The Delta's Daughter Chapter 248

HUNJI/KIAN

“What the shit Hunji!” Tawny sits there, a baffled look on her face, eyes pried open wide and her mouth still hanging open from when I first started telling her everything that has happened since I arrived at the second continent to now. From finding Kellen to Asena and Ashe, my oath, my family, and everything in between. Well, almost. I had purposely left out fucking Morgan and she had imprinted on me - that I had given into temptation.

We had taken a walk, just the two of us. Currently, we were sitting by a fountain in the middle of a terrace, lush greenery and exotic flowers filled the area giving it a bright but peaceful feel. She had listened with interest and intent. I was telling her more than anyone else and it felt easy talking to her, comfortable. Ruda had taken a back seat, content to be around the little kitty. I think he had missed her too.

“So, I have to ask, why are you here? I mean, don’t get me wrong I love to see you and I can’t explain how happy I am to see you, but I’m not sure where I fit into all this?”

I scrub a hand down my face and sigh out loudly, meeting her eyes. This was the embarrassing part. I swallowed, my tongue like sandpaper, then resolved myself.

This was so weird, but I needed to know, and I needed to understand myself. “For years Tawny, I have thought about you, lusted after you. You have been the woman in my dreams, the name on my lips I whisper.” She’s looking at me intently, her yellow eyes shining with want. “But…” I scowled as I thought of how to tell her that all changed the moment I Morgan.

“But…” She says slowly coaxing me to carry on.

I rub the back of my neck and then scrub my face with both palms. I look at my little Kitty and I lean forward bringing my hand up to cup the nape of her neck, we were sitting close together anyway so pulling her to my lips was easy and she didn’t fight it. Finally, my lips press against hers, their soft and warm, tender and she tastes like her scent, all peaches, and cream. She sighs as I part her lips with my tongue and deepen the kiss, but it doesn’t feel right.

Her hands tangle in my hair, and she kisses me back with vigor and then breaks the kiss - much to my relief. Because if she hadn’t, I was about to. Maybe it was wrong for me to kiss her, but I had to know. And what I found out was – It stirred nothing in me. Not one ounce of desire. The kiss was nice but any feelings I had harbored for her since I met the little were-kitty had dissipated. Just as I thought.

As soon as our lips parted all I felt was guilt and shame. As I stare into Tawny’s eyes trying to figure out why we don’t want her anymore, she smiles. There was no longer desire there, no longer a deep wanting. My body didn’t react to kissing her at all. I felt nothing more than a love born of friendship. In a way, I was disappointed, yet thankfully relieved that those feelings I had harbored seemed to no longer be there.

“Who is she?” She asks coyly. “You’ve changed. Is it the witch?”

I must have had a pained look on my face as Tawny suddenly flings her arms around me “Oh Hunji!” She cry’s, “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I broke my vow, Tawny. And I fell for her. She imprinted on me, and we were never meant to be. I have never felt so lost in my life as I do right now.”

She pulls back, a sorrowful look crosses those beautiful dark, and delicate features of hers. Her hands cup my cheeks, and she locks her eyes with me. “I can’t say that some part of me isn’t jealous that you didn’t break your vow for me - but that also tells me she is special to you.” Her eyebrows draw together becoming even more serious “Fuck what this Asena and Ashe said, all I am hearing is that just because you weren’t meant to be, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be.”

I draw in a deep breath listening to her voice my exact thoughts. “I don’t know what changed.” I scowl.

“Love!” She exclaimed, her hands leaving my face and throwing them up in the air “You fell in love Hunji, pure undiluted uncoerced love!” She stands her hands on her hips facing me and peering down at me. Tawny’s face softens, “You fell in love Hunji, just like the humans do. The goddess didn’t need to give you another mate or fate you to another. She already saw - you didn’t have your wolf taken away...”

She sits back down and leans against me, her head on my shoulders. “From everything you have told me, I think the goddess gave you a chance to fall in love with Morgan otherwise she would have interfered. She is letting you choose your own destiny. I wish she would do the same for me.” She sighs.

“What do you mean?” I ask, now focused on her and how she tensed with that last sentence.

“Nothing, just that I’m not a hundred percent convinced having fated mates is a good thing.” I feel her tensed shoulders relax against me again. “I lusted after you too, you know, Still did up until I came here. You were all I thought about for a long time.” I hear her chuckle.

“Is that right?” I cock my head looking down at her, surprised by her confession.

“Oh yeah! You have no idea.” She shakes her head, her orange hair falling over her face as she lowers her head. “I had always hoped I would be your fated mate, but as time passed, I realized that was never going to happen. So, I hoped at one point you would be my first. I don’t think you have any idea just how hot you are.” She laughs.

“Even with all my scars?”

“Especially with all your scars, Hunji.” Her voice turns serious, and I feel a little heat creep up in my cheeks. “You seriously have no idea how many she-wolves would look at you back in the Moon Kingdom, I would be jealous thinking you would break your resolve and pick one of them over me, just because I was a were-cat.”

“Never,” I tell her. If I would have broken my vow for anyone else, it would have been Tawny.

She gives a short laugh again, almost a scoff “I have always admired you and respected you. I would go as far as to say that I love you, but I’m not in love with you. You will go back to Lamia, right? No matter what?”

I nod my head “Yeah, that’s home for me.”

“They are your family too, Hunji. Whether you realize it or not, you are the glue that holds them together. They need you just as much as you need them.”

“And what about you?”

“Me?” She sits up to look at me “What about me?”

“You are their family too; we all miss you,” I tell her honestly knowing how much she had become a part of all our lives and how much Queen Lamia missed her best friend.

“I’ve changed Hunji.”

“I sense it.”

“I fear I have changed too much. Being here though,” Tawny waves her hand around “I have done a lot of good here, and want to keep doing good, despite the difficulties.”

I sense the sadness in her voice, and it makes me feel protective. I don’t like the idea of Tawny being sad, I may not be in love with her, or have the desire to fuck her anymore but she is still someone I consider a friend – family. “What difficulties?” I growl out.

“I don’t really want to tell you, because I fear you will kill them.” She scoffs, her lithe frame shifting uncomfortably. “I’m so much stronger than when you first met me, and I can handle my problems. Can we just leave it at that?”

I scowl not liking that she feels as if she needs to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders, isn’t that what I did? “You don’t have to handle them alone.”

“I’m not.” He gives me a genuine smile “I have Mason.” She winks at me and stands up. I can see plain as day something is bothering her, but I won’t press her.

If I have learned anything about Tawny over the few years that I have known her, she needs to work through her own thoughts and feelings before she can voice them. I still see that meek little girl I first met in her eyes but know how strong and independent she had become, and she is one hell of a tracker and fighter. I feel proud that I helped make that happen.

“Come on,” she says reaching for my hand to pull me up. I stand and she loops her arm in mine and begins to lead me away from the fountain and back toward her palace. “I still can’t believe you hid that you were a prince from us all these years. Annnd, you turned down the crown to your kingdom,” she shakes her head in disbelief “Although it really doesn’t surprise me that much, your place is beside Lamia. At least the oracles got that right.”

I nod in agreement. “I have to go back; there’s so much I need to tell her and Kellen. Things I should have told them long ago.” I didn’t divulge everything to Tawny, giving her the highlights and mostly everything to do with me. I wasn’t going to tell her about Lamia and Kellen’s wolves or their story, at least not until I had told them first.

I owed it to them.

“Why don’t you stay for a few days? See our kingdom and then go back. I would love to have you around for a few days.”

“I would like that. I wouldn’t mind seeing Kolby Crimson while I am here too.” Speaking of the were-cat I met who had visited MacTire during our winter solstice ball earlier this year looking for an alliance with us. And then again, meeting him on the battlefield when we won Riocht.  

I feel Tawny stiffen on my arm “Crimson is away on business right now. But I will be sure to let him know you said hello if he is not back by the time you leave.

I sensed her unease and wondered if Crimson was treating her properly or not, hopefully, he was, otherwise if I found out differently - he would be a dead cat. If not me then Lamia would make sure of it.

“Are you happy here Tawny?” I look down at her so I can gauge her reaction. She smiles.

“Yes, I like it here. Happy though? Not yet. But I think this is my home. Even if I do miss my father, you, Lamia, and our other friends. I want to stay here. As I said, there’s still so much I can do here.”

*****

Tawny and Mason had shown the three of us around the kingdom of Cambiador. She had pride in her eyes when she pointed out what they rebuilt and how she had implemented mine and Lamia’s training regime into their warrior’s training program. Especially after they had been attacked by Orion’s Crawlers and a huge majority of their city had been burnt down by Orion’s army of Rogues.

On every street, we walked down, the people greeted her with smiles and enthusiasm. Knowing her and Mason by name. They gave me and Gregorio a few strange looks but eyed Tristan with interest. Probably because there weren’t too many were-cats in this kingdom that looked like him. Most people here ranged between darker skin and a tanned olive color, with eyes that were brown or hazel. So, Tristan’s pale skin, white hair, and ice eyes were a phenomenon to the were-cats here. They could all tell he was from an ancient bloodline and that made them curious as well as wary.

In all, Cambiador was a peaceful Kingdom, much like Andora, just without the mixture of races.

After four days of hanging out in the Cambiador kingdom, Ruda started to stir and become restless. The urge to move on had started to seep into me too and I found myself wondering how Morgan was doing. It had been a month since I said goodbye to her and last laid eyes on the little witch.

I was still unsure if it was truly love I felt for her or just the connection from her imprinting that had me feeling empty without her, which had not faded in the least. Still, I was hesitant, even with Tawny voicing how I felt.

Tristan had noticed my shift in demeanor, he knew I was ready to leave – that my wolf and I were eager to travel home.

“With your permission Princess I would like to stay here longer, maybe I could even contribute to helping you restructure the kingdom?” We were currently sitting and having a meal at the grand table in the palace when Tristan piped up with his request.

It didn’t surprise me in the least that he would want to stay here. I had felt his hankering to be amongst his race and the look in his eyes when we were seeing the city. He belonged here and wanted to be a part of this place.

“I would love that!” Tawny smiles with glee “But on one condition can I allow you to stay here in the palace.” Tawny says with a hint of mischief in her voice and eyes that sparkle at the older were-cat.

“Which is?” Tristan asks here taking a sip of his wine.

“You agree to be my personal advisor.” I cock my head at Tawny who looks at Tristan waiting for an answer.

“You have yourself a deal young princess.” He jubilantly smiles back at her.

“Good.” She replies looking satisfied “Hunji has told me so much about you in these short days and with knowledge and guidance I think we can really do so much more here.”

I look at Gregorio who shakes his head at me. “If it’s alright with you, your highness, I would like to travel north with you. I am afraid this place is not ready for a bear shifter to move in yet.”

We chuckle at his declaration “I think you are right Greg,” Tawny addresses him, “But please know you are more than welcome to stay if you change your mind.”

“Thank you but I would really like to see Morgan, she had become like a daughter to me and my late wife.” I watch as his eyes darken with sadness and I know how much Morgan means to him, even more so now that his wife, Margarita, who was Morgan’s longtime caretaker had died trying to get her out of the Megaron.

“We can travel to Riocht together, from there I can have you escorted to the Kodiak Kingdom.” I don’t want to make any promises or commitments because I’m still not sure how I feel. If I see Morgan I know without a doubt, Ruda will want to claim her, and it may not be what she wants. She may not want me anymore.

“When will you leave?” Tawny asks me, also knowing I am getting antsy.

“The end of this week,” I tell her.

“I will have a vehicle ready for you,” She smiles.

We carry on with dinner settling into a comfortable conversation, Tawny and Tristan conversing about were-cat history, the subject of Kolby Crimson coming up a few times. Each time his name is mentioned I see Tawny wince slightly. A nagging suspicion that there is more to her acquaintance with the were-cat than she is letting on.

The end of the week comes quickly. Gregorio and I have our bags packed and already in the car Tawny made available for us. I’m excited to finally be going home. Not MacTire but our new home Riocht. Riocht is situated in the heart of the second continent, home to the Queen and King of shifters – Lamia and Mathias. My home.

“Safe travels old friend, I will miss you.” Tristan throws his arms around me, giving me a hug and a pat on the back “Just this time let’s stay in touch, and hopefully, sooner rather than later I will make it out to meet our famous Queen and King you speak so highly about.” He moves on to give Gregorio the same manly hug and then steps back to wave us off.

Before I get in the car Tawny flings her tiny arms around my neck, having to jump up because of the height difference. “I will see you real soon Hunji, I still gotta meet those three babies Lamia gave birth to, so I will be sure to make a trip out there as soon as I can.” She kisses my cheek “Remember, you control your future, don’t sell yourself short handsome.”

“I won’t,” I laugh at her sternness.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” I tell her and put her down on her feet.

“Don’t do anything to screw up those beautiful eyes,” She jests with me, waggling a finger, speaking of my newly colored eyes. Well not newly colored, this was the original color it’s just that nobody had ever seen them before. They went black almost 14 years ago and only returned to their original state when Morgan imprinted on me.

I hop in the driver’s seat, turn the key, and bring the car to life. “Ready?” I ask Gregorio.

“Definitely. To Riocht we go.” He says pointing forward as I pull away from the front of the palace. Away from Tawny, now feeling good about our friendship and having a sort of closure when it comes to us.