The Delta's Daughter Chapter 256

HUNJI/KIAN

A thunderous growl reverberates throughout the palace, shaking the walls. Followed by one just as loud and resonating.

I leap out of bed where I had been cuddled up with Morgan, grabbing a pair of shorts and throwing them on as I stumbled to the door.

“What the heck was that?” My little witch asks, her voice wavering from the booming roars.

At the same time Tobias pushes a mind-link through *Hunji, get the fuck out here, King and Finn are going at it*

“Fuck,” I grumble, flinging the door open “Stay here!” I tell Morgan not wanting her to be in the middle of this. More growls ring out, again shaking the walls.

I rush towards the North side of the building using my shifter speed but stop when a loud crashing noise steals my attention. I look over the balcony to see two bears come barreling through the wall of Mathias’ office.

“They are going to kill each other!” I hear Tobias who is on the opposite side of the palace, also looking down.

In the center courtyard, Mathias’ bear Arcas and Finn’s bear, Arthur are fighting like nothing I have ever seen. Their speed matched, swapping blows, with a strength that would kill anyone else. Memories of Mathias killing Orion flash in my mind.

Tobias is right, if they’re not stopped someone is going to die.

I see Rhett come out and stop dead as he too watches in horror as the two bears claw at each other. Blood and fur flying in the air. Growls and roars echo throughout the palace walls, as the two tear each other apart.

“Oh, my goddess! Finn!” I hear Morgan scream, turning only to see her with her hands over her mouth a horrified look on her face.

“Don’t!” I yell at her. Her interference could get him killed, or worse if she tried to intervene.

I leap over the banister, landing on my feet, and see Tobias do the same. He shakes his head at me, as in ‘don’t try to get in the middle’.

Teeth clash and Mathias has Finn down on his back, only for Finn’s bear to kick out, throwing Kings bear a few feet away. Finn gets up, his bear’s chest heaving as he stands on two legs squaring off against King’s beast, Arcas.

They both let out a roar and charge toward one another, clashing with almighty strength. The sound of flesh tearing reaches my ears and I fear one of them is going to die. They are matched almost strength for strength, blow for blow, roar for roar. Mathias seems to have the upper hand as his bear catches Finn’s beast's throat. His other paw lifting about to swipe through his face.

We can only look on at the bloodbath in front of us - unless we want to meet our end too. From the corner of my eye, I see Tobias clenching his fists, aching to step in and break them up. But he isn’t stupid enough to try.

Suddenly a Growl that shudders the very earth we stand on has all our spirit animals cowering. I see Rhett and Tobias shrink back, my own wolf shuddering at the commanding sound.

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU TWO THINK YOU ARE DOING!” Lamia’s voice mixed with her wolf booms through the air. She comes flying out from the west side of the palace heading straight for the two fighting bears. Her eyes glow a brilliant green - her wolf pushing out her power.

At the sound of her voice, the fighting ceases. Mathias' bear drops his threatening paw and Finn. Finn's bear steps back and they both shift into their skin forms. Both of them heaving with testosterone, blood oozing from open wounds strewn across their bare bodies. Their eyes blazing with an inferno as they stare each other down; ready to pick the fight back up at a moment’s notice.

Faded lines mar Finn’s body from the net, and I know he was not at full strength, his body was still healing from the poison infused with the net. Would they be evenly matched if he had fully recovered? I wonder.

“Now, someone tell me what the hell you two idiots are playing at? You woke all three kids, right when I had them down for a nap!” Lamia stands with her hands on her hips, I can feel her wrath from where I stand. I move forward, closer to stand by my Queens side.

“Shit,” Tobias mutters “They are both screwed now.”

Lamia gives Finn’s naked body a once over and then does the same to Mathias. Shakes her head with a smirk and says, “You really could be twins.”

King growls and Finn blushes. “Lamia,” I say her name through gritted teeth, warning her not to rile them up again. She rolls her eyes. Our Queen is strong and can hold her own, but I know for a fact she cannot overpower Mathias, therefor I doubt she would be able to overpower Finn either from what I just witnessed.

However, they just royally pissed off a mother, whose babies they woke. I wouldn’t want to be on her bad side right now.

By now a small crowd has gathered, warriors ready to be commanded and palace staff gawking at the King and his rival in all their glory. Rhett, Ria, Xander, and Morgan join us in the center courtyard. Xander looks pissed, Ria is sobbing in fear, and Morgan, although tears brim in her eyes has a look that could kill on her face and is aiming it right at Mathias.

“Everyone inside, now!” Lamia commands her mate and Finn. She stalks off toward the north wing, growling when she passes by the gaping hole in the wall from King’s office. “This is why we don’t have nice things.” She grumbles, flexing her hands.

Mathias may be big and bad, but when it came to Lamia, he was the biggest teddy bear alive. She most definitely wore the pants in their relationship. I scoffed at my internal thoughts. Getting looks of weirdness from everyone, at my outwardly mocking tone. We trailed behind King and Finn, who looked like a pair of scolded children sending glares back and forth, but neither of them dared to utter a word.

“Now, will one of you idiots explain to me why my parents are currently trying to soothe three kids who woke up screaming and scared to death because the two of you decided to see whose balls were the biggest?” Lamia’s voice rose the more talked, but still not quite shouting.

The Queen unleashed on King and Finn as soon as we were all seated in a parlor that had been converted into a conference room with a seating area. Rhett sat on the couch, next to his sister and Xander, who looked worse for the wear. I scowled thinking, he should have still been on bed rest.

Morgan was sitting next to me twitching anxiously with anger. I could feel her emotion rolling off her in waves.

“Well?” Lamia clicks her tongue eyeing her mate and Finn. Settling her glare on King.

He cracks under the pressure “His beast challenged me.” King points a haphazard finger at Finn.

“You attacked a disabled person! Your brother at that!” Finn growls back at him.

I see Mathias’s eyes flash with his beast, Lamia growls and Arcas retreats.

“Finn didn’t challenge him. He was protecting me. Mat didn’t like what I said to him, it was actually me who challenged Arcas.” Xander cuts in trying to sound strong but we can all hear the tiredness he is unable to hide.

Lamia groans in irritation. Throwing her head back and her hands went slack by her side.

“Xander came to tell King he was going to swear Finn in as his Beta, to replace Abner,” Ria speaks up. “King didn’t like it, he and Xander got into it – Like usual,” she adds. “Finn got protective over Xander, and Arcas took it as a challenge.” Ria finishes and sinks back against Xander, gently running her hand over his arm and checking to see how he is fairing.

“I don’t see what the problem is?” Tobias says who was quietly observing from across the room. “Mat and Xander fight all the time, and I think Finn is a good pick for Beta.”

“Are you serious, right now?” King cuts him a look of evil.

“Yeah,” Tobias stands firm, crossing his arms over his chest.

“That – piece of shit poisoned my mate and held a knife to her throat. He helped command an army of Rogues and Crawlers. He kidnapped a little girl!” King spat his fiery temper aiming back at Finn.

“He also saved me, betrayed Orion at a risk, and even though he helped kidnap Petra, he still protected her.” Lamia tries to reason with King.

Morgan rises from her seat next to me, fists coiled tightly, back stiff. When I looked at my little witch her violet eyes were dark but had begun to glow. I saw this look when she commanded her army of dead in Eririat. I shifted readily, in case she did something she would later regret.

“My brother is a good man! he didn’t ask to be dragged into a life of crime and sickness. He was forced.” Morgan growled at King, who looked intrigued by her outburst - but my little witch wasn’t done yet.

She takes a step closer to where King sits. Dark violet eyes narrowed with heat, “You call him names and write him off for his mistakes, for shit he had no choice in.” she steps closer “He did it for me!” closer, “And you think you are some saint?” She sneers, stalking toward him until she stops in front of him, and bends so her face is at eye level with his. Slowly and lowly, she growls out her next words through gritted teeth. “You are not invincible.”

Morgan holds his stare, their eyes locking in a challenge and they both begin to glow. I’m twitching to pull my little witch back when I see Lamia’s hand lift, holding her palm out to me, telling me to wait.

*He won’t hurt her* She assures me through a mental message. I wish I could believe her, but Arcas is unstable, and fear grips my heart as my human witch has a stare-off with the King. 

There is only one other person aside from Lamia that has been rumored to have held up to King’s aura. That man is Delta Marcus, Lamia’s father. King’s eyes bore into my little witch who is still at eye level with him. The power his beast is admitting is stifling, making my own wolf retreat from the Alpha's aura. I can see everyone else in the room looking uncomfortable too, taking a quick glance around.

Lamia is unaffected, having a strong aura also. What surprises me is, Morgan doesn’t seem affected at all. Holding his glowing gaze easily with a glow of her own. Yet I feel her aura is calm and unstressed, not at all like tone she held when putting Mathias in his place.  

“Never forget, I am probably the only one with the power to stop you, Mathias.” It wasn’t a threat; it was the truth. Morgan held his eyes for a few seconds more before straightening and turning to Lamia. Her personality doing a one-eighty. “Goddess you are so nice, I am so sorry I spoke to your mate like that…” She was completely apologetic. I stood, crossing the room quickly and pulling Morgan into my arms.

King sat there casually with a smug look on his face. He brought his hand up to his short hair and brushed over it. A slight shake of his head. “You got some grit little witch,”

King then turned to Xander, “You trust him?” He points at Finn.

“I do,” Xander states.

“And this is what you want?” King is still looking at Xander

“Pretty sure he had already slipped into the role, by the way, he protected his Alpha. Even against you” Tobias spoke.

Mathias turns his eyes to me, letting them quickly regard Morgan, who I held tight to me, proud and in awe of how she easily held Mathias’s challenging eyes and was unaffected by the power of his aura.

“Hunji?” He questions.

I loosen my grip on my little witch, just a little. I scan the room, my eyes landing on each person until settling them back on Mathias. “Professionally, I think the Kodiak Kingdom could really utilize Finn’s skills and unsavory contacts to our advantage. Personally – he proved himself to me in Eririat, he has gained my trust, your highness.”

I address King professionally and accordingly so he knows I speak for the good of the kingdom and not what I think he should do, or because I am now mated to Morgan - but it’s what makes sense, the logical thing to do.

“You really think you can find these fuckers?” He asks Finn.

“I do. I want to find them.” Finn declares with finality.

Mathias bites his cheek and looks at Lamia, who gives him a curt nod. “You know the Beta steps in when the Alpha is unable to perform his duties,”

“I am not after being Alpha, Mathias.” Finn cuts him off “I would be happy with a warrior or trackers rank.”

“You beast is an Alpha, powerful enough to be a king…” Finn shakes his head, then turns away from King, wearing a chagrined look.

“I do not wish for that. I will tell you the same thing I told Xander. I have seen what power and greed do, I have lived it, and been a victim of it. I have no interest in becoming the ruler of anything or anyone.” He looks back at King, meeting his eyes so he could see his truth.

The air is thick with anticipation as we all hope Mathias will give up his grudge and not make this any more difficult and uncomfortable than it already is.

“Shit, I haven’t been this entertained since we were all together in MacTire,” Rhett laughed.

“Fuck off Rhett,” Ria scolded her brother, taking us all by surprise because the curse just sounded so foreign and wrong coming out of her mouth.

“Fine!” King finally concedes.

Pushing up and out of his chair he drags Lamia into his arms. “Are the kids back to sleep?” He mumbles to her, nuzzling her neck. She nods after a moment – probably linking her parents to find out.

“Then I guess… congratulations, Finnegan. My brother’s life is now in your hands.  Don’t make me have to kill you.” He gives Xander an apologetic look.

“Should we hug now, brother?” Finn deadpans. Mathias snaps his eyes to him, looking at Finn like he is crazy. “Too soon?”

“It will always be too soon.” Mathias counters, his gaze flicking to Morgan and softening for a moment so brief, if I wasn’t paying attention, I would have missed it. I smiled knowing he had a soft spot for Morgan, whether he would admit she was his little sister or not, he at least admired her. It was a good start.

Finn, well their friendship would take longer. If they didn’t kill each other first.

“Right are we all done here?” Lamia doesn’t wait for a reply. “Ria, take Xander to your room and, I’m ordering bed rest for him. The rest of you, I don’t want to see you until tomorrow, I’ve had as much as I want to handle today. No more shit shows! Tobias, Hunji, keep your walls down in you're charge for the rest of the day.”

One by one they leave the room; Morgan gives a head nod aimed at Ria and she helps Ria with Xander to their room. Lamia and King head towards their own wing. Leaving Rhett and me with Tobias.

“Who would you have betted on if Lamia hadn’t come and stopped those two?” Rhett asks as soon as the room is clear.

“King, always King!” Tobias says, moving over to the liquor canteen in the corner. Taking out three glasses, holding one up to me.

“Make mine an ouzo,” I tell him.

Tobias comes over and takes a seat on the opposite end of the couch from Rhett, I sit in one of the chairs facing them.

“I’d take that bet.” Rhett shrugs taking the glass of dark liquor Tobias offers him and taking a sip. “ahh” He sighs, feeling the burn of liquid that the first sip provides. “What ya think Hunji, or should be calling you Kian?” He smirks at the name change.

“Hunji. And I’m not a betting man.” I sip my own drink and lean back in the chair. Thankful things calmed down and no one died. 

“Okay,” Rhett slowly stretches the word out, “In your professional opinion if that was a real duel to the death. Who would you mark as the stronger opponent and most likely in an outcome to win? No interference.”

I pause at his question and think about it, “If Finn was fully healed from his injuries?”

“Fully healed,” Tobias says leaning forward, eager to hear my answer. Rhett shuffles his feet, anticipating my answer just as much as Tobias – I’m the tiebreaker in their bet. I give them a sly smile and take another sip of my drink. “Why don’t you bet on my answer,”

I meant it as a joke, but Rhett pulls a small pad of paper and pen from his pocket and hands it to me. “Write it down then tell us your answer, this way we can check if you change your mind.”

“That’s dumb. I think king, you think Finn. Hunji? Who in that scenario wins?” Tobias is getting antsy waiting for my answer.

“Sorry Rhett, King wins. Every time. Not that I’m eager to prove my assumption right.”

“Shit.” Rhett pulls his wallet out and hands Tobias a note.

“Neither of you asked me why.”

“Huh?” They say in unison quirking brows in confusion.

I take another sip of my drink. “Neither of you asked me why I thought he would win hands down every time.”

“Ok, I’ll humor you,” Rhett, sits back, stretching out his legs now. “Why would Mathias win every time and not Finn?”

“Lamia.” I give a one-word answer just to be a shit, waiting for the penny to drop.

Tobias stares at me in thought. I can see when he finally gets it. His lips upturn into the goofiest smirk. “’Cause he has a mate. A mate makes you stronger. The stronger the mate, the stronger you become.” He bobs his head with his explanation.

“Uhm no fair, I have no idea how this mate shit works.”

“Rhett, you have lived with shifters your whole life, your mother was a werewolf?” Unbelievable that he didn’t know this, not even a hint of recognition after he was told appeared in his eyes.

“Yeah doesn’t mean I paid attention to it.” I look at him shaking my head, how could a guy as smart as him, be so ignorant?