The Delta's Daughter Chapter 286

TAWNY

I played along with Althea, pretending to be grateful that I was here, and that she wasn’t holding me as a prisoner. Although, when I was taken back to that tiny room and left on my own, the fake façade dropped. I paced the room most of the night, peeking out the lonely window and trying to see where the building they were holding Crimson in, was. I couldn’t see it, so I assumed it was on the other side of this small and strange compound of sorts.

Food and water were brought to me, and I asked the guard if ‘my friend’ had also been fed. He grunted at me but acknowledged that he had been given food.

The craziest thing was, where the heck was I meant to go to the bathroom? There was a tub in the middle of the room, but if I needed to… relieve myself… I was ‘shit out of luck’. Literally. Pun intended.

The first thing I asked the next morning when they came to check on me and bring me to Althea, was where the fuck the bathroom was. It turns out they have a communal bathroom, with a whole line of showers, toilets, and sinks.

This place was definitely the strangest place I had ever been - and I had been to some off-the-beaten-path places with Hunji and the Elite warriors of New Moon.

I was able to wash up and go to the bathroom after holding it all night, then I was taken back to the other room with two windows where I was left to wait. I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for until Althea came with fresh clothes in her hand.

“Come granddaughter, I would like to show you more of our home.” She shoves the clothes at me, a long brown cotton skirt and matching sleeveless top in the same material. Not quite what I would pick, but hey beggars can’t be choosers, right?

“I would like to see my friend again, make sure he is being treated well,” I state once we are outside and walking through the little village compound. The same two guards at our heels.

“He is fine,” Althea replies in a monotone voice.

“I would like to see for myself. You say I am not a prisoner, yet you give me nothing and expect me to go along with whatever… this is.” I lift my arms out gesturing to the little houses around us.

I have more to say but Althea speaks, and her words have me silenced and all ears on her now. “We don’t trust strangers, so forgive us if we don’t have the welcoming mat out for you.” She leads me down a path through the trees that outline the compound. The guards ever present were only a few feet behind us.

When we come to the end of the path that opens up to a large clearing, my mouth hangs open in awe at the sight before me. “Wow!” I exclaim stunned by the beauty of a bigger village, the mansion I saw in the distance stands front and center.

People mill around walking from the mansion to… wherever they were going. As I scan the area, large fields with growing crops span out and beyond what I can see. Houses are dotted around that remind me of the Lycan village in Riocht with its thatched roofs and clay walls.

It was picturesque - beautiful.

As we ventured closer to the mansion, I observed the women who wore the same color and style of clothing as myself. Men were shirtless and wore either loose-fitting cotton pants or material tied around their waists similar to what I had previously described as loin clothes.

An almighty roar broke through the peacefulness of our surroundings and had me jumping at the powerful sound. I look at Althea with wide, questioning eyes.

She chuckles, “That would be Arik, come let us go see him spar.” She grabs my hand and as white as her hair is, walks at a young woman’s pace and excitement pulses through her.

“Holy shit!” I gasp when we finally come around the side of a building, finding a large sand-filled area that resembles a training field. There in the middle is the biggest, hugest most beautiful big cat I have ever laid eyes on. The Lion’s fur shimmers in the light of the early morning sun, its rays casting a godly glow over the Pride Lion’s body.

“He really is something, don’t you think?” Althea’s pride radiates from her, and she casts me a look wiggling her eyebrows.

I would have to agree and if I wasn’t infatuated with a certain shifter, I would totally be fangirling over this werecats fur form. I had never seen a werelion before. I had no idea they still existed.

The Lion shifts, and in his place stands a tall beefy man. The man walks towards us and as he comes closer, I notice the wide-brimmed smile on his face and his honey-colored eyes. Handsome is the first word that comes to mind as I take in his sharp, chiseled features and dark hair.

I let my eyes wander over the werecat, down his carved muscles, and lower still until I can’t stop the blush when the obscenely large and not even erect length of him catches my eye. Swinging between his legs without a care in the world that he could seriously hurt someone with that thing.

“Is this her?” He asks Althea who nods with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes. “Welcome Princess!” The man called Arik beams at me then moves in and engulfs me in a hug like we are old friends. His length slaps against me as he does, and I just about die of embarrassment!

I can feel the heat creep into my cheeks from the overly friendly hug and the eel of his… ripped body against mine.

“Arik, shame on you!” Althea swats at the man playfully. “She is from Cambiador, cover up or shift!” she scalds, still with a humorous tone.

“I’ll see you soon, Princess.” He winks and steps back before shifting back into his magnificent fur form. “Wow!” I breathe out as the Lion saunters away from us.

“He is something, isn’t he?” Althea says. “I hope you two will get to know one another better in the future.”

I ignore her and the implication laced in her words.

Although I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m crushing on her nephew, it’s really the fact that he is a freaking Pride Lion, that has me in awe. Sure, he is good-looking, but my heart belongs to my mate. Speaking of… “I would very much like to see my friend now.”

I see her lip curl from the corner of my eye. “Later,” she says trying to cover up the snarl that seeps out. Althea starts talking again without missing a beat, effectively changing the subject. “Our Pride is only 516 strong, not including the few children born to the Tolba Pride. Mostly males. Small but mighty.”

We walk back the way we came as she talks.

“Long ago, a few years after I came back to Tolba with my mate, A man with a powerful and dark gift came to our village. Senko was his name. He fell in love with the King’s youngest daughter, my mate’s youngest sister. He was accepted into the Pride even though he was not a werecat – not a shifter at all, actually. The king had forbidden him from using his dark gift for fear that it would bring bad luck to the pride.

“For a few years, they were happy but were unable to conceive a child. Against the King’s better judgment and orders, Senko found a way to use his gift to impregnate his wife. Blood Alchemy. He became withdrawn and obsessed with what he could do. He began to pray to Aodh, the god of the underworld.

“Then, one day a mighty Wolf shifter and a King of bears strolled into our peaceful community. The king entertained them for a few days. They were intrigued when they met Senko, sensing his dark power, and began asking more and more questions about him. When they found out what he could do they insisted that he leave with them. When Senko refused, the Wolfman and the Bear King turned nasty. They threatened him, all of us. Said they would burn our village down and anyone he loved.

“You see these foreigners; they came looking for something and found more than they anticipated. They were looking for a myth, a legend.”

“And did they find it?” I ask, intently listening to her story.

“No, thank goodness.” She sighs.

“What happened next?” I was curious as ever at what became of the man Senko.

“Senko left with them. Either he left because of the threat to his wife or the village or because he was glamoured by the story they told. Whichever it was, we will never know. His wife…” She looks out over the land with sadness in her eyes, “…She disappeared when their child was barely two years old, we never knew what became of her either. It was then my mate, and I began to notice that children were not being born in the Pride. Only fated mates could conceive a child and rarely were they able to conceive more than one in their lifetime.”

“You think this Senko had something to do with it?”

“Possibly.” She ponders, “Our numbers have fallen dangerously low over the past twenty-four years.”

The sound of children’s laughter hits my ears for the second time since being brought here. I look up, only to realize we are back in the compound area. Hopefully, she was taking me to see Crimson now.

A group of children ranging in age pile out of one of the tiny houses. Once they spot Althea, with excited chatter, they come running toward us. I count heads, there are 14 children who looked to be anywhere from 4 years old to 15. “Althea, Althea,” they all chant at once.

“Good morning children,” She gives them a genuine smile “This is Princess Tawny a friend from another kingdom, how do we greet friends?”

“Good morning, Princess Tawny!” They say in unison, some of the girls offering a curtsey to me.

“Good morning,” I reply happily looking them all over when my eyes stutter on their faces. More accurately on their eyes. I look at Althea, my brows in my hairline, and then back at the children studying each of their eyes. “Their eyes,” I whisper. Each and every one of them had bright yellow eyes and pupils in the shape of crescent moons. Just. Like crimson.

“A-Althea,” I stammer, completely shocked by the revelation and the connection. Did they know what Crimson was? If so, why would she show a loving and caring attitude to these children and not Crimson? Why single him out?

“Mm-hmm.” She hums lowly, leaning into me. “Run along now children and be good for your caretaker.” As soon as the children disperse to wherever they were heading, Althea picks up where she left off.

“The child that Senko’s wife bore, had eyes just like these children.” I was starting to piece it together, but I swallowed down the words before I barked them out.

Instead, I ask, “Where did these children come from?”

“A little over a year ago, an immortal by the name of Ashe came to me. She offered us a deal. Said ‘A dark witch is rising, and the children of his magic needed protection. A new race of shifters has been created.’ In return for taking in the children, she made a promise that a Queen would come into power. And when she did, our numbers and land would flourish. She also promised us a redeemer that would unite our Kingdoms once again.”

Althea stops. Grabbing my arm, she swings me around to face her. “That friend of yours is the child of Senko. He carries evil within him and a plague that will destroy Cambiador. He will look for power just like his father and he won’t stop until he finds the stones.

He will bring nothing but death and destruction in his wake. To you. To your kingdom. To the realm.” She lets go of my arm, but her gaze holds mine with an unwavering seriousness. The cold look in her eyes sends a shiver down my spine.

She truly believes that this Senko is Crimson’s father and if he is, she has already condemned him to be as evil as his father.

I roll the name Ashe around in my mind. It’s not the first time I have heard that name. Lamia talked about her and so did Hunji when he came to visit. The immortal woman, as Althea called her, could not be trusted. She appeared to be on Lamia’s side, looking out for her. However, Hunji told me she twists her words and plays with bonds. Did Althea know this too? And why would she send the children here?

Just when I think I have my questions answered more are presented and I find myself back at square one.

“Senko made those children with blood magic for the Wolfman named Silas and Bear King Orion. Goddess knows how many more they have created and used. They live here, hidden away from the realm. We teach them, help them.”

I gasp when she mentions the two evil bastards that went after Lamia. There’s a connection here, between this man Senko and Lamia. It’s just too much to process and I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the overload of information.

I need to get out of here. I need to get Crimson out of here. I need answers, more answers.

“You keep them contained.” I counter instead. “You assume my friend is evil without any proof. Are those children you harbor evil? It was your former Husband, my grandfather that found Crimson as a child. He took him in and cared for him. Brought him up as his own.” I was on a roll, reeling with anger from her accusations, not willing to, even for one second, buy into the idea that Crimson is evil because of who his sperm donor was. “What makes Crimson any different from the children you claim to protect from the realm? Or do you think King Armand would have raised him to be the man you are accusing him of being?”

Althea fumes, but underneath the fiery look in her eyes, flashes acknowledgment and just a flicker of shame when I announce it was her ex-husband, that raised the man they are holding captive.

I stare her down. Daring her to say another bad thing against Crimson. I want to scream at her that that is my mate she has locked up, that the goddess may have given me an idiot as a mate, but he was a good man. A caring man, a loyal and faithful man who believes in making a difference.

I said nothing though as I felt my feline, Juniper, push her feelings onto me. Urging me to keep quiet. She didn’t fully trust Althea… or anyone here. So, I kept it to myself.

If there was anything I had learned over the years, it was to trust my instinct and my spirit animal. And right now, she felt that that tad bit of information should be locked away.

I had to agree. She still hadn’t let me see Crimson and her contradictive actions, were too unscrupulous.

Those children had eyes like Kolby’s. Did that mean they were shifters without a counterpart too? Can Althea tell us what Crimson is?

By the time Althea walks me back to the room I’m being kept in, it’s late afternoon and a tray of food is waiting for me.

“Tomorrow night, when the full moon rises, we celebrate until the new sun rises. You will join us in our feast and celebration.” Althea leaves me with those parting words.

I sit and begin to eat once she has left. Mulling over everything she has and hasn’t told me. Listing the new questions I have, along with the original unanswered ones in my head.

What is Crimson and what was his father?

How were these children made?

Where do Silas and Orion fit in and what were they looking for?