Chapter 214
Michelle came to a stream and wondered if it was enough to cut her scent off. First, she directly crosses the stream and ran for a mile before running back following the exact path. Michelle got back into the stream and made her way down the stream for a few miles before getting out and running for a while before consulting the stars to find her North, East, South, and West, always sniffing around for Cove’s scent.
Michelle got too tired to run, but she kept going, walking, making progress. As the sun started to rise, she caught a familiar scent. ‘Phoebe, she thought, following the scent. She kept on losing the scent but then after a few miles, she picked it up again. ‘Must be because she was moving fast, but the scent with her?’ Michelle picked up another scent. ‘definitely female,’ she told herself, feeling jealous.
Before long Michelle reached the council, and shifted back into her human form, wrapping the curtain into a dress around her body. She quietly sneaked past the gates and a few guards, ending up in the gardens.
As Michelle popped her head above some flower beds, she noticed two redheads walking in her direction and ducked down. ‘I must be related to them,’ Michelle thought, excited but at the same time cautious, emerging thinking about Phoebe and Princess Anse warning her.
Michelle heard one of the ladies saying that they should go back inside and after waiting for a while, she lifted her head again. Michelle scanned the gardens and spotted Phoebe, sitting with Prince Mano, but she was too far away to hear them. Michelle sees them going into an embrace and ducked back down again, ‘guess Phoebe decided to stay with Prince Mano,’ Michelle thought, tears building up in her eyes.
When Michelle brought her head up again, she saw them walking into the castle, arm in arm.
Michelle turned around and fled out of the gardens, and this time she didn’t care if the guards saw her at the gate. The guards didn’t pay much attention to her in any way and she just continued to walk, not sure where she was walking to. ‘Maybe I should find a pack to join,’ she thought, deciding there and then that she will forget about Phoebe.
Phoebe and Prince Mano make their way back into the castle through the sunroom.
“I think I will take my leave now before your mother stops me,” Phoebe stopped walking to face Prince Mano.
“Please stay a few days, go talk to King Thorvald. Maybe he knows more about what you are,” Prince Mano suggested.
“He is the main reason my father is dead,” Phoebe said.
“So, you don’t want answers?” Prince Mano asked.
“I don’t want to be here. Jeanette wanted to meet her family and now that she did it is time for me to leave. Please take care of her.” Phoebe said.
“I am a mind link away,” Prince Mano reminded her.
“I am only staying mated to you so that I don’t mate again, so don’t get your hopes up, and please mind link me if Jeanette needs me, and remind her that her mind is linked with mine,” Phoebe said before speeding off but instead of speeding in the direction that Michelle left; she went the opposite direction, towards Mexico, chasing a lead on a raven, who Gabriella; her enchantress friend that stayed with her grandmother; Zuberi in Egypt, believed is a were-raven; only all were-ravens went instinct during the supernatural war.
‘Your grandmother wants to know if Michelle is at the council?’ Phoebe heard Princess Freda’s mind link.
‘No, she must be pretty angry at me. She hasn't mind-linked me either since she broke it off when she left,’ Phoebe mind links back.
‘Emily wants to know if you saw Prince Deacon,’ Princess Freda mind linked again.
‘No, and before you ask, yes, your father is at the council, but I only saw him for a brief moment,’ Phoebe mind linked.
‘Gabriella asked if you will be checking out that hunch about the were-raven,’ Princess Freda mind linked again.
‘On my way now,’ Phoebe mind linked the last time.
It didn’t take Phoebe long to track down the location that Gabriella has shown her. She was hiding a distance away from a remote Usonian Style home in an open field surrounded by woods.
Phoebe has already circled around the house which was a small, single-story dwelling without a garage. The house was L-shaped that fitted around a garden terrace. and it has a flat roof and large cantilevered overhangs with clerestory windows. Phoebe noticed a young wolf playing with a raven and for a moment, she could swear that the Raven was looking at her.
‘How should I approach? Perhaps it is just a raven, and a wolf kept as pets?’ Phoebe wondered as she tried to look for any sign of human activity. “Bingo,” she said out loud when she noticed clothing flapping on the washing line.
‘So, if Gabriella is right, then the Raven knows that I am here since were-ravens has foresight,’ Phoebe thought, losing concentration for a moment before focusing again.
The wolf and the raven were gone and, in their place, a beautiful naked red-head woman diving into the pool. “What are the chances?” Phoebe asked out loud, wondering if she has by chance found another stolen princess.
Phoebe got a fright when she heard something close to her. She found herself looking straight into the raven’s black eyes.
“Are you what I think you are?” Phoebe asked the raven.
The raven flew off, but not in the direction of the house. Phoebe sped over to the house and decided to go to the front door and knock.
Much to her surprise, the young redhead opened the door, wearing a pool gown. “Hi, come on in.”
“Hello,” Phoebe greeted, thinking it was strange that she would just invite a total stranger in.
“I am Karmen. My guardian told me you will be arriving today,” Karmen said, smiling, walking into the house.
“Your guardian?” Phoebe asked, confused.
“Yes, he told me to tell you that he could not stay to meet you and that you are my new guardian,” Karmen said.
“So, he knew I was coming?” Phoebe asked.
“Yes, and he said as of now you are my guardian, and you will take me to meet my family,” Karmen said.
“Is he the raven?” Phoebe asked, looking around at the wood interior.
“The raven? That is just his pet,” Karmen laughed, not knowing any better.
“I am Phoebe, by the way. So, did he tell you where your family is? Where should I take you?” Phoebe asked, even though she already knew the answer.
“The higher council,” Karmen said.
“How did he know I was coming?” Phoebe asked wondering if Karmen knew, looking at her familiar eyes.
“I don’t know, I didn’t think to ask,” Karmen said.
“Do you want to go right now?” Phoebe asked.
“Let me get dressed first. What should I wear? Are my father prim and proper or common?” Karmen asked.
“Well, I guess your Guardian didn’t tell you that you are a Lycan princess,” Phoebe said, wondering if she was Prince Kurt’s daughter or Prince Deacon’s.
“He did, but not all royals play by the rules. I know my mother is dead, killed the night I was left in the middle of the road by a vampire in a small town near here, and that my father has red hair and that I should be careful of my grandmother, the Queen. He didn’t give me their names,” Karmen said as if it was nothing.
“How long have you known all this?” Phoebe asked, wondering just how far into the past and into the future a were-raven could see. ‘Can’t believe the original werewolves killed them just because they were-ravens and Lycan wolves were close. Well, I guess if it is true that were-ravens could see the future, then I would have killed them as well to get the upper hand,’ Phoebe thought, glad that she was not born in the time of the supernatural war.
“I always knew what I am as my guardian has told me from a young age how he found me. He didn’t tell me the vampire part until after my first full moon. A few days ago, he told me that today someone will come and fetch me,” Karmen explained, walking into a room.
