The Delta's Daughter Chapter 250

MORGAN

3 MONTHS LATER

I had settled into the Kodiak Kingdom, finding my place in the Clan Mansion. I had taken on helping Ria with the day-to-day activities in not only the mansion but the surrounding villages. Xander and Ria had even taken me to Lonely City, a place with buildings that touched the sky and had more races in one place than anywhere I had ever heard of.

Xander, King Mathias’s other younger brother, told me that the Kingdom MacTire was even more mixed and had the strongest army that this realm would ever see. That was where Alpha Travis ruled after Queen Lamia had won the battle of Riocht.

I experienced my first bar and intoxication while in Lonely City and I don’t think I will ever drink again after that night. Actually, while I was drinking wasn’t so bad, it was the morning after when I woke up feeling like a corpse that made me swear to never drink again.

Finn had gone crazy when we got home threatening to rip Xander’s head off because of the state I was in. I have to say though, Ria wasn’t much better than me. I guess shifters have a much higher tolerance to alcohol than us mere mortal humans.

On the days I am not helping with activities or scheduling meetings for Alpha Xander, I find myself in the library reading through their vast expanse of books or wandering down to the Clan hospital and helping there to heal some of the sick or injured. That was where I met a bear shifter named Abner Brooks. He was a member of the high council on this continent and a good friend to not only Alpha Xander but also his brother Mathias. I had yet to meet my half-brother Mathias and the Queen of shifters – Lamia.

Abner, so I found out had become a permanent resident here and was filling in for the role of Beta until Alpha Xander finally named someone. I got the distinct feeling from Abner Brooks, who reminded me a lot of Tristan ScarClaw, that Alpha Xander was not happy in his role. He wasn’t the first to hint at that either. Ria too had said something about how Xander had been happier being third in command.

I asked why they didn’t just name another Alpha and Abner said Xander would have to be challenged for the title to be passed on. The challenge would be to the death or whoever conceded first. That was their law.

I kind of get why Xander hadn’t stepped down if he didn’t like his position. Firstly, he was a big guy, and no one would dare challenge him, secondly whether he liked it or not, he was a damn good Alpha. Everyone I had met here seemed to love and dote on him. He was charismatic and kind and super smart too. He had been trying to get me to take a ride in his flying contraption that he called Bridie. I wasn’t brave enough for that yet, although a part of me was excited for the day I said yes.

I had heard that Kian was back in Riocht, and had been for some time now. The yearning for him had started to fade about a month ago and I figured our connection due to my imprinting on him was dissolving just like Ashe had said it would.

Except, I had read that a mate’s imprint would last a lifetime and the souls would be forever connected. It was a contradiction to what Ashe had told us, but nevertheless, my heart did not ache as much when I thought about him, and my thoughts were no longer consumed by him every waking moment.

I did wish to see my wolfman though, and every time I thought about seeing him that familiar fluttering heat would coil up starting in my stomach and then rolling out through my body.

He didn’t want to see me. If he did then he would have come here already.

I closed the book I was reading and looked to see Finn also with his nose in a book. We were currently spending the afternoon in the library reading. Both of us sat in silence while we each got lost in the pages of our own stories. I was discovering my brother all over again and I had learned that he liked to read just as much as I did.

“Finn?”

“Hmm,” He hummed, eyes still trained on the pages was reading.

“Have you ever thought of becoming the Alpha?” He would be a great Alpha, shit he had Royal blood coursing through his veins, he would make an excellent king to the were-bears.

He scoffs, finally looking up at me and closing his book “Your joking, right?” I shake my head ‘no’ and raise an eyebrow. “Morgan, they don’t trust me, even now. How in the name of the realm do you expect me to win the trust and loyalty of the subjects when the King of shifters doesn’t even like me?”

“The Queen likes you,” I state, knowing it was Queen Lamia who spared his life and had him taken off house arrest. At least for a while until we came back here and Xander said Mathias was adamant that he be put on lockdown again because he didn’t trust Finn. Xander was a little perplexed at that. Said Finn had already done his time and had proven he was a good guy.

“Well, it’s about time King Mathias let you go free. You didn’t have to come back here you know? You could have disappeared after I was safe.”

“I came back because you said this was where you needed to be and I’m not leaving you again.” He groans and sits up from his laying position on the opposite couch. “I don’t blame them, Morgan, after all, I was by our father’s side for all of it…”

“Yes, but you didn’t have a choice.” I point at him. “You had one of those inhibitor chips stuck in you.” I shiver at the invention my father and his mistress had concocted – an implant that could control shifters and if they disobeyed, he could kill them with just a command. Goddess my father had done some truly evil things.

“Yah well, even if the Queen sees my good side, I doubt Mathias ever will. I mean I did hold his mate captive and poison her with silver dust.”

“Again. Not your fault.” I point out.

“I could have said no, walked away.”

“But then he would have killed you. And where would I be? If it wasn’t for you, Kian would have never found me, and I would have ended up in the hands of his psycho brother.” I again feel a chill run through my bones at the thought of Farid. “How are you meant to meet your mate locked up in this mansion every day?”

Finn stiffens and his fists clench, he looks uneasy. “Have you already found your mate?” He says nothing but he won’t look at me. “Finn?” He looks anywhere but toward me. “You did! You found your mate!” I almost screech. “Well, who is she? Where is she?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He grits out with a strained voice full of tension.

I stand now, pulling a classic Margarita look with my hands on my hips, lips pursed and eyes glaring at my brother. He runs a hand through his medium-length white-blonde hair and huffs out a breath of annoyance. “Tell me,” I say with an authoritative voice.

“Her name is Farah, but I had to let her go.” He hangs his head and I detect so much sadness in him.

“Oh Finn, why?” I ask, plopping down on the sofa next to him and putting my arm around his large shoulders.

He palms the back of his neck rubbing it nervously. “Fuck, because she was kidnapped by our father, and he was going to let her be…” He swallows “Used.” I know what he means by used and I rub his shoulder. “I managed to hide her and left her in a cabin the night before we attacked Riocht”

“Oh, Finn!” I cry for him “Do you know where she is?” He shakes his head.

“She was either meant to be used and die or turned into a Crawler. I spared her from either of those, I saved her, but I helped her hide, and in the morning when everyone was gone - I told her to run and never look back.” He looks at me, violet eyes connecting with violet eyes. “Petra was there, I hid her in a room to keep her out of harm’s way.”

I smiled at the thought of the little she-bear, such a grown-up little girl for twelve. With such a sad history too. Finn was so protective over her, he had told me when Orion ordered her to be kidnapped, he could think of nothing else but me and swore to take care of that little girl. I think she was his real saving grace in the end. If hadn’t been adamant about protecting her, he would have surely been killed in the battle. Whether he saved Queen Lamia’s life that day or not.

“Why the long faces?” Alpha Xander came walking into the library with an even bigger smile on his face than usual.

“Just catching up” I shrug wanting to keep mine and Finn’s conversation private. If they didn’t trust him yet, then they weren’t privy to personal problems.

“Well, cheer up. We are taking a road trip.” He beams at us “You too Finnegan.”

My brother cocks his head at the Alpha, “Where too?” He asks.

“Riocht,” Xander smiles back waggling his eyebrows. “We have been invited and Lamia is quite eager to meet Morgan. Plus, Ria is chomping at the bit to see her and see the Castle.”

“I doubt they want me there,” Finn grumbles I glance at him and just catch him rolling his eyes and give him a nudge in the ribs.

“Yep, they sure do. Mat told me himself that you, coming is not an option.” Xander is still wearing that goofy smile as he addresses Finn.

I shift uneasily thinking of who will be there. Will I see Kian? “Will Kian be there?” I ask tentatively putting my head down and fiddling my finger together nervously. Then sweeping my hair behind my ears.

“Who?” Xander asked confused “oh, you mean Hunji? I will never get used to calling him that.” He chuckles. “I’m sure he will be, also I hear a certain bear shifter is waiting to see you too.”

That perks my interest and I look up at the tall bear shifter “Who?” I ask Xander.

“I think his name is… Gregorio” He pauses for effect, and it works. I leap from my sitting position with a jolt of excitement.

“Gregorio! When do we leave?” I quickly say, immediately ready to leave, like now. This instant – to see the man who was like family and risked his life for me. Lost his wife in their attempt to get me out of the Megaron.

“We will leave tomorrow morning, the four of us and a few warriors,” Xander explains.

Finn stands up next to Xander and I notice the difference between the two not for the first time. Alpha Xander is huge, tall muscular with brown hair and brown eyes but compared to Finn his stature is small. Finn is a good few inches taller and a lot more built than the Alpha, with pale skin, violet eyes, and white hair like me. I feel so tiny standing next to these two that I take a step back feeling overcrowded.

“Well, I will leave you to it, mom is making her famous souffle tonight for dinner,” He rubs his hands together “and chocolate cake for dessert” and waggles his eyes. “I should go see what she needs help with.

I draw my brows together “Ria said you suck at cooking” I repeat what she told me.

“I do, but someone needs to lick the bowl!” He laughs, giving us a wave of his hand, and leaves us alone again in the library.

“That woman hates me,” Finn says speaking of Xander’s and King Mathias’ mother, Amitola.

“I don’t think she hates you…” I trail off “I think it’s just awkward because of whose children we are.”

“No, I’m pretty sure she hates me.” He wrinkles his nose in distaste.

I personally thought I got on quite well Amitola. Though, I have to admit it is a strange dynamic. She would be our aunt yet her eldest son, King Mathias was our brother. Xander on the other hand had a different father altogether. Not Orion or the twin brother he killed, Agrius, in an attempt for the throne.

Even if I did see foresee my father dying many years ago, since coming here I have learned so much more about how truly sick and sadistic he was. I was never under any illusions that he wasn’t after witnessing his wrath and killing our mother, but still. I have heard so much more from Finn, Ria, and Xander. Amitola refuses to even speak his name or be in the same room when he is mentioned. And I can’t say that I blame her.

*****

“How long of a drive?” I ask when we are all loaded up in the car the next morning. Ria and I in the back, Finn and Xander in the front with Xander driving. Xander wanted to fly but Finn said, ‘No way, if shifters were meant to fly the gods would have given us wings.’

We have three cars accompanying us one rides in front while the other two head up the rear. Both cars carry four warriors each.

“We should make it there in the early hours,” Xander replies.

“That’s why I bought snacks,” Ria holds up a bag “Xander hates to stop once we get going. For gas and bathroom breaks, that’s the only reason he will stop.” She supplies.

The day passes and I get fed up looking out the window and find myself drifting in and out of a dreamless state of sleep. I wake up once and a while to the low talking of Xander and Finn. I ignore them for the most part and begin to drift off again.

Unlike the last few times, when my eyes close, I feel that familiar pressure behind my eyes, and my mind clouds with a hazy vision: A ringing in my ears, almost deafening, smoke consumes the night sky and beneath the deafening ringing I hear crying and screams. Flashes of splattered blood jump into the vision like a strobe light slowly blinking. Painful cries get louder and the ringing in my ears begins to quiet. I hear voices calling out. I blink to see men fighting men, bears fighting men. Another flash blinds me and I feel myself scream, covering my ears with my palms, yet no sound comes from my mouth.

I wake with a jolt, feeling the sweat bead on my brow.

“Are you okay Morgan?” Finn has twisted around in the front seat to face me, and Xander has his eye on me in the mirror. I look at Ria who is fast asleep giving off light snores.

I check myself, patting down my front and then smoothing down my hair. “Yeah, just a bad dream. I think.” I tell my brother unsure. “Actually no, I’m not okay.” I shake my head. “I think I just had a vision.”

Finn draws his eyebrows together “What was the vision?”

I again shake my head, not wanting to recall the visual I had just witnessed in my sleep. “Uh, screaming, blood. Lots of blood and smoke. There was a big bang…”

“Like an explosion?” Xander asks, glancing at me again through the mirror.

“Yeah, an explosion.” I shiver, still trying to make sense of the vision I just had. The first one since I had come here. I hadn’t even heard my mother’s voice since reuniting with Finn, so I was thrown for a loop right now. Dazed by the invasion of my mind.

Finn looked at me with concern, and Xander looked as if he didn’t know if he should be worried or not. I looked back at Ria and nudged her with my foot. For whatever reason, I felt like she should be awake. She started stirring.

“Why did you wake me? Are we there?” She sleepily rubs her eyes and starts to sit up.

“No, not there another half hour and we will be at the border…”

Like a clap of thunder, a shuddering boom sounds out, shaking the car and causing Xander to lose control. I hear Ria scream and I grab her hand, holding it tight as Xander gets control of the car. The car comes to a halt and I ark my head to see the two cars behind us also stop.

“What the fuck was that?” Ria’s shaky voice fills the silent car.

I shake my head; from the back, I can see Finn’s lips pull tight and his eyes darken he gives Xander a worried glance.

“I have no idea,” Xander says.

Suddenly another BOOM fills the air, and the car lifts up, slamming down to the ground again, the front of the vehicle is on fire now and I can feel the panic rising up in me and Ria’s stronghold grip on my hand tells me she too is scared.

The next thing I know everything, and everyone is moving so fast, men are shouting and running from the tree line throwing lit objects at the cars and the warriors who are now climbing out and shifting.

“Stay down and stay out of sight!” Finn yells to me and Ria as he exits the car.

“What the fuck is happening!” Ria cries.

“Were being attacked!” Xander growls, flying from the car.

I peer my head up from where Ria and I are crouched down. Another explosion goes off. A white flash and an even louder boom ring out. I cover my ears as does Ria. Both of us were scared out of our minds. The sound of growling and screaming fills the air. I hear yelling followed by several louder cracks and I can just see the cars behind us on fire.

“We can’t stay here,” I tell Ria, realizing our car is on fire too and could explode at any moment. Just as I say that the automobile that was in front of us, which stopped several yards away flew up into the air combusting and dropping back to the ground shaking the atmosphere around us.

I open the car door, holding on tight to Ria and keeping low, I pull her behind me out into the night.

Men, about thirty or more have us surrounded, more coming from the trees. Some begin to shift into wolves. I spot my brother bear fighting, knocking down attackers when four of them throw something at him. The something is a net that glimmers and shines under the cloud of smoke. I hear him roar and his bear drops to the floor.

They throw an object at our warriors creating a devastating explosion once again and all I hear is Ria screaming for Xander. I look around for something to cut my palm. I find a sharp stone and dig into my palm, wincing at the pain. My blood drops to the ground and I reach out to find echoes. But there are none. No dead harbor in this place. Blood so much blood and our warriors are groaning, limbs were strewn about on the ground.

“Finn!” I scream, giving our position away when a pair of hands grab me and start kicking and screaming. A man grabs Ria and starts to haul her backward into the trees. “Finn!” I scream again when an almighty roar that shakes the very dirt beneath me sounds out.

There stands the biggest and scariest man I had ever seen. The exact same face as my brother yet not. With dark hair and eyes that glow silver, so bright, that even I can see them through haze and smoke.

I open my mouth to call out, but nothing sounds as I feel a heavy object smash against my head my vision blurs and all I see are black spots, and feel the pool of blood gather in my hair as I black out.