The Delta's Daughter Chapter 88

HUNJI

My boots crunched through the shallow snow. The blizzard from the north winds that blew in last week had brought the snow down into the valley, coating the castle in a blanket of white purity. It was picturesque to look at from here, as I paused to take it in.

I was walking back from the training grounds, the rest of the pack either running under the full moon or gathering to celebrate the moon goddess. Others were tending to their mates that were in heat. By my nose, there were several in the pack tonight; a wolf, a bear and cats.

Lamia would be back in a couple of days, and since I had last spoken to her, I had been going hard on our army. Making them put in extra training, and upping the patrol around MacTire and town. Trying to be ready for whatever may come our way.

I reached the back door of the castle kitchen and strode in, stomping the snow from my boots and removing the deep red overcoat, lazily placing it on the coat rack.

“Uncle Hunji!” Petra’s little voice rang out, happiness coating the tone as her little figure ran to me. Her arms stretched wide when she leaped towards me. I caught her mid air and swung her around.

“Why aren’t you in bed, little one? It is very late.” A genuine smile plastered on my lips as I asked her. This tough little girl had stolen my heart in ways I couldn’t describe. It was an honor she called me uncle and every time she said it my heart swelled just a little more.

Before she could answer, Travis strolled through the door, hands on his hips and lips pursed with a scowl. He spied Petra and lifted his finger shaking it at her. “Mrs. Brown is looking for you and she is hella mad that you are out of bed.”

“Sorry Uncle Travis,” Her head dropped down as he scolded her. I put her back on her feet.

“Run along now Petra, don’t make Mrs. Brown mad. Alpha wouldn’t like that and she will be home in a few days. She told me she misses you very much.” I cringed at the blackmail of using Lamia to get her to behave. It worked though, her little face lit up at the mention of her coming home.

“Yes uncle Hunji, she wouldn’t be happy with me.” She paused, thinking it over. “Good night!” She shouted while darting towards the door.

Travis chuckled and took a seat at the counter, while I moved to the kettle to boil some water for tea.

“Lamia is coming home in a few days for sure?” Travis asked.

“Yes. I spoke to her a few days ago, not for long. She was going to head to the royal pack before coming home.” I watched, gauging his reaction. “I spoke to Marcus longer; he filled me in on a lot. He is travelling with the bear king's Beta.”

His head snapped to me. “I will be happy to see her, I have missed her.” Was all he said, his brown eyes softening as he spoke of Lamia.

“Travis… “I hesitated, not sure if I should tell him or not, not sure of his reaction. Telling him would be better, that way he wasn’t blindsided, nor did something stupid that would get him killed by the bear king. “Travis… she, Lamia found her second chance mate.”

It was not the reaction I was expecting when his eyes began to dance with happiness and lines formed at the corners as they crinkled and his mouth spread wide in a joyous grin. He rubbed his beard. “Well I never. That’s, wow, good for her” he beamed. I noted the sincerity in his words.

“I thought you would at least be a little disappointed, seeing as you two have been knocking boots for the past year.” He chuckled at me.

“Oh Hunji, yes, dear goddess, yes! She was a wild one in the sack, and I will miss those moments, but I am not in love with her and she is not in love with me. If she is truly happy, then I am happy for her.” He shook his head, the smile still laced across his features and his eyes still dancing in glee. His posture was relaxed. He truly was happy for her. “So who’s the lucky wolf then?”

I choked on air, turning quickly to the kettle behind me to pour my tea. This was going to be the kicker for him, this would be the thing to throw him over the ledge and make him lose control.

“Mathias King Artos.” He looked at me blankly. “The king of the bears.” He blinked a few times, slowly, then, scratched his head. I wasn’t sure if the words had even registered in his brain yet.

Travis stood up and turned on his heels, walking out of the kitchen. With my cup of tea, I followed him, calling out to him. This was going to be just as hard for him to process as I’m sure it was for Lamia.

“Travis!” I shouted as he moved quickly towards the stairs. I was about to shout at him again as I walked half way up the flight of stairs after his quickly retreating figure, catching a glimpse at the moon through one of the windows. It was at its peak.

“Tra… ARGHHH!” The cup fell from my hands, hot liquid spraying out as the mug bounced down the stairs until it crashed on the hardwood floor below.

The intense affliction was like being branded and I would know. I’ve endured it before.

I growl out when the heat begins to spread from the skin to deep in my chest and finally my heart. The grasping flame squeezes my beating muscle.

My legs give out and I tumble down the flight of stairs, following the mug. “FUCK!!” I yell, trying to get a hold of the crippling pain.

“Hunji! Hunji!” I hear Travis’ voice, he’s close to me, and I can smell him.

My arms flail, reaching for him. I scream out again as another wave of what feels like hot liquid silver pulses through me. I’m gasping for air, I can’t breathe. It’s the most grueling and rendering pain I have ever felt.

Ruda, (which literally means famous wolf) stirs, pacing, trying to wait out the pain and block it from us. He begins to get agitated as it proves futile. He snaps his teeth at me in my head and his snarls are volatile at best.

I feel my claws begin to extend and my canines elongate. Travis’ hands are on me and its riling my wolf up even more. I tried to tell him to let go. I tried to push him away. Then I hear the sound of an angel’s voice.

“Uncle Hunji, are you sick?”

No, no, no, ‘Ruda stop!’ I yelled to my wolf, holding on for dear life to my control as he clawed his way to the surface and pushed through. It was too late.

“RUN!” I managed to exhale in panic. The next thing I know, I’m shifting and Ruda is out for blood, his beady eyes latching on to the little girl. Her scent annoys his nose and he attacks, leaping towards Petra. I can’t hold on any more, I’m slipping, he is out of control.

Lamia’s face flashes before my eyes, her green eyes bright like a creature from the heaven’s, godly and ethereal.

“Lamia!” I heard my strained voice call for her.

I black out and Ruda takes over, just as I see a large brown wolf blocking the attack on the little girl and we engage in battle.

When my eyes do open, I find myself locked in a cell, with silver chains around my wrists. They rattle when I lift my hands to rub my temples. A pounding drum beating from my head, I sat up to find Travis sitting on the other side of the cell door.

“Are you with us, brother?” He asks. His brow creased in anger and confusion.

“Petra?” I croaked out, worried about the little girl I had grown so fond of.

“ OK, no thanks to you.” He scoffed. “Do you know how tough of a bastard you were to take down and restrain?” He blew out a breath and his hand scratched through his beard. “What the fuck happened Hunji?”

I had no doubt he had to work to restrain me, restrain Ruda. After all, I taught him everything he knew. He maybe an Alpha, but I was one of the few that could go toe to toe with Lamia. “How did you take me down?” I was curious myself.

“With great difficulty, my friend, great difficulty. If I didn’t have Lamia’s blood in my veins, I may not have been able to.” He admitted, his voice full of woe, like he hated the idea of having to fight me.

He pointed to my chest. “You got a mark, Hunji, when your body started burning up; your chest began to smoke right before you shifted. When we got you down here and you shifted back to your human form, I saw that.” He pointed again and I looked down.

There, on the left side of my chest, did indeed sit a mark that looked like it had been branded on to me. Shaped like a sword, sitting at an angle.

I looked up at Travis again, in bewilderment. How? I didn’t understand.

*****

RHETT

“Seriously, Rhett, when are you going to let someone even take your sister on a date?” The blond-haired bear shifter jested with me.

“Not a fucking chance. Especially not you, you stay away!” I warn, pointing my finger at him. He chuckles.

“She's a beautiful girl Rhett, I’m just saying, if it’s not me who sweeps her off her feet it will be another shifter.” He laughs at my discomfort and I groan at him.

“Good night Josiah, see you early for training.” I went to stand up, deciding to leave the little tavern we had been drinking in.

When Ria and I first arrived at MacTire, Josiah was one of the first friends I made. We bonded over old movies, popcorn and beer. It turns out he had a history of hunters in his family from way, way back. Which was how his family ended up rogues and living here under the control of the late rogue king, Silas.

His great grandfather was mated to a human, and was cast out from his Clan because he refused to reject her. So he became a rogue and moved to these lands. Hence, his family came from these parts, staying rogue generation after generation.

I opened the door to walk outside. The light of the moon caught my eye as it shone down, creating a glittering effect across the snow. The full moon was at its peak and in the distance I heard howls. Wolves, paying homage to the moon goddess, I assumed.

I moved my head from side to side, cracking my neck and pulling the collar of my coat tighter. I may have wolf abilities, but as more human, I felt the cold deeper than a shifter.

My boots crunched in the snow as I stepped out and turned to close the door behind me. That’s when it hit. A raging inferno gripped my chest and I clutched my hands over the radiating pain. Black dots clouded my eyes and I stumbled.

Was I having a heart attack?

The sharpness seared through me again, knocking the wind from me. Somehow a scream escaped, at least it sounded like me and I stumbled again.

“Man, are you OK?” I heard Josiah behind me.

I shook my head as the lava boiled through my veins, straight to my heart. I cried out again, collapsing to my knees. The throbbing torture was immense. I braced myself with my hands. Digging them into the icy snow, as I, yet again, cried out.

I threw my head back and the noise that left my lungs was primal and savage, a growl. My whole body was one entire incinerator. Cooking me, from the inside out.

“Argghh!” My back arched and I began to shake. The taste of blood filling my mouth as pointed teeth poked and pierced through my bottom lip. My chest was ready to explode and I felt claws extend from my hands, digging deeper than my fingers into the ground.

A hand was placed on my shoulder and I lashed out, the newly formed claws slashing into skin.

“What the fuck? This ain’t right!” I heard a familiar voice. But I had tunnel vision, seeing red, and leapt to attack when my heart began to pound wildly.

I felt the crack across my jaw before my eyes fluttered shut in darkness. Just as they did, the vision of the most alluring green eyes filled my sight.

“Lamia” I gritted out before collapsing back into the soothing blanket of cold.

When I woke, I was in my own bed, in the palace and I could hear garbled talking on the other side of the door.

“He doesn’t have a wolf, Josiah… It’s impossible” I heard my sister.

“I’m telling you what I saw Ria, he fucking grew fangs and slashed my leg with his claws. LOOK!”

I swung my legs over the bed, bringing my hands to my head as it throbbed. It was worse than the worst headache I have ever had. I stumbled to the door and pulled it open to find Josiah and my sister glaring at each other.

The look of surprise came across both their faces when I opened the door. Josiah scratched the back of his neck, while Ria leapt towards me, her face full of concern now.

“Holy hell Rhett, what the heck happened last night? You scared us both half to death!” Her eyes raked over me in examination. “It was a good job Josiah knocked you out before you got seriously hurt.”

That’s why my jaw feels like it was crushed, I mused, maybe the cause of my headache too. Suddenly Ria paused, a horrified look replaced her concern, her eyebrows pinched together and her jaw hung open.

“What?” I asked, a little unsettled at the way she was gapping at me, her big blue-green eyes wide. “What?” I asked again.

“What the fuck is that?” She pointed at my face, her other hand reaching for Josiah. “Joe, come here, tell me I’m not seeing this, what the fuck is wrong with his eyes?” That’s twice my sister cursed and she hated profanity, so it must be serious.

I scowled as Josiah stuck his face in mine, his eyes examining mine. “Fuck.” He breathed out in revelation. “Dude there’s some serious shit wrong with your eyes!”

What were they talking about?

“Go look.” Ria pushed me back into my room towards the bathroom, until the three of us were huddled in there. “Look in the mirror at your eyes, tell us what you see?”

I braced my hands on the sink counter and leaned forward, looking at the reflection of my moss-green eyes. Ready to turn away, and ask them exactly what I was looking for; when I noticed the discoloration of my pupils. I leaned in closer to get a better look. Was that a mark of a cross, or a sword in my eye? I checked the other. It was the same.

“Right, super freaky huh?” Ria voiced the obvious.

“This must have happened last night, when he grew fangs and claws.” Josiah added.

I swung around to look at him, face to face. “I did what now?” I was taken back, thinking he must have been mistaken when the memories of last night flooded back to me, the burning sensation in my chest, the immense pain and feeling of my heart exploding.

I lifted my shirt to see if there was any scaring or damage. I was even more confused now, there, right over my heart, on my chest was a mark that looked like it had been burned into me. The raised mark was the perfect shape of a sword.

I turned to my sister and friend, pointing to the mark.

“That’s new.” My sister said, placing her fingers on it and feeling it. “How did you get that?”

I shook my head, I didn’t know. Josiah’s eyes glazed over, receiving a mind link.

“Umm, Alpha Travis is requesting to see us in the dungeons. He said he had to restrain Hunji last night, said his wolf went wild. Ahh shit! I forgot to tell them that Tawny called, said there was an issue at the cat kingdom, needed to speak to Alpha or Commander. I forgot, with everything going on here."

“Ok, let’s go. Maybe they will have answers for me.” I was still out of it, my mind whirling around when I replied, sounding miles away. I was, or at least my mind was on a different plane at the moment.