The Delta's Daughter Chapter 247

HUNJI/KIAN

The door stood open, and I was propped against the frame, I couldn’t bring myself to enter my old room. Too many memories of a time I thought I had it all. A time I thought I had found happiness only for my reason to feel happy to tear it all away. There were no scents in this room, even though it looked the same as the last time I had been here. So, all I had were the conjured memories that were flitting within my head as I looked into my old room.

Farid had said Divya willingly spread her legs for him. He wasn’t lying, I could tell. I sensed he was telling me the truth and took great satisfaction that he hadn’t had to coerce her to betray me. When a mate betrays their fated, it does something to a man. It makes them doubt their worth and skills as a man. I wondered for years if I wasn’t a good enough lover; if my size was inadequate if there was something I lacked for Divya to stray as she did.

When I was whipped, beaten, and left for dead, Revenge was what kept me alive. When that notion faded, I was still left feeling inadequate. Despite my sworn vow to be a disciple of the moon goddess, I could have never found a woman to love because I had been left feeling like less than a man, with no wolf and a broken and scarred body, it never occurred to me that someone would want me.

But Tawny did. The little she-kitty had been on my mind for years. So, I stand here and ponder why did I never act on my desires for her? Why did it take a little witch to break me of my resolve? Although the space in my mind was mostly taken up by my little enchantress, I still couldn’t get the thought of Tawny from my head. She’s beautiful and it has been a while since I had seen her. Would she still bring my body to life like she had so many times in the past? Would I still feel that desire for her if saw her?

She had been my student. I trained her and mentored her as I did with Queen Lamia. We grew close, bonding a solid friendship because, at the time, that was all I thought I could have. All I thought I deserved. But now? Now I knew I deserved to be happy. I no longer felt like less than a man, or ugly. 

“Here you are, my old friend.” Tristan’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I blinked a few times bringing me back to reality. “Are you ok Hunji?” He asked, his voice laced with concern for me.

“Yeah,” I shook my head, turning to face him. “Just revisiting the past,” I told him the truth.

In the past few weeks, I had told Tristan ScarClaw all about my past, reliving the memories and telling him what happened to me after I left Andora the first time and what went on between Morgan and I. I told him about Tawny, the Queen – everything. It had been good to get it off my chest and finally speak to someone openly about it.

“I won’t stay here,” I said breaking the silence.

“Not be your brothers Beta or Delta?” He asked surprised.

“No. Although I have missed Rostam and Sonia, this is no longer my home.” I cast a glance back into my old room and pull the door shut. I had no reason to ever open it again. 

“So, what now? Are we going to find a certain young lady with hair as white as mine?” He smirks with a wink, flashing me his pearly whites and his light blue eyes shining.

“No,” I say with a hint of regret. “Have you ever been to Cambiador?”

“The were-cat kingdom on the first continent? No, but I would like to!” He waggles his eyebrows at me, his face a picture of excitement.

“Then let us go on an adventure,” I tell my oldest friend.

*****

Four days ago, we departed on one of the boats Travis and Rhett left behind, from a western shore of Asiarian.

Something we had never figured out, was how Orion and his army of rogues and crawlers got around the realm so fast. Boats: Supercharged 80-foot yachts for the higher-ups and smaller cargo ships that had custom-built engines that were faster than a regular boat, with upgraded GPS and tracking equipment.

I bet King Kellen’s top tech, Damon, would have a field day with these.

It was in the middle of the night when the three of us – Tristan, Gregorio, and myself - docked on a most southernly eastern shore of the were-cat kingdom. The yacht we were on was luxury, with sleeping beds, a small kitchen and dining area, and even a bathroom with a shower almost as tiny as the one on the train from Andora. Making our trip that much easier with us taking turns to drive and sleep.

I smirked thinking about exactly how tiny it was, which brought memories of Morgan half-naked, and the innocent look on her face when I opened the door to our cabin. I shook the visual from my head quickly as I heard Gregorio say “We should be seeing a small dock in just a moment, according to these maps and the GPS”

“Go wake up Tristan, I’ll take over from here.” Gregorio handed me the map, I took my place behind the wheel on the top deck, and he headed down to rouse our other companion. 

Not long after I was pulling the boat against a deserted dock that jutted out from a small bank against the ocean, the thick jungle not too far from us. “Do you know where you are going?” Gregorio asked me, with one eyebrow raised as we walked down the wooden dock onto the dry land.

It was hot and sticky. I had only ventured this far south once and that was with Tawny, but we had never crossed into Big Cat territory. Stopping at the border as we did not have permission to enter. This was years before when we had initially started looking for Queen Lamia when she had been kidnapped by the Rogue King Silas and our constant pain in the side Oliver.

“Nope,” I give him a short answer as we walk closer to the tree line. “But I’m pretty sure the were-cats heading in our direction will be more than welcoming.” I had just picked up the scent of a few were-cats heading in our direction, surprised that Gregorio, being a bear shifter, had not picked up on their scents before me.

“Oh, goodie!” Tristan squeals with excitement, “I can’t wait to meet this princess you have talked so much about.” Of course, the old man would be excited to meet a princess, the granddaughter of the infamous late king of the cats.

“Yep, I’m sure they will be more hospitable to you than to a werewolf and a bear shifter,” I smirk, but at the same time, I know it’s true. The were-cats hated any shifter from outside their Clowders. It was known well throughout the Western continent that the late King Armand never allowed werewolves to set foot in his kingdom and hated the fact they would even cross into his territory.

Now that he was dead and the Kingdom was being run by Tawny and another werecat called Kolby Crimson, I wondered how we would be received. King Kellen of the werewolves had sent supplies and aid to the werecats when Orion’s crawlers had devastated the kingdom, Kellen and Tawny were friends, she had been a good tracker and advisor to him and his late father before Orion’s attempt at taking over the realm.

Tawny had opted to stay in the werewolf kingdom when we built the kingdom of MacTire, staying by King Kellen’s side until she was requested to come to the were-cat kingdom by her late grandfather a little over six months ago. So, it had been a while since the last time I had seen Tawny.

“You are trespassing” A hissing voice fills the night air with an undertone of a growl. “Wolves and bears are not welcome in our kingdom!” The man bites as eight figures emerge from the jungle-like forest several feet in front of us.

I wasn’t surprised by the greeting we received and less surprised at the hostility thrown toward Gregorio and me.

“We have come to seek an audience with princess Tawny Johnson,” I say loudly so there is no mistaking why we are here, “We are personal friends of hers…”

“The princess doesn’t make the decisions.” The biggest man hisses cutting me off with a look of disgust.

I really don’t want to have to put these men in place, but there are only eight of them. They are not a match for me on my own, never mind I have a were-bear standing next to me as well as a were-cat whose aura is that of an Alpha.

Either way, I throw my arms up in surrender, to show them we mean no harm. Gregorio shifts uncomfortably, his nose twitching at the same time I catch the scent of more were-cats closing in on our position.

“Commander Hunji?” I smile at the familiar-sounding voice.

My hands drop to my sides and a sly smirk covers my face as I recognize the were-cat who was one of our top warriors in MacTire. Lamia had sent Mason with Tawny as her personal bodyguard along with a handful of other men I also trained.

“Do you idiots not know who this wolf is?” Mason growls at the werecats holding us in place. “Let him be this instant!” He scowls moving closer to us. “This is Commander Hunji, the right-hand wolf to Queen Lamia.” He turns, fist clenched glowering at the warriors with anger. “We fought beside him in the battle for Riocht. You ignorant bunch of felines! Show some respect!”

A look of shame came across the faces of the warriors and the one who had spoken for them looked at me with regret in his eyes “Please forgive us, commander, we did not recognize you.”

“Mason,” I greet the werecat who was one our best warriors back in MacTire. “It is good to see you, I did not realize you were still here with Tawny?”

“I requested to stay with her, sir.” He said giving me a short bow. “Who are your friends?” He questions lifting a dark brow.

“Tristan ScarClaw,” I gesture to the lithe were-cat, “From Andora and Gregorio, also from Andora.” It’s at that point I realize I have no idea what Gregorio’s last name is - unless he is like me and didn’t have one. “I was hoping to see Tawny. And no she has no idea we are here or was even coming.”

Mason smiles, “In that case let’s surprise her.” He laughs “She is definitely going to be surprised.”

“A happy surprise I hope?” Tristan questions. Swiping a hand down the front of his face.

“Definitely happy,” Mason replies, waggling his eyebrows, “Commander Hunji and Princess Tawny go way back, he winks.

Mason leads us from the shore area and through the thick jungle until we come to a road with several vehicles parked along it and gestures for us to get in one.

Tristan and Gregorio climb in the back and I sit up front while Mason climbs into the driver’s seat. He pulls away from the side of the road, a huge grin on his face, and keeps shaking his head. “She really is going to be surprised to see you,” He repeats, which has me wondering, exactly how happy and why he seems to find it amusing.

“So, it seems the warriors who found us on the shore aren’t too happy with the Princess?” I ask him.

“Why what did they say?” His lighthearted expression drops and turns into a scowl.

“They said she doesn’t make the rules around here?” If Tawny was having a hard time here, there was no way I was leaving her to deal with this kingdom's shit. She didn’t need it, nor deserve it.

“It’s not that... some people are just old fashioned. They believe that the title should pass to Kolby Crimson, not Tawny.” He sighs and I wonder how close he is with Tawny by the way he addresses her instead of calling her princess or highness. Was she not welcomed here after everything she has been doing for this kingdom since she arrived?

I growl lowly, remembering Queen Lamia’s words to Kolby Crimson when she met him at our first winter solstice ball, which we held in MacTire. She had explicitly told him to look after her best friend and if she wasn’t looked after there would be no alliance and she would personally come for him.

“It has nothing to do with Kolby, he and Tawny actually get on quite well considering…”

“Considering what?” I can feel the tight pull of tension as I coil my muscles tighter. Becoming more protective over our little kitty.

“We’re here. I will let Tawny fill you in on everything. Not place to say, Commander.” Mason hops out of the car quickly.

I look up to see a very elegant large two-story building with steps leading up to the main entrance. It looked like a smaller version of Eririat’s palace, with one floor less. Mason led the three of us up the steps, through the main doors, and into the foyer that was open with a second-floor balcony that surrounded the space.

“Mason!” I heard the sweet voice of my little kitty calling out and then her light, almost silent footsteps weaving their way somewhere from the second floor. “Why do I smell…”

Her voice cuts off as she comes around and steps down onto a set of stairs. Halting in her tracks as her eyes land on mine “…Hunji” she says the last word, my name leaving her lips in a bewildered and surprised breathy tone. “Hunji?” She says my name again this time with more gust.

She paused at the top of the stairs, one hand on the railing the other on her hip, and one foot paused midway to taking another step. Her hair is still short and a rustic orange color swept to the side. Her yellow eyes were bright, contrasting with her dark skin, and wide. Those perfect pink lips parted in awe as her eyes landed on mine in a heated gaze.

The next thing I know the kitty has launched herself off the stairs and into my arms flinging her legs around my waist and her hands latching onto my back “Hunji!” She shouts excitedly, her tiny arms squeezing me tight as she plants kisses on my cheek, laughing as she does.

“It’s good to see you too, little one.” I smile taking in her peach scent that I had missed so much. I gently put her down on her feet, my hands still holding her waist as I lean back and take her in, getting a good look at her. I truly have missed my little kitty and didn’t know just how much until now.

“Your eyes… They – They are beautiful.” She confesses in shock. I think I actually blushed, forgetting that my eyes were now the color they had once been, and she had never seen them as anything but dark – almost black. “When did this happen? How?” She keeps questioning me.

“It’s a long story,” I say smiling, happy to be here with her. Happy to see her again and find her well and looking good. “Let me introduce you to my companions.” I turn, holding Tawny in my arms still “This is Gregorio and this is Tristan ScarClaw, both from Andora and both very good friends of mine.”

“Very nice to meet you both,” She extends her hand and shakes both of theirs. She looks up at me, craning her neck “Does Lam’s know you are here? The last I heard you were in Andora looking for Finn’s sister. Did you find her?”

I take a deep breath looking back down at her - she is so tiny. Smaller than Morgan. “I did,” I say searching her eyes for something, I’m just not sure what yet. “And no, Lamia doesn’t know I’m here.” I release her from my hold and regard her. My heart tugging painfully for some reason. “So much has happened and I couldn’t rest until I came to see you.”

“I have never been so happier than to see you Hunji, I have missed you so much!” She says pulling herself back into my arms and her tiny ones wrapping around my wide torso.

“Me too little kitty, me too,” I say with jubilation and feeling my wolf’s contentment at being around her.