The Delta's Daughter Chapter 388

RHETT

I was with Josiah when the mind link from Kellen was pushed through. Immediately I realized he had linked to Lamia, Mike, and Hunji too. I grabbed my head as the pressure was painful. They still didn't realize that a mass connection like this caused me migraines.

I wasn't a full shifter like they were, therefore, my brain had a harder time with the invasion. It had become easier since I was marked as one of Lamia's knights, but still, it was too much for my human side to handle.

*Senko has another stone.* Kellen's loud and angry voice came through *Abner Brooks is in the wind.*

*King has just spoken to him; he is hours from Cambiador. He was on his way to Riocht when he found out.*

*Tawny has one of the last stones he needs.* Kellen speaks as if it wasn't already obvious.

"Fuck." I say out loud and reach for Josiah. "Get Travis." I tell him, "Senko has found a third stone. They need to know about Petra. I have to tell them." It had only been a few days and we still hadn't decided what to tell Lamia about Petra. It seemed we couldn't keep from her any longer and a decision would have to be made.

I concentrate on the joint mind link once more. *We discovered Senko's daughter a few days ago when I got back to MacTire. We are still questioning her. Senko has three stones.* I tell them all and receive a chorus of growls back.

*Did she give you a location for Senko?* Lamia asks calmly. Because she doesn't know who Senko's child is, and she wasn't a priority. Mike and Kellen already had their suspicions, but Travis hadn't confirmed yet.

Instead, Travis told Mike he needed time, in case they were wrong. He didn't want to scare the child. But now it was time to reveal the truth.

*We need to speak on the phone," I say before cutting the mind link.

My head throbs and I could do with laying down as mind linking from distances can zap the energy right out of you.

Josiah had called Travis to the training fields which were where we were. I met Travis halfway to the door, "We need to call them. Senko has a third stone. Petra needs to give us a solid location and we have to tell them who she is." I point back to his office, and he turns on his heel as we make our way back in and down to the cells.

Petra looks sorrowful, sitting on the floor curled up in a ball in the corner. Her head lifts eyeballing us, then she puts her head back down between her knees. A curtain of Black hides her now unfamiliar face.

"Petra, where is Senko?" Travis asks her. "He has three stones now and if he is planning on opening some kind of door between realms… we need to stop him."

"We have to tell Lamia about you," I add and her head jerks up, tears in those bright yellow eyes.

"Where the crows rest by the human graves in the south of Lewe, you will find an old compound. The compound goes deep underground. I don't know if that's where he is, but that's where his army is."

"Thank you," I tell her. And the three of us rushed out back upstairs to call Lamia.

We ended up on a three-way video call with New Moon and Riocht. Telling them Senko has three stones was easy. Telling them about Petra was not easy. Seeing Lamia's reaction wasn't easy either. I thought she was going to bust a blood vessel. I didn't expect her to get up and walk out on the call, leaving us all in silence.

Surprisingly enough Mathias was the calm one, even when he learned it was Petra who had switched out rum bottles and supplied the poisoned one. Ultimately causing Mathias to hurt Lamia and almost rejected their bond.

"I'll talk with her," Mathias says, with a grumble.

"What are we going to do with Petra?" Travis asks. And I know full well none of us want to see her executed.

Shaking his head with a scowl Mathias replies, "I honestly don't know. Lamia is forgiving but this… It hurt her."

"I can feel her grief," Kellen explains. "For now, I think Petra should sit in the cells. She may be of more use. Let Lamia come to terms with the revelation first."

"MacTire and Riocht are close to the borders of Lewe. Cambiador is closer. I'll have Hunji reach out to them. But I suggest we find this compound. Strike before Senko can make a move." Mathias moved forward with a plan of attack, "Travis will you organize a team? And I will have a platoon of Riocht's elites mobilized as soon as possible."

*****

LAMIA

I slammed my fist into the trunk of the enormous oak tree again. Over and over until my knuckles split and the bark was covered in my blood. And still, I didn't stop. I kicked and punched, letting Inanna take control and release the full power of my anger.

It wasn't just me; my wolf was beside herself. She too had loved Petra. And to be fooled in such a way…

I recall the day she came to us; the day Travis and I went to the cells where one of our patrol men had taken her. I was so pissed that they had locked up a child. Now I wonder if that guard hadn't done the right thing.

How could I be so stupid?

She smelt like bear. Always has. Now I realize it was all a ruse. She could have used masking spray. Senko had been planning this for years. How many years? Five? Ten? Even twenty years. There was no telling.

I hit the tree with a combo so hard the loud creek had me standing back as the tree slowly fell, the smack it delivered to the ground shook the dirt beneath my feet, resonating through the forest and crashing through more trees.

"What did the tree ever do to you?" I turn to see my father. Meeting the same green eyes as mine. My mother and father had been goddesses sent through everything. Taking care of the triplets when Mathias and were off fighting and meeting with other kingdoms, packs, and Clans.

I hated that my children were growing up under the care of their grandparents rather than us. Every now and then Amitola, Mathias's mother, would come to visit but her home was in the Kodiak Kingdom, at the Clan mansion.

"I just…" My fists drop and blood drips from my knuckles. I hang my head the weight of the realm heavy on my shoulders. "I didn't think it would ever be like this. Four years ago…"

"Four years ago, you were just finding out who you were." My father says coming closer. "You have been through more than any other wolf, hell, a leader should have to go through. You and the boys." My father says of Kellen and Mike.

"Lamia, I want you to know how very proud your mother and I are of you. Everything you have been through…" He chokes at the memory of almost losing me to Silas. His loud gulp was an obvious tell along with the crack in his voice. "Sweetheart, I don't know why you. Why all this has happened; What I do know is you are the strongest wolf in the realm, almost as powerful as your mate." He says with a playful grin that has me returning his smile but weakly.

"Dad," I say, my energy beginning to deplete as Inanna shrinks back giving me full control again. "I don't know what to do. I feel so, so furious, hurt, betrayed." I try to explain the conglomerate of feelings that are clouding my thoughts and confusing my judgment.

"I loved her dad. I would have done anything for her." I say of Petra, "I'm not sure what to do. I know why she wanted to stay with Travis now. And what about Travis keeping secrets from me? Fucking Oliver of all people. Did Finnegan know who she was this whole time?"

"Lamia, Travis went through a lot, just as much as you did. His reasons are his own, while it was not favorable of him to keep secrets, I'm sure he had his reasons. Maybe it was his way of coping."

"And what about what Oliver did to Kellen?" I say feeling that spark of fury recharge. "He killed…"

"I know what Oliver did!" My father barks back; his own wolf coming to the surface. "I almost died that night too."

My father gathers me in his arms, and I lean into him welcoming the comfort and calmness he pushes on me. "Oliver, not that I condone him, is the way he is because of how he grew up. Just like you, except you were lucky enough to be raised in a pack that loves you with a family who would do anything for you. He didn't have that, not once. I don't know if his mother ever showed him love but we certainly know Silas didn't."

"Then what are you suggesting I do about Petra and Oliver?" I asked him, mumbling into his shoulder. I had always been closer to my father. He was my idol, my hero. Still was.

"I suggest you find that bastard Senko and end him. As for Petra and Oliver, they aren't going anywhere. Maybe once all this is over you can go to them with a clear mind. Speak to Petra because if my assumptions are correct, maybe she felt as though she didn't have a choice either."

I shrug in his arms, still trying to shake the horrible feelings from me. Maybe my father was right about Petra. I know he is right that I needed to concentrate on the immediate threat and deal with the rest once we survived what was coming our way.

"Now, I'm pretty sure your mate is stomping around the palace in a huff because he can feel your mood." I laugh at my father's words. A genuine laugh this time.

I can just imagine King, tramping up and down the courtyard feeding off my emotions. I'm surprised it's my father here and not him.

"Mom has the kids, and he was blowing steam from his ears. I suggested I come to talk to you." As if reading my mind my father informed me.

"Thank you, Daddy," I tell him honestly, feeling much better now.

"One thing at a time, princess. We got the triplets. You save the realm." He plants a kiss on my head and squeezes me.

Save the realm. He makes it sound so much easier than I'm sure it's going to be.

*****

CRIMSON

"How long do we have Abner?" Tawny had just given birth to the boys. The birth was difficult and not normal.

Bastian was dark-haired with eyes like his mother. It was Ma'at that almost killed her. Born in the form of a cub trying to claw his way from Tawny's womb. His fur was dark and when he morphed into a skin form it amazed us all. Identical to Bastian yet his eyes were a deep crimson red.

I hadn't even had time to bond with my cubs before I came to find out what had happened with Abner Brooks and why he had shown up in Cambiador with no warning.

Mason had been with him since he had arrived. "Senko found the earth stone. He will be coming for the Queen's ring. I wasn't home when it was ransacked and burnt to the ground by his men. I came straight here, to warn you in person."

"The ring is secure. Hidden." I told him with confidence.

"Senko won't get his hands on it." Mason backs me up just as confident.

We are currently sitting in our office when the phone rings. Mason answers it for me. "It's Hunji." He says handing me the phone.

"Yes?" I say, quite rudely. I wasn't Hunji's favorite person, and I didn't have the patience to deal with his scrutiny. Not right now. Not when my mate had just given birth and Abner had turned up with bad news.

"Has Abner made it there yet?" My brow creases, how did he know?

"He's sitting across from me right now." I look at Abner who cocks his head, pale blonde hair falling over his face. He looked young for an older bear, his pale blue eyes glistened with curiosity.

I put Hunji on speaker. "Abner and Mason are here, you are on speaker," I warned him.

"Tawny?" He asks.

"Just gave birth to two healthy boys. She's resting it was… a difficult delivery." I share because I know those two will always be friends no matter what Hunji and I think of each other. For her, I will deal with the wolf. His mate was great, they had visited the werecat kingdom not too long ago. Morgan even checked on Tawny's health.

"Congratulations Crimson. Please extend that to Tawny too." I grumble a thank you and an I will, "It brings me no pleasure to be calling you right now. We know Senko has three stones now."

"Three!!" Abner abruptly stands from his chair. "How?"

I heard Hunji take a deep breath and knew, just knew I wasn't going to like what came out of his mouth next. "Petra is his daughter. She found another stone hidden in MacTire."

"Son of a…" Abner cut himself off.

"So, it's just the one in Cambiador left?" It was a redundant question, "How long until he comes looking for it?"

"I don't know. Lamia doesn't want to give him the chance. Petra gave up his location. She's a Skinwalker. Just like Chakor."

"Can we trust her information if she had already been spying for Senko?" I ignore the obvious until Hunji brings it up.

"Did you hear me Crimson? Petra is a Skinwalker and Senko's daughter." Hunji repeated looking for some kind of reaction from me.

"I heard you. And I honestly don't care if she is his daughter. He was no father to me. And I certainly won't claim him as one." I didn't need to get into details on how I felt about having a sister or that Senko was my real father.

As far as I was concerned if she aligned herself with that sick bastard, she could die right alongside him.

"I am sending you the location details. MacTire, Riocht, and New Moon are sending scouting parties to look for the compound Petra told us about. According to Travis, she is cooperating. For now." I suppose that was good. That's if she wasn't leading them on a wild goose chase.

"Whatever Queen Lamia needs us to do. You can count on this kingdom."

Hunji chuckles over the phone, "Tawny wouldn't have it any other way."

He wasn't wrong. Lamia and Tawny would do whatever was necessary and then some for each other.

"Send the information over. We will have teams ready on your word."

"That's good to hear. We'll let you know when we are ready to move."

"We will be ready," I tell Hunji and end the call.

"Mason, Make contact with MacTire and ready our Beta teams. Abner, while you are here, liaise with New Moon, also I want you and Tristan to go through some history books. I'm going to go and speak with my mate and update her."

Everything was beginning to come full circle. I didn't think twice about joining the fight against Senko. And I wasn't going to think twice about discovering I had a half-sister, and she is a Skinwalker.

Though I say that, my thoughts wandered, and I wondered about her. I saw her as the child living in MacTire, but what did her real form look like? Did she look anything like me?

I shook the thoughts from my head as I quietly entered our room. Listening to Tawny's breathing. She was still asleep. I would tell her when she woke.