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
~~~~~Without another word, Catherine flew through the room towards the front door, but the heart-wrenching tug on her bonds gave her pause. She threw her hands in the air before turning to find the three of them gazing at her sadly. How was this fair? Why? She looked at her feet to find Fae Bane on the floor between her and freedom. Everything and everywhere had a touch of Fae bane to prevent her from leaving. The windows, the doors. Everything. This was too much. It was too far. Would they not even let her go into town anymore? She turned hollow eyes towards them, unable to fathom why they would do this, and watched as they flinched.“It’s not what you think…” Gunther started, but Zion shook his head. “Circe is in town.”“Gunther…”“No. Catherine is right. She deserves to know. Did you not see the way she blew through my shield? I am not one to boast, b
‘I have located Circe, Tatiana.’ A female voice popped into her head, startling her from the sofa. ‘She is determined to take back her Harlequin. My Lady, are you sure you wish me to bring her back alive?’It was something Catherine often considered. After Eliana disappeared, this ‘connection’ formed between them, giving her the ability to communicate with her much like she did with her husbands. Though it was weird, Catherine tried to adjust quickly, but her husbands had been jealous. A funny thing, considering they never seemed jealous of each other, yet someone outside the group kissing her was an issue. Catherine was in a state of shock at first. Sure, back on Earth, she experimented with the same sex, but she thought women would be held to a higher standard here.‘Yes, Eliana. She cannot help the way her parents raised her.’ After thinking about it for a fe
“I cannot understand Circe or Cathy in the slightest.” Catherine mumbled, staring at their interlocking hands high above their heads. “How could they resist the pull caused by the mark?”“Precisely because she lived her entire life here.” Silas answered, startling her from her thoughts, and she glanced over the arm of the couch to see him leaning against the door, arms crossed, eyes hidden behind his odd glasses. “You were the one to respond to them, though, so I believe I now understand what happened. Your soul was not the only soul displaced in their mistake.”“You think hers was too?” She wondered as she lifted the blankets to cover the red love bites that littered her skin from Zion’s lips. “Maybe her soul originally belonged to the world I grew up in?”Silas stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes again, his body pushing off the door to walk closer. It would make sense,
"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