Chapter 2

Nadine

If someone had told me what was going to happen, I would never have believed them.

It was impossible to think that the most beautiful vision I had ever had in my life, one different from the images of terror that always flooded my brain, could turn into some kind of nightmare.

Biel looked at me angrily, and I did not respond.

The priest took the drawing and looked at it with interest, then frowned.

“Who are the other men?” The old man asked, and I said nothing.

I had sworn the sight of my gourds to secrecy, so I kept my mouth shut tight and stood up straight. That brought Biel and the priest into each other's eyes, then Biel nodded and walked toward the exit, but not before looking at me as if I were a serious problem. And yes, I was a problem he shouldn't be dealing with. When Biel left, I let go of my hands and tried to regulate my breathing.

“Aren't you going to say anything about this drawing?” The priest asked curiously, and I shook my head. “Then I'm going to tell you who I am and why the guardians sought you out.”

At that point, I looked at the man seriously.

“I am Lion Storne, high priest of the Equilibrium Order,” the old man said, and I was surprised. “I am the sorcerer who controls the information about the prophecies, visions, and predictions that come to the temple. And I am here in the capacity of a guide for you, due to the fact that we received a vision about the future of our world, and you appear in the vision.”

That didn't surprise me because I knew the prophecy that lay over my head.

“You've been hard to track down because you never took the soulmate test; that made it almost impossible to locate you until we had another vision of you with a woman dancing in a bar,” the high priest said with flushed cheeks, and I knew it was Elle. “I asked the guardians for help in locating you, and that is why you are here. I apologize for the way the guards treated you, but they had to make sure you didn't leave the area.”

“It wasn't necessary—”

“It was Nadine,” the high priest said earnestly as he deduced my intentions. “We realized that your trail disappeared with your mother's death. The guardians were never able to find you, and when you did not show up at the temple to take the soulmate test, it was assumed that your disappearance might be due to your being dead. We were pleasantly surprised to learn who you really are and that you are well. So I enforced the mandatory soulmate test.”

That was the main idea of hiding—that everyone would believe I was dead, but it seemed fate was forcing me to face the situation.

“I never wanted to be found,” I admitted aloud. “I was never interested in the soulmate test. I don't believe in bonding or compatibilities.”

The lie came out of my mouth very easily, and the high priest looked at me with surprise.

“I know I'm not one to talk about the importance of soulmates when I gave it up, but it's not optional. It is a law of our world to preserve our legacy,” the priest said, and I looked at him with arched eyebrows. “Soulmates are the basis of our power and the most sacred thing we have. The soulmate test is a blood test that helps soulmates to be able to unite, and not taking the test is a crime.”

“A misdemeanor, and I am well within my rights to refuse,” I immediately replied. “I don't want to take the test.”

“I'm sorry to tell you this, but by law your blood has already been processed,” the old man said, and I closed my eyes tightly as I understood the implications of that. “Because of your blood, we knew who you were, and tomorrow we will get the results of the soulmate test. By law, your mate will be notified and come to meet you. Once we follow protocol, we can talk about the visions and the implications of them.”

That was a catastrophe of epic proportions.

“I am no devotee, much less a follower of the faith,” I said immediately. “I'm not going to do anything the temple orders me to do, and I'm not obligated to bond with anyone because a blood test says so. So, you must release me at once.”

The high priest pursed his lips.

“I'm sorry, Nadine, but I cannot comply with your wishes when the future of our world is more important than your freedom.”

The priest stood up and took the drawing before walking away.

That made me very angry, so I screamed in frustration.

The two feline guards entered the interrogation room, and the taller one removed my handcuffs.

“Come on, you'll be somewhere comfortable,” the other guard said.

“A gold prison will always be a prison,” I said, annoyed, and followed them.

They took me to a secluded room, and they were right in saying it was comfortable.

The place had a large padded bed, and in front of it was a small refrigerator stocked with basic food. Next to it was a closet that held more linens. On the other side was a moo and a sofa that had a direct view of the window, and next to it was a small bookshelf filled with books. I guessed that the small door nearby led to a bathroom.

The place might be simple, but for me it was a luxury, and when I checked the books, I was not surprised to see that they were books about the Equilibrium Order. That one bored me superbly because I already knew all I needed to know about it, so I turned around, and when I saw one of the felines outside the room, I didn't hesitate to approach.

“Where are my things?” I asked earnestly, and he turned to look at me.

“The captain will give them to you tomorrow after your test result,” the shapeshifter said quickly. “Do you want anything?”

The kindness almost made me laugh, but I didn't scorn him, so I nodded.

“I want my sketchbook and something to draw with.”

The feline smiled and called another guardian to let him know my request, so I went straight to sit on the couch, and I think it might have been a big mistake because the first thing I saw out the window was Biel training with other men in the garden.

I denied my damn luck and went straight to bed.

Minutes later I got my notebook, and after hours of drawing and eating two decent meals, I fell asleep with the feeling that the world had split at my feet. That's how I had a dream that shook every part of my body.

I was in a valley full of flowers and was running happily as someone tried to chase me, then I felt something giant streaking across the skies, and when I was distracted by looking up, arms caught me firmly.

“You're so easy to play with,” said a man's voice that made my body melt. “Good thing I always have allies.”

When I turned to see him, the red-haired man in my vision smiled flirtatiously and then kissed me in a way that made me feel wanted. However, our kiss didn't last long because someone grabbed my hand to turn around, so I did and watched a handsome brown-haired man smile at me with the golden eyes of a wolf.

“I want my kiss; you have to be fair, Nadine,” the werewolf said, and I kissed him sweetly.

If you kiss them, you have to kiss me, said a different voice in my head, and then a big dragon landed near us and turned into a very beautiful blond man.

I felt like my body was going to combust until a whistling sound made me turn to look towards the beginning of the forest, and I saw the captain running in a hurry.

“They're coming for us!” shouted Biel in fear.

That fear made me wake up, and as I opened my eyes, I realized that I was not alone in the room. The high priest was sitting on the couch and scowling at me.

“Since when do you have night terrors?” the old man asked, and I got up to get a glass of water.

I didn't answer him until I swallowed the vital liquid and my throat felt cool.

“What are you doing here?” I asked in a hoarse voice.

“I came to check on you; I thought something was up because you were screaming loudly,” the high priest said, and I cursed between my teeth. “Whatever it is you see in your sleep makes you very ill. The guards didn't know what to do, so I stayed here to check that your screaming wasn't a problem for the others.”

That caught my interest.

“Why didn't he wake me up?”

“You don't wake anyone from a night terror unless they are a danger, or else that could have sequelae to your mind,” the high priest said firmly, and I nodded. “It's about to get light, so get yourself cleaned up because you'll get your test results.”

“I don't want—”

“It's not up for discussion, Nadine,” the old man said earnestly and held up the picture of the men he had drawn for years. “Now I can understand why you drew them.”

With those words, he left, and I held back the urge to cry.

He high priest knew what the drawing meant, so I had no choice but to take a quick shower and change my clothes. When I came out of the bathroom, the felines were waiting for me, and I didn't have to be very smart to realize that they knew the results and were curious.

“We'll take you to the labs,” one of the shapeshifters said.

“Give me a moment,” I asked.

I went back to the bathroom, and as I looked in the mirror, I noticed the dark circles under my gray eyes, and my black hair was a mess. I braided my hair, and that's how I saw the little heart, the mates' mark, on my wrist. It was a sign that the soulmate test had yielded results.

I went outside and followed the guards.

We walked down a long hallway and then up some stairs, where they greeted several people and finally led me to a room. When I entered, the men of my dreams were there.

Biel looked at me with annoyance while the blond man had an indecipherable expression on his face. The red-haired man smiled at me with pleasure, and the brown-haired man had a scowl on his face.

This was going to end badly.