Artemis was practically dragging me down the hallways as fast as she could while Aislinn was graciously helping Aunt Maddie behind us.
"You could slow down, you know," I panted to her.
"I could, but I won't. I think I'm more excited to know who your mate is than you are."
With that said, she continued with her stampede. Just before we were about to take a step into to the outdoor courtyard, Artemis yanked me roughly to the right and into a closet. It was very dark, and smelled vaguely of cleaning supplies.
"Uh, is there a particular reason why we're in here?" I asked her.
She put her hand over my mouth, as we heard the muffled voices of Aislinn and Aunt Maddie pass by. She breathed a sigh of relief before lowering her hand.
"I've needed to tell you something all day, but I can only tell you alone." She flipped her curls over her shoulder and her expression became serious.
"Indigo, something big is happening in Moonlight pack. I don't know what King Alistair has planned, but I know it's not good. He's working the warriors to the bone; constantly repeating drills and running the territory line for hours on end. He's killed people in cold-blood for even questioning him." She paused and the color drained from my face.
"A while back, I saw Beta Alexander, Marc, and some others around the perimeter of DarkBlood. Could this be related to what's going on there?" She nodded her head.
"I think so. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I do think there will be an attack, and soon. If that happens, I need you to cut me with this," she said while withdrawing a small, pure silver dagger from the cleavage of her dress.
She pressed it into my hands, careful not to let the blade touch my skin.
"Be careful with the tip, it's coated in wolfsbane."
"Artemis, I can't just cut you with a silver dagger," I began to protest, but she put her hand over my mouth again.
"You can, and you will. It's a matter of life or death. If he gives out a royal command, this is the only way you'll be able to break me out of it."
She was right. When an alpha king gave a royal command, it was damn near impossible to resist and very painful to even try to do so.
"I won't kill you, will I?" Tears pricked the corners of my eyes at the thought. She smirked at me.
"Of course not, I'm not that dumb. It'll hurt like a bitch, but it should be enough to bring me out of it. Then I can sever ties with Moonlight. But I can't do that until the attack happens without raising suspicion and risking being killed." I nodded my head in understanding.
"I have to tell King Ruben. This isn't just about me anymore. DarkBlood is my home."
She thought for a moment before sighing.
"Fine, whichever one of us can get to him first will tell him. But you have to make sure no one else can hear you." I nodded as I wrapped the dagger in a cloth I found on one of the shelves, then strapped it to my leg.
I knew I always kept knives on me for a reason.
"All set," I told her when I was done.
She painted a smile on her face and opened the door, before leading me to the courtyard. I tried to emulate her seemingly carefree attitude, but it was a lot harder than she made it look.
I decided to just smile a little and hope no one noticed if I was a little off. Aislinn approached me, Aunt Maddie still on her arm.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Well, so much for that.
I took a deep breath.
"I will be. Don't worry about it now, just be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Have you seen King Ruben yet? I need to speak with him."
"He hasn't arrived yet. The King and Queen are always the last to arrive to a ball," she explained.
"Well, are the princes here yet?"
"They are," she looked down sheepishly.
"They've been instructed to stay away until the King and Queen arrive. Once they do, they're permitted to come looking for you."
I rolled my eyes. Of course that was the case. King Ruben did have a little flair for the dramatic.
"Okay, but if you seem them too, let them know I need to talk to them and that it's important." I looked over to Aunt Maddie.
"Whatever you do tonight, just make sure you stay by someone you know at all times."
"What's going on, dear?" she asked while reaching for my hands.
"I don't know yet, but I can feel that something isn't right. I just need you to trust me on this." She smiled at me and cupped my face with her hand.
"Just like your mother. Of course I trust you, my dear."
I smiled back and squeezed her hands, before making my way through the crowd and settling myself in the back area of the courtyard. I gazed at my surroundings.
I had to admit, it was really beautiful. Lit torches were set strategically at the edges of the dance floor, giving it a romantic glow.
There was a large table set up off to the side where wolves converged to get a cocktail or an appetizer.
Small tables draped in cream colored cloths littered the grass near the lake, and a bouquet of purple lilies with simple baby's breath that were placed in a crystal vase sat in the middle of each one.
White rose petals littered the dance floor itself, and a live orchestra played quietly in the background.
I had to hand it to DarkBlood. They did classy well.
I snatched a champagne flute off of the tray of a passing waiter and guzzled it down; tossing the glass behind me.
When another waiter passed, I grabbed another one, but sipped it slowly this time. I needed to calm my nerves, but I also needed to be able to function properly.
I surveyed the crowd, looking for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.
Minutes passed by, and I was beginning to get bored of watching people bullshit to each other and make passive aggressive remarks about the wolves they didn't like. I was about ready to give up my post when a trumpet blared.
"Attention all, King Ruben and Queen Stella have arrived!"
I stood up straighter and turned in the direction of the doors. They opened slowly, as fanfare played. What an entrance.
King Ruben stepped out first, dressed in a maroon suit with a black tie, and shiny black leather shoes. He had a purple cloak draped over his shoulder, and large, golden crown atop his head.
Queen Stella was only a couple steps behind him, dressed in a striking red, floor length gown. The bottom was made of tulle, but the top was velvet, with long, lace sleeves.
Her fiery locks were curled to perfection, and her lips were painted the same color as her dress. A golden crown with purple and red jewels was also on her head. They were an astounding sight.
Cheers erupted from the crowd, and I was quick to join them. King Ruben smiled and raised his hands to quell the noise.
"Thank you, for that stunning introduction," he boomed.
"We all know this ball is sacred to DarkBlood. Romance always seems to prevail on this historical night. Now, it's even more special this year. We are hoping our sons will find their mates. So without further ado, let the ball commence!"
Cheers erupted once more. I tried to catch King Ruben's eye, but I was quickly swallowed by the crowd trying to make their way to the dance floor. Someone shoved hard into my back.
"Watch it!"
I spun around and snarled.
"You ran into me, Celia." She smirked back at me.
"Oh look, you're still here. Still convinced that one of the princes is your mate?"
"That's none of your business."
"Oh, yes it is. It's everyone's business. We have the right to know who our future rulers may be, don't we? But it doesn't really matter anyway, I guess. There's no way you'll be one of their mates."
"And how would you know that?" I spat at her.
"Because I know I'm one. It's been destined since we were kids. You're just an outsider. You don't belong here. You never did."
With that, she bumped me hard before sashaying into the crowd. A knot formed in my stomach.
There's no way she could actually be one of their mates, right?
If that was true, wouldn't they already have known by now? I shook my head to clear away the thoughts. I didn't need to focus on that right now.
Right now, I needed to focus on finding King Ruben.
I caught a glimpse of his shiny, gold crown and began throwing elbows. I didn't care about politeness anymore, I just needed to get through the crowd.
Finally, I broke through, but I stopped short when I saw him deep in conversation with Seraphine and Malakai.
He glanced up at me and I mimed that I needed to talk to him. He subtly nodded his head, and held up five fingers to signal five more minutes.
I nodded back and took off to find Artemis. I figured she'd be able to explain a little better than I could.
A few minutes later, I found her on the edge of the dancefloor, looking bored as a teenaged wolf tried to strike up a conversation with her.
Clearly, he wasn't getting the hint that she didn't want to talk. She let out a deep sigh and looked down at her glossy nails. I cleared my throat and stepped in.
"Sorry," I said to the boy, "but I need to borrow my friend for a moment. It's urgent." I grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
"Thank the Goddess. I thought I'd never get out of there."
"You could have just told him you weren't interested."
"I did! He wouldn't go away!" I chuckled at her.
"King Ruben gave me five minutes before we can chat. I thought it would be best if we were both there."
"Are you sure?" She had an apprehensive look on her face.
"Aunt Maddie told me about the tea. What if he thinks something weird is going on?"
"Trust me, it will be okay. With you being there, he won't think that you're here as a spy or something like that."
She still looked wary but she agreed. We made our way over to where I had last seen King Ruben and waited at a respectful distance for him to finish his conversation.
Every once in a while he would throw apologetic glances our way. I would just smile back, despite my impatience. The longer the night went on, the more uneasy I grew.
The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up, and Sienna was on full alert in my mind. Something just was not right. Finally, King Ruben excused himself.
"Ladies," he greeted as he approached. "To what do I owe the honor?"
"Can we go somewhere private?" I asked. "There's something we need to tell you." His eyes glazed over while he mind-linked someone, then he nodded.
"Follow me."
We followed him through the crowd again but, to my surprise, people didn't stop to talk to him.
We were quickly drifting away from the courtyard and toward the gazebo. My heart sped up in fear, as I remembered the dream I had not long ago.
"You want us to talk at the gazebo?" I asked him.
Without looking back, he simply answered, "Yes."
Suddenly, I was hit with an overwhelming scent that made my mouth water and my toes curl.
I stopped for a moment and closed my eyes while taking a deep breath in. Sensing my pause, King Ruben stopped and turned to me. When he saw my expression, a huge smile broke out onto his face.
"Ah, so it is true."
"What is?" I asked.
"You have found your mate."
I looked at him with confusion, but the scent passed by again and my eyes involuntarily rolled into the back of my head.
It was rich and potent, a combination of fresh rain and wild sage. I was in heaven. When I opened my eyes again, I spotted two figures underneath the gazebo.
Every fiber in my being was trying to push me forward, trying to make me run into the arms of my mate and feel his skin against mine. I stood my ground though, and grit my teeth. I needed to tell King Ruben.
"Wait!" I called out as he began to walk again. He raised an eyebrow at me.
"I think now is not the time. You need to get to your mate, Indigo."
"Just hear us out," I panted back.
It was getting harder and harder to stay in this spot. Before I could relay the news, Artemis stepped up and told King Ruben everything.
He looked at her for a moment, before turning back to me. I shot her a grateful smile.
"Indigo, go to the gazebo. Let me speak with Artemis for a moment. We'll meet you over there."
"Are you sure?" I really wanted to see my mate, but I didn't feel comfortable leaving Artemis here alone. Plus, I wanted to hear what he had to say to her.
"I am," he replied. "Now, go."
There was authority laced in his command. I nodded my head in understanding and took a few tentative steps away, trying to hear what little I could of their conversation, which wasn't much.
My heart rate began to accelerate with every stop closer I got to the gazebo. The thoughts of their conversation began to float away.
Excitement was flooding into my veins and replacing the worry and suspicion. My body felt like it was burning and my pace began to quicken.
The princes were still facing away from me and I was once again taken aback by how beautiful they were. I stopped short and just gazed at them for a moment. I took a few more steps forward, before confusion riddled my body.
I wasn't being pulled in one specific direction. Which one was my mate?
I could hear Artemis and King Ruben beginning to approach behind me now. I stepped even closer; only a few feet away.
I stopped as they began to turn and face me. I held my breath and waited.
It seemed as though time slowed down, as their gazes lifted from the ground, swept up my body, before finally meeting my eyes.
"Mate," they both breathed at the same time.
My body grew cold.
What?
Author's Note:
Whew! Ending it on a cliffhanger! But that's okay, all will make sense in the next chapter. Any guesses at to what happens? WE'LL FINALLY KNOW WHO IT IS.
But hold onto your hats, folks. Things are about to get REAL. See you all next chapter!
Please don't forget to vote!
Xoxo,
CrismynIris