Catherine felt like she was in a dream. No, a nightmare. Everything hurt, from the tips of her hair to the toes of her feet and everywhere in between. It was physical. Emotional. Mental. Yet she could not move to bend with the pain, to ease the pressure on her chest, or the choking in her throat. But Catherine knew she was alive. Where there was pain, there was life. Regardless of knowing this, it did not change the level of hurt. Catherine opened her eyes to a view of her life back on Earth. Only it was Cathy in control of her body, and her eyes widened.
“She has found her Intirmate.” A voice said, making her try to twist her head around. “They are called soulmates in your world. In Erlias, you can have more than one based on your connection to the world. A Fae has the strongest of all. You are Fae.”
“Why me?”
“Stout of Spirit yet lacking love. Your Earth taught you mistrust. You were to be Cathy from the beginning.&rdq
“You saw the three of us fall?” Gunther asked with wide eyes. “As if. I do not know about these two, but I am the Prince of Dragons. I would not.”“I am sure Catherine knows what she saw, Dragon, otherwise she would not mention it.” Silas replied, reaching out to touch her head. “Did the God you met with say that would be our fate?”“They said it would be if I refused to accept mine.” Catherine crossed her arms, her voice dropping lower. “And they gave me a preview of what it would feel like to lose you three…”The three shared a look before Zion reached out, his arms wrapping snug around her form. His warmth was so familiar now, something she did not want to go without, and she felt even more determined to remain by his side. By all their sides. Gunther’s slightly callused hands wrapped around hers, and Silas kept stroking her head, slowly calming her racing heart. The God said
Unavoidable. Catherine had no choice. But she knew the truth. Death was hard to face. Fear could change anyone, and fear of death would make anyone lose their mind. But though she knew it was what it was, despite everything in her mind screaming, this was wrong. Red. Her hands. Her arms. The beautiful white sleeves of the soft robes Silas helped her into before he transported them here. They were all red. Why? What had she done? She licked her dry lips, almost losing the contents of her stomach to the iron-like flavor spreading in her mouth. This world and its inhabitants were nothing like Earth. Nothing.~~~~~This was why he wanted to avoid it. He knew Catherine was not ready to accept this part of their world, no matter how much of a brave face she put on. Seeing her already pale skin turn to ash white under the red color oozing down her face made his heart thud dangerously in his chest. Challenges were life or death on Erlias. Catherine
Her eyelids felt heavy, so she kept them closed as she examined her surroundings with her other senses. The floor beneath her was cold, and the air felt damp. There was a drip of water somewhere nearby. Or was it far away? Catherine could not tell because of the echo. Calm. That is what Silas always told her. Remain calm and examine everything. He was the only one of her husbands who taught her offensive Majyks. Gunther and Zion refused. So, Catherine felt Silas’s tips would be the best to follow for now. The surface under her right hand felt rough, and she realized her wrists were bound by something coarse and snug.Rope. Catherine opened one eye to take a peek at her surroundings, but could see nothing. Did they bind her eyes too? Carefully, she reached up her hands, only to find nothing on her face. No, it was just that dark in here. She expected this, but that did not make it less scary. Her foes on this world were making their first moves, so she played right into
Their vacation to celebrate Catherine’s marriage to Gunther was put on hold. According to Zion, Cathy went to her hideaway after every wedding to explain how their relationships would work, but that was no longer needed. So, they canceled their plans to return to the port city and instead moved outside the city gates, into the nearby forests. Zion said the pack wanted to celebrate with her, since she would take the place of their Luna. Though Catherine did not understand it, she agreed, since she did not want to go back to the port city. There were too many people trying to earn her favor there.Circe disappeared. This time, Silas did not know where she went, only that her first husband came to ask where she went. Catherine felt sorry for the man, since Circe did not seem to care for him in the slightest. But he left to chase after her, so he was just as guilty as Circe for his situation. As for Circe, Silas promised to take care of her, but Catherine did not want her t
~~~~~“Interrupting and seeing the Tatiana while mating is a punishable offence.” Gunther growled, startling the pair, and Catherine lifted the blanket to cover her chest. “How did you get in?”The male sniffed before chuckling, his brown eyes narrowing as another male appeared behind Gunther, pulling him out of the room. Catherine’s eyes widened in shock before she threw a shield up and reached out her Lias to Zion. Clearly, not everyone agreed with the way things went concerning her instatement as the Luna. The male started to disrobe when his form disappeared, a flash of white tackling him from the side. Silas remained frozen where he was, as though he could not believe someone attacking them before he startled when the cracking of bones echoed in the room.“You should consider yourself lucky I am not Zion.” Eliana growled, coming to a stand. “I am sure he will
Gunther and Zion remained silent. Eliana looked between the two then back at Catherine. Catherine knew the two did not trust Silas, especially because it involved his little sister, but she did. She knew he would never do anything to hurt her. But expecting them to trust him without evidence would not grant him their trust. Evidence. What could she do to prove to them he could be trusted? How could she show them what she understood of him without breaking his desire for silence? Catherine understood a lot about Silas, like his want to protect even the two of them, but it was a private conversation. Gunther and Zion did not know what a depressing childhood Silas had.Not that it excused him from helping his sister, but Catherine could understand him better now. Her gut told her she could trust him implicitly, so she would. And the mark of the strength of her determination showed on her face as she turned to face the three of them. Silas is her Harlequin. The King of the Fae. A
Cool hands parted her thighs, loving lips pressed to hers, and then she woke, her body sore. Catherine barely recalled what happened when her back hit the bed last night, only the slap of skin, and the scent of their activities hovering in the air. They were still asleep, she wondered, poking Silas’s face, something she would never dare do when he was awake. The men often slept in a halo around her, something she felt strange at first, until the first time their group faced attackers. Zion and Gunther could transform quickly and dispose of the enemy without even waking her up, thanks to her Fae.Silas let her know the next day, much to Zion’s and Gunther’s annoyance. He said it was only to prove he helped, and that was back before Catherine knew about Silas’s past. She dressed herself and walked over to the window. When she first arrived here, every new day brought the shock of something new to her, but she was growing accustomed to this world. To alwa
Unlike the other males she saw here, Brucie had short blonde hair with oaken brown eyes, and a slight roguish expression on his face. He had a scar running vertically to his nose, yet it did not put Catherine off. She found scars to be attractive, especially since Zion had one as well. He leaned forward, catching her gaze with his, drawing her into smiling. Brucie was handsome. Just like the others, which only made her even more interested in him. Everyone else treated her like a child, yet here he was, treating her like a woman, instead. It was comforting.“Might I know your name?” Brucie ventured with a gentle smile.“Call me Cathy.” Catherine answered, smiling in return. “It is refreshing to meet someone like you. Are you a Forest Fae?”“Yes, I have a home nearby. The Wolves know, but I pay them dividends often.” He continued, his head tilting to the side. “What about you? Surely a beautiful woman has litt
"Assessment complete. We have located the correct soul. Let us check her response to the Future Tatiana's Chosen Husbands." A voice said, causing my eyes to blink open. "You came to the park to play today with your new friends. Have fun!" The surrounding scenery changed from blank white to a splash of all the colors of the rainbow. I lifted my hand to block out the sun before throwing my head around to look around the park. It was pretty, and I could see three different boys playing by themselves. I skipped to the meanest looking one first, worried I would chicken out if he was actually as mean as he looked. He glanced up at me before jerking his head away, as if he should fear me. "Go away. Girls dislike scary boys." "But you're not that scary. You have honest eyes, which makes you quite handsome." I stated with a giggle, before pointing at the slide. "Would you like to play?" "No. I prefer watching over the people I like." He replied with a gentle smile, though still would not le
"Gunther, you should not be seen with that Fae female!" His father warned with narrowed ruby eyes. "What if she mind controls you and forces you to harm us?" "Catherine would never do that, Father." Gunther sighed, annoyed at the topic coming up again, and glared at the older Dragon. "She is a good female, perfect for raising our whelps. You said you would trust me." "I do, but at least keep your options open. Lady Gisela is very interested in seeing you again." Klaus stated with a mischevious grin. "Perhaps you could see..." "Gisela is a childhood friend and nothing more. She could never produce several heirs. You know Dragon fertility rates are low." The younger returned while clenching his fists, his form growing stiffer. "You wanted me to Intirmate with the Tatiana so the Dragons could have strong whelps. How could you ask me to turn my back on my wife?" It hurt. Gunther loved his family and the Dragons. He wanted a wonderful future for all of the
Gunther remained by her side when they approached the entrance to the Audience Chamber within the Lair. Though she felt out of place and unwanted, she kept her head up and her attention focused on what she wanted to say. Dragons were notorious for growing angry, something she often saw in her third husband, so she wanted to make sure she did not offend the King.As they got closer, the doors opened revealing a large throne with a shifted Dragon lying near it. Powerful Lias filled the room, making the candles flicker off the shiny white walls, and she gripped Gunther's hand, hoping for the courage to make this work. She looked up at her husband with a small nod, wanting to get this over with. They took two steps before the Dragon's eyes opened, a familiar red with slitted black pupils.He was massive, with a curving green and red tail, large dark green wings, and an extremely long snout. This Dragon had to be the strongest of all the Dragons, and the thought made
The Queens were angry with his orders, but could not rise against him. Silas smirked a little before refocusing on the parchment in his hands. People did not like the barriers to Faerie being open. There were hate crimes happening, and DragoShif children being located. And he missed her. Since she entered the Dragon Territory, neither he nor Zion heard anything from Catherine or Gunther.He could still feel her Intirmating link, but she was keeping things silent. Perhaps she was learning more about their culture she could not share, though that made him nervous. What if she was in danger? Silas shook the thoughts from his head, unwilling to savor the idea. Even if she were weakened by something, she would endure. He just needed faith in her. With that determination, he continued working until a heavy knock fell on his door."Come in." He called, unsurprised when several Queens filed into the room, annoyed expressions on their faces. "What is it?""The Barrier to
Fynn looked between Gunther and Catherine with annoyed, yellowish eyes, making her shift nervously. She hated being scrutinized by people who were strangers to her. But Gunther trusted him enough to bring her here, to his friend's unremarkably gray, rocky home, so perhaps she should give him the benefit of doubt. Fynn was a slimmer DragoShif who looked a little older than Gunther, but she did not know how old that was."You never found a den for your Intirmate?" Fynn questioned, drawing the gaze of everyone nearby. "Come inside."When she stepped through the entryway into the mountain, the first thing she noticed was how beautiful the place was. Instead of what she imagined as a cold, unforgiving room, the foyer was actually quite warm in its decor and gentle blues, so she breathed an inward sigh of relief. Fynn turned with a scowl on his face, and Catherine tilted her head at his strange expression. Was there something wrong?"Your father is sick. Rebels are ri
To say it was clothing was a gross understatement. Catherine did not know how the clothes stayed in place to cover all her private parts, but it did. It was still a dress, of sorts. The top was one long scarf-like dark blue fabric that wrapped around her neck in a single loop before covering her breasts. It attached at the hips to a lighter blue fabric skirt with flower prints near the tail. Her entire back and parts of her chest down to her bellybutton felt more exposed than normal, and her cheeks flushed."I look silly..." she stated, covering the slip of skin between the fabric of her top with her arms. "This is embarrassing..."Since she came back from the ensuite, the three had yet to close their mouths, but as soon as she turned to change, she felt a whisper of breath across her bare back, making her toes curl. Her husbands could be so cruel, she thought, turning to find Gunther on his knees next to her. His ruby red eyes were blown up in lust, and his fingers pu
"Cathy, you cannot accommodate him like that. If it is too much, then say so." Silas's familiar voice rang in his head and he blearily opened his eyes. "Oh look. The Lizard is waking up!" "Silas..." Catherine started warningly, but the cool expression on his face had Gunther wincing. "He needs to hear it at some point. You cannot go that far, Lizard. If Catherine spends too much of her Lias on us, the world gets off balance." The Fae ranted, listing things off with efficiency. "And I know your mating season is soon, but try to remember your wife just had pups." One look at her told him all he needed to know. He did not mean to push her that far, but he was so out of it, lost since their last time together, that all he could think about was her pleading expression. All he could see was her acceptance. The same acceptance he knew made her an attractive wife, yet never expected to receive. He loved her, but he hurt her. When her hands reached out to stroke
She knew better, but it was calling to her. Now, here she was, stuck to the side of some young male Fae who only pretended to like her. Elvenia did not want to go to Faerie until a few weeks ago, when some young man, a guard, came to confess to her. He promised her a future together only to lie and hurt her. Why did her mother allow this? Elvenia sighed, but thought about Catherine.Never once had her mother denied her or rejected her. This would hurt her, but Elvenia hoped her parents would give up. Despite his lies to her, she did not want Eitan to face punishment. Especially not from her father. They may have hid the truth from her mother, but she knew Silas wanted Circe to die. She could see it in his eyes anytime Circe was brought up. The Elder Fae likely felt at fault for this latest string of stress."Your mother will not be coming here." Circe whispered with a crazy grin. "But with you here, she cannot do anything when I go there. Only the real Tatiana has cont
She was busy. Gunther understood it and was told not to be selfish, yet here she was, staring expectantly at him. The Council of the Queens agreed to meet with her if she passes through the gate. But Catherine refused, stating the Council would need to come to her. She was headstrong and refused to bow to them, which made her shine brighter in his eyes. Since she came into her Majyk, she seemed like a different woman and it drove him wild. But he did not expect her to notice. He felt distant from her. Sure, he saw her every day, but her focus was on Silas and Zion, something that annoyed him greatly. Though he tried to not complain. Catherine had a lot of responsibilities when she was this close to the border of Faerie. That was what he tried to convince himself of, anyway. The more they laid under the moons of Erlias, her resting on his shifted form, these thoughts plagued him. "Do not let me ignore you, Gunther. If you want attention, let me know." She whispered, h