the other person, hidden aside, was sure that nobody knew about their presence. Well, apparently, Seraphima knew that there was someone, and so did Wrath, but he probably knew who exactly the person was.

Without any second thought, Seraphima gave the control to Ally; the young woman stood under the moonlight in her ripped red dress. She didn't feel as if there might be any problem since most shifters walked around naked after their shifts, but Wrath's lustful gaze did make the young woman blush. Ally had never felt the way she felt around the deadly sin. Not only did he have an aura, which nearly made her drop on her knees, but one look alone made her feel uneasy. For years she had held pride in her virginity, being the rare shifter woman who doesn't have multiple partners, but for the first time in her life, she did want to find out how she would feel if she gave herself to Wrath. All of her.

"What are you talking about?" Ally whispered breathlessly, avoiding his heated gaze. Her heart raced as if she had run twenty miles without stopping; the young woman was sure that all of her blood suddenly flooded to her cheeks.

"You'll see." It was all he said before the monstrous growl broke the silence. As Ally and Wrath held their little moment, the creatures stood aside, watching in silence. They could attack, hoping that both didn't hold too much attention to their doings, but the action would end up like a pure suicide. The deadly sins were deadly without doing anything, but pissing off the worst one was a death sentence without a second thought. Especially when he took the shadows with him. Wrath was well known for his short temper, but the male had something to fight for the first time in his lifetime- someone to care for and protect. He would go to the limits and beyond to ensure Ally's safety.

A large frame appeared from the darkness- a terrifying beast fought its way through the crowd, ripping the creatures in half as it did. The closer beast got, the more dead bodies it left lying behind of it.
The view was terrifying but breathtaking- seeing someone having so much control over the situation while focusing on the Princess. Not for a second did they break eye contact.

When the beast got closer to where Ally stood, it growled, as if warning Wrath to step aside. Ally focused on the newcomer, her eyes following the movements and little details on its face. Finally, as they both stood a few feet apart, Ally gasped, closing her mouth with both palms.

Her bottom lip trembled, eyes filled with tears. "Mom." The Princess whispered.

Ally knew that her mother was undergoing the change, yet she didn't have an idea of how fast it could happen. The young woman watched how her mother shifted back to her human self, pain evident on her face.
Eve dropped a backpack, which Ally didn't notice before, and grabbed a long, yet simple dress. She wore it quicker than ever before. Of course, if the King would find out that anyone dared as much as look at his Queen- they would be dead by the morning.
Ally gasped, noticing how much healthier and seemingly more stunning her mother looked. The blood, covering her face and body, didn't bother anyone, including Eve herself.

"If there is one thing I learned from my husband, it's how dangerous and unpredictable the newly shifted Lycanthropes are. Now, men, creatures, or whatever the fuck you are- do we need to talk? Who is brave enough to go against the Queen? You're trying to hurt my baby here, and I don't take it kindly when someone is doing as much as trying to hurt my family." Eve turned around to face the creeps, hidden in the shadows. The Queen grinned, showing off her face. Eve was going through a half shift phenomenon- holding herself together, yet finding it difficult to deny her beast the blood. She was supposed to stay in the hospital for a couple more days, but the mother's instincts are too strong to refuse, even her beast couldn't calm down. Both of them knew that their child was in danger. The Queen couldn't remember how she ended up there or for how long she ran, but Eve was sure that her beast was much faster than any car drive to Balthazar's home.

One by one, the creepy pairs of eyes faded. "We will be watching you, Princess. Don't count on the Watchers; they do not feel or see us. Beware, your downfall is yet to come." The same creature, which spoke before, used her mother's voice to whisper the last warning.

"I do not sound like that; the voice was annoying," Eve growled, stomping her feet like a little child. The Queen's eyes finally landed on Wrath. Her irritated mood faded, replaced by anger.
"You!" She snarled, extending her pointer finger at him.

Wrath laughed; the male couldn't help himself but feel amused by the anger of his mate's mother. She might be a great mother and Queen, but there was no way Eve would manage to scare the ancient man.

"Threaten me as much as you want, oh, your highness, but your daughter will end up in my bed, like it or not. Beg the Gods for her to forgive vile things you did to take her away from me, and you might avoid war. Stand in my way, Queen Eve, and I will show you all those reasons for why I was named Wrath. Enjoy your year." Wrath held intense eye contact with Eve for the whole time as he spoke. The male appeared behind Ally, leaned down, and gently pressed his lips against her neck. "Till we meet again, my love."