The Delta's Daughter Chapter 347

LYRIC

The queen of shifters, Lamia Langley Artos, was not what I was expecting at all. When everyone left the room and it was just us, I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little afraid of her.

The power that oozed from her was almost suffocating. My wolf, Note, mentally rolled over and showed her belly in submission to this power shifter.

Yet when the doors shut behind the others and the room eerily quiet, and I dared to look at the queen, she was wearing a soft smile. A genuine one. And nothing about her aura said she was going to hurt me.

I was surprised by how welcoming she suddenly made me feel and didn't look at me like I was trash, a thief, or some disgusting scat on the bottom of her shoe.

I pinched my lips together and gave her a tight smile back. Even though the queen showed no ill intent, I still found it hard to trust anyone.

"Do you know who your pup is to me?" She suddenly asks, jarring me from my inner thoughts of sizing her up and determining her intentions.

I shake my head because honestly, I have no clue what my pup has to do with her. And I daren't say anything in case I insult her. Frankly as far as I am concerned my pup has fuck all to do with her. It's none of her business.

"Then let me tell you, my story. After I have finished, I would like to hear yours." Her voice is calming and melodic. And body relaxes with the comforting aura she surrounds us in.

"Just over three years ago, I met my mate." She chuckles, "After King Kellen and I thought we were destined mates." She chuckles remembering a happy time. "Any who, my mate turned out to be no other than Zane Noir, Alpha of the Golden Circle pack back then. We never talked about it, but there were rumors that he had previously found a mate and she had died. Even I never learned the truth about his first mate…"

I wanted to interrupt to tell her the rumors were true, to tell her Melody was his mate. But I kept my mouth shut, knowing I would have my chance to talk.

She told me about the Rogue King Silas kidnapping her, what they did to her, and how when she had been taken, she was already carrying Zane's pup.

I wept when she told me how she lost the pup and then when rescued how she had lost Zane. I sympathized with her and understood her pain. And wanted to desperately share my story with her, more now than ever. Our destinies had crossed in a not-so-apparent way, yet they were so tightly and closely interwoven.

"So, you see Lyric, may I call you that?" I nod at her question, unable to speak because of my tears and clogged throat. "I recognize not only Zane's scent in your pup but also mine, along with another. The child has a blonde streak in his hair," She lifts her hand and pulls at the braided strands of blonde and black streaked hair over her shoulder.

Note suddenly rumbles out a warning growl at the queen and I clamp a hand over my mouth in case she takes it as a challenge. "My wolf, she doesn't… Zane is ours, mine. My pup. And she, us, we don't like you claiming him." I tell honestly, fumbling over my words and feeling like I just dug a hole to bury ourselves in.

Her features soften a little more and she swipes at the tears that fell while retelling her story. "I'm not claiming him. You are his mother, whether you gave birth to him or not, your wolf claimed him, and I could never take a child from their mother." She says this while looking into my eyes and holding mine captive, searching as if peering into my very soul and reaching my wolf so that she understands.

"Tell me," She leans forward and takes both of my hands, "Tell me how this is connected Lyric."

"The rogue king he too fucked my life up." I begin, "Five years ago…" So, I told her the same thing I told my Beta mate. How my pack was slaughtered, my sister was taken and how I thought she was dead, and how Zane must have also. I explain our friendship with Zane's pack, how he claimed my sister was his fated mate even though she wasn't even sixteen. How I ended up with little Zane three years ago. And I also explained in as much detail as possible what my sister told me before she died, what the Shadow Witch had done to her, that I knew his real name was Senko, and that someone had helped my sister escape.

By the time I finished relaying everything I could remember to her, we both crying again. Bonding over tragedy and heartbreak. I can't remember the last time I cried this much. Or even the last time I had really let myself feel this much.

The queen had opened up to me and in return, I showed her the same respect. I suddenly felt like I had a friend for the first time in a long time. I had felt relief when I told my mate the truth, but with the queen, I no longer felt alone.

'Her wolf is the spirit of the goddess Inanna' Note whispers with awe in my mind. 'She spoke to me' she says.

I ask Note, 'What did she say?'

'That the Beta is a good man, and we should give him a chance, and be patient.' I stiffen at my wolf's words. I have no doubt the Beta is a good man but giving him a chance was a different story. How could I accept a mate when the very thought of being touched by a male had bile rising in my throat and the ever-present fear creeping over me once more?

"I will ask King Kellen if you can stay here and become part of the New Moon pack. There is more to the man you call the Shadow Witch, and in recent months we have made discoveries about his former life. Not all things are clear, but I agree that your pup is in danger and needs to be where he can be protected. He can be protected here."

We ended the hours-long conversation with her reaching out and enveloping me in a hug. Her aura shines out and I can feel the positive vibes she pushes on me. Her energy and power lend their strength to me. Filling me with hope and comfort with a purpose. "Let fate lead the way, he is worth it." She whispers in my ear before letting me go.

No sooner has her arms dropped from around me, than the door to the dining room opens, and in steps her beast of a mate. King Mathias. The King of Alphas and the King of Bears. A hulking and intimidating shifter whose silver eyes search out his mate and once landing her and scanning her from head to toe, soften, and he takes her in his arms. I thought Bram was a large bear shifter, he had nothing compared to King Mathias.

His hands run over her body, and I assume he is wiping away my scent and recovering her with his. A true representation of the magic of the mate bond. Because all I could see in both of their eyes was pure unrequited love for one another.

The romantic side of me gushed, and for a brief moment, I felt jealousy rear its ugly face. Then I remembered what it meant to have your mate, to have that love. And shuddered at the thought of having someone touch me like that.

My Beta didn't come back in with the rest of the group, and I asked Queen Lamia if I could be excused. She looked at me with slight disappointment but agreed that I could leave if I wanted to. I knew it was disappointment because her expression mirrored the way I left when the Beta didn't return after ten minutes.

For someone who was sure they didn't want a mate, didn't need one, and wouldn't be a good one. I sure did look around for him as the guards led me back to the guest suite that we were staying in.

*****

The next morning, I woke up bright and early, excited because I asked for permission to join training today. I needed to get out of the suite. The walls had started to close in on me. Both Note and I felt cramped and caged, I wasn't used to being cooped up and even though I could easily let myself out, I decided it was better to play by the Kings rules than aggravate him any more than I thought he was.

To my surprise, when I asked him, he thought it was a great idea. I was sure he had a hint of mischief in his voice as he said, "What a brilliant idea, A guard will collect you at 6 am tomorrow morning."

I step out of the shower, feeling a little excited that I will get to train with a pack once again. It had been a long time since Note, and I had had the privilege of training with others. My father ran a strict training regime and mandated that my sister and I train once we turned twelve.

I no longer had a pack, but I still trained every day remembering everything we had been taught. I wasn't without skill, but I was sure I could learn from the warriors of New Moon.

"Good morning my little wolf," I say cheerily to Zane, walking into the kitchen where Lizzy already had a pot of coffee going and had cooked some eggs and toast.

I frowned, a little baffled when I saw Zane eating a bowl of cereal, the eggs, and the fruit that sat on the counter.

Lizzy must have read my look, "The Beta sent a couple of warriors with supplies yesterday." She explains.

"The Beta huh?" Lizzy hums her confirmation and plates the eggs, pushing one plate in front of me and the other to Zane before she takes a seat at the counter and tucks into her own.

"He also took us to the palace daycare yesterday and got Zane a place set up there. He already made plenty of friends."

"You did?" I say turning to my pup.

"Yep, Bart is my new friend. He's a warrior's son. His mommy works at the hospital and his daddy is a warrior." He proudly tells me about his new friend.

"Is that the only friend you made?"

He makes a face, scrunching up his nose, and blows out a weird noise. The expression immediately reminds me of Queen Lamia when she pulled the same face when we were talking yesterday. I had my theories on how she came to be connected to my Zane, but I wasn't hundred percent sure… yet.

"Nadine is my friend, but she's a girl. Bart says girls can't be our friends because they are too weak."

I feign hurt, covering my heart with my fist, "I hope you told him your mommy could kick his daddy's butt!" I didn't know if that was true or not, but I didn't want my son thinking like that, that girls were weak and couldn't defend themselves. I wanted to respect the opposite gender and realize that women could be warriors too. That anyone could be whatever they wanted regardless of rank and shifter race.

"I didn't." He puts his head down with shame. My heart pinches at the thought he did wrong.

"That's okay, you can tell next time," I say, nudging his little shoulder. This makes him smile and he bobs his head eagerly, agreeing that he will definitely tell his friend next time. "Now go get dressed so Aunt Lizzy can drop you off at the daycare."

He hops off the stool and runs to his room. Thankfully Lizzy had enough sense to bring his bag with them when the dark-skinned beta picked them up. Hunji, I think his name was, Beta to Queen Lamia.

"Someone also sent us up some new clothing yesterday," She takes a sip of her coffee and gestures with her head toward the sitting room. I turn following her line of sight and sure enough, I see a pile of bags with a well-known store name plastered all over them.

"For all of us?" I asked, climbing off the stool and crossing the open floor plan to where the bags were piled.

"I don't know, I didn't look. There's a note attached; the envelope is addressed to you. So, I didn't open it."

I found the note and opened the sealed envelope. Inside is a folded piece of paper with feminine writing on it:

I hope got your sizes right. I was told you came with nothing. No hard feelings. Please feel free to reach out if you and your family need anything else.

Queen Tala.

"Holy shit!" I gasped out loud. Not knowing what to make of the gift. I was overwhelmed by her kindness, even if it wasn't true that I had nothing.

Lizzy and Zane had been picked up from the safe house, which looked run down and abandoned but little did anyone know, I actually had quite a bit of money stashed away. I just couldn't get to it. Money, I have saved from the deals and jobs I had done over the past year. It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough to set us up with a new life.

Lizzy comes up by my side and reads the note over my shoulder. "You must have made an impression or is all this because you are fated to the Royal Beta? I have to say he is a pretty nice man. A little intimidating with all that brawn but still, he has been nothing but nice to Zane and I." Lizzy nudges me with her elbow, catching my attention. "Not too harsh on the eyes either," she winks.

"Maybe. I wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to him much." I dismiss her, blowing off the obvious hint for me to tell her more about my fated mate.

Once things had blown over and calmed down, I was sure he would reject me. Note wasn't okay with that, but I was. He didn't want a mate that wouldn't want him to touch her. I'm sure he would expect it, but it wasn't something I was willing to give. I'm not sure I would ever be able to give that to anyone.

A knock comes at the door and stride over to answer it, finding a muscular male on the other side. He's dressed in shorts and a sleeveless tee, scars litter his arms, a few on his neck, and one on his face that crosses down from his forehead, through his eyebrow, then curves around his right eye.

I raise my brows in question at him. "I am Fergus, but you can call me Rogue. I was sent to escort you to training." He says, with a slight lisp. His brown eyes look past me, then back down and his gaze skims over me. "You may want to redress into something more… appropriate."

I look down at myself, I'm wearing the same leggings and sports bra as I did yesterday. They were clean, I washed them overnight and showered this morning. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing this is appropriate training attire."

"I'm no expert miss but I got a feeling if Beta Mike saw you training in that, he wouldn't like it."

"Beta Mike?" I question then remembered how he demanded I wear his shirt yesterday and covered me up. I secretly wore his shirt to bed last night, relishing his scent. The manly smell of the forest and fire comforted me last night and funnily enough, I had the best night's sleep I had in five years, and not once did my usual nightmares come to plague me.

Maybe that's why I woke up in a chipper mood today.

"He and his father run training today." Fergus, or Rogue supplies.

I get what he's saying, his meaning. Truth is, I don't care. I'm not changing. "Hold on a sec," I tell the warrior and close the door on him. I ran over to the bags and found a hoody in my size. I pull the labels off and throw it over my head.

I opened the door to find Fergus/Rogue standing exactly where I left him. "Okay ready," I say. And gives me a nod of approval then turns on his heel and heads down the hallway.

He leads in the opposite direction I am used to going and we walk down a flight of stairs to a back passage that leads to outside.

The icy cold nips at my cheeks the moment we step out and I see Rogue visibly shiver. "You don't like the cold?" I ask trying to sound friendly. If I'm going to be here for a while, I should start trying to make friends.

"Six months and I'm not used to it." He says, "I was born in no man's land but lived a long time on the second continent. Much warmer there." He explains to me.

"Really? Did you like it there? Would you go back?" I was intrigued I had never traveled across the oceans and warmth sounds really nice right about now.

"I will never go back." He growls out unexpectedly and I realize I touched a sore subject.

"Sorry I asked," I muttered, wrapping myself in my arms, and dipping my head, trying to keep the cold at bay as we crunched through the snow to a large building.

"The indoor training center," Rogue announces and holds the door open for me. "Winter months we train inside. Or at least when the outdoor facilities are iced over like today."

I could see the place was big from the outside, but stepping in I saw how huge this place was. It had a full-size running track, bleachers, and a fighting ring and one-half had mats set up for sparing. I assumed that's where we would be training today as there were already a number of wolves warming up down there.

"Through those doors," Rogue points to the other side of the enormous training grounds, "There is a gym and spa as well as a medical bay. Through that door, is a set of stairs that leads up to the Delta's office." He points to a door on the left wall, with windows above it. "You will be partnering with me today."

Well, I didn't know if it was the King's orders, or if this was going to be a test but I would accept whatever came my way. I wasn't afraid, I knew my skill and doubted there was a wolf in here that could match my speed.

We began to walk down the steps towards the mats and growing group of wolves when the set of doors across the other side opened and immediately, I smelt my Beta mate. Our eyes locked and I felt the now familiar feeling of my mate's presence. Next to him stood his older version, the same hazel eyes and brown hair. On his other side stood an older wolf taller than the Beta's father and heavily built. Jet black hair and bright green-emerald eyes. He exuded power and confidence.

"Who's the other man?" I asked with curiosity.

"The former Delta. Queen Lamia's father." Rogue tells me.

"She was the Delta's daughter?" I question, "How did that happen?"

"King Kellen told me something to do with heritage. He and his mate left New Moon to live in Riocht with his daughter and their cubs, pups… Strange thing is, she met King Mathias when he was holding her father prisoner."

I raise a brow, "You know all the gossip huh?" The closer we got the more I could see where Lamia got her good looks from, if her father was anything to go by.

"I don't talk much, but my wolf likes you." Rogue shuts up once we reach the bottom of the stairs. and I determine that if I want to know anything I could confidently ask Rogue.

I cast my eyes in my mate's direction and found the Beta's eyes already on me. They turned to slits and I felt the heat of his stare on me. My skin pebbled in both excitement and fear.