The Delta's Daughter Chapter 269

CRIMSON

From the moment I laid eyes on the princess I was instantly pulled to her, but I was engaged, and I loved Gillian. Didn’t I?

Then why was I so worked up at Tawny’s sassy and bold mouth? Why am I kissing her, my body reacting to hers, coming alive at the feel of her soft tiny body against mine?

Mason’s voice had her pulling away from me thankfully. So why did I instantly feel cold and empty once she had moved away from my embrace?

“Are you okay Princess?” Mason asked her, his hands on her arms and dark eyes full of worry gliding over her frame.

I scrunched my face up, did she call him to come here? Is she afraid of me? She should be.

It wasn’t until she accused me of ignoring the mate bond, the serious look on her face - did I realize I was her mate. I thought King Armand would have told her about me, apparently, he didn’t because she looked at me like I was insane when I told her I wasn’t a werecat.

She thought I was making it up, but I have no reason to lie. I know the late King wanted to name me as his successor and would have, except for that one tiny issue. I was not a werecat. I had no spirit animal, no counterpart. But I was a shifter.

I was one of a kind, the only one of my kind that we knew of. I had all the gifts of a shifter and more. I could feel magic, it drew me towards it like a homing beacon.

That was why I wanted to know where the ring was. I had no idea if anyone else knew it held magical properties. What that magic was, was anyone’s guess, but it was strong and special, my gut feeling had always urged me to keep it close.

“I’m ok, thank you for coming so quickly, Mason.” Tawny breathily said and I wondered if her flustered tone was because of me or him.

“We still have things to discuss, Princess.” I cut into their moment.

Mason’s presence seemed to give her back the toughness she had always displayed. Gone was the ragged breath and the flush from her cheeks, the spark in her yellow eyes had diminished and was back to their hardened glare.

“Your right,” She says stepping towards me, “We definitely have a shit ton to discuss.” I look at Mason, her personal guard, then at the little princess whose shoulders are squared, chin tipped up and any signs of vulnerability have been washed away. I wanted to see that look again – for her to look at me like my stare alone could melt her. “Mason’s staying,” She says, as if reading my mind “I trust him, and you can too. He is a spokesperson for MacTire and can liaise with them for any help we are going to need to rebuild this city and the aid they will provide. I will communicate with the Moon Kingdom.”

I nod. We were back to all business. Which suited me fine. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with this whole mate thing. I didn’t feel the bond like were-folk. I was cut from a different cloth. Never truly knowing what I actually am.

A Grimalkin is what King Armand had called me. A rare and special kind of shifter with ancient bloodlines. But nobody knew where I had come from or if there was even anymore out there like me.

The king had found me deep in the jungle long ago when I was only a small boy, barely old enough to even remember. I have no memory of where I came from, or if I had parents. The king took me in and raised me like his own, giving me my name, a home, and love.

He never stopped searching for more of my kind, but we never found anything or anyone. The people of Cambiador were none the wiser to what I truly was. As far as they were concerned, I was like any other werecat.

The only people who knew my true nature were the King, Gillian… and now Tawny.

“Let’s discuss how we can work together.” I gesture to the two chairs for Tawny and Mason to sit. I move to sit on the other side of the desk, when Tawny clears her throat and rounds the table, taking the late King’s chair. I scowl but take a seat next to the werecat anyway, keeping my mouth shut. I meant what I said, that if she decided she wanted the throne, I would support her. After all, it is her birthright, and I am not even a werecat. Yet, I somehow felt disgruntled. I wanted the throne, the crown. I had worked hard for my place. I didn’t just deserve to lead the kingdom, I cared for these people, knew them, and would do everything I could for this kingdom while bringing us into the 4th cycle of the realm.

The rest of the meeting was cordial, no more talks of mates. After tawny and Mason left the office, I heaved a huge sigh of relief. We had accomplished a lot. Tawny and mason would coordinate with the neighboring kingdoms on the aid they would be supplying us in way of medical supplies and food. I would start coordinating with our own warriors to help rebuild the buildings that were not too damaged by the attack.

Tawny had provided some useful information passed on to her by MacTire and even Mason was able to give us some insight, telling us what had happened on the borders of MacTire a few months ago and the clan of bears that had been desecrated.

When I reached my suite, Gillian was already there. It had been a long day and I just wanted to crawl into bed with my fiancée and let the worries of the day drift away - at least for a little while.

Gillian was radiant and seductive in a sheer nightgown, her long blond hair cascading over her shoulders in waves had my blood heating and my manhood reacting. With my darker features and her fair complexion, our future children would be beautiful.

“How did the meeting go, my love?” Gillian asked, crossing the room and winding her arms around my neck, leaning in, to plant a soft and flirtatious kiss by the corner of my lips.

“Good and bad,” I replied, pulling my fiancée closer, and pressing her body to mine. “We accomplished a lot; things will start to look better much sooner with the other kingdom’s help.”

“That sounds good, so why the frown, and what is the bad?” Her hips ground against me, stirring me to life with sexuality and need. The only time Gillian was ever assertive was when it was just her and I alone. It may be her body arousing me, but it wasn’t her face I was that filled my head, despite her standing in front of me.

Holding Gillian by her shoulders, I create some distance between us. Her beautiful pale complexion takes on a confused look, and she looks up at me. “Do you not want me tonight, Kolby?”

I trace a finger down her jaw and lean in to press a kiss against of her mouth “It’s not that Gillian,” I sigh. But it really is. Tawny’s declaration of us being mates has stumped me.

There was always the question of whether I would have a mate. Now I know. And by the pained look in Princess Tawny’s eyes, I could tell she wasn’t lying. The truth is, I’m not sure how to feel about it. It complicates the shit out of everything now.

I know I should Gillian. I also know it would devastate her. I was her ticket to freedom, her ticket out from under her father. Now that Armand had died, Arnold Maydor, Gillian’s father, was sure to voice his demands and expectations. He expected me to be crowned king and Gillian queen. This marriage was meant to keep a civil war from breaking out.

However, Armand gave Tawny the ring, his intentions were to name Tawny Queen, for her to choose a mate of status and rule Cambiador. If she refused the crown then it would fall to me, as it had been planned for a long time before he decided to bring his granddaughter back to her roots.

Gillian was in love with me. I knew this.

Did I love Gillian? I did, but not in the same way. I was happy to make her my queen. We had been friends since we were ten years old, we knew everything about each other and even though I didn’t love her as she wanted me to. I would still do everything I could to keep her safe and out of her father’s reach who only wanted to use her as a pawn in his quest to rule the were-cat kingdom.

For years Arnold Maydor butted heads with King Armand. At every turn, he challenged his word and made it hard for laws to be changed. Arnold was content in keeping us behind the times. Gillian had a vision for this kingdom to grow. To give equality to the citizens and close the gap between the rich and poor.

I was going to break her heart, I knew it. Our friendship had always been based on truth, but how could I tell her that the princess was my mate when I didn’t feel the bond? I had no spirit animal.

“Tonight, I just want to hold you,” I tell Gillian looking into her sky-blue eyes.

Her forehead creases, but she nods and proceeds to help me undress, taking her time with each button on my shirt.

I crawl into bed, spooning her until I hear her breathing even out and know she is sound asleep. In the dark, my eyes find the ceiling, and my sight locks onto a section that I stare at for the rest of the night. Contemplating my next move.

My first thought is: I am attracted to Tawny, no doubt. But I don’t love her. I don’t even know her.

My second thought is my conversation with the Future Queen Lamia ‘Promise you will take good care of my friend. She is more important to me than you know. You will not find an alliance with me if any harm comes to her.’

We needed Alpha Lamia’s alliance. Even more so now than we ever did. Before I had gone to MacTire, small Clowders and Prides on the outskirts of the kingdom had been attacked. Now with the capital being attacked by rogues and monsters a few short days ago, we were in desperate need of help. Our army was weak, and we had already lost so many. Gillian’s father was sure to make a play for control of the kingdom and bring us to civil war.

My third thought brought me back to the princess. Her dark skin and yellow eyes, with a face that held the lushest and poutiest lips I had ever seen. Lips I wanted to taste and almost did. I almost lost control in the king’s office; I almost took what I wanted. But that couldn’t happen.

Gillian and I had a plan. A plan to bring this kingdom up to date - to help the people and strengthen our army. That plan could still be put in place and executed with the Princess’s help. In fact, I was thinking it would work even better with her connections and background. Whether she became Queen or not.

Those plans, however, never included her being my mate. They still didn’t. I refused to leave Gillian high and dry. I couldn’t break our contract, nor would I watch her father marry her off to the highest bidder. Gillian wasn’t cut out to play these political games. I promised I would always keep her safe and she promised she would always keep my secret.

My last thoughts before sleep finally found me were of King Armand and his last words to me. ‘I love you as if you were my son Kolby. Tawny must become queen; she has the ring. She must marry a powerful were-cat. If she will not, then it can only be you. Guide her, convince her, work together rule together. I have faith in you, my son, Kolby.’

A tear slid down my cheek, but I didn’t wipe it away, in fear that I would wake Gillian. For all intents and purposes, Armand was my father. He found me deep in the jungle when I was only four years old. I have no recollection of my parents, my mother’s face but a blur, the only thing I could recall was her sweet melodic voice and the song she would sing to me.

King Armand raised me as his own - taught me everything I knew. Gave me love and encouragement. Taught me to hide who I am because others would not understand. I miss him and feel lost without his guidance. I miss the way the old man would huff when I brought up the topic of the new age. ‘Young un’s and their grand ideas’ He would grumble.

That’s why I felt bad when the thought of how we could use Tawny to our advantage came to mind. If I was truly her mate, maybe she would be more apt to help us if she thought she could claim her prize (her mate) at the end of all this.

I could but hope.

I still had to decide if I should tell Gillian or keep her in the dark. Yet, there was always the chance that Princess Tawny would say something to her if I didn’t. It would be better coming from me. Though maybe, just maybe, I could convince Tawny to stay quiet and Gillian need not know a damn thing. I couldn’t take it – seeing Gillian upset. She was my best friend, my lover, my fiancée. She was the last person I wanted to hurt.

Gillian didn’t deserve this. She deserves to be happy, and if that means marrying me. Then so be it. If that means breaking a girl’s heart who claims I’m her mate, a bond I do not feel. Then so be it. If a moon goddess was determined for us to be together then she would have granted me the gift of a spirit animal and then I would understand the bond better. Except she didn’t and I don’t. I have the choice of free will and I will not be weighed down by a gift a goddess only granted to one-half of a party.

The immediate future had just become more complicated for me, and I was not looking forward to juggling the accompanying problems or women that are now present in my life.