Chapter Four

Adina’s POV

Looking down at this beautiful green satin gown I can’t help but get teary eyed. My parents would have loved to have seen me in this dress. Just as I was imagining how to twirl to see the back of this amazing design, the fitting room mirrors start spinning ever so slowly around the platform I’m standing on. Just enough so that I can see all sides of this regal gown. Even with all of this fabric it still feels lighter than air. As the mirrors go around the back of my dress, they slowly start to angle downward so I can look at the train. What is that stitched in the beadwork, I wonder to myself?

As if reading my mind, Rachal and Marie walk over and smooth out the train so the beadwork is visible. As Rachal stands she explains that it is her wolves gift to see other’s wolves and had the seamstress stitch my wolf into the back of my gown along with a tribute to Selene the moon goddess. As she explains the different parts of the image, I can make out the image of Selene’s face in the moon with her arms represented by the star patterns almost as if she was reaching down to embrace me as my wolf howls up to her from what looks like my favorite waterfall in my kingdom.

“Thank you Rachal, this is beautiful. I will never know how you were able to capture my favorite place to go sit alone in and meditate. This means so much to me. I just wish my parents could have seen me in this dress, Mom would have been speechless.” I tell her.

Serena comes over and hugs me. “They were always proud of you. Just because they aren’t there in the flesh doesn’t mean that they don’t know what a wonderful woman you’ve become while they are gone.”

Marie, listening to the exchange between my Aunt and I breaks down sobbing from the sentiment. Mada simply hands her a box of tissues for all the waterworks and rolls her eyes for all the emotion.

“Well, now that the dress is settled, who’s ready to go pick out jewelry?” Serena says as she claps her hands together.

All to soon the scent hits us. Lycans.

Augustus POV

I can smell her. Why can I smell her? She doesn’t have her wolf yet. Not even bothering to mask our scent from them, we arrive outside the dress shop where they were last seen. Ugh mortals… I can’t wait until this business is complete and I can go back to my kingdom. I don’t understand how this so-called Luna Queen hybrid witch can stand it. The stench from these mortals is enough to make me want to vomit.

Evan touches his earpiece. “Augustus, we’ve been spotted. If you want her, we have to go in now.”

Can nothing be easy ever? Why won’t she just give up and come with us. It is her destiny to be MY Luna Queen or die at my hand. She will not succeed alone. I flick my hand at Evan to go.

“It’s a go.”

A low growl emits from my chest as he signals for them to fetch her. She will be fitting in chains, I think to myself.

“Make the tower ready for her arrival, use the bewitched chains from Jade.” I command. “Where is Jade anyway? She was supposed to report back by now.”

Mada’s POV

Smelling the Lycan flesh, it has become imperative that we get Adina out of here.

“Serena, they’re coming, we have to get out of here now.”

“Yes, Mada. Everyone, hold hands please. This will be the best way to elude Augustus.” Serena says.

And in a blink, we’re back in the space between, back in Serena’s realm and kingdom. The safest place right now from Augustus and his army.

“Adina, are you okay?”

“Yes, Mada, I feel fine. Why?” Adina asks

“Your… your eyes are glowing like fiery embers.” I tell her.

“It’s true Adina, I noticed it when you were trying on your gown.” Serena tells her nonchalantly.

That is strange that Serena noticed it but didn’t say anything to Adina. I wonder why she wouldn’t want her niece to know that her eyes were different. That something was changing with her physically. Suddenly almost as if she could read my mind, I feel Serena trying to make a connection with my wolf. Trying to mindlink with me. I’ve never heard of people who weren’t of the same pack being able to do this except for mates. I let the wall down in my mind for her to reach me.

“Your majesty, how may I help?” I ask Serena.

“Her wolf is trying to press forward before the full moon tonight. It is trying to break the binding spell. Adina and I knew that her wolf would be powerful. Selene told us that she would get her wolf tonight. I didn’t say anything not realizing how powerful her wolf would be, or that her wolf would be this close to the surface before the full moon and her first shift. Be patient Mada, all will be revealed soon enough.”

“Understood.”

“What are you two ladies discussing?” Adina says.

“Your wolf’s power your majesty.” I answer.

“Nothing to be concerned with Mada. But thank you for being a loyal and true friend. I do hope that you will continue to serve me once I am crowned Queen. No longer as my personal guard, but head of the guards for all the kingdom. I’ve trusted you with my personal protection all my life, even my father did when he was alive as well. But I think you’ve earn the position of Commander and chief of the Royal Guards Mada. What do you say, will you accept?”

Taken aback by her request to no longer be her personal guard, I admit it kinda stung a little. But then to have her request that I be head of the Royal Guards, was yet another shock to my core. I can’t deny her anything. I love her so much she is like family to me. Being guard to such a tiny royal child for so many years to now when she will be Queen.

Unable to mask the sadness in my voice, “Yes, my Queen,” was all I could manage as a reply.

“Oh Mada, don’t think of this as a replacement for your loyalty. Think of this as a promotion, before retirement. While we age differently than mortal man, you have been my protector for so long, I want you to be able to be comfortable in your new role and make sure that your replacement is fit since there will be many changes in the coming days ahead. No matter who my mate shall be, thank the moon goddess, I will not have them in charge of my protection solely. And there is no one better that I can think of to be in charge of training my future guards, not only for myself but for the kingdom. Without you I would not be here to be crowned this evening.” Says Adina as she hugs me.

 “In that case I would be proud to continue to serve you in that way my dear Luna Queen Adina.” Once again feeling a sense of pride in my duties. This child has a heart of gold. She will be an amazing Luna Queen. Our people, what’s left of them will adore her.”

Augustus POV

“What the hell happened Evan?” I shout at him over the phone. “She’s supposed to be here and all I can find is a trashed dress shop in the mortal realm. This is too messy. Pay them cash and get this cleaned up and fixed. We can’t leave a trace. You know better!”

“Gus, I don’t know what to tell you, she was there when I told you we had eyes on her. Then out of now where she vanished.”

“I don’t care. I’m tired of being close, only to have her disappear every time and I’m coming up short. I need her before tonight. I have to mate with her before she has her first shift. By force if I have to chained in the dungeons like a dog. I will take her as my chosen mate, by force if necessary.”

“And this is why you have a problem, Gus. Our parents didn’t raise you to be a monster. To torture people and take what you wanted for fun. They raised us all to be conquerors yes, but not monsters. She will never make the choice to be your Luna after she learns of the lengths you will go to conquer a land. Hell, she won’t choose you since you killed her parents. For f*** sake Augustus, what were you thinking when you did that? Never mind don’t answer that, I don’t even want to know.” Scolds Evan, always the levelheaded one of the three of us, just like our mother. Our youngest brother Cade is ever the diplomat always trying to trade and negotiate and work out things in a peaceful way. I can only imagine the headaches the three of us gave my parents on a daily basis. Speaking of the diplomat…

“Why is it we couldn’t just speak with the shop owner? She maybe persuaded to help us locate Ms. Adina.” Says Cade. He is the face of the three of us. He has the panty wetting chiseled looks, the handsome smile, the deep voice with a slight accent, from when our parents spent the summers in Italy while we were growing up that he never seemed to lose, that all the girls go for.

“Cade if you must, be my guest.” Says Evan.

“Seems like a waste of time to me. If she vanished there isn’t going to be any trace left of her. I’m sure that witch she’s with wiped her memory.” Scoffs Augustus.

“ugh… give him time. Let’s see what Cade can do Gus.” Groans Duke.