《The Tiger Prince&#x27;s Witch》


 Prologue

    **Spirt Energy Coven**

    "I understand that you think this is necessary, but why do I have to mate with someone who isn''t my fated mate? Aren''t we stronger when we find the one person who is our other half?" Anna looked between her parents. They had made a deal with the powerful weretiger kingdom to have her mate with their crowned prince.

    Her mother was the High Priestess, and her father was the High Warlock of The Spirit Energy Coven. They are the most powerful coven in the entire world. Their energy was passed down from generation to generation, so each decedent had more power than their ancestors.

    Anna''s parents were fated mates of the same coven. Anna''s power was unprecedented, with both being decedents of Spirit Energy. As she was their only child, her hand as a mate was sought by leaders all over the supernatural world. Warlocks of other covens hade to seek Anna out, and several Vampire kings. However, they had chosen to set up an arranged mating between her and the crowned prince of the weretigermunity.

    "I know this isn''t what you''d hoped for, but they''re the fiercest of all the shifters. If someone were toe after you because of your powers, they would be able to protect you." Caprice said withpassion as she took her daughter''s hand. Anna didn''t agree. She wanted to meet her fated mate as her parents had. She didn''t want to be handed over to a man she had never met, as though she was a piece of property.

    Anna was neen, petite, with long dark brown hair and pale grey eyes. She was beautiful and had a powerful aura that drew people to her. Many men who came into contact with her instantly wanted to make her theirs. For this reason, her parents rarely allowed her to leave the coven, so she spent a lot of time in the forest practicing her spells.

    "What happens if I meet my mate and you''ve already sold me to the highest bidder?" She knew she sounded like a spoiled brat, but she had been looking forward to finding her true mate her entire life. Stanley looked at his daughter, and as bad as he felt for her, he knew this was the best option. Whoever her mate was wouldn''t be as capable as the weretigers.

    "You''ll be the queen of the werecats. You''ll have the entire werecatmunity as your protectors. Think about what could happen if someone was able to take you and use your magic for bad. It could kill you and those you love. We are only thinking about what''s best." Anna sighed at what her dad said. She understood, but that didn''t make it any easier for her to ept.

    Spirit Energy believed in only using their magic for good and not evil. Others woulde and ask for their assistance with spells or potions. However, part of Spirit Energy''s powers was being able to pick up on the intentions of others. If someone had bad intentions, they would refuse to help them or anyone associated with them.

    Even with all their power, Spirit Energy was not immune to the evil of others. Others could cast spells on them or poison them just like anyone else. However, the effects may not have as big of an impact on those of their coven. Nevertheless, if someone made a poison or potion that could get through Spirit Energy''s barriers, it could be deadly.

    "Fine, I''ll do it, but if I happen to meet my mate before you send me to the tigers, I can''t promise I won''t run away with him. Do we even know his name?" Anna asked with her arms crossed.

    "We thought it best that you don''t know each other''s names for the time being. If someone were to get to either of you before the mating, you wouldn''t be able to tell them who your mate is supposed to be. I know it doesn''t make much sense, but we, with the king and queen, have put a lot of thought behind this. He''s young, though. Not much older than you." Caprice smiled at Anna, d that she wasing around.novelbin

    "Alright, I''m going to go practice some spells. I''ll be home by dinner." Anna kissed each of her parents before heading to her favorite clearing in the forest.

    As she was practicing a spell, she didn''t realize she was being watched. The person watching her was waiting for the right time to release poison into the air. It had to be done at precisely the right time so Anna would breathe enough of it in to make her pass out.

    The young witch finished her spell andughed with delight when multiple rainbows appeared to be shooting from the ground. It was a frivolous spell, but her mother always said sometimes you could use magic for fun. After their talk, she needed some fun.

    When Anna turned around, it gave the one watching the perfect opportunity. They released the poison into the air, and it lightly coated her.

    Anna had taken a few steps back towards her home when she suddenly felt tingly all over her body. As she tried to walk, her legs began to feel like they had lead in them. She couldn''t move and when she tried to scream nothing came out. Before she knew it, she fell to the ground, and everything went dark.

    When Anna woke up, she sat up on the bed she was lying on and looked around. She realized she was in a cabin. Was she supposed to be here? She tried to remember where she was and how she''d gotten there. As she tried to think, she gasped. She didn''t even know her name or who she was. Anna didn''t know she was a witch or was arranged to be mated to the tiger prince. All she knew was that she was in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

    **Weretiger Pce**

    Kamryn was the crowned tiger prince for the werecatmunity. Many thought the lycan king was the most powerful of the shifters. In reality, their power and strength couldn''t rival that of the weretigers. The pce was enormous and deep within the forest, hidden from the human world. Even though it was not umon for shifters to live among the humans, the royals typically didn''t like to mingle with them. "Son, you understand why this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, don''t you? There will never be a chance to have someone as powerful as this young witch join our kingdom. It''s in the best interest of both Spirit Energy and us to have you mate with each other." Randal understood why his son wasn''t pleased, but that didn''t change what needed to be done.

    Kamryn didn''t care what species his mate was; he just wanted them to be fated. He was twenty years old and six foot eight with bulging muscles everywhere. He had tanned skin and ck hair with amber eyes. He was handsome and had many women throwing themselves at him for his looks and royal title. However, he wasn''t interested in them. He and his tiger, Legend, only wanted their fated mate. Every other woman disgusted them.

    "I know what you''re saying, but how do you know my fated mate won''t be powerful? Maybe she''s a hidden gem even more powerful than this witch. You won''t even tell me her name. How do you know she even exists?" Kamryn was doing everything he could to stay calm. His parents told him over six months ago about this arrangement, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

    "I don''t think you understand the power of Spirit Energy. She is astronomical and will rival any evildoers that try to take the throne. Think of the children you can have that could be weretiger and witch hybrids." Lynn sat next to her son with a smile. As much as she wanted him to find his fated mate as she and Randal had, this mating was best for the well-being of the werecats and the witches.

    "I''m going for a run. I''ll be back soon." Kamryn didn''t want to talk about this anymore. He left through the pce''s back doors and ran to the nearby forest.

    He started in human form and shifted to his tiger. They ran almost every day. It was the only time he had to think. Kamryn wanted to fight his parents on the arranged mating, but he didn''t feel he had a choice. He wondered what the witch thought about this agreement.

    He understood that their parents thought by uniting, they would be able to rule over the entire supernatural world with no one to oppose them. Kamryn wasn''t as convinced as his family was. No matter how powerful a leader thought they were, someone always wanted to rival them.

    After they had run for a couple of hours, Legendy down next to the river. They were both thinking that if they met their fated mate before the arranged mating, they would mark her so they couldn''t take another as their mate. Kamryn thought it was a good idea. He just had to meet her first.

    While they were lying near the water, someone was watching them from afar. A weretiger''s senses were of the best in the shiftermunity, so the spy had to stay hidden even though they were covered with scent repent. They were trying to learn the prince''s typical running route. This person went on runs with the prince asionally but still thought it best to observe him when he was alone.

    They were supposed to stop the arranged mating from happening so a different set of chosen could take the crown. It wasn''t going to be easy to take down the crowned prince, but they were never one to back down from a challenge. When the spy saw the massive tiger getting up to stretch, they took off in the opposite direction. It was only a matter of time before the Kamryn would disappear.

 Chapter 1 - The Stranger

    Anna had been marking the wall inside the cabin for every night she was there. So far, it had been sixty nights. She still couldn''t remember who she was or where she came from. She was afraid to venture far from the cabin because she was scared she wouldn''t know how to get back.

    As she walked through the forest e afternoon looking for berries and other edible vegetation, she heard something that caused her concern. It sounded like a person in pain. She hadn''t walked far and could still see the cabin from where she was. Anna slowly stepped toward where the sound wasing from.

    When she came to a small clearing, she saw arge man lying on the ground. He was on his back with his eyes closed. His face had cuts and bruises all over it. One of his eyes was ck and swollen shut. He was wearing blue jeans with a ck t-shirt and no shoes. She saw bleeding from some of the open areas where his clothes had been torn. Anna knew she had to help him.

    "Sir, can you hear me?" She asked softly, touching his shoulder. He turned toward her but didn''t open his eyes.

    "Can you open your eyes? I have a cabin not far from here, but there is no way I can carry you." Anna watched as the man grimaced in pain but slowly opened the one eye that wasn''t swollen. She gave him a small smile.

    Kamryn opened his eye and looked at the angel looking down at him. He didn''t know where he was or who she was but instantly felt calm in her presence. His body was in terrible pain, but all he wanted to do was hear the angel speak again. "Where am I?" He asked her in a whisper.

    "I can tell you that you''re in the forest, but I don''t know where. I''ll exin once we get to my cabin. Are you able to stand with my help?" Anna asked him, holding out her hand.

    Kamryn took her hand and sat up. After his head stopped spinning, he let her help him stand. He almost fell back down because one of his legs was in excruciating pain. The woman grabbed him and helped him lean against her. She was so tiny next to him that he was afraid he would crush her as he draped his arm over her shoulders.

    "Are you ready to try walking? The cabin is right over there." Kamryn looked to where she was pointing and sighed. It was a short distance, but he didn''t think it would be a quick walk in his current condition.

    "Yes, let''s get this over with. Are you out here all by yourself?" He asked while trying to remember how he had ended up in the middle of the forest. He remembered going for a run but then nothing else. Legend was also not responding to him, so the only thing he could think of was that they were poisoned and then beaten. Otherwise, his tiger healing would have taken over.

    "Yes, I''m the only one here," Anna answered quietly.

    "My name is Kamryn. What''s yours?" He nced down at the small woman and saw a look of sadness on her face.

    "I don''t know my name. Honestly, two months ago, I woke up in this cabin, but I don''t know who I am or where I came from. It feels like there''s arge void where those pieces of my memory used to be." Anna felt tears in her eyes as she looked ahead toward the cabin. They were getting closer, but with him limping, it was going slowly.novelbin

    "I''m sorry you can''t remember anything. When I''m better and am able to travel, I''ll help you get your answers. It''s the least I can do to thank you for helping me." Anna looked up into his face with a smile.

    "You''ll help me? Thank you, Kamryn. How did you end up out here?" She asked, feeling a sliver of hope that she would at least know her name soon.

    "I don''t know. I think I may have been poisoned because I remember falling down, but nothing after that." He didn''t say anything about being a weretiger. If she was human, he didn''t want to make her think he was crazy.

    They were finally at the cabin, and Anna helped him up the two steps to get to the door. Once inside, she led him to the bed and had him lie down. The cabin was small, with only onerge room that served as the bedroom and living area. A tiny bathroom on the other side of the room in the corner. There was a bed, a loveseat, and two chairs. Next to the bed was a small three-drawer dresser where Anna had found some clothing she had used.

    There was a small wood-burning stove and a sink along the back wall. Anna had found some canned food in one of the cabs, but she had rationed it out because she didn''t know how long she would be there. Kamryn looked around at the little cabin and knew whoever she was, she had to be strong to survive out here alone for so long. He was impressed that even though she had lost her memory, she wasn''t acting like a victim. "I''m going to take your clothes off so I can look at your injuries." Anna tentatively moved her hands to the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up. He raised his head so she could take it off. She licked her lips as she stared at his bumpy abs. She may have no memory, but she could appreciate a man''s body just fine.

    Kamryn smirked when he noticed her checking him out. Now that he was getting a good look at her, she was beautiful. He saw her blush slightly as she went to the sink.

    Anna found a small towel and tore it in half. She filled a small bowl with warm water to wash his wounds. She then returned to Kamryn.

    She lightly washed each wound and found that they weren''t that deep. His bruising was beginning to spread, and she suspected he had broken ribs. He winced when she lightly pushed on his abdomen, making her think some of his organs were also bruised. "Most of your wounds are superficial and can be left open. I think the internal damage is worse than what we see on the outside. I''m going to get something to wrap around your midsection to help your ribs heal." Kamryn watched in fascination as she looked for a piece of cloth.

    "How do you know how to do this? You sound like a nurse or doctor." Anna looked at him thoughtfully.

    "I don''t know how I know this stuff. It feels natural." She found the nket she was looking for and positioned it around him, tearing the ends so she could tie it. When she was done, she was pleased with her work.

    "I feel better already. Thank you." Kamryn smiled at her but then winced when he moved.

    "You should try to stay as still as possible so you can heal. Now let''s take your pants off so I can check your legs. I have a pair of men''s sweats that you can wear afterward. Kamryn nodded and tried to undo his pants, but it hurt too much to

    move.

    "I''m sorry I can''t do it. You''ll have to help me." Anna nodded and undid his pants. He raised his hips slightly so she could pull them down. She felt relieved when she saw he had boxers on. As far as she knew, she was still a virgin and didn''t want to get flustered if she saw his penis.

    Once his pants were off, she checked his legs but saw nothing other than minor cuts. It appeared that he had a broken tibia, so she stabilized his leg with a small board and tied a long-sleeved shirt around it so it wouldn''t move. Anna then helped him put on the sweats and a t-shirt she found.

    "How''s your pain?" She didn''t have anything for it, but she thought she could at least make him morefortable.

    "It''s better now. Thank you." Kamryn watched as she cleaned up.

    "Are you hungry?" Anna asked, unsure what to do now that she had bandaged him up.

    "Do you have food here?" He asked.

    "I have some. When I woke up with no memory, there was food in the cabs. I have rationed it because I didn''t know how long I would be here." She answered while walking to the cab to see what she had.

    "I have some chicken noodle soup. Would you like that?" Anna looked over at him, holding up a couple of cans.

    "Sure." Kamryny on the bed watching her heat up the soup in a small pot on the wood-burning stove. He felt drawn to her, but he didn''t know why. When she was done, she put the soup in two bowls and brought one of them to him. She went behind him and stacked pillows and nkets behind him, so he was partially sitting up without too much pain. She then pulled over a chair and sat beside the bed, holding the soup.

    "I will feed you," Anna said as she raised the spoon to his mouth. Kamryn was too surprised and hungry to say anything, so he opened his mouth. The warm soup slid down his throat, and felt like it warmed him up from the inside out. "That''s the best canned soup I''ve ever had. You don''t have to feed me; I can do it." He started to reach for the bowl but winced as soon as he did.

    "Nonsense. Let me do it. I don''t want you hurting yourself even more. I''m grateful to have someone here with me. It''s been lonely not being able to talk to anyone, even though I don''t remember anyone." Anna raised the spoon to him again and met his eyes as he took the offered bite. She felt her heart fluttering in her chest. She assumed being in close proximity to another human being was having all kinds of effects on her.

    Kamryn couldn''t take his eyes off her as he ate. She wasn''t like the women around the pce or other women he''d met. She had a kindness that radiated off her and showed in the way she was caring for aplete stranger. He decided to refrain from telling her anything about being a weretiger and the crowned prince for the time being. He was going to let himself heal and spend time with this sweet angel.

 Chapter 2 - Changed Arrangements

    After they finished eating, Kamryn noticed it was starting to get dark outside. He didn''t know the young woman''s name, so he decided he would call her angel. He watched as she cleaned their bowls and tidied up the cabin. He could tell she was nervous, as though she didn''t know what to do. "What do you usually do here by yourself?" He asked her softly.

    "There''s really nothing to do. If I am sessful in finding edible vegetation, I will clean it for the next day. After that, I usually go to bed. I don''t know who I am or where Ie from, but I hope my life hasn''t always been this lonely." Anna sat in one of the chairs not far from where he was lying.

    Kamryn liked his alone time, but he didn''t know how she had gone so long with no contact with anyone. Someone had to be missing her. He wondered where she was from and whether she was a human or something else.

    "I''m sure someone is out there looking for you. If you were my girlfriend, I wouldn''t rest until I found you." Kamryn saw her face turn slightly red.

    "Do you have a girlfriend?" Anna asked softly. She didn''t look him in the eyes. It was probably because she had been alone for so long, but she hoped he said he was single. She didn''t want to be having certain thoughts about another woman''s

    man.

    "No. I''ve been waiting for the right woman toe along." Kamryn didn''t think she needed to know he was being forced to mate a witch he had never met. His heart raced when he saw the look of relief on her pretty face. "Will you have family looking for you?" Anna wished nobody woulde looking for him right away.

    "They may, but I take off sometimes for a few days, so they won''t anytime soon." Kamryn saw her smile even though she wasn''t looking at him.

    "At least that will give you time to heal. Are you okay staying here for the time being?" Anna looked at Kamryn with hope in her eyes.

    "I think this is the best ce for me to rx and get better with no one to bother us. It''s peaceful out here. Do you mind taking care of me for a while?" He asked with a smile.

    "No. I promise to do everything I can to make sure you get better. Are you tired? I''ll sleep on the loveseat." Anna stood up to get some nkets when Kamryn stopped her.

    "The loveseat is too small. You can sleep here. The bed''s big enough, and I promise I won''t move all night." Kamryn moved over as far as he could against the wall to show her there was plenty of room. Anna looked at the spot next to him, and he was right; there was room, but she was still unsure. She decided there was no harm in sharing the bed because he was too injured to move around. "Alright. I''ll be right back." Anna got the t-shirt and shorts she wore to bed and went to the tiny restroom to change her clothes. When she was done, she returned to the main room and turned off the lights. She slowly made her way to the bed with her heart pounding in her ears. Kamryn watched as she sat on the bed andy on her side with her back toward him. She pulled the sheet up to cover both of them. Anna could feel the warmth from being so close to Kamryn. She found itforting to have him in the bed, knowing she wouldn''t be alone when she woke up in the morning. After a few minutes, she had fallen fast asleep. Kamryn wasn''t able to fall asleep as quickly. His body felt like it was maized, being so close to her. He was beginning to wonder if she was his fated mate. It was hard for him to tell while the poison still worked its way out of his system. He decided that if she was his mate, he wouldn''t mate with the witch. He would only mate with his angel.

    Caprice cried as she looked at her mate Stanley. Their daughter Annabe had been missing for two months, and there was no sign of her anywhere. The weretiger kingdom was tired of their excuses and demanded they send their son''s mate to them.

    "I don''t care about the damn tigers; I just want to find Anna. Someone had to have done something to her. There is no way she would have taken off on her own." Caprice knew her daughter too well. Even if Anna wasn''t happy about the arranged mating, she wouldn''t have left.

    "I know, honey, but we don''t have a choice. Let''s send Elsie to them. Her magic is nowhere near close to Anna''s, but it will get them off our back. Then we can focus on finding our daughter." Stanley looked at his mate, who looked like Anna with the same long dark brown hair and pale grey eyes. He was tall and thin with blonde hair and blue eyes.

    "Elsie has always been jealous of Anna, no matter how hard she tried to include her in things. How do we know she didn''t have something to do with her disappearance?" Caprice never cared for her mate''s sister''s daughter. She was sneaky and always trying to get Anna into trouble.

    "She may have caused problems in the past, but I don''t think she would do something this drastic. Let''s send her to the weretigers, and then we can focus on finding Anna. We can disclose the truth if we locate her before the prince mates with Elsie." Caprice still didn''t like this idea. She didn''t trust Elsie, but they had no other choice.

    "Alright, we''ll send her and hope she doesn''t blow it. We don''t need the weretigers as enemies." Stanley kissed his mate on the forehead and hugged her tightly. Where are you, Anna?

    Lte tried mindlinking Kamryn again, but still, there was nothing. Where had he gone? She knew he sometimes liked to leave a couple of days at a time, but it was getting close to him mating with the witch. She had a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. She ran her hand through her long ck hair with frustration.

    "I still can''t reach him. Are you sure he didn''t say anything to you?" Lte looked toward her mate Randal with her green eyes full of worry. He was tall and muscr with sandy brown hair and amber eyes.novelbin

    "No, he didn''t tell me anything. I got a message that they would send the witch to us in two days. We finally have a name; it''s Elsie. If shees and he''s not here, we may have to think of something else. I thought we could have Micha take Kamryn''s ce if he''s not back in time. They won''t be as powerful, but still more than other shifters."

    Lte sighed. She didn''t want to upset the witches because it could lead to disaster. Both sides held the names of their children they arranged to be mated for safety purposes. They hadn''t wanted that information getting out and into the wrong hands.

    "Have you talked to Micah about this? I know he''s just as anxious as Kamryn was to meet his fated mate. I hate that we are forcing either of them to an arranged mating even though I know it''s the best thing for both sides." She looked at the picture of her two sons on her dresser. They could almost be twins, except Micah had dark brown hair and green eyes.

    "Yeah, I asked him, and he''s okay with it, but he''s hoping Kamryn gets back before the mating ceremony." Randal put his arm around his mate''s shoulders.

    "I guess we don''t have a choice. Have you heard anything from the search party?" As King and Queen of the weretigermunity, they had ess to the best hunters. They had called in tigers from all over the country to help. A missing crowned prince did not happen every day, so everyone was scurrying to get answers. Thest time anyone had seen Kamryn was when he left the pce yesterday morning. He had told the guards he was going for a run. "They haven''t found anything yet. I will let you know as soon as they give me any updates. Let''s go talk to Micah so he can be prepared." They walked hand in hand to their son''s quarters. Pleasee home, Kamryn Lte thought to herself.

    Santi hung up the phone with a smile. Everything was falling into ce. All of his puppets were doing as they were told so he could rule all. No one had found the missing witch, and now the prince was missing too.

    He pped his hand together as he walked to the window and looked outside. It was dark out, and all he could see was darkness, no light anywhere. That''s what happens when you''ve been exiled from your family to live alone for all eternity. Santi was tall and well-built with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He wasn''t handsome at all, with his face looking like he had a constant scowl. ording to his brother, those who are rotten on the inside are rotten on the outside. He would show him. He was responsible for his brother''s missing child. Let''s see how everything pans out with two imposters as the mated power couple. One of those imposters was a spy for Santi, and he would be able to pull their strings to do whatever he wanted. Then he would no longer be exiled.

 Chapter 3 - Legend Returns

    When Anna woke up, she heard Kamryn snoring behind her. She could feel him against her back, and her head was lying on his arm. She didn''t get out of bed but scooted closer to him. She liked the feel of his warm body against hers. It wasforting.

    Kamryn woke up when he felt his angel snuggle closer. He was scared to move, afraid that he would startle her. The feelings he was getting from being against her were telling him that she was his fated mate. He would be able to confirm it once the poison was out of his system and he got his weretiger abilities back.

    "Good morning, angel." He said softly behind her head. He held his chuckle when he felt her freeze against him.novelbin

    "Good morning. Why did you call me angel?" Anna asked. She didn''t turn to look at him because her face was ming, but she didn''t move either.

    "We don''t know your name, and when you found me in the forest yesterday, I thought you looked like an angel. So I''ll call you angel until we know your real name." Anna didn''t know how to respond, so she changed the subject. "How do you feel this morning?" She asked with her back still to him.

    "My injuries feel okay. Can you turn over so I can see your face?" He knew she was probably embarrassed, but he wanted to see her. Anna slowly turned over until she was facing him. She put her head back on his outstretched arm but kept her body a few inches away so they weren''t touching. Kamryn wasn''t having it. He used his arm to move her over until she was flush against him, and he had his arm around her. Anna''s face was bright red. "There, that''s better." He said, looking into her grey eyes.

    "I should get up so I can make something for breakfast." She said quietly.

    "I think we should stay like this a little longer. This feels right. Like you belong in my arms." Anna felt like she was going to melt from his words. Was it wrong to be getting feelings for someone she had just met? "How can you say that? You don''t know me. I don''t know myself." She said softly, not looking at him.

    "I can''t deny how I feel. Do you feel ufortable lying with me?" Kamryn asked while studying her face. She felt so tiny next to him, but at the same time, it was like she was made for him.

    "No, I don''t feel ufortable, but I don''t want to get used to this. It''s not like we can be together forever." Anna had only known him for a matter of hours but was already missing him when they had to separate. "Why can''t we? What if something brought us together, saying we were meant for each other?" She looked up at him in confusion.

    "I don''t understand." Kamryn didn''t want to scare her, but he wanted her to know that she was his. He was sure she was his mate.

    "I believe that we''re supposed to be together. Don''t you feel a connection with me? Like something pulling us together." He said while pushing her hair from her face.

    "It''s only because I''ve been alone for so long. Of course, I would feel something for the first person I see, but I don''t expect you to feel anything for me." Anna tried to move away from him, but he held her in ce.

    "I feel something too, and I''ve been around other people. I''ve never had a connection with anyone like the way I''m feeling with you. I know we''ve only known each other for hours and not days, but it can''t be a coincidence that we''re so drawn to each other." Anna looked up into his amber eyes and felt her heart race. She may not know her name, but she knew she felt something for this man she had just met.

    "What if you go back to where you came from and change your mind about me? You''re the only person I know right now, and I would be devastated to be alone again." She voiced her fear so he would understand.

    "I''m not going to change my mind. Once I can travel again, we''ll find out your name and where you came from, okay?" Anna didn''t know what to say, so she just nodded and rxed against him as theyy together, lost in their thoughts. Kamryn was trying to think of a way to tell his parents he wasn''t mating with the witch; he was mating with his angel. Anna was thinking about leaving this ce with Kamryn and finding out who she was.

    They continued toy in silence for about thirty minutes when Anna got up to make them breakfast. She had some berries and a can of corned beef hash. She knew it wasn''t much, but it was better than nothing. She heated up the hash and put it on a te with the berries. She carried it over to Kamry, who was trying to sit up.

    "Lay down; I''ll feed you." She said, but he shook his head.

    "I need to use the restroom. Can you help me get in there?" He asked while Anna set the food down on the table. She carefully helped him sit on the side of the bed. Once he was steady, she helped him stand up. He leaned on her slightly with his arm around her shoulders. Kamryn limped to the restroom with her help. His ribs actually felt better with the tight wrapping she did around them. When he got to the bathroom, and she was sure he was okay, she stepped outside and shut the door. When she heard him flush the toilet, she opened the door and helped him to the small sink. He quickly washed his hands with the bar of soap, and then they headed back out.

    "Help me to the loveseat. I''d like to sit up for a while." Anna nodded and helped him sit. She moved one of the chairs across from him so he could put his leg on it to keep it straight. She then sat next to him with the te of food. "Do you need help eating?" She asked.

    "I can do it. Go ahead and get your food so you can eat with me." Anna handed him the te but didn''t stand up.

    "I''m okay. I''ll eatter." She had given him the entire can of hash and the rest of the berries. Anna was used to rationing her food, so she didn''t mind skipping meals. Kamryn instantly knew why she wasn''t eating, and he felt bad. He wasn''t familiar with having little food.

    "How about we share?" He said, holding the te so she could have some too. Anna smiled and took a couple of the berries. She only took a few bites of the hash and a few more berries while leaving the rest for him. When he was finished, she took the te and washed it before putting it away. She didn''t know what to do now. Usually, she would go outside and look for more berries or other things she could eat. Kamryn saw her uncertainty and decided to tell her a little about where he was from.

    "Why don''t you sit down, and I''ll tell you about my family." He said, patting the seat next to him. Anna walked over and sat down, trying to keep a little space between them. Kamryn put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. She wanted to pull away, but she didn''t. She lightly leaned against him, not wanting to hurt his ribs. She couldn''t see his face, but he was grinning ear to ear.

    "Alright, tell me about your family," Anna said softly.

    "My mom and dad are important where I''m from. They''re leaders, so to speak, and many people look up to them. I''m their oldest child. I have an eighteen-year-old brother named Micah. I also have an adopted sister named Melita. She''s seventeen, we found her on our doorstep when she was two, so my parents took her in and raised her as their own." Anna thought about what he said, making her wonder if she had siblings.

    "Your parents must be good people to take in a child they don''t know and raise her. That says a lot about them." Kamryn frowned. He didn''t know how great they would be when he came home with his fated mate and refused to mate the witch.

    "Yeah, that was a good thing they did. In some ways, they''re stuck in old-fashioned ways that I disagree with." Anna looked at his face and wondered what he meant, but something caught her attention. His body was suddenly scorching against her.

    "Are you getting a fever?" She asked in concern. Kamryn didn''t feel any different but realized his ribs were no longer hurting. He tentatively moved his leg and felt that it was better as well. He knew Legend wasing back to him. He tried to mindlink him.

    *"Legend, are you there?"* He asked, hoping for a reply.

    *"Yeah, I''m here. What happened to us?"* Legend asked, still trying to clear his head. He felt like he had been sleeping for a month.

    *"I think we were poisoned and then beaten. Whoever did it broke some ribs and my leg before dumping us in a forest in the middle of nowhere."* Kamryn answered him. *"What''s that smell? Why do I feel all tingly?"* Legend tried to find the source.

    *"That''s the woman who found me. I think she''s our mate, but I couldn''t be sure without my tiger abilities. Now that you''re back, I can tell I was right."*

    *"What''s her name? What species is she?"* Legend was excited and wanted to mark her now so they wouldn''t have to be with the witch they were being forced to mate with.

    *"Calm down. I don''t know what she is, and neither does she. She has amnesia and has been in this cabin for two months with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So don''t reveal yourself until I tell her about us."* Kamryn warned him, but he could tell Legend was getting too excited. Before he could stop him, he was lightly purring. He felt his angel stiffen against him.

    "Kamryn? Are you purring?" Anna looked at his face and then at his chest, where the sound wasing from. She thought she was crazy until she saw him looking ufortable.

    "Yes, I''m purring. I have something to tell you. I''m a weretiger."

 Chapter 4 - Tiger Meeting

    Anna stared at Kamryn, not believing what he had just said. What was a weretiger? How was he purring like he had a cat living in his chest?

    "What do you mean you''re a weretiger?" She asked while moving away from him slightly. Anna thought maybe she should run out of the cabin and leave him here. He wouldn''t be able to get very far with a broken leg.

    "I''m part human and part tiger. That''s my tiger that you can hear purring inside me." Kamryn saw the doubt in her eyes, and he could tell she was contemting running. He decided not to tell her he was healed now due to his tiger healing. She was already on the verge of thinking he was crazy.

    "How is that even possible? People aren''t animals." Anna wasn''t so sure she hadn''t seen this before. Something about this situation was making her feel like maybe it was true. Were there people who were also animals, and before she lost her memory, was this known to her?

    "I can prove it to you if you''d like." He could see she was struggling with this concept. She looked at him in question.

    "How can you prove it?" Anna didn''t understand. Even though she could clearly hear the purring, it felt like he was going to prove it another way.

    "I can shift into my tiger. So one minute you''ll see me, and the next you''ll see Legend." Kamryn saw the disbelief in her eyes, but he knew that was the best way to show her he wasn''t insane. Anna didn''t know what to think. However, she decided it was better to see if he could do it than to wonder if he was making this stuff up.novelbin

    "Alright, show me. Will it hurt your leg to change into a giant cat?" She looked at his leg and watched as he removed the splint she had made. Anna couldn''t believe it when he stood and walked around without a limp. His leg should have taken weeks to months to heal.

    "How did you heal already?" She asked in a whisper.

    "It''s my tiger healing. I think someone poisoned me, and it impacted my tiger, so I couldn''t heal as quickly as usual. Now that the poison has worked its way out of my system, I have my tiger abilities back." Anna put her hand on his leg, feeling for the broken bone, but he was right; it was like it had never happened.

    "That''s incredible. Okay, show me the tiger." She looked at him, waiting for something to happen. Kamryn took her hand and led her outside.

    "I have to shift outside. Inside, the cabin is a little tight, and my tiger is bigger than the average tiger." When they were outside, he left Anna on the small deck while he continued down the steps. He began taking his clothes off, and she looked at him in confusion.

    "Why are you taking your clothes off?" He was in nothing but his boxers, and she felt her cheeks getting hot. He was sorge and muscr. She licked her lips as she thought about running her hands over his bumpy abs.

    "If I keep them on, they''ll shred, and I don''t want to walk around naked. I''ll let the boxers shred if you''re ufortable seeing me with no clothes." Kamryn watched her face; he didn''t think she could turn any redder.

    "It''s fine; you can take them off." Anna refused to meet his eyes, but when he slipped the boxers off, she couldn''t help but peak. Her face was so hot she wished she had some ice water to throw on herself. She wasn''t familiar with the size of a man''s penis, but from what she could tell, his wasrger than average. Anna quickly looked away.

    "Alright, I''m going to shift now. Don''t be scared when you see Legend. He won''t hurt you." Anna nodded but still refused to look at him, afraid she wouldbust.

    She heard a light growl and finally raised her head. She took a couple steps back when she saw an enormous tiger sitting in front of her. She didn''t feel scared, but his size was intimidating. Anna slowly came down the steps and walked toward Legend. Sitting, he was taller than she was.

    When Anna was standing in front of him, hey down on the ground. She reached her hand out and touched the soft fur on his head. Legend started purring loudly at the touch of their mate. He wanted to mark her, but Kamryn reminded him that she didn''t even know who she was yet. They had to take it one step at a time.

    Anna ran her hand over the tiger''s head and down his back. She could feel the rumble of the purr as she petted him. She didn''t know why but she felt as though she was connected to Kamryn and Legend somehow. The feeling was stronger as she rubbed her hand over the tiger.

    "Legend, you''re a beautiful cat. Why do I feel this isn''t strange? I feel like I know about weretigers and other species. Could I be something other than just human?" Anna was talking more to herself than Legend, but she could tell he was listening.

    *"Kamryn, I think our mate is right. I think she''s more than human, but I don''t know what. Her scent differs from a human''s, but I don''t know how. We need to find where she came from."* Kamryn thought about this and wondered if someone had also given her poison. He wasn''t ready to take her to the pce yet because he had to figure out a way to tell his parents he wasn''t mating with the witch. However, as soon as they get there, he will focus on finding out who she is. *"Okay. Shift back so she and I can talk."* Anna was still rubbing her hands on Legend, and both he and Kamryn were getting excited by her touch.

    She was lost in thought as she rubbed her hand over the tiger''s back. Suddenly she realized she wasn''t feeling fur anymore; she was feeling skin. When she looked over, her hand was rubbing Kamryn''s bare chest, and she blushed, pulling her hand away.

    "You don''t have to stop. I like getting petted too." Anna didn''t know how to respond, but there was no way she was going to start rubbing her hand on him when he was standing so close to her with no clothes on. "That''s not funny. You could have given me a warning or something. Can you please put your clothes on?" Anna was doing everything she could to keep her eyes on his face, but it wasn''t easy.

    "I kind of like how the air feels on my skin. Besides, I didn''t know you could turn so red. If we''re going to be together, you should get used to my body. It''s all yours." Kamryn watched as Anna looked up into his eyes in surprise.

    "How can you say that? You may get back to your home and decide you want another tiger. I''m a nobody." She felt her eyes stinging. They had only been together for a day, but she didn''t like the idea of him being with another woman. He put his finger under her chin so she would look up at him.

    "My angel, when I said you''re the only one for me, that''s what I meant. I don''t want a tiger or any other animal. I want you. Another ability we shifters have is knowing who our fated mate is. The connection we feel toward each other is because you''re my fated mate. That means you were made for me, and I was made for you." Kamryn leaned down and kissed her forehead.

    "Can you please put your clothes on so I can think straight?" She asked him softly. Anna couldn''t believe what he had said. Was it possible that they were fated mates, as he said? If so, what did that mean exactly? Kamryn quickly put on his boxers and pants, but he left his shirt off.

    "Is that better?" Anna looked up and saw his muscr chest and abdomen still uncovered, but his bottom half was covered. It would be a distraction, but not a bad one.

    "Yeah, thanks." They walked toward the cabin, and Kamryn pulled her to the steps and sat down while holding her hand. Anna couldn''t deny how good it felt to touch him.

    "Would you like to hear what it means to be mates?" Kamryn asked as he put his arm over her shoulders, pulling her against him. Now that he was sure she was his mate, he couldn''t stop touching her. It made him even angrier to know someone did something to her and abandoned her in this cabin in the forest.

    Yes, tell me about mates." Anna snuggled closer to him and put her arms around him. She may not have her memory, but she knew nothing had ever felt as good as being in Kamryn''s arms.

 Chapter 5 - Mates

    Kamryn tried to think of the best way to describe what it''s like to be mates. Not only that, he knew he needed to tell her about other shifters, vampires, and witches. He looked down at her little body against his. Could Legend be right? Was she something more than human? He decided to start with weretigers and go from there.

    "Weretigers are taught from an early age about their mates. In the shifter world, one person is meant for each shifter. When we find our mate, we typically know instantly. For weretigers, we know by touching our mate that we have found the person meant for us. I didn''t know with you immediately because of the poison in my system, temporarily causing me to lose my tiger abilities." Anna listened in fascination.

    "Does it still have the same effect with me not being like you?" She asked thoughtfully.

    "It can exin why you''re drawn to me. Typically it doesn''t matter what species you are when you find the one you''re supposed to be with; you will naturally have an attraction to that person. Not only an attraction, but from that moment on, you will do whatever is necessary to keep that person by your side. The connection you have with your fated mate is so strong that if one rejects the other, it can kill them both." Anna looked up at him in surprise.

    "So it''s not like you can fall in love with someone else down the road and decide to leave me?" She asked, looking away.

    "That will never happen anyway. When two mates ept each other, they have to mark each other. For weretigers, that means I will bite down into your neck to release my venom. The marking causes a connection between mates that''s deeper than love. It''s as though you''re connected by an invisible line. If you''re hurting, I can feel it. If you''re scared or angry, I can feel your emotions too. It''s powerful." Anna thought about what he said. For some reason, it felt as though she already knew this but couldn''t remember why.

    "Are there others that can shift into different animals?" She asked again, feeling like she already knew the answer.

    "There are werewolves, werebears, werelions, and many others. There are also vampires and witches." Kamryn didn''t want to think about the witch he was supposed to mate with. That wasn''t going to happen now that he''d found his fated

    mate.

    "I don''t understand why, but this information feels like something I already knew. Maybe it has to do with where I came from or something." Anna tried hard to see if anything he said would shake loose any memories, but nothing came. "If you''re human, you will turn into a weretiger after I mark you. If you''re something other than human, you''ll mark me in your own way. Other shifters bite, as do vampires. Witches ce a bonding spell on their mate after they''ve been marked. That''s their way of marking their mate who isn''t a witch or warlock, but it''s just as powerful as a bite." Kamryn watched Anna''s face and could tell she was trying to think if any of what he was telling her woulde back to her.

    *"Tell her that she doesn''t smell human when I sniff her. I don''t know what she is, but she''s special."* Legend took a deep breath to smell her again but still couldn''t figure out what she was. It made him think someone used a powerful poison to make her lose her memory. Why did they not want their mate to know what or who she was?

    Kamryn thought about what Legend had said. Would it be better to tell her she wasn''t human, or would that upset her even more? He decided to go ahead and let her know.

    "Legend says that when he smells your scent, he can tell you''re not human. He can''t tell what you are, but he said you''re definitely not human." Anna looked up at Kamryn and nodded. That made sense to her as to why she felt she knew about the supernatural world.

    "If I was part animal wouldn''t I be able to talk to my animal even if I didn''t have my memory?" She asked while looking out toward the forest.

    "I would think you would have heard her after all these months. So that means you are most likely a vampire or witch." Kamryn looked down at her, wondering which one she was.

    "Have you felt the need to drink any blood? When I was bleeding, did it make you thirsty?" Anna made a disgusted look and shook her head.

    "No, I''ve not had any cravings for blood. The thought of that makes me ill." She said quietly. Did that mean she was a witch?novelbin

    "I think you may be a witch then. That could be why the poison or whatever the person did had so much impact on you. If you had an animal, they should have shown themselves, and if you''re a vampire, you''ll crave blood. Being a witch is the only one that makes sense." Kamryn almostughed. Too bad she wasn''t the witch his parents were trying to force him to mate with.

    Anna thought about being a witch. Did that mean she knew spells? Why would someone not want her to remember that she was a witch? She hoped to find out when Kamryn took her to where he was from.

    "Where are you from, Kamryn? I know you told me about your family, and they''re important, but what exactly does that mean?" She had a feeling that now she knew he was a weretiger, that it was something more than what she thought.

    "To be honest, my dad is the king of weretigers, and I''m the crown prince." Anna looked up at him in shock. The crown prince? That meant he would be the king.

    "You''re going to be king? Even though I''m your mate, won''t they want you to be with another weretiger?" She asked, certain that they would have trouble when they went to his home. Kamryn hesitated. They wouldn''t care that she was a witch, but they would care she wasn''t the right witch.

    "My parents don''t have an issue with me mating with a witch." He stopped there, not wanting to tell her the rest until necessary. She''s had enough to deal with already.

    "When will we go to your home?" She asked nervously. As much as she was tired of being in the cabin, she was scared of how his family would feel about her.

    "Let''s stay here a couple more days so we can get to know each other, and then we''ll go. I''m not anxious to get back. I like having you to myself." Anna blushed and leaned against him. At least it would give her a couple more days to process everything.

    "Are you hungry? I have some canned food we can heat up." She asked quietly. Kamryn smiled; he had another idea for lunch.

    "How about we let Legend out to go hunting? He can catch us some meat that we can cook." Anna smiled brightly. She had been eating canned food and berries for two months. Having some meat that didn''te from a can made her mouth water.

    "Sounds good to me. Do you want me to wait here while he goes hunting?" She asked, a little disappointed.

    "You don''t have to wait here. You can ride on Legends back. How do you feel about riding a tiger?" Kamryn asked while Legend purred his approval. Anna looked at him with wide eyes.

    "I can ride on him? Yes, let''s do that." Anna giggled in delight. She had only ventured a short distance from the cabin so she didn''t get lost. She wouldn''t have to worry about that on the back of a tiger.

    "Legend is excited to have you on his back. Although I''m a little jealous that you''ll be on him before you''re on me." Anna felt her face ming in embarrassment, and she heard Kamryn chuckle.

    "Don''t talk like that. I''m pretty sure I''m a virgin, but I can''t be sure." She said quietly, not looking at him. He lifted her face up to look at him, and he smiled.

    "I''m a virgin too. Remember I told you I''ve been waiting for the right woman? We''ll now I''ve found her." He looked at her full red lips and wanted to kiss her.

    Anna felt her heart thumping in her chest as he stared into her eyes. When she saw him nce at her mouth, she nodded slightly. She wanted him to kiss her.

    He smiled and brought his mouth down to hers. When their lips touched, Anna felt a warmth spread through her entire body. She didn''t know what she was doing, but as he moved his lips over hers, she began to copy his movements. When she thought her lungs were going to burst, he pulled away.

    She was still trying to catch her breath when he started to kiss her again. This time he put his hand on her neck and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. She opened her mouth and felt his tongue slide inside. She was too surprised to respond at first, but then her tongue started moving with his. The feelings Anna felt from the kiss were so overwhelming. She reached out and put her arms around his neck, holding him closer. When Kamryn pulled away, she didn''t want to let go. "My angel, I''m going to be addicted to your kisses," Kamryn whispered as he kissed her cheek and forehead, unable to get enough of her. Anna looked up at him and gave a radiant smile that took his breath away.

    "That was incredible. I can''t wait to do a lot more kissing with you, but right now, I''m hungry. Let''s go hunting." Kamryn kissed her one more time before letting her go.

    "Alright, but after we hunt, I want more kisses." He chuckled when he saw her face turning red. He loved how red his angel got.

    Anna watched in excitement as Kamryn took his clothes off and quickly shifted into Legend. What is it like to ride a tiger?

 Chapter 6 - Hunting

    Legend looked at their mate in excitement. It was his turn to show her how powerful having a tiger for a mate would be. Heid down in front of her so she could climb on his back.

    Anna looked at the massive tiger purring on the ground as she walked over to him. When she looked into his eyes, she felt like she was looking into Kamryn''s eyes, so she rxed. She scratched Legend on the head and giggled when his purring became louder.

    "Alright, Legend, I''m trusting you not to let me fall." He turned toward her slightly and gave a soft growl. Anna was wearing shorts, and when she got onto his back, she could feel the soft fur on her legs. She could also feel how incredibly muscr he was underneath her.

    Legend stood up, and Anna looked down at the ground. It seemed really far away. She grabbed tufts of his fur, not knowing where else to hold on. He started walking at a leisurely pace, and she startedughing.

    "Oh, Legend, this is fun. I wish you could have been with me these past months." She leaned forward and kissed his head. Kamryn was jealous; she was kissing his tiger and riding on his back. It already felt like she was closer to Legend than him.

    "Grow up, kid. She loves us both. You''ve spent a lot of time with her, and I haven''t had any. If you''re right and she''s a witch, I won''t even get a tiger to y with, so we have to share her. Not that I''mining, I''m just saying you can''t be jealous of our time together." Kamryn was appalled.

    "You can''t think I''m going to let you mate with her." Legend rolled his eyes.

    "Of course not, little boy. I meant spending time together like we''re doing now. I''m not an animal. I mean, not in that way, at least. Now get out of my head so I can enjoy our angel." Kamryn sulked but left Legend alone so he could get to know their mate.

    Anna was exhrated riding on the back of the strong cat. He started picking up speed, so she held on tighter. Before she knew it, they were leaping overrge boulders and running so fast that she could barely focus on anything. When they arrived at a small clearing, Legend slowed down. There were several deer not far from them. The tiger started going in that direction slowly. Anna didn''t want to be on his back when he attacked, so she leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Let me off. After you get one, I''ll help you put it on your back." Legendid down immediately so she could get off while not taking his eyes off his prey.

    Anna silently slid to the ground and stood still as Legend began crawling toward the deer. She couldn''t believe how quiet he was. She would have no idea he was there if she wasn''t watching. When he was almost to them, he gave a slight wiggle of his butt before leaping in the air.

    Anna held her breath, and Legendnded on arge male buck. It only took a few seconds for the deer to fall to the ground, lifeless. Anna pped her hands when Legend looked toward her.

    "Good job. We''ll have enough meat for a while with thatrge one." She said as she walked over to his side. She scratched his head as he sat proudly. Kamryn rolled his eyes. His tiger was really eating up all this attention. Not that he could me him, he wanted her attention too.

    Anna helped slide the buck onto Legend''s back before crawling on herself. The tiger walked carefully back to the cabin, not wanting to make the deer fall off. When they arrived, heid down, and with Anna''s help, they put the deer on the ground.

    When she looked up, Kamryn was standing next to her naked. She felt her face getting hot, but she couldn''t take her eyes off him. Anna licked her lips as she let her eyes wander over his tall, muscr figure with well-defined abs. As her gaze went lower, her face got hotter. She could see he was getting aroused. The size of his penis gave her a moment of concern for the pain she would experience from something that big.

    "If you keep looking at me like that, the deer will have to wait." Anna met his eyes and then looked away.

    "You need to put your clothes on; otherwise, you have no say on how I look at you." She stated, trying to sound braver than she felt. Anna was getting an ache between her legs. Kamryn slipped on his pants when he smelled her arousal. He nned on making love to her, but he would do it when she was ready.

    "Do you have a knife I can use to skin the deer and get our meat?" Kamryn asked, his voice a little gruff. Anna walked over to him and smiled.

    "Yes, I have two, so we can do it together." She tentatively reached out and ran her hand over his abs. She could feel the hard muscles under his warm skin, which excited her. Anna moved her hand down and yed with the waistband of his pants. She heard him suck in his breath.

    "What are you doing, angel?" Kamryn asked as she continued rubbing her hand on him. He was afraid to move. He wanted to take her right now, but he didn''t want to scare her.

    "Are you certain we''re mates?" She asked, looking into his amber eyes.

    "Yes." He said, trying to keep the tent out of his pants.

    "Then tonight, I want to lose my virginity. If we''re mates, we can do this before we mark each other, right?" She asked him sweetly while sliding her hand further into his waistband but not far enough to touch his growing erection. "Are you sure you''re ready?" He asked breathlessly. He never expected her to be a tease, and it was turning him on more than he could handle.

    "Yes, I''m sure. You said mates are made for each other. So why should we wait?" Anna asked softly, and she smiled when she saw him breathing hard. She didn''t know what got into her, but her desire for Kamryn made her step out of herfort zone.

    Kamryn stared down at her with wide eyes. If the deer didn''t need to be skinned and cleaned, he would have carried her into the bed right then. Instead, he bent down and gave her a deep kiss sliding his tongue in her mouth, trying to get his fill of her untilter. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. When he pulled away, she looked into his eyes.

    "So, is that a yes?" She asked as he peppered her face with kisses.

    "You don''t have to beg me. Let''s take care of the deer and fill our stomachs with some meat. Then I''ll take care of your needs, my angel." He kissed her again, a little sweeter this time, and held her against him when he was done. He nned on marking her as soon as they found out what and who she was. He didn''t care if he lost the throne as long as he had his angel by his side.

    After a few more kisses, they went inside to get knives. They made quick work of skinning the deer and cutting out the meat they could use for eating. Once they were done, they packed some of the meat into the small refrigerator before cooking the rest on the wood-burning stove.

    Anna had never tasted anything so good since being in the cabin. All of her food had been from a can. The freshly cooked meat seemed to melt in her mouth. They ate canned corn to make it a more rounded meal.

    Kamryn hardly tasted his food. All he could think about was his ns after they were done. He wanted to make their first time incredible, especially since it wasn''t just their first time with each other it was their first time with anyone. He wanted to show her what it meant to be a tiger''s mate and how possessive they were. He nned on possessing every inch of her beautiful body.

    "Are you done?" Anna asked him when she noticed Kamryn not eating. He had been staring at her for several minutes.

    "Uh, yeah, I''m done. Are you?" He asked, suddenly feeling unsure of himself. What if he messed up, and she didn''t enjoy it? What if he wasn''t any good at it?novelbin

    Anna quickly put their leftovers away and cleaned the dishes. When she was done, she walked over to Kamryn and ran her fingers through his hair.

    "I want to take a shower before we do anything. I feel yucky after cleaning the deer." She leaned down and kissed his cheek.

    "Alright, I want to take one after you''re done." Anna went to the tiny bathroom and took a quick shower. Once she was done, she put on a t-shirt and shorts. Kamryn went in when she came out and took a shower just as fast as hers. While he was in the shower, Anna quickly changed the sheets on the bed. She only had two sets, but she wanted fresh ones for their first time.

    "Are you worried about getting pregnant?" Kamryn asked her when he got to her side.

    "I never thought about it, but I haven''t menstruated since I''ve been here. I don''t know why, but that probably has something to do with whatever I am or whatever was done to make me lose my memory. I think we''ll be fine." Anna wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek against his warm chest. She could hear Legend purring softly, and it made her smile.

    "If it hurts or you need me to stop at any point, tell me. Okay?" He asked against her head. She nodded before looking up at him.

    "Make love to me, Kamryn."

 Chapter 7 - The First Time

    Kamryn hugged Anna to him and leaned down to kiss her. For once, she was more aggressive than he was. She slid her tongue into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he sat on the side of the bed. Their lips never separated.

    He slid his hand inside the back of her shirt and over her smooth back. Anna shivered in excitement and moved away from him slightly so he could pull her shirt over her head. Just feeling her firm breasts pressing against his chest was making his erection grow.

    Anna could feel him pushing her between her legs, and she moaned against his mouth. She felt herself getting wetter the more he grew beneath her. Kamryn kissed her neck, paying particr attention to the spot where he would eventually mark her. He then moved down lower until he found one of her hard nipples.

    Anna squirmed on hisp when she felt his mouth sucking on her breast. He swirled his tongue around, ying with it, and then went back to sucking. She held his head in ce as the intense pleasure spread through her body, making her quiver. When he moved to her other breast, she thought she was going to explode.

    "Please, I need to feel you in me." She said breathlessly as he continued sucking. Kamryn brought his mouth back to hers and moved back on the bed until he could lie down with her in his arms. He gently rolled her onto her back. Anna watched as Kamryn stood up to remove his pants. He was sorge she couldn''t help but stare. He leaned over to pull off her shorts and panties. When the smell of her arousal hit him, Kamryn had difficulty stopping himself from taking her fast and hard. He didn''t, though, because he wanted it to be perfect for her.

    He got back on the bed, and Anna spread her legs, thinking he would finally take care of her need, but he started kissing her down her body. She felt like a me ignited each time he put his mouth on her. She had her eyes closed from the feelings he was causing in her, so when she felt his mouth touch her between her legs, she almost jumped off the bed.

    "What are you doing?" She asked as he started licking her in her most sensitive area.

    "I want to taste you. I''m a cat, remember? Cats like to lick things." Kamryn smiled before putting his mouth on her again. Anna squirmed when she felt his tongue ying with her little bud. He sucked and licked until she was ready to scream. Just when she thought she was going to go out of her mind, her whole body started shaking, and she felt a wave of warmth crashing over her.

    Kamryn licked all her juices as she came, but she wasn''t even aware. Anna felt like she was floating and thought she had lost consciousness. When she came back to her senses, he was leaning over her with a grin.

    "Did you enjoy that?" He asked as he yed with one of her breasts.

    "That was incredible. I never expected it to feel like that." Anna was still breathless as she spoke.

    "Are you too tired to continue?" He asked as he ran his hand over her soft skin. She trembled with exhration from his electrifying touch.novelbin

    "No, if anything, I want it more." Anna kept her eyes on his as she reached out to take him in her hand. She moved her hand up and down the extensive shaft, and Kamryn moaned. He knew he needed to get inside her before he came in her hand. He moved, so he was between her legs, and she nodded at him.

    "I''ll go slow." He said as he started to prate her. Anna winced in pain, but she shook her head when he was about to stop.

    "Keep going." It felt like he was touching her belly button by the time he was fully inside. Kamryn gave her a minute to adjust to having him inside her. It was new for him, too, and she was so tight around him that he knew it wouldn''t take long for him toe.

    "Okay, move." She said once she felt the pain fading. He started moving slowly at first. Anna felt her bodying alive from the friction, and the pain was gone as it was reced with extreme pleasure. She wrapped her legs around him and started meeting his thrusts.

    When Kamryn felt Anna moving with him, he wasn''t able to continue the slow pace, and he started picking up speed. In his wildest dreams, he never thought making love to his mate would cause so many emotions in him. He felt as though there was electricity coursing through his body, causing him to go into a frenzy of need for her.

    He started going so quickly all Anna could do was hold on and enjoy the ride. Before she knew it, she was screaming out his name as her body started shaking, and she orgasmed so hard she felt like something had snapped inside her. Kamryn came when he felt her tightening up around him and shaking. When she called out his name, he couldn''t hold back anymore. He pulled out before copsing on the bed next to her. He took her into his arms and held her tightly in his embrace.

    "Are you okay?" He asked her softly before kissing her moist forehead. She looked up into his eyes, and they seemed to be a darker shade of grey.

    "I never dreamt that it would be like that. I didn''t disappoint you, did I?" Anna asked in a quiet voice. Kamryn leaned down and kissed her soft lips.

    "Are you kidding? That was fantastic. You could never disappoint me. Did you feel the sparks and intensity like I did?" She nodded at him with a sweet smile.

    "I thought it was just me. Kamryn, do you promise to never leave me? I know I don''t know who I am, but I don''t want to be alone anymore. I have this terrible feeling that something is going to drive us apart. We have only known each other for two days, but I already can''t imagine my life without you." Anna was almost in tears as she spoke. She didn''t know why but there was a dread building inside her with fear.

    "I will never leave you. You''re my mate, and more than that, I''m falling in love with you, my angel. I won''t let anyonee between us. I don''t care how hard they try. I''m going to be king, and you, my love, will be my queen." Anna''s eyes widened. She knew he would be king of the weretigers, but it hadn''t crossed her mind that she would be queen if they were together.

    "I will be your queen?" She asked in a whisper. Kamryn kissed her cheek.

    "Yes, you''ll be my queen. You will be by my side as my partner as we rule over all the weretigers." He nced away, wondering if what he said was true. When they get to the pce, his parents may take the throne from him due to his refusal to mate with the witch.

    "I don''t know anything about being a queen, and the only weretiger I know is you. What if I mess up and they hate me?" She looked at his face in worry.

    "They won''t hate you. They''ll love you. Weretigers aren''t a snobby bunch like some of the others in the shiftermunities. They won''t care that you''re not a tiger. They''ll love you because you''re my queen." He rubbed her cheek as he looked into her eyes, trying to ease her mind. Legend started purring softly, hoping to help as well.

    "I''m scared, Kamryn. Why do I feel this anxiety inside me like this is all a dream, and someone is going to try to tear us apart? It''s easy to say all this while we''re in a cabin in the middle of the forest, but what about when we leave? I know you believe everything will go smoothly. What if it doesn''t?" She looked into his amber eyes and saw something that made her think her suspicions were valid.

    Kamryn didn''t want to tell her about the witch he was supposed to mate with, but he knew he had to. He wanted to make her understand that no matter what anyone said, he would remain with her. He will not mate with anyone but his angel. "I need to tell you something. Before I was poisoned, I was supposed to mate with a witch from a powerful coven. It was an arranged mating tobine the most powerful coven with the most powerful shifters. When we go to the pce, they expect me to mate with the witch and mark her."

 Chapter 8 - One More Day

    "What do you mean you''re supposed to mate with a witch? You''re not going to be able to be with me, are you? I knew this was too good to be true." Anna started crying, and Kamryn felt his heart breaking. He took her in his arms, and she tried to push him away, but he held her tight.

    "Angel, I''m always going to be with you. I''m not going to mate with the witch; I''m only going to mate with you. You''re my fated mate, and that means more to me than anything, even if I have to give up the throne." Anna sniffled and pulled away from him slightly.

    "What do you mean if you have to give up the throne? Are you saying you could lose your title if you don''t mate with this witch from the powerful coven? Your parents are the king and queen. They''re not going to let you get away with mating with me. Who knows what will happen, but I can feel that this isn''t going to be as easy as you think. Someone will try to tear us apart." Sheid her head against him when she heard Legend purring. That was one of the most soothing sounds she''d ever heard.

    "It doesn''t matter who my parents are. I''m my own person, and I make my own decisions. If they can''t respect that, then too bad. You''re all I want, and I''ll do anything for you. I wouldn''t have made love to you and strengthened our bond if I didn''t n on marking you. The thought of mating or marking another makes me ill." He kissed her forehead and looked down at her tear-stained face. Kamryn''s heart hurt seeing her so upset, but he knew he had to tell her the truth before they got to the pce.

    "I think it''s going to be harder than you think. I have this feeling in me that we''re not going to be able to live happily ever after. It''s causing me incredible sadness and fear. I don''t know where this feeling ising from, but it''s making my heart feel like it''s bleeding. I''m falling in love with you, Kamryn, and if I lose you, it will kill me." Anna started crying again, already feeling the loneliness she''d experienced for the past two months. Only this time, it was worse because she was in love.

    "I''m falling in love with you too. Not just from the mate bond but from my feeling for you. Please believe me when I tell you I will not let anyonee between us. When we get to the pce, I will reject the other witch and mark you in front of the entire kingdom. Nothing can stop me." Kamryn continued holding her and stroking her long hair. A part of him wished they could stay in the cabin forever, just the two of them. However, he knew he needed to face his family and everyone else. It wasn''t going to be easy, but he wasn''t mating with anyone other than his sweet angel.

    "Where''s Kamryn? Why has no one found him yet? The witch will be here tomorrow, and we need him to mate with her." Lte said angrily, looking at her mate. Randal nodded in agreement. Micah was willing to mate with the witch, but they could tell he only agreed because he didn''t have a choice.

    "I know Lynn, but we''ve looked everywhere. It''s like hepletely disappeared. We tried mindlinking him out there, but there was no response. We''ll have to let Micah mate with her, and when Kamryn returns, he won''t be the crowned prince anymore." Randal didn''t want to strip his oldest of the title, but it was necessary. There was a knock on their office door, and in walked Micah.

    "How are you doing, son?" Randal asked him, seeing he didn''t look too happy.novelbin

    I''m checking to see if there is any news on Kamryn. I know Elsie will be here tomorrow." Micah felt sick about mating with someone that wasn''t his fated mate. His tiger Rocky wasn''t too keen on the idea either. Now he understood why his brother had fought so hard against mating with the witch.

    "No, we haven''t found him yet. I''m sorry, but it looks like you''ll have to mate with her. We can''t afford to anger Spirit Energy." Lynn said, letting her frustration show. The truth was she was scared of the witches from that coven. Their magic was so powerful that she was worried it could end them all, especially the one to be mated to Kamryn. She wondered what Elsie was like. She hoped she didn''t act like she was entitled. They raised their children to care for and help others. It wouldn''t go over well to have a queen that acted like she was above everyone in the kingdom.

    "I know. I''m more worried about Kamryn. He knew how important this was. It''s not like him to ditch his responsibilities. I would prefer him to be king; he''s been preparing for it his whole life." Micah sat down in a chair across from them with a sigh.

    "We have one more day. No one needs to know that he was missing if he returns before Elsie gets here." Randal said as he looked from his son to his mate. They both nodded in agreement.

    Caprice watched Elsie from across the room as she excitedly talked about how she would be the queen. Caprice had a sickening feeling in her stomach that something horrible had happened to Anna. She didn''t like sending someone in her ce. Anna was sweet and gentle. She would have made a perfect queen. Elsie only cared about what could benefit her. She cared nothing for others.

    Caprice still had a feeling that Elsie had something to do with Anna''s disappearance. Her daughter never left the coven because she knew how dangerous it was. They had searched high and low for her, but it was as though she had disappeared without a trace.

    She had helped prepare Elsie to travel to the tigers, and it had broken her heart. No one was traveling with her because it was too dangerous for them to leave the coven. It was safer to have one witch alone than several because it drew less attention from outsiders. Caprice turned away and went to the other room.

    Stanley watched Caprice leave and felt his heart pinch. He knew she was missing Anna. Getting Elise ready to be queen in ce of their daughter had taken its toll on her. He missed Anna too. She was such a force of light and energy but in a calm, soothing way. Her magic was powerful, but she never used it unless it was to help another. He sighed as he walked over to his niece.

    "Are you all ready to leave tomorrow, Elise?" He asked her with a small smile. She looked up at him with a smirk.

    "Yes, I''m ready. Everything is packed, but I''m sure they will give me a whole new wardrobe when I get there. I''m going to be queen, after all." She sounded haughty and smug. Stanley didn''t like her attitude. From what he knew about the tigers, besides having a pce, they weren''t showy. They shared their wealth and didn''t waste money on unnecessary expenses. He worried that Elsie would offend them as soon as she got there.

    "Please don''t ask them to get you anything. The tigers are incredibly modest and don''t spend money on frivolous things. It''s important that you try to fit in with them and not anger anyone." He tried to be kind so she would get the point, but he saw the fury in her eyes.

    "I''m a witch of The Spirit Energy Coven and will be their queen. They better not only give me whatever I want but they better bow while doing it." Stanley felt sick. If this was her attitude already, he knew it wasn''t going to go over well when she reached the weretigers.

    "Elsie, you can''t act like that when you get there. The weretiger kingdom is powerful, and if you upset them, they can change their mind and send you back. You were not raised with such an attitude, and I expect you to change it before you leave; otherwise, we''ll find someone else to send." Stanely left her there in stunned silence as he went to find his wife.

    Elsie stood there gaping at her uncle''s back. How dare he speak to her in such a way? She was going to be a queen whether he liked it or not. Now that the perfect bitch Anna was out of the picture, the throne was all hers. She didn''t care about angering the tigers. They could lick her feet for all she cared. They weren''t worthy to walk the same ground she was. She turned on her heel and headed to her room. She wanted to make sure she had everything ready for her trip tomorrow. If there was no red carpetid out for her arrival, she would remind the tigers precisely who they were dealing with.

    "When are we going to the pce, Kamryn?" Anna asked nervously as they sat on the small loveseat with their arms around each other. She wanted to get it over with, but at the same time, she was scared.

    "Let''s go tomorrow. I want to do it before they take drastic measures of hunting me down. As far as I know, the witch hasn''t arrived at the pce, so maybe we can stop her froming before she leaves." Anna took a deep breath. One more day of their bliss of being alone.

    "Alright, but please, when we get there, don''t leave me alone. I don''t know who I am, so I will be way out of my element around others." Anna held him tighter, already feeling the eyes of people she didn''t know on her. It was terrifying for her when she had been alone for so long.

    "I won''t leave you for a minute. Nothing can take me from you." He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back. Tomorrow she would meet his family, and if they didn''t ept her, he would take her somewhere they could live in peace.

 Chapter 9 - Arrival at the Palace

    Anna tossed and turned all night after they went to bed. She was worried that when they went to the pce, the king and queen would force Kamryn to mate and mark the witch. How would she go on without him? It had only been a few days since they met, but she felt empty inside thinking of a life without him.

    When the sun started to rise, Kamryn woke up to the sound of Anna crying in her sleep. He could tell she wasn''t awake because her eyes were still closed. She was talking, and he was trying to figure out what was wrong. "No. No. Please don''t leave me. I don''t want to be alone anymore. No. Kamryn you promised me." When he heard his name, he tried to wake her up.

    "Angel, wake up. You''re dreaming." He kissed her cheek and forehead. When he saw her eyes flutter open, he gave her a soft kiss on her lips.

    "What has you so upset that you''re crying?" He asked her when he saw she was fully awake. Kamryn used his hand to wipe away her tears.

    "I dreamt that I saw you marking the witch, and I was sent away to live by myself again. When I asked you to stay with me, youughed and let me be dragged away." Anna started sobbing, thinking about her dream. "I won''t do that. Trust in me. I love you and only you. I won''t mate with another." Kamryn took her hand and put it over his heart. "Do you feel that?"

    "Yes," Anna answered softly, still sniffling.

    "My heart only beats for you. It''s calling your name. I don''t know your real name, but you will still be my angel even when we find out what it is. Feel how it pounds against your hand. It will only ever do that for you." Anna giggled at his cuteness. She felt better, but there was still a nagging in the back of her mind that she was going to be torn away from him. She wasn''t going to give in, though. She was going to fight to be with her mate.

    "I love you too. When are we leaving? Do you know how to get there from wherever we are?" Anna asked, snuggling closer to him in the bed.

    "Legend will get us there. I''ll have you ride on his back. We can leave after breakfast, but first, I want dessert." Kamryn ran his hand down her naked body while kissing her. Anna felt her body getting hot when he touched her between her legs. She couldn''t believe how her body responded to him.

    A couple of hourster, after they were spent and had showered, they were eating some of the dear meat for breakfast. Kamryn was anxious to get to the pce so he could help his angel find out who she was and so he could mark her. He wasn''t worried about the witch he was supposed to mate with. That was out of the question.

    "Are you ready?" He asked Anna as she looked around the cabin. She wanted nothing there, but she was worried about not having clothes. She didn''t need but a few things.

    "Should I take any of these clothes with me?" She asked, looking in the small dresser.

    "No. We''ll get you new clothes when we get to the pce. I don''t want you to have any reminders of this ce." Kamryn kissed her forehead and hugged her tight. Anna hugged him back. She was terrified, but she trusted him. They went outside, and Kamryn took his clothes off, handing them to Anna. He then shifted into Legend. Anna smiled when she saw the giant tiger. She walked over to pet him and looked into his eyes.

    "You''ll keep me safe when we get to the pce, won''t you, Legend?" She asked him as she rubbed his head. Legend growled softly, and she knew it was his way of telling her yes.

    "Alright, I''m depending on you both to not let anyone keep us apart." She gave him onest scratch behind the ears, and he purred loudly. Legend wouldn''t allow anyone to keep their mate away from him and Kamryn.

    Anna crawled onto his back and took a deep breath. She had wanted to get out of the cabin, but that didn''t stop her anxiety. As Legend began running through the forest, the feeling of unease grew inside her with every step he took. It felt like they had been running for hours when Legend stopped at a small creek to get a drink of water. Anna got off his back to stretch, and she realized riding a tiger took a toll on the body. She looked around and saw nothing but forest all around them. She couldn''t tell the difference between where they hade from to where they were. It looked all the same to her.

    After a few minutes, Legendy back down for her to get on him again. Anna crawled back on and held tight. He started running, and she began noticing changes. The trees started thinning out, and she could see mountains in the distance. She stared at them, feeling a sense of familiarity with the mountains.

    Legend started slowing down, and before she knew it, he came to a stop. When hey down, she got off and looked around. They were in a clearing, and she could see arge building in the distance, but she couldn''t tell what it was exactly. When she turned around, she saw Kamryn standing behind her, smiling.

    "Where are we?" She asked, looking back toward the building.

    "We''re home. That''s the pce you see through the trees. We ran for five hours, so they had us deep in the forest. I want to know who poisoned you to make you lose your memory and me to lose my tiger abilities temporarily. Don''t be scared I''ll be with you." Kamryn said while putting on his clothes that Anna had held during the trip.

    She looked toward therge building again and couldn''t believe its size. Even from where they were, she could tell it was enormous. She turned back to Kamryn and took his hand.

    "I want to find that out too. I would at least like to know my name." He leaned down and kissed her hoping to ease some of the nervousness that he could feeling from her.

    They started walking, and Kamryn squeezed her hand infort. As they got closer, Anna couldn''t take her eyes off the spectacr pce in front of her. It seemed to go on forever, and she estimated it to be at least four stories high. The color was a pale cream-colored stone. She could see dozens ofrge windows and a dark wooden door that seemedrge enough for giants.

    "This is incredible." She whispered as they approached. Anna saw people looking in their direction, and a loud horn sounded. She looked up at Kamryn in confusion.

    "They''re announcing my arrival." He said, watching to see who woulde out the door. They started walking up the steps, and he saw his mother and father walk out. He held Anna''s hand tighter, not wanting her to be scared.

    "Kamryn?" Lte said as she saw him walking with a beautiful young woman. She noticed they were holding hands, and she frowned.

    "Mom, dad, I have a lot to tell you, but first, I want you to meet my fated mate." He pulled Anna forward, and she saw both of them look at her unhappily.novelbin

    "What do you mean, your fated mate? You know you''re supposed to mate with the witch from Spirit Energy." Lte said, not looking at the young woman but at her son.

    "I''m not mating with her. I''ve found my mate, and she''s the only one I''ll mate with." Kamryn put his arm around Anna when he felt her shaking. Randal looked at his son and the woman next to him. He could tell this wasn''t something that was going to be solved now.

    "Go inside and get settled. We''ll talk about thister." Lte looked at her mate with wide eyes. Elsie would be here anytime, and they could not tell her that the mating was off. The witches would be angry, and who knows what they would do as revenge.

    "Thanks, dad." Kamryn started to pull Anna inside when his mother stopped them.

    "Are you going to at least tell us her name and what she is?" Her tiger Ariel could tell she was something but couldn''t tell what. She saw the couple exchange a look.

    "That''s the problem. We don''t know her name or for sure what she is. Someone poisoned her or something and left her in the forest in the middle of nowhere. Legend thinks she''s a witch." Lyte looked at Randal with wide eyes. How was it possible that she had no memory? They were both immediately suspicious of her.

    "How do you know she''s your mate?" Randal asked, staring at the small woman next to his son.

    "The same way you and mom knew you were mates. The mate bond. Legend and I both feel it. At first, I didn''t feel it because someone poisoned me, making me lose my tiger abilities and beat me up. My angel was staying in a cabin in the area, and she took care of me. When the poison wore off, I knew she was my mate." He kissed Anna''s forehead as she stared at his parents in apprehension. She felt sick as they looked at her usingly, like she had done something wrong. "How do you know she didn''t do something to you? Maybe this memory thing is all a lie to get to you and make you think she''s your mate. I demand that she be interrogated now. Guards." Randal yelled, and Anna began shaking in fear when fourrge men came running toward them.

 Chapter 10 - Elsies Arrival

    Anna clung to Kamryn with tears in her eyes as the guards got closer. Kamryn pushed her behind him and looked at his parents furiously.

    "You will not interrogate her. She''s my mate, and you will not touch her, or we''re leaving and nevering back." Legend was growling loudly, ready to take over if necessary. When the guards arrived, they looked between the king and prince, unsure what to do.

    "Son, you don''t even know this woman. She could be an imposter trying to get her filthy little hands on your money, title, and who knows what else." Randal red at Anna, and she shrunk back even more. She knew this was a bad idea. How could they trust someone who didn''t know her own name? She decided to try and plead her case to them.

    "Please, king and queen, I''m not after anything. I have been living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere for the past sixty days. I have no memory of who or what I am. I don''t have any recollection of how I got to the cabin. All I know is I woke up one day and was all alone. I was scared to leave because I didn''t know where I was or where I came from. When I found Kamryn in the forest one day while picking berries, he was in bad shape with a broken leg, broken ribs, bruises, and cuts all over him. I helped him to heal, not knowing he was a weretiger. At the time, I had no memory of the supernatural world, and I still don''t, but it sounds familiar, as though it wasn''t a surprise to me. I am Kamryn''s mate; please don''t take me away from him. He''s the only person I know." She pleaded with them with tears running down her face.

    Lte couldn''t help but feel sorry for the young woman. The look in her eyes and her demeanor made her think she was telling the truth. Ariel agreed, saying she seemed more scared than anything. She looked toward Randal and mindlinked him.

    *"Let''s let them be for now while we try to figure this out. She seems terrified."* He nodded in agreement.

    "Okay, we''ll let you go for now. However, I won''t be so nice if we get any inclination that you''re being untruthful. Kamryn, we still have the matter of you mating with Elsie from Spirit Energy to discuss. She''ll be here by dinner. Why don''t youe down and meet her? Your friend can stay in your room while we eat. We''ll make sure she gets fed as well." Kamryn shook his head.

    "I''m not leaving her side. Either we bothe or stay, and I''m not mating with the witch. You can tell the coven whatever you want. Tell them I found my fated mate and already marked her before you could stop me." He held Anna''s hand tightly. He wanted to show her that she could trust him as he said.

    "Did you already mark her?" Lte asked in shock, looking between them.

    "Not yet, because we want to know who and what she is before we do. I will mark and mate her as soon as we have that information." Kamryn looked at them defiantly as he put his arm around Anna''s shoulders. His parents both frowned but said nothing, so he started leading her the rest of the way into the pce.

    When they got inside, her eyes widened. The floors were white marble, and the walls were the same cream color as the outside. She looked across therge entry and saw two enormous staircases going to the second floor.

    Kamryn was walking quickly, pulling her with him. He was hoping to get her to his room before they ran into anyone else. As they started going up to the second floor, he saw Melita walking towards them with a small smile. "Kamryn, you had everyone worried. Where have you been?" Anna looked at the tall, beautiful blonde woman with dark brown eyes and felt a touch of jealousy with her familiarity with Kamryn. She walked up to him and gave him a hug. To Anna''s dismay, he let go of her hand to wrap both his arms around the other woman.

    "I was out meeting my mate. This is my sister Melita." He said as he put his arm back around Anna. She felt relief wash over her body. She had forgotten that he had an adopted sister. However, when Kamryn introduced her as his sister, she saw something sh in the other woman''s eyes but wasn''t sure what it was. She smiled at Anna and held her hand out.

    "I''m actually his adopted sister. We''re not rted by blood. It''s nice to meet you. What''s your name?" Anna gave her a small smile before answering.

    "I don''t know. I lost my memory." Kamryn kissed her forehead as Melita looked at them in shock.

    "You don''t know who you are? That''s got to be frustrating." She said, looking at Anna with pity.

    "For now, we''re going to call her Angel. She was the angel that found me when I was left poisoned out in the forest." Kamryn looked down at Anna, and she blushed. Melita had never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at the tiny woman at his side.

    "Alright, Angel, it is." She looked at them curiously, wondering what this meant for the witch that wasing.

    "We''re going to my room. See youter." Anna gave Melita a small wave as they continued walking up the stairs.

    Kamryn took her to a long hallway that had thick red carpeting. At the end of the hall was arge dark wooden door. When he opened it, Anna walked in, looking around.

    The red carpeting continued into the room, where there was an enormous bed with ck bedding. All the furniture was ck, and there was a dresser, a wardrobe, two nightstands, a leather couch, and a chair. A firece with arge TV was in front of the sofa. The room was bigger than the whole cabin she''d been in.

    "This is amazing." She said softly, still taking it all in. Kamryn looked at her wide eyes and smiled.

    "Let me show you the bathroom." He led her over to one of two doors. When he opened it for her, she gasped as she walked inside. It had a bathtub big enough for four people and a shower that she swore would fit ten people. There were double sinks and a separate toilet closet. The floor was a pale grey marble, and the walls were white. Everything else was ck and white. "Wow." That is all she could say as she ran her hand over the side of the ck bathtub. Kamryn walked over and put his arms around her.

    "Let''s take a hot bath tonight after dinner. I''ve never used the bathtub, only the shower, but I''d like to take one with you." Anna smiled up at him.

    "That sounds wonderful. What are we going to do about the witch that''sing? Are you sure they can''t force you to mark her?" She asked anxiously.

    "They can''t force me to do anything I don''t want. I meant it when I told them you and I would leave if they tried. Let me call down and have them bring us something to eat and you some clothes."

    "If you don''t want me to go to dinner with you tonight, I can stay up here," Anna said softly, somewhat afraid of being around too many people when she''d been alone for so long.

    "That''s ridiculous. Of course, you''ll be by my side. We''re going to show everyone that you''re my mate. We''ll walk in with our heads held high as the future king and queen. If anyone asks, we''ll say you''re name is Angel for the time being." Kamryn leaned down to kiss her softly on the lip. When he pulled away, she nodded.

    He picked up a phone she hadn''t noticed on the bedside table and ordered them some food. He then made another call and requested someonee up and get Anna''s measurements for some clothing.

    Within minutes a short-round woman named Jeana came into the room. She was kind and made Anna giggle when sheplimented her figure as she took her measurements.

    "Youngdy, I''ll get you the perfect dress for dinner, and then I''ll get busy on other clothes for you for every asion." Anna smiled at the woman with gratitude.

    "Thank you, but please, I don''t need a lot, only a few things." Jeana beamed at her. She had never met a sweeter young woman.

    "It''s no bother, dear." She said as she walked out of the room.

    "I like her," Anna said, walking over to Kamryn. He had loved hearing his angelugh. He hadn''t seen much light in her eyes since they arrived.

    "Jeana is great. She''ll take care of you." There was a knock on the door, and Kamryn said toe in. Anna''s eyes widened when she saw two carts pushed in loaded with different food. Her mouth started watering from the fantastic aromas. After living on canned food, she couldn''t wait to sink her teeth into whatever was on the carts.

    "Thanks, you guys. We''ll take it from here." Kamryn pushed the carts to a small table with two chairs she hadn''t noticed in the corner. He started uncovering the food and putting it on the table.

    "This looks incredible," Anna said, looking at different cuts of meat, sd, potatoes, pasta, and desserts. "How are we going to eat all of this?"

    "We''ll eat what we want, and the rest we can save forter. One of the rooms right outside our door is a half kitchen with a refrigerator. I asked them to bring us a little of everything because I didn''t know what you would want." She looked at all the food and realized she didn''t know her likes and dislikes. In the cabin, it was survival, and she ate what was avable.novelbin

    "Thank you." She said as he held out a chair for her. He gave her a te with a few bites of each dish. Anna took her first bite of the little round potatoes and closed her eyes as the vors seemed to burst in her mouth. She chewed slowly, savoring the taste.

    "Do you like those?" Kamryn asked, watching her while trying to hide how arousing her little moans of pleasure were.

    "They''re delicious." She said after swallowing. Anna then took a bite of the meat, which seemed to melt in her mouth. Before she knew it, she had eaten everything he''d given her. She sat back in satisfaction. She couldn''t remember thest time she had been that full.

    "You look content," Kamryn said with a smile.

    "I''m going to get fat if I keep eating like that." She said.

    "It wouldn''t hurt for you to put on some weight. You''re extremely thin, although I wouldn''t care if you were as big as a house; you''ll always be my angel." Anna took his hand across the table and smiled.

    Just as she was about to say something, a horn sounded. She looked over at Kamryn, who stood up and went to one of therge windows. She followed him and looked down toward the long entrance to the pce where they had entered not long ago. Anna saw a woman with short dark brown hair walking toward the door.

    "Who''s that?" She asked, not liking the dread that was beginning to wash over her. "I''m thinking that''s the witch I''m supposed to mate with."

 Chapter 11 - The Clothes

    Micah sat with his parents in shock as they told him that Kamryn was back, and he brought his mate with him. He was d his brother found his mate but was worried he would still have to mate with Elsie.

    "What does this mean?" He asked them with a frown.

    "We''re not sure yet. Kamryn is adamant that he''ll only mate with his mate. We need to figure out what to do because if we try to force him, he may leave as he threatened. Truthfully I wish we had never made a deal with Spirit Energy. He should be with his fated mate." Lte looked toward her mate, who nodded.

    "I agree, but we can''t afford to piss them off. You don''t have to mate with Elsie now. Once she gets here, we''ll have dinner with Kamryn and his mate. We''ll see how things y out." Randal knew his eldest son was the best one to take over the throne, even if the girl with no name was his queen. As his fated mate, she would make him stronger than a chosen mate.

    "Alright. What happened to him?" He asked, looking between his parents.

    "He said he was poisoned and lost his tiger abilities. The young woman took care of him until the poison wore off, and when Legend came back, they knew she was their mate. I feel bad for her. She was left in the forest without a memory of who or what she was. She''s quite beautiful." Lte said, thinking of the fearful young woman.

    "Do you think it''s odd that Kamryn and his mate were both poisoned? I''m assuming she was poisoned since she lost her memory." Micah asked, and his parents both looked concerned.

    "I never thought about it, but you''re right. What would make them both end up in the middle of the forest? Him without his tiger, and she with no memory. It makes me think someone was trying to keep them apart when they actually pushed them together. Let''s keep these suspicions to ourselves for now." Randal said, looking at his mate and son. He preferred for Kamryn to mate with his fated mate, but they needed to see what the consequences would be if they angered Spirit Energy.

    Elsie looked at the pce as she walked through the gates. All of this was going to be hers. She held her head high and looked through narrowed eyes as she approached the steps leading inside. She was upset that there wasn''t more of a wee party for her. Only two people were standing near the door, and one was a guard. Where was her red carpet?

    "Hello, miss. My name is Renata, and I''ll be your attendant." The young woman smiled at her, but Elsie frowned.

    "Where is everyone else? Why isn''t the prince, king, and queen here to wee me?" She asked with disdain. Renata was taken aback. Even the royals didn''t speak to the staff in such a way.

    "They had other duties at this time. Please let me show you to your room." Renata reached for the one bag Elsie was carrying and wondered where the rest of her luggage was.

    "Do you have more bags I can have someone get for you?" She asked, looking out the door, not seeing anything behind Elsie.

    "No. As your future queen, I''m assuming I will be provided a full wardrobe." Renata bit her tongue, not wanting to say something she would regret. However, she was hoping this bitch didn''t end up being their queen. Everyone had already heard that prince Kamryn had returned with his mate. From the interactions people have had with her, they said she was a sweetheart.

    "Please follow me," Renate said stiffly and began walking away without making sure Elsie followed her. She led her to a room on the first floor where they let guests stay. She saw the look on Elsie''s face when she didn''t show her to one of the rooms upstairs.

    "Shouldn''t I be staying with Kamryn? I am to be his mate, after all." Renata shook her head.

    "I was instructed you were to stay here." Elsie walked into the room that was quite grand, with arge canopy bed in pale blue. The furniture was white. She shrugged. She figured he must want to meet her before having her move into his

    room.

    "Fine. Please send someone that can give me a suitable dress for dinner." She snapped her fingers, and Renata red at her back. She really hoped they sent her away quickly. She went to get Jeana to see their new guest. Once that was done, she went to the pce office to speak with the king and queen. She was told toe in when she knocked.

    "Did Elsie get settled?" Lte asked her as she walked in.

    "Yes, your majesty." She answered hesitantly. Both royals looked at her in question.

    "What''s wrong?" Randal asked her.

    "If I may say so, miss Elsie is not a nice person. She is telling everyone her demands as future queen, and she is expecting to be in prince Kamryn''s room. She also didn''t bring clothes, demanding an entire wardrobe be provided for her." Randal''s face began turning red. He knew these witches would act entitled and demanding.

    "What? No marking has happened yet, but she dares to treat our people this way?" Renata nodded. Lte patted his shoulder to calm him.

    "Maybe this is a good thing. It will give us just cause to send her away and allow Kamryn to be with his mate. We are modest, and if she is expecting something different, the arranged mating can be called off." She smiled at her mate as he sat back down.novelbin

    "You''re right. This may work in our favor. Renata make sure many people wait on her so we can get multipleints about the future so-called queen." She gave them a knowing grin as she left the office. Renate stifled her giggle as she walked away. That bitch had underestimated the weretigers.

    Anna looked at Kamryn sadly. She had secretly hoped the witch never showed up. Now that she had, she knew she would have to fight to keep her mate.

    "Angel, don''t look so down. Believe me when I tell you my parents wille around. I love you." He leaned down to kiss her forehead.

    "I love you too." They sat on the couch talking and kissing when there was a knock on the door. Kamryn told the person toe in, and Jeana walked in, looking flustered. Anna looked at her in concern as she got up. "Are you okay?" She asked the older woman.

    "I''m sorry, dear. I just left the room of that witch that just got here, and she''s not friendly. She wanted me to make her an entire wardrobe and had many demands for the most expensive fabrics. She wanted actual diamonds sewn into her dresses." Kamryn stood up and walked over to her with fire in his eyes.

    "She did what? How can she make such demands?" He asked her.

    "Miss Elsie is telling everyone that as the future queen, we should be catering to her every need," Jeana said softly. She loved all the royals and couldn''t imagine continuing to work there with that woman as the queen. She looked at the young woman who was looking at her with concern and smiled. Elsie and Kamryn''s mate couldn''t be more different. She hoped the witch was sent packing.

    "Do my parents know about this?" He asked. Kamryn knew they would not tolerate someone speaking to the staff in this manner.

    "Yes, your highness. They told Renata to make sure many people wait on her so multipleints can be made." Anna looked between them in confusion when they smiled.

    "What does that mean?" She asked.

    "It means my parents want to get rid of her already. I told you that you wouldn''t have anything to worry about. We may be royals, but we respect our staff and try to treat everyone equally." Jeana nodded next to him.

    "Yes, dear, what he''s saying is the truth. They are all kind to us." Anna took a breath of relief. Maybe it would all work out.

    "That''s good to hear. I''m sorry she mistreated you." Anna said, giving her a pat on the shoulder. Jeana smiled at her with a wink.

    "Don''t worry. I''ll fix her. As it''s already sote in the day to do much, I''ll give her the ugliest dress I have. You, however, will look like a princess." Jeana held out the dress that Anna hadn''t noticed, and she gasped.

    It was a creamy white colored gown that had tiny diamond-like sequins sewn sporadically to make it sparkle. It was off the shoulder with long, thin see-through sleeves. She could tell it was floor length and had a slit up one side to just a little above the knee.

    "This is beautiful." She said, tentatively touching the delicate fabric. Jeana beamed at her.

    "Thank you, I made it myself. I brought you heels to wear with it, and we''ll have someonee to do your hair." She held out matching heels that had the same sequins on the straps. Kamryn was grinning, watching Anna''s face. She would be a perfect queen. Humble and kind. She reached over and hugged Jeana.

    "Thank you for being nice to me." She said. The other woman patted her on the back, a little embarrassed at the young woman''s gratitude for something so minor.

    "You''re wee. Now, why don''t you start getting ready, and I''ll send someone to do your hair in a little while." Jeana patted Anna on the back and left out of the room. She shook her head as she walked down the hall. She now understood why Kamryn called her Angel.

    "Do you want to take a shower before getting dressed? We have time." Kamryn asked as she still stared at the dress.

    "Yes. I need to be scrubbed clean to put something this nice on." She smiled up at him, and he kissed the top of her head.

    "Let''s shower together. It will be quicker." Anna giggled as he pulled her into the bathroom.

    They weren''t exactly quick. However, she couldn''t believe how amazing the shower felt. She looked up at Kamryn as they got out.

    "That was unbelievable. I could stay in there all day." He put his forehead against hers with a smirk.

    "If we''re going to have fun like that, I''d be willing to stay in there all day too." His mouth captured hers midugh.

    "We better get dressed so I can be ready when they do my hair." They quickly dried off, and when they went into the bedroom, someone hadid a new pair of panties on top of the dress. Anna quickly put them on and had Kamryn help her put the dress on. After he zipped it up the back, she walked to the mirror. She didn''t recognize the woman looking back at her.

    "Jeana was right. You look like a princess." Kamryn said, beaming down at her. The pale cream color suited her perfectly with her long dark brown hair. Anna looked up at him and smiled.

    "Do I look appropriate for dinner?" She asked, and he wrapped his arms around her.

    "You will be the best-looking one there. Everyone is going to be envious of your beauty." Anna blushed under his praise.

    "What are you wearing?" She asked, looking down at his boxers. Heughed and went to the walk-in closet she hadn''t noticed.

    "Angel,e here." She walked over, carefully holding up her dress, so she didn''t step on it. When she got to the closet, she couldn''t believe what she saw. Some of Kamryn''s clothes had been pushed to one side. She saw dresses, cks, and blouses hanging in the closet.

    "How did these get here?" She asked, looking at everything in awe.

    "Jeana probably ced a rush order. I don''t know how she does it, but she makes miracles happen when ites to clothing. It helps that she likes you too. I''m sure the witch isn''t getting the same treatment." He put his arm over her shoulders. There was a knock on the door, and they stuck their heads out of the closet. Jeana and another woman walked into the room.

    "Oh, you found the clothes. I hope you like them. We''ll get more soon." She looked at Anna in the gown and knew she had made the right choice. She looked stunning.

    "I don''t need more than that. It''s already too much. Thank you." Anna gave her a shy smile. Elene, who was with her, looked at the beautiful young woman in surprise. She really was like night and day to the witch downstairs. "This is Elene. She''s here to do your hair and makeup." Anna smiled at the tall woman with short red hair.

    "Nice to meet you. Where do you want me?"

    "You can sit in one of these chairs. It won''t take long. You don''t need anything but light makeup with your natural coloring. I''ll put your hair up, and I have a special piece from the queen herself." Anna looked at Elene in shock. The queen had sent something special for her?

    "Okay. Thank you for doing this." Elene smiled as she dusted Anna''s face with powder and gave her a light smokey look that made her gray eyes pop. She then twisted her hair into a french twist, and after it was pinned into ce, she put a small hairpiece that looked like a tiara on her head. Anna looked at it and realized it was the queen''s way of saying she had epted her. She would have cried if she hadn''t just had her makeup done. The other three looked at her in silence when she stood up and put her heels on. She was breathtaking. She turned around and felt her cheeks getting red from their stares.

    "Wow, Angel, you look spectacr." Kamryn wanted to fall to his knees at her feet. She was glowing and looked as though she was born to be a queen.

 Chapter 12 - Angry Witch

    Anna blushed profusely at the way the others were looking at her. She then noticed that Kamryn was in a ck suit and her mouth went dry. You could still see his bulging muscles, and his ck hair fell slightly over his forehead. She felt herself getting hot for another reason as she looked him up and down.

    "We will leave you two alone. Have fun at dinner." Jeana said as she and Elene stepped out of the room.

    "Why are you so red?" Kamryn asked as he walked the few steps to her.

    "Seeing you dressed like that made me feel hot." She answered with a slight grin as he smiled at her.

    "I swear if we had the time, I''d take you right here right now. We''ll have plenty of time after dinner, though." He leaned forward, kissing her soft lips. Anna felt her body shudder in anticipation.

    "I can''t wait. Are we ready to go? I want to get this over with because the witch doesn''t sound pleasant. I''m sure she''s going to be unhappy to see me on your arm." Kamryn shrugged.

    "My parents would never let an entitled bitch be the next queen. My mother giving you the piece that looks like a tiara is her way of saying we have her support. Now let''s show this witch who the next queen will be." Kamryn held his arm out to her, and she took it with a smile. Anna had no problem walking in the heels, so she assumed she must have been used to wearing them at some point.

    As they made their way down the massive staircase, Anna saw a young man waiting at the bottom of the steps. He looked like Kamryn, only slightly shorter, with dark brown hair and green eyes. He smiled as they made their way to him. "Hey, big brother. I heard you met your mate. I wanted to meet her before we went in for dinner." Anna liked him immediately as she smiled.

    "Angel, this is my brother Micah," Kamryn said as they shook hands.

    "Nice to meet you." Micah couldn''t help but stare at the beautiful woman standing next to his brother. She seemed to be glowing as she smiled at him. He was at a loss for words at first. "Nice to meet you too. Angel? I thought you lost your memory." He asked, although looking at her, she certainly looked like an angel.

    "She did lose her memory, but she''s my angel. So until we know her real name, we will call her Angel." Micah watched as her face turned red, and he grinned at them. He had never seen his brother look so happy. He hoped his mate was like Angel.

    "You guys ready. I hear Elsie has been giving everyone a hard time with her demands. I think dad''s ready to send her flying out on her broomstick," Anna couldn''t help the giggle that came bubbling out. The thought of the king throwing the witch out was something she''d like to see.

    "Yep, let''s introduce her to the future queen," Kamryn said as they started walking to the dining hall. Anna could hear light ssical music ying as they got closer. However, someone was speaking in a shrill voice that could be heard over the soft music.

    "I want to know why I wasn''t given a proper dress to wear and where is my queen''s wardrobe." Anna looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young woman with short dark brown hair yelling at Jeana. She was wearing a dark brown dress that had no frills. It wasn''t bad, but it looked like a hand-me-down. Anna covered her mouth so her chuckle wouldn''t escape.

    "I can''t be expected to meet Kamryn wearing such attire. I am to be the queen. Now get me something better." Elsie looked up at the three people staring at her and gasped. She was looking at the woman standing between the tworge men. How did Anna get there? She felt her hopes of being queen leave her. However, her cousin was looking at her as though she had no idea who she was. She looked at the two handsome men and smiled. One of them was Kamryn, so she needed to y nice.

    "Which one of you is my future king?" She asked, unable to sound polite no matter how hard she tried.

    Micah stared at the woman and felt something weird happening. His heart was racing, and he felt hot. He heard Rocky purring, and then he knew.

    "Mate." He said as he continued staring at Elsie.

    Elsie heard what he said. However, she thought he was saying that because it was Kamryn, so she walked over to him with a smile.

    "Hello, Kamryn. I''m Elsie." She fluttered her eyshes at him with a smile as she ignored the other two.

    "I''m Micah, and you''re my mate." Elsie backed up and looked at the man who had his arm around Anna.

    "I''m supposed to mate with Kamryn, so I can be queen. Why are you holding onto my mate?" Elsie ignored Micah and red at Anna, not letting anyone know she knew who she was. The two brothers nced at each other. How had she known she was supposed to mate with Kamryn? Thest Spirit Energy was told she was mating with Micah.

    "This is Angel, and she''s my fated mate. I will no longer be mating with you. It appears that my brother is your fated mate." Kamryn said, already feeling sorry for his brother. Elsie put her hands on her hips. She realized Anna must still not have her memory; otherwise, they would know she was the one that was supposed to be with Kamryn anyway. She had to do something because she wasn''t ready to give up her rightful ce.novelbin

    "I don''t need a stupid fated mate. I need to be queen. Now I demand you get rid of her and take me as your mate." She crossed her arms defiantly, and Kamryn felt his blood boiling. Elsie took a step back when she saw his amber eyes ring at her.

    "You will make no further demands. Angel is my future queen." Kamryn pulled Anna with him as they headed in the direction of the dining hall. Elsie looked at them in shock. Why did everyone want Anna over her? It had been that way her whole life.

    "Elsie, you''re my mate," Micha said. He was hurt that she wasn''t acknowledging him at all. It was clear all she wanted was to be queen. She turned toward him and admitted that he was handsome, but she felt nothing for him. Most witches felt a connection with their fated mates no matter what species they were. However, Elsie was very cold and hateful. She wanted no connection; she just wanted what was rightfully hers.

    "I don''t need a mate, but I do need to be queen." She turned on her heel and began walking in the direction Anna and Kamryn had gone. Micah felt his chest hurting. He may not be happy about Elsie being his mate, but he wanted to convince her that they could be good together if she gave him a chance. Maybe he could change her mind once she saw Kamryn wasn''t going to mate with her. He followed her into the dining hall, feeling mncholy.

    Anna couldn''t believe the audacity of Elsie to speak to Kamryn and Micah in the way she did. She couldn''t stop thinking about her. It was as though there was something familiar about her, but she didn''t know what. She saw the king and queen heading their way and couldn''t help to feel nervous. Thest time they saw them had tried to have her taken away by guards.

    "Kamryn, we owe you and your mate an apology. We''re sorry we tried to force you to mate with that horrible woman. We will be sending her away the first chance we get." Lte looked at Anna and smiled.

    "That may not be as easy as you think. We met her in the hallway, and it appears that she''s Micah''s mate." Lte and Randal looked at each other with dread. "Are you sure?" Randal asked his son.

    "Yes. Micah dered her his mate. However, she ignored him and demanded that I get rid of Angel, so I could mate with her. Maybe he can talk sense into her, but I don''t think she''s going to let this rest. I felt like sending her to the dungeons to give her some humility." They all turned toward the door when they heard amotion.

    Elsie stormed into the dining hall and looked around. She was not going to be made a fool and would demand the king and queen make Kamryn mate with her. When she spotted Anna and Kamryn speaking with who she assumed was the royal couple, she stomped over to them angrily.

    "I take it you''re the king and queen. I want you to tell your son he will mate with me and get rid of this imposter." She looked at Anna in disgust. How dare shee in here with no memory and think she has the right to a title. She saw her cousin studying her, and she had a moment of fear that she may be getting her memory back.

    "Youngdy, you will not speak to anyone in this pce like that. I don''t care if they are the king and I or the lowest servant. We are equals in here and treat each other with respect." Lte looked at Elsie with her eyes narrowed in warning. "You have no right to tell me what to do. You are not the king and queen of The Spirit Energy Coven, only a bunch of cats. I treat people how I want to because it''s my right as the next queen." She red at the four staring at her. "You will not be queen in this pce. In fact, if you weren''t Micah''s mate, I would have you sent to the dungeons as Kamryn suggested. However, I will send you to the holding cell. Guards take her away." Randal waved four guards over. Elsie looked at them with wide eyes. She was starting to say a spell to freeze them all in ce when a metal cor was ced around her neck. She knew what it was. Those cors prevented witches from casting spells. Spirit Energy did not practice ck magic, but Elsie had done it behind their backs because she had bigger ns. She tried desperately to take the cor off, but it wouldn''t budge. As they dragged her away, she screamed. "This isn''t over. I will not stop until I''m the queen."

 Chapter 13 - Dinner

    Everyone in the dining hall stared in shock as the guards dragged the screaming Elsie out of the room. The queen, graceful as ever, turned to the others and smiled.

    "Thank you, everyone, foring. Please don''t let this unfortunate episode ruin our dinner. Later you will meet my son''s mate and the next queen." She smiled again and then returned to Kamryn and Anna.

    "I''m sorry for that interruption. We should have never made a deal with Spirit Energy. Tomorrow we''ll call them and let them know the arrangement is off. Angel, we will do whatever we can to help get your memory back." Lte took her hand, and Anna breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared they had epted her.

    "Thank you, queen." She answered, slightly bowing to her.

    "Please call me Lynn. No need for formal titles and no need to bow. We''re family." Anna smiled at her gratefully. Lynn was dressed in a shimmering burgundy dress that clung to her still-youthful figure.

    Meanwhile, someone was watching from across the room. This person was not happy with the eptance of the girl with no name. Kamryn was supposed to be hers. She''d had ns to get rid of the witch once she got here, but now that was unnecessary. Now she had to get rid of another parasite. Maybe then Kamryn would see that they were meant to be together, even if they weren''t mates. She started plotting as she walked around the room. It had to be soon before they marked each other.

    As a loud bell sounded, everyone started walking from therge open room to another room off to the side. Anna saw many round dark wooden tables with white linen table clothes. Each table could seat eight people. Kamryn led her to a table near the front of the room, where they sat with the king, queen, Micah, and Melita.

    "You look incredible," Melita said as Anna sat down.novelbin

    "Thank you. Jeana is wonderful." She answered with a smile. Kamryn sat between his father and Anna. She noticed Micah looked upset, and she was sure it was how his mate had acted.

    "Micah, we heard that Elsie is your mate. Have you had a chance to talk to her?" Lte looked at her youngest son with pity. She didn''t like that his mate was that nasty girl.

    "When I told her we were mates, she said she didn''t care; she only wanted to be queen. I tried to talk to her, but she brushed me off and came in here to confront Kamryn. I''m conflicted because I feel a pull toward her as she is my mate. However, she seems to have no mate feelings toward me at all. What should I do?" Micah asked, feeling an ache in his heart.

    "If she doesn''t have feelings for you as your mate, then maybe you should reject her. It will give you the opportunity for a second chance, mate." Melita stated matter of factly. She hadn''t found her fated mate, but she wasn''t concerned. "I always thought when I found my mate, we would be pulled to each other like Kmaryn and Angel. It never crossed my mind that she wouldn''t want me. I''m going to need to talk to her before she leaves." Micah said as their drinks were served.

    Anna looked at the ss of red wine in front of her. Did she like wine? She took a little sip, and the tart taste was appealing to her. She took another sip and sat her ss down. She nced around the dining hall and realized there were dozens of people. Many of them were stealing nces at her, and she smiled at the ones she made eye contact with. The majority of them smiled back.

    "Who are all these people?" She whispered to Kamryn.

    "They are people from all over. The pce allows anyone to dine with us at any time. We only ask that they let us know when they want toe so we can ensure we have enough room. My parents like making themselves avable to everyone. It''s one of the many reasons why they are so respected." Anna looked around at the people there and noticed that some of their clothes were somewhat worn. She had a new respect for the royal couple. Multiple servers beganing out and cing food in front of them. Anna had no idea what it was, but the aroma made her mouth water. When she took the first bite, the vors seemed to burst in her mouth. She savored it and then took another bite. She wanted to know what it was, but Kamryn was speaking with his dad, and Melita was speaking with Micah.

    Lynn watched her son''s mate eating, and she smiled to herself. The young woman was a delight to be around inparison to the witch they were trying to force Kamryn to mate with. She liked calling her Angel until they learned her real name; it suited her.

    "Are you enjoying your meal, Angel?" Lynn asked her from across the table.

    "Yes, it''s delicious. While I was in the cabin, I only had canned food and berries avable." Anna answered softly. Her life had taken a sudden turn for the good. She went from being alone in the forest to a future queen. She was still getting used to the idea of being a queen.

    "How did you stay there so long with no one to talk to?" Lynn asked thoughtfully.

    "I didn''t feel I had a choice. I didn''t know who I was or where I''de from, so I was scared to leave. I was afraid I would get lost and be unable to find my way back to the cabin." Anna shuddered, thinking of the time she spent there. It was not something she ever wanted to do again.

    "I admire you. Many would have gone out of their mind being alone. I wonder where your family is. I''m sure they''re looking for you. We sent a search party for Kamryn, and he was only gone a couple of days. It''s amazing that you two ended up in the same part of the forest." Lynn was still concerned about who poisoned her son and also who caused his mate to lose her memory. Could it be connected?

    "I wish I knew if I had a family. I feel like I do. There are some things that feel familiar to me. Like when Kamryn told me about the supernatural world. I wasn''t surprised; it felt like I already knew about it. When I look at the mountains in the distance, they also feel familiar. Kamryn saved my life when he was left there. I only had a few cans of food left, so I would have had to take my chances of leaving to find food or staying there, hoping someone found me. I''m so grateful to you for allowing me to be part of your family without knowing who or what I am." Anna looked around the table and saw they were all staring at her. She blushed slightly.

    The other five were all lost in their thoughts about what she had said. Micah couldn''t help envying his brother for having such a strong mate. To endure what she had, there was no doubt in his mind that she was stronger than all of them. It made him think of Elsie. Maybe Melita was right. If she didn''t want to be with him, he would reject her and hope to find a second chance mate. After dinner, he would talk to her to see if she had changed her attitude.

    They finished their meal, and as Anna took thest bite of her turtle cheesecake, she felt like she was going to burst. It was a new feeling for her to bepletely full. She usually ate only enough to survive. Kamryn held his arm out for her, and they walked back to therge open room to mingle. Lynn guided them to the center of the room where Randal was waiting.

    "Attention, everyone. As promised, I am pleased to inform you that my son Kamryn has met his fated mate. Please wee your future queen." He purposely didn''t say her name because they didn''t know her name. Everyone pped and smiled at the blushing woman. Kamryn beamed at her as he put his arm around her shoulders.

    People starteding to the young couple to congratte them and meet Anna. Kamryn didn''t say anything about her memory but told them all for the time being, she would go by Angel. Many wanted to question him what that meant, but they wouldn''t dare ask a royal to exin themself.

    Once they had met too many people for Anna to remember, they left the hall and headed back upstairs. She had felt wee by everyone who approached them that evening.

    "Was everyone there tonight, weretigers?" She asked as they made their way up the steps.

    "Mostly. There were a couple of werewolves, and I saw a few werepanthers." She looked up at him in surprise.

    "How can you tell what species they are? To me, they all look human." They arrived at their room and went inside.

    "By their scent typically. In tonight''s case, I recognized them from before. You''ll get to know them as well. Are you ready for that bath now?" Kamryn asked, wanting to get that dress off her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yes. I''ve been looking forward to it all night." He leaned down and kissed her as he started unzipping her dress.

    The one person who was not happy about the new queen red at the couple as they left. She snuck out and watched as they made their way upstairs. She should be at Kamryn''s side, having him look at her lovingly as he did to that woman. She left the dining hall and went to her room. It was time to make his mate disappear before she got toofortable.

 Chapter 14 - Imposter

    Santi became angry as he thought about everything falling apart. He had heard from one of his spies that Elsie was thrown into a holding cell, and Kamryn''s fated mate was now going to be the next queen. He couldn''t allow that to happen. He needed one of his people to be on the throne so he could take what belonged to him.

    He hadn''t nned on Kamryn and Annabe being dropped off in the same ce. They should have been miles apart. He had never fathomed that they would be fated mates. He only thought they were arranged, mates. His other spy said she was going to take care of getting rid of Kamryn''s mate so she could be his mate. If that happened, it might not be a total loss. Santi had wanted Micah to be pronounced the king because he felt he was weaker than Kamryn. However, if they take his mate away, it may make Kamryn the weakest of all. Yes, this could work out in his favor.

    "Have you received any news on if Elsie made it alright?" Caprice asked Stanley.

    "She texted me when she arrived. I''m worried that she''s going to blow it. Her attitude is not something I think the king and queen will appreciate." He put his head in his hands. They couldn''t afford to anger the weretigers, but more importantly, he was missing his Anna. She had been gone a little over two months without a sign of her anywhere.

    "Maybe they''ll put Elsie in her ce. If she ruins this, it''s on her. I just want to find our daughter. I know you don''t think your niece could do anything to Anna, but I discovered that she''s been practicing ck magic. How do we know she didn''t put a spell on her or give her a potion? There''s nothing else that would exin her disappearance for so long." Stanely looked at his mate in shock at what she said.

    "She''s been practicing ck magic? We don''t believe in that. Not only will it harm those she puts spells on, but it deteriorates witches from Spirit Energy, making them rot from the inside out. Did she not understand any of the teachings?" He couldn''t believe she would be so reckless.

    "She had the same teachings Anna did, but she always believed that she was better than the other witches. Many times she wouldn''t be paying attention at all. That''s why her magic is sloppy and not as powerful. If she did something to Anna, herck of knowledge might work in our favor. She may not realize there is always an antidote to ck magic. We have to hope that Anna gets an antidote to whatever she did. Otherwise, I fear our daughter is dead." Caprice was grasping at straws, but Elsie doing something to Anna was the only thing that fit. No one else would hurt her; everyone loved her.

    Elsie screamed in the holding cell until her throat was raw. How dare they lock her in here with a cor on like she''s some sort of animal? She wasn''t in the dungeons, but the cell was in the furthest corner of the basement, where it was cold, dark, and damp. In the cell, there was a small cot and a bucket.

    She sat on the cot, furious. When she got out, she would go straight home and tell Stanley and Caprice how the king and queen disgraced her. She knew they would seek revenge on the weretigers. Then they would force them to make her queen. Elsie then remembered that Anna was there at Kamryn''s side. If her aunt and uncle found out, they would only care about their daughter. She would have to get rid of Anna and then plead her case to them.

    One way or another, she was going to be the queen. As she was lost in her vengeful thoughts, she heard a door close down the hall. When she looked up, she saw Micah, her so-called mate standing at the cell door. Maybe if she pretended to be nice to him, he would help her. She walked over to him and tried to look as sorry as she could.

    "How are you doing?" He asked softly. Elsie felt anger course through her body. She tried to control the irritation as she answered, but she wasn''t able to.

    "How the hell do you think I''m doing? Your dad threw me in here and refused to acknowledge me as the future queen. You''re all going to die when I get out of here. My aunt and uncle are the most powerful of the Spirit Energy. They will have all your heads." She said with hate. Something she said caught Micah''s attention.

    "Your aunt and uncle? I thought you were the daughter of the most powerful witch and warlock. If you''re not their daughter, who is?" He asked, and Elsie realized her mistake, but it was toote to turn back now. However, she wasn''t going to tell him the whole truth.

    "They thought I would be better because I''m more powerful than she is. She''s too weak to be a queen, so they sent me in her ce." Micah didn''t believe her, but he had something else to discuss with her.

    "Elsie, do you have any mate feelings toward me at all?" He asked quietly. She looked at him and startedughing.

    "Why would I have feelings for a stupid cat? I don''t believe in that mate bond stuff. I only believe in getting what I deserve. If you can''t help me get out of here, why don''t you find someone who can?" Elsie sat on the cot and turned her back to him.

    Micah felt like a knife stabbed him in his heart. He knew he should reject her so he could move on, but he couldn''t do it. Not yet. He decided to leave for now. At least he knew where she was. Maybe after some time, she would change her mind.

    He decided to tell his parents what he''d found out from Elsie. He walked to their sitting room, where they always went after dinner, and went inside. They looked up when he sat down with a sigh. "What''s wrong?" Lynn asked him.

    "I talked to Elsie. She''s said she doesn''t believe in mates. I''m not giving up, though. I found out something else. She let it slip that she''s not the daughter of the powerful warlock and witch. She''s their niece. ording to Elsie, their daughter was too weak, so they sent her. I don''t believe her. You should call them tomorrow to see what''s going on. I find it curious that they sent someone in her ce. Did something happen to her?" Micah looked between his parents, who were clearly shocked.novelbin

    "That exins why they had been so hesitant to send her. I wonder why they didn''t send their daughter. Randal, you''re calling Stanley tomorrow anyway. I think we have some more questions that need to be answered." Lynn looked at her mate, who nodded. He didn''t believe Spirit Energy would deceive him unless they had to. Just like they were going to use Micah if Kamryn wasn''t there. Then something else crossed his mind.

    "Do you think it''s possible that Angel is the missing witch?" Randal looked at his mate and son, who both had wide eyes.

    "That would mean she''s the most powerful witch and Kamryn''s fated mate. If that''s the case, they will be even more powerful than we thought after marking each other. We need to speak to Stanley as soon as possible. Maybe they''ll have a way of curing her amnesia." Lynn was getting excited.

    "I''ll call him now. No need to wait for morning." He pulled out his phone and found the number he was looking for. Randal frowned when it went to voicemail.

    "Hi, Stanley, it''s Randal. I need to speak with you regarding Elsie. Please call me as soon as possible."

    "All we can do now is wait. Let''s not say anything to Kamryn or Angel yet. I don''t want to get their hopes up." Lynn said, looking at the other two.

    Stanely had seen who was calling him, but he wasn''t ready to speak with Randal. He knew Elsie most likely had already offended them. That was a conversation for another day. Now all his focus would be on finding his daughter.

 Chapter 15 - The Bath

    After kicking their shoes to the side, Kamryn unzipped Anna''s dress and let it fall to the floor. He then took the pins out of her hair, letting it cascade down her back. He stepped back and looked at her in nothing but her whitece panties. "As much as I loved the dress, I like you wearing nothing but these panties even better." Anna blushed as he stared at her. She looked at him in his suit and smiled.

    "I don''t want to be the only one standing here with nothing on. Let me get you out of that suit." She reached up and pulled his jacket off. After throwing it on the bed, she started unbuttoning his shirt. When she was done and his shirt was gone, she ran kisses over his chest and abdomen, making him suck in his breath. She then took off his pants, leaving him in nothing other than his boxers.

    "Now it''s fair." She said, rubbing her hands over his muscles, liking the hardness and warmth against her palms. Kamryn bent down and kissed her while picking her up, so she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her into the bathroom and put her back on her feet.

    He turned the water on and added some bath oil and bubbles he had never used. They took off theirst pieces of clothing, and he helped her step in. Kamryn sat down first, and she sat between his legs with her back resting against him. "The dinner wasn''t as bad as I had expected. I''m d your family seems to have epted me." Anna said softly as Kamryn massaged her shoulders.

    "I told you they woulde around. It helped that Elsie is the way she is. My parents don''t tolerate people like that in the pce. I feel sorry for Micah for having her as a mate. I hope he rejects her so he can find someone more suitable." Kamryn thought about his quiet brother with the witch and shook his head. That would be bad all around.

    "What happens when mates reject each other?" Anna asked. She could never imagine rejecting Kamryn. He was her lifeline.

    "They will feel an immense amount of pain. Typically the one being rejected feels the most pain if they don''t want to ept the rejection. If it''s mutual, they will still hurt, but not as much. It can even lead to death, depending on the bond''s strength. For example, if you suddenly rejected me, it would probably kill me." He wrapped his arms around her, shuddering at the thought of not being with his angel.

    "Don''t even think about that. I will never reject you. So if Micah rejects Elsie, she will feel the pain, but he won''t as much, so he would be able to start over with someone new?" Anna tried to process this. Everything was soplicated. She was lucky Kamryn was such a fantastic mate. Otherwise, he may have rejected her when they first met as a girl with no name or background; she didn''t have much to offer. Hopefully, that will change soon, and she will know who she is. "There''s an opportunity for a second chance mate. If you reject your fated mate, you may find a new one that has also been rejected. Micah could also find a chosen mate. If he falls in love, he can mate with that person, and once they mark each other, they will be mates." Anna frowned.

    "If this person mates with Micah, what happens if she crosses paths with her fated mate?" She asked curiously.

    "Once someone mates with their chosen mate, the ties to their fated mate are broken. As long as they had never met prior to marking another, nothing will happen to them. Her fated mate would be fated to another or find a chosen mate." Anna shook her head. It was too much information for ate-night conversation. She had more important things she wanted to do. She moved away from Kamryn and turned around, so she was facing him.

    "Enough talking." Anna brought her mouth to his as she straddled hisp. This was a new position for her. She had never taken the lead, but she felt empowered now. She slowly lowered herself onto him. Kamryn had been pleasantly surprised when she took the lead. Once he was fully in her, they paused to get used to the feeling. He looked into her grey eyes that were dark with desire. As she started riding him, he pulled her to him sliding his tongue into her mouth.

    Anna couldn''t believe that it felt like he was even deeper inside her in this position. While she continued to ride him, he started kissing her neck, and she tipped her head back, moaning in pleasure. She had so many sensations running through her body Anna had never felt more alive. When he put his mouth on one of her nipples and began sucking, she increased her rhythm. She soon felt the familiar pressure beginning to build in her lower abdomen. They came together in a shuddering explosion.

    Neither could move for a few minutes. It was their most intense orgasm yet. Kamryn kissed her face as her breathing started returning to normal. Her eyes looked ssy as she peered up at him through her long eyshes. He felt his breath catch. She had never looked more beautiful than she did when looking up at him in satisfaction.

    "That was incredible. I think I like that position the best." Anna said against his lips.

    "Are you ready to get out? I would like to show my mate how much I love her before we fall asleep from exhaustion." It was their first night in the pce, and they''d had a five-hour run. Even though they were tired, Kamryn wasn''t ready to sleep yet.

    "I''m ready to get out. Although I''m going to want to take a lot more baths with you." Anna stood up and grabbed a towel. She carefully stepped out of the tub, and Kamryn did the same. When they were dried off, they went to the other room, and she noticed their clothes were no longer on the floor or bed. Someone had been in to clean up. It made her a little uneasy knowing someone was in the bedroom while they were in the bathtub.

    "Who put our clothes away?" She asked as they walked to the bed.

    "Probably one of the maids." Anna frowned.

    "Do theye in whenever they want? That feels like an invasion of privacy." She looked up at him, suddenly feeling exposed.

    "Typically, they knock and peek in to see if anyone is in the room. I''ll lock the door so they know to leave us alone." Kamryn locked the door and then walked back over to Anna.

    "Thanks. I don''t want anyone popping in when you''re making me go out of my mind." He smiled down at her before kissing her soft lips.

    "Anything for my angel." He lifted her up, so she was sitting on the bed. Anna shifted when she felt something under her bottom and jumped back off.

    "There''s something on the bed." She said as she pulled back the nkets. Underneath them were all the pins that Kamryn had taken out of her hair. The tiara hairpiece was also there broken in half.novelbin

    "Who would do this?" Kamryn said half to himself. The only person they could think of was locked in a holding cell. Anna noticed the closet door was slightly ajar. She walked cautiously over and pushed the door open. She gasped when she looked inside.

    "Kamryn." She said quietly. He ran to her side and couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Every piece of her new clothing had been ripped to shreds. The dress she had worn to dinner was lying on the floor, torn to pieces. All of his clothes hadn''t been touched. Whoever had done this was clearly targeting Anna.

 Chapter 16 - The Spy

    Legend growled in Kamryn''s head. Who would want to hurt their mate? He sniffed to try and pick up a scent, but he couldn''t smell anything. Whoever did this had covered their scent. "Why would someone do this? I thought everyone epted me. It can''t be Elsie." Anna was shaking in anger.

    "I don''t know, but we''re going to get to the bottom of it." Kamryn went to his dresser and put on pajamas. He gave Anna a t-shirt and shorts that were way too big for her, and then he called his parents, asking them toe to his room. They were there within minutes.

    "What''s wrong?" Lynn asked when they arrived.

    "We took a bath, and when we got out, someone had broken the headpiece you gave Angel and ced it with her hairpins in our bed. They then tore up all of her clothes." Kamryn showed them the bed and closet. Randal was furious. Who would daree into the crowned prince''s room and tantly threaten the future queen?

    "I''m sorry, Angel. We''ll have Jeana get you more clothes before morning. We won''t rest until we find out who did this." Anna nodded as Randal took out his phone to make a call.

    "I''m more upset that someone was able to get in here and do this while we were in the other room. Do you think we''re safe here?" She asked, looking between the king and queen.

    "We''ll make sure that you''re never left alone. One of us, Micah or Melita, will be with you at all times. We won''t trust anyone other than family for the time being. Keep your eyes and ears open for anything suspicious." Lynn hugged Anna. "Despite you''re rough wee, we''re so happy you''re here."

    "Thank you. I''m d to be here too." She smiled at the queen. There was a knock on the door, and Jeana stuck her head in.

    "I understand there''s a problem with your clothes." She said as she walked onto the room. Anna led her over to the closet, and Jeana gasped.

    "Who on earth would do something so spiteful? I''m sorry, dear. I will get you more clothes right away." Anna smiled at the older woman.

    "Thank you. I''m sorry someone ruined all those beautiful clothes. Please don''t trouble yourself with too much. I don''t need many things." Everyone in the room smiled at Anna''s words. She had a gentle way about her when most women would have been throwing a fit, but she was apologizing. Her peaceful nature convinced Lynn and Randal even more that she was perfect as Kamryn''s mate and future queen.

    "We''ll have someonee in and clean this up so you can get to bed. Kamryn, now that you''re back, I''ll expect you at the council meeting in the morning. We''ll make sure someone is with Angel in your absence." Kamryn frowned. He didn''t like leaving her, but he trusted his family.

    "As long as it''s family, then I''ll go, but no one else." Lynn and Randal left with Jeana. Two young women came in a few minutester to clean up the torn clothes in the closet. Anna thanked them, and they gave her shy smiles as they left. She sighed after they were gone.

    "Are you ready for bed?" Kamryn asked as he put his arms around her.

    "Yes, but you promised to show me how much you love me. I think we need a distraction from what happened, don''t you?" She leaned up and kissed his cheek. Kamryn smiled down at her. He''d thought she might no longer be in the mood. "Are you sure you feel like it?" He pulled her against him and kissed her forehead.

    "More than ever. I need to so I can forget about everything else." Kamryn lifted her in his arms andy her on the freshly made bed. He then worked on making sure she forgot everything except his love for her.

    The next morning after breakfast, Kamryn was getting ready to leave for the council meeting when Jeana brought more clothes for Anna. She chose a pair of ck cks and a green blouse to wear. When she was done getting dressed, Kamryn kissed her and opened the door to leave. Melita was on the other side with her hand up, getting ready to knock.

    "I wasing to keep Angelpany while you''re in the meeting." She said with a smile.

    "Thanks. I don''t want her alone, not even for a minute until I get back." Melita nodded and walked into the room. After he was gone, she turned to Anna.

    "I understand you had an unpleasant evening." She said as she sat down on the bed, making herselffortable. Anna would prefer she sit on the couch or a chair rather than their bed, but she didn''t say anything.

    "Yeah, someone ruined all the clothes that Jeana had given to me. They also broke the hairpiece Lynn gave me. I wish we knew who it was. I don''t want anyone to be upset with me." Anna sighed as she looked at Melita.

    "You''re not angry at what the person did? I would have been furious, but you still want them to like you." She didn''t understand her brother''s mate. There was a knock on the door before Anna could answer. Melita got up to see who it was, and a woman walked in, setting down a teapot and two cups.

    "I hope you don''t mind. I ordered us some tea." Anna smiled gratefully.

    "That would be wonderful. Thank you." As she got ready to get up to get a cup, Melita stopped her.

    "I''ll bring it to you. Do you like anything in yours?" She asked over her shoulder.

    "Just a little sugar, please." Melita put in two cubes and sat the cup on the table next to Anna''s chair. She then made herself a cup and sat in the chair on the other side of the table. Anna took a small sip. "It''s perfect. Thank you." Melita smirked at her.

    "So tell me again, why do you want this person to like you? You''re not a weretiger, so you''re not one of us." Anna looked up as she detected resentment in Melita''s voice.

    "I''m Kamryn''s mate. I don''t want anyone not to like me just because I''m not a weretiger. I hope to work out whatever conflict they have with me." Anna took another sip of her tea.

    "I don''t think you get it. See, I''m not letting anyone into our family that doesn''t belong." Anna felt her head begin to hurt, and she felt dizzy.

    "What did you put in the tea?" She asked Melita as she tried to stand up.

    "Just a little poison. Now you and I are going to go for a walk. It should be kicking in soon, so you won''t be able to talk." Anna tried to push Melita away as she came over and pulled her up. Her arms felt like rubber, and the dizziness got worse. She tried to move away from her, but Melita was bigger than her and was able to stop her with no problem.

    She led Anna out the door. When they passed some of the pce staff, Anna tried to talk, but nothing came out. She could hear Melita saying something to the people they passed, but she couldn''t make out what they said. It felt like they were walking forever when she suddenly realized where Melita was taking her. They were in the dungeons.

    Melita took Anna to the furthest cell in the back of the dungeons. She had heard that they thought she might be a witch, so to be safe, she put one of the cors on her to keep her from doing any spells. She threw her on the cot and shut the cell door. She woulde back in a couple of hours. First, she had to go back and report her as missing.

    When Melita returned to Kamryn''s room, she tried to get her face to look worried. She had told Santi she would take care of ensuring Kamryn didn''t mate with anyone else. She suddenly ran out of the room yelling.

    "Angel?" She ran down the hallway, yelling frantically. Just as she got to the stairs, Kamryn wasing up. "Melita, what''s wrong?" He asked, seeing she was alone.novelbin

    "Angel is missing." She said and burst into tears. Kamryn stared at her in shock before running to their room.

    "Angel? Melita, I thought I told you not to leave her alone?" He yelled at his sister. She looked down.

    "We went outside for a walk, and she said she was going to run up here to use the restroom. When she didn''te back after a while, I came to check on her. I can''t find her anywhere." Kamryn was furious.

    "You should have never let here in here alone." He ran around the pce, asking if anyone had seen her. Everyone said thest time they saw her was when she was walking with Melita. Lynn and Randal ordered the guards to search the grounds. Melita nodded to the guard who volunteered to search the dungeons. She had been sleeping with him and told him when Angel went missing to volunteer for the dungeons. She also told him to pretend there was nothing there. Everyone searched for hours, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Kamryn shifted into Legend to try and pick up her scent, but he said there was nothing once he stepped out of their room. Whoever had taken her had covered her scent. When he shifted back, Kamryn fell to his knees, crying. He had promised to keep her safe. Where was his angel?

 Chapter 17 - The Torture Begins

    Anna''s head hurt as she slowly opened her eyes. She thought she was back in the cabin for a second, but then, as everything came flooding back, she recognized she was in the dungeons. Melita had brought her here after she drank the poisoned tea. As she sat up on the cot, she felt a metal cor around her neck. When she touched it, she realized it was a witch cor to prevent her from doing spells. Spells? She''s a witch. Suddenly she realized she had her memory back. Her name is Annabe, but she goes by Anna. Her mom was Caprice, and her dad was Stanely. She was a witch from Spirit Energy, and Elsie was her cousin. Anna remembered seeing her cousin that day in the forest when she was practicing her spells. Elsie had ced a spell on her before she passed out.

    Anna remembered something else. She was the one who was going to be sent to be mated to Kamryn. How coincidental they happened to be fated mates.

    She ran to the cell door and began yelling, but nothing came out. Anna thought about the tea and knew that whatever Melita had poisoned her with was the antidote for the spell Elsie had put on her. It had to have been a ck magic spell. She was sure that being given the antidote was an ident.

    Why did Elsie ce a spell on her? Was it only so they would send her in Anna''s ce to be queen? Furthermore, why would Melita poison her and put her in the dungeons? She knew Kamryn must be looking for her. She just hoped he found her before she died there alone.

    Anna felt tears in her eyes as she thought about her parents. They must be going crazy wondering where she was. She couldn''t wait to tell them about Kamryn. However, first, she had to get out of the dungeons. If she could use her spells, she would already be out. She heard a door open as she tried to think of an escape. Anna looked toward the sound hoping it was Kamryn, but when she saw Melita, she red at her.

    "d to see you''re awake. Everyone has been looking for you, but I''ve convinced them that you were a spy nted here in the pce to steal our secrets. Even Kamryn believed what I said because he doesn''t understand why else you would take off." Melita was lying. She suggested that was the case, but so far, no one believed her.

    Anna shook her head, wishing she was able to talk. She knew Kamryn wouldn''t think she was a spy. They loved each other too much. Melita looked at her with an evil grin.

    "You see, Angel. I''m not rted to Kamryn by blood. I was adopted into the family when I was a baby. I n to be his mate and queen. I was going to get rid of Elsie first, but she did that on her own.

    On the other hand, you already have everyone wrapped around your tiny finger. I can''t stand by and let you take Kamryn from me. Once he forgets about you, I''ll be able to convince him that we''re mates. You will die a long lonely death down here. I have ns for you before that happens."

    Melita pulled a long stick from behind her back. Anna realized it was a cow prod and tried to back into the corner. Melitaughed as she came toward her.

    "I''m going to torture you so badly that you will beg me to kill you." She said as she slowly opened the cell door.

    Anna had nowhere to go as she crouched in the corner. If Melita got close enough, she would push her down and run out. However, it seemed she read her mind because she only got close enough to use the cow prod on her. When she felt the shock on her shoulder, Anna wanted to scream in pain, but she still couldn''t speak. She felt the pain throughout her whole body.

    Melitaughed at the look on Anna''s face. She used the prod on her arm, leg and side. When Anna was lying on the ground crying, she held the prod up and swung it down on her. She hit her over and over with it until her arms ached. Anna had passed out, and Melita kicked her in the back. She wanted to do more, but it was no fun to torture someone, if they weren''t awake.

    Melita left the cell, making sure the door was locked. She left the cow prod on the ground in the dungeons. She didn''t want Kamryn or Legend to pick up their mate''s scent on it when she returned to the pce. She washed her hands clean of Anna''s blood in the bathroom the guards used in the dungeons when they had prisoners.

    After changing her clothes, she found Kamryn sitting on the steps, crying. Melita sat down next to him, putting her arm around him. To her dismay, he pushed her away from him.

    "Don''t touch me. Angel would not be missing if it wasn''t for you leaving her alone. Now I feel like someone is hurting her because I suddenly felt incredible pain. I swear, Melita if one hair on her head is hurt, I''m ming you. We trusted you, and you failed." She looked at him in anger.

    "Maybe you should have a mate that can take care of herself rather than a weak nobody that can''t even remember her name." As Kamryn turned to look at her with fire in his eyes and Legend growling, she knew she had crossed the line. "Don''t you dare talk about her being weak. Look at you. You do nothing around here other than gossip and get into other people''s business. You are the weak one, and I hope you find your mate soon so you can leave." Melita stared at him with rage in her eyes.

    "Why can''t I be your mate? You need another weretiger by your side as queen. We''re not rted, so I can be your chosen mate. Don''t you feel anything for me at all?" Melita tried to rub her hand over his arm, but he shoved her away and looked at her in disgust.

    "I am your brother. Get away from me. Did you do something to Angel?" He asked as he was about to leave. Melita looked at him in fear.

    "Of course not. Why would I hurt her?" She asked, feigning innocence.

    "That''s what I would like to know. Why would you say these ridiculous things if you didn''t have something to do with her disappearance?" Kamryn moved closer to her, and Melita felt a moment of fear.

    "I had nothing to do with her disappearing." She walked toward her room, feeling the fury racing through her. How could he say she''s weaker than Angel? That bitch was nothing. She would wait about an hour and then return to give her some more pain.

    Kamryn watched his sister walk away. Something felt off about her. Not only from what she said but also from her demeanor. He decided to talk to the staff that had seen her with Angel earlier. Kamryn found one of the maids that worked on his hall.

    "Maxie, did you see Angel with Melita earlier today?" He asked, and she nodded.

    "Yes, your highness. I saw them leaving your room." Maxie bit her lip. She wanted to tell him more, but Melita scared her.

    "How did Angel appear? Did it seem like she was being forced out?" Kamryn saw Maxie look away, and he knew she saw something. "Please tell me what you saw. I promise you won''t get in trouble. I need to find her."

    "Angel seemed like she was weak and almost asleep. When I asked Melita if I could help, she said Angel wasn''t feeling well and needed air." Maxie looked down. She felt guilty knowing something wasn''t right with the young woman.

    "Did you see what direction they went?" Maxie shook her head.

    "They went down the stairs, but I don''t know where after that. Melita had ordered tea to be brought to your room for her and Angel. It was soon after I delivered the tea they left." Kamryn''s eyes widened. Did Melita drug her? "Where''re the teacups?" He asked anxiously.

    "I believe they''re still in your room." Kamryn ran to his room and saw two teacups sitting on the table between the two sitting chairs. One waspletely full, and the other was only half full. He sniffed it but couldn''t smell anything. Legend sniffed as well.

    *"Kamryn, it''s not a drug. It''s poison. She poisoned our mate. There''s something in it that also covers her scent. That''s why I can''t find her."* Legend growled. He wanted to sink his teeth into Melita for hurting their Angel.novelbin

    Kamryn took off running and went straight to Melita''s room. He kicked in the door, but she was already gone. He then ran to his parent''s office. When he opened the door, he saw both his parents and Micah talking to some of the guards. They were discussing searching the grounds for Angel again.

    "Did you find her?" Lynn asked anxiously.

    "No. We need to find Melita. She poisoned Angel and took her away. Legend could smell the poison and something to cover her scent in the tea Melita gave her. I went to Melita''s room, but she was gone. We have to find her before she hurts Angel." Kamryn suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and he clutched his stomach and fell to the ground.

    "Find her. She''s hurting her right now. I can feel it." Kamryn felt tears running down his face as he felt pain on different parts of his body. What hurt him most was that Angel was enduring this. His precious mate had been through enough. When he finds Melita, he will kill her.

 Chapter 18 - The Escape

    When Anna heard Melita leave the dungeons, she opened her eyes. She may have a cor on that prevents her from casting spells, but it didn''t hinder some of her other abilities, like healing. As a witch from Spirit Energy, they were the quickest healers. What concerned Anna was that she had yet to get her voice back. Whatever poison Melita had given her was potent if some of the effects hadn''t worn off.

    Anna looked around the small cell for something to get the cor off. She felt around the cor and found the sp. It felt like it had a padlock on it. She messed with it, but it wouldn''t budge. She looked around the cell floor and found a small piece of metal hanging off the cot. Anna broke it off and used it to fiddle with the lock. When she thought she almost had it, she heard the door open again. Anna quickly sat on the floor, pretending she had just woken up. She held her head as though she was in pain.

    Melita walked to the cell full of rage. After she left Kamryn, she went to her room, but she was too angry to stay there long, so she decided to take it out on his mate. She was surprised to see her sitting up, although she looked worse for wear. "I didn''t expect you to be awake so soon, but I''m d you are. I just got done speaking with Kamryn, and as everyone thinks you have run off, they decided I would be the best mate for him in your absence. When I go back, they will announce me as the next queen. So you see, Kamryn never cared about you. He''s able to move on already, and you''ve only been gone for a few hours."

    Anna tried to speak, but nothing happened. She shook her head. She didn''t believe what Melita said. There was no way Kamryn was already moving on. They loved each other. They were mates.

    "Don''t believe it if you don''t want to, but I''m telling you he and I will be mated and marked within the next twenty-four hours. I dered my love for him, and he said he felt the same way. After we kissed, he said he would make the arrangements for us to be mates." Anna felt like someone had stuck a knife in her chest. She didn''t believe what Melita said, but that didn''t stop the pain.

    Melita saw the way she was hurting her with her words, and it made her feel good. Now she was going to cause her physical pain. She pulled out the cattle prod and used it on Anna''s abdomen, holding it there until she fell to her knees. She then used it on her body over and over.

    Anna was in a lot of pain, but not as much as she acted. She purposely fell, so she was close to the cell door and pretended she had passed out.

    Melita sighed. Kamryn was wrong. His mate wasn''t strong; she was weak. She passed out with the slightest pain. She decided to leave ande backter. She had to at least put up a front that she cared about Angel. She threw the cattle prod outside the cell and shut the door. She didn''t notice that Anna had stuck her hand out to keep the door from closingpletely.

    After Anna was sure she was gone, she sat up and pulled out her little piece of metal. She went back to work on the lock of the cor. After what seemed like forever, she had finally worked it free. She quickly took the cor off and felt her powering back to her.

    Anna opened the cell door and began to walk out. She walked slowly until she got to the dungeon door. She opened it as quietly as she could in case someone was outside. She realized it was already getting dark when she peeked out the door. She wondered how long she''d been in the dungeons.

    She used her witch speed to get to the pce in record time. Anna took a deep breath before going inside.

    Lynn, Randal, and Micah looked at Kamryn in shock. They had cared for Melita since she was a baby, and this is how she treated them. Randal looked toward the guards.

    "Find Melita now." He said, and they all ran out of the room. Kamryn felt the pain lessening, so he stood up.

    "She said she wanted me to mate with her since we weren''t blood-rted. She thinks we''ll let her be the queen with Angel gone. What is wrong with these women, and why do they think they can take her ce. Not only is she my mate, but I love her. We haven''t marked each other yet, but I can feel her pain like it''s my own." Kamryn sat down in one of the chairs. His parents looked at each other.

    "That means you have a strong bond with her already. That''s incredible that you already feel what she''s feeling. Too bad you can''t mindlink her." Lynn said, wondering if they should tell him they suspect she is actually the witch from Spirit Energy that was to be his mate. She decided against it for the time being.

    "I know. That''s how I know she''s still alive. I would feel it if she were dead." They heard amotion, and Kamryn ran out of the office. One of the guards had Melita, and she was fighting him.

    "Let go of me, you bastard. I am the princess. You can''t treat me this way." Kamryn walked over to them with a fake smile.

    "She''s right; let her go. Didn''t you know this is my mate? We''re going to the royal office now to make it official." Melita looked at Kamryn with wide eyes. She knew he''de around. When the guard released her, she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He put his arm around her waist and led her to his parent''s office. All he could think about the whole time was ripping her head off her shoulders. He knew this would be the only way to get her toe clean.

    When they arrived at the royal office, Kamryn shut the door and shoved Melita away from him. She looked up at him, hurt.

    "What did you do that for? You said I was your mate." He looked at her in revulsion.

    "You''re not my mate. You''re nothing but a rat." Melita sunk away from him and looked toward the desk at her adoptive parents and Micah. "You can''t listen to him. I don''t know what he''s talking about." She pleaded but could already tell they didn''t believe her.

    "Stop the lying. What did you do with Angel?" Randal yelled at her.

    "What do you mean? Why would you think I did anything to that parasite?" Melita bit her tongue when she saw four sets of res at her.

    "We know you poisoned her tea and took her out of the pce. Now, what did you do to her?" Lynn asked, walking over to the woman she had considered a daughter since she was a baby. Melita trembled in fear. How did they know about the tea?

    "I was only trying to show her that she wasn''t one of us. She has no right to be here or be queen." She crossed her arms defiantly, and Lynn pped her face hard. Melita put her hand on her cheek as tears welled up "We have treated you like one of our children since you were a baby, and this is how you treat our family? Where is Angel?" Lynne was furious and hurt that she had so little respect for them. Melita knew she had to tell them. They already knew everything anyway. There was no way out of this. She looked down before speaking.

    in her eyes.

    "She''s in the dungeons." Kamryn took off as soon as he heard what she said. Micah was on his heels. Randal had the guards take Melita down to the holding cells where Elsie was. He and Lynn then chased after their sons.

    When Kamryn got to the dungeons, he opened the door and checked each cell. When he got to the one in the back, he knew that was where she had been. He could smell her scent from the blood he saw on the cell floor. He also saw the witch cor with the broken lock, but where was Angel?

    "She''s gone." He said as he ran back out, shifting into Legend to look for her.

    Anna had walked silently into the pce, not wanting to run into Melita before she found Kamryn. As she made her way through the pce, she heard Melita yelling, so she peeked around the corner and saw a guard pulling her with him down the hall. She was getting ready to continue on, but then she heard Kamryn.novelbin

    "She''s right; let her go. Didn''t you know this is my mate? We''re going to the royal office now to make it official." Anna fell to her knees, wanting to scream, but she still didn''t have a voice. She watched in horror as Melita threw her arms around Kamryn, and they walked toward the royal office. She knew she couldn''t stay there. She was terribly hurt but decided to leave him a note before she left.

    Anna used witch speed to get to what used to be their room without anyone seeing her. She opened the desk and got a piece of paper and a pen. She quickly wrote a note and jumped off the balcony into the trees. She had always been the best at flying in her coven, and she took off once she was on the highest tree. She was headed straight home to Spirit Energy.

    Legend followed Anna''s scent from the blood. It led him to the pce and their room. He shifted into Kamryn once there. Kamryn looked everywhere but didn''t see her. He saw the balcony doors were open, and as he headed toward them, he saw a note on his pillow. When he read it, he felt like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest. It was from his Angel.

    *Kamryn,*

    *Melita said that you had taken her as a chosen mate. After I escaped from the dungeons where she tortured me, I saw you walking into the royal office to make it official. I thought you loved me, but I guess I was wrong. I have my memory back now because whatever poison she gave me was the antidote to the spell my cousin had put on me. I''m going home. I wish you well.*

    *Love,*

    *Anna*

 Chapter 19 - Spirit Energy

    Anna felt free as she flew through the air. However, she also felt incredibly heartbroken. How could Kamryn ept Melita as his mate when she had only been missing for less than a day? Did that mean he never loved her at all? She didn''t believe that. The connection she had felt with him had been real. Maybe she judged the situation too quickly. Anna decided to connect with her family and see what her parents thought.

    She slowed slightly as she got closer to her home. She tried speaking as she flew and realized her voice hade back. She talked to herself until it was back to normal.

    The surroundings gave her a sense of calm. When she saw the houses begin to appear below her, she flew straight to her parent''s home. Shended right outside their front porch.

    Anna looked up at therge two-story cabin with tears in her eyes. Fresh snow was on the ground, and the area looked majestic in the moonlight. She slowly climbed the steps to the front door and opened it. "Mom, dad?" She said after she walked in. She heard running from upstairs and saw her parents stop at thending looking at her in disbelief.

    "Anna? You''re really here?" Caprice ran down the steps and hugged her daughter. Stanley followed her with tears streaming down his face.

    "What happened to you?" Her dad asked, seeing some of the leftover injuries on her body from Melita.

    "Elsie put a spell on me, making me lose my memory. She left me in a cabin deep in the forest. I was too scared to leave. I couldn''t remember my name or that I was a witch." She hugged them tightly.

    "I knew she had something to do with you disappearing. How did you get away and get your memory back?" Anna started crying even more.

    "Kamryn, the crowned weretiger prince, was poisoned and left near the cabin. He''s my fated mate. Once he regained his strength, he took me to the pce, where we saw Elsie acting like an entitled bitch. The king had her thrown into a holding cell and was going to send her back home. They epted me as the future queen even though I had no memory. However, Kamryn''s adopted sister poisoned me and locked me in the dungeons to torture me. The poison she gave me had the antidote to the spell. When I escaped, I saw Kamryn epting Melita as his mate. Now though, I''m not sure because our love and bond were too real. I don''t think he would reject me like that."

    Caprice and Stanley looked at each other in surprise. Their daughter had been through a lot. Finding out that their daughter was the crown prince''s fated mate was unbelievable.

    "You didn''t try to ask him before you left?" Caprice asked her daughter as she stroked her hair.

    "Whatever Melita gave me made me lose my voice. I only was able to start talking again on my way home. I left him a note but didn''t tell him where I was going. My heart hurts. All I want to do is run back to him, but I''m so confused." Her mother hugged her again.

    "We''re d you''re okay. We looked everywhere for you. I''m sure that''s why the king called me yesterday. He left me a message saying he wanted to talk about Elsie. I didn''t answer because I feared she had already offended him." Stanley put his arm around Anna''s shoulders.

    "The king and queen are really lovely. We had a rocky meeting, but once they epted me, they were going to do whatever they could to help get my memory back. You should call him back. Something needs to be done with Elsie. She also found her fated mate. He''s Kamryn''s younger brother. I feel sorry for him because she didn''t even acknowledge him. What do you think I should do about Kamryn?" She asked her parents. Anna''s heart was telling her to talk to him, but she was scared he would reject her.

    "Let me call Randal back and see how that conversation goes." Anna nodded and moved close to him so she could hear.

    "Hello." Anna could hear Randal on the other line, and he sounded upset.

    "King Randal, it''s Stanley. I''m calling you back regarding Elsie."

    "I''m afraid we will have to send her back to you. My son has found his fated mate, and she will be the next queen. We are having trouble finding her, though. She apparently misunderstood an interaction between my son and adopted daughter and left before we could talk to her. Elsie told us that she came in your daughter''s ce. Is there any chance the girl with no memory is your daughter?" Randal asked, and he heard Stanley hesitate on the other line. "Yes, she is. That''s our daughter Anna. She just came home and told us everything." Randal sighed in releif.

    "I''m d she''s okay. We were worried about her and had been searching the entire kingdom. Kamryn shifted into his tiger and began searching the surrounding areas. His bond was so strong with Anna that he could feel each time Melita hurt her. He has been crying since she left." Anna felt her heart pinch in pain. She knew he wouldn''t betray her. She took the phone from her dad.

    "King, it''s me, Anna. I''m sorry I left. I was devastated when I heard Kamryn tell the guard that he was mating with Melita. Please tell him where I am." Randal felt tears well up in his eyes hearing her voice. He had been worried that something had happened to her when she left the pce.novelbin

    "I will, Anna. I''m sorry for what Meita did to you. She is now locked up. Kamryn only said what he did to trick her intoing into the royal office. We knew she had you, but we didn''t know where. I will try to mindlink him so he cane to you. What does your family want us to do with Elsie?" Randal asked, wanting to get her out of the pce as soon as possible. Anna didn''t even look at her parents.

    "Keep her until I get there. She''s responsible for me losing my memory and being in the cabin. I''ll take care of her punishment." Anna was not a vengeful person, but in this case, she could have died. She wouldn''t kill Elsie but would ensure she couldn''t hurt anyone else.

    "Alright. I''ll mindlink Kamryn and send him your way." Randal smiled at Lynn.

    "Thanks, king," Anna said sweetly.

    Legend was running aimlessly through the forest, looking for their mate. He couldn''t pick up her scent anywhere like he''d done earlier. However, if she had her memory back and was a witch, she could fly. They were at a disadvantage having to stay on the ground. He felt like they were running in circles, but he couldn''t stop. He had to find her.

    As he was running, he felt someone trying to mindlink him. At first, he pushed them away, but as they got more persistent, he let them through.

    *"We know where Anna is."* Legend and Kamryn heard Randal''s words, and the tiger stopped in his tracks.

    *"Where is she? Is she okay?"* Kamryn asked with his voice full of pain.

    *"She''s fine. She''s at Spirit Energy. Kamryn, she was the one who was supposed to be sent to you from them. Elsie ced a spell on her and took her ce. She wants you to go to the coven. Son, she misunderstood what she saw between you and Melita."* Kamryn cried out in relief. His angel was okay, and he was going to get her back.

    *"We''re heading to Spirit Energy now."* He said as Legend began running toward the snow-capped mountains in the distance. They had never been there, but they knew its general location.

    Legend ran for hours. The sun was starting to rise over the mountain range when they were finally getting close. He started sniffing around, trying to find where the coven was, when he heard a noise above him. He looked up and saw Anna flying down toward him. She was dressed in all white, and with her dark hair billowing around her, she truly looked like an angel. When shended next to him, she smiled and scratched his head.

    "I figured you may be lost out here, so I came to look for you. Can I ride on your back?" Anna felt the piece of her that had been missing was with her again. She looked into Legend''s eyes and could tell Kamryn was looking back at her. "I love you, Kamryn." She whispered, and Legend licked her face making her fall into the snowughing. When she got up, heid down so she could climb on his back. Anna told him which direction to go. It was rough territory but not a problem for the tiger. After about forty-five minutes, they finally came upon a clearing of many log cabins. Where it was located would be difficult for any outsiders to find.

    As they approached the cabins, Legend saw peoplee onto their porches to look at them. Anna waved at them and had Legend go to the end, where thergest house was sitting. He saw two people standing on the porch, smiling. "He''s a magnificent-looking tiger," Stanley said impressively as he and Caprice walked down the steps to greet them. Anna jumped off his back and scratched his head.

    "He''s beautiful, isn''t he?" She said lovingly. Legend began purring under their praise, and Kamryn rolled his eyes. He wanted to shift so he could talk and touch Anna, but he had no clothes. It was as though she was reading his mind as she held up a pair of pants and a shirt.

    "I thought you might need these. Follow me, and you can shift." Anna walked to a small group of trees and turned toward the tiger. She didn''t want anyone else gawking at her man when he was naked. Kamryn was suddenly standing in front of her and took her into his arms, not caring he had nothing on. She wrapped her arms around him and ran her hands up and down his warm back.

    "I''m sorry Melita did this to you. I promise no one will ever get to you again." Kamryn leaned down and kissed her warm, soft mouth.

    "I''m sorry I ran away. I was so hurt seeing your arms around her and hearing you say she was your mate that I took off. By the time I got home, I realized there had to be something more going on because our bond was too deep." She ran her hand on his cheek and then looked down, giggling.

    "You may want to put some clothes on before you meet my parents." Anna rubbed her hands over his bumpy abs and knew she needed to quit before she got carried away. Kamryn pulled on the athletic pants and t-shirt she handed him. "So your name is Anna, and you''re the witch I was supposed to mate with?" He pulled her back into his arms and ran his fingers through her hair. She looked up at him with a smile.

    "Annabe, actually, but I go by Anna. Yes, I''m the witch who was supposed to mate with you. Elsie ced a spell on me so she could take my ce." Anna hugged him tightly, vowing never to let him go again. "Anna?" Caprice''s voice broke their happy reunion. Anna pulled him out of the trees and toward the house, where her mom and dad were standing on the back porch.

    "We''reing. Mom, dad, this is my mate, the crowned prince of the weretigers, Kamryn." He held his hand out to the two on the porch.

    "I''m pleased to finally meet you." Kamryn put his arm around Anna''s shoulders and smiled down at her. Caprice and Stanley were shocked by the energy they could feeling from the couple. It was powerful.

    "Why don''t you twoe inside? We need to have a talk." Stanley said as they all headed for the door. Kamryn was barefoot, so he wiped the snow off his feet on the mat inside the door as he looked around. Their cabin was huge and had a warm, homey feel to it. There was sizeable brown leather furniture and an enormous firece. Kamryn immediately felt at ease as they sat down on the couch. Anna was against him holding his hand.

    "I love your house," Kamryn said, still taking it all in. Anna beamed at him. He came from a pce, but she could tell he genuinely liked her home. They looked toward her parents when Stanely started talking.

    "While Anna went to get you, we had a conversation with your parents. Now that Anna has been found and has her memory, they are focusing on who poisoned you, Kamryn. After what transpired yesterday, they went through Melita''s personalptop and phone. They found some disturbing information. It seems she may have had something to do with what happened to you, but it appears she isn''t working alone. Whoever is behind this wants you both dead."

 Chapter 20 - Preparations

    "What do you mean someone wants us dead?" Anna asked as she griped Kamryn''s arm.

    "They''re not sure who, but from what they got from Melita''s phone andputer, someone was pulling her strings and telling her what to do. It appears she wasn''t nning on killing Kamryn; she decided to try and mate him instead." Stanley stated as Anna and Kamryn looked at each other in shock. Who would want them dead?

    "There''s nothing that shows who this person is or why they''reing after us?" Kamryn asked him.

    "Nothing they had found so far, but they''re interrogating Melita. She won''t admit to anything. Kamryn, your parents think you should stay here with us for the time being until they figure this out. We''re having them ship Elsie here too. Anna, you can punish her as you see fit. I told them to leave the cor on her. We recently found out that she''s been practicing ck magic." Anna and Kamryn were trying to take all these new developments in. They hadn''t even known each other for a whole week, and so many things were happening.

    "I''ll stay here for as long as they think is necessary." Kamryn didn''t mind getting to know Anna''s family. He actually preferred it so they could spend some time together.

    "We have something else we want to talk to you about. As you know, we are of the Spirit Energy coven. Kamryn, what this means is that we can pick up on energies from others in addition to our other powers. We have noticed that even though you two aren''t mated, there is an incredible amount of powerful energy when you''re together." Anna smiled at her parents.

    "I''ve felt it too. Before I had my memory back, I didn''t understand what was causing it." She looked up at Kamryn, who was grinning down at her.

    "We think you should go ahead and mark each other. It will not only strengthen that bond, but your power will increase to help fight whatever ising after you." Caprice looked at the younger couple and smiled when she saw them both blushing from what she''d said. Anna looked up at Kamryn.

    "What do you think? Are you ready to mark me?" She asked softly, hoping he would say yes. After theypleted the process, they would be tied to each other for eternity. They could be together for hundreds of years as a weretiger and witch.

    "Are you kidding? I''ve wanted to mark you since I first saw you at the cabin when you were my angel." He kissed her forehead and then looked toward her parents. "We''ll mark each other today."

    "Great. Anna, you can show Kamryn around if you''d like. I''ll start cooking breakfast. I''m sure he''s hungry after that long run, and you both need to get your strength up toplete the mating process." Anna turned bright red at what her mom said. She didn''t say anything but stood up and took Kamryn''s hand.

    "Come with me. I''ll show you our room." She pulled him with her while her parents chuckled behind them.

    Kamryn looked around as she took him up therge staircase. There were pictures of Anna on the wall from when she was a baby all the way up until recently. He liked seeing the images of her progressing through the years. When they got to the second floor, she led him down the hall to a room at the end. It hadrge double doors, and when he went inside, he could tell it was her room. It had a soothing feel to it. She had a king sized bed with dark green bedding. A small dark brown suede loveseat and chair faced a nice sized firece. There wererge french doors that led to a balcony with a fantastic view of the mountains around them.

    "This is incredible." He said, looking toward Anna. She shut the door and ran over to him.

    "I hope you don''t mind, but we''re not taking a tour of anything else right now. I need you, Kamryn. Make love to me before we need to go back down for breakfast." She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him while running her hands under his shirt. Kamryn lifted her up and wrapped her legs around him as he carried her to the bed. He quickly removed his clothes and hers.

    They had no time to waste. Anna pulled him on top of her and wrapped her legs around him as he slid inside. It had only been a day since they''d been together, but it felt like a lifetime. Kamryn wanted to go slow, but Anna wouldn''t allow it. She pulled him with her legs urging him to go faster. It only took a few minutes for their release toe. They were both out of breath as theyy on the bed kissing.

    "Let''s shower, and then we''ll go back down," Anna said against his mouth. She was so happy to have him back with her. When she stood up, it was the first time Kamryn got a look at her body, and he felt rage coursing through him. She had multiple wounds all over her.

    "What did she use on you?" He asked through clenched teeth. Anna looked down and noticed the wounds. She didn''t even feel them anymore as they were almost healed.

    "A cattle prod. I don''t hurt anymore." She walked over and kissed him as she saw the anger shing in his eyes.

    "I will get revenge for her doing this to you." He said as he held her against him.

    "Let''s forget about her for right now. Come and take a shower with me. Breakfast will be done soon." Anna pulled him to her bathroom and turned the water on. They took a quick shower with no funny business. She could tell he was staring at the wounds on her body; there were dozens of them. When they got out, she removed some clothes from her dresser and handed them to him.

    "You have clothes for me?" He asked in surprise.

    "When I knew you wereing, I asked someone to go to the nearest town to get you some. Being able to fly has its advantages. We can get ces faster than most." Anna shrugged as she pulled on a pair of ckce panties, jeans, and a t- shirt. Kamryn slipped on the boxers, jeans, and t-shirt she had given him before pulling her into his arms.

    "I love you, my little angel. Are you okay with us marking each other so soon?" He asked as he brushed the hair away from her beautiful face.

    "Yes, I''m ready. We''ll have to be careful, though. After I''m marked, I can get pregnant." Kamryn thought about what she had said.

    "Are you opposed to getting pregnant?" Anna looked up at him in surprise. She honestly never thought about it.

    "You don''t think it''s too soon?" She asked him. She wouldn''t mind having a little Kamryn running around, but they had only been together for a few days, and someone wanted to kill them.

    "I think we should let nature take its course. If you get pregnant, it was meant to be." He could already picture their little princess, that looked like Anna running all over the pce. She smiled up at him.

    "Alright, if you say so, my handsome tiger." Anna kissed him onest time before they walked down to the kitchen, where delicious aromas greeted them. Both of their stomachs started growling.

    "Mom, I think you outdid yourself," Anna said as she looked at everything her mom had made. There was bacon, sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and pancakes.

    "I knew you would both be hungry. Kamryn had a long run, and you haven''t eaten since you got here due to worrying about him. So dig in, and I''ll get you some orange juice." They sat down and loaded up their tes. Stanley walked in and made a te as well. After getting the orange juice for everyone, Caprice sat down to eat with them.

    "This is delicious," Kamryn said between mouthfuls of food. He was hungrier than he thought. All of his energy had been focused on finding his angel.

    "Thank you. We spoke to your parents again while you two were busy." Caprice tried not tough when she saw both of their faces turn red. "Randal said Melita admitted she was helping someone, but she didn''t say who. She''s still convinced she will be Kamryn''s mate and queen."

    Kamryn couldn''t understand why someone would want him and Anna dead. He also didn''t know who Melita would be helping. He rarely saw her leave the pce. He looked down at Anna and saw the sadness on her face. He took her hand under the table, reminding her he was hers now and forever.

    "After breakfast, we''re going to mark each other. We''ll have a ceremony when we get back to the pce." Kamryn said to Stanley and Caprice.novelbin

    "Anna, do you want to do the marking in the ceremonial clearing?" Caprice asked her daughter.

    "Yes, but I want us to be alone. I don''t want an audience." Typically when a witch marks their mate, it''s observed by all. However, Anna and Kamryn''s marking was different because he was a weretiger, and she knew it would be an orgasmic experience. They may not be mating during the marking, but the connection would feel like it, and that wasn''t something she was willing to share.

    "Alright, honey. We''ll ensure everything is set up and keep everyone away. Your clothes are in your closet." Kamryn watched in fascination as Caprice and Stanely stood up and were gone before his eyes. As fast as shifters were when they ran, witches and warlocks seemed to disappear into thin air.

    Anna and Kamryn cleaned up the breakfast dishes after they finished eating. They then went to the bedroom to get ready.

    Anna handed Kamryn a white pair of cks with a royal blue button-up shirt. She put on a long dress that seemed to be made of thinyers of blue and white silk. It had long sleeves and was off the shoulder, leaving her neck bare. "Where did these clothese from?" Kamryn asked in confusion.

    "My dress was already made in preparation for our mating. One of our seamstresses made your clothes while we were in the bedroom. Flying isn''t the only thing we do fast." Anna winked at him as he stared at her in astonishment. He had thought Jeana was fast.

    "I''m impressed." Kamryn took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.

    "Let''s go to the ceremonial clearing. I''m ready to make you mine forever." Anna pulled him down the stairs. Little did they know their marking would impact more than just each other.

 Chapter 21 - The Flame

    Anna led Kamryn to the ceremonial clearing. It was arge open space surrounded by many trees making a perfect circle. In the middle was an enormous fire pit surrounded by ck stones. Kamryn looked in amazement as he saw a bright blue me.

    "That is the me of unity. When we mark each other, it will grow until it looks like it''s touching the sky. We draw our energy from the four elements earth, water, air, and fire. When those four elementse together, our power is at its strongest. That''s why we have our ceremonies here." Anna looked around as she spoke. In this spot, all the elements could be felt.

    "I honestly don''t know much about your coven other than it''s the most powerful one in the world. I also know that you''re the most powerful witch because your mother and father are fated mates from this coven." Kamryn smiled down at her as they walked through the snow barefoot. He couldn''t feel it because he was a weretiger and had natural heat. Anna couldn''t feel it because, as a witch, hot and cold didn''t affect her.

    "That''s what I''ve been told my whole life, but I don''t feel any different than the other witches. I always learned the spells and teachings faster than the others, but I thought that was because my parents were the teachers. Do you know how our marking will be different than the usual ones?" Anna asked, looking up at him with a smile as they approached the fire pit.

    "Not really, other than I bite you while you ce a binding spell on me." She nodded.

    "I''ll start the spell first. I don''t know exactly what you''ll feel, but you''ll know when it''s the right time to bite me. Are you ready?" The wind was blowing around them, stirring up some of the snow. It made Anna''s dress billow around her, making her look like an illusion.novelbin

    "Yes, I''m ready." Kamryn stared at his mate as she closed her eyes and raised her hands toward the blue me. He watched, mesmerized, as the me seemed to respond to Anna like it was reaching for her.

    "me of unity bind us together. Make us one with the earth, water, air, and fire. Bind us for all eternity in this life and the next. Make us one heart, soul, and mind. My pain and happiness will be his pain and happiness. His pain and happiness will be my pain and happiness. Our love will bind us together, making us whole."

    As Anna repeated the chant, Kamryn felt himself being pulled to her. As she began the chant for the fourth time, his fangs came out. He took her in his arms and bit the sweet spot just above her corbone. He felt the heat of the me as it danced higher and higher in the sky.

    When Kamryn''s fangs bit her, Anna had an out-of-body experience. She felt like she was floating above the earth as the blue me surrounded them, binding them together. She continued chanting as her body heated to burning, and she could feel Kamryn be part of her. She felt his love for her as though it was her own. Anna clung to him as he withdrew his fangs. She stopped chanting and looked into his eyes. She never expected the bond would be so powerful.

    They looked toward the blue me that was so high they couldn''t see where it stopped. The entire area was filled with a blue light making it feel eerie even though it was only early afternoon.

    Suddenly the me turned multi-colored like a rainbow. Anna and Kamryn watched in astonishment as the me got wider with streaks of red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, and green. It started swirling around like a tornado and then came toward the couple, wrapping itself around them. All they could see was the colorful mes and each other. It stopped just as quickly as it started, and Kamryn looked at Anna wide-eyed. He noticed she looked pale. "What was that?" He asked her softly.

    "That was the mes of love, strength, prosperity, unity, longevity, and prosperitying together. They only do that when a couple needs the extra power to fight. It tells me that whatever ising for us isn''t going to be easy to beat. Legend was named Legend for a reason. He''s a rare tiger. Now that we''re mated, you and Legend will also have unique powers. We should know what they are soon." Anna looked toward Kamryn and took his hand in hers. "We will fight this fight together. We will be strongest as a couple. Whatever happens, we can''t be separated." Anna spoke in a whisper as she tried not to let the fear coursing through her body take over.

    "Nothing will take me from your side." Kamryn leaned down to kiss her. Now that they had marked each other, the electricity from their kiss seemed like it pulled them to each other like mas. When they pulled apart, they were both breathless.

    "Let''s talk to my parents, and then you and I have some mating to take care of." She led him toward the small opening in the trees that led to the houses. As they came out of the trees, it seemed everyone in the coven was there waiting for them, staring in disbelief. Caprice and Stanley were in front of the crowd and walked toward the couple with worried expressions.

    "Anna, we saw the rainbow mes. Are you alright?" Caprice hugged her daughter and then backed up. The energy she felt from her was overwhelming. She noticed Anna''s gray eyes had different colors floating in them now. She looked at Kamryn, and his amber eyes also had colors floating in them.

    "Yes, we''re okay, but you know what this means. Whatever is after us is powerful and will be hard to beat. I exined what the rainbow me signifies to Kamryn and that he and Legend will also have powers." Caprice and Stanely stared at the two in front of them, who was taking this news well. None of them had seen the rainbow me in their lifetime. Everyone had been watching for the blue me, and it was quite a sight when they saw the rainbow me.

    "Today, you celebrate your mating; tomorrow, we''ll begin preparing for whatever is toe. I''ll call Randal and give him an update. Elsie will be here tomorrow, and he said Micah is traveling with her. He''s not ready to let go of his mate, but I fear she''s too far gone to do anything other than hurt him." Stanley felt terrible for the young man he had yet to meet. He was hoping when he arrived, Kamryn and Anna could help him reject Elsie so he could move on.

    "I already have a n for her. I think a taste of her own medicine will do her good. Right now, I''m taking Kamryn inside so we can enjoy this day." Anna pulled Kamryn behind her as everyone watched. The other witches looked at each other. They had all remained silent while Anna talked to her parents. The energy radiating off the newly marked couple was intimidating to them all. They had felt like falling to their knees to bow to them. Where was that powerful energying from?

    When Anna and Kamryn got to their room, they carefully removed their clothes and hung them in the closet. When Anna looked into Kamryn''s eyes, she noticed the colors swirling in them.

    "Your eyes look different." She said as she stared at the beautiful colors. Kamryn studied her eyes and saw the same.

    "Yours do, too, like all the colors of the me." He said in disbelief.

    Legend inside of him had been quiet throughout the marking. He was feeling strange, as though something was happening to him. Heid down and decided to let the changes ur. "Make love to me." She said as she ran her hands over his warm body. Kamryn leaned down and kissed her sliding his tongue into her open mouth.

    Anna pulled him to the bed, not breaking their kiss for a second. Sheid down and tugged his hand, wanting him to get on top of her, but he shook his head. He had other ns for his mate that wouldn''t be rushed. Hey next to her and kissed her while running his hand down her torso.

    As Kamryn rubbed his hand over her body, Anna felt like she was on fire. He was kissing her so passionately that it was making her wet. When he cupped one of her breasts and yed with the nipple, she arched her back, wanting more. He pulled away from her lips to suck on her hard nipple. She moaned as his warm mouth sucked and his tongue flicked over it.

    When his hand slid down between her legs and found her wetness, she spread her legs, begging for more. Kamryn slid a finger into the source of her heat while using his thumb to y with her little bud. Anna was aching for more. She was ready to go out of her mind.

    "Please, I need you. Let me feel you inside me." She begged him as he continued ying with her. Kamryn found her lips again, still working his hand between her legs. When he could tell she was almost there, he stopped. Before she knew what was going on, he had moved, and his mouth started where his hand had left off.

    Anna arched her back and held his head in ce as she sucked on her bud. She felt her legs begin to shake as he dipped his tongue deep inside her. Her whole body was trembling when she came, and she screamed his name. Her head was exploding like fireworks as she came down from the adrenaline rush. She looked down and saw him still licking everythinging out of her, and it almost made here again. "That was pretty powerful," Kamryn said as hey beside her. She looked up at him with her eyes zed over.

    "Yes, it was." Anna pushed him over on his back and started kissing his chest and abdomen. As she moved lower, Kamryn tried to stop her.

    "You don''t need to do that." He said as she began stroking him with her hand. She watched as he grewrger andrger. She looked at his face as she ran her thumb over the head. "I know I don''t have to, but I want to. You''ve tasted me; now I want to taste you." Before he could say anything more, she took the head of his penis in her mouth and began sucking. She continued stroking him with her hand as she sucked. When she heard his moans, she knew he was enjoying it. She pulled her mouth off him and used her tongue to lick him from the base all the way up to the head. She swirled her tongue around the head before pulling him back into her mouth. Kamryn thought he was going to go insane from the feel of Anna''s mouth on him. When she kept pulling him in further and further, he knew he was ready to burst. He tried to drag her off him, but she refused to move. When he came, he felt her continuing to suck, and he shivered from the sensation. When she was done, shey down with her chin on his chest, looking into his eyes.

    "Did you like that, Mr. Tiger?" She asked while he tried to catch his breath.

    "You could say that. Now I''m ready for dessert." He rolled her over onto her back and slid inside, where she was still dripping wet. They spent the rest of the day and part of the night making love until they were too exhausted to move. They wanted to enjoy this calm before the storm they knew wasing.

 Chapter 22 - Elsies Punishment

    Santi knew something was wrong. Not only did Melita get caught because of wanting to mate with Kamryn, but something felt off. It was driving him crazy, wondering what was going on. Now that two of his spies had been caught, he didn''t have eyes and ears inside the pce.

    He threw a ss against the wall in frustration. There was no way he could show his face at the pce. His brother had banned him from going there after he''d found out Santi dabbled in ck magic. He had found out he had the power to cast spells by ident. Once he learned some skills, he found a coven of ck magic witches to show him the darker side.

    Randal caught him casting spells on women to do whatever degrading sex act he wanted. He had forced him not only out of the kingdom but out of the country. Shifters, witches, and vampires knew of the ban. He had tried to sneak back in a couple of times, but he was caught before he could get anywhere near the pce.

    Now he had to rely on spies to get the information he needed. He still had hope that Elsie wouldn''t be found out and could weasel her way back into the good graces of the pce. He had another spy in the pce. He just hoped they wouldn''t be swayed by Kamryn and Anna.

    As he was lost in thought about how to get more spies, he felt the ground shake beneath him. He thought it was an earthquake, but when he looked out the window, he realized only the ground below him was shaking. Santi knew what that meant and fell to his knees in anguish. Kamryn and Anna had marked each other. Now they would be the most powerful beings in the world.

    He pulled himself together and stood back up. Maybe they knew someone wasing for them, but they had no idea who. He wasn''t going to change his ns because they had new powers. He would continue on as nned, and the throne would be his.

    Randal and Lynn looked at each other in shock as Stanley exined what had happened when Anna and Kamryn marked each other. They knew they would be a power couple, but this exceeded their expectations. "Do you know what kind of powers Kamryn and Legend will have now?" Lynn asked.

    "They will start showing soon, so we''ll know. Legend is probably feeling the effects of changing, but he won''t understand what''s new until the transition isplete. Anna''s powers will be stronger than before. Whatever ising for them must be extremely dark for the rainbow me to make an appearance." Stanley said into the phone. He had faith in his daughter and her mate, but that didn''t keep him from worrying.

    "Is there anything we can do to help?" Randal asked. He was scared for the young couple who had already faced one obstacle after another.

    "Not yet. We''ll start training them immediately so they can familiarize themselves with their new abilities. Once Micah gets here with Elsie, we''re going to try and convince him to reject her. I''m letting Anna do her punishment, and I don''t want Micah to be hurt." Stanley had a feeling he knew what his daughter was going to do to Elsie, and she had his full support.

    "Thank you. We tried to persuade Micah before he left, but he was hoping to use this time with her to change her mind about mates. I don''t think that''s possible from the attitude she''s had here. Please let us know if we can do anything to help." Randal said before hanging up. He trusted Anna and her family to protect both his sons.

    Elsie couldn''t believe they were making her travel with the witch cor on so she couldn''t fly. What made it even worse was that Micah constantly tried to talk to her. She had nothing to say to him. Once they returned to Spirit Energy, she would cry to her aunt and uncle about how horrible the tigers were to her. Maybe then they would seek retribution on her behalf.

    Micah could have easily changed into Rocky and let Elsie ride on his back to the coven, but neither wanted to. His tiger was like everyone else and wanted him to reject her so they could find a new mate. He was still hoping she woulde around. He''d had so many dreams about what meeting his mate would be like. Elsie had crushed every one of those dreams.

    As they walked through the snow, Elsie whined the whole time, telling Micah to take her cor off or he''d be dead when they got to her home. He ignored her, knowing it wasn''t true. She didn''t know that Anna had gotten her memory back or that she and Kamryn were waiting for her at Spirit Energy. It took them over twenty-four hours to get to the coven on foot. They stopped to eat a couple times, but neither of them wanted to sleep in the snow.

    Elsie led him to what looked like the base of a steep mountain. There was a small hidden walkway to the other side. Once they walked through, Micah looked around in wonder. There were many cabins nestled in the snow and surrounded by mountains and trees. It looked like something out of a storybook.

    As they got closer to the houses, they saw a group of people waiting for them. He heard Elsie begin to cry, and he rolled his eyes. He''d had enough of her already and was ready to reject her. Everyone was right; he needed to move on. Thie trip is what he needed to convince him. Micah saw two people standing in front of everyone else and assumed they were Anna''s parents. Elsie ran up to them sobbing.

    "Aunt Caprice and Uncle Stanley, please tell me you''re going to punish the tigers for what they put me through. I was supposed to be the queen, but they let prince Kamryn''s fated mate remain with him. They then locked me in a holding cell for no reason in conditions that were not appropriate for someone of my status. Now they made me walk home through the snow with this cor on so I couldn''t fly or use my spells. What will you do to get revenge for me being so badly mistreated?" Elsie sobbed more and didn''t notice the looks on everyone''s faces. Micah did see how everyone looked at her and stood back to watch.

    "Elsie, you have embarrassed us and put the name of this coven in a bad light. We will no longer let you be part of The Spirit Energy Coven. We have someone who will tell you what your punishment will be." Elsie looked at them in horror as she realized how cold everyone around them was looking at her. She wondered what fool they had chosen to punish her. She crossed her arms and looked at her aunt and uncle with a smirk.

    "What idiot do you have giving me a punishment? As soon as I get this cor off, I can do whatever I want, and you can''t stop me." She smirked. When the group parted, and she saw Anna and Kamryn walking toward her with fury shing in their eyes, her face went pale. What were they doing here? Anna shouldn''t have her memory back yet.

    Elsie wanted to run away as they got closer, but something kept her legs from moving. She felt sick and fell to her knees, crying.novelbin

    "Whatever this bitch told you is a lie. I didn''t do anything to her." Elsie said with anger in her voice.

    "Elsie, I have always treated you like a sister. When your parents were killed, I thought it would make us closer, but you decided on another path. I saw you that day cing the spell on me that made me lose my memory. I never thought you would stoop so low, but I was wrong. Before I tell you your punishment, I want to give your mate a chance to say something to you." Anna looked at Micah, and he nodded. He was ready. He walked over to where she was kneeling on the ground and looked at her.

    "I, prince Micah Siegle of the weretigers, reject you, Elsie Todaro of The Spirit Energy Coven as my mate." Micah only felt a slight ache in his heart, but nothing dramatic. Elsie looked at him in disgust.

    "I had never epted you anyway, so whatever." She said coldly. Micha ignored her as he walked over to stand next to his brother. Anna turned back to Elsie with a chilling smile.

    "Elsie, you are at this moment stripped of being a witch of Spirit Energy. You will no longer be able to practice spells, either good or bad. I am taking away your witch abilities, so you will live the rest of your miserable life as a human." Elsie looked at her in disbelief.

    "You can''t do that. I''m a witch. I will always be a witch. I know the spells; I''ll still be able to practice magic. You can''t stop me." She said confidently. However, the looked Anna gave her sent a chill down her spine.

    "I forgot to mention. You will lose your memory and be ced in a cabin in the middle of the forest. I''m sure you remember where you left me. However, I have put a spell around the cabin, so you can''t wonder more than a one-mile radius in any direction. With no memory, we won''t have to worry about you practicing magic or harming anyone else." Elsie felt sick. Anna was repaying her for what she''d done. However, it was much worse.

    "There''s always an antidote. Somehow I''ll get the antidote to get my memory back. Then you''ll all pay for this." She said with certainty.

    "That''s where you''re wrong. What you failed to remember about magic is ck magic always has an antidote. White magic doesn''t need one because it''s done for the good of others. So there''s nothing that will give you your memory back. We are done now. I have set the cabin up in the same way you left it for me. Good luck with taking care of yourself. It''s the first time you''ve had to in eighteen years."

    Anna held her hands up and said a soft chant that no one could hear. Suddenly a purple cloud appeared over Elsie and surrounded her in purple fog. When the cloud lifted, it carried Elsie with it and disappeared over the mountains taking her to the cabin in the forest. All that was left was the witch cor lying on the ground.

    When the cloud arrived at the cabin, it took Elsie through the open front door and put her on the bed. The cloud then dispersed. Elsie opened her eyes and looked around. Where was she? Who was she? She had no memory of her name or that she''d been a witch.

    She sat up on the bed and noticed lines scratched into the wall. When she counted them, there were sixty of them. Is that how long she''d been there? She walked outside and looked at the forest surrounding her. Elsie felt cold inside like something had died. She fell to her knees on the small porch and started crying, but she didn''t know why.

 Chapter 23 - New Powers

    After Elsie was sent away, everyone cheered. No one liked having someone like her in the coven. Spirit Energy didn''t believe in increasing one''s wealth and status for their own gain. They helped others even when others weren''t aware of it. Now that Anna was mated to the next tiger king, they knew they would be able to help even more people. However, their biggest concern now was the reason for the rainbow me. They were going to prepare the coven in the event the fight came to them rather than the tiger kingdom.

    Anna and Kamryn were going back to the ceremonial clearing to see what abilities they had been given. They wanted to do it privately until they found out what they were. Both could feel a maic pull as though something was drawing them as they approached the firepit.

    "Do you think our new powers are ready to show themselves?" Kamryn asked Anna softly. He didn''t feel any different, but he''d noticed that Legend was quieter than usual.

    "It''s been over twenty-four hours, so they should be. It''s necessary to return to this area where the powers will be given to us and make themselves known." She looked toward the firepit that currently had no me. Anna took Kamryn''s hand, and they touched the ck stone together.

    As soon as their hands were ced on it, a me appeared. It was green on one side and purple on the other. The me grew until it was like a tall thin rope. It swirled around and wrapped itself around Anna and Kamryn. It didn''t feel hot. They actually couldn''t feel anything other than a warmth spreading inside their bodies. They were so focused on the me that neither noticed their eyes were glowing. Anna''s were glowing purple, and Kamryn''s were glowing green. When the me unwrapped itself from them, it returned to the fire pit and extinguished itself.

    Anna felt something weird happening. Her body was trembling so bad her teeth were chattering. She then felt a fire inside that made her feel like she was burning. The fire seemed to stop at her hands, and when she looked down, she gasped. Little purple mes wereing out of her fingertips. She raised her hand and opened her palm; a purple ball of fire appeared. She looked at Kamryn with wide eyes.

    "That''s new." She said,ughing as she threw the ball of fire into the snow. Kamryn couldn''t believe what he was seeing.

    "Uh, Anna. I think you got more than fire." She looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?" She asked, not noticing anything else different.

    "When you raised your hand to make the ball of fire, you disappeared. I couldn''t see you or the fireball until you threw it." Anna looked down at her body as she made another fireball and saw that Kamryn was right.

    "Wow, that I was not expecting. How about you? Do you feel any different?" She looked at him to see if she noticed anything. Kamryn raised his arms up to see if anything happened, and the next thing he knew, he was off the ground. He was flying through the air, looking down at Anna and the firepit. She pped her hands as hended next to her.novelbin

    "Now I see why you like flying so much; that''s incredible. I don''t understand how that''s going to help me in a fight, though.

    *"Go pick up thatrge boulder over to your right."* Legend said in his head. Kamryn flew over to the boulder and looked at it from above with skepticism. There was no way he could lift that thing. It was three times bigger than he was. Weretigers were strong but not that strong.

    *"Are you kidding?"* He asked Legend.

    *"Trust me."* The tiger replied.

    Kamrynnded next to the boulder and prepared to break his back. He put his arms around the boulder as much as he could and braced himself. He took a deep breath, and to his astonishment, as he lifted the rock, it felt like it weighed nothing. He flew with it through the air and dropped it on the other side of the clearing. He thennded next to Anna, who wasughing.

    "That was amazing, my mighty tiger." She said, pulling him down to her so she could kiss him.

    *"I hate to break this up, but we''re not done yet. Can you shift into me?"* Legend was ready to show what he was now capable of.

    "Legend wants me to change into him." Kamryn took his clothes off and handed them to Anna before shifting into his tiger. Anna stared at him in disbelief.

    Legend was no longer the orange and ck tiger she knew. He was now snow-white with ck stripes. She ran her hand over him, and he purred.

    "Legend, you''re beautiful. Do you have new powers too?" She asked him, and the majestic tiger ran across the clearing leaping into the air. He couldn''t quite fly, but he was able to glide for a while. Afternding on the other side of the clearing, he closed his eyes and suddenly stood next to Anna. Heid down so she would get on his back and teleported them both to the other side.

    "So you can take us wherever we need to be in a split second. I think you have the best power of all." Anna said to the massive tiger, who purred with delight.

    *"All right, let me shift back so Anna and I can talk about our new abilities."* Legendid down so she could get off, and then he shifted into Kamryn.

    "I can''t believe he''s a white tiger now, and he can teleport. That maye in handy." Kamryn said as he put his clothes on. Anna was impressed with all their new power but also concerned. If they were given something so strong, that meant they were going to need all of these powers.

    "He''s gorgeous. I''m worried about what''sing and that we''re going to need all of this. Are you ready to return to the others so we can show them? I''m sure they''re all anxiously waiting." Anna took his hand, and they started walking toward the opening.

    "Why don''t we show up flying. That will surprise them because tigers don''t fly." Anna nodded, and they held hands as they rose above the trees. They flew to where everyone was standing waiting on them. A little girl looked up and saw the couple flying.

    "Look." She said, pointing to the sky. Everyone looked up and recognized Anna and Kamryning toward them. They pped as the couplended in the middle of the crowd. Micah ran over to his brother.

    "You can fly now?" He asked, stunned.

    "Yes, and that''s not all." Kamryn walked over and picked up a boulder that wasrger than the one before. He held it above his head, and everyoneughed. After he put it back in its ce, they looked toward Anna.

    She straightened her fingers and showed everyone the mes, and then she made a ball of fire as she disappeared before their eyes. They all looked around for her. A minuteter, they saw the purple fireball flying through the air. Anna was standing as though she''d never left.

    "I can make fireballs and disappear. Legend has new power as well." She looked toward Kamryn, who smiled.

    "My tiger is no longer orange. He''s white. Legend can glide long distances through the air and teleport." Everyone gasped. Caprice and Stanley walked forward.

    "You two have been given powerful gifts, but you know what this means don''t you?" Stanley asked with concern.

    "Whatever we''re going to be fighting will be just as powerful. We''re ready to start training." Kamryn said.

    "Alright, everyone, to the training grounds. No matter where this fight happens, we''re in it together. The weretigers and Spirit Energy are one family now, and we protect our family." Stanley began flying, and the others followed suit. Micha stood on the ground watching as everyone flew to the training grounds, including his brother. He ran below them. He had never felt inadequate before, but not being able to fly suddenly made him feel like he didn''t measure up to the witches. They were incredible.

 Chapter 24 - Training

    The training grounds were in the opposite direction of the ceremonial clearing. The witches and warlocks typically used it for teaching and practicing spells. They rarely had to fight anyone, so it had never been used to prepare for battle. Today they would be using it for that purpose. Stanley and Caprice spoke to the others, and they all agreed that no matter where the fight urred, they would be part of it. They were not going to let Anna and the tigers face it on their own. They allnded on the ground, and Micah ran through the trees, slowing down once he realized he''d made it. He walked over to where Kamryn and Anna were standing. He felt out of ce being surrounded by witches and warlocks. Although they had all been nice to him, he felt out of sorts.

    "Micah, how are you?" Anna asked him with a sympathetic smile.

    "I''m doing better than I thought. I guess because Elsie never epted me, I didn''t really feel anything when I rejected her. I hope I''m given a second chance mate, sooner rather thanter." Micah looked around at the witches. Personally, he wouldn''t mind being mated with another witch. They were pretty spectacr.

    Anna noticed him looking around, and she grinned. Maybe if he wasn''t given a second chance mate, he could find a chosen mate. She had a witch in mind that had found her mate when she turned eighteen, but he was human and refused to ept her. Anna saw her standing near the edge, away from everyone else. It had been about six months since her mated rejected her. Kamryn could feel Anna''s mind working, and he looked down at her. "What are you up to?" He asked, and she winked up at him.

    "ying matchmaker." She whispered before walking away.

    Jazlyn was a sweet girl with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Anna knew she was still hurting over her mate and hoped a big strong tiger could help her with the process. She walked over to her with a smile. "Hi, Jaz," Anna said, and Jazlyn smiled.

    "Hi. I''m d you''re back. We missed you when you disappeared." They had always been good friends. Anna grew up with her, and their parents were good friends.

    "It''s good to be back. Can you do me a favor? Kamryn''s brother Micah is here, and he''s a little shy around all of us witches. Can you partner with him for our training?" Jazlyn looked toward the tall, handsome weretiger and felt herself blushing. "Are you sure he wants to partner with me? I see lots of other witches checking him out." Anna pulled Jazlyn with her.

    "Trust me, you''re the best partner for him."

    Micah saw Anna pulling a pretty blonde up to them, and he wondered what she was doing. When they stopped next to him, Anna had a sparkle in her eye.

    "Micah, this is Jazlyn. I asked her to be your partner for training." He saw the girl blushing, and he held out his hand.

    "Nice to meet you," Jazlyn''s hand disappeared in hisrge hand.

    "Please call me Jaz," She said softly. Jazlyn felt really small next to Micah, who was at least a foot and a half taller than her.

    "Thanks for being my partner. I don''t have any special abilities, so I will be at a loss for the most part." He said, trying to ease the nervousness he could see on her pretty face.

    "Well, I''ve never fought anyone, so we can learn from each other." Jazlyn immediately liked Micah. She could feel a gentle energying from him. She looked toward Anna and mouthed thank you to her.

    "Who''s that?" Kamryn asked after watching his brother with the blonde girl.

    "Jazlyn''s a friend of mine. She mated to a human about six months ago, and he rejected her. Even if they''re not fated mates, they could be chosen mates if they get along." They looked toward the other two, who were chatting quietly. Anna saw Jazugh at something Micah said, and she smiled. She hadn''t seen her friendugh in a long time.

    "You''re amazing. I can already see Micah likes her. He''s usually nervous around girls." Kamryn thought it would be nice if they returned to the pce with two witches.

    "Alright, everyone, let''s partner up," Stanley said, and everyone grabbed partners and spread out. He and Caprice had seen what Anna did with Jaz and Micah. They agreed they would be a good pair if it worked out.

    "First, well, start with some basic exercises. We may have spells and power on our side, but that won''t help us if we''re hindered somehow and have to fight. We need to be fit and know how to defend ourselves without magic." Stanley and Caprice began demonstrating stretches. Everyone followed suit.

    After the stretches, they began one-on-one fighting moves. Anna was angry because Kamryn kept trying to take it easy on her.

    "Do you think anyone else will take it easy on me when we fight? You need toe after me like you would everyone else." Kamryn looked at his mate, unsure. She was so much smaller than him he didn''t want to hurt her. Anna red at him, and he chuckled.

    "Fine. Get ready." He ran at her and almost stopped when she didn''t move, but he didn''t. As he was ready to attack, she twirled to the side, and he fell on his face. He turned and looked at her in disbelief.

    "How did you do that?" He asked, still sitting on the ground. Her move was so fluid that he hadn''t had time to react.

    "I know more than just magic. I may be small, but I am quick on my feet. I''ve learned how to fight without hardly throwing a punch. Look around; most of us fight like this." Kamryn did as she said and saw she was right. He looked at his brother, who lunged for Jazlyn and fell on his side instead as she moved out of the way at thest second.

    "Is there anything that you witches can''t do?" He asked as he stood up.

    "There are lots of things. For instance, if someone were to get their arms around me and I had to fight free, it would be difficult, depending on their size. Try it now. Grab me from behind." She turned her back to him, and he walked up, wrapping his arms around her.

    "dly," He said as he leaned down and nuzzled his face in her neck, making her giggle.

    "You''re supposed to be restraining me. Hold me tight." She said, trying to sound firm. Kamryn did as she said, and Anna struggled against him. When he thought she was about to give up, she pushed against his arms just enough so she could duck down, slipping out of his embrace.

    "Okay, show-off. We know you can get out of situations if someone attacks you, but can you attack yourself?" Anna grinned at him and got into a fighting stance. He did the same, and they started circling each other. Anna lunged for him high, and when he got ready to defend himself, she crouched down and swept his legs, making him fall on his butt.

    "How was that, Mr. Tiger?" She asked as he stood upughing.

    "I think my little mate can take care of herself." She giggled as she hugged him. They both turned when they heard Micahughing. He was lying on the ground with Jazlyn standing over him with a triumphant smile. They certainly looked like they were getting along.

    "Okay, everyone, that''s enough for right now. Let''s go eat some lunch." Anna and Kamryn walked over to Micah and Jaz.

    "Jazlyn, would you like toe to our house for lunch?" Anna asked and saw her face light up.

    "That would be great. Thanks." As people started flying away, Micah once again felt inferior. After Kamryn and Anna left, he looked at Jazlyn.

    "You can fly if you want. I have to walk." She smiled at him and started walking in the direction of the houses.

    "I''ll walk with you." Micah smiled as they strolled at a leisurely pace. "I''m sorry about what happened with Elsie. She''s never been nice, but I know she was your mate."

    "She never epted me, so I don''t hurt as much as I would have if we had a rtionship." He had forgotten about Elsie with the fun he had training with Jaz.

    "I found my mate too about six months ago." Micah felt his hopes of her one day being his mate fall.

    "Oh, where''s he? I''m surprised he let me train with you." Jaz hid her smile. She heard the hurt in Micah''s voice.

    "He''s human, and he rejected me. I still feel the ache in my heart from the rejection. Today was the first time I''veughed in a long time." She realized that while she was with Micah, she never thought about Tim even once.

    "I''m sorry he rejected you. He probably wasn''t worthy of you anyway. Maybe fate has something better in store for you." Like a weretiger prince, he thought to himself.novelbin

    "You never know." Jazlyn kept her eyes forward as they walked. Would fate be so kind as to give her a handsome weretiger as a second chance mate? She certainly hoped so.

 Chapter 25 - News

    Anna and Kamrynnded outside the house. He looked around, seeing the witches and warlocks flying to their own homes. It was amazing to see them in the air. They were so graceful. "You''re getting the hang of flying pretty quick for only being able to do it for a couple of hours." She said to him, and he chuckled.

    "In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would be able to fly." A witch and warlocknded close to them. Kamryn didn''t know who they were, but Anna ran over, giving them hugs. "Kamryn, this is Jazlyn''s parents. Maura and Bryson." Anna said as they all shook hands.

    "We''re d your back Anna. We saw Jaz training with the young tiger, and we couldn''t help but notice how much sheughed. She''d been so depressed since the rejection that we worried she would never recover. Have you seen her?" Anna smiled at them.

    "She decided to walk with Micah back to the house. I invited her toe here for lunch. I''m sure my parents won''t mind if you join us as well." Maura and Bryson smiled at each other. If Micah could help their daughter, they were more than willing to be supportive.

    "That would be great. We''ll go in and see if we can help with the food." They disappeared inside while Kamryn and Anna waited for Jaz and Micah.

    Anna suddenly felt a pain in her abdomen. She put her hand over her stomach as a wave of nausea came over her. Kamryn saw she looked pale and helped her sit down on the porch steps. "What''s wrong?" He asked worriedly.

    "I don''t know. I had a sharp pain, and then I felt nauseous." She said, still feeling like she was going to be sick.

    *"You''re pregnant,"* Anna gasped when she heard the voice in her head. Kamryn looked at her in question. "Were you able to hear Legend just now?" He asked, and she nodded.

    "That was Legend? I forgot we would be able to mindlink each other now that we''re marked. Wait a minute. Did he say I''m pregnant?" They looked at each other and then down at her belly.

    *"Yes, I said you''re pregnant, and yes, you can mindlink each other and me. I know witches are typically like humans when they have a child, so you shouldn''t know you''re pregnant for at least a few more weeks. However, you''re mated with a weretiger, so you may give birth sooner than usual. I can''t tell if you''re having a boy or girl, and I don''t know if they''ll be a weretiger, witch, or hybrid. I can definitely feel another presence in you, Anna."* Legend was looking forward to their new cub or witch.

    "I can''t believe it. I knew once we marked each other, it was a possibility, but I never thought it would happen so fast. Now I''m worried that the battle is going to happen when I''m pregnant, and I won''t be able to help as much. Why did this have to happen now?" Anna put her head in her hands.

    Kamryn was still sitting there in shock. He was going to be a dad. He pictured having a little witch running around the pce, looking like the pictures of Anna he saw when she was only a few years old. He looked at his mate and saw that she was upset, but he was thrilled. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

    "I promise I won''t let anything happen to you or our cub." Anna couldn''t help but giggle at his tone of voice.

    "You don''t think this is too soon?" She asked, looking into his Amber eyes.

    "No, this is the perfect time. This cub shows us new life and happiness at a time we have something negativeing after us. Remember I told you it would happen when it was meant to happen. That time hase. It may be sooner than we thought, but we''re having this cub for a reason. I can feel it." Kamryn leaned down and kissed her again. They broke apart when they heardughter heading their way. Jaz and Micah walked out of the trees.

    "It took you two long enough. We were about to send a search party." Kamryn said as both of them started blushing. Anna hid her smile.

    "I can''t fly like the rest of you. Jaz was nice enough to keep mepany." He looked down at her, and she smiled up at him.

    "That''s right, if we''re going to be training partners, we need to know each other''s strengths and weaknesses." They looked at each other and burst outughing.

    "Are you going to let us know what''s so funny?" Anna asked.

    "I found out that this big tiger is scared of snakes or things that look like snakes. Arge stick was lying on the ground when we were walking through the trees. Micah yelled, picked me up, and ran in the opposite direction. I wasughing so hard that it took me a minute to tell him it was a stick. It''s a little too cold this far up for snakes." Everyoneughed as his face turned red.

    "Okay, yes, I don''t like snakes. Kamryn doesn''t like spiders." He said, not wanting to be the only one beingughed at. The two witches looked at Kamryn, and he shrugged.

    "They''re creepy, crawly, and can get into ces you can''t see." Anna looked at Jaz and winked at her.novelbin

    "Well, Jaz, at least we know how to scare the tigers when they get too big for their britches." The two womenughed, but the men were not amused.

    "That''s not funny," Kamryn said, already feeling like spiders were crawling on him. Anna took pity on him and put her arms around his neck.

    "I promise not to cast the spell of spiders on you." She said, trying to hide her smile when she saw the horror in his eyes.

    "There is actually a spell of spiders. You''re scarier than I thought. I promise never to make you mad." He said seriously before kissing her. Micah and Jaz looked at each other, both slightly blushing.

    "Hey, are you kids ready for lunch?" Caprice asked. They had heard theughter outside while the four of them were preparing the food. It made them all hope that everything would turn out okay.

    "Yes, I''m starving. Kamryn and I have some news too." Anna said, looking up at her mate as they walked into the house. Micah and Jaz followed them, standing close together but not touching.

    The men stopped and stared at the table when they got to the dining room. How had they prepared so much food so fast? The two weretigers thought to themselves. There was fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, macaroni and cheese, turkey breast, and rolls. This wasn''t lunch; it was a feast.

    "How?" Micah asked, and everyone except his brotherughed.

    "Magic has its perks," Stanley said. They all took their seats, and everyone made sure to have Jaz and Micah sit together. Anna and Kamryn remained standing. "Before we begin eating, we have an announcement to make. Kamryn and I just found out we''re having a cub." Everyone stared at them with their mouths open. "How do you know already?" Caprice asked in shock.

    "Legend told us. He said that because I''m mated with a weretiger, I may give birth sooner than usual. He could feel the cub''s presence. I was feeling nauseated when we were outside, but now I feel like I could eat everything on the table." Anna smiled at them as Kamryn kissed her forehead.

    "My baby''s having a baby?" Caprice stood up and hugged both young people while tears ran down her face. Stanely came over and hugged them as well.

    "This calls for a celebration." He said as he sat back down. "We will have a feast tonight and make the announcement to the coven."

    Micah and Kamryn exchanged a look. If they called this amount of food lunch, they could only imagine what a feast would look like.

    "Anna, can I touch your stomach?" Maura asked. Anna nodded as Kamryn looked at her in confusion. Maura closed her eyes and ced her hand on Anna''s stomach.

    "What''s she doing?" Kamryn whispered. Caprice answered him.

    "Maura is the midwife of the coven. She can sometimes feel newborns'' energy even before women know they''re pregnant." They all watched as Maura''s lips moved, but they heard no sound. Suddenly she opened her eyes and looked at Anna and Kamryn.

    "Your child is powerful. The energy is the strongest I''ve ever felt. Something tells me this child will y an important part in the battle."

 Chapter 26 - The Waterfalls

    "What do you mean?" Anna asked as she and Kamryn sat down.novelbin

    "Your child will have special abilities just like you two do. I don''t think it was by ident you got pregnant so quickly or that you were given the rainbow me. I have a feeling your child will y an important role in the battle." Anna put her hand over her t tummy, already concerned about how her baby was going to fight anyone. Kamryn put his arm around her.

    "Think of it this way, if we know the cub will y a part, then we have at least five to six months to prepare. Maybe more, depending on how long you carry him or her." He said, trying to calm the worry he felting from her. "He''s right, Anna. This will give us more time to get ready for whatever''sing." Caprice tried to calm her daughter even though she was terrified.

    "Okay, let''s eat before everything gets cold. We''ll cross that bridge when it gets here. It would be nice if we could already have this taken care of before the baby''s arrival." Anna took a deep breath and forced out a smile. Kamryn hugged her and kissed her forehead. He would protect his mate and their cub at all costs.

    The group ate the delicious meal and talked about less stressful topics like the two weretiger''s fears. Both men were fine with themughing at their expense if it kept Anna''s mind from the baby and the battle.

    "Anna and Jaz, why don''t you show Kamryn and Micah around the coven. They may be here for a while, so it''s good if they know their way around." Stanley was hoping to bring back theirughter from earlier. He was worried about his grandchild but understood everything happens for a reason.

    "That''s a great idea. Come on." Kamryn said, grabbing his mate''s hand. Micah and Jaz followed behind them. When they got outside, the two women looked at each other.

    "Where should we start?" Anna asked Jaz.

    "How about the waterfalls? It''s a nice hike up there." She said, looking at Micah. Typically they flew, but since he had to walk, they all decided to walk.

    "You guys don''t have to walk on my behalf. I can follow you from below." He said, not wanting to hinder everyone else. Jaz lightly touched his hand with hers.

    "We don''t mind walking. It''s lovely going this route." She smiled up at him, and Micah felt his heart racing. He shifted slightly so he could hold her hand.

    Anna and Kamryn were in front of the other two. When she looked back and saw them holding hands, she turned around smiling. Maybe it would work out for them. Shifters and witches tended to move faster in rtionships because of their enhanced senses. They could feel the emotions and intentions of others better than humans.

    As they followed the trail up the mountain, Kamryn and Micah looked around in wonder. They were surrounded by trees and boulders as far as the eye could see. Everything was covered in snow, making sparkles in the sunlight. When they had almost reached the peak, Anna led them around to a small walkway. They could hear the roar of rushing water ahead.

    When they came to the end of the trail, the men stared in disbelief. There were dozens of waterfalls all around them, falling into arge open area far below. They could feel the power of the falls like they were part of them. No one spoke; they just stood there gazing around them. Anna grabbed Kamryn''s hand.

    "Come with me." She said and pulled him toward the edge. They jumped off and flew to the center. Kamryn circled around in astonishment. He would have never imagined seeing the falls from this angle. He could feel the mist on him as they flew.

    "Jaz, you can go out there with them. I''m sure it''s spectacr." She squeezed his hand and turned toward him.

    "I like the view here just fine." Jazlyn looked into his green eyes and felt like she was swimming in them. Was it possible to feel a connection to someone she''d only met a couple hours ago? Before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers.

    "Kiss me, Micah," She said softly, wanting to see if he was feeling the same as she was.

    "I''ve never kissed anyone." He said as he put his arms around her. She felt so tiny in his embrace.

    "Neither have I, but I want to kiss you." She put her hands into his thick dark brown hair, loving its silky feel. Suddenly she heard a purring inside him, and sheid her head against his chest, feeling the rumble against her cheek. "That''s my tiger, Rocky. He wants me to kiss you. What if we kiss and find out we''re second-chance mates? Are you okay with that?" He asked, running his fingers through her golden hair.

    "I''m more than okay with that. I want it to be true. I want you, Micah, even if you''re not my mate." She looked up at him, and he grinned down at her.

    He slowly lowered his mouth to hers, and they moved their lips against each other. It wasn''t a deep kiss, but they both felt something changing. As they continued kissing, a heat was building in them, and their hearts sped up. They felt tingly all over and a force pushing them together. When they pulled apart, they looked at each other with wide eyes and spoke at the same time.

    "Mate."

    Micah picked Jaz up and swung her around. She felt the ache in her heart evaporate from being rejected before. Theyughed as they held each other. Anna and Kamryn came back over andnded next to them. "What''s going on?" Anna asked, smiling.

    "We''re mates. We''ve both been given a second chance with each other." Jazlyn couldn''t believe her luck.

    "Congrattions," Kamryn said, smiling at the couple. He was happy his brother had a new mate. Elsie hadn''t even been gone a whole day. That had to be record-setting for getting a second chance, mate. It made him wonder if there was a reason that Jaz and Micah had been mated.

    "Thank you," Micah said, still holding Jaz in his arms. Rocky was doing a happy dance in his head. He was just as infatuated with Jaz as Micah was.

    As the group headed back toward the houses, Micah and Jaz walked happily with their arms around each other. Anna and Kamryn followed behind them.

    *"I told you I thought they would be good together. It looks like the universe agreed."* Anna mindlinked Kamryn. She was still getting used to the mindlink thing. Witches didn''t have that ability unless they were mated with a shifter. *"You were right. I''m d they were both given a second chance. We need to call my parents and tell them about these new developments. They may want toe here after feeling like they''re being left out of everything."* Annaughed. She really liked the king and queen. After the initial encounter with them, they were very supportive of her. When they arrived at the house, Jaz''s parents were still there.

    "Mom, dad?" She said as she and Micah ran to the kitchen.

    "What''s wrong?" Asked Maura, even though her daughter looked like she was glowing.

    "Nothing''s wrong. Everything is perfect. Micah and I are mates." She said happily, and everyone congratted them.

    "If you two are okay with it, I think you should mark each other as soon as possible. With you being given second chance mates so quickly, it may have something to do with what''sing. You won''t be as powerful as Anna and Kamryn, but you''ll be close." Stanley looked toward Jaz''s parents, who were nodding.

    "I know this is happening fast, but we agree," Bryson said. Jazlyn looked up at Micah.

    "What do you think? Are you ready to mark me?" She asked, biting her lip. She knew he wouldn''t reject her, but that fear of thest rejection was still there. Micah bent down and kissed her forehead before wrapping his arms around her. "Of course, I want to mark you. Let''s do it tomorrow morning. That way, we can spend the rest of today getting to know each other and call my parents. I can''t wait for them to meet you." Micah didn''t bring up the fact that she would be a princess when they returned to the pce. He didn''t want to throw too much at her at once.

    Jaz hugged Micah tightly. She was going to mate with a mighty tiger. Now she was d the human didn''t ept her. Micah was the best mate ever.

    Anna watched the couple, happy for them, but she couldn''t help the feeling of dread that wasing over her. What wasing for them that they needed all this extra power? First, she and Kamryn, then their unborn baby, and now Micah and Jaz. Would they all survive?

 Chapter 27 - Meeting Rocky

    Kamryn, Anna, Micah, and Jazlyn went outside on the porch and sat at a pic table. They were calling the king and queen on video so they could give them all the good news. They turned the tablet to Anna and Kamryn, not wanting them to see Jaz sitting next to Micah. When they answered, Anna and Kamryn waved at them.

    "Hey, mom and dad. We wanted to say hi." Kamryn said, and he saw his parents smile.novelbin

    "How are you doing up there in the mountains?" Lynn asked. The pce was too quiet with her boys gone. She missed Anna too.

    "We''re doing great. It''s beautiful up here. We''ve got some news for you." Kamryn looked at Anna, and she smiled at the screen.

    "We are going to have a cub." She said excitedly. Lynn and Randal looked at each other and then at the young couple.

    "We''re going to be grandparents?" Randal asked quietly.

    "Yes. Not only that, but our child will have special powers like we do that will be necessary for the uing battle." Kamryn said and saw the worry on his parent''s faces.

    "Are you sure? What can a child do?" Lynn asked, already fearing for the little cub.

    "We''re not sure. Anna and I received our unique power this morning. I can now fly and pick up boulders like they weigh nothing. Anna can throw fireballs and disappear. Legend is able to glide through the air and teleport." Kamryn smiled proudly at his parents.

    "What? That''s incredible and a little scary. How''s Micah? Did he reject Elsie?" Randal asked and noticed the other two grinning. The tablet was turned to Micah, and Jaz scooted over so she wouldn''t be on camera.

    "Hi, mom and dad. Yes, I rejected her. Anna sent her to the cabin where she had sent her. She also took away her memory, so she won''t know who or what she was. She also stripped her of her witch abilities. So she''s basically a human now." Lynn saw that Micah was smiling, and she frowned. This was not his attitude when they''d left the other day.

    "Are you okay?" She asked and saw his smile get bigger.

    "I''m great because I''ve found my second chance mate. Her name is Jazlyn." They watched as Micah pulled a beautiful blonde girl to his side. She blushed as she smiled at them.

    "It''s nice to meet you, king and queen. I can''t wait to see you in person." Micah saw his parents staring at Jaz in shock. They both beamed at the couple.

    "That''s fantastic news, son. We can''t wait to meet you, too, Jazlyn." Randal said happily.

    "We''re going to mark each other tomorrow. Stanley thinks there may be a reason we were both given second-chance mates so quickly. He believes we may get some new abilities as well. I would be happy if I could fly. It feels funny being the only one here that can''t fly." Micah pouted, making his parentsugh.

    "Congrattions, both of you. All of you are full of news. We don''t have much to share. We''ve been interrogating Melita non-stop, but she refuses to tell us who she''s working for. She still believes she will be queen even though we told her that Kamryn and Anna had marked each other. We aren''t giving up, though. We would like to know who or what we''re dealing with." Randal wished they were there with their sons, but leaving the pce right now was too risky. "Keep us posted. We''re training in preparation for the fight. We''ll let you know of any new developments," Kamryn said. It had been a tiring day, and he wanted to have some alone time with his mate. "Okay. You all take care." They waved and disconnected the call.

    "We''re going upstairs. Let us know if you need anything." Kamryn said as he picked Anna up in her arms, carrying her into the house. Micah and Jaz chuckled.

    "Are you sure you''re okay being mated to me? I''m not a reminder of Elsie being from the same coven?" Jaz asked as they sat straddling the pic table bench seat so they could face each other.

    "I only knew Elsie as an entitled brat that was after my brother so she could be queen. You represent everything good about Spirit Energy. I''m d you''re from this coven, and I''m happy you''re my mate." Micah leaned over and kissed her. She scooted forward, so she was closer. She opened her mouth and felt his tongue slide inside. As their kiss got deeper, Jaz felt an ache that she''d never felt before. She pulled away but still held on to him. "Micah, we better slow down before I jump you on Anna''s porch. That might be a little embarrassing." She kissed his cheek and then gave him a light kiss on the lips. Her body felt so alive, being so close to him.

    "I''m assuming you''re a virgin like I am since you never kissed anyone. Do you want to make love before we mark each other or wait until after?" Micah ran kisses over her face, and she felt like a fire started inside with each one.

    "Yes, I''m a virgin. Let''s make love tonight when we go to bed, so we have at least one experience of what it was like before we were mated. You are nning on staying with me tonight, right?" She asked, rubbing her hand on his cheek.

    "I can''t be away from you now that I have you. Will you''re parents be okay with me sleeping with you?" He asked, already anticipating what it would feel like holding her all night long.

    "They won''t care. They''re happy that I''m mated and happy. When will we go to your home?" Jaz asked, a little nervous about leaving the only home she''d ever known.

    "I''m not certain. We don''t know where we''re going to be attacked, so I''m sure we''ll be here a little longer to do some training. Are you okay going to the pce with me?" He asked, looking into her dark blue eyes.

    "I want to be wherever you are. So Kamryn is the crowned prince, which means he will be king, and Anna will be queen when your parents step down. What does that mean for you? I know you''re a prince, but what duties do you have?" This was all new to Jazlyn. She never imagined mating with a prince and living in a pce. It seemed like something out of a fairytale.

    "Yes, I''m a prince, and you, my mate, will be a princess." She stopped him before he could say anything else.

    "What? I''ll be a princess?" Micah chuckled as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

    "Yes. We don''t have nearly as many duties as Kamryn and Anna will have, but we''ll be expected to show up at functions. Help with some altercations between shifters. As well as some other minor responsibilities." Jaz thought about that and smiled.

    "It sounds exciting. Here all we do is practice spells. It will be nice being around others outside of the coven. What about your tiger? Can I see him?" She asked excitedly. She hadn''t been around many shifters and never a tiger. "Would you like to meet him now?" Rocky purred his approval.

    "Can you really show him to me now?" Micah nodded and stood up, pulling her with him. He led her over to the trees. He stopped when they were far enough so no one could see him remove his clothes.

    "I have to take my clothes off so they don''t shred." Jaz blushed as she nodded. She''d never seen a naked man before. As Micah slipped off his shirt, Jaz stared at him. She now knew what women meant when they said a man''s body could be a work of art. She licked her lips while looking over his bumpy abs. She tentatively reached out her hand and touched him.

    "You''re incredibly muscr," Jazlyn said while tracing around each muscle with her finger. Micah didn''t want her to stop, but if she didn''t, he wouldn''t be able to control himself until tonight. He took her hand and kissed it.

    "If you keep doing that, I''m not going to be able to wait forter." Jaz blushed and then smirked.

    "I can''t help it if I like what I see." Micah chuckled at what she said as she stepped back.

    "Just don''t do that when I take my pants off, or we may be having sex out here in the snow." Jaz blushed deep red, thinking that making love in the snow didn''t sound like a bad idea.

    "I''ll keep my hands to myself." She said. Micah pulled off his pants and boxers, hanging them on a branch of a tree with his shirt. Jazlyn stared at his naked body and felt hot all over. He was so huge, and she was so tiny she wondered if he would even fit inside her.

    "Alright, I''m shifting now so you can stop drooling." Micah tried not tough when Jaz got even redder. He quickly shifted into Rocky.

    Jazlyn stared at the massive orange tiger in front of her. She walked up to him and put her hands on either side of his head, looking into the familiar blue eyes.

    "Hi Rocky, it''s nice to meet you. I hope I''ll be a good mate to you and Micah." He responded by licking her face. She squealed withughter and hugged him around his thick neck. "Thank you for healing my heart."

 Chapter 28 - Santis Influence

    Kamryn carried Anna up to their room and shut the door behind them. He took her straight into the bathroom so they could take a shower. "I can walk, you know. I can even fly. " Anna said, even though she loved being in his strong arms.

    "I know you can, but I like carrying you." He sat her on the sink before turning the shower water on. When he returned to her, he kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. When he pulled away, they were breathless.

    Kamryn pulled her shirt over her head and leaned down, kissing the spot he''d marked her. Anna gasped at the sensations it caused when he paid particr attention to that area.

    "You''re really sexy when you''re training. I''ve been thinking about getting you up here since we finished." Anna moaned when he moved down to take one of her nipples in his mouth. She put her hands in his hair, holding him in ce. "Take your pants off. I need you, Kamryn," Hearing her raspy voice in his ear drove him crazy. He quickly pulled off his clothes and removed her remaining clothes. He lifted her up so she would wrap her legs around his waist and carried her into the shower. Once there, he put her back against the wall and adjusted so he could slide inside. They went fast and hard. It only took a few minutes for them both to get their release.

    "I''m sorry I went too fast. I couldn''t hold back when I smelled your arousal and heard your voice." Kamryn said, still holding her in ce as the water ran over them.

    "I''m not fragile. I liked it like that. Don''t ever hold back, Kamryn." She kissed him as he slid out of her and put her on her feet.

    "I see that. Let''s shower andy down for a little while. I just want to spend some time holding you in my arms and talking. Like we did in the cabin. We''ve had no time to ourselves since we left." He turned Anna around and began washing her hair. As he massaged her head with his strong fingers, she felt like her legs were going to give out.

    "That sounds good to me. Although, if you keep doing that to my head, I may pass out right here. It feels so good." She closed her eyes while he finished. He then washed her from head to toe. When he was done, she washed him.novelbin

    It was sweet and tender as they learned about each other''s bodies in more than a sexual way. After they werepleted, they got out of the shower and dried off. Kamryn put on boxers, and Anna put on dark bluece panties and a t-shirt. After lying down wrapped around each other, Kamryn kissed her forehead.

    "How are you feeling about this pregnancy?" He asked her, feeling her apprehension.

    "I was scared at first, but I''m feeling better now. I''m worried about what will happen during the battle, though. It would help if we knew who was after us and why." Anna snuggled closer to him as Legend purred softly.

    "I''m scared too. I don''t like so much pressure being on you and our cub. If I could end this on my own, I would, but I know that''s not possible. Have you ever seen anyone find their second chance mate as fast as Micah and Jazlyn?" He asked her.

    "No, never. I''m assuming it''s because of the role they''re going to have to y in this too. At least they''ll have a chance at happiness now. When do you think we need to return to the pce? I love being here with my family, but I have a feeling the battle will be there, not here." Anna wanted to be prepared in the ce the fight would happen. Something told her it was not going to happen at Spirit Energy.

    "Let''s stay here for at least another week to see if we can find out any other information, and then we''ll go back. I know the coven is nning on fighting with us, so whoever wants to go with us can stay at the pce. We have plenty of room." Kamryn felt some of her worry ease.

    "That would be great. I know my parents and Jaz''s parents will want to go right from the beginning. The others may want toeter." Theyy in silence for a few minutes thinking about the uing fight. "Now that you have your memory back, can you tell me how you knew what to do with my wounds when I was hurt?" He''d been meaning to ask her for a while and kept forgetting.

    "Our coven practices healing. Not only with spells but with learned knowledge as well. We start at an early age on how to treat wounds and care for the injured in the event we ever need to help someone. No matter what their species." Anna smiled as she thought about their time in the cabin. As bad as it was the first sixty days she was there once Kamryn arrived, it was some of the best days of her life.

    "I love you, Kamryn. Not only as my mate but for saving me." She looked up at him and kissed his cheek.

    "I love you too. We saved each other."

    Santi had people looking for Elsie all over. He''d heard from one of his pce spies that she had been taken back to her coven by Micah. They also said Kamryn and Anna were at the coven, which he figured was where they marked each other. He wanted to get someone into the coven to see what was going on there. Now that he couldn''t contact Elsie, he had no eyes inside. It was too risky to try and find another witch that would be willing to work with him from Spirit Energy. Santi had a wolf pack that was helping him with getting information. However, they could only get so far. He decided to have them see if they could see what was going to happen to Elsie. If something happened to her and he couldn''t use her, he had to find another witch.

    He preferred a witch from Spirit Energy, but if not, he would find one from another coven. It was imperative that he had representatives from all species when he went to battle. He had the wolf pack, werecats, werebears, vampires, and even a few humans. Now he needed a witch. Only one witch would do, but it would be nice to have more.

    Randal may think he stopped Santi from practicing ck magic, but all he did was send him away to practice somewhere else. They wouldn''t know what hit them when he showed up with his army. Santiughed as he picked up his phone to call the wolves about spying on Spirit Energy. He would then begin the search for another witch. It was still going to take some time to get everything together, but the wait would be worth it. In the end, Randal and his whole family would be dead.

    Melita sat in her cell crying. Why were they treating her so badly? All she wanted was what was rightfully hers. Santi had promised she would be the queen as long as she never exposed him. No matter what Lynn and Randal did or said, she would never tell them who was behind everything. It was the only way she could get out of this. Once Santi took over, he''d set her free; she just knew it. Then she would force Kamryn to leave Anna and mate with her, or he''d be killed. Why did he not see that he was supposed to be with her? She had known from when she was an early teen and developed a crush on her older brother. They weren''t rted, so it wasn''t like it was wrong. She thought maybe he would see the light if he never found his fated mate.

    Melita screamed when she thought about how he tricked her, telling the guard she was his mate. When he put his arms around her, she felt like he''d finally epted her and forgotten about his mate. She should have known better. She''d show them all when she got out. Everyone would bow to her, and she''d make Anna watch as she mated with Kamryn.

    Melita was so into her evil thoughts she didn''t recognize the signs that her tiger Asha was starting to leave her. Asha disagreed with Melita, and the more she went to the dark side, the more she stopped responding to her. It wouldn''t be long before she was gone for good.

 Chapter 29 - Micah and Jazlyn

    The following day everyone was getting ready for Micah and Jazlyn to mark each other. They wanted to do it in private like Anna and Kamryn did, but that didn''t stop people from being prepared in the event something unique happened, as it did for the previous two.

    The previous night Micah and Jaz had lost their virginity. It was better than either had expected, and they couldn''t wait to see how it would differ after they were marked.

    They wore the same blue and white type of clothes that Kamryn and Anna had worn, which were typical for the mating ceremonies of the coven. As they walked outside through the crowd, everyone congratted them. Anna and Kamryn waited for them near the opening of the path to the ceremonial clearing.

    "We''ll be here when you''re done," Anna said as she hugged each of them.

    "Thank you," Jaz said as they headed into the trees.

    When they got to the fire pit, the blue me was burning. Jaz exined what they would be doing to Micah, and then she started the unity chant. He was mesmerized by her beautiful voice and the me that seemed to dance from her words. When his fangs came out, Micah pulled Jazlyn to him and bit into her neck. They both felt as though they were floating as the tingling spread through their bodies. Both could feel their connection getting stronger as they felt each other''s fears and happiness. When Micah pulled back, Jaz stopped chanting and pulled his face down to kiss him. She had tears streaming down her face.

    "Thank you for not rejecting me. This all happened so fast. I just met you yesterday, and now we''re mated." She hugged him tightly.

    Before he could say anything, the blue me that was reaching up into the sky changed colors. It changed into red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, and green. They watched as the me began to swirl around like a tornado and then surrounded the couple. It onlysted for a minute, but to Jaz and Micah, it felt longer.

    When the me returned to the pit, it was once again blue. Micah looked at Jaz in surprise. He didn''t think they would also get the rainbow me like his brother and Anna.

    "Does this mean we need toe back tomorrow to discover our new abilities?" He asked her, and she nodded.

    "Yes. I wasn''t expecting this to happen. I wonder what it means. I know what Stanely said, but this is still a surprise. Are you ready to go back? I''m sure everyone is waiting for us." She looked up at Micah and felt her heart swell. Was it too soon to love him?novelbin

    "I''m ready, but before we were interrupted by the me, I wanted to tell you that there was never any chance of me rejecting you. I believe that we both had to go through those rejections to get to our true mate. Yes, this happened fast, but I''m d it did. I love you, Jazlyn, and I can''t wait to spend the rest of my life with you." She was crying as she leaped into his arms.

    "I love you too, Micah." He wrapped her tighter in his embrace and felt his heart melting at the feel of her against him. She was so small but fit just right, like they were made for each other.

    They walked back toward the crowd waiting for them. When they emerged from the trees, everyone stared at them in disbelief with a little bit of fear. The rainbow me had shown itself twice; this couldn''t signify anything good. Anna, Kamryn, Maura, Bryson, Stanley, and Caprice were all waiting for them in front of the crowd.

    "Are you okay, Jaz?" Maura asked as she hugged her daughter.

    "I''m fine, mom, but we''re concerned about us also getting the rainbow me. I guess we need to go back tomorrow to find out what new power we have received." She said as she clung to Micah''s hand. She didn''t want to stop touching him, even for a minute. It was as though she would wake from this beautiful dream. Anna walked over and looked into their eyes.

    "You both have the rainbow colors floating in your eyes like we do. I can''t wait to see what you can do." Anna hugged them both. She was d Jaz would be at the pce with her when this was all over. It would give them a little piece of home. They headed toward Anna''s house for lunch, and then Micah and Jaz were going to go home to finish their mating.

    The next afternoon everyone was once again gathered as Jaz and Micah went back to the ceremonial clearing to find out what powers they had. As they walked back to the fire pit, the me was gone, but as soon as they touched the ck stone, a new me appeared.

    The me was half orange and half yellow. They watched as it began swirling around until it was so big that it wrapped itself around them. Micah stared in wonder at Jaz. He felt something happening but didn''t know what. The couple looked at each other when the me returned to the pit.

    Jazlyn felt something transpiring inside of her. She was trembling and suddenly flew into the air with her arms spread wide. Micah was worried, but he couldn''t do anything. He watched as a lightning bolt came from nowhere and zapped her. Jaz slowly came back to the ground and held her hand out. There was an electric current running between her fingertips. She closed her fist, and a lightning bolt appeared in her hand. She threw it, and when it hit a tree in the distance, the tree split in half.

    "I can also touch someone with my hand, and it will send an electric current through their body." Jazlyn was amazed as she felt the weird current running through her.

    "That''s awesome," Micah said. He would never admit it, but he was a little scared to touch her.

    "Don''t worry. I won''t use it on you." Jaz said as she giggled at his expression. Micah was getting ready to answer, but he suddenly floated into the air. He was shocked. He''d hoped he would get the ability to fly but didn''t think it would actually happen. He felt something going on with his hand and waved it back and forth. He and Jaz gasped as arge boulder moved from one side of the clearing to the other with just the wave of his hand. Hended next to her with a huge grin on his face.

    "I can fly with everyone else now." He said happily.

    "Of course, that''s what you would focus on when you can move boulders with a flick of the wrist." He leaned down and gave her a kiss.

    "Hey, I''m just d I can fly with you now."

    *"Micah, I need you to shift so I can see what I can do,"* Rocky said.

    "Rocky wants me to shift into him so he can see what abilities he has." Jaz nodded, and Micah quickly took his clothes off and shifted into Rocky. He was now a white tiger with ck stripes like Legend. He was also able to glide through the air and teleport like Legend.

    *"I think with Legend and me having the same power, we will have to teleport our mates somewhere quickly during the fight."* He shifted back to Micah so they could go see the others. "Rocky''s beautiful. He''s incredible no matter what color he is." Rocky purred in appreciation. He was a little sad at no longer being orange, but after hearing their mate, he felt better.

    They flew out of the clearing as Anna and Kamryn had done a few days prior. Everyone pped as theynded.

    "Well, little brother, it looks like you got your wings," Kamryn said as they approached them.

    "Yeah, but look at this." Micah pointed to a boulder and moved it a few feet to the right.

    "That''s amazing," Anna said. "What about you, Jaz?"

    Jazlyn opened her palm, and everyone saw the electric current running between her fingers. She then made a fist, and a lightning bolt appeared. She threw it at the boulder Micah had moved, and it split it in half. "I can also shock people with the touch of my hand." She said, and everyone gasped.

    "Rocky has the same abilities as Legend, and he''s also now white," Micah said, looking at his brother.

    "You four are extremely gifted. Micah and Jaz, if I had to guess, you will also be pregnant right away. I think it will take your six powers to beat what''sing. Each of you has been given a color of the rainbow me. Anna purple, Kamryn green, Micah orange, and Jaz yellow. Your children will probably be given red and blue. The power of six will have the biggest battle of all. You six will be the only ones that can defeat the monstrosity that set this in motion."

    The two couples stared at each other in astonishment at Stanley''s words. The fate of the tigers and Spirit Energy was resting in their hands. They all felt the burden of the responsibility but knew they would rise up to the challenge. They will protect their families.

 Chapter 30 - The Palace

    Santi was getting an update from the wolfpack when the ground shook under him. He was confused because Kamryn and Anna had already marked each other. He put his phone back to his ear to finish getting the update.

    "So you found out that Elsie was stripped of being a witch and sent without her memory to a cabin in a forest somewhere. Did you find anything else out?" Santi asked Gary who was the alpha of the ck Mist Pack. "My man on the ground said the tiger brother mated with another witch at Spirit Energy. So far, that''s all we have." Gary wasn''t working with Santi because he wanted to. It was because he was scared of him. He had never met anyone so evil, and he hoped once they were done helping him, they would never see him again.novelbin

    Santi thought about what Gary said and understood what it meant. If Micah mated with a witch from Spirit Energy, that''s where the rumble came from. They may not be as powerful as Kamryn and Anna, but they would still be more powerful than other couples. He was d the tigers had no other princes because it would open the door for the power of six. That was the only thing that could stop him. Four of them would put up a good fight, but six would end him. "Keep me posted on any new developments, and let me know if there is any news on where they sent Elsie. She may still prove useful after all." Gary rolled his eyes.

    "Will do." Santi disconnected the call. So the tigers and witches wereing together. They were mistaken if they thought they could overpower his army with two power couples. Heughed as he thought about making Randal bow to him before killing him. He would make all of them bow to him and pick them off one by one.

    Jazlyn looked at Micah with wide eyes. Pregnant? Stanley said that she would most likely be pregnant. She''d only met Micah three days ago. They''d already mated, but having a baby was something she wasn''t expecting so soon. "Jaz, are you okay?" Micah asked, noticing she hadn''t said anything for a while. Was all of these changes too fast for her?

    "I''m just trying to process everything. Are you okay having a baby when we have only known each other for a few days?" She looked up at him and saw he was smiling at her.

    "I''m fine with having a little cub. Besides, it sounds like our cubs are going to be needed for the fight. Do you not want to have one with me?" Micah was slightly hurt. They were mated now, so it was natural to have a cub.

    "Of course, I want to have one with you. I was thinking this was all moving way too fast. You''re right. The babies are needed. It''s going to take me a while to call him or her a cub." She put her arms around her mate and hugged him. "We need to try and keep the information about your pregnancies quiet. If this thing attacks before the babies are born, we won''t be able to defeat them. We are too out in the open here, so I suggest you go to the pce. I''m going to ask Randal to restrict the peopleing in and out. We will be going with you as well. By having us there, we can help pick up the energies of those who may be working with someone from the outside." Stanley looked between the two couples, who all nodded.

    Even though their coven didn''t have a leader, so to speak, they often looked to Stanley and Caprice as the unspoken leaders. They are the only couple that was pure Spirit Energy.

    "Dad, do you think we''ll be safe anywhere? What if there are already others besides Melita working inside the pce?" Anna asked, worried about putting anyone in danger. Kamryn put his arm around her feeling her anxiety.

    "I think it''s the safest ce due to being able to limit ess to you. I would love to keep you here, far away from this fight, but with us having no security other than our magic, I don''t think it will be enough. Making sure the four of you and your cubs are safe is my priority right now." Stanley looked at Caprice, Maura, and Bryson, who were all nodding in agreement.

    "Whatever you think is best, we''ll follow your lead," Kamryn said.

    "Alright, let me call Randal, and we''ll prepare to leave tonight." To Anna''s surprise, the entire coven was going with them. They weren''t staying at the pce, but they would be nearby. The two couples, Anna''s parents and Jaz''s parents, were the only ones going to stay at the pce. The others would be helping with taking turns securing the area. Those of Spirit Energy could fly, so they would be able to see more than those on the ground.

    "They''ll be here tonight," Randal said to Lynn. Both had been worried out of their minds about their sons and their mates.

    "Thank goodness. It''ll be nice having them all under our roof." It had only been about a week since she saw her children, but it felt like an eternity to Lynn.

    Later that night, they were standing on the roof of the pce, watching the sky. Lynn and Randal knew that Kamryn could fly now, but they hadn''t had a chance to talk to Micah to learn about his new abilities. However, Stanley told them they would be flying to them.

    They both gasped when they saw what looked like hundreds of birdsing their way. As they got closer, they realized it was the witches. They stared in disbelief as the witches scattered, going in different directions. Only eight wereing toward them.

    Once they were close enough to make them out, they saw both Kamryn and Micah flying with their mates. Lynn put her hand over her mouth as she watched her sons flying as though they''d been doing it their entire lives. When theynded, she and Randal were too stunned to move.

    "Mom, dad, are you okay?" Kamryn asked, trying to hide his chuckle. He was sure seeing all those witches in the air was a sight. He was amazed, flying next to them. They both snapped out of it and ran to him and Micah.

    "Yes, we weren''t prepared to see you both flying. It was incredible." Lynn said, hugging Kamryn and then Anna. "It''s so good to see you both."

    "Mom, dad, this is my mate Jazlyn," Micah said proudly. They turned to the beautiful blonde girl who was blushing.

    "It''s nice to meet you, Jazlyn. Wee to the pce." Lynn said as she hugged her and Micah.

    "Thank you," Jaz said.

    "I''m Stanley, and this is my mate Caprice. This is Maura and Bryson, Jaz''s parents." After they all shook hands, everyone headed inside.

    "You don''t have any bags with you?" Lynn asked, noticing no one was carrying anything. She saw them all smile.

    "Mom, Micah, and I have learned that when you need something, it''s there. Our things are already in our rooms." She looked at Kamryn in disbelief. How could that be true? She hadn''t shown the parents where they were staying. However, when they got to the rooms she had prepared for them, there was luggage inside.

    "Amazing." She said. Caprice smiled at her and took her hands in hers.

    "I wanted to thank you for being so kind to Anna when she didn''t know who she was. She speaks highly of both you and Randal." Lynn looked toward Anna, who smiled at her.

    "She may not have had her memory, but she was delightful. Everyone that met her loved her. We could feel the powering from her and Kamryn when they were together. That told us they were meant to be together. However, we didn''t know that she was the one he was arranged to mate with. Despite the reason you havee here, I''m d we have this time to get to know each other." Lynn hugged Caprice. She liked her immediately.

    Once everyone was in their rooms, Anna walked around her and Kamryn''s room. It felt weird being back, even though it hadn''t been that long. This time she was mated to Kamryn and was pregnant. She walked into the closet and saw the clothes that Jeana had put there when someone had torn up her other clothes. She was sure now that it had been Melita that did that deed.

    "What''s going through that mind of yours? You seem restless." Kamryn walked up to Anna and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She sighed and leaned against him.

    "I am restless. There''s so much going on, and I feel we need to do more, but I don''t know what." She turned around to hug him.

    "Let''s take a bath. Maybe you can rx a little. We''ll meet with everyone in the morning and go over the n. I''m going to have your parents talk to each person in the pce. Hopefully, we''ll know if anyone else is working for this person." Anna nodded and pulled him to the bathroom.

    "Sounds good to me. I''ve missed this big bathtub." They took a long hot bath, talking about their cub and the future. Neither wanted to think about the uing battle.

    Finally, the brothers returned with their mates. Now she had something to tell Santi. She wasn''t pleased with being one of his informants, but he was paying her a lot of money. Besides, she needed to look out for herself. The royals had everything, and it was time for the tables to turn. She picked up the phone and called the secret number. Maybe this information would get her an even bigger payday.

 Chapter 31 - Bad Energy

    The next morning before breakfast, everyone was meeting in the king and queen''s office. They had a sizeable conference-like area off the main office that could seat the two young couples and all the parents.

    "Thank you all for meeting with us this morning before we eat. Kamryn and I spoke, and we have a favor to ask of you. Could you meet with each of our staff inside the pce and tell us who you think may be hiding something? We also agreed it''s best to keep the news of the pregnancies quiet." Randal looked between Anna''s and Liz''s parents.

    "Yes, we can do that, and we agree keeping the pregnancies quiet is imperative. We''ll split everyone up so we can get through them quickly. I think we should keep any new people froming in as well." Stanley said, taking the lead. Everyone nodded in agreement.

    "I''ll tell the staff that you will be staying here for a while and are interested in understanding what they do. That way, they won''t be suspicious. I have a list of everyone, so you can let me know if anyone refuses to speak with you." Randal pulled out the list and gave one to each of them.

    "Thank you. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help." Caprice said as she nced over the list. She recognized a few of the names from Anna talking about her first time at the pce.novelbin

    They all left the office and headed toward the dining hall. Breakfast wasn''t a big affair like dinner was, but there were still quite a few people there. Stanley didn''t like having all those people in there, but he soon realized they were the staff. The tigers were different than any other royals he''d met. Not many would eat with those who worked for them.

    Anna looked around as she ate. Thest time she was in that room was when Elsie was there and made themotion to try to get Kamryn to mate with her. That made her think about Melita. "Do you think we can talk to Melita?" She asked Kamryn quietly.

    "Why do you want to talk to her?" He asked in confusion. He had no desire to see Melita with what she did to Anna.

    "I want to see if we can get her to talk. I have some magic that I may be able to use to help loosen her tongue." She smiled at him, and he chuckled.

    "Well, today is her eighteenth birthday. How about we go wish her happy birthday?" He said, whispering in her ear. Anna giggled, feeling his warm breath tickling her.

    "Yes, I think a birthday surprise is in order." They went back to their meal with their minds made up.

    Jazlyn was ying with her food, not really hungry. She felt restless, and there was a knot in her stomach that something was going to go wrong. Micah could feel her worry and took her hand.

    "What''s wrong?" Rocky had just confirmed they were having a cub the night before. Jaz hadn''t had any pregnancy symptoms yet, but she believed him. He was worried that she was upset about the cub.

    "Honestly, I don''t know. I have this feeling in my gut that something is wrong. I can''t put my finger on it, but it started this morning. I''m scared, but I don''t know what I''m scared of." She said, leaning against him as he put his arm around her shoulders. Having Micah''s warmth and Rocky purring helped but didn''t make the feeling go away.

    "Try to do what I know you''re good at. Focus on the feeling and try to pinpoint it. See if you can tell if it''s a person or another energy." Jaz had shown him how she picked up on the slightest energy that wasn''t right when they were still at the

    coven.

    She nodded and tried to concentrate. Jaz let everything else slip away, and her mind focused only on the energy causing the disturbance in her. When she pinpointed it, she opened her eyes and leaned toward Micah.

    "It''s a person, and they''re in here with us now. Their energy is dark, and they mean us harm." She mindlinked him, knowing that Tiger''s hearing was above average and she didn''t want the person hearing them.

    *"Mom, dad Jaz is picking up dark energy from someone in the dining hall. Can we keep everyone here so they can meet with Stanley, Caprice, Maura, and Bryson?"* He looked toward his parents, who nced around the dining hall. Besides their family, everyone else was staff that had been with them for years. If one of them betrayed them, it would be a true surprise.

    *"Of course, son,"* Randal said while standing up. He mindlinked the guards and told them to shut the doors, not letting anyone out until he said so. Micah and Jaz quickly whispered to the others what was going on.

    "Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us for breakfast this morning. We have some guests that will be with us for a while, and I wanted to give them a chance to meet each of you. Please stay with us while theye around to introduce themselves." Randal made it sound like a request, but everyone noticed the guards at the doors.

    Stanley, Caprice, Maura, and Bryson stood up and began heading to the other tables. The others stayed where they were and watched as they made their rounds. Anna turned to Kamryn.

    "I feel what Jaz felt. Someone in here doesn''t want us here. Do you notice anyone looking off from their usual demeanor?" She asked him quietly.

    Kamryn looked around, trying to appear nonchnt. He studied each person that was interacting with others and those that were keeping to themselves. So far, he didn''t see anyone acting abnormally.

    Stanley and Caprice were talking to Jeana, and they could tell she liked Anna. She hadn''t had a chance to meet Jaz yet, but nothing wasing from her that was insincere. Elene was sitting with her, and she joined in on the conversation. They also felt she was being honest when they spoke with her.

    Both couples made their way through the tables and the people, and so far, no one was showing any animosity. When they got to thest one, it was more of the same. Most people hadn''t had a chance to meet Anna or Jaz, and they picked up nothing concerning. They returned to the table feeling defeated.

    "We didn''t get anything bad off anyone. Do you still feel it, Jaz?" Maura asked her daughter.

    "Yes. It''s almost making me feel sick." She answered, holding onto Micah.

    "I feel it too. Someone is upset with us and doesn''t want us here. You''re sure you talked to everyone?" Anna asked, ncing around the room. She then thought of something. "You spoke to everyone at the tables, but did you talk with the guards."

    Everyone looked at the four men standing at the two entrances. There were eight guards in total in the room. Randal and Lynn looked at each other in shock.

    "Our guards are our most dependable staff. Please talk with them. We want to know immediately if one of them is not trustworthy." Randal said with concern.

    The two couples went over to the guards and spoke with them. For the most part, they picked up nothing but good energy. However, when Stanley and Caprice reached thest guard, they almost had to step back. He was smiling, but the hate wasing off him in waves.

    "Hello, my name is Caprice, and this is my mate, Stanley. We''re Anna''s parents. We''ll be staying here for a while, and we just wanted to introduce ourselves." They both smiled at the guard.

    "It''s nice to meet you. My name is Lucas. I''ve never had any interactions with the next queen." The way he said next queen gave them both concern. They saw him nce in their daughter''s direction and felt the resentment aimed at her. "Have a nice day Lucas," Stanley said, pulling his wife away from the guard. They needed to let Randal know before Lucas did something to Anna. When they got to the table, everyone looked at them expectantly.

    "It''s Lucas. The hate we felt from him directed at Anna was overwhelming." Caprice said. Lynn looked at Randal.

    "We should have known. He was the one Melita was always trying to hang around with. I never thought about it because our guards know we don''t allow fraternizing. I''ll mindlink the others to hold him." They all looked toward the area Lucas was standing and gasped. He was gone.

 Chapter 32 - Interrogating Melita

    "Where''s Lucas?" Randal demanded of the guard standing at the door where Lucas had been.

    "He said he needed to step out for a minute," Calvin said, wondering why everyone was looking for Lucas.

    "I want all the guards to search for Lucas now. Do not mindlink him to let him know you''re looking for him. I don''t want to spook him. If you find him bring him to me immediately. Do not let him get away." Randal looked at the seven guards in the room, who all looked at each other in shock. They had to hunt one of their own? They took off to search the pce.

    "You don''t think he would let Melita out, do you?" Kamryn asked his dad.

    "He better not, but let''s go to the cells to be sure." The group ran to the cells, and their worst fear was realized. The cell holding Melita was empty, and the door was open.

    "We''ll alert the witches outside the pce to be on the lookout for them," Stanley said. He, Caprice, Maura, and Bryson were gone before anyone else had time to blink.

    "We have to find them before they do something stupid," Kamryn said, putting his arm around Anna. He was worried Melita woulde after her again.

    *"Kamryn, I believe Melita no longer has her tiger. I can pick up Melita''s scent, but not Asha''s."* Legend sniffed again and couldn''t pick up any tiger scent.

    "Legend says Melita no longer has her tiger. She had to have some pretty wicked thoughts to lose her tiger before her eighteenth birthday." Kamryn said as everyone stared at him in surprise.

    "What does it take for a tiger to leave their human?" Anna asked.

    "If the tiger disagrees with the choices or actions of the human, they can leave. It usually has to be really bad for them to take that course. However, sometimes the tiger is just as bad as the human. In that case, they are some of the evilest beings you''ll ever meet." Anna shuddered, thinking about the human and animal being rotten to the core.

    *"King, someone saw Lucas and Melita sneaking out the door on the North side of the pce."* One of the guards mindlinked Randal.

    "They saw Melita and Lucas on the north side of the pce. Let''s go." Luckily they were already on that side, so they ran to the door that led to one of the gardens. They stopped in their tracks as they walked outside. Melita and Lucas were there, but so were Stanley and Caprice. They obviously had spells on the other two because they were frozen in ce, unable to move, but their mouths were working.

    "Let us go, you sick freaks. You have no authority over us. I''m the princess, and he''s a royal guard." Melita screamed. She hadn''t noticed the others who had joined them.

    "You''re wrong on both ounts. You are no longer a princess, and Lucas is no longer a guard." Randal said as they walked the rest of the way into the garden.

    "How can you do this to me? I am your daughter. You''re supposed to protect me." Melita said as she red at the only parents, she''d ever known. However, she felt no love toward them. She felt nothing other than resentment for not giving her what was hers as a princess.

    "You lost the right to call yourself our daughter the minute you kidnapped and tortured Anna," Lynn said, looking at her son''s mate. Melita looked at her as well and spit in her direction.

    "That bitch isn''t worthy to lick the dirt off my shoes." She said, looking at the little witch with distaste. Anna had enough of her mouth. She walked over and looked her in the eyes.

    "I understand you lost your tiger, so any pain you feel won''t heal as quickly. Do you still have the cattle prod?" Anna asked, giving her a bone-chilling grin.

    "I don''t need my tiger. I''m stronger than all of you put together without her. You can''t hurt me. My parents and brothers won''t allow it." Melita looked at Micah and Kamryn, giving them her best pout that used to work when she was little. When Kamryn smiled, she thought maybe it had worked, but he looked down at Anna.

    "You have my blessing to punish her however you see fit for how she hurt you." He said, and Melita''s face fell. She then looked angrily at Anna.

    "You touch me, and you die, you stupid little good-for-nothing bitch." Everyone gasped when they heard the loud smack. Anna was tired of hearing that earsplitting annoying voice. She''d pped her with all the force she could muster. It was enough to snap her head to the side.

    "You need to learn to shut your mouth," Anna said softly. Everyone was still staring at the sweet witch who looked like she wouldn''t hurt a fly. Kamryn was the most shocked and proud of all. His little mate could hold her own. "You...you..how dare you? I''ll end you if you every another hand on me." The second p was just as loud as the first.

    "I guess you didn''t learn your lesson. If you keep talking, I keep pping. Do you have anything else to say?" Anna asked.

    "Mom, dad, are you going to let her do this to me? She is nothing." Anna looked toward Lynn and Randal, who were both ring at Melita.

    "You kidnapped, poisoned, and tortured her. You''re lucky all she''s doing is pping you right now. If I were her, I would be doing a lot more." Lynn said with ice in her voice. Anna turned to Kamryn.

    "Are you ready for our talk with Melita?" She asked, winking at him, and he smiled. He remembered what she said about making her talk.

    "Yes. We''ll take her back to her cell while you deal with Lucas." Kamryn said, looking at his parents, who nodded. Anna went behind Melita and grabbed her by her hair. She yanked hard, making Melita fall backward, and then dragged her toward the cells while she screamed.

    "Son, whatever you do, don''t make Anna mad. I''m afraid she''de after us all." Randal said, watching in amazement as his son''s mate pulled the screaming Melita as though it was nothing. Kamrynughed.

    "You said that right." Stanley and Caprice were beaming with pride at their daughter. She always fooled people with her gentle innocent nature, but in reality, Anna would fight like a rattlesnake if someone hurt her or someone she loved. Anna ignored Melita as she dragged her through the door and down the hall. When they got to the cell, Anna picked her up and threw her inside, where she hit the wall hard, falling to the ground. Kamryn came up next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

    "I love you," He said before kissing her. Anna giggled against his lips.

    "I love you too, but where did thate from?" She asked, looking up at him with a smile.

    "You''re tiny, but you''re the fiercest person I know." Kamryn still couldn''t believe how she had handled Melita. He looked into the cell and saw her ring at them from the floor.

    "Sweetheart, I think it''s time you make the bitch in the cage talk." He said while nuzzling her ear. Anna turned to Melita with a smirk.

    "dly," She said as she raised her hands in Melita''s direction. She muttered a few words that Kamryn couldn''t make out.

    Melita wondered what on earth the stupid witch was doing. Did she really think she would get her to talk with some hocus pocus magic trick? As she was ring at Anna, something started happening to her. Melita''s tongue felt tingly. She also had a strange warmth wash over her body, making her feel sleepy and rxed.

    "We have some questions for you," Anna said in her soft, soothing voice. Melita smiled and nodded. She felt really good and couldn''t remember why she had been so angry.

    "Okay," She said as Kamryn watched in disbelief.novelbin

    "Why do you want to hurt me?" Anna asked.

    "You shouldn''t be mates with Kamryn; I should be his mate. I''m a tiger, and you''re just a witch. He''s supposed to be mine. I knew from the time I was thirteen that he would choose me to be his queen."

    "What did you do to lose your tiger?" Anna asked, still speaking softly.

    "She didn''t want me to hurt you. She wanted me to find our real mate and leave Kamryn alone. Most of all, she didn''t like the things he wanted us to do." Anna and Kamryn exchanged a look. Who was she talking about?

    "Who was asking you to do bad things?" Anna held her breath, hoping she would answer. Melita smiled.

    "Santi, he promised I would be queen."

 Chapter 33 - The Evil Brother

    "Who is Santi?" Anna asked, ncing at Kamryn, who was looking at Melita in confusion.

    "He''s the puppet master pulling all the strings. He''s the rightful king, and Randal is a cheap knockoff. One day he will be king and then hand over the throne to me so I can be queen. Kamryn could have been by my side, but he chose the witch instead. So now everyone must die." Melita''s eyes were too heavy to stay awake any longer, and she went into a deep, peaceful sleep. Anna shut the cell door, ensuring it was locked, and then she and Kamryn started heading back to the others.

    "Do you know who Santi is?" She asked Kamryn.

    "I remember hearing the name a long time ago, but I don''t know why. Let''s ask my parents." He put his arms around Anna feeling a sudden chill down his spine. Something was telling him this may be worse than they feared. When they got back to the garden, the others were questioning Lucas. He was still standing frozen in ce, ring at Stanely and Caprice.

    "I don''t have to answer your questions." He said to Stanley.

    "Yes, you do. Why do you not like those from Spirit Energy?" Randal asked loudly. He was done with this defiant guard. When they were done with him, he would go to the dungeons.

    "Melita said they wereing here to take over the kingdom. She said they have a special magic to make our tigers leave us. Melita''s tiger left her because this stupid little witch ced a spell on her." Lucas said, looking at Anna with disdain. "I didn''t put a spell on her. Her tiger left because Melita was nning evil deeds. If your bad but you''re tiger is good, they will leave you. Ask your tiger. I''m sure he''ll tell you the same." Anna looked at him through narrowed eyes. Daring him to challenge her.

    "It doesn''t matter. You have no right to be here." Lucas said, ignoring both Anna and his tiger.

    "Where were you and Melita going when you broke her free?" Lynn asked.

    "She said there was someone that would help us get rid of the witches once we got outside of the pce." Lucas was tired of fighting. He wanted to forget all this and go back to being normal again.

    "Did she tell you who this person was?" Randal asked, motioning for the other guards toe. He was ready for Lucas to be taken away.

    "No, but she said he was powerful. Can you let me go now so I can get back to work?" He asked, looking at the king.

    "I''m letting you go, but not back to work. You''re being sentenced to serve time in the dungeons. I haven''t decided how long yet." Lucas'' face fell.

    "You can''t send me there. I didn''t do anything that harsh." He tried arguing as two guards grabbed his arms.novelbin

    "You freed Melita and attempted to help her escape. Something else came to mind as well. You were assigned to search the dungeons when Anna was missing, yet you said no one was there. Obviously, you were covering for Melita and assisted in the torture of your future queen. That deserves time in the dungeon, if not death." Lucas was speechless. He didn''t think they would find out about him not searching the dungeons.

    "I didn''t know what she was doing." He said in a weak defense.

    "That''s not important. You were insubordanent. Take him away now. I''ll let you know your punishmentter. Right now, I have more pressing matters." Randal turned away from him as the guards dragged him away.

    "Anna, my dear, you can be quite scary when someone makes you mad," Randal said, and she smiled at him sweetly.

    "Only when I have to be," She said with a slight blush.

    "Did you kids get anything from Melita?" Lynn asked.

    "She said the person behind this is Santi. Why does that name sound familiar?" Kamryn asked, looking between his parents, who looked like they''d seen a ghost.

    "Let''s go to our office and talk," Randal said quietly.

    Kamryn, Anna, Micah, Jaz, Stanley, Caprice, Maura, and Bryson followed the royal couple. Once they were in the conference room, Randal looked around at them with regret in his eyes.

    "Santi is my brother." Everyone gasped, looking at each other in surprise.

    "I didn''t know you had a brother," Kamryn said quietly.

    "I know. He left the pce when you were about three years old. Let me tell you what happened. Santi and I are twins. He was born about five minutes before I was. Our parents had initially nned on handing the throne over to him as, technically, he was the oldest child. However, as we got older, they discovered that Santi wasn''t fit to be king. He enjoyed torturing others. He thought even the slightest misdeed was worthy of torture and death. My dad took the title of the crowned prince from him and gave it to me." Randal took a deep breath.

    "As you know, shifters can live for hundreds of years. Yet my parents came down with an illness that ended in their deaths when I was just eighteen. I thought it was a rare disease that killed them, but a few yearster, I discovered that Santi was practicing ck magic. Yes, he''s a weretiger, but somehow he was given the gift of magic. I asked him to stop, and he told me he had never used it for anything, so he agreed. I suspect he killed our parents in retaliation for taking the throne from him."

    "When Micah was a year old and Kamryn was three, I received a plea for help from a family of tigers living outside the pce. When I went to investigate, they said someone stating they were the king had taken their eighteen-year-old daughter away. They said the man looked somewhat like me but was ugly. I knew it was Santi; he was ugly inside and out." He nced around the table, and everyone was hanging on his every word.

    "I used every resource I had at my disposal to find where Santi had gone. When we found him a few dayster, he was in an area that wasn''t far from a human town. He was in arge house with dozens of people. Santi had used ck magic on the women to do whatever he wanted. The things I saw there disgusted me. He had shifters and humans performing sex acts on each other, some in their animal forms. I had a witch I''d taken with me undo the ck magic that Santi had put on everyone, and she made them forget what happened. She also ced a spell on Santi, binding him from using ck magic. He could only get out of the spell if he had a witch, a human, a werewolf, a werebear, and a werecat as willing sacrifices. The key is they have to be willing, not forced. I then banned him from the country and sent him away. I haven''t heard from him since."

    "Where did you send him?" Micah asked.

    "I sent him to a deserted ind. However, he could leave, but he wasn''t allowed toe back into this country. He tried once, but I found out and sent him back to the ind again. I had thought he had learned his lesson. He was one of the reasons I wanted to have an arranged mating between Kamryn and Spirit Energy. I never thought you and Anna would be fated mates. I also didn''t think the current issues were rted to him because he''d been quiet for so long." Randal was internally kicking himself for not putting two and two together.

    "So what does this mean exactly? What does he think he''ll gain by attacking us?" Kamryn asked, looking at his dad with concern.

    "Most likely, he thinks he can kill us all and be king. Santi believes he is the rightful king as the older brother. I can''t imagine he has found others to willingly sacrifice themselves for him to get his magic back. We shouldn''t take any chances in the event he has, though. If he has sacrifices, his magic will be lethal." Randal said in warning.

    "I don''t understand why he would want Melita? Why risk getting someone that was so close to our family and could turn him in at any time?" Micah asked and saw his parents exchange a look.

    "Melita is his daughter."

 Chapter 34 - Another Spy

    "What do you mean Melita is his daughter? She was dropped off when she was two, wasn''t he already gone by that time?" Kamryn asked in confusion.

    "He was, but her mother was still here. Santi had found his mate and did nothing but abuse her. She ended up pregnant. We tried to help her, but seeing Melita was a constant reminder of who her father was. So she asked us to take care of her. We took her in and agreed to raise her as though she was our own. We didn''t want her to know who her father was, and we didn''t think Santi knew he had a daughter. It appears we were wrong." Randal said, feeling older than his fifty years.

    "So if Santi has these people willing to sacrifice themselves for him, the only way we can beat him is with our new powers and our cubs'' powers?" Micah asked, holding Jaz''s hand.

    "Yes, the power of six is the only way to take down his dark magic. As you know, there is always an antidote to ck magic. The power of six will be the only one to beat someone that powerful." Stanley answered. He wondered how Santi received magical gifts, but Randal didn''t get any. Was there something else in y here that they were missing?

    "Can you please finish interviewing the staff so we know if there are any other bad eggs in the pce? Now that I know Santi is involved, we will cut down to the bare minimum of staff once you''re done. I don''t want him trying to get to anyone else here." He looked at Anna''s and Jaz''s parents, who all nodded.

    "Yes, we''ll get started on that right away. I''m d we got through so many people today at breakfast. That was about a fourth of those on the list. We''ll split up in pairs so we can get through the rest and let you know our findings." The two sets of parents quickly left the office to begin their interviews.

    "Anna, Jaz, how are you holding up?" Lynn asked, feeling for the two young expectant mothers. They had both been through a lot in an extremely short amount of time.

    "I''m good. Everything ising at us fast, but I don''t think either of us would change anything." Anna said, looking at Jazlyn to see if she agreed.

    "A week ago, I was still mourning my mate rejecting me, and now I''m mated and pregnant. I couldn''t wish for anything better, no matter what happens." Jaz answered, looking at Micah with a small smile.

    "We want to keep your pregnancies a secret until you can no longer hide them. Even then, we''ll limit the people around you. I''m going to ask Jeana to design clothes for each of you that can help cover your growing bellies. I don''t want to give Santi any reason to strike early." Randal looked at the two young women, who nodded.

    "Why don''t you all go to your rooms, and we''ll make sure you have everything you need. I want to keep you from everyone until your parents have had time to speak to the staff," said Lynn. The two couples got up and went to their rooms, leaving the king and queen alone.

    "I never imagined Santi was behind all of this. I can''t believe he has found willing sacrifices. He had to have done something to them to make them volunteer." Randal sat down in a chair and sighed. Lynn walked behind him to rub his shoulders.

    "We''ll get him, dear. No one is going to threaten this family and get away with it." Lynn said with confidence. She had faith in the power of their sons with their mates and unborn cubs.

    Why were those witches and warlocks going around the pce to talk to people? The spy was nervous when she heard they were talking to each person within the pce. She knew they had to be looking for something. She was so scared she had to stay hidden. They would definitely know she was hiding something.

    She crept behind a pir as she watched two of them speaking with two of the guards that weren''t in the dining hall for breakfast. She tried to listen to what they were saying, but she didn''t want to let herself be seen. She had to get a message to Santi that Spirit Energy was up to something. As she turned to go in the opposite direction, she almost ran directly into Stanley and Caprice. How did they get there so fast? She had just seen them standing next to the guards. "Hi, I''m Stanley, and this is Caprice. Can we talk to you for a minute?" He asked with a smile.

    "Why do you want to talk to me?" She asked, letting her fear show.

    "We''re talking to everyone. We want to meet the pce staff to understand what everyone does and see if there is anything we can do to help." Answered Caprice. Something was telling her the woman in front of them was up to no good. Everyone else they spoke to had been nervous but loosened up after a few minutes. This woman seemed terrified.

    "I don''t need any help." She started to leave, but they stopped her.

    "What''s your role here?" Stanley asked.

    "I''m an attendant. I help people who stay here to ensure their needs are met." Caprice and Stanley shared a look. Something was off about this woman.

    "We haven''t seen you around. Are you assigned to specific people?" Caprice asked and saw her eyes start to dart around.novelbin

    "No. I help anyone who stays here. I just haven''t had a chance to check in with you yet." She started backing up, but they moved so quickly, blocking her in ce, that she didn''t see iting.

    "Why are you trying to leave? Do we scare you?" Stanley asked when he saw her shaking.

    "Why would I be scared?" She asked, not sounding convincing.

    "That''s what we want to know. How about youe to the royal office with us?" Caprice said, moving closer to her.

    "I can''t. I''m busy right now." She said, shrinking back further into the corner.

    "I''m sorry, but we weren''t giving you a choice." Stanley grabbed her arm and began pulling her toward the office.

    "You can''t do this to me. You have no authority over the people here." She tried to pull free, but he held her arm so tight it wouldn''t budge. Thest thing she wanted to do was see the king and queen. "We have orders from the king," Caprice said calmly as the young woman fought to be let go.

    "Somebody help me. They are taking me against my will. Get these freaks off of me now." She yelled at anyone they passed. However, no one paid any attention to her. She started crying the closer they got to the royal office. She couldn''t see the king and queen. They would never forgive her. She knew they would throw her in the dungeon with Lucas.

    Caprice felt the fear rolling off the girl in waves, but that wasn''t the only thing she felt. She was sending deceptive energy. Caprice and Stanley both strongly thought she was another spy. When they had been interrogating the guards, they had felt another energy nearby. Something told them the person was trying to hide. It only took a few seconds to find her.

    When they got to the royal office, Stanley knocked on the door, only going in when he heard Randal grant permission. He pulled the woman into the office with no problem, even with her fighting him every step of the way.

    Lynn and Randal looked at each other in shock. Why was Stanley bringing her into their office, and why was she crying. They saw the look of fear on the woman''s face.

    "What''s going on?" Randal asked with confusion.

    "We have found another spy," Caprice said and saw the disbelief on the royal couple''s faces.

    "What? That can''t be. Are you sure?" Lynn asked, feeling the hurt wash over her.

    "Yes. We have no doubt. She won''t tell us who she is other than an attendant for outside visitors." Stanley said, looking between the woman and the couple. Lynn spoke with outrage in her voice.

    "Her name is Renata. She''s my assistant. She makes sure everyone''s needs are met, but she also knows everything that goes on in the pce. We have always treated her like family."

 Chapter 35 - Surprise Visitor

    "Renata, is this true?" Randal asked, looking at the woman who he could tell was terrified.

    "I don''t know what they''re talking about. You know I would never betray you." Renata couldn''t meet their eyes as she spoke, and Lynn walked up to her with fury coursing through her veins, knowing the girl was lying. "How could you do this to us? What have you told Santi?" She asked as Renata tried to slink away.

    "I...I...he said he would pay me a lot of money if I told him what was going on in the pce. I told him about the arranged mating between Kamryn and Spirit Energy. I also told him about when Kamryn went missing and then about Annaing back with him. I haven''t told him anything else." Renata said as she tried to get out of Stanley''s grip.

    "Guards," Randal yelled, and two men came rushing through the door. "Take her to the dungeons. Spread the word that anyone found to be a traitor or working with Santi will be ced in the dungeons. After you''re done, we''ll go over who will be asked to leave and who will stay."

    The guards took a crying Renata away. Lynn and Randal knew they needed to go through their staff with a fine tootb. She was thest person they would have thought would turn on them. If she had been swayed by a bit of money, they knew others may be talked into turning on them for less.

    "I''m sorry about your assistant. So far, everyone else we''ve talked to has been upfront, and there''s been no bad energy from them. We haven''t gotten through everyone yet. We''ll get back to work." Caprice said as she and Stanley went to finish their interviews.

    "I''m truly hurt that she would be the one to do this to us. What did we do to have these traitors among us? First Melita, then Lucas, and now Renata. Who''s next?" Lynn asked as she sat down in a chair.

    "We still have one other thing that we need to figure out," Randal said, knowing all the snakes in the pce haven''t been identified yet.

    "What''s that?" Lynn asked, already feeling a headacheing on.

    "We still don''t know who poisoned Kamryn and dumped him in the woods."

    Kamryn and Anna were lying on the couch in front of the firece. She couldn''t help feeling like something was wrong. There was an impending doom feeling around the pce that made her think there was somethingrger than Santi after them.

    "What''s on your mind?" Kamryn asked, and he pulled her closer liking the feel of his tiny mate against him.

    "I don''t believe Santi was able to suddenly do ck magic out of nowhere. There has to be something even more significant than him at y, but I don''t know what. Someone has to be backing him." Anna said, racking her brain, trying to figure out who could be that evil. Santi was angry because he wanted to be king. She knew something else was nning more than just taking over the throne.

    "Who or what would want him to take control of the kingdom, and for what purpose?" He asked, frowning behind her. If Anna felt this way, he knew she most likely was right. There was something more than Santi.

    "I don''t know, but I have a feeling when we have the battle, whatever it is will show itself. I''m scared that it wants us to use up our energy fighting Santi, so when we''re done with him, we''ll be weak, and they''ll be able to overpower us. We need to prepare even more than we''ve already been doing. Starting tomorrow, I want everyone to begin training to getfortable with their powers. I also want those of the pce that will be fighting with us to learn how to defend themselves against ck magic. Yes, Santi is a tiger, but he''s also not ying fair. We need to be prepared for many different scenarios." Anna tried to think of everything they could do to counter something that was an unknown threat to them. "Alright, my queen. We''ll do as you say." Kamryn kissed the back of her head and put his hand over her t tummy. He was anxious to feel the bump of their cub, which was an oue of their love for one another. Anna put her hand over his. "Our little cub will be here before we know it. The fate of all of us is dependent on him or her and their cousin." She said quietly.

    Santi was getting irritated. Everyone had gone silent in the pce. He knew Melita had been caught and put in a cell, but what about the rest? He needed to hear from someone to know what was going on with the two young couples. His sess was dependent on their failure. His phone started ringing, and when he looked down, he saw it was Gary.

    "Hey, alpha, what have you found out?" Santi asked him.

    "All of Spirit Energy has left their coven. It seems they have gone to the pce to assist in the battle. Also, we found Elsie, but we couldn''t take her away. There''s a spell around her that prevents her from leaving the area around the cabin she was put in. She doesn''t know who she is or remember that she was a witch." Gary rubbed his head in frustration. When would he be able to get out from under this madman? He wanted to go back to being the alpha of his pack. Now he and his men acted as though they worked for Santi.

    "Let me figure something out. I''ll find a way to get her out. So Spirit Energy thinks they can help their little witches in this fight. All it''s going to lead to is the destruction of their entire coven. Do you have anything else for me?" Santi sat at his desk and took a drink of his coffee, which was already getting cold.

    "That''s it for now. I''ll let you know if we find out anything else." Gary answered.

    "Alright, when I have ns in ce for Elsie, I''ll call you. At least we know where she is, and she can''t leave." Santi disconnected the call and dialed another number. He got a chill down his spine as soon as the person on the other end answered.

    "We''re getting close. We''ve found Elsie, and everything else is going as we predicted." Santi said to the one person that could make him shudder in fear.

    "Good. That''s what I want to hear. Soon it will all be ours, and the world won''t know what hit it." The gravelly voice on the other end said, making Santi''s blood run cold. When he hung up, he shivered. Santi couldn''t wait to kill that man when he was done with him. He thought he was pulling all the strings, but Santi would show him he wasn''t in charge of anything.

    Randal and Lynn were in their office when a guard came to the door stating they had an unexpected visitor. They were cautious of anyoneing into the pce for an unnned visit, so they decided to meet the person outside at the gate. They ran into Stanley and Caprice on the way.

    "We have a visitor. Would youe with us to see what they want?" Randal asked them.

    "Absolutely," Stanley answered, and they followed the royal couple to the entry. They saw a man standing behind the gate at the end of the long pathway as they walked outside. The four of them made their way to him, and they could tell he was nervous. He was tall and muscr with tan skin, ck hair, and eyes so dark they were almost ck.

    "Hello, I''m King Randal, and this is Queen Lte. Stanley and Caprice are from the Spirit Energy Coven. What can we do for you?" The man looked between the four people in front of him with fear evident on his face.novelbin

    "I have something to discuss with you, but we need to do it away from the pce. You have eyes and ears in there that can''t hear what I''m going to tell you." He looked at the four of them again.

    Stanley could feel fear and nervousness from the man, but nothing sinister. He felt whatever he was going to say was the truth. He looked toward Randal and nodded that it was okay. "Alright, but all four of us areing," Randal said, gauging the man''s reaction.

    "That''s fine, just none of your staff." He said with relief. He had been worried they would want him to go into the pce, and he didn''t know how many people inside could be trusted. Randal told the guards to wait at the gate. The four of them followed the man outside far enough away so no one could hear their conversation.

    "What''s your name?" Randal asked when they stopped.

    "My name is Gary, and I''m alpha of the ck Mist Pack."

 Chapter 36 - New Alliance

    "What can we do for you, Gary?" Randal asked. He wasn''t familiar with the ck Mist Pack.

    "I''m here to tell you that your brother Santi is nning an attack on you." Gary looked up, thinking he was revealing something they didn''t know, but he didn''t see any reaction from the other four. He assumed they knew someone was going to attack them, but he didn''t think they knew who that person was.

    "Yes, we know. We''ve already uncovered a few of his spies. How do you know this?" Randal asked, trying to figure out what the alpha''s intentions were.

    "He hired us to spy on Spirit Energy and some of the outside workings of the pce. When I say he hired us, he ckmailed the pack. He had taken one of our unmated she-wolves and refused to return her until we helped him. We recently learned that he killed her, so now there is nothing he can hold over our heads. Santi is evil, and we don''t want to see him win. He needs to be defeated. I wanted to speak out here because I know he has spies within the pce, but I don''t know who they all are. I didn''t want anyone telling him that I was here." Gary felt relieved to be finally getting this out.

    "Do you know what his n is and when he''s going to strike?" Stanley asked.

    "No, but I know he ns on doing something with the witch Elsie. He had us find her and try to bring her to him. We told him that she no longer was a witch and had no memory, but he didn''t care. He intends to get her out from under the spell holding her in ce." Gary answered.

    Stanley and Caprice looked at each other in shock. What could Santi want with Elsie, especially with her having no power anymore? It concerned them that he may somehow have learned a way to tap into her Spirit Energy power even with her not being able to use it. Anna may have stripped her from being a witch. However, it was still in her, just dormant.

    "Do you know anything about Santi other than he''s my brother?" Randal asked.

    "I know he was looking for sacrifices, and he says he has them all. I also believe there is someone above him pulling the strings, but he has never confirmed it." Gary had talked to Santi enough to know he wasn''t the sharpest knife in the drawer. There had to be someone telling him what to do.

    "Would you be willing to pretend to still work with Santi, but let us know what his ns are? It will be the best way for us to defeat him if we know some of his intentions." Randal asked, hoping the alpha would say yes.

    Gary thought about what the king had asked. He''d hoped to share what he knew and get away from the evil brother. However, he knew Santi wouldn''t let him off the hook so easily. It would be better to help the pce so they can put an end to Santi for good.

    "Alright, we''ll help you. Also, when Santi attacks, he ns to bring an army. When I questioned him about it, he said it was none of my business. I know he expects my pack to fight with him. If you want us to, we''ll show up with him, but when the fighting starts, we''ll fight against him. We have one of the best warrior packs in the area." Gary said proudly. Randal held his hand out, and Gary shook it with a small smile.

    "Thank you for helping us. You and your pack will be wee at the pce any time. Please let me know if there''s anything you need." Randal said wholeheartedly. He was d there were still some decent people in the world. "Thank you, king. I''ll let you know as soon as I have any information." After saying their goodbyes, Gary ran into the nearby forest. He shifted into his wolf Cyril so they could quickly get back to the packhouse.novelbin

    Gary sighed to himself as his wolf ran. He was a young alpha at twenty-five and had yet to meet his luna. He chuckled to himself. How crazy would it be if his luna was a weretiger or witch from Spirit Energy? Cyril let out a long howl. Gary didn''t care where their mate was from; he just hoped they met her soon.

    "Well, that was an interesting meeting," Lynn said as the four of them still stood outside the gates. They wanted to go over a few things before going back into the pce.

    "I agree. At least now Santi''s not the only one with spies. I like the alpha. He has a good heart, and it says something about him as alpha if they would go to these extremes for a she-wolf from their pack. Some packs we''ve dealt with could care less about losing a wolf unless they''re important." Stanley said, and the others agreed.

    "Let''s meet with everyone to give them an update, and then I have something official I want to do." Randal looked to Lynn, who nodded her agreement.

    They went inside the pce and rounded up the two young couples and Jazlyn''s parents. They all went to the conference room, where they updated everyone on what they had learned from Gary.

    "Did he want something in return?" Kamryn asked, automatically suspicious of anyone that showed up out of the blue.

    "No, he only wants us to defeat Santi, so he will stop taking advantage of his pack," Randal answered.

    "We picked up good energy from him. He was scared about meeting with all of us, but he was being honest." Stanley answered, looking at Anna.

    "If we know he''s trying to get Elsie for some reason, is there something we should do about it?" Anna asked, looking between her parents and the royal couple. She didn''t want to get Elsie from the cabin, but she also didn''t want Santi using her for his evil n.

    Jaz looked at Micah, and he smiled at her. Elsie was his first mate, and she wanted to make sure he had no leftover feelings for her, even though she had shown no interest in him.

    *"Don''t worry, Jaz. I only love you. Elsie means nothing to me."* He could feel her worry and wanted to reassure her but thought it was better to mindlink. After rejecting Elsie and marking Jaz, he no longer felt anything for Elsie. He put his arm around his mate''s shoulders. She was all that mattered to him.

    Jaz took a deep breath feeling relieved. Micah was everything to her, and if Elsie was brought back to the pce, she didn''t want any chances of him deciding to be with her. However, his words had eased the fear in her heart. "We may need to bring her out of that area, but we''ll talk about itter. We could lock her in a cell here. She doesn''t know who or what she is, but I don''t know if I want her here." Stanley said. She may be his niece, but she''d hurt Anna and almost jeopardized the rtionship between Spirit Energy and the tigers. Her parents were overseas, and he wasn''t looking forward to telling his sister what had happened.

    "Alright, just let me know, and I can send her wherever we need to. I told Kamryn I think Santi has someone more powerful than him making the decisions. So I think Gary is right in his assessment. I don''t understand how Santi suddenly got the power to do ck magic. I also want to increase our training. Not just the four of us with our new powers, but everyone that''s going to be part of the fight. I want the least amount of casualties as possible." Anna said, looking around the table. She noticed everyone smiling at her. Randal and Lynn had the biggest smiles of all.

    "Spoken like a true queen," Lynn said, causing Anna to blush slightly. Randal stood up, and everyone looked toward him.

    "This brings me to the next topic I wanted to discuss. We already have a lot of bad going on, so let''s do something good. Tomorrow night we will have a feast with only a select few guests. I will officially crown princess Anna and princess Jazlyn."

 Chapter 37 - Annas Plans

    Anna and Jaz looked at each other with widened eyes. They were mated to princes but never thought about actually being crowned princesses. "You''re going to crown us?" Anna asked quietly.

    "Yes. It''s high time we announce that the two tiger princes are mated. I know everything has happened fast for all of you, but the werecatmunity needs to know the chain ofmand. If something were to happen to me, I want them to know Kamryn and Anna are the ones to take over." Randal stated quietly. He was nning on fighting along with his children, but he didn''t have any of their unique powers. He and Lynn both understood they might note out of this alive. "What does the crowning entail?" Asked Stanley, worried about too many peopleing into the pce.

    "We will make the announcement today about the crowning. We''re only inviting certain leaders. The heads of the werepanthers, werelions, werecheetahs, werebears, and the lycan king will be the only ones getting invitations. I have two goals in mind. I want to announce the two princesses, but I also want you to meet the other leaders. After our visit with Gary, it made me think Santi may have tried to get to some of them as well." The others nodded their understanding. "Do you think it will be safe?" Bryson asked.

    "Yes, no one will try anything at a crowning. There will be too much security. If theye on Santi''s behalf, I believe it will only be for the purpose of spying on us. Have you gotten through all the interviews?" Randal looked at the girls'' parents. "No, we have about ten more people to talk to. We''ll finish before the end of today in preparation for tomorrow''s event." Caprice said, smiling at her daughter. Her little Anna was so grown up.

    "If you have any doubt about someone, bring them to me immediately. I will not put this family in jeopardy. Lynn and I will send out the invitations immediately. Anna, how do you think we should do the training?" Randal asked. He respected her opinion and wanted to know her n.

    "The four of us need to learn how to use our powers to their full advantage. I would like those of the tigermunity who are going to fight with us to work with the other witches of our coven. They can teach them tricks of staying out of the path of Santi''s ck magic. Do you think Alpha Gary would let us visit him? I would like to go over some things with him as well. I can have Legend teleport us wherever he thinks it would be safe for a meeting." She looked at Randal and Lynn, who stared at her in astonishment.

    "You''ve thought of everything," Lynn said. Once again, she thought Anna would be a fantastic queen.

    "I''ve tried to imagine different scenarios. I think whoever is behind Santi''s actions wants us to use up our energy fighting him. So we need to see how we can have the maximum effect without wearing ourselves out. It''s going to be imperative to our sess. Yes, we have been giving amazing gifts, but if we don''t know how to use them correctly, they won''t benefit anyone." She looked at Kamryn, Jaz, and Micah.

    "I agree. We need to start working on this today. Dad, can you reach out to the alpha to see if Anna and I can meet with him?" Kamryn asked.

    "Yes. I will do that now." Randal took out his phone, and Anna turned to her parents.

    "Do you think Sh would be willing to go with us and maybe stay there to help the pack prepare?" She asked, and her parents looked at each other in surprise. "Why, Sh?" Caprice asked.novelbin

    "Well, she''s a hybrid. Part witch and part werewolf. I know she''s not the strongest with her powers, but I think she''s the best to train wolves on how to fight ck magic." Anna said, thinking of her friend. She knew Sh always felt like an outcast because she was different, but those of Spirit Energy never saw her that way. Anna thought this would make her see how useful she really was.

    "That''s a great idea. I often forget that she has a wolf. Can Legend teleport both of you?" Stanley asked.

    "It shouldn''t be a problem," Kamryn answered.

    "The alpha said to teleport to the packhouse whenever you''re ready. He''ll be waiting." Randal said as he hung up his phone. Anna and Kamryn stood up.

    "Okay, we''ll fly to where the others in the coven are and get Sh, then we''ll head to ck Mist," Anna said as she and Kamryn walked out.

    As soon as they got outside, they flew into the air. Anna led Kamryn to an area away from the pce in the forest where the witches and warlocks had set up camp. This was only a quarter of them because they had split up to cover all four directions. Kamryn was amazed when theynded and saw they had little houses. It looked like a vige that had been there for years.

    "How do you know she''s here?" He asked Anna as they walked around.

    "I can feel the energy of those from the coven. So if I want to find someone, I focus on their energy and let it lead me to them. There''s Sh sitting near the fire pit." Kamryn looked over and saw a small woman with long curly ck hair. She had a golden tanplexion and dark brown eyes. He leaned down to whisper in Anna''s ear.

    "Are all the women of Spirit Energy small?" He asked, and she giggled.

    "Most of us, yes. It helps to be small when we need to move fast or hide in tight ces." Sh stood up and smiled when they got to her side.

    "Hi, Anna. Kamryn I don''t think we''ve officially met. I''m Sh." She held her hand out, and he shook it.

    "Nice to meet you." He said.

    "We have a huge favor to ask you," Anna said.

    "Okay," Sh answered nervously.

    "Kamryn and I are going to the ck Mist Pack to meet with the alpha. The person who''s after us thinks the wolf pack is on his side, but they want to work with us to defeat him. Can you go with us and stay with them to help the pack prepare? I''m sure none of them have fought ck magic, and with you being a hybrid, you''ll be the best one to hone in on their unique abilities as wolves."

    Sh stared at the couple in shock. They wanted her to train a wolf pack? She had always felt inadequate because she was different. She got tears in her eyes as she hugged Anna.

    "Of course, I''ll go. Thank you, Anna. I finally feel like I can do something beneficial." Sh said excitedly. She''d always liked Anna because she made sure to include her in everything she did. She had even practiced with Sh in her free time to help strengthen her magic.

    "Alright, are you ready to go now? We have a special way of getting there." Anna said, looking at Kamryn, who walked into the trees so he could shift in private.

    "We''re not flying?" Sh asked, confused. That was their preferred way of travel.

    "I don''t want to risk anyone seeing us, so we''re teleporting." They looked toward the trees and saw Legend walk out. Anna was still getting used to his beautiful white coloring. She scratched behind his ears as she climbed onto his back. "You want me to get on him?" Sh asked unsurely. She''d never been on the back of an animal, and her wolf Lea didn''t like the idea of riding a cat.

    "Yes. It will be fine. It''s the only way to teleport. One second, we''ll be here, and the next, we''ll be at the packhouse." Anna tried to hold back her chuckle as Sh walked up to Legend as though he was going to bite her. She climbed on his back behind Anna and held on with her eyes closed.

    Anna patted Legend, and he started running. The next thing they knew, they were standing in front of arge packhouse. Wolves came from all sides to see who the visitors were. Anna helped Sh off Legend''s back. He went to a secluded area to shift into Kamryn so he could put on the clothes he had carried in his mouth. Kamryn walked out at the same time Alpha Gary came out of the packhouse.

    Gary had heard themotion when therge white tiger with two witchesnded near the packhouse. He mindlinked everyone telling them he was expecting them. However, he didn''t know two witches wereing. He''d only thought Anna and Kamryn were visiting. When he walked outside, he stopped. The sweetest smell of honeysuckle mixed with cinnamon spice hit his nose. His wolf Cyril was howling in his head.

    Gary ran down the steps to see where the smell wasing from, and then he saw her. She was beautiful with long curly ck hair, golden tanned skin, and so tiny he felt like a giant. Everything else fell away as Gary walked up to the woman, and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

    "Mate." They said at the same time.

 Chapter 38 - Black Mist Pack

    Sh looked at the tall, handsome man that had just dered her his mate at the same time as she did. Her wolf Lea had told her he was their mate. She was neen and had thought she would have to wait a lifetime to meet her mate due to being a hybrid.

    "What''s your name?" Gary asked. He couldn''t take his eyes off the beauty in front of him.

    "Sh, what''s yours?" She asked in almost a whisper.

    "Gary. I''m the alpha of the ck Mist Pack. Are you a witch from Spirit Energy?" He asked, aching to touch her, but he didn''t want to scare her.

    "Yes, but I''m a hybrid. I''m part werewolf as well. Are you okay with me being your mate? I''m not a full werewolf." Sh looked down, preparing herself for the rejection. She shivered when he touched her chin with his finger raising her face to look into his almost ck eyes.

    "Why would I not be okay with that? If you''re my mate, that means you''re perfect. Are you okay being my mate and living with the pack as my luna?" Gary asked, still holding her chin in his hand. He didn''t want to stop the tingle he felt from that light touch. Her eyes opened wide.

    "Your luna? I''m okay with that, but how will your pack feel?" Sh was so used to feeling like an outcast that she also expected it with the pack. However, Gary smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. She felt little electric shocks running through her body.

    "Let''s ask them, shall we." He turned her to the people who hade out to see who the visitors were. She felt nervous facing them, just waiting for them to tell her to leave.

    "Everyone, meet my mate and your luna Sh. She''s a hybrid werewolf witch from Spirit Energy." Sh gasped in surprise when everyone started cheering anding up to congratte them. Anna and Kamryn came upst. "Congrattions, I''m going to miss you," Anna said, hugging her friend.

    "At least you can teleport to visit us. Can you believe this? I can''t wait to tell my parents." Sh said in excitement. She looked up at Gary, who still had his arm around her. She finally felt like she belonged somewhere. "Hi alpha, my name is Anna, and this is Kamryn. We came to talk to you about preparations for the fight with Santi. However, it looks like we also delivered your mate." Anna held her hand out to him, as did Kamryn.

    "I''m d to meet you both. Pleasee in so we can talk." Gary led them inside therge packhouse. It was four stories made of brick and looked more like arge mansion than a packhouse. When they walked inside, the floor was dark brown bamboo. It ented the cream-colored walls nicely. There was arge staircase leading to the upper part of the packhouse and long hallways on either side. Gary took them up to the second floor and into an office off to the right. "This is my office. We can speak here." He sat on one of the two dark green couches and pulled Sh next to him. Kamryn and Anna say across from them.

    "As you know, Santi will be attacking us soon. I agree with your assessment that there is someone telling him what to do. We want to prepare everyone on how to fight against his ck magic, so we don''t use up all of our energy fighting him before the real monster shows itself. I brought Sh here to help train your pack because she''s a hybrid, and I thought she''d be the best to work with the pack." Anna smiled at her and saw her blush slightly.

    "Thank you foring and bringing my mate. I will be forever in your debt. We''ll fight with you to defeat Santi and whatever else ising. He tortured one of our she-wolves, and I would like to get justice for her family. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you." Gary held Sh''s hand tightly. As happy as he was to have her there, he didn''t want Santi to find out about her. She would be in danger if he knew a Spirit Energy witch was mated to him. "Right now, just follow Sh''s lead. Don''t worry about Santi finding out about her. She can pretend to only be a wolf while training just in case Santi has someone watching your pack." Anna looked between them, and Sh nodded. "My wolf Lea will love that. She doesn''t get out as much as she''d like to. I''ll make sure your pack is ready." She said, looking up at Gary. He was so big she felt like a child next to him.

    "Our pack. You''re my luna. This is our pack now." He put his arm around her and felt his heart melt when she leaned against him. He''d been waiting for her and couldn''t be happier to finally have her by his side.

    "Is there anything you want from us before we leave?" Kamryn asked. He wanted to get Anna home as soon as possible. It felt like they were too out in the open.

    "Actually, would you mind meeting some of our pack members? Not many of them have seen weretigers, and we''ve always admired the Spirit Energy coven." Anna and Kamryn exchanged a look.

    *"I''ll ce a shield over the pack grounds so no one can see if outsiders try to get in."* Anna mindlinked him, and he nodded.

    "Sure, we''d be happy too," Kamryn said to the alpha, and they all stood up.

    Gary led them outside, holding Sh''s hand. He felt like if he wasn''t touching her, she would disappear. He couldn''t wait to get her alone so they could talk and get to know each other. Cyril was ready to mark her, but Gary told him he was going to go at her speed. She was exceptional, and he didn''t want anything to cause her to have any doubts about being with him. When they got outside, they were greeted by his beta and his mate.novelbin

    "Joshua, Chloe, this is my mate Sh, and this is prince Kamryn and his mate Anna from Spirit Energy. Joshua is my beta, and Chloe is his mate." Everyone shook hands.

    "Thank you for helping us get out from under Santi. We''ve been living in terror since he came into our lives." Joshua said. He had thought Santi was going to be the death of their pack. "We''re d to help and thankful to have such a strong pack on our side," Kamryn answered. As they walked off the deck, another couple approached them.

    "Hi, you must be Kamryn and Anna. I''m Callum, and this is my mate Jessica. I''m Gary''s gamma." They held their hands out, and Gary pulled Sh over.

    "This is my mate Sh." He said proudly.

    "Nice to meet you, luna," Callum said, looking at the petite woman standing next to Gary.

    Sh smiled shyly. It would take some time for her to get used to being called a luna and having so many people around her. She had always kind of kept to herself.

    Gary took Anna, Kamryn, and Sh around the pack grounds giving them a tour and introducing them to the pack members. Everyone was happy to meet them and thrilled to have the backing of the tigers and Spirit Energy. They were also over the moon that their alpha had finally met his luna. Although several young she-wolves were secretly disappointed, they had hoped he would choose one of them to be his chosen mate.

    Sh immediately picked up on their energy, and when she was ready to shrink back from them, Lea yelled at her telling her to have a backbone. She straightened up and greeted them with a smile while putting her arm around Gary staking a im on her mate.

    He beamed down at her. She hadn''t made a move to touch him up to that point, and he had been worried. However, he could clearly see she was letting everyone know he was hers, and he couldn''t have been happier.

    "Well, I think we''re going to take off. Please let us know if you need anything." Kamryn said, shaking Gary''s hand. He saw Anna freeze next to him, and she looked at him with fear in her eyes. "What''s wrong?" He asked. She looked toward Gary and Sh.

    "I ced a shield around the pack grounds in case anyone tried to spy on you while we were here. I didn''t want to bring unnecessary trouble to your pack. I can feel someone trying to get through the shield that shouldn''t be here."

 Chapter 39 - Marcus and Alice

    "Were you expecting anyone?" Kamryn asked Gary.

    "No. Joshua, take them to the hidden room." Gary looked at his beta and then looked back to Kamryn and Anna. "Are you okay with hiding? I know you could teleport out of here, but I would like to have you here, depending on who this is." "Yes, we''ll hide. Let us know as soon as it''s safe toe out." Kamryn and Anna followed Joshua. Gary turned to Sh.

    "You go with them. I don''t want Santi or anyone working for him to know about you, or he''ll try to get his hands on you." Gary smoothed her hair back from her face and gave her a light kiss. Sh smiled up at him.

    "Okay," They hugged, and then she followed the others. Once they were in the hidden room in the basement of the pack house, Joshua stayed with them so he could ry information by mindlink from Gary. "I removed the shield so the person could get through," Anna said, so Joshua could tell Gary.

    Gary was pretending to read something on his phone while he waited to see who the surprise visitor would be. All he could think about was Sh and keeping her safe. They had only found each other a few minutes ago, and already there was chaos surrounding them. He looked up when he saw two figures walking toward him. A man and a woman were both smiling, but they weren''t genuine.

    "Hi, Alpha. My name is Marcus, and this is my mate Alice. I''m a warlock, and she''s a witch. Santi sent us to check in with you to see how everything was going and if you''ve found any more useful information." Gary looked at the two and felt they had an ulterior motive, so he would tread lightly.

    "Nothing so far, but I''ll let him know as soon as I do." He said dismissively, hoping they would leave.

    "We also wanted you to provide us with the location of the witch Elsie. Santi still has an interest in her and thinks that she may prove useful even without her magic." Alice said with a snakelike smile. Gary felt chills just being in their presence. He noticed Alice and Marcus'' eyes werepletely ck. He quickly mindlinked Joshua so he could tell Anna and Kamryn what they wanted.

    "If Santi wants to use Elsie, we need to get her before they do. Tell him to give them her general location, but about 100 miles in another direction from the cabin. That will give us enough time to teleport her out of there and put her somewhere else. It will also still be close enough that they won''t think Gary deceived them. I don''t want to give Santi any idea that he''s working with us." Joshua ryed everything Anna said to Gary. "What''s his interest in Elsie? She''s nothing but a human now." Gary asked, feigning interest.

    "You''re just a dumb wolf, so we know you wouldn''t understand this, but she''s a witch from Spirit Energy. That means even without being able to perform spells or use magic, Santi can tap into her powers. This will help us get him on the throne." Marcus smiled and looked at Alice. They both startedughing, making every pack member within earshot feel like running to hide. Gary could tell something was off about the two, but he didn''t know what. "What coven are you from?" He asked and saw them exchange a look.

    "That''s not your concern, wolf," Alice said coldly.

    "Why did Santi send you here? He never sends anyone to check on me; typically, we talk on the phone." Gary stated, looking into their ck eyes.

    "All you need to know is that he did. You better watch your back. Remember, he has eyes everywhere, so if you think you can betray him, think again. Santi is not the trusting type. You can expect drop-in visits from time to time to make sure you''re doing the work you were hired to do. Now tell us where Elsie is so we can deliver her to Santi." Marcus smirked at Gary. He gave them the forest she was in, but not the exact coordinances. They took off as soon as they had the information.

    *"Joshua, bring them out."* He mindlinked his beta. Anna ced the shield before they stepped outside. Just in case they were still hanging around.

    "Have you ever seen them before?" Kamryn asked Gary as they joined him outside. Sh immediately went to his side, and he put his arms around her; her presence made him feel better.

    "No, this is the first time Santi has sent anyone to spy on me directly. He''s had people in the area, but no one ever came onto packnds. They were creepy. Their eyes werepletely ck, and their voices were off, like their voices weren''t their voices. Does that make sense?" He asked, looking at Anna and Kamryn.

    "Most likely, something was done to them. It sounds like some ck magic or something worse to make them that way. Did they give you their names?" Anna asked. She wanted to see if she was able to pinpoint what coven they hade from.

    "Alice and Marcus," Gary said, noticing the color drain from both Anna and Sh''s faces.

    "Are you sure those were their names?" Anna asked in a whisper, looking at Sh.novelbin

    "Yes, why do you know them?" Gary said, holding Sh a little tighter.

    "They''re Elsie''s parents. They have been overseas for almost a year. They were supposed to be researching new spells and potions. Alice is my dad''s sister. How did Santi get to them? They were the sweetest people." She looked at Sh again, who was nodding in agreement.

    "Yes, they always treated me kindly." She snuggled closer to Gary, liking how her body felt so alive with him touching her.

    "Kamryn, we need to get to Elsie now. Who knows what was done to them, but if their eyes are ck, they''re filled with evil now. We can''t let them get to the source of Elsie''s power." Anna pulled him toward the trees so he could shift. "Gary, we''ll be in touch. Please let us know if you need anything." Kamryn said as they disappeared out of sight behind some trees. Gary looked down at Sh and smiled.

    "My little mate. You have made my heart happy bying here today. You give the pack hope that all will be okay when this is over." He took her over to the steps of the pack house and sat down, pulling her onto hisp sideways. He buried his face in her silky hair and smiled when he felt her shiver.

    "I''m sorry, I''m not a powerful witch. I''m nothing like Anna." Gary looked into her brown eyes and stopped her from saying more.

    "You''re my mate, and luna, you''re powerful enough as you are. Don''t ever apologize for being you." Sh felt her heart bursting from his words. All she''d ever wanted was to feel like she belonged somewhere, and now she did. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.

    "Thank you. I''m happy to be here too. I was scared I would never meet my mate. You make my heart feel whole." She kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly.

    Gary pulled away from her slightly and looked at her sweet face. He slowly brought his mouth to hers and kissed her. They both trembled from the sparks flying around them that seemed to be binding them together. When they pulled apart, both were breathless. She looked into his eyes with a shy smile.

    "I don''t have any experience. I''ve never kissed anyone, and I''m still a virgin." Sh said softly, knowing that was all going to change.

    "I''m a virgin too. I''ve only kissed one other girl, but that was when I was a teenager, and my wolf and I didn''t like it. We''ve been waiting for you." Gary leaned down to kiss her again, and she felt her heart melting.

    "Can you show me our bedroom?" Sh asked with a twinkle in her eyes. Gary was speechless. He could smell her arousal from their kiss, but he didn''t think she would be ready for anything more than kissing.

    "Why do you want to go up there?" He asked hoarsely. If they were alone, he didn''t know if he could control himself. She leaned against him and whispered in his ear.

    "I think it''s time we lost our virginity." Sh was feeling bold with the help of her wolf. Gary jumped up and held her in his arms as he ran into the pack house and upstairs. She didn''t have time to even see where they were going. When he got to a door at the end of the hall on the fourth floor, he stopped and looked down at her.

    "Are you sure you want this now? We can wait untilter." He asked, even though his pants were feeling ufortable.

    "Why wait? We''ve been waiting so long already, and we''re mates. Make love to me, Gary." She kissed him, and he shoved the door open, carrying her inside. He quickly mindlinked his beta, telling him to not bother them the rest of the day. He was spending time with his mate.

    Anna and Kamryn teleported to the cabin in the woods. Anna shivered when she saw it and put a shield around it so they would know if Alice and Marcus showed up while they were there. There were no good memories for her here apart from meeting Kamryn. They walked cautiously around the cabin but saw no signs of life.

    When they knocked on the door, no one answered. Anna tried the handle and slowly opened the door. She gasped when she looked inside. The ce was torn apart, with clothes and food thrown everywhere. They walked around in disbelief. "Do you think Elsie did this?" Kamryn asked quietly. The ce gave him the creeps now.

    "I don''t feel any other energy here other than hers. Let''s check outside." They went outside and began walking the perimeter. There was no sign of Elsie anywhere. They walked as far as the spell allowed her to go, but she was nowhere to be found.

    "Do you think Marcus and Alice beat us here?" Kamryn asked.

    "No, I would feel their energy if they had. This has to be something powerful to be able to break her free of my spell without me knowing. Let''s get out of here before anyone else shows up." Kamryn shifted into Legend, and they teleported back to the pce. Anna was worried about who had taken Elsie. If Alice and Marcus were working for Santi, then who else wanted her?

 Chapter 40 - Black Magic

    As soon as Anna and Kamryn teleported to the pce, they asked everyone to meet in the conference room. When everyone arrived, Anna didn''t waste any time.

    "As you know, we just got back from the ck Mist Pack. While we were there, surprise guests showed up. They were Aunt Alice and Uncle Marcus. Dad, it looks like they''re working for Santi. Alpha Gary said their eyes werepletely ck, and their voices weren''t normal." Anna looked at her parents, who were staring at her in astonishment. "Are you sure it was them?" Stanley asked.

    "Yes. They wanted to find Elsie to take her to Santi. They told Gary that he still had a use for her. We teleported to Elsie so I could lift the spell and take her somewhere else, but when we got there, she was already gone." Anna stated, still wondering who had gotten her from under the spell. Even if it was ck magic, it had to be powerful for her not to feel it.

    "Did Alice and Marcus get there before you?" Caprice asked.

    "No. I didn''t feel their energy. Actually, I didn''t feel no energy other than Elsie. I don''t think she was gone long. The cabin was also ransacked. We couldn''t tell if Elsie did it or if someone else did it. There was food and torn clothing all over the ce." Anna looked around and saw the shock on everyone''s faces.

    "What does this mean exactly? Who could have broken your spell and removed her?" Randal asked, not liking this new development.

    "It means that someone else knew where she was and that she was from our coven. As for who they were and how they broke the spell, it had to be ck magic. If that''s the case, it should reveal itself soon. ck magic can hide for a short time but not stay hidden from pure magic. If it wasn''t Santi, I don''t know who else it could be." Anna answered.

    "How was Sh with staying at ck Mist?" Caprice asked, looking toward Anna.

    "She was fine with it. Alpha Gary is her mate." Anna replied with a smile. At least one good piece of news came from their trip.

    "Wow. Really? I''m so happy for her. The alpha seems like a good man." Caprice said, happy for Sh, who she knew always felt like an outcast.

    "I agree. Now that he has his mate there, he seems even more determined to take down Santi. We met many of the pack members, and they seemed like a good strong pack. When this is over, it would be nice to keep a friendship with them." Kamryn said, thinking about all the strong warriors he saw there. He was bigger than most, but some were quite impressive. He wouldn''t admit it, but he got a little jealous seeing how they looked at his mate. He couldn''t me them because Anna was beautiful. He looked at her now with her delicate features and long shiny hair. She was truly astounding, and she was all his.

    "That''s a good idea, son. We had the same impression of him. So what''s the n now?" Randal asked, looking at Kamryn and Anna for guidance. He was impressed with both of them and the leadership they were already showing.

    "We need to start training as we discussed. Also, I''m going to do my best to find what took Elsie. Now that she''s not a witch, I can''t pull her here the same way I sent her to the cabin. I can still focus on her energy and see if I can pick up the energy of those who broke the spell. I''m going to do that when we''re done here. Did you find any other spies?" Anna asked, looking toward her parents and Jaz''s parents.

    "We finished talking to everyone and didn''t find anyone else, but we''re still taking precautions. Randal is removing all unnecessary staff." Stanely stated, nodding toward the king.

    "We will have the chef, a few kitchen staff, and maids. Other than that, no one besides the guards. Everyone else has been sent away with pay. We''ll have a few more people for the princess crowning ceremony for you two tomorrow. That''s another opportunity to see if anyone else is working with Santi." Randal looked at the four young people with a small smile. At least they had something good to look forward to.

    "We want you girls to enjoy yourself tomorrow. So try not to think about everything else and have fun." Lynn said, smiling at Anna and Jazlyn. She really loved both of them. The two young women looked at each other. Having fun was easier said than done.

    "We''ll try." Answered Anna was a slight smile.

    The group broke up, with everyone agreeing that training would start after tomorrow so they could prepare for the crownings. Anna and Kamryn went up to their room so she could concentrate on finding out who had taken Elsie. "Do you think you''ll find her?" Kamryn asked after they shut the door.

    "I''m going to do my best. I need you to sit next to me to act as my anchor. I''m going to go within the spell, and if someone with ck magic took her, it could get dangerous. So I''ll need you here to keep me from being sucked into whatever''s there. You''ll keep me grounded." She pulled him over to the couch and sat down, holding his hand.

    "Is there anything I can do to help or anything I should watch out for?" Kamryn asked nervously. He didn''t like the idea of his mate ying around with ck magic.

    "Just rest your hand on my leg. You''ll see my arms moving, and you may see a light around me, but don''t interrupt. Keep your hand on me at all times." Anna looked at him and saw the worry in his eyes. She leaned forward to kiss him, trying to ease his mind. Having him in the room would be enough as an anchor, but she knew he would feel better touching her due to the mate bond.

    "Alright, my angel. I''ll be here." Kamryn ced his hand on her thigh, and Anna closed her eyes.

    She started mumbling under her breath in words that he couldn''t understand. Anna''s hands came up and started moving around. It startled him at first, but then he noticed the words were in sync with her movements. Just as he calmed down, he saw the light glowing around her. It was a soft golden light that made him feel warm. Kamryn watched in stunned silence as the light got brighter and brighter.

    Anna was deep within the spell. First, she had to trace it back to the root when she ced the spell on Elsie. She followed it to the cabin as it nketed the area. The spell was like a part of Anna, and she could feel Elsie''s despair of not knowing who she was. It brought back painful reminders of when she was there.

    She then felt the pack members from ck Mist who found her but couldn''t remove her due to the spell holding her in ce. Anna could feel their nervousness being there and knew they didn''t want to be part of Santi''s ns. She felt no other energy for a while, and then something dark came out of nowhere.

    It felt like a st of cold washing over her body, making her shiver. Anna felt Elsie''s anger once the darkness descended. She was the one who tore up the cabin. Anna felt Elsie filling up with rage and hatred, but she didn''t know where it wasing from. It seemed to being more from the darkness than Elsie herself.

    Anna waited to see what was causing this, then she saw it. Three witchesnded near the cabin and were dressed all in ck with ck eyes and white hair. They went into the cabin, took Elsie, and disappeared with her. Anna hadn''t expected to see it all y for her like a movie. She''d only been able to feel the energy of others, but the three witches'' darkness was so intense it formed images in her head.

    Even after they took her away, Anna was still connected to Elsie from the spell. She felt her cousin''s fear of the unknown. When they arrived at their destination, Anna was surprised to see they were at arge pce simr to the one she was currently in. When she felt the energy of the upants, she quickly stopped the spell.novelbin

    Kamryn felt numb watching Anna. She was glowing so brightly that he almost had to close his eyes. The gold light was so warm it made him hot. When he saw her open her eyes, he felt her trembling. He was scared to speak, unsure if she was done.

    "I know who took Elsie," Anna whispered.

    "Who?" Kamryn asked, putting his arms around her shaking body.

    "Jarek, the Lycan King."

 Chapter 42 - Preparing for The Crowning

    "Are you sure it''s Jarek?" Kamryn asked in astonishment.

    "Yes. Let''s gather everyone again. We need to be prepared if he''sing to the crowning tomorrow." Anna stood up, but Kamryn pulled her onto hisp.

    "Maybe we should not let hime. I want you to be crowned, but I don''t want to put you and our cub in danger." He said with fear in his voice. Anna kissed him softly and smiled.

    "We need to go on as nned. You know I don''t care about the crown, but I want to see how he acts around us. Maybe it will let us know his intentions. I''ll be safe, and so will our cub." She replied, kissing his cheek and hugging him. "Alright, my little angel, we''ll do it your way. At the crowning tomorrow, you''re not to leave my side. It''s almost dinner time; let''s talk to everyone before we eat." Kamryn said, still notfortable letting the lycan king into the pce. He mindlinked his parents and Micah so they could round up Anna and Jaz''s parents. When they arrived at the conference room, everyone was waiting on them.

    "Anna, Kamryn said you saw something?" Randal said in anticipation. The more he learned about Anna and Jaz, the more amazed he was. They may be tiny, but they were mighty.

    "The one who took Elsie is Jarek, the lycan king." Anna quickly ryed what she had seen within the spell. Everyone in the room was amazed at the rity with which she described what she saw, including her parents. "The three witches you saw, do you know who they are?" Lynn asked. Anna exchanged a look with her parents.

    "Chloris, Vesna, and Silvina are the trio of goety. They practice ck magic but also have help from evil spirits. Their ck magic isn''t typical, and it''s nearly impossible to beat when the three of them are together. However, we are the exception. Spirit Energy magic draws on the four elements. When the four elements arebined, it can take them down. That''s why they''ve always kept their distance from us. I suspect they took Elsie to see if there was any piece of her magic left for them to tap into so they could figure out a way to eliminate us." Anna spoke with weariness. If the trio wasn''t working with Santi, then they had another goal in mind.

    "Why would Jarek work with them to take out Spirit Energy?" Micah asked, clutching Jaz''s hand. He wasn''t going to let anyone harm his mate or their cub.

    "That I can''t tell you," Anna answered, looking toward the royal couple to see if they knew.

    "All I can think of is that he wants the power. Right now, the tiger kingdom is the most powerful. If he learned that both princes were mated to Spirit Energy witches, it probably made him want to act fast. What do you think about himing to the crowning tomorrow?" Randal asked, looking at Anna and Kamryn.

    "I think we should let hime and see if we can learn anything about his n. I also want to put restrictions on who can enter the pce. We shouldn''t allow him to enter if any of the trio are with him. Is he mated?" Anna asked. She wasn''t familiar with the lycan king because Spirit Energy tried to keep to themselves as much as possible.

    "No, he hasn''t met his queen as far as I know. Stanley, can some of the witches outside the pce make a perimeter to see if anyone brings guests that aren''t supposed to be here?" Randal looked toward the warlock across from him. "Yes. After dinner Caprice and I will visit their sites and tell them what we need. We need to keep the extra powers that you four now have a secret from thoseing tomorrow. We don''t want them to try and attack tomorrow when we''re not prepared to fight." Stanley looked around, and everyone nodded.

    Soon after, they left the conference room and went to the dining hall. There was hardly anyone there, and everyone was rtively quiet during the meal. About halfway through, one of the guards approached the table.novelbin

    "King Randal, we have received confirmations from everyone that you had invitations sent to regarding the crowning tomorrow. King Jarek asked if he could bring a date. We told him no because you had strict instructions on who coulde. Should I tell him something different?" The guard asked.

    "No, that was the right thing to say. Did he give you the name of the woman he wanted to bring?" Randal questioned.

    "No, but he was upset when I said he couldn''t bring her."

    "Thank you, Simon. If he calls back, let me know." The guard left, and Randal turned toward Anna.

    "Do you still think it''s a good idea to go forward with this tomorrow?" He would be willing to cancel if she said it was too dangerous.

    "I don''t want to change anything. I''m anxious to meet everyone, and I hope it will give us a chance to pinpoint any other snakes in the grass." She couldn''t help looking at Micah when she brought up snakes and saw Jazughing. Randal and Lynn looked at the young people in question.

    "Did we miss something?" Lynn asked. She knew Micah was terrified of snakes but doubted that was something he went around telling others.

    "When we were at the coven Micah and I were walking through the forest. We saw arge stick lying in the snow. Micah thought it was a snake, and he picked me up, running in the opposite direction." Jazlyn answered, trying to hide her smile. Everyone started chuckling, and Micah''s face got red. Even if it was at his expense, he was d that at least everyone was smiling and not frowning.

    "Don''t worry, Micah. We all learned that Kamryn is afraid of spiders too. Just the thought of you two giant tigers scared of anything makes me not feel so small." Anna said, patting Kamryn on the shoulder.

    "Hey, why are you trying to bring me down with him?" He pouted at his mate.

    "Sorry, but at least it took everyone''s mind off the other stuff," Anna whispered in his ear. He looked around, and everyone was having a lighter conversation about what they were scared of. He turned to her and smiled. "What about you? Do you have anything you''re afraid of?" Kamryn asked, leaning over to kiss her cheek. He couldn''t imagine his fearless mate being frightened of anything.

    "The only thing that scares me is losing you," Anna answered, leaning against him, enjoying the warmth that spread over her.

    "You won''t lose me. We''re in this together. Two halves that make a whole, although I think you''re the stronger half. I''m just a bystander following your lead." They enjoyed their little private conversation while the others talked, leaving them alone. Since being at the pce, they hardly had any alone time.

    "You''re more than that, my handsome mate. I would still be lost in the forest if you hadn''t shown up. Everything that''s happening is because of you finding me." Anna didn''t want to break their little piece of happiness, but she still wondered who had poisoned him. So far, none of the spies they''d found had admitted to poisoning Kamryn and leaving him in the forest.

    "Anna, Jaz, in the morning, Jeana will have you try on the dresses she designed for you. After that, your mothers and I will pamper you both to prepare for the ceremony. Let''s try to have a peaceful day tomorrow and keep everything else at bay." Lynn stated, looking around the table.

    "I agree, mom. Anna and I are getting ready to go start rxing now. See you in the morning." Anna''s face turned red as Kamryn picked her up and threw her over his shoulder before walking out of the dining hall. Everyone else startedughing, but then they all looked at their mates and followed Kamryn''s lead. Before long, everyone was in their rooms, forgetting about everything bad and only focusing on the good.

 Chapter 42 - The Lycan King

    Randal received a call from King Jarek first thing in the morning. He made him wait a few minutes so he could get his voice to sound friendly. When he answered, he put a fake smile on his face hoping it would influence his tone of voice.novelbin

    "Good morning Jarek. What can I do for you?" He asked with fake happiness.

    "Randal, I was happy to hear both of your sons found their mates and that you''re having the crowning for them. However, I was told I couldn''t bring my date. Can you please make an exception this one time? I would like for you to meet her." Randal couldn''t help but notice the strain in Jarek''s voice.

    "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that. We''ve had some recent threats against our kingdom, and it''s caused us to take more precautions. Other than those we''ve already vetted, we can''t allow anyone else into the pce."

    "I''ve met my mate Randal, and she''s been vetted by me. She''s really looking forward to this. Let me bring her. I promise to make it up to you." Cyril started, growling lowly in Randal''s head. He was notfortable with how pushy Jarek was acting.

    "Congrattions on meeting your mate. What''s her name?"

    "Vesna, and she''s incredible." Randal couldn''t believe Jarek said that one of the Trio of Goety was his mate. He knew it wasn''t true. There had to be another reason Jarek was trying to get her there. He wasn''t letting one of those witchese into his pce and threaten his family.

    "Sorry, but the answer is still no. Tell her we''ll arrange a get-together soon." Randal said firmly.

    "Fine. I''ll see you this evening." Jarek hung up the phone angrily. He looked at the three witches behind him and shivered. They were a scary bunch, even for him.

    "He didn''t go for it. They''re being cautious due to threats against the kingdom. He said I have to go alone." One of the witches came up to him and ced a hand on his shoulder. He didn''t know which one because they all looked identical. "We''ll find our way inside. They won''t be able to stop us. The crowning will not go as nned, and when we''re done with them, you''ll be the most powerful." Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard mixed with a cold breeze. Every time one of them talked, it sent a chill down his spine. They were pure evil, but he needed them if he was going to seed.

    "Have you had any luck with the Spirit Energy witch?" He asked as he stepped back from them slightly. When Jarek heard that the princes had both mated with witches from Spirit Energy, he knew he had to move fast if he was going to have any chance of having the most powerful kingdom. Especially with the witch mated to the crown prince being, Annabe. ording to the trio, she is rumored to be the most powerful of all witches.

    "We''re still trying to find a way to get to her powers. She has no memory of what she was and doesn''t know her name. We''ll get it. It may get ufortable for her, but we''ll pull it out of her."

    All three witches startedughing, and Jarek felt like running out of the room. Theirughs were worse than their voices. They felt like razor des cutting through his flesh. They all wore long ck dresses that hugged their slim figures and made their pure white waist-length hair seem to shine. They would be beautiful with their almost translucent skin and delicate features, but when you looked into their coal-ck eyes, it felt like they were taking your soul. Jerak''s wolf Taran wanted him to stop dealing with them and be happy with what they had, but he wouldn''t listen to him. As the lycan king, he should be the most powerful of all the shifters, but the damn tigers had taken that control away. When the shifters were all under one kingdom, the lycan king ruled all. However, many years ago, one of the kings tried to kill off the werecats, so they rebelled and made their own kingdom. The tigers were the fiercest of them all. The oldest and wisest tiger was crowned king. His family had been ruling over all the shifters, with the exception of the lycans and wolves, for several hundred years. It was time for everyone to be under their rightful king. Jarek wanted to be king of all shifters, and then he would take up where his ancestors left off. Killing off the werecats.

    After the trio went to continue working on Elsie, Jarek sat down at his desk. He had to get prepared for tonight. At least in the beginning, it was imperative that he make Randal think all was well. He and the witches would strike when they least expected it. Taran begged him to change his mind, but Jarek ignored him. All would be his soon, and no one would stop him.

    "Who was that dear?" Lynn asked, seeing her mate frown.

    "Jarek, he said he found his mate. Her name is Vesna." Randal looked at her and saw the realization in her eyes.

    "That''s one of the trio witches Anna was telling us about. He has to be lying. I doubt those evil witches mate with anyone." She said with worry.

    "I refused to let here, so he wasn''t happy. I want to make sure the Spirit Energy witches are aware of what''s going on so they''re prepared. Even though he said he understood, I think he''ll still try to bring one, if not all, with him." Lynn nodded in agreement.

    They quickly dressed and headed to breakfast to inform everyone about the conversation with Jarek. After they were done eating, Stanley and Bryson went to talk to the Spirit Energy witches outside the pce.

    Lynn, Caprice, and Maura took Anna and Jaz upstairs to see their dresses for the crowning. It was bittersweet. As much as everyone wanted to forget about the darkness surrounding them, they couldn''t help the knots in their stomachs.

    However, when they opened the door to one of the guest''s rooms that had been converted to a prepping room, Anna and Jaz felt like little girls again. Jeana was standing inside waiting with two gorgeous dresses. "Anna, this is yours, and Jaz, this one is yours. Jeana stated proudly. She had been working on these dresses since she first discovered the princes had found their mates.

    Anna stared at the beautiful dress in front of her. It was a floor-length shimmering gold gown with long sleeves and off-the-shoulder. She noticed a slit up the side that would reach her thigh, and there were gold heels to match. Jaz was just as amazed as Anna. Her dress was the same style, but instead of gold, it was silver. She also had silver heels. They looked at each other and giggled in excitement. The three women behind them all had tears in their eyes, watching them. It did their hearts good to see them able to act their age rather than taking on the world like they did every other day.

    When they tried on the dresses to see if any alterations were needed, they fit perfectly. Neither was showing any baby bumps yet, so the dresses clung to them, enting their best features.

    "You two really look like princesses. Your mates are going to be speechless when they see you." Caprice said with a smile as Anna and Jaz modeled for them.

    "Not just your mates. Everyone in attendance will be staring at you. You both are exquisite young women, and I''m so d you''re part of our family." Lynn hugged each of them.

    "Jazlyn, I''m so d to see that smile on your face. You''re glowing." Maura walked over to her daughter. Not long ago, she was brokenhearted. All it took was a warm, caring tiger to bring her back to life. She couldn''t have been happier that Jaz had mated with Micah.

    "Thanks, mom," Jaz replied, blushing slightly. She nced at Anna. She''d never be as lovely as her friend, but right now, she felt beautiful. Anna looked at her shaking her head.

    "Stop that. You''re gorgeous. I can feel your doubt. Look at yourself, Jaz." Anna turned her around to look in the mirror. For the first time, she saw herself as a woman, not a teenager. Jaz hugged Anna with a smile. "Thank you," She whispered.

    Lynn, Maura, and Caprice had the girls each take hot bubble baths. They were given luxury lotions to put on. Elena was brought back to the pce for this special asion to do their hair and makeup. Both of them only needed light makeup because of their natural beauty. Their hair was left long, as they both preferred, but she put in long waves. They were actually easy to please and polite. Elena loved working with them.

    Once everyone was ready, they waited until they were told it was time to meet their mates so they could be announced together. It had been hours since breakfast, but Anna and Jaz felt like it had been days. It was the longest they''d been away from Kamryn and Micah since they were mated. After everyone left, leaving them alone, the two men came in. Both stopped at the door and stared at them in silence.

    "Looks like my mom was right. They''re speechless." Anna said, and Jaz giggled. Kamryn and Micah snapped out of it and grinned at them.

    "Wow, you both look incredible," Kamryn said, walking to Anna''s side.

    "He''s right. For two tiny women, you sure know how to carry yourselves." Jaz punched Micah lightly in the shoulder.

    "Just remember, tiger man, we may be small, but we know how to pack a punch." She teased him, making everyoneugh. They heard the sound of horns from below, letting them know it was time to make their entrance. Micah and Jaz would go first. Kamryn and Anna waited for their turn at the top of the steps.

    "As amazing as you look in that dress, I can''t wait to take it off you tonight." Anna shook her head.

    "I think you would have us spend every minute of every day in the bedroom if you could." She giggled as his eyes lit up.

    "That''s not a bad idea. When can we start?" They bothughed as they headed down the stairs.

    No outsiders had met the young witches who had mated with the tiger princes. As they descended the steps, everyone was spellbound. With her long blonde hair and silver dress, Jaz left everyone in awe. Then everyone was in tears when they saw Anna with her shiny dark brown hair and dazzling smile. They were too enchanting for words.

    Anna felt the dark energy as soon as she started down the steps. However, she didn''t let her smile falter as she looked around at the faces of those she didn''t know. One person stood out to her over everyone else. He was extremely tall, at least as tall as Kamryn, and had thick blonde hair. He was handsome, but something about him seemed menacing. She felt a chill wash over her as he made his way over to them, and she clutched Kamryn''s arm tightly. Whoever this was, he didn''t represent anything good. He was pure evil. When he stopped and held out his hand, she hesitated before taking it.

    "Hello, Annabe; it''s nice to meet you. I''m Jarek, the Lycan King."

 Chapter 43 - Trio of Goety

    "Nice to meet you, King Jarek," Anna said with a smile. She briefly shook his hand even though it pained her. She could feel the darknessing off him in waves.

    "It''s good to see you again, Prince Kamryn. You have a mighty fine mate here." He said, looking Anna up and down in a way that gave her the creeps. Kamryn''s arms around her got a little tighter. "Yes, I do. Thank you. Please enjoy yourself." Kamryn tried to lead Anna away from the lycan king, but he stopped them.

    "I don''t see many people here. Usually, it''s a full house for a crowning, especially something as important as two princes mating with Spirit Energy witches." Jarek looked at Anna again and had to admit she was quite beautiful. He wouldn''t have been heartbroken if she was his mate. Maybe once he killed off the cats, he would keep her for himself.

    "You can never be too careful with all the snakes out there. It''s important to me to keep my mate safe. Her reputation can cause a lot of unwanted attention from those wishing to do her harm." Kamryn looked the lycan in the eyes while Legend growled softly. He didn''t like letting the dogs in the cat house.

    "You''re right there. Although she''s so small, I can''t imagine her hurting a fly. It does make me wonder if Spirit Energy''s power has been over-inted. Maybe there are others that are more powerful than what''s been rumored." Jarek was trying to get a rise out of Anna, but to his surprise, she smiled and patted Kamryn''s arms before he couldment.

    "It doesn''t take arge person to cast a spell. One small Spirit Energy witch can be more potent than three or more witches of ck magic. With a flick of my wrist, I can level an entire coven or anyone threatening my family." Anna gave him a sweet smile, but he heard the threat in her words and saw the fire in her eyes. Jarek took a step back as heughed nervously.

    "I see she''s a little fireball." He said, looking toward Kamryn, who was ring at him.

    "You have no idea." He said through clenched teeth.

    "I was pretty disappointed I couldn''t bring my mate tonight. She almost didn''t let mee because she was so hurt. I exined to her that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I couldn''t miss it. I hope you can meet her soon, though." Kamryn and Anna both noticed that he nced toward the door. They looked at each other in concern.

    *"I think he''s getting ready to do something. Let''s get away from him so we can warn the others."* Anna mindlinked Kamryn, who gave her a slight nod.

    "We hope to meet her sometime. We''ll see youter; my parents are looking for us." Kamryn pulled Anna away before Jarek could say anything else. He watched as they walked across therge room, and he smiled to himself. When the trio gets there, they won''t know what hit them.

    Kamryn and Anna walked over to where both sets of parents were standing. Jaz''s parents were there too, and Kamryn mindlinked Micah so he and Jaz could join them. Once everyone was together, they told them about their encounter with Jarek.

    "I can tell he''s got something nned, but I don''t know what. Have you heard from anyone on the outside?" Anna asked nervously. They''d put some guards with the witches so they could mindlink the king if they saw anything suspicious. "We just received a warning that the trio was on the outskirts of the pce grounds. They said it appears they''re waiting for something." Randal stated, looking toward Jarek.novelbin

    "I know we haven''t had time to practice our powers to their full potential, but what do you say we go outside and confront these witches. Maybe we can stop them before theye here and hurt anyone." Micah stated as he shifted from foot to foot. He was ready to fight anyone who dared toe near his mate. Randal''s face turned white as he saw Jarek run to the front door.

    "It''s toote. They''reing now. I got a mindlink that all three flew over the wall like speeding bullets before anyone on the ground could do anything. Are you ready for a fight?" Randal asked, looking toward Anna and Jaz. They were the smallest yet strongest of anyone there.

    "We were born for this. We''ll consider this practice for the real battle. Get everyone back. Come on, Kamryn and Micah. Let''s show them what happens when they mess with our family." Anna flew toward the center of the room, and the other three followed. The guests, who had no idea what was going on, stared at them in shock. The three sets of parents quickly moved the guests to the back of the room as the four young peoplended near the door. They didn''t look like they were going to fight with the women in their sparkling gowns and the men in their royal suits, but they were ready.

    Chloris, Vesna, and Silvina flew into the pce andnded a few yards from the four waiting for them. They were dressed in long ck dresses with their white hair flying around them.

    "What do you want with us? You know this will only end in your demise." Anna said just loud enough for them to hear. She noticed Jarek standing behind the trio with a smirk.

    "There will be a demise, but it won''t be ours. The tigers and Spirit Energy will die tonight. You can surrender and ept your fate, or you can fight and die a painful, agony-filled death." The trio spoke together as one with a voice that sent chills down everyone''s spine. The evilness pouring from them made those across the room shudder in fear.

    "You don''t know who you''re messing with. You will be defeated tonight. Are you willing to die for the lycan king?" Anna asked and saw the trio shake. She was forcing her energy onto them.

    "We don''t sacrifice ourselves for anyone." They answered in unison.

    "Where''s Elsie?" Anna asked and saw them look at her in surprise. Obviously, they didn''t expect her to know about having her.

    "Who is this Elsie you speak of?" One of them asked. No one could distinguish who was who; they were identical down to the way they moved.

    "I know you broke my spell and took her from the cabin. I also know you took her to the lycan pce. What did you do with her?" Anna looked between the trio and the king, who suddenly looked worried.

    "What''s the matter, Jarek? I thought you weren''t afraid of someone so small?" Kamryn smirked at him when he saw the king not looking so confident anymore.

    "I''m not scared of anyone. You may think you know everything, but you know nothing. I will win this fight and be the king over all shifters." Jarek spoke loudly, but his voice wavered in the end.

    "What do you get out of this? You don''t care about shifters." Anna asked the trio, who stood silently. All three had their coal-ck eyes on Anna.

    "We get the death of all Spirit Energy, so we''ll be the most powerful. We can kill off the rest of those who don''t practice ck magic without any interference from you. We will rule the world with evil." Theyughed loudly, and everyone cringed. It felt like they were putting ice into their souls.

    "How exactly do you n on doing that?" Anna asked softly, countering their loud cackling. Something about her calm demeanor was even more terrifying than the trio, and it made Jarek nervous. Why did he feel as if something was off? He wanted to tell the trio to leave and they would try again another day, but they were too deep in this to back out now.

    "We will start by killing you and your mates, followed by everyone else inside and outside the pce. We picked this ce for a reason. You don''t have the four elements needed to kill us." All three smirked, but their faces faltered when they saw Anna, Jaz, Kamryn, and Micahughing.

    "You see, you fail to understand that we don''t need the four elements to kill you anymore," Anna answered with a smile as the four of them spread out. The trio, as dark and evil as they were, looked at them with worry. What was their n? "You''re not strong enough to do anything to us without drawing your strengths from the elements. It''s the core of your energy." One of the witches screeched at them. They were tired of the back and forth with this witch who thought she could beat them.

    "That''s where you''re wrong." Anna looked towards the others and nodded. As a group, they slowly rose together. Anna raised her hand and opened her palm; they saw a fireball appear in it. At the same time, Jaz made a fist and was holding a lightning bolt. Kamryn flew up to a window and shattered it with his fist, letting in the wind, while Micah moved arge boulder through the door by waving his hand. This represented the earth.

    "You have fire, wind, and earth, but I see no water. So you will lose." The trio said as one.

    "Oh, yeah. Let me make it rain." Jaz took the lightning bolt in her hand and threw it toward the ceiling. A loud p of thunder was heard, and a dark cloud appeared. When it started raining, the trio moved together in fear. They underestimated these four. They no longer needed the perfect setting because they could create their own.

    "Get ready to dance with the devil." They turned toward Anna''s voice, but she was gone. They looked around in dread as they heard herughing, but they couldn''t see her. They knew their time on earth wasing to an end.

 Chapter 44 - Crowning Ceremony

    Jarek looked at the trio and saw the fear on their faces. He had never seen them scared of anything. Once the realization that his n wasn''t going to work sunk in, he tried to turn and run out the door. Stanley and Bryson flew across the room and stopped him before he could leave.

    "You started this show. Don''t you want to see how it ends?" Stanley asked him. Jarek felt his body moving on its own as he turned around and went back to stand behind the three witches. He tried to go back to the door, but he was frozen in ce. Stanely and Bryson stood behind him, not letting him leave.

    Anna, while still invisible, started flying around the trio as fast as she could until there was a tornado of wind that no one could see, but the witches could feel. She then released her fireball into the tornado, so it was onerge ming cyclone of purple mes. She went to stand next to Kamryn as she became visible again.

    Jaz closed her fist to make another lightning bolt and sent it to the center of the ming tornado. Everyone watched in fascination as it got bigger and bigger. When the lightning bolt reached the trio inside, the mes seemed to get wider and turned to a paler color of purple. A cloud moved over the witches in the middle and started raining on them. They screeched out in pain as the water, fire, and air began to burn them. Only one element was left to end them for good. Micah waved his hand, and arge boulder moved into the room to represent the earth. Kamryn picked it up and flew it above the tornado, dropping it inside. As soon as it reached the trio, there was a loud p of thunder and a sh of light. It was finished just as quickly as everything started, and the trio was gone. Anna, Jaz, Micah, and Kamryn looked at each other, smiling. They didn''t have a hair out of ce. Everyone started pping and cheering except for Jarek, who looked like he was ready to faint.

    "What do you want to do with the lycan king?" Anna asked, looking at Randal. He was flustered. He''d never seen anything so fascinating yet terrifying at the same time.

    "What do you suggest?" He asked, ncing between Kamryn and Anna.

    "How about for now we send him to the dungeons. Make sure it''s the one with silver bars so he doesn''t try to get out. We''ll decide what to do after the crowning ceremony." Kamryn replied, looking at his dad, who was nodding in agreement. "Yes, I agree. Take him away." Randal pointed to the guards, who grabbed Jarek and started pulling him to the dungeons.

    "I''m a king; you can''t do this to me. You must let me go this instant." Anna snapped her fingers as he yelled, and all was suddenly quiet. His mouth was moving, but nothing came out.

    "That''s much better. A spell of silence will do him good for a while." She said as she turned toward the others. The guests that hade for the ceremony stared at her in astonishment. As one, they bowed to her, and Anna felt her face turning red. She wasn''t used to anyone bowing to her.

    "Well, youngdies, I say we get busy doing what we''re here for. That is unless anyone has anyints about our two new princesses." He looked toward the guests, who were all shaking their heads while staring at Anna and Jazlyn. They were truly remarkable.

    "I think I can speak for all of us when I say we will be d to celebrate the crowning of the two Spirit Energy witches." Damon, the leader of the panthers, nodded toward both Anna and Jaz. The others nodded their agreement.

    "If everyone can please follow me, we''ll get started," Randal remarked before leading the group to the throne room. Anna had never been to that room. ording to Kamryn, it was rarely used except for asions like crownings. Randal and Lynn didn''t like the formal setting and preferred to use their conference room for meetings.

    When they walked in, Anna looked around in wonder. The room was done in white marble on the floors and walls. White padded seats were lining each side of the aisle. At the end of the aisle, there were fourrge gold thrones. She assumed the two in the middle were Randal and Lynn''s, with the two smaller ones for the princes.

    Randal and Lynn sat on their thrones while the guests filled the other seats. Kamryn and Micah held Anna and Jaz back by the door, waiting for the ceremony to start. Once everyone had calmed down, Randal stood up with a smile.

    "I wee you all to the crowning ceremony for Princess Annabe and Princess Jazlyn. We are extremely fortunate that Prince Kamryn and Prince Micah have both mated to such powerful women. I feel confident that these four will be able to handle anything thates their way, as you witnessed this evening." He paused as everyone pped.

    "I present to you first Prince Micah with his mate Princess Jazlyn." Micah walked a blushing Jaz down the aisle. When they reached the thrones, they knelt down so Randal could ce a crown on Micah''s head and Jaz''s. After he stepped back, they stood up and faced the crowd. Bryson and Maura had happy tears running down their faces while everyone cheered. The young couple stepped to the side to stand in front of one of the smaller thrones.

    "It is my great pleasure to present Crowned Prince Kamryn with his mate Princess Annabe." Kamryn smiled wide as he led Anna down the aisle. He was just as awestruck by his mate as everyone else was. To see her take on the three witches with no fear had been mesmerizing. When they reached the thrones, they knelt in front of his father. He squeezed her hand as he felt the crown being ced on his head. He snuck a sideways nce at Anna and saw the gold crown being ced on her head; he smiled. He had his queen.

    When they stood up and turned to the crowd, Anna saw her parents crying. She smiled as everyone cheered for them. She never cared about being a royal; all she cared about was being with Kamryn. However, she was proud to stand by his side when he became king someday.novelbin

    When they left the throne room, everyone went to the dining hall for dinner. It was a massive feast with multiple courses. Anna was so stuffed that she could hardly move when they were done. Afterward, Randal stood up to get everyone''s attention again.

    "Leaders, as you''ve noticed, we have invited only a few guests for a crowning ceremony of this magnitude. That''s because we''re being threatened. Some of you may remember that I have a brother named Santi. He was sent away by me for meddling in ck magic. He has now made an appearance by threatening to kill my family so he can take the throne. We believe he is working with something more evil than what you saw tonight. I ask you, my friends will you join us in this fight to protect what''s good and not let evil take over." Randal looked around at the others who were there.

    "What do you want us to do?" Damon asked, looking at all the royals. He wasn''t opposed to fighting on behalf of the king, but he couldn''tpare to what his sons and their mates could do.

    "Kamryn, Micah, Anna, and Jaz are the only ones that can defeat Santi and the evil behind him. We will need help getting them to the point where they can do what they need to. We have the entire Spirit Energy coven here willing to fight with us, and they can help prepare those who fight with us prepare for the battle." Randal looked at the leaders and their mates, who stared back at him.

    Damon looked around at the others, who all nodded. They were all leaders, but they let him speak for them. Damon turned toward the royals.

    "We''ll fight with you. Just tell us what you need us to do." He said to Randal.

    "Thank you all. Now it''s time we deal with Jarek."

 Chapter 45 - Dungeon Visit

    "Are you ready to go have a talk with Jarek?" Randal asked Kamryn and Anna.

    "Yes, but let''s put our crowns away first," Kamryn stated, and Anna nodded. She wasn''t used to wearing a crown, and it felt awkward on her head. After someone came and took the crowns, they headed to the dungeons. The other leaders and their mates also insisted on going for two reasons. They wanted to see what Jarek had to say, and they were still mesmerized by the young royals, especially Anna, who was particrly enchanting.

    It was quite a crowd walking to the dungeons, and everyone was still in their tuxedos and gowns. Jarek was trying to yell in anger, but the spell Anna had put on him was still in effect. When they got to the silver cell, she snapped her fingers so he could talk.

    "You little bitch don''t ever do that to me again. Who do you think you are to ce a spell on a king? Just wait until I get out of here." Jarek was furious. He only saw Anna and ignored everyone else. He was a king. Why did they think they could throw him in the dungeons?

    Legend started growling, hearing Jarek talk to their mate that way. At that point, the lycan noticed all the others, and his confidence subsided slightly. He failed to realize that Anna was the one he should be most fearful of. She stared at him with her grey eyes zing.

    "What were your ns with the trio? I have ways of making you talk. If you want to do this the easy way, I suggest you tell us what we want to know." She wasn''t speaking loudly, but everyone could hear her. "Why...why should I answer to you? You''re nothing but a little witch." Jarek heard the growls from the others, and he tried to stay firm. When Anna smiled at him slightly, he felt a chill run down his spine.

    "I warned you, and now that you''ve made your choice, you''ll be in pain." As she raised her hands, Jarek closed his eyes waiting.

    "No, wait, I''ll tell you what you want to know. Just please don''t hurt me." He said with his eyes still tightly shut, expecting the pain to start.

    "Answer my question. What were your ns with the trio?" Anna asked almost sweetly, but everyone could hear the threat in her voice. The other leaders were silent, watching the interaction. Being in such a cramped ce made Anna''s energye off in waves, and all were affected by it. Even Kamryn, who had let her take the lead, couldn''t take his eyes off his mate. He had to admit sometimes she even scared him.

    "I told you earlier that I wanted to kill you all so I could be the rightful king of all shifters. What else do you want?" Jarek said in anger. He wanted to get home. They had no right to keep him locked up. "You told us that, but what else were you going to do after you took over. I know that wasn''t your whole n." Anna said through narrowed eyes. Jarek''s eyes widened in surprise. How did she know? "I...I was going to finish what my ancestors started and kill werecats of all kinds. There is no rightful ce for them here. They need to be eliminated." Once again, Jarek heard the angry growls of the cats. "What were your ns for Elsie?" Anna asked. As angry as she was about her cousin, she didn''t want her to be tortured or killed.novelbin

    "The trio wanted her because they thought they could find her magic and use it to eliminate all the Spirit Energy witches. They weren''t sessful despite hours of trying to draw it out of her. She''s still at my pce. When you let me go, I''ll send her here. How about a trade me for her?" Jarek proposed, thinking he had found an ace in the hole. However, Anna gave him a small grin before turning toward Kamryn. *"Can you teleport to the lycan pce and get Elsie?"* She asked through mindlink.

    *"Yes. I''ll take your dad with me."* He responded, and Anna nodded. Kamryn walked out and took Stanley with him. He thought it would be easier to find Elsie with her uncle than by himself. Once they were gone, Anna turned back toward a confused Jarek.

    "I don''t think you understand. You''re the one who is no longer king, and you will not be leaving. You attempted to kill all of us here and eliminate the werecats. King Randal, remind me what the punishment is for attempted murder and the attempted elimination of a species?" Anna asked, looking toward the king, who in turn smirked at Jarek.

    "Death," He stated simply. Anna nodded and returned her gaze to the lycan, who looked pale as reality sat in.

    "You can''t do that. I have Elsie. If you ever want to see her again, you have to let me go," Jarek spoke in almost a whisper. Right after he finished speaking, Kamryn, Stanley, and a confused Elsie walked into the dungeons. Jarek''s eyes got huge seeing the witch with them. His pce was hours away from the tiger pce. How did they get her within a few minutes?

    "It looks like Elsie is already here. So you have nothing left to bargain with. Kamryn, I''m d you made it back. We were just discussing Jarek''s punishment." Anna leaned into Kamryn''s arms as he kissed her forehead. He had something to share with her about what he and Stanely found at the lycan pce, but he wanted to do that in private.

    "We can kill him or let him rot. As long as he never leaves this cell alive, I don''t care. We went to your pce Jarek and got Elsie. I won''t discuss what we found there right now, but from what we saw, you don''t deserve anything less than rotting in hell." Kamryn spoke with ice in his voice. Anna nced at him, but he shook his head, letting her know he would tell herter.

    "You had no right going into my pce uninvited." Jarek started shaking with the realization he wasn''t going to be able to get out of this. He had nothing left to offer.

    "We had no right? Yet you brought three witches here to kill us. Anna, sweetheart, what do you want to do with him? I''m tired of spending time with the dog." Kamryn kissed the top of her head while she stared at Jarek.

    "Let''s leave him here for now. We can decide when he diester. We have bigger, more important fish to fry." Anna turned to walk out, pulling Kamryn with her. Jarek watched in disbelief as everyone left and turned out the lights leaving him in the dark. He sat in the corner on the floor. Why did he have to get involved with the trio? They had convinced him that he was the rightful king of everyone. He''d always had a good rtionship with the tigers, but it looked like that was over. He thought about what Kamryn had seen at his pce and knew he probably got the wrong idea. Jarek wasn''t a monster, not like they thought. He put his head in his hands and cried for the first time in years.

    As the group went outside, they walked slowly back toward the pce. It had been a long tiring day for everyone. The other leaders and their mates decided to stay at the pce for the night and leave in the morning. Lynn had rooms prepped for them before the rest of the group went to the conference room.

    "I think that was the most action-packed crowning in history," Randal said as everyone took a seat. Patrice walked in a few minutester after taking Elsie to one of the cells in the pce where Melita was also still locked up. "How is she?" Anna asked her mom.

    "She''s confused, but she seems unharmed. I''ll let you decide what you want to do with her." Patrice replied, looking between Anna and Kamryn.

    "Son, what did you and Stanely find when you went to Jarek''s pce?" Lynn asked, already dreading the answer. She knew it had to be bad from the look on both of their faces. Kamryn looked toward Stanley, who nodded for him to tell them what they saw.

    "We found Elsie in his dungeons, but that wasn''t all. He had werecats of different species in multiple stages of decay. It looks like he''d been torturing them for a while."

 Chapter 46 - The Betrayal

    "You saw what?" Randal asked.

    "Werecats of every kind, dead and decaying. There were tigers, lions, panthers, cheetahs, and more. It was nauseating, but we left everything as it was until we could speak with you. I never thought Jarek would stoop this low." Kamryn replied. He felt sick just thinking about what they saw. His dad let out a loud roar in anger.

    "I''m going to go tear him apart limb by limb." As he got ready to run out of the room, barely able to contain himself from shifting, Anna''s gentle voice stopped him.

    "Randal, can I ask you a few questions?" She asked with a small smile. He quickly settled down and sat back at the table.

    "Of course," He said, a little calmer.

    "You''ve known Jarek a long time. Has he always had this hatred towards werecats?" She questioned.

    "No, in fact, this alles as quite a surprise to me. We''ve always gotten along well with the lycan king. What are your thoughts, Anna?" Randal asked, watching her nod.

    "What if these thoughts and actions are not his own? It''s possible the trio manipted him into doing what he did. I''m not trying to give him an out, but ck magic can change a person. If they had ced a spell on him or given him a potion to act a certain way, he would not have done these things of his own ord. I think we need to consider that now they''re gone, whatever hold they had on him may vanish. Let''s give him a couple of days to let his mind rest and talk to him again." She looked around the table, and every set of eyes was looking at her in shock.

    "Anna, what makes you think he''ll change in two days?" Stanley asked,pletely caught up in his daughter''s abilities like everyone else. Did they do a disservice to her by keeping her sheltered her entire life? Maybe she would have been better out in the world because she''s certainly flourishing now.

    "When Kamryn and I first entered the hall for the ceremony, I could feel the darknessing off Jarek in waves from across the room. However, when we met with him in the dungeons, it was nowhere near as strong. I believe that the darkness will be out of him within two days, and he''ll have a change of heart." Anna exined simply.

    "She''s incredible, isn''t she?" Kamryn said with a smile. His mate left him speechless every day.

    "She certainly is, son. Anna, we''ll visit him in two days and see if there are any changes. I hope you''re right. I don''t know about the rest of you, but I''m exhausted. Let''s go to bed, and tomorrow we''ll begin the intense training." Randal stood up, followed by everyone else. When they got to their room, Anna was deep in thought, and Kamryn noticed.

    "What are you thinking about?" He asked as he walked up behind her and began pulling down the zipper on her gold gown. He''d wanted to get it off her all night to get to the soft silky skin underneath.

    "There''s so much darkness around us that''s being uncovered. Yet we have still not found the person who poisoned you and dumped you in the forest. Can we try something?" She asked, turning toward him, wearing nothing but her whitece panties after the dress fell to the floor. He was distracted and tried to focus on what she said.

    "What did you want to try?" Kamryn''s mind was already thinking about different sexual positions, but Anna''s thoughts were far from that.

    "I want to do a memory spell on you to see if we can pull up your memories right before you were dumped in the forest. Your memories may be there, but you need a key to unlock them." Kamryn reached out and ran his hand over her generous chest, and she felt the little tingles his touch always caused in her body. As he yed with her breast, her thoughts started going astray.

    "How about we shower, and you let me ravish your body, and then you can do whatever you want. Right now, I need you." Kamryn bent his head down and started sucking her nipple. Anna could no longer remember why she wanted to do the spell right now. She moaned as she felt herself already getting wet. He picked her up, putting her legs around his waist without removing his mouth from her breast. Only when they were in the bathroom did he raise his head.

    "I think I like your n." She answered as he sat her next to the sink, so they were face to face. Kamryn didn''t say anything as he pulled her panties off and dropped to his knees in front of her. Before she could react, she felt his mouth on her. As he licked and sucked, she moaned in pleasure, spreading her legs as far as she could. It only took a few minutes to reach her climax, and when she was done, he stood up with a smile. "What was that for?" She asked, stilling down from her orgasm.

    "Do I need a reason to please my mate? Besides, when I smelled your arousal, my mouth began to water, and I wanted to taste you. There''s no sweeter treat in the world." He licked his lips as she giggled.

    Kamryn started the shower water, and they got in together. After their long, satisfying shower and a couple more orgasms, they got out. Anna''s legs felt like rubber, but she still wanted to do the spell. Something was nagging at her telling her it was essential to find out who had poisoned him.

    "Can we do the spell before we go to bed?" She asked Kamryn, who was pulling her to the bed. He had wanted to continue what they had done in the shower until they were too tired to move, but she clearly had other ns. "Are you sure you want to do it tonight? I had something else in mind." He lightly rubbed his hands up and down her naked body making her shiver.

    "I have this weird feeling that we need to find this out now." She kissed his cheek and hugged him. Kamryn couldn''t resist her when she had these intuitions. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. "Alright, but afterward, I get full ess to do what I want." He said, and sheughed against him.

    "Deal." She replied before walking to the dresser and throwing on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Kamryn only put on boxers refusing to wear anything else. He fully meant what he said and didn''t n on either of them having clothes on for long.

    "Sit on the couch and rx. I''m going to stand behind you and rub your temples. You''ll hear me chanting, but I want you to say out loud whatever you see." Anna walked behind him as he sat on the couch and leaned his head back. "Okay," He answered as he closed his eyes, and she began making slow circles on his temples. Kamryn felt like he was going to fall asleep as he listened to her soft chanting. It was hypnotizing to him.

    Before he knew it, he saw himself as Legend on one of their runs. They were running fast as they zig-zagged through the forest. Kamryn could feel his emotions as though he was there again. He had been upset about being forced to mate with the witch.

    As he continued running, he saw Anton with him. He was the weretiger his father assigned as his personal guard. They were about the same age and grew up together more as friends than prince and guard. Anton ran with him most days. Their tigers liked each other too. Kamryn was talking without even realizing it and telling Anna everything he saw.

    When he and Anton got to a stream, their tigers stopped to get a drink, and Kamryn suddenly felt dizzy. He saw Anton shift from his tiger back into a human. As Legend began getting sick, he shifted into Kamryn, whoy on the ground shaking.

    "I''m sorry, Kamryn, they paid me a lot of money. I couldn''t turn it down. I have to get rid of your body now. Everyone will think you died from being attacked." As Kamryn slipped into unconsciousness, he felt Anton kicking him in the ribs. He opened his eyes and felt the tears running down his face. Anna sat next to him, putting her arms around him. She had felt his pain not only from the beating but also from the betrayal of one of his closest friends. "I''m so sorry he did that to you," She said, running her fingers through his silky ck hair.

    "He wasn''t just trying to poison and beat me. He wanted to kill me." Kamryn felt raw from going through that. He didn''t remember it from the first time, but his body felt like it was in terrible pain.

    "Where is Anton now? I don''t think I''ve met him." She looked up into his amber eyes and saw the hurt there.

    "He''s been away since before we came back. He''s due here in the morning."novelbin

 Chapter 47 - Surprise for Anton

    Kamryn mindlinked his parents, telling them about Anton. He didn''t know that Kamryn was still alive, so they decided to n a surprise for him when he got to the pce.

    The next morning everyone got up early. Kamryn and Anna went to the royal office to wait. Randal and Lynn were notified that Anton had arrived and wasing through the gate. They pretended to be walking through the entry when he came in. All the guards and remaining staff had been told not to talk to him about Kamryn or Anna.

    Anton nodded at the guards at the gate. He was surprised there were no signs of mourning for the crowned prince. It had been a while since he left Kamryn in the forest to die, but he thought they would still be mourning. When he walked into the pce, he saw the king and queen passing by. He noticed they didn''t look too upset. Maybe Kamryn hadn''t been found yet.

    "Good morning Anton. How was your vacation?" Lynn asked with a fake smile. He would have seen the anger in her eyes if he''d paid attention.

    "It was nice. How''s everything been here?" Anton asked nervously. He nced around and didn''t see anyone anywhere. Where was all the staff?

    "We''ve had some changes. Can youe with us, please? We have new assignments." Randal said before leading Anton to the office. He fidgeted nervously as he walked with the royal couple. He didn''t want to go with them, but he knew he didn''t have a choice.

    The king and queen took their ces behind the desk when they walked into the office. Anton sat down across from them and noticed something had changed in their demeanor once they sat down.

    "Did you hear that Kamryn was missing?" Randal asked him.

    "N...no, I''ve been on vacation." He answered, looking down at his hands.

    "While you were gone, he was missing. Someone poisoned him, beat him, and then left him for dead in the middle of the forest." Anton felt his blood run cold. Did they know that he had something to do with Kamryn''s death?

    "I''m sorry about his death. I hadn''t heard." He answered cautiously.

    "No need to apologize because I''m not dead." Anton slowly turned toward the voice he knew too well. He saw Kamryn standing with his arm around a small beautiful woman. He tried to smile but couldn''t. Did Kamryn remember what happened in the forest?

    "I''m d to see you''re okay," Anton replied, even though he could feel the sweat pouring down his face. Kamryn red at him as he walked toward him.

    "Really? You''re d I''m okay, but you were the one who poisoned and beat me. Not to mention leaving me for dead. If it wasn''t for my angel finding me, you might have been sessful." Kamryn leaned down and kissed Anna''s forehead. She hadn''t taken her eyes off Anton. She didn''t like the deceitful energy he was letting off.

    "I...I don''t know what you''re talking about. You must be confused." Anton looked between Kamryn, Randal, Lynn, and the woman he didn''t know.

    "Anna, dear, what do you think?" Lynn asked.

    "I believe he''s lying. Kamryn''s recollection of what happened was extremely clear, not to mention the energying off him shows his deceit and greed." Anton stared at the young woman who was staring into his eyes. It felt as though she was looking into his soul, yet her voice was soft and sweet.

    "Oh, Anton, you haven''t met Kamryn''s mate and next queen, Princess Annabe, from the Spirit Energy Coven," Randal stated proudly. He stared at the pretty woman who looked like she couldn''t hurt anything, but he saw the look in her eyes, and it made him shiver.

    "When you left me deep in the forest, Anna found me and healed me. I didn''t remember what had happened until she helped me. I remember you running with me and then feeling dizzy. Thest thing I remembered was you telling me you did it for money, and then you started beating me. I trusted you, Anton. You were one of my best friends. Why would you betray me for money?" Everyone could hear the hurt in Kamryn''s voice.

    "You don''t understand because you''ve always had everything you wanted. I have to work for what I want. Friendship doesn''t mean anything; money means everything." Anton crossed his arms in defiance. At least with Kamryn alive, they couldn''t charge him with murder. He could still get out of this and enjoy the money he was given.

    "I''m sorry to hear that. Who paid you to get rid of me?" Kamryn asked through clenched teeth. Anton shrugged his shoulders in indifference.novelbin

    "A couple of witches. Their names were Alice and Marcus. They said if I got rid of you, the king''s brother Santi would be taking over the throne. When he did, they would make me the head guard and triple my pay." Anna showed no reaction at the mention of her aunt and uncle. Obviously, something evil had taken them over, and they were no longer who they once were.

    Randal was furious that this man they had trusted would try to kill Kamryn and show no remorse whatsoever. He was done with him. He could join Jarek in the dungeons.

    "Guards," Randal yelled. Two guards who were waiting outside the door came in, and without a word, each grabbed one of Anton''s arms.

    "What are you doing? No one was hurt. You need to let me go." Anton said, trying to make the guards who were once his friends let him free.

    "You attempted to kill the crown prince. The sentence for attempted murder is death. Take him to the dungeons until we decide how he''ll die." Randal waved his hand to dismiss any further discussion. Once Anton was taken away, Kamryn and Anna sat across from the king and queen.

    "I can''t believe he acted like this was no big deal. The death of anyone is a big deal. Who would have thought so many around us had no respect for the life of others." Lynn shook her head. She felt drained after everything that had transpired recently.

    "Are you going to start the training today?" Randal asked.

    "Yes, we don''t want to waste any more time. I''m sure we won''t be attacked until after the cubs are born, as long as no one finds out Jaz and I are pregnant. If Santi or whoever is controlling him finds out that we''re expecting, they''ll know we have the power of six. We have to have the cubs born in order for us to defeat them." Anna looked at Randal and Lynn across the table.

    They went to breakfast and told everyone else about what had happened with Anton. Micah was as hurt as Kamryn; he''d also grown up with him. After eating, the two young couples went to change their clothes. They were going to train in one of the gardens practicing their new powers so they could fully understand what they were capable of.

    The three sets of parents rounded up the tigers and the leaders with their mates and took them to the training grounds. The leaders wanted to see what kind of training they were going to do. Some of them were thinking about staying in the pce until the battle. They were mainly reluctant to leave because of the disy of power they saw the four young people put on yesterday. They would never go against the king and his family, but now they were somewhat scared as well as fascinated.

    Anna was lost in thought as they headed out to the gardens. She felt they were going to learn something important today, but she didn''t know what. The four of them wanted to do their training in private so as not to give all their secrets away. For the first hour, Anna and Jaz showed Kamryn and Micah how to get good control of flying, so it was wless without having to think about it. By the end, they were chasing the girls around the garden at lightning speed. "Alright, now we need to get serious. After seeing how we could make the four elementse together to defeat the trio, I feel it will be something simr for the battle. I represent fire, Kamryn earth, Micah air, and Jaz water. I want to try something. I don''t know if it will do anything, but I want to see what happens." They all listened to her, mesmerized. The way she talked even hypnotized the three of them.

    "What do you want us to do?" Kamryn asked with his eyes bright. He was so proud to call this amazing woman his mate that he vowed to spend his life making sure she never questioned how much he loved her.

    "Let''s make a circle and hold hands. In a way, it will bebining the elements." She reached her hands out, Kamryn took one, and Micah took the other. Jaz was across from her.

    Everyone''s eyes widened when they felt jolts of something going through their bodies. They were all trembling from the force of it. Without trying to, they floated about six feet off the ground.

    Anna and Jaz both felt heat in their abdomens and looked down. They weren''t showing baby bumps yet, but they felt something was happening with their cubs. As they continued feeling the heat, suddenly, a bright light came from the sky and went into the center of their circle.

    They all watched in amazement as the light split into six sections. One went into each of them. The two remaining lights went into Anna and Jaz''s abdomens to reach their cubs. It was over as quickly as it began, and they floated back to the ground. Kamryn looked at Anna with wide eyes.

    "What was that?"

 Chapter 48 - Astaroth

    "That was the light of Spirit Energy. Those lights that entered us were sent here as protection. When we fight in the battle, we''ll need to join hands with the babies attached to Jaz and me. That will allow the light to leave us and kill the evil force behind this. We have to be careful because we can only use it once. We''ll have to beat Santi with our other powers." Anna looked around at all of them as she spoke. Even Jaz had a stunned look on her face as she put her hands over her belly. "Well, this certainly was a turn of events I wasn''t expecting. Is this light rare, like the rainbow light?" Kamryn asked as he put his arm around his mate. When the light entered him, it felt as though he could feel the power in every pore of his body.

    "It''s nevere as far as I know. I''ve heard about it, though." Anna answered. Her thoughts were no longer on training, but she knew that''s what they needed to do. In order to be ready for the battle, they had to have their powers under control.

    "I''d never even heard of it, but I know some of your teachings were more intense than mine. I know our cubs are too small for us to feel them, but when the light was going into my belly, I felt like I could feel his energy." Jaz spoke quietly as she rubbed her belly.

    "Did you say he?" Micah asked as a smile spread across his face. She nodded with a grin.

    "Yes, the energy I felt was definitely male." She looked toward Anna, who was nodding.

    "I felt the same thing. Only our cub is female." Anna looked up at Kmaryn with a smile as he looked from her face to her belly.

    "We''re having a girl?" He asked excitedly, and she nodded.

    "Yes," Annaughed as he picked her up and swung her around.

    "Legend and I were hoping for a girl." He said as Legend purred his agreement.

    "Really? I thought you''d want a son." She couldn''t help but smile at the look of pure joy on his handsome face.

    "I do, eventually. When we first met, I always pictured our first cub as a tiny version of you running around the pce." Anna pulled his face to hers for a kiss just as they heard runninging their way.

    "Was that the light of Spirit Energy?" Maura asked as she, Bryson, Caprice, Stanley, Lynn, and Randal all ran into the garden.novelbin

    "Yes. When we joined hands, the light appeared and split into six sections. One went into each of us, and thest two went to our cubs." Anna replied, putting a hand over her belly.

    ""I''m d you have the extra protection, but it terrifies me at the same time," Caprice stated with a shaky voice looking at her daughter and Kamryn, who were both smiling.

    "Jaz and I also found out the sex of our cubs. I''m having a girl." She looked at Jaz, and everyone followed her gaze.

    "I''m having a boy," She replied quietly. The grandparents opened their mouths in surprise before excitedly going around and hugging the two young couples.

    "This calls for a celebration. Tonight we feast and celebrate the future prince and princess. I do have one question, though. What exactly does the Spirit Energy light do?" Randal asked while looking at Anna. She had quickly be the leader of their battle. Everyone was impressed with her knowledge and strength for being so young.

    "Think of it as a protection field. When whatever evil force is behind Santi tries to attack us, it will help in keeping us safe. Also, in order to win, we will have to join hands to release the light from us. That''s the only way to defeat what''sing." Anna looked around at the parents, who were all spellbound by her soft voice yet powerful demeanor.

    "What do you need us to do?" Lynn questioned. She had never felt more inferior than she did at that moment. Her sons and their mates were really sensational.

    "We need you to fight alongside us. Santi will note alone. He''ll have others with him that won''t be using ck magic. It''s important to have as many people as possible to fight those who can be a distraction so we can get to the real source. Randal, I have a feeling that this person or thing has been affecting Santi for a long time. It may be the cause of his interest in ck magic from the beginning." Anna saw the realization on the king''s face at what she said. "If that''s the case, this has been going on for longer than I thought." He replied while looking off into the distance.

    Santi screamed in anger. Marcus and Alice had just returned, telling him they were unable to locate Elsie. Someone had already removed her from the abandoned cabin, but they didn''t know who had taken her. He knew it was imperative to have a witch from Spirit Energy in order to do what needed to be done.

    "You couldn''t pick up anything about what happened to her? Do you think the spell was lifted so she could leave?" Santi asked thoughtfully. He couldn''t imagine the witch removing the spell after all Elsie had done to her.

    "We don''t think so because we could feel evilness in the area when we got there. Something just as bad or worse than us. We went to Spirit Energy to see if Elsie was taken back there, but it looked deserted. There were no witches or warlocks anywhere to be found." Marcus answered in a monotone-type voice. They were given to Santi by his benefactor. He didn''t know anything about them other than they would do whatever he told them. He had no idea they were from Spirit Energy or that Elsie was their daughter. In reality, Marcus and Alice were no longer there. They were only shells for the evil that had taken over their bodies.

    "Do you have any idea where those from Spirit Energy went? I can''t imagine them abandoning their coven for no reason." Santi sat down in his chair that he had made to look like a throne. He used it in preparation for when he had the actual throne.

    "We believe they went to the tiger pce. They will probably fight along with the cats." Alice answered. Their ck eyes gave Santi the creeps.

    "How was your visit with Alpha Gary. Do you think you scared him into being loyal to me?" If the alpha had doubts about his loyalty, Santi would send a stronger message.

    "He''s loyal. He said he''ll fight by your side when you challenge the pce. His pack seems to be ready to follow him as well. They will make a good army to overthrow Randal." Marcus replied.

    "Alright, that''s all for now. I''ll call for you when I need you again." He waved his hand so they would leave. Once they did, he went to the secret passageway behind his fake throne. The passage leads deep under the earth where the person behind Santi''s takeover lived. He had made everything possible, but Santi still believed he would be the one victorious in the end.

    As he walked through the long dark hallway, there were no lights, only candles hung from the wall every so often. Santi always wondered how the candles seemed to burn, but the wax never melted, and the me never went out. It got darker, cooler, and damper the further he walked. Even with the ck magic coursing through his veins, he hated going into what he considered the bowels of hell. There was no life down there, only darkness and pure wickedness. When he finally got to the end, he was almost out of breath. He was so deep under the earth that it was hard to breathe. He tentatively knocked on therge metal door, waiting to be told to enter. When he heard the deep, gravel-like voice, he shivered. When Santi opened the door, he had a slight tremble as he tried to remind himself that soon he would be more powerful than the thing he was staring at.

    When the man like being turned toward him, Santi felt the same coldness wash over him like always. He was wearing a ck gown and had long ck hair mixed with thin silver streaks. His face looked like something out of a child''s nightmare, with dark red eyes, a long crooked nose, and a narrow mouth that caused the heart to stop with every evil smile. His skin was gray with pot marks and scars all over it, making him look haggard. Santi couldn''t help but back up slightly as the man slowly made his way over. He was short and hunched over, but that didn''t cause the fear in Santi to disappear. When he stopped in front of Santi, he grabbed his wrist with long bony fingers that had w-like fingernails.

    "What?" He asked in the voice that haunted Santi at night.

    "Everything is in ce, Astaroth."

 Chapter 49 - Talk with Jarek

    The following morning Anna and Kamryn were walking down to the dungeons to speak with Jarek. He had been there for two days, and Anna was hoping to get some answers. She still believed she was right about him being under a spell by the trio. It should have worn off by now if that was the case.

    When they arrived, they passed the others that were in cells. Anton tried to apologize to Kamryn, but he ignored him. As far as he was concerned, his former friend no longer existed. It was bad enough that he poisoned and beat him, but he left him for dead. That''s what hurt the most.

    When they got to the silver-lined cell where Jarek was, they saw him sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up and his head resting on his hands. He didn''t look well even though it had only been two days. When he saw Anna and Kamryn, he slowly stood up. They both gasped when they saw his dirty tear-stained face.

    "Before you tell me what my punishment is, I want to apologize. The trio came to my pce, and I don''t know what they did, but somehow they convinced me that I should be the king of everyone. My wolf tells me they must have put a spell on me or something because since being away from them, I have none of those same feelings. I will ept whatever you have nned for me. I know that I deserve it."

    Kamryn and Anna looked at each other in surprise. She had thought that if the trio had put a spell on him, he might have some regrets, but she never expected him to appear so beat up. Anna focused on his energy to look for any of the darkness she''d felt before. There wasn''t any. All she felt was despair and regret.

    "We didn''te here to discuss your punishment. We came here because I suspected the trio had done something to you. Randal said that you had never acted this way in the past. I believe what you say." Anna looked at Kamryn, who was staring at Jarek with his eyes in slits. She knew he still didn''t trust him.

    "You believe me? It exins why I felt the way I did. It was as though my thoughts weren''t my thoughts and my actions weren''t my own. I felt powerful and lost at the same time. My wolf threatened to leave me if I didn''t change my ways. What are you going to do with me?" He asked anxiously. Jarek would ept whatever they did, but he had hope now that they believed he wasn''t behind what he''d done. He was entirely at their mercy, and he was okay with that.

    "We have a few questions for you first. Do you know what made the trio appear when they did?" Anna asked. After asking her question, she quickly mindlinked Kamryn.

    "*I think we should let him out of the dungeons but make him stay at the pce for now. I don''t want whoever sent the trio to him to try something else."* Kamryn looked at her in disbelief. He wanted to kill Jarek for trying to kill them all. How could she expect him to allow him in the pce as though everything was okay?novelbin

    "I don''t know who sent them, but they referred to him as master. All they would tell me is that master wanted to do this or master said this. They never said an actual name. Sometimes they would disappear for hours, and when they returned, they would tell me to do something else. They terrified me." Jarek wasn''t ashamed to tell them how he felt about the witches. Even under their spell, they gave him the creeps.

    "Why did they want Elsie?" Anna asked.

    "They said that even though you stripped her of her magic, she may still have some Spirit Energy in her. They wanted to see if they could pull it out of her to figure out a way to defeat you. Anna, you were the only one that truly scared the trio. Now I see why. They knew you were the only one who would know how to defeat them." He spoke with admiration. Kamryn narrowed his eyes again. He didn''t like the lycan looking at his mate.

    "I didn''t do it alone." She said softly, wanting to make it clear that the four of them had defeated the trio.

    "That may be true, but everyone could see that you were the one that made it happen. I now understand why they call you the most powerful witch. You''re unbelievable." Jarek was speaking from the heart, but when he heard a low growl, he looked toward Kamryn and saw the rage in his eyes. He knew the tiger got the wrong idea. Anna touched her mate''s arm, and he instantly calmed down.

    *"It was just apliment. He didn''t mean anything by it and has no interest in me, so calm down. Do you agree with what I said? Can we release him but make him stay within the pce walls?"* She looked up into Kamryn''s eyes and saw his fury dissipating. He nced between her and Jarek.

    *"Alright, but I''m assigning a guard to him. Anywhere he goes, a guard goes with him. Until this is over, we''re not taking any chances."* Kamryn had to admit even he was able to see the difference in Jarek.

    Jarek could tell the couple was mind linking, and he assumed it was about him. He felt Anna wanted to let him go, but he could tell Kamryn wasn''t so willing. He had already nned on being killed, so anything less than that would be wee to him.

    "We are going to let you out of the dungeons, but you have to stay within the pce walls until the battle with Santi is over. A guard will be with you at all times. Are you willing to fight with us and agreeable to these terms?" Anna asked with authority. Kamryn hid his grin; she was definitely going to be a queen of the people. She had a big heart, but at the same time didn''t allow others to walk all over her. His mate could hold her own against even the scariest of opponents. "I agree to the terms and to fight with you. Thank you for giving me a second chance. I promise you won''t be disappointed." Jarek bowed to the couple as Anna unlocked the cell door. He followed them outside and covered his eyes. After being in the dark for two days, the sudden sunlight almost blinded him.

    Kamryn wasn''t happy about this, but he trusted Anna. He mindlinked his parents to let them know what they had decided. His dad agreed to send a guard to meet them at the door to show Jarek to a room. The guards were told someone was to be with him at all times.

    Jarek watched Kamryn walking with his arm around Anna, and he couldn''t help feeling slightly jealous. He had yet to meet his mate despite being almost forty. It wasn''t unheard of for shifters to haverge age gaps between mates, but he was lonely. Would he ever find his mate? Two guards were waiting for them when they got to the pce doors.

    After the guards took Jarek away, Anna and Kamryn went to the royal office. The king and queen were waiting there for them.

    "Are you okay with our decision?" Anna asked nervously. She didn''t want to step on anyone''s toes. Randal and Lynn both smiled at her.

    "We trust your instincts. You both will be ruling soon, so we are going to let you take over some of the decision-making. Did you find out anything from Jarek?" Randal asked them.

    "He said that the trio was working for someone they referred to as the master. He didn''t know who this person was, but they would disappear at times ande back with new instructions for him." Kamryn looked at Anna to see if he''d forgotten anything.

    "I have a feeling that whoever is behind Santi sent the trio. He or it most likely wanted alternatives in the event Santi wasn''t sessful. That''s another thing to keep in mind. There may be others out there that are nning to attack us. We know about Santi and whoever is behind him, but others may be convinced to attack as well. This battle may be even bigger than we thought."

 Chapter 50 - Jareks Mate

    Jarek looked around the room he was in and took a sigh of relief. He was d to be out of the dungeons, but he was humbled enough to know that he was lucky they hadn''t killed him. The first thing he did was head for the shower. He felt like he was covered in a thick film of dirt and grime. It wasn''t until he got out of the shower almost an hourter that he realized he had no clothes to put on.

    When he left the bathroom, clothes were on the bed. He went to the closet and saw there were more clothes in there as well. Jarek was so surprised he almost missed the scent that was lingering in the room. His wolf Taran perked up as well. They sniffed the air, and the smell made their hearts race. It was amber mixed with a hint of gardenias.

    He started to run out of the room to find the source, but Taran reminded him he had nothing on. After quickly putting on his clothes, he opened the door and was met by a guard. When Jarek tried to pass him to follow the scent, the guard stopped him.novelbin

    "Where are you going?" He asked gruffly.

    "Who brought my clothes into the room?" He asked frantically while looking around. The guard looked at him in confusion.

    "Is there something wrong?" He questioned the lycan.

    "No, I just need to find the woman who was in the room. Please help me." Jarek was desperate. The scent was fading, but he knew the guard had orders to stay with him.

    "Why do you need to find her?" Todd asked. He was still leary of Jarek after what transpired at the princess'' crowning.

    "I think she''s my mate. Please, you have to take me to her." Jarek fell to his knees. He was rocking back and forth, trying to keep Taran from taking over and going lycan on the guard.

    Todd mindlinked Kamryn to let him know what was going on. He said he and Anna would be there in a minute. They found Jarek on his knees, almost in tears, when they arrived.

    "What''s wrong?" Anna asked softly. When he heard her voice, he jumped to his feet to look at both her and Kamryn.

    "I believe the woman who brought clothes into my room is my mate. Can you take me to her?" He begged. Anna looked at Todd.

    "Who was it that came into the room?" She asked. She could feel Jarek''s desperation and could tell he was ready to shift to find the woman.

    "It was Marce," Jarek''s heart started beating faster. His mate''s name was Marce. At that moment, he had never heard a more beautiful name in his entire life.

    "Jarek, go back into your room, and I''ll get her. Let me exin to Marce what''s going on. She''s rather shy, and I don''t want to scare her. Kamryn will stay with you, okay?" Anna smiled at him, and his eyes lit up. He would do anything she wanted if she was going to get his sweet mate. He hadn''t even seen Marce yet, but she was already the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

    "Thank you," Jarek walked back into his room, and Kamryn followed. Todd took his ce next to the door.

    Anna went downstairs to the first floor, looking for Marce. She was one of the pce''s few staff that remained working. She was young and extremely quiet. Anna liked her and had gotten her to open up a little in the short time she''d been at the pce. When she got to the end of the hall, she saw Marceing out of a room. When she saw Anna, she smiled.

    "Hi, I was looking for you," Anna said.

    "You were looking for me?" Marce wondered if she''d done something wrong. No one ever looked for her. She tended to blend in with the background because she was smaller than most weretigers, so no one noticed her. "Yes, can we talk for a minute?" Anna smiled, letting her know that everything was okay.

    "Sure," Marce answered nervously. Anna led her outside to a bench in one of the gardens.

    "I brought you out here because I just came from Jarek''s room. He was trying to find you, and I stopped him so I could talk to you first." Anna stopped to gauge her reaction.

    "Did I do something wrong? All I did was put his clothes in his room." Marce felt like crying. Thest thing she wanted was for someone to be angry at her.

    "You didn''t do anything wrong. He was looking for you because he thinks you''re his mate." Anna watched her eyes get big in surprise.

    "What? Are you sure?" Marce couldn''t believe the lycan king thought she was his mate. She was neen and had hoped to find her mate soon, but she never thought it would be someone as powerful as Jarek.

    "Yes. When I got upstairs, he was on his knees, almost in tears, desperate to find you. Are you okay with being mated to him?" Anna asked, not wanting either of them to be hurt. There was almost a twenty-year age gap between them, but that wasn''t unheard of in the shiftermunities where they could live for hundreds of years.

    Marce thought about what Anna said and asked her tiger Zavia what she thought. Her tiger said to go for it and meet him so they could decide.

    "I''m fine being mated to him if it''s true. Can I go up and meet him?" Marce felt her heart beating loudly in her ears.

    "Let''s go," Anna took her hand as they got up. They walked into the pce and up to Jarek''s room. When they got to the door, she looked at Marce, and the girl nodded while biting her lip nervously.

    Jarek could smell Marce''s scent through the door. He and Kamryn had been talking while they waited for the women, but as soon as he caught her scent, he looked at the door anxiously. When the door opened, Jarek stared at the beautiful vision in front of him.

    Marce was just as small as Anna but had shoulder-length curly ck hair. Her eyes were dark green emeralds ented by her golden tan skin. Jarek saw her avert her gaze to the ground, and she was wringing her hands. He stood up and walked over to her. He remembered what Anna said about her being shy, so he didn''t want to scare her.

    "It''s nice to meet you, Marce; I''m Jarek." He spoke hoarsely while trying not to drown in her intoxicating scent. When she raised her eyes to look into his, he saw her face was turning red.

    "Hello," She answered softly. Marce was trying to stop her heart from beating out of her chest. Jarek was the most handsome man she''d ever seen, and she couldn''t believe he was her mate.

    "We''ll let you two get to know each other. If you need anything, mindlink me, okay?" Anna asked her. Marce hugged her and whispered in her ear.

    "Thank you," When she backed away, Anna and Kamryn walked out of the room, leaving them alone. Jarek wanted to touch her, so he reached for her hand.

    "Will youe and sit with me?" He asked, and she nodded before taking his hand. When they touched, both gasped at the tingly feelings that ran through their bodies. Jarek felt like his heart would explode when she squeezed his hand tighter. He led her over to the small couch in the room, and they sat still, holding hands.

    "Are you okay being mated to a lycan?" He asked nervously. What would he do if she rejected him? Just the thought of it made his heart hurt. She looked down at their hands and then up at him with a small smile that made him melt. "Yes. Are you okay with being mated to a tiger? I''m nobody special just part of the pce staff. I was an orphan. Jeana, the pce''s clothing designer, took me in when I was only an infant." Marce stated honestly. Maybe he wanted someone closer to his status. He reached over and lightly touched her cheek, making her close her eyes from how good it felt.

    "Sweetheart, I love that you''re a tiger. Don''t ever say you''re a nobody. You''re my mate and the next queen of the lycans and werewolves. You''re perfect." Jarek was surprised to see tears in her eyes when she opened them. Did he say something wrong?

    "No one has ever said anything that nice to me. I lived in the shadows here until Anna arrived. She''s the first one that paid any attention to me. No one was mean or unpleasant; I was just scared of everyone, but I''m not afraid of you." Marce smiled the biggest smile she''d ever had. Jarek took a chance and reached over and hugged her against him. When she wrapped her arms around him, he knew everything would be okay. He had his mate, and nothing else mattered. "We can take things as slowly as you want. I''m just happy that I finally found you. I have been waiting a long time for my mate, but I never gave up hope that you woulde into my life." Jarek ran his fingers through her glossy curls. She pulled away slightly, and he saw her face was flushed.

    "I''ve never been with anyone before. I''m still a virgin. I''ve never even kissed anyone." Marce said in almost a whisper. She saw a huge smile spread across his face.

    "That''s the best news you could have given me. I''m not a virgin, but no one has satisfied me. When we make love, I promise it will be incredible." Jarek bent down and gave her a soft kiss on her full beautiful mouth.

 Chapter 51 - Wheres the Prisoners?

    As the weeks passed, Anna and Jazlyn''s belly''s grew. Based on the doctor''s exams, they would give birth between the fifth and sixth months of pregnancy. It had been almost three weeks since the Spirit Energy light entered their bodies. During that time, they had worked on honing their skills and learning to use their powers to their full advantage.

    Kamryn and Micah were now just as good as Anna and Jaz at flying. Legend and Rocky practiced teleporting to multiple ces to see how far they could go. They also teleported several people at once to see how many they could take with them. Everyone wanted to be prepared for multiple scenarios.

    Anna learned to go invisible without a fireball in her hand. She would be there one minute, and the next, she was gone. She also yed with her fire and was able to make it bigger or smaller based on her needs.

    Jaz could now spread her electricity all over her body. The lightning bolts could be pulled straight like a sphere she could put into a person''s heart. She had also learned how to make her storms go where she wanted them. Michah could move more than boulders. He could make the trees follow him, and the winds shifted in whatever direction he wanted. Several times he had made tornados, not meaning to. It scared some people until they realized it was Micah ying with his powers.

    Kamry was able to do more than throw boulders. His strength was powerful enough that he could topple the whole top of a mountain. He had incredible speed and could build a wall ofrge boulders within minutes.

    All of their powers together were fascinating for everyone to watch. However, it also scared them. For the four of them to need so many strong abilities spoke to what wasing for them.

    Anna rubbed her small belly bump mindlessly while she walked around one of the gardens. Jarek and Marce had marked each other already, not wanting to wait. They were nning on being part of the fight and hoped they would be stronger together. Anna was happy for her friend and to see her flourishing with the lycan king''s love. They had let Jarek off the hook, but he still wanted to stay to help them defeat Santi.

    "There''s my angel. I''ve been looking for you. I missed you." Kamryn came behind her, wrapping his arms around her to put his hands over her little bump. He couldn''t wait to meet their daughter. He hoped she looked like Anna.

    "I needed some fresh air. I was thinking about names for our little cub. What do you think about Liana?" She asked, leaning against him while they hugged their cub together.

    "That''s beautiful. I think it''s perfect." Kamryn kissed her cheek. He enjoyed every minute they had alone. Someone was constantly pulling Anna somewhere to get her opinion or run something past her.

    It was clear to Kamryn that even though he may be the next king, Anna would be running everything. He wouldn''t have in any other way. Even some of the most uptight tigers were looking at her with stars in their eyes. Everyone had been training and working hard for the battle. The Spirit Coven witches trained with the shifters helping them learn ways to defend themselves against magic.novelbin

    They heard from Gary and Sh, who also marked and mated with each other. They even had a Luna ceremony for Sh. Everyone weed her to the pack with open arms. She was working with the pack members on fighting ck magic. "It saddens me that our little Liana will be born at a time of conflict where she literally has toe out fighting. We know she''s already going to have some special magic, but I wonder if she''ll be a witch or a hybrid. It would be nice for her to have the magic of Spirit Energy and the strength of a tiger." Anna looked up at Kamryn, who was smiling down at her. There may be a big difference in their sizes, but she loved it. When she was in his arms, it felt like she was being wrapped in a nket of warmth.

    "I just hope she''s born healthy, and I wouldn''t mind if she looked like you. Although, I will keep all males from her. Even when she finds her mate, he will have to go through me first. She will be the next queen, after all." Sheughed at the serious look on his face. Anna could already imagine their cub being a daddy''s girl.

    "I thought it was customary to make the oldest son the leader of the kingdom," She stated as they started walking around the garden.

    "It is, but my parents don''t feel that way. If they would have had a girl born before me, she would have taken the throne. I feel the same way. The oldest child will be the leader. It''s their birthright." Kamryn didn''t think a male was stronger and more powerful than a female. Anna was the perfect example. She may be tiny, but she was the mightiest one of them all.

    "I''m d I found you both. Can you pleasee to the office?" They turned around and saw Lynn standing behind them, looking anxious.

    "Did something happen?" Kamryn asked as they started walking toward the pce.

    "It''s best to talk about it inside." She replied, hurrying them along. Anna exchanged a look with Kamryn. It wasn''t like Lynn to be so flustered. They walked inside and noticed that people were running around everywhere. What was going on? When they got to the office, all the parents were there, along with Micah and Jaz. The king was sitting down, but he was upset.

    "Dad, what''s going on?" Kamryn asked as he and Anna sat down.

    "The guards went to the dungeons to check on our prisoners, and they were gone. Lucas, Renata, and Anton had all been removed from their cells. We haven''t been able to find them anywhere. Nothing was broken. It''s as though they disappeared." Randal answered, looking at everyone around the table.

    "I''m going to the dungeons. Let me see if I can feel the energy of whoever took them." Anna stood up, and Kamryn stood with her. Stanley reached out and grabbed her arm.

    "Are you sure that''s a good idea? I don''t want something to happen to you." She saw her dad''s concern and smiled in reassurance.

    "Kamryn''s going with me. We''ll be fine." She kissed her dad''s cheek and smiled at her mom as they walked outside.

    Anna stopped before going through the door when they got to the dungeons. She could feel the darkness all around the area. Whatever hade for the prisoners had left a cloud over the dungeons, and it was still there. "What do you feel?" Kamryn asked, noticing her hesitation.

    "Evil," Anna stated in a whisper. She clutched his hand and walked inside. She didn''t have to go far before she knew who had taken them. As soon as she was sure, she pulled Kamryn out of the dungeons. "Do you know who took them?" He asked, putting his arm around her shaking body.

    "It was Marcus and Alice. I don''t know what''s going on with them, but their darkness is getting more intense. Whatever is behind this is causing them to be more evil." Anna said as they walked into the pce. They were headed to the office, but then she changed her mind. She wanted to check on something else before going back to the king and queen.

    Kamryn followed her curiously as they headed to the holding cells in the pce where Elsie and Melita were being held. When they got to the cells, there was no one there. Anna looked at Kamryn with her eyes wide. They quickly headed back toward the office, where everyone was waiting for them. When they walked in, all eyes turned toward them.

    "What did you find?" Patrice asked them as they sat down.

    "Marcus and Alice took them, but that''s not all," Anna said quietly. Everyone was silent as she continued. "Elsie and Melita were taken as well. They somehow got them out of the pce without anyone knowing they were here."

 Chapter 52 - Melitas Father

    Santi looked at the people in front of him. Renata, Lucas, Anton, Elsie, and Melita stood before him. All had their heads down, with the exception of Elsie, who didn''t have a clue about what was going on. The pce had found all of his spies, but that didn''t mean they weren''t still useful.

    "Do any of you have anything to say for yourselves? How could you let them catch you so easily?" He was in a rage. With no one monitoring the pce, he had no idea what was going on inside. He looked at Marcus and Alice, who had been able to get the prisoners out seamlessly without anyone being the wiser.

    "They used those spirit energy witches to find us out. We didn''t have a chance. Can you pay us so we can leave?" Lucas asked, sure that Santi was going to let them all go.

    "Let you leave? You didn''t do what you were supposed to do. What makes you think you''re leaving?" Santi questioned Lucas as he stood up from his throne-like chair.

    "They know about us, so it''s not like we can return to the pce. There''s nothing left for us to do." Lucas said matter-of-factly, looking at the others. They all had their heads down. Melita, however, was smirking at Santi.

    "You promised to make me queen, and I expect you to fulfill that promise. Kamryn is a no-go because he''s mated to that witch now." Santi looked at his daughter in disbelief. She was the one he was most disappointed in, and she thought she deserved to be queen? Maybe it was time to tell her who her dad was.

    "You won''t be queen. You won''t be anything just like your good-for-nothing mother. I should have killed you both before I left." Santi spat at her and saw her face crumble.

    "What are you talking about?" Melita felt her world crashing down around her. Was this evil man her father? She had been nning on bing queen and then killing him. "Surprise, I''m your father. Your mother was my mate, but when I was sent away, it was her excuse to reject me. She didn''t think I knew she was pregnant, but I did. My tiger was able to pick up your nasty scent. When I found out you were living in the pce and adopted by my brother Randal, I knew you would be the perfect one to manipte to do my bidding. You thought you would be queen? You''re nothing but a worthless woman. I am going to be king, and you will be nothing but someone for me to use." Santi looked his daughter over in disgust. He could tell her tiger had left her, so she was nothing more than a meaningless human. He had another use for her now. Maybe she would be as good to fuck as her mother once was. He had no father-daughter feelings for her, after all.

    "Alice, Marcus, take her to my bedroom and tie her to my bed. I''ll be upter to show you the only thing you''re good for." He threw his head back andughed when he saw the tears running down her face.

    "You bastard. You''re going to rape your own daughter. What kind of sick freak are you?" Melita screamed at him as Marcus and Alice pulled her away.

    "You''ll find out how sick I am soon enough." He turned back to the others to decide what to do with them. Elsie was looking around with fear. She hadn''t said anything, but she was the only one he wasn''t going to hurt yet. He needed her. "Kiki, take Elsie to her room and make sure she gets something to eat. We need her nice and strong." One of his female servants stepped forward and led Elsie to the room he had prepared for her.

    Renata, Lucas, and Anton nced at each other in dread. If he was going to hurt his daughter, what could they expect? Santi tried not tough, seeing the anguish on their faces. His tiger Kip growled in his head, wanting to rip them all to shreds. Typically, when a shifter does evil deeds, their animal leaves them. However, Santi''s tiger was just as evil as he was.

    "What are you going to do with us?" Anton asked in a shaky voice. He should have known bing rich was nothing more than a dream.

    "Don''t worry. You''ll find out before long. Right now, I''m going to have my servants take you to your rooms. You''re not to leave unless I tell you to." Santi motioned for servants to take them away. Once they were gone, he sat back down and sighed. He needed to figure out something else to get information from the pce. Melita had been his best asset because she was part of the family. Now she was here and was useless. Well, almost useless; maybe he would take out his frustrations on her, and it would help him figure out a n.

    He stood up and started walking toward his bedroom. He''d had sex with the servants but had to be careful with them. Everything around him was provided by Astaroth. Melita was Santi''s daughter and no longer had a purpose. He could do whatever sick act he wanted to her, and no one would care. It was the perfect way to get rid of his anger.

    When he got to his bedroom, he shut the door behind him. They had tied Melita to the posts of his bed, putting herpletely at his mercy. She was spread eagle but still had clothes on. When she saw him, she started crying. "What are you going to do to me?" She asked in terror as he came closer. Melita felt a chille over her body as he ran his hand up her leg before ripping her jeans off. She had nothing on but panties and a t-shirt. "What am I going to do to you? I''ll tell you. Whatever the hell I want. Do you think I care that I''m your father? To me, you only have one purpose, and that is for me to fuck you until you''re dead. Don''t worry, though. You won''t die right away. I like to prolong it. So just be prepared to be in a lot of pain until I''m ready to end your miserable life." Heughed as she struggled with the ropes, trying to get loose. He ripped off her panties and her shirt, so she was naked. "You''re sick. I''m your own flesh and blood. This is against allws, shifter, and human. You can''t do this." Melita begged him as he ran one of his rough hands over her body before pitching one of her nipples. He reached over and picked up a small blue bottle off the nightstand. She saw a dropper attached to the cap when he unscrewed the top.

    "I can and will do whatever I want. Like you said, you''re my daughter. That means you belong to me and will make sure all my needs are met. Right now, I need youpliant, so I''m going to give you a little of my magic potion that my witches made. It will make you do whatever I want. Once it''s in your system, I''ll untie you, and then you''ll be ready to please me in every way." Santi squeezed the dropper filling it with the pale blue liquid, and put it over her mouth. Melita held her mouth shut, but that only made himugh more.novelbin

    "This doesn''t have to go in your mouth. It just needs to get into your system. I''ll show you my favorite way to give it." She watched in horror as he started moving his hand with the dropper between her legs. She felt the small object being pushed in and the cool liquid squirting inside her. Melita started crying again as she felt her whole body heating up. After removing the dropper, he roughly stuck one of his fingers inside her. He moved his finger around, ensuring the liquid covered her walls while also getting her ready for him.

    "What is that stuff, and what''s it doing to me?" She asked breathlessly, not wanting to admit that his finger had aroused her. Melita could feel she was getting wet between her legs and suddenly aching with need. She''d had sex before, but this was different. She felt like she was going to go out of her mind if she didn''t get it right now. Even though she knew it was wrong because Santi was her father, she looked at him with lust.

    Santi didn''t answer her as he already saw the magic working. She was no longer fighting the ropes. He could smell her arousal and knew it was almost time. When he saw her squirming with need and looking at him in anticipation, he knew she was ready.

    "What do you want?" He asked her as he took his clothes off. Hisrge penis was already fully erect, and she looked at it, licking her lips.

    "Please, I need you to take care of this ache inside me." Melita was so far gone with desire she forgot who he was. She just needed him now. She nodded happily when she saw him moving toward her with his penis sticking out. He was going to give her what she wanted. Melita spread her legs wider, waiting for him to fill her.

    Santi carefully undid her ropes, ensuring she didn''t try to run. He didn''t rip the ropes because when he was done with her, he would tie her back up before the potion wore off. He needed her untied, though, so he could move her in the positions he wanted her.

    When she was free from the restraints, Melita couldn''t stand the wait any longer. She needed him to take care of her needs before she went insane.

    "If you want me to take care of you, you have to take care of me first." Santi grabbed her by her hair and pulled her off the bed onto her knees on the floor. She looked up at him, not feeling any pain. He continued holding her hair as he shoved his penis into her mouth.

    Melita felt like she was going to choke from the size of him, but she sucked him, hoping to be quick so he would take care of her burning need. It didn''t take long for him toe, and when she tried to pull back, he held her in ce until she swallowed every drop of him.

    After he was done, he grabbed her arm, pulled her up, and threw her on the bed. When he got on the bed between her legs, she waited anxiously. All rational thought had left her. She couldn''t even remember her name. All she knew was that this man had something that she needed.

    Santi put his hands on her thighs, holding her in ce, and in one swift thrust, he mmed inside of her making her scream. He didn''t hold back as he mmed into her repeatedly.

    When he came, he pulled out and turned her over before entering her from behind. After he came again, he didn''t pull out. He kept thrusting until she was screaming from pain or pleasure; he wasn''t sure. Santi had to admit his daughter was a good fuck.

 Chapter 53 - The Real Monster

    Astaroth looked down at Melita lying on the bed, passed out. She was tied back up forter use. He wasn''t in his body; he was in Santi''s. He was the one who decided to have sex with Melita making her think it was her father. Astaroth had entered Santi''s body without him realizing it, as he''s done for years.

    He''d corrupted Santi''s mind and the mind of his tiger, so they were ves to him. Santi''s thoughts were no longer his own, while Astaroth was in his body.

    Santi''s mind still came through at times when Astaroth had to rest. However, each time he enters and leaves Santi''s body, he always leaves a piece of himself there, corrupting Santi even more. It was the only way for him to walk on the earth

    unseen.

    Astaroth was the evilest of all demons in the underworld. Even Lucifer himself had cast him aside because his mind was too evil. That''s why he did what he did to Melita in the form of Santi. The weretiger wasn''t nearly as bad as he''d made him. In fact, before Astaroth had begun corrupting him all those years ago, while he was still a teenager, Santi had actually been shy and kept to himself. He had been the perfect patsy for Astaroth''s ns.

    If Santi was in his right mind and knew he had raped his daughter, he would most likely be unable to live with himself. Luckily for Astaroth, he wasn''t in his right mind. As he moved down through the tunnels to his ce of rest so he could leave Santi''s body, he thought about thest couple of hours. His potion from the witches always worked well on young women. It was the only way he could get them to want him. After he kills off the shifters and all of Spirit Energy, Astaroth would have any young woman he wants. They will line up to please him. Just the thought of it almost made him return to Melita.

    When he reached his destination, he got out of Santi''s body and handcuffed him to one of the stone. Astaroth had ensured it was too strong for him to get loose. As Santi woke up, the old demon watched him from the body of the old man he''d taken hundreds of years ago. It had seen better days.

    "Where am I?" Santi asked, looking around. After Astaroth left his body, he was always confused until he was given the special potion.

    "Drink this, and you''ll remember." Santi drank the red liquid Astaroth poured down his throat. It was a potion mixed with some of the demon''s blood. As it took effect, he saw the viciousnessing into Santi''s eyes and knew he could un-cuff him.

    "What am I to do now, my lord, now that the spies have been returned to us?" Santi asked, feeling as though he''d just woken from a long nap. Thest thing he remembered was the spies standing in front of him. He doesn''t remember how he got to the tunnels.

    "I will take care of them. I want you to get in contact with Alpha Gary. Make sure everything is in ce for them to fight with us. We''re going to need all the soldiers we can get. I want to ensure he hasn''t had a change of heart." Santi nodded and began leaving the tunnel. He hated it down there, especially when he couldn''t remember going there.

    Gary and Sh were busy training with the pack when she got a weird look on her face. Sh grabbed her head and fell to her knees in pain, rocking back and forth. Gary ran to her side in worry. "What''s wrong?" He asked, terrified by her reaction.

    "I don''t know. I think someone ising, and they''re trying to check for Spirit Energy witches. I need to hide before they find me here. It''s probably someone for Santi. I have a shield, but their magic is trying to break through." Gary didn''t think twice. He lifted her up in his arms while mindlinking his beta. He took Sh to the hidden room where she would be safe. Joshua ran into the room right as Gary was putting Sh on her feet. "What''s going on?" Joshua asked anxiously.

    "Someone''sing, most likely from Santi. Stay with Sh until I get back." She grabbed his arm before he could leave.

    "They may try to read what''s in your heart and mind. I need you to bring all of your hate forward. Don''t think of me. Show your fear of Santi and your anger at having to fight with him. They already know you''re doing this because of the she- wolf and don''t expect you to be happy about it. Keep Spirit Energy out of your thoughts. Be safe. I love you." Sh looked up into his eyes with tears in hers. Gary nodded before bending down to kiss her on the lips. After shutting the door, he got her out of his thoughts with his wolf''s help. They had to keep her safe.

    When he got outside, he saw two familiar figuresing toward him. It was Alice and Marcus again. He stared at them with anger in his eyes. Letting his hatred for Santi and the two of them course through his body. His wolf Cyril even growled a little to help keep him on track.

    "What do you want?" He asked as he red at them.

    "Santi sent us to ensure you''re training your pack appropriately and haven''t had any outside influences changing your mind," Marcus said as they looked toward the training grounds where the rest of the pack was still preparing for the battle. "Nothing has changed. We''re getting ready. I just want to be done with this and out from under Santi. You can report that to him. After this fight, we won''t owe him anything." Gary shuddered when Alice and Marcus stared at him with their cold ck eyes. He could tell they were trying to read him.

    "Don''t be surprised if we have some more unnned visits. Santi is worried about cold feet. If he has any inclination that you''ve had a change of heart, he will have your pack eliminated." Alice''s voice was so hollow it sent chills down his spine, causing Cyril to growl at them.

    "I will protect my pack. Tell Santi he can stop with the threats. I''m not taking any chances by defying him. You can leave now. We have training to do." Gary started to turn away, but Marcus stopped him.

    "You don''t tell us when toe and go. Only our master does. In the end, we may decide to stay here to make sure you make it to the pce in time for the battle. We wouldn''t want the warriors to miss the fight, as the sacrifices would be too small." The warlock''s words confused Gary until he remembered that Santi needed willing sacrifices to win the fight. He red at the couple again.

    "None of my pack will be sacrificed, and we''re definitely not willing. Tell Santi he can find another wolf that wants to die on his behalf." Gary yelled at them with rage in his voice. That was not something they had agreed to. "Listen here, dog, you will do as Santi says, and if he wants to sacrifice one of your mutts, you''ll let him. You are nothing but a mongrel who we can kill whenever we want." Alice moved closer to him, but Gary didn''t back down. "Get the hell out of here and don''te back unless you''re invited." He spat at them as the fury took over, almost to the point that he was ready to shift.

    "We''ll leave now. Just remember, we''ll be back soon, and it will be unexpected." As quickly as they appeared, they were gone. Gary didn''t move for a few minutes, making sure they were really gone. He then ran into the packhouse and down to the hidden room. Once there, he threw open the door. Sh was sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth. Joshua was standing next to her watching the door anxiously. Gary ran over and lifted her in his arms before sitting in a chair. "It''s okay. I''m here, and they''re gone." She looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

    "They may be gone, but they put a watching spell over the packnds. I''m going to have to stay here until the battle, or they''ll know about me. The spell will only look for neers or people with blood other than a wolf. I am a hybrid with Spirit Energy blood. It would be a beacon to them." Sh was terrified that her presence would cause everyone to get killed. Gary held her tightly in his arms.

    "If that''s the case, you and I will both stay down here. I will go up to train with the pack, but I''ll eat and sleep down here with you. Even when I''m gone, you won''t be alone. I love you, Sh, and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe." Gary kissed her hard as he held her.

    "I love you too." She said against his neck as she hugged him. Sh didn''t tell him that it may not be enough. The ck magic she felt from Marcus and Alice was powerful. Due to her being a hybrid, their magic may overpower and kill her without even trying.novelbin

 Chapter 54 - Too Much

    Everyone in the pce was scrambling, trying to figure out how Marcus and Alice were able to get their prisoners out with no one seeing. At first, they thought it was an inside job, but Anna didn''t agree.

    "ck magic is powerful. I believe they were able to cast a spell as I did when I sent Elsie to the cabin. Marcus and Alice were here but didn''t have to open the cell doors. They used their magic to bring all the prisoners to them." Anna looked at the cells where Melita and Elsie had been held. In the dungeons, she had felt the strong presence of Alice and Marcus, but here she felt nothing except the lingering ck magic.

    "Why would Santi want the spies? We had already caught them, so what purpose could they have for him now?" Kamryn asked worriedly. He was certain whatever they were taken away for, it wasn''t good. He saw Anna bite her lip while she was thinking.

    "I know he wanted Elsie for her connection to Spirit Energy, but I can''t think of a reason he would want the others. I''m sure as willing as they were to betray the king, they most likely wouldn''t be willing to sacrifice themselves for Santi." Anna looked at everyone else, who was nodding in agreement. She could see the fear on Kamryn''s face. No matter how much they practiced their magic and prepared for the battle, they would only know what they were dealing with once the fighting began.

    "Is there anything we can do to get them back? Not that I''m particrly concerned about what Santi does with them, but I don''t like them taking people from the pce without us knowing." Randal asked Anna with a frown. Having those witches on the pce grounds without anyone seeing them made him feel vulnerable. Were they really ready to face whatever wasing?

    "It''s probably best to leave them where they are. We want to fight them on our turf, not theirs. They may be using this to get under our skin. We need to go on as though nothing has changed and continue our preparations." Anna said confidently, trying to keep everyone on track. She didn''t want any doubt floating around that could lead to their opponents finding cracks in their defense.

    "Why do you keep saying they?" Maura asked as they headed away from the cells.

    "Santi and whoever''s behind him. Those are our two biggest opponents. If they bring an entire army, it won''t be anythingpared to the two biggest targets. We need to practice taking out multiple people at once, so we don''t get burnt out before the finale." Anna took Kamryn''s hand in hers as they walked.

    As confident as she tried to sound, she was terrified inside. Despite everything they did to prepare, she knew everyone would not likely walk away from this fight. She hated feeling like she was leading everyone to a ughter when they didn''t know the power of what or who was helping Santi. What if the power of six wasn''t enough?

    Kamryn watched Anna with concern. He could almost hear the wheels spinning in her head. It wasn''t fair for her to have so much on her shoulders in such a short time. Everything has happened so fast, and things just kept getting thrown at them. He swore once this fight was over, he was going to take her and their daughter away for a while so they could enjoy some family time.

    When they got to the royal office, they were told Alpha Gary had called and requested that Randal call him back as soon as possible. When he did, Gary told him about the visit they received from Alice and Marcus. Anna agreed that Sh should stay hidden until the fight. They would have Legend or Rocky teleport her when it was time toe to the pce.

    After they hung up with Gary, everyone looked at Anna. She didn''t know what to say at first. She got her thoughts in order while looking at her father. Anna knew it upset him that his sister and Marcus were technically gone. Whoever they had been before being taken over by evil was gone. There''s noing back from that.

    Micha and Jaz were sitting to her left. They were both young and had been thrown into the deep end like she and Kamryn had been. Yes, she was the same age as they were, but she felt older. Would theye out of this okay with their son? Kamryn started rubbing her back, and it snapped her into action. Everyone was waiting for her, and she''d been lost in her thoughts.novelbin

    "We have to be mindful that if Alice and Marcus are watching the ck Mist Pack, they may also be watching us. They already know that Spirit Energy is here, but they may be looking for what tricks we have up our sleeves. Let''s not let that dissuade us from what we need to do or affect our training." Anna tried to keep the fear out of her eyes. She had this overwhelming feeling that some of those in the room would not be with them after the battle. She couldn''t stay there any longer, or she would break down. When she stood up, it was as though they thought she was going to continue.

    "Kamryn, can we talk alone?" She asked as she started walking to the door. He followed her, but he was confused because Anna never left people hanging. He didn''t question her or stop her. He knew for her to be acting strangely, something must be wrong that she didn''t want to share.

    Anna didn''t stop walking when they were out of the office until they got to their room. Once there, she pulled him to the bed andid down. As he wrapped her in his arms, Kamryn felt her shaking. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "What''s wrong, sweetheart? You''re scaring me." He asked as he rubbed her back, trying to calm her down.

    "I couldn''t be in that room anymore with everyone looking at me for answers. I''m fearful that no matter what we do, it won''t be enough. How can I encourage everyone to fight when we may all end up dying, anyway?" Anna let the tears fall. It had all been building up in her, and she had to get it out. She was onlyfortable talking with Kamryn in private about her fears and insecurities.

    "I know it''s not fair that everyone looks to you for all the answers. This is a lot for one person to feel responsible for, but you''re not alone. We''re in this together. Everyone in that room looks at you because you are the strongest person here. We all know what we''re getting into with this battle. Our eyes are wide open." Kamryn''s heart ached to see her cry from the pressure they''d put on her. She''s not even twenty years old, but she''s making all these decisions that would be too much for someone twice her age.

    "Do you think less of me now that I admitted I''m not as tough as I appear?" Anna rubbed her hand over his face, looking into his eyes with a small smile. She loved him more than anything. Kamryn was her rock. He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.

    "Are you kidding? I like seeing that you''re not tough as nails all the time. Do you feel better now?" Kamryn rested his head against hers, holding her tightly.

    "Yes. I needed this alone time with you to get my head back on straight. Sometimes I miss the time we were in the cabin because it was only us. Is it always going to be like this when you be king? Will we be pulled in a hundred different directions and never have time to be together?" Anna asked sadly, even though the way she said it was more of a statement of fact rather than a question.

    "My parents have a lot of time alone. It''s just hectic right now, but I promise it will get better. We''ll have as much time alone as we want. We will be king and queen, so we''ll make all the rules. You, my queen, can have me to yourself as often as you want." Kamryn rolled her over onto her back and kissed her deeply. When she ran her hands under his shirt, he immediately felt aroused. She was right; they needed more time to be together.

    "Do you think you can make me forget about Santi, the battle, and everything else for a while?" Anna asked as she continued rubbing her hands over him. Kamryn didn''t need to be asked twice. He quickly removed both of their clothes. He spent the next couple of hours making sure she had nothing on her mind except the pleasure he was giving her.

 Chapter 55 - Black Magic

    It had been a month since the prisoners were taken from the pce. Everyone had been working hard with their training and were feeling more confident to fight what wasing their way. Anna and Jaz were showing bigger baby bumps causing them to not go outside as often in the event Santi had spies watching them. It wouldn''t bode well if he knew they would be fighting with the power of six instead of four.

    There had been no more surprise visits from Marcus and Alice that they knew of. Alpha Gary was still keeping Sh in hiding and had no visits either. As the days counted down to the battle, everyone was getting anxious, hoping they were doing enough to make a difference.

    Jaz and Micah had decided to name their cub Zack. Both expectant mothers could feel incredible energy already radiating from their wombs from their unborn children. It was powerful, if not a little scary at times. Everyone who knew about the pregnancies was excitedly awaiting the birth of the unique cubs.

    Anna was currently sitting in the dungeons where the prisoners had been taken. She was channeling the ck energy that Marcus and Alice had put out. Something was eating at her about them, but she didn''t know what. After they knew it was them who had been there, she asked for the dungeons to be locked tight. She put a spell on the dungeons to pull the dark energy out, separating it from the other energy there.

    It was creepy being there alone, even though Kamryn was right outside the door. This was something she had to do by herself. The dungeon had a cool, damp feeling and smelled of bodily waste. It was pungent, and any other time the smell would make her stomach roll, but Anna was too focused to let any of that get to her.

    She was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and her hands resting t on her knees. Anna''s eyes were closed as she felt the dark energy roll over her like an icy bath of cold water. She had waited a month to give the ck magic time to stew with no release; by doing that, it would spread to seep into the walls and cells, looking for a way out. Now it was prime for her to find the source and hopefully tell her who was behind Santi.

    Anna had never done anything like this before, but it wasing to her naturally. Once she could feel the ck magic enveloping her, she began chanting. The magic was so desperate to find a new source it covered her like a thick cloak. Anna allowed it to think it was in control, but she''d prepared her mind, body, and soul for this.

    Once the ck magic had entered herpletely, she was ready to find the source. Anna pulled the energy from it, tracing it back to its roots. She went through it piece by piece breaking it up. It was draining work that required her to use a lot of energy.

    Anna lost track of time as she went through the process, delving deeper and deeper into the depths of the ck magic. She felt some resistance when she was getting close, but she didn''t let that stop her. Her body started shaking as she pushed through the final barriers. When she got to the end, her eyes opened wide, and she let out a small scream.

    Kamryn was standing outside the dungeon''s door. He was waiting nervously for Anna toplete the spell. He trusted that she would be sessful, but that didn''t help him from being scared about the path it would take her. Kamryn wanted to be in there with her experiencing this with her. Letting her know he was by her side. She had been adamant that she had to go in alone, so the ck magic didn''t use him as a host.

    He stopped pacing and listened. Kamryn could hear her soft voice chanting. It was beautiful yet eerie. As she continued, he started pacing again. Would this work? Would she be able to see who is behind Santiing after them? As time wore on, he felt as though his heart was going to burst from the anxiety running through his body. Legend did his best to keep him calm, but it wasn''t doing much good. All Kamryn could think about was the ck magic getting into Anna and making her like Alice and Marcus. What if this didn''t go as nned, and it killed her? Just as he was about to throw open the dungeon door to make sure she was okay, he heard a soft scream. Before he could get the door open, Anna walked out and fell into his arms.

    Kamryn lifted her up and ran from the dungeons to the pce. He didn''t stop until he got to their room andid her on the bed. Anna was shaking, and her body felt so cold he tried to wrap himself around her to warm her up. He was terrified that something was wrong with her but was too scared to ask. Kamryn looked down into her pale face and kissed her forehead.

    "Kamryn?" She asked quietly as he pulled her closer.

    "Yes, it''s me. Are you okay?" He asked while holding his breath in preparation for her answer.

    "I''m better now. The spell worked. I know who''s behind Santi and why. Can you mindlink your parents and have them get everyone together in thirty minutes? Tell them to include Jarek as well. He''s part of this." Anna snuggled into Kamryn''s warm embrace while she continued calming down and rebuilding the energy that was sucked from her in the dungeons. She didn''t want to tell them who Santi was working for, but she knew they needed to know. The fear she felt from this revtion made her start shivering again. This whole battle was going to be worse than they thought. It made sense now why they were given so many new abilities.

    "My dad said they would have everyone ready. Do you want to talk about what happened?" Kamryn asked while rubbing her back. He didn''t like her looking so vulnerable.

    "Not yet. When we get to the conference room will be soon enough. Right now, I want to enjoy this time with you warming me up and making me feel alive. I have never felt this cold before. I didn''t think the ck magic would have such a strong effect on me. Thank you for being there when I came out. I don''t think I could have made it back to the pce alone." Anna smiled at him, her face looking a little flushed and not as pale.

    "I wouldn''t have been anywhere else. I was prepared to break the door down when my thoughts got carried away, thinking about how the ck magic may affect you. Are you ready to go downstairs?" He kissed her softly, hoping to calm them both. Kamryn would never get tired of the feel of her soft, plump lips against his.

    "Let''s get this over with." As they got up, Anna straightened her clothes and brushed her hair. Her body felt like it had been hit by a truck. She couldn''t wait to get into bed and sleep, but first, she had to tell everyone what wasing for them.

    The group was waiting for them when they got to the conference room. As Anna and Kamryn walked in, the talking stopped. Anna could feel the nervous energy, which weighed on her so much that she had to sit down. Kamryn, unwilling to separate from her, pulled her onto hisp.

    "Anna, are you alright?" Caprice asked with fear as she saw the state her daughter was in. She''d never see her look so wiped out.

    "Physically, I''m okay, just exhausted. Mentally I''m in turmoil from what I learned." Anna took a deep breath as everyone waited for her to continue.novelbin

    "What did you find?" Stanley asked, not liking how frightened Anna looked.

    "I found out the reason Santi is how he is. This thing has most likely been grooming Santi for many years, getting him ready while building an army. I don''t think Santi is even aware of what''s going on." Anna took another breath, trying to control the shaking that wasing back. She was d Kamryn had kept her on hisp to help her frompletely falling apart.

    "Who is it?" Randal asked nervously.

    "Astaroth." The witches and warlocks in the room gasped while the shifters looked around in confusion.

    "What''s an Astaroth?" Lynn asked, knowing she most likely wouldn''t like the answer.

    "He''s one of Lucifer''s demons," Anna said softly, not wanting to go on. She nced at Jarek.

    "The trio worked for him. They were one of his creations. They would have made you one of his soldiers if they had been sessful in fulfilling his n." Jarek felt a chill run down his spine at Anna''s statement. Marce squeezed his hand, bringing him back to her, and he pulled her into his arms.

    "What does this mean for the fight?" Kamryn asked, feeling Anna begin to tremble.

    "It''s going to be ten times harder than we thought. Not only is Astaroth one of Lucifer''s demons. He is a rogue demon. Meaning he stopped following Lucifer''smands. Lucifer sent him away to the bowels of hell, never to be seen again. His only way to get out is by taking over the body of another. The power of six is strong enough to beat him, but if he''s been going into the body of Santi or others, he''s been building his strength to fight us. Depending on how many souls he''s consumed, even the power of six may not be strong enough to beat him."

 Chapter 56 - Special Cubs

    "What do you mean we might not be able to beat him?" Randal asked, feeling the tingling of fear creeping through his body.

    "Astaroth consumes souls and uses them as fuel. The more souls he consumes, the stronger he''ll be and the harder he''ll be to beat. He''s a ghost that uses the bodies of others as his costumes." Anna sank down in a seat; her limbs felt like they were made of jelly. She didn''t feel defeated, but she felt exhausted.

    Kamryn sat beside her, feeling worthless, as he put his arm around her shoulders. His mate was the strongest person he knew, but even she needed someone to lean on at times. He would always be that someone there for her no matter what. "So, what do we need to do?" Lynn asked worriedly, not liking the look on Anna''s face.

    "We need to continue to train, as I said earlier. I also want to try something with our unborn children. Even though they''re not here yet, I can feel Liana''s power." Anna looked toward Jaz, who was also nodding.

    "I agree. I can feel Zack''s power." She said, absently rubbing her belly with her hand.

    "This may sound crazy, but hear me out. Do you remember the carebear books we used to read?" Anna looked at her parents, who were nodding but looking at her as though she had lost her mind. "Where are you going with this?" Stanley asked, not putting the pieces together.

    "I believe we can channel the cub''s powers through us. I see it like when the carebears had the lights and rainbowsing out of their bellies. I know it''s silly and probably won''t be like that, but that''s what I picture." Anna shrugged with a little smile. She''d loved the carebear books when she was little. In some ways, she had seen them as special. Like Spirit Energy, they could feel others'' emotions.

    "That''s an interesting perspective," Caprice said, not quite sure what to say. Anna giggled slightly at the looks on everyone''s faces.

    "If I could take a picture of how you all are looking at me right now, I would. I promise I''m not crazy. I think we can use the cub''s powers before they get here, so we know what they are and how they''ll help us in the fight. Trust me, this is something I feel strongly about." She said with a small smile.

    "We trust you, Anna. We''re just a little surprised at your description. However, after the way you described how the light entered the two of you, it makes sense that you would feel the power." Maura said, looking between Anna and Jaz. "Alright. Well, then, we need to get to work. Jaz, Micah, and Kamryne with me to the indoor training area. I don''t want anyone witnessing what we''re doing." Anna stood up, and the other three did as well. Before she left, she turned toward Jarek and Marce with a smile.

    "You''re going to be going in heat soon. You can keep from training during that time, as you''ll be busy doing other things." Anna winked at Marce, who was blushing, while Jarek grinned widely. When they walked out of the room, Kamryn turned to Anna in question.

    "How do you know she''s going to go into heat?" He asked quietly.

    "Now that I''ve be more in tune with my abilities, I can sense things about people. Remember, we''re Spirit Energy witches, meaning we can pick up the energies from others. I can feel the heat on her; I estimate she''ll be in heat within a day or two. I just hope they can have the pup or cub before the battle. I don''t want anyone pregnant trying to fight." She took his hand as they headed to the basement, where the indoor training area was located.

    "Wow. I didn''t know that the way you felt energies got stronger over time." Kamryn pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

    "As we be morefortable with our abilities, they grow and strengthen even our natural ones." Anna hugged him tightly, breathing in his scent. Being in his arms was the best ce she could be.novelbin

    "You never cease to amaze me. Now show me how this is going to work with the cubs." Kamryn kissed the top of her head before letting her go. She turned to Jaz and Micah.

    "Let''s hold hands again. Jaz and I will focus on the cubs and absorbing their energy into ourselves. Kamryn and Micah, you both keep holding our hands no matter what happens." She looked at the two men and noticed Micah looked worried.

    "Are you sure this is safe for our cubs?" He asked, putting a protective arm around Jaz.

    "Nothing we''re going to do will hurt them. I promise. This is all about learning their unique abilities. It will help them to be stronger once their here, and we have to face Astaroth. I know this is scary, and none of us want to think about our innocent cubs taking on a demon, but this is necessary in order for us to be ready." Anna spoke softly while rubbing her belly.

    "Alright, how do you want us?" Micah asked, still feeling on edge. He trusted Anna, but that didn''t help his fear over something horrible happening to his unborn cub.

    "Jaz, stand across from me. Micah and Kamryn hold our hands." They stood in a circle holding hands, waiting for something to happen.

    Anna frowned when she felt nothing. She was sure this was what they were supposed to do. She felt it in her bones. Just as she was going to tell them to let go, her stomach started rumbling. It was intense, making her squeeze Kamryn and Micah''s hands. She looked over at Jaz, who was obviously feeling the same with the grimace on her face.

    As the rumbling continued, Anna started feeling heat in her stomach. It wasn''t ufortable or burning; it was just warm. Just as quickly as it started, it stopped. She thought it was over, but then her whole body began to tremble. Anna felt like she was going to fall to the ground, but with Kamryn and Micah holding her hands, she was able to stay on her feet.

    Jaz saw Anna trembling, but she didn''t have the same effect. She was covered in sweat as though she''d jumped into theke. On top of that, she felt something holding her down, like she was being pushed to the ground. Her cub was powerful for him to already have this power.

    Kamryn watched Anna with concern. She was shaking so badly he was scared she was having a seizure. He knew he couldn''t do or say anything. Anna was adamant that no matter what happened, he and Micah were to do nothing. It didn''t make it easy, though.

    Micah could feel the moisture on Jaz''s hand. It was so wet that he held her hand tighter to ensure she didn''t slip out of his grasp. He knew what Anna said, but it looked like both she and Jaz were in pain. Was it worth it for them to suffer? Rocky kept him calm, telling them this was necessary.

    As the trembling came to an end, Anna felt her energy restored. She felt something else as well. She now knew not only her daughter''s powers but also something else. She looked at Jaz, who smiled at her nodding. This was incredible, and she couldn''t wait to tell the others. Anna let go of Micah''s hand before wrapping her arms around Kamryn.

    "Did you find out anything?" Kamryn asked softly, stroking her long thick hair. She looked at him with a smile and a twinkle in her eyes.

    "We found out more than we anticipated. Let''s go meet with the parents." Anna saw the disappointment on his face. "Don''t worry, it''s all good news. Let''s go."

    The four of them headed toward the royal office. Kamryn and Micah tried their best to get their mates to tell them what was happening, but they both refused because they wanted to tell everyone at once. All the parents were still in the office when they arrived.

    "We didn''t expect you to be back so quickly." Lynn looked between the two couples with concern.

    "It didn''t take long, and I''m sad to report that our bellies didn''t shoot out rainbows like the carebears." Anna felt the tension in the room leave slightly at what she said.

    "What did you find out?" Patrice asked, noticing her daughter seemed brighter and more energetic than she did earlier.

    "Our little Liana has the powers of both her father and me. She can make fire and move heavy objects. She has the elements of fire and wind." Anna looked at Jaz so she could report on her cub.

    "Zack can make thunderstorms and move things by waving his hand. He has the elements of water and earth." Jaz stated while biting her lip so she wouldn''t let out the best news.

    "Your cubs are extremely powerful already. Why do you both have smirks on your faces? Did you find out something else?" Randal asked, looking at the two young women curiously. Anna''s grin spread across her face before answering.

    "Yes, we found out something else that we weren''t expecting. Our cubs are actually cubs, not just witches. They''re hybrids. Not only that, as you know, weretigers typically only get their tigers once they''re five years old. Liana and Zack will be born with their tigers, and we know their names."

 Chapter 57 - The Drink

    "What? You already know the names of their tigers?" Lynn asked, looking between Anna and Jaz, who were nodding.

    "Liana''s tiger is Sabina," Anna said, and everyone looked at Jaz.

    "Zack''s tiger is Jai," she said, smiling at Micah.novelbin

    "Did you talk to the tigers?" Kamryn asked in awe.

    "Yes. Sabina told me her name and that she was here early due to the battle. Liana won''t be able to shift, but her tiger will be with her." Anna nced at everyone who was still staring in shock. It was unheard of for any shifter to have their animal before their fifth birthday.

    "That''s incredible. Now that you know their abilities, how can you use them to help with the battle or prepare for it?" Randal questioned, still unsure of what the significance of this was.

    "Their abilities are the same as ours; only they have the abilities of both parents. So, in essence, they will enhance our powers. This is why we cannot win without the help of our cubs. We still have training to do, but I wanted toe up here and let you know what we found out." Anna was ready to get back to work. She stood up, and the other three did as well.

    "What are you doing now?" Caprice asked.

    "We have a pretty good handle on our powers, but we need to practice the hand-to-hand stuff. That''s what we''re going to do now. The more people we can take out without using magic, the better, so we don''t use up all of our energy. Astaroth will be waiting toe out until he thinks we''re tired. He knows it''s his only chance to defeat us." Anna was confident they could win, but they had to be ready. She wanted to be honest with them, so they understood how important it was to train. She, Jaz, Kamryn, and Micah would have the most influence, but they couldn''t fight everyone on their own.

    "Alright, well, go ahead. We''re going to join the others outside." Stanley said as everyone followed Anna out of the royal office.

    When they returned to the basement, they began working on their hand-to-hand fighting. Being able to fly helped them to be faster on their feet, and it would give them an advantage over the army Astaroth would send. Kamryn and Micah showed the girls trick moves to get out of different holds and take down someonerger than they were. Anna and Jaz showed them how they could attack from above and sneak behind someone to take them by surprise. No matter what, they all agreed they would fight in pairs. It was imperative for them to stay together.

    After a few hours, they stopped to eat ate lunch. The dining hall was empty, but someone came over to take their order. They ate quickly and then went back to training. No one noticed the person watching them from the shadows. This person had been able to hide their devious nature from Spirit Energy because of help from Astaroth. Now they needed to find something worthwhile to report.

    Sh was getting increasingly anxious as the days passed in the hidden room. She knew it was important to stay there so as not to alert Santi that she and Gary were mates, but that didn''t make it any easier. Gary stayed with her as much as possible, but he had Alpha duties to take care of on top of preparing for the uing battle.

    She was pacing back and forth, bing more and more irritated. Sh was beginning to sweat and feel like she was going to explode from being so hot. As she continued getting worked up, she heard her wolf Lea speak. *"You need to mindlink Gary now. You''re going into heat."* Lea said anxiously. There were guards outside the doors, and she didn''t want them catching wind of Sh''s scent, or it could cause real trouble. *"What? Are you sure?"* Sh asked. That would exin why she was suddenly feeling antsy.

    *"Yes, get Gary here now."*

    *"Gary, I''m in heat."* Sh mindlinked him waiting anxiously for his reply.

    *"I''m on my way. I''ll get rid of the guards. Don''t open the door until I mindlink you that I''m on the other side."* Gary took off running while mindlinking his beta that he would be indisposed for a few days. He then mindlinked the guards telling them to leave the door where Sh was and stand at the top of the steps. If anyone touched her, he would kill them.

    When he got to the packhouse, he saw the two guards waiting where he told them to. He practically flew down the stairs to where Sh was.

    *"I''m here; open the door."* He mindlinked her anxiously. He could already smell her scent, and it was getting him into a frenzy. When she opened the door, Sh was covered in a fineyer of sweat. He went inside, locking the door behind him.

    "How are you feeling?" Gary asked cautiously. She was red and panting.

    "I need you to get rid of this pain inside me." Sh pulled him to the bed, throwing off her clothes as she went. He quickly removed his, and they fell into the bed together. He forgot about training, the battle, and everything else. Right now, all he had on his mind was taking care of his mate.

    Santi looked around his bedroom in confusion. He didn''tpletely understand what was going on. He kept going in and out of consciousness, forgetting what he was doing and was supposed to be doing.

    He was having one of the moments when he was himself. Theye less and lesstely. Santi had his head in his hands as anxiety rushed through his body. When Melita told him what he had done to her one of the times that he couldn''t remember, he felt sick. What happened that made him rape his own daughter? Remembering the look on her face made him feel nauseous again.

    If he could, he would go back to when he was a teenager and was first approached by the old man who knew ck magic. Santi had thought it would be fun to learn the magic, not realizing that the old man would ruin his life. He wondered what his life would have been like if he''d never encountered the old man.

    Santi sat there for a few minutes, trying to put together the pieces that seemed missing. He knew he''d done some horrible things, but they felt like they''d happened in a dream. If only he could have more of these moments when he was himself without Astaroth''s influence, he could try and get out of this mess. The demon had taken over his life, but he didn''t know how it happened.

    He thought about the interactions he could remember and the drink that Astaroth always gave him. Was there something in the drink? Santi couldn''t even remember what was in the ss. He decided he would do his best not to drink anything he gave him. Maybe if he could keep his right mind, then he could make a n without the influence of the demon. He had to be careful; everyone around him worked for Astaroth.

    Santi thought about his brother Randal, which made him sink further into his seat. They had been close growing up, and he missed that. He didn''t care about being king; that was Astaroth in his head. If it was possible to beat the demon and stille out alive, he would first repair his rtionships with Randal and Melita. Now he just had to try to hide his true thoughts. He looked up when his door opened. Alice and Marcus stood there looking at him with their empty ck eyes. "Astaroth needs to see you," Alice said in a hollow voice that gave him chills. He took a deep breath and stood up. This would be the first test to see if he could trick the demon. As he walked deep into the underground where Astaroth waited, he thought of how to pretend to drink the liquid without actually doing it. When they arrived at their destination, Alice and Marcus waited at the door while Santi went inside.

    Santi shivered when Astaroth turned toward him, looking at him as though he could see into his soul. He refused to back down as the demon stayed still. When he moved toward him with a ss in his hand, he lifted it to Santi. "Drink this," He said in his voice that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Santi took the ss and looked at Astaroth, who was standing right in front of him. How could he get rid of the drink without him seeing it?

 Chapter 58 - The Right Thing

    Santi stared at the drink in his hand. Astaroth was standing only a foot away from him, watching his every move. How could he get rid of the drink without the demon knowing? He was ready to give in and drink it when there was a noise outside the door. Astaroth nced in that direction, giving Santi just enough time to dump the liquid onto the dirt-covered ground. He shuffled his feet slightly to cover the stained area with dirt and set the ss on the table. "Send Marcus and Alice back to the wolf pack. I want to ensure there is nothing deceitful going on there. In order for us to be sessful, the wolf pack will have to be sacrificed." Santi tried to hide the chill that went through his body from Astaroth''s voice.

    "Yes, master." He answered before turning toward the door. Santi quickly walked out to find the warlock and witch.

    Astaroth watched Santi leave in confusion. Why didn''t he pass out when he drank the potion? He should have been able to take over his body, but he can only do it when Santi is unconscious. If he takes over his body when he''s awake, he would be aware that many of his actions weren''t his own. He hurried and made up a task for him to do so it looked as though he had a reason for Santi toe to him. Next time he would make the potion stronger.

    Santi practically ran away from the demon. He could tell Astaroth had been expecting something to happen after he drank whatever was in the ss, but what? He didn''t want to think about what happened to him when he lost track of time. Marcus and Alice were waiting for him when he got to the opening that led to Astaroth.

    "He wants you to go spy on the wolf pack," Santi said in passing.

    "Yes sir," Alice answered in her scratchy voice.

    He went back to his bedroom to think. Santi knew he wouldn''t be able to keep tricking Astaroth. Eventually, he would be sessful in doing whatever he nned with him. Maybe if he could get word to Randal about the truth, he would be able to help from his end. Would Randal believe him? The more important question is how to get the information to him.

    There was no way he could send any of the spies to him. Randal already didn''t trust them, and Astaroth would know they were missing. Everyone around him worked for the demon. Santi stood up and began pacing. Then he got an idea. The one person who was resistant to helping him and the reason they kept spying on him was Gary. If he could somehow get word to him about the truth, maybe he would tell Randal. They would have to be careful because Alice and Marcus were already on their way to check in with him. Santi decided to contact him the old-fashioned way. He would call him.

    He pocketed his cell phone and walked out of the mansion that had been turned into a house of terrors. Santi put his hands in his pockets and walked down the street as though he was getting some fresh air. Outdoors was the only ce he was safe from those in the house. There were too many humans around, and they wouldn''t want to be noticed.

    Santi went to an area filled with humans and sat on a bench at a bus stop. He pulled out his phone and went to Gary''s number. He took a deep breath, hoping he could convince the werewolf that he was telling the truth. He pressed the number and waited. However, the person who answered wasn''t Gary.

    "Hello," the man on the other end answered.

    "Can I speak to Gary?" Santi asked, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt.

    "He''s not avable right now. Is there something I can help you with?" Santi didn''t know what to do. He wanted to talk to the alpha.

    "Is his beta avable?" He asked. He''d never spoken to him, but he would know everything that was going on.

    "This is Joshua, his beta. Who''s this?" Santi could hear Joshua''s suspicionsing through the phone.

    "This is Santi," He waited to see what the response would be.

    "Alice and Marcus have already visited us, and now you''re calling. Is that really necessary?" Santi heard the fury in the beta''s voice.

    "That''s why I''m calling. I need your help. Are you sure Gary isn''t avable?" He asked desperately.

    "He won''t be avable for at least a couple of days. What do you need?" Joshua was ready to hang up the phone. Alice and Marcus didn''t approach anyone in the pack, but they saw them hovering nearby, watching. He''d mindlinked everyone telling them to act natural. When they left, they figured they had seen whatever they came to see.

    "I know this is going to sound unbelievable, but I''m finally getting a clear head. Everything that is happening is not of my hand. A demon has taken over my thoughts and entered my body, making me do things I''m unaware of until someone tells me. He''s been giving me a potion that makes me evil, but I''ve stopped drinking it so I can be myself." Joshua was still doubtful. Was this a test to check their loyalty?

    "What do you want from us?" He asked cautiously.

    "I need someone to get word to my brother Randal and tell him who''s behind this. I know your pack has been resistant to joining forces with me, and now I understand. I have been drugged to make me do evil for many years, and I''m now finally trying to get out of the fog. Are you willing to switch sides and help me fight against the demon who is behind everything?" Santi was pleading with him.

    "I can''t make any decisions without talking to Gary." Joshua still didn''t trust that this wasn''t a setup.

    "I understand. Just tell him everything I told you and ask him to ry it to my brother. I may not be able to call again because I don''t know how long I can resist Astaroth''s potion, but I''m going to try. Thank you for not hanging up on me." Santi disconnected the call and sighed. At least he tried to do something to help. Even if he dies when this is over, it would be worth it if his family could remain safe. He got up from the bench and walked back home.

    Joshua stared at the phone in his hand. He didn''t know what to do. There was no way he would disturb Gary while Sh was in heat, so whatever happened, it would have to be after he was done. He decided to process everything and report to Gary when the heat was over.

    Three Days Later

    Gary felt like he was on top of the world after his time with Sh during her heat. He was exhausted, but it was well worth it. Since finding and marking her, they hadn''t been able to spend any time together. This couldn''t havee at a better time. When he walked out of the hidden room, he was whistling. Sh was sound asleep, and he needed to check on things. Gary was lost in thought, wondering if Sh was pregnant with a pup. He was so caught up in his head that he almost ran into Joshua.

    "Hey, how''re things going?" Gary asked with a smile. He thought nothing could bring him down. However, the look on his beta''s face concerned him.

    "We need to talk in private," Joshua said quietly.

    "Alright, let''s go to my office." Gary wondered what happened while he was indisposed. Did an attack take ce, and he was oblivious? When they got to the office, he shut the door and turned to Joshua. "What''s going on?" He asked.novelbin

    Joshua quickly exined the visit from Marcus and Alice. He then went into detail about what Santi had said. Making sure to get every detail correct.

    "Something about the way he spoke made me want to believe him, but I didn''t let him know in case it was a trap. He truly seemed in pain, and he kept begging me like he was desperate. What do you think we should do?" Joshua felt relief flood his body, being able to get this out. He hadn''t even told his mate, not wanting anyone else to know about the phone call.

    Gary thought about everything Joshua said. He trusted his beta, and if he believed Santi, he would take his word. They would still need to be careful, but he wanted to share this with the king.

    "I''m going back to the hidden room to call Kamryn and Anna to let them know what Santi said. We''ll let them tell the king and do what they want with it. I''ll be right back." Joshua handed Gary the notes he had taken from his conversation with Santi and his phone.

    Gary ran back down to the room Sh was in. She was still asleep, so he went into the bathroom and shut the door. He quickly called Kamryn.

    "Hello?"

    "Kamryn, it''s Gary. I have something unbelievable to tell you." Gary went over everything Joshua had said. Kamryn didn''t say anything when he was finished talking, but Anna did.

    "For him to talk about Astaroth, I believe him. If the demon had put him up to this, he would have kept that information to himself, not wanting to give us the upper hand. I agree with being cautious because he may not be able to resist drinking the potion, so his mind may be corrupt soon. We''ll let Randal know. We may not be able to save Santi, but at least he''s trying to do the right thing."

 Chapter 59 - The Scrolls

    "With what Santi said, is there anything else we need to do to prepare?" Gary asked Anna.

    "We already knew about Astaroth, so we''ve been preparing for him. I''m hoping Santi is able to keep from taking the potion so he can try and give us more information. However, Astaroth isn''t stupid. He''ll notice it doesn''t have the intended effect and try something different. If he does call you again, don''t mention anything about telling us. If Astaroth gets him under his control, we don''t need him telling the demon you were willing to work with us. As long as you still appear to be on their side, you''re safe. How''s Sh doing?" Anna asked, concerned about her friend.

    "She''s okay. I had to wait to call you because she went into heat a few days ago." Gary peeked in at his mate, who was still sleeping. Hopefully, she would sleep for a while.

    "Wow, she went into heat at the same time as Marce. That''s quite a coincidence." Anna said, drawing Gary back to their conversation.

    "Who''s Marce?" Gary asked.

    "She''s the mate of the Lycan King Jarek. She''s a weretiger and went into heat a few days ago." Anna answered. She began wondering if their timing of heat was truly a coincidence or if there was something more going on. She decided not to say anything to Gary yet. Anna wanted to do some research first before worrying him for no reason.

    "That''s incredible. I''m hoping we have a pup on the way." Gary said wistfully, already thinking about his future pup.

    "We''ll let you get back to your pack. Please call if you hear from Santi again." Kamryn said. He saw the look on Anna''s face and knew she was thinking something she wasn''t ready to share with the alpha.

    "Will do," Gary said as he hung up. Kamryn looked toward Anna with a smirk.

    "Okay, spill it. What''s going on in that head of yours?" He asked, kissing her forehead. Anna giggled.

    "How did you know?" She questioned, leading him up to their bedroom.

    "I saw it on your face," Kamryn replied as she opened the bedroom door.

    "I think there may be more of a coincidence than we think for Marce and Sh going into heat. Obviously, they won''t be as powerful as the six of us but think of thebinations. We have the lycan king with a weretiger, the two most powerful shifters. Then we have an alpha with a werewolf hybrid who''s part Spirit Energy." Anna went to the bedside table and opened the bottom drawer. She pulled out a heavy book that had the Spirit Energy scrolls.

    Kamryn looked at the book that fascinated him. It was ck with designs carved out of the earth, wind, water, and fire. There was a circle in the middle that appeared to glow blue.

    Anna opened the book going to the part she wanted. Then she began reading. Kamryn watched her for a while, but when Anna got into her research, there was nothing that could distract her. He decided to lie down and take a nap.

    Santi was in his bedroom, pacing. Astaroth was getting suspicious and was requesting Santi see him more often. Each time he''d been able to get rid of the drink, but it was getting moreplicated. Thest time he had to run out of there pretending that there was an emergency, he had to check on. He was scared that the demon would see through his tricks and find another way to get to him.

    Now that his head was clear, he noticed other abnormalities around him, like the people working in the mansion. Their eyes weren''t as ck as Alice and Marcus, but there was something abnormal about them. The way they moved was almost robotic in nature. It was as though they weren''t even there.

    He hadn''t called Gary back because he didn''t have anything new to report. The demon had been less forting with informationtely. He hadn''t even given him any assignments. Santi was tired of sitting around the house. He needed to get away from all the darkness in the ce.

    Santi left the mansion, feeling eyes on him as he walked out the door. If he could leave and never go back, he would, but Astaroth would send Alice and Marcus after him. They would be able to force him back with their magic without any trouble. He wondered if there was a way for him to disappear without anyone being the wiser, even Astaroth.

    He walked further and further from the mansion. The more he walked, the freer he felt. Santi decided to go ahead and call Gary to check in and see if there were any updates from their end. The alpha never said he would do what he asked, so he would use that as an excuse to call. Santi went to a bus stop like he didst time and sat on the bench. He pulled out his phone and clicked on Gary''s name. "Hello?" The alpha answered.

    "Hey, Gary. It''s Santi."

    Anna was deep into reading the scrolls and lost track of time. When she started focusing, she realized it was dark outside. She looked toward the bed and saw Kamryn was asleep. How long had she been reading? Anna stood up and stretched. She walked over to Kamryn and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto the bed.

    "Hey, sleepyhead," Anna said as she giggled.

    "Did you find what you were looking for?" Kamryn asked before kissing her again.

    "Yeah. We need to talk to everyone. There''s something that we need to do as soon as possible." Anna squirmed when Kamryn started tickling her.

    "Do we really need to do it now? I want to stay here with you and forget about everyone else." He said as he held her down to kiss her again. Anna would have loved to give in to him, but she had to share what she had learned. "We can''t right now, but I promise tomorrow we will spend the whole day in here, just the two of us. Come on, let''s go." Anna jumped up while Kamryn groaned,

    "I''m going to hold you to that." He gave her another deep kiss before they walked out of the room. Kamryn mindlinked his parents to grab everyone, including Jarek and Marce.

    They were all waiting for them when the couple got to the conference room. Anna smiled as sheid the scroll down on the table. Those from Spirit Energy knew what it was, but the others looked at it confused.

    "Thank you all foring so quickly. For those who don''t know, this is the scroll of Spirit Energy. I was reading some parts because I discovered that Marce and Sh went into heat at the same time. So I wanted to see what significance this might have. What I found was quite fascinating." Anna paused while everyone waited on the edge of their seats.

    "Don''t leave us in suspense, Anna. What did you find?" Randal asked anxiously. She smiled at him sweetly.

    "Jarek and Marce, your child will have some special abilities. I''m not sure what yet, but he or she will be a hybrid that can shift into a lycan or tiger. There is still more that we''ll learn as we go." Marce and Jarek looked at each other in shock. "You already know that I''m pregnant?" Marce asked quietly while putting her hand over her belly. She hadn''t even been sure.

    "Yes. Your tiger will be able to tell you soon what you''re having. The other thing that I discovered is that Gary and Sh''s pup will also be a hybrid. I''m unsure if the pup will be a werewolf and witch or a werewolf and warlock, but it will also have special abilities. Both newborns will also y an essential part in the battle. I''m still notpletely clear on their roles, but we''ll help you all every step of the way." Anna said as she saw the fear in Marce and Jarek''s eyes. "Thank you for telling us all of this. Have you told Gary and Sh yet?" Jarek asked. He put his arms around his mate, feeling even more protective than usual.

    "No, we need to call them next, and we have to ask him if he''s talked to Santi." Everyone looked confused.

    "Why do you need to know if he talked to Santi?" Stanley asked. He could see something more was going on than just a casual check-in.novelbin

    "There''s something we need to do, but I don''t want to concern anyone until I know if we can get a hold of Santi." Kamryn handed her his phone, and she clicked on Gary''s name before putting the phone on speaker. "Hello?" Gary answered, wondering why all of a sudden he was so popr.

    "Gary, it''s Anna. I have you on speakerphone."

    "Hi, everyone. What can I do for you?" He asked, sitting next to Sh. He had gone into the hidden room when Santi called.

    "Is Sh with you? If so, I need you to put the phone on speaker." Anna answered.

    "Yes, she''s here." Gary took Sh''s hand as he put the phone on speaker.

    "Great. First of all, congrattions on your cub." Anna eximed.

    "How do you know I''m pregnant?" Sh asked in surprise.

    "Gary told us you had gone into heat at the same time Marce, King Jarek''s mate, went into heat. I read the Spirit Energy scrolls to see what this signifies. I found that you and Marce are pregnant with cubs that will be born with abilities. Sh, you will have a hybrid that will be either part werewolf and witch or werewolf and warlock. Marce will have a cub that will also be a hybrid that can shift into either lycan or tiger. They will have an important role in the battle, but I''m not sure what yet." Anna paused to see how they were taking all this information.

    "I''ve never heard of such a thing. I''m scared. What''s going to happen if it''s not enough?" Sh asked while clinging to Gary.

    "There''s something else we need to do that''s going to be in our favor. Gary, have you spoken to Santitely?" Anna asked. Once again, everyone was on the edge of their seats, wondering what he had to do with this.

    "I was actually on the phone with him when you called. He''s holding on the other line." Gary looked at his phone to make sure he was still there.

    "That''s perfect. Can you connect him to our call?" Randal looked at Anna as though she were crazy. Why did she want to speak with his brother? He was still having trouble believing anything he said. "Hello?" They all heard an unfamiliar voice say.

    "Santi?" Anna asked, looking at those around the table. She knew this was going to rock their world, but it was necessary.

    "Yes, is this Anna?" Santi was shocked that the young witch wanted to speak with him. However, something about hearing her kind, soothing voice was like drinking a ss of cold water on a hot day. "Yes. I need you to do something, and it has to be done immediately for this to work." Anna said while taking a deep breath.

    "Okay, I''ll do anything." Santi was desperate to show them he was a man of his word.

    "Good. I need you to go to a deserted area where no one will see you. I''m then going to have Kamryn teleport to you, pick you up, and bring you to the pce."

 Chapter 60 - Santis Return

    "There is arge field not far from me. I''ll be near the trees in the back." Santi said, walking quickly to the area. His heart was racing as he tried not to run. He didn''t want to draw attention to himself. Then it hit him what Anna had said. Teleport. Kamryn was going to teleport to him? What the hell kind of power do they have?

    "Anna, what''s going on?" Randal asked with a shaky voice. She wanted Santi toe here? Wouldn''t that put them all in danger? Anna looked at Kamryn.

    "I need Legend to teleport to Santi and bring him here. Santi, let us know when you''re there." Anna looked toward Randal sympathetically. "I know this is going to be hard for you, and there is a lot of history there, but this may be the only way to give us more time and save everyone. I''ll exin once Santi is here. Please trust me; I know what I''m doing."

    Randal was shaking on the inside but trying not to show everyone how affected he was. His brother hadn''t been anything good for a long time, but if Anna said this was necessary, he believed her. He was willing to put his hurt and anger on the back burner to save his family.

    "I trust you, Anna," He answered carefully. Lynn took his hand, knowing how hard this was for him.

    "I''m here," Santi said breathlessly into the phone. He couldn''t remember thest time he''d been so excited and nervous at the same time. How would it be seeing Randal after all these years? He had a lot to make up to him, but he understood if his brother could never forgive him.

    "Kamryn''s tiger is Legend, and he''s white. He''ll be there in a minute. Get on his back and hold on." Anna exined.

    "Will do," Santi answered. Kamryn stood up, kissed Anna on the forehead, and went to another room to shift into Legend. They had never been that far before, but Legend assured him they would be fine.

    After shifting, Legend focused on Santi and his location. He teleported to the area, appearing right in front of the startled man. Santi jumped on the tiger''s back, holding on around his neck, and then suddenly, they were in the room at the pce. Legend shifted back to Kamryn, who quickly put his clothes on. The two men who had never met stared at each other wearily. Kamryn mindlinked Anna to see what she wanted him to do.

    *"We''re here. Do you want me to bring him to the office?" He asked, still eyeing his uncle with uncertainty. He trusted Anna, but that didn''t make this any easier.

    *"Yes, bring him here. It will be fine, I promise."* Anna spoke with conviction. They would see why this had to happen once everyone was there.

    "Gary, are you and Sh still on the phone?" Anna asked.

    "Yes, we''re still here." He answered.

    Everyone looked toward the door as Kamryn, and a nervous Santi entered. No one in the room breathed as they stared at the man they had thought of as the devil himself. He was wringing his hands as he took in each face around the table. When his eyesnded on Randal, it shook Santi to the core. He had to say something to make them see that he wasn''t the same now that he had been able to stop the potion from being forced on him.

    "Hello, everyone. I know I''m not anyone''s favorite person right now, and I understand. I...I''m sorry. I''m so sorry for everything." They all watched with widened eyes as Santi dropped to his knees with his face in his hands as he cried. Randal felt his heart aching for his brother. He could clearly see the anguish on his face. Anna walked over to the crying man and wrapped her arms around him. That seemed to make him cry harder.

    When Santi felt Anna hugging him, it almost broke him. No one had hugged him like that in a long time. This sweet little witch he once nned to kill was now offering him kindness andpassion. That was more than he had ever expected. He put his arms around her and cried on her shoulder while everyone watched. Once his tears had stopped, Anna moved away from him with a smile as she patted his shoulder.

    "Santi, you can sit here." Anna showed him the seat she had been in across the table from Randal. He stood up and sat in the chair, not meeting anyone''s eyes. Santi felt raw from all the emotions going through his body.

    "I know everyone is wondering what this is about, and I''m going to tell you. When I was reading the scrolls, I found several things. The first was what I shared earlier about the abilities of the unborn. There was also a lot about Astaroth and how this battle had been foreseen for centuries. All of us around this table have the mates we have due to this fight. It was the only way to ensure that we''ll win. There was even information about Santi and the potion he was given, which was also necessary to get us what we needed. Now that he was able to stop it, we had to get him out of there to help us. The potion and ck magic are leaving his body, and you''ll notice changes in his feature as they leave. Once it''s gone, he will be filled with good once again. I understand there is some doubt and concern, but this was all meant to be. It may have been set in motion before any of us were alive, but it''s time for us to join together and take down this demon, as our ancestors foresaw."

    Anna paused and looked around the room. Santi was speechless watching the woman who looked like she couldn''t hurt a fly speak with so much authority that it made her seem like the most powerful person in the room. He was positive that everyone would bow to her proudly when she became queen. He felt like kissing her feet already, and they''d just met.

    "Santi, you may have noticed that your tiger has been quiettely." At his nod, Anna continued. "He''s going through changes too but should be back to you soon, better than ever. Astaroth is going to be in a rage once he realizes that Santi is gone, so we need to be on alert. I don''t believe he''ll think he came here, but he may send spies. We''ve seen how sneaky Alice and Marcus are, and I''m sure he has others." Everyone looked at Santi, who nodded. "He has many spies, but Alice and Marcus are his most powerful," Santi said quietly.

    "I''m going to ce a protection spell over the pce that will alert us if anyonees near here. Santi will need to stay out of sight as much as possible. The longer we can keep Astaroth in the dark about Santi''s whereabouts, the more sessful we''ll be. Gary, we need you to be on the lookout as well. He may think Santi went to you, so continue keeping Sh hidden. Okay, everyone. We can rest now and go eat some dinner. I think it''s time Randal and Santi sit down with each other and clear the air." Anna looked at the two men, who were both much older than she was but looked away as though they were rebellious teenagers being forced to shake hands.novelbin

    Everyone stood up, with the exception of the two brothers. Anna held Kamryn in ce as well. In case they needed some buffers, they would be there for them. Randal looked at the young couple and gave a slight smile.

    "You two can go. We''ll be fine." Anna looked between them and nodded. After they left, Randal and Santi stared at each other without saying anything for several minutes. The king took a deep breath, knowing they needed to get this over with.

    "Santi, I think we have a lot to talk about."

    Astaroth kept trying to contact Santi, but it appeared he had left the mansion. One of the servants said he went outside a few hours ago, but they never saw hime back.

    He was furious. Where did Santi go, and why has he not returned? Astaroth finally had a stronger potion that should help get the weretiger back under his control. Now he just had to wait for him to return. The demon was beginning to get anxious about not being able to get out of his underground area. How could he take more souls if he couldn''t be near others?

    He banged his fist on a table, making things fall to the ground. He noticed something odd in the dirt as he picked the items up. When he lightly brushed the dirt, he growled in frustration. It was clear why Santi hadn''t been affected by the potion. He wasn''t drinking it. Astaroth vowed as soon as he came back, he wouldn''t let him leave. It was time to show the tiger how evil a demon can be.

 Chapter 61 - The Brothers

    "I think you''re right, Randal," Santi answered nervously. When he woke up this morning, the pce was thest ce he thought he would be going. He was older than his brother, but he had never felt smaller in his life. Santi looked down at his hands, trying to think of something to say.

    Randal felt as though his heart was going to beat out of his chest. Seeing his brother brought a lot of the bitterness and anger to the front of his emotions. However, some of that faded when he looked into Santi''s eyes. He could see the pain, sorrow, and, most of all, a look of defeat.

    "I know we have a lot of history, but tell me where your head''s at right now," Randal said, still trying to ensure his brother wasn''t up to any games. Santi leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

    "Honestly, I''m full of nervous energy. I never thought I would see this ce again. I was filled with so much anger and hate, but I didn''t know why. There were times I would have moments of rity, but they became less and less. When Astaroth used my body to rape my daughter, it was when something broke in me. I knew I wasn''t who I was made to believe I was. Once that reality made itself clear, I didn''t like what I had be. I''ve been fighting to get the demons from my body so I could be myself. You ask where my head is, and the answer is it''s in turmoil. I''m terrified that someone will force me back to what I was and that I''ve ruined my chances to be part of this family. I''m so sorry, Randal, for everything I''ve done."

    Randal was enraged when he heard that the demon had used Santi to rape Melita, but he kept his face calm. After all that Anna had told them, he knew Astaroth used Sant''s body, as he said, and his brother didn''t have any idea what was happening. As much as he wanted to hate his brother, he couldn''t.

    "Anna exined a lot of what happened to you and why you changed. I wish we had known back then, maybe there was something we could have done to stop it, but Anna said everything was already set in ce. I don''t me you anymore, Santi. I understand that it wasn''t you." Randal saw his brother smile slightly.

    "Anna, she''s something else. I''ve never met someone so small that seems to radiate power." They both chuckled.

    "Yeah, she has this whole pce wrapped around her finger. Kamryn keeps saying when they take over, she''ll be running everything, and he''ll just be along for the ride. She''s been a breath of fresh air since the moment she stepped foot into this ce. I trust her, and that''s why I let her send Kamryn to get you. I knew we had to do it if Anna said it was necessary and that you were changing. I want to ask you something, though. Is this all a trick? Are you nning oning here and destroying my family to take over?" Randal looked into his eyes, and Santi''s face fell. That was what he was looking for, but he wanted to hear the words.

    "No, this isn''t a trick, and no, I am not here to destroy anything. I don''t want to be king. Astaroth got into my head, telling me I needed to kill everyone to take what was mine, but that''s not what I wanted. I want to help you defeat him and the army he''s trying to build. If I had stayed there, he would have used my body in the end to destroy everyone. I promise you, Randal, I have no bad intentions here. Now that my head is finally clear, I feel like I''ve awoken from a deep sleep." Santi looked at his brother and hoped he believed what he said. Thest thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone.

    Randal felt Santi was telling him the truth. Stanely and Caprice would have said something if they felt any darknessing from him. He decided to let him stay, but he would have guards at all times for now.

    "Alright, well, I agree that you can stay here. I will have guards with you whenever you are out of your room. Not only because of your history but also to ensure no one sent by Astaroth gets to you. Are you ready to get something to eat? I know they''re probably waiting for us in the dining hall." Santi smiled at Randal, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He hoped he and his brother could have a rtionship and be friends again.

    "Yeah, I''m starving. Trying to trick a demon makes you lose your appetite. I can''t remember thest time I actually ate." They stood up, and Randal held his hand out to him. When they shook hands, both had small smiles on their faces. When they walked out the door, Anna and Kamryn were waiting for them looking between the two men. Randal hid his grin as he shook his head at them.

    "What did you think was going to happen? You''re looking at us like you expected us to shed blood or something." Anna smiled at him in her sweet way.

    "Just making sure all is good. Astaroth realizes you''re gone. Marcus and Alice went to the wolf pack, searching for you. While here, you have to stay inside. I have spells protecting this ce, but I don''t want them to see that you''re here." Anna was looking at Santi, and he nodded.

    "How did they get the spies from here?" He worried they would try something with him.

    "They got the ones in the dungeon by taking them from their cells. Elsie and Melita were locked in the pce, so they used a spell to remove them. I have increased the protections on the pce, so they can''t do that with anyone else." Anna started leading them toward the dining hall, and all three men followed. Santi grinned, thinking to an outsider, it must look like a princess being protected by threerge guards. Something about her made him feel at peace more than anything else. He watched her as they walked and felt like a warm light wasing from her. When she nced back at him, she gave him a smile.

    "That''s the power of Spirit Energy you''re feeling. We project energies to those who need them." Santi almost tripped, realizing she was answering his unasked question. Kamryn and Randal chuckled, seeing how he watched her. "How did you know what I was thinking?" She answered without turning around.novelbin

    "Not only do we project energy, but we also absorb it from others. I could tell you felt peaceful with me, and I felt your confusion. I guessed what you were thinking." Santi stopped in his tracks. Anna was incredible, he thought to himself. "Don''t let her be modest. No one is as powerful as she is when ites to the energies. She scares us all sometimes with her capabilities." Kamrynughed when she turned around and swatted him lightly.

    Santi watched the couple with amusement. Randal watched them all and then startedughing. Yep, Santi was just as charmed by Anna as the rest of them. She could probably tell him to scrub the toilets, and he would. He saw her watching him through narrowed eyes and put his hands up in surrender.

    Everyone was sitting around the main table when they walked into the dining hall. The other werecats that had stayed behind to help in the battle were also there to eat. They looked at Santi wearily, but Stanley had already said he wasn''t what they thought. Micah had pulled an extra chair up to their table for Santi. He sat between Anna and Randal.

    When their food came out, Santi''s mouth was watering. He didn''t realize how hungry he really was, and each thing he ate felt like a festival in his mouth. He didn''t think he had room for dessert until he saw the double fudge cake with vani ice cream. It was his favorite.

    "Anna insisted that we have your favorite dessert for you. Do you still like double fudge cake with vani ice cream?" Randal asked.

    "I haven''t had this in many years. Yes, it''s still my favorite." Santi savored each sweet bite that melted in his mouth. It was even better than he remembered.

    After they were done eating, they left the dining hall. Santi followed everyone out as he looked around the pce, and memories of his childhood came flooding back. When he felt as though someone was watching him, he turned around and saw a young maid cleaning a table in the entryway. When she looked at him, he gasped. He knew her. She gave him an evil grin and went back to cleaning. Santi grabbed Randal''s sleeve, unable to speak as he stared at her. "What is it?" Randal asked, seeing the look on his brother''s face.

    "She''s one of Astaroth''s spies." Everyone stopped and turned around. The young maidughed and tried to run, but Kamryn and Micha flew and had her in seconds. When they brought her to the group, they saw how dark her eyes were. Not like Alice and Marcus, but almost. She smiled at them, and when she spoke, they all had chills from her grainy voice.

    "I have a message for you, traitor. You can run, but you can''t hide. Astaroth will have his revenge on you before you know it."

 Chapter 62 - Santis Guilt

    "How did you get in here?" Randal asked while looking between the young maid and Anna.

    "That''s not your concern." The maid said in that sickly-sounding voice. Anna crossed her arms as she walked over to the woman. She held her hands out and closed her eyes when she was only about a foot from her. Everyone watched in fascination as the young woman started shaking before she threw her head back and screamed. A dark fog came out of her mouth, making everyone gasp. Anna began to chant, and the fog quickly separated into many pieces before disappearing altogether. The maid had passed out when it was gone. Anna started speaking in her calm, soft tone to the others.

    "She was on vacation when we spoke to the staff looking for spies. Astaroth was able to get to her and inserted the cloud of darkness in her. It''s basically a spy within a person, and that person doesn''t even know it''s there. When she wakes up, she most likely won''t remember anything." Anna said as she watched the young woman''s eyes begin to open. Kamryn and Micah were still holding on to her.

    "You have a protection spell over the pce. How could she get through it?" Lynn asked nervously.

    "The cloud of darkness can mask itself until needed. When she came to the pce, it was showing no darkness. I will add an extrayer to the spell to prevent this from happening again. I didn''t think the demon would get so desperate. It worries me now that Astaroth may know that Santi''s here. There may not have been enough time for him to find out before I destroyed it, but we can''t be sure. Even with what she said about Santi being a traitor, Astaroth may not know. We need to be on alert for any other surprises." The maid''s eyes opened fully, focusing on Santi.

    "Anna, I know what you said about the cloud, but I saw her in the mansion when I was there. I think it''s best to lock her up for now. I''ve seen what he''s been able to do to people, taking their souls for himself. It may be toote for her." Santi saw the woman''s eyes still had some darkness there.novelbin

    "Lock her in the cells within the pce. I don''t trust the dungeons." Anna saw the same darkness in her eyes Santi had, and he knew he was probably right. It may be toote for the maid to be saved. Two guards came and took the woman from Kamryn and Micah. Anna closed her eyes, chanting for a few minutes to increase the spell over the pce.

    "Should we worry about any others that are here?" Randal asked.

    "I don''t think so. She was the only one out when we spoke to everyone. Keep an eye out for anyone you don''t recognize or, in your case Santi for anyone you do recognize." Santi nodded, still staring at Anna with his mouth open. To see her in action made everything else seem insignificant. He noticed the others around him were chuckling.

    "She''s impressive, right?" Kamryn asked as he wrapped his arms around her. Their contrast in size was almostical, but when they were together, it was a perfect match.

    "I''ve seen Astaroth, Alice, and Marcus do some amazing things but noth..." He stopped mid-sentence when he nced down at Anna''s belly and noticed the telltale bump. They followed his gaze, and for a minute, everyone looked worried. "You''re pregnant?" He asked, looking between the couple. Anna tilted her head to one side and studied him before nodding slightly.

    "Yes, we both are." She nodded toward Jaz, who was standing next to Micah. Santi noticed she had a bump as well.

    "Wow, congrattions. Doesn''t that make it risky for the battle?" He questioned. Anna and Jaz exchanged a look before answering.

    "Actually, we need the cubs for the battle," Anna exined to Santi the power of six and their abilities while everyone else watched with fear that she was saying too much. She saw their worry but continued talking. If she didn''t think it was safe, she wouldn''t have said anything, but the light in Santi was getting brighter.

    Santi was stunned by what Anna said, and he had to admit he was slightly scared. These two young couples were the most powerful he''d ever encountered. Seeing his nephews fly was stunning enough, but to learn their other abilities was out of this world. He was d he was now on this side of the fence. Otherwise, he knew he''d be dead.

    "Astaroth talked bout the power of six, but he was sure you wouldn''t have it since Randal had no other children. He didn''t consider grandchildren. Anna, you terrify me, so please never let me get on your bad side again." The group startedughing, and Randal pped Santi on the shoulder before he could stop himself. Both were stunned by his gesture, but then they smiled.

    "I told her the same thing. If Kamryn ever makes her mad, we better clear out the pce." The king said as everyone looked at Anna, who was not happy with their remarks.

    "Okay, you guys, I''m not that bad. Stop making me look like some beast ready to terrorize a whole town because I broke a nail." She red at everyone stillughing, including her parents. Kamryn was the only one who tried to hide his smile so he wouldn''t have to pay for itter.

    "Leave my little mate alone. She wouldn''t harm a fly as long as they''re not evil. If they have a ck heart watch out because she''ll show you her wrath." Anna beamed up at him.

    "I knew we were mates for a reason, Mr. Tiger. Thanks for setting all these jokers straight." Kamryn leaned down to kiss her forehead. He refused to tell her that he was more frightened of her than anyone because not only could she destroy him, but she was the only one that could break his heart.

    "What do you need me to do to help prepare?" Santi asked, eager to show them he was all in when it came to protecting them.

    "Let''s go back into the office so we can talk," Randal said, leading the way to the conference room. Once everyone had taken a seat, they all looked at Anna. She wondered if there would ever be a time that someone else could lead their meetings.

    "The four of us with our cubs will have the power of six. However, Gary, Sh, Jerick, and Marce will also have special abilities that will assist in defeating those before Astaroth makes his appearance. We have to defeat as many fighters as possible without using all our energy. As a powerful tiger, you''ll be able to help us with your brute strength. We have everyone training with witches to learn how to deflect the ck magicing our way. You can train with us in the indoor training room where the four of us practice." Anna smiled at Santi, who was staring at her again with wide eyes. She noticed that some of his features were softening. When he first got to the pce, he had seemed rough around the edges from the darkness inside, but now she could see some of his resemnce to Randal.

    "I will do whatever you say. I''m sorry I keep staring at you like I''m starstruck. I''ve never met anyone like you, Anna. There seems to be a light around you that touches everyone in your presence." She giggled lightly at what he said, as did everyone else.

    "Your tiger should be back by tomorrow. Your darkness is almost gone. Once he''s there, we''ll have you train with us so he can be ready too. Now I think this has been a long day, and I don''t know about the rest of you, but I''m ready to get some rest." Anna winked at Kamryn, letting him know that her version of rest wasn''t going to be sleeping.

    Santi went to his room. The same one he had growing up, and he was surprised that it was exactly as he''d left it many years ago. When he looked around, so many memories came flooding back to him from his childhood. He sat on the bed and started crying as the guilt overcame him like a cloak of darkness.

    He was responsible for his parent''s death, the rejection of his mate, Melita''s downfall, and the pain in Randal''s eyes. Santi was shaking with sobs as he thought about all those he''d hurt. He may have been under the influence of Astaroth, but that didn''t ease the guilt he felt. He vowed from this point forward that he would not let anyone feel any pain because of him.

    Once he had pulled himself together, he got into a hot shower. Santi thought about all those he met tonight, but none of them were as impressive as Anna. The way she made him feel good inside was something he''d never experienced. After being around so much darkness, it was nice to be around someone with so much goodness and light. Kamryn was one lucky man to have a mate like her. Santi started wondering if he''d ever get a chance to find another mate.

 Chapter 63 - Special Delivery

    Santi''s training with the others was going better than expected. The darkness had left him entirely, and his features had softened, making him look even more like Randal. His tiger Kip had returned to his normal state and was happy to be out from under the dark fog they''d been under for years.

    Randal and Santi were rekindling their rtionship and had spent a lot of time together trying to make up for the years they lost. There were still some underlying feelings of betrayal. However, Randal was working on getting past those now that he understood Santi wasn''t himself.

    Everyone was focused on preparing for the battle while waiting for the arrival of the cubs. Marce now knows she is having a boy, and Sh is having a girl. Their abilities hadn''t been revealed yet, but Anna was sure the mothers would know what they were soon. They had discussed having She to the pce so she could remain hidden from Alice and Marcus. However, she refused because she wanted to be near Gary.novelbin

    The pair increased their visits to check in as though they knew something was amiss, but they still didn''t know anything about Sh. There were no signs that Astaroth knew where Santi was either. Marcus and Alice had appeared near the pce several times. However, with the protection spells that Anna had ced, they weren''t able to get close enough to see that Santi was there.

    As the weeks passed, the time for the battle was getting closer. Anna and Jaz would have their cubs any day, but that didn''t deter them from their training. In fact, they seemed even more restless than usual, and their mates were having trouble keeping up with them.

    The two couples and Santi were down in the training room. Anna and Jaz weren''t doing much other than supervising while the men did hand-to-hand fighting. The two young men were fighting Santi, who was stronger than he looked but wasn''t anypetition for his nephews. Just as Kamryn and Micah leaped in the air to attack, Anna and Jaz screamed. All three men froze and looked at the two women clutching their stomachs.

    "What''s wrong?" Kamryn asked as he and his brother ran to their mates.

    "We''re inbor," Anna answered while trying to stand up. Kamryn and Micah lifted the women into their arms. They ran upstairs to the room that had been transformed into a double delivery room. Santi mindlinked Randal as they went, who got the medical staff ready for their arrival. A curtain separated the two beds so the women could have privacy while still being close. Two doctors came in just as the women got settled.

    "When did yourbor start?" Nn asked Anna while Tyra did the same with Jaz.

    "A few minutes ago." The two women answered almost in unison.

    Both doctors checked their patients and determined they were in activebor but not ready to give birth yet. All the parents came into the room when the doctors stepped out.

    "How are you two feeling?" Lynn asked. The curtain had been pulled back so Jaz and Anna could see each other until it was time to begin pushing.

    "I''m doing okay. I can''t believe it''s already time for our little ones to be here." Anna answered, looking at Jaz.

    "Me either. Everything has happened so fast that I feel like we haven''t had time to breathe." Jaz held Micah''s hand as a contraction hit. With them being witches and not shifters, their bodies had more of the same aspects as humans. So theirbor could be over quickly or go on for hours.

    "Santi, you cane in," Anna said, looking toward the doorway. Everyone followed her gaze and saw him peek around the corner.

    "Are you sure? I don''t want to overstep." He looked between Anna and Jaz, who were both smiling.

    "You''re family and getting ready to be a great uncle. We expect you to be on deck for diaper duty." Anna replied, making everyoneugh. Santi looked around the room at all the glowing happy faces, and his heart felt like it was going to explode. This is what life should be like. Everyone was filled with excitement, waiting for the unique cubs to be born. If he could capture the feeling in the room to save forter, he would. It was a feeling he wanted to experience over and over. Love.

    A couple of hourster, Anna and Jaz screamed at the same time while bending over in pain. They had been having contractions off and on, but everyone could tell this was different. The doctors ran into the room to check them and said it was time. They had everyone leave the room except the woman''s mates.

    Anna and Jaz pushed with everything they had while screaming. Kamryn and Micah''s hands would have been bruised if it wasn''t for their quick healing due to how hard they were squeezing them. After another thirty minutes of pushing, they each gave one final push, and the cubs came out. Kamryn and Micah cut their cords before helping with their first baths. The little cubs were wailing, but it was the best sound either mother could hear. Their babies had arrived. Kamryn brought the bundled-up little girl over and ced her in Anna''s arms.

    "Meet Liana," Kamryn said as she looked down at the cub with tears running down her face. Anna''s heart melted, looking at the tiny little girl in her arms. She could already see abination of both her and Kamryn. Liana had Anna''s dark brown hair, but some of her facial features were definitely Kamryn''s.

    Anna ran her finger over her soft little cheek. She couldn''t believe she and Kamryn had made this beautiful little cub. When Liana opened her eyes, both of them gasped. No matter what species they are, most babies are born with dark eyes until they change to their true color within a few weeks. However, Liana''s eyes were so pale blue that they almost looked white.

    "Are her eyes different?" Jaz asked Anna while looking down at Zack. He had a head full of pale blonde hair like Jaz but looked like Micah in the face.

    "Yes, they''re extremely pale blue. How about Zack?" Anna asked, looking over at her nephew.

    "His are pale green," Jaz answered in awe. She was almost afraid to look away from her cub''s eyes, worried they might change. She looked up when there were sounds of running footsteps near the door. Everyone flooded back into the room to see the two little ones.

    "I can''t believe they''re here," Lynn said as she cried, looking between her two grandchildren. When she noticed their eyes, she was speechless. Randal saw them too.

    "Why do their eyes look like that?" He shivered slightly. They both seemed aware of their surroundings more than any other newborn he''d seen. He could almost feel their power, and he wasn''t even holding them.

    "That''s due to their abilities. They have a lot more knowledge than most newborns, but they don''t know how to use it yet." Stanley answered as he lifted his granddaughter out of Anna''s arms.

    "They''re incredible. Anna and Jaz, if I haven''t told you recently, I really love having you both in our family. There''s never a dull moment with the two of you." Randal stood between their beds and held each of their hands. Maura was cuddling Zack, but he was determined to get his hands on the little prince and princess as soon as possible.

    "Wow. So these little ones will y a big part in the battle. That''s amazing that something so small can have so much power." Santi looked up at Anna and Jaz beforeughing. They were both tinypared to their mates and powerful, so it should be no surprise their children would be as well.

    "That wasn''t a joke about our size, was it? I can use hormonal imbnce as the reason for my attack." Anna questioned as she raised her hands like she was going to do a spell. Santi stepped back, almost tripping as heughed. "Of course not. I was talking about the cubs being small." He watched her hands, making sure they didn''t suddenly spit fire at him or something as everyoneughed at him. Santi had seen her throw her fireballs, and it scared the shit out of him.

    "Okay, I''ll let it pass this time," Anna smirked as he swallowed nervously. She knew he was secretly scared of her, so she decided to use it to her advantage. When she looked at Kamryn, she winked at him, and he couldn''t hold back his deepugh anymore.

    A few hours after giving birth Anna and Jaz were able to take their cubs to their rooms with their mates. They decided to have basss put in the rooms until the battle was over, so their cubs were never away from their parents. Now they just had to wait for Marce and Sh to give birth. Soon after, the battle would begin.

 Chapter 64 - Astaroths Plans

    Astaroth was shaking with fury. No one had been able to locate Santi in months. Alice and Marcus had searched everywhere, and there was no trace of him. The only ce they couldn''t check was the pce or anywhere near the pce. However, he didn''t think Santi would be stupid enough to go there. Astaroth had ensured that his rtionship with Randal was damaged, so they wouldn''t be able to be on the same continent. Where could the damn tiger have gone? In the meantime, Astaroth had decided to use one of the former security guards that had been a spy for him in the pce. Anton''s body wasn''t as big or powerful as Santi''s, but it would do until he was able to get him back. As he walked around the mansion in Anton''s body, Astaroth felt like something was off. He couldn''t tell what it was, but something was telling him there had been a shift of power. What was going on that he couldn''t see? Most would be concerned about this feeling. For the old demon, it was just another challenge he would face head-on. Nothing was getting in his way of getting out from the underground.

    News of the newborn cubs spread throughout the pce. Everyone wanted to see the unique little ones. However, they were careful not to let the information get outside the pce walls. No one wanted Astaroth to know about the cubs, or he would know about the power of six.

    Anna and Jaz may not be shifters, but they healed quickly after giving birth. Everyone was back in training, including Liana and Zack. Lynn and Randal thought they were crazy to be including the two cubs in training until they saw what they could do.

    Kamryn, Anna, Jaz, and Micah held hands while the two women strapped the cubs to their bodies. As soon as they were all united, they floated off the ground, and lights came out from all six of them, shooting to the center of the circle. The more they practiced, the stronger they became and the longer they could levitate. After a couple of weeks, they couldst almost thirty minutes.

    "How long exactly will it take to eliminate Astaroth?" Lynn asked worriedly as they took a break. All the grandparents had started training with them indoors, not wanting to let the cubs out of their sight.

    "It shouldn''t take long. However, if he uses magic to fight us, it''s more about power than longevity. If we can stay up for an hour, we should be strong enough to kill him and send him back where he belongs." Anna answered. Lynn felt a chill run through her body at her words. There was a fire in her eyes that made her see that her son''s mate was hell on wheels, hidden behind a sweet face.novelbin

    "Do you know what role Jarek, Marce, Gary, and Sh with their newborns will y?" Lynn questioned while rubbing her hand over Liana''s head.

    "Not yet, but they should know before they give birth. Something will tell Marce and Sh the roles their children will have. I don''t believe they''ll have to face Astaroth, but they may be needed to defeat his army." Liana began fussing, so Anna unbuttoned her shirt and started breastfeeding her. She saw Kamryn looking around to make sure none of the other males were watching, but she just rolled her eyes at him. Anna bit her tongue when he came over and stood in front of her daring any of the men to look their way. She didn''t mind his possessiveness; she kind of loved it.

    While she fed her daughter, she thought over everything they had been through in the months since Kamryn stumbled upon her at the cabin. It seemed so long ago that she was there with no memory of who or what she was. Now she was in the tiger pce, getting ready to fight a demon. Before she lost her memory, she knew she was going to mate with the tiger prince but didn''t think it would bring her so much love, happiness, and danger all at once.

    She watched the others continue to train. As she finished feeding Liana, Kamryn rejoined them after kissing Anna and his daughter on their foreheads. She sat staring at her mate, who was wearing nothing but a pair of athletic shorts. As he trained with his brother, she couldn''t help admiring the way Kamryn''s muscles rippled as he moved. He had so much power, yet he treated everyone he loved with such tenderness.

    He caught Anna watching him, and she felt the heat creeping up her cheeks. How could he still have this effect on her? She was still young, but they were mates and had a cub. Yet whenever he smiled at her like that, she wanted to take him to the bedroom and leave everyone else behind. That was something that she hoped would never change.

    Santi was training with Randal and saw the look that passed between Anna and Kamryn. He felt sad, thinking he may never get a chance to feel that connection with a woman. His mate had rejected him when he was infected with the ck magic, so he never really had that type of rtionship. When he was with her, she meant nothing to him. Once she rejected him, and he epted her rejection, that bond was lost. Santi understood that out of everyone, he didn''t deserve a second chance, but it would be nice to feel some of the love he sees in those around him.

    While he was lost in thought, Randal got the upper hand on him and kicked him in the side of the head. Santi saw the smirk on his brother''s face. It didn''t anger him; it actually made him want tough. This brought back memories of when he and Randal would train together as children. They were sopetitive back then, but they were also best friends. During his time at the pce, they had been working on getting back to somemon ground. He hoped they would return to being real friends again.

    "What''s wrong, brother? Am I too quick for you now? You must be getting slow in your old age." Randalughed when he saw the look on Santi''s face. He hadn''t realized how much he''d missed sparring with his older brother. Santi was always able to beat him back then, but it never stopped Randal from trying.

    "You know I had to let you think you could win. I would have thought you would have learned new moves by now, but it looks like you''re still fighting like a ten-year-old human." Santi got in position to attack, and Randal set up to counter him. "It''s better than fighting like a geriatric patient who just had two hip recements." There wasughter from the others in the room at the brother''s banter. They were twins, yet they treated each other as though there were years that separated them rather than minutes.

    The brother''s strength wasparable. Neither was getting over on the other. Everyone else had stopped to watch them train. Anna could see the simrities and differences between them as they fought. Santi seemed stronger, while Randal was faster. Their powerful auras could be felt throughout the room.

    When they dered a truce and came to sit down for a break, Anna thought of something she had been meaning to ask Santi. She didn''t want to upset him, but she needed to know in order to be prepared for Astaroth.

    "Santi, what were the ns for the prisoners that were taken from the pce? Did Astaroth have a specific use for them?" The entire room went silent while they waited for his answer. She saw the hurt in his eyes and knew that whatever it was, he had tried to forget about it.

    "He was going to take their souls and turn them into soldiers. Just as he did with Alice and Marcus." Santi looked at Stanely and saw the hurt on his face. He knew Alice was his sister, but she was long gone now. All that remained was the evil Astaroth had left in her body.

    "What about Elsie? What was he going to use her for?" Anna asked. Once again, everyone waited. She wasn''t a big fan of her cousins, but she would never torture anyone, and she feared that''s what he had nned for her.

    "He ns to take her soul as well, but first, he wants to find her Spirit Energy magic that he believes is still inside her. Once he had that, he nned to find a way to use her magic to defeat the four of you. He also ns to take the soul of every pack member under Alpha Gary to make them all his willing sacrifices. With all those souls, he thinks you will be unable to defeat him, then he can rain hell on earth."

 Chapter 65 - Moving the Wolf Pack

    Anna informed Gary of Astaroth''s ns for the pack so they could be on the lookout for any new people that came who may actually be working for the demon. She was concerned about him getting his ws into them before the battle, especially with Sh getting close to giving birth.

    With the birth of the next two little onesing, they have discovered that Sh and Gary''s daughter will have the ability to slow time. The couple decided to name her Sasha. Jarek and Marce''s son, Sean, will have the ability to stop people and things from moving. Nobody knew what they would need these gifts for, but they were sure it would make itself clear when the time was right.

    The training had been going well, with the six most powerful able to levitate for almost an hour while in their circle. Levitating was different than flying because it used theirbined power to raise them from the ground. That''s what they needed in order for their power to strengthen to defeat Astaroth.

    Liana and Zack''s abilities were bing increasingly powerful, and they were able to fly for short periods without the assistance of their parents. It had only been a couple of months since their birth, yet their awareness about everything going on around them made them seem much older.

    Santi had gotten stronger and was impressing everyone with his agility. Anna would never tell Randal, but Santi was looking more handsome and fit than he did.

    ns had changed for the wolf pack. Originally they were going to pretend to align with Astaroth toe to the pce. However, with the discovery that they were nning on using the souls of the pack, Randal asked them to leave early. He wanted the entire pack toe to the pce after the next visit from Alice and Marcus. They were one of thergest packs in the area, so it wouldn''t be easy to move so many without it being noticed.

    Kamryn and Micah volunteered to move everyone by teleporting them, but Anna wanted to be careful. She wanted to feel the area out to see if any additional spells were ced by Alice and Marcus. Kamryn shifted into Legend so he could take Anna to the wolf pack after telling Gary that they needed to have everyone prepared to leave as soon as possible.

    They teleported near the packnds staying just outside the perimeter. Gary had told them Alice and Marcus had already been there and left. Anna could feel the darkness that surrounded the packnds. She could do a spell that made a gateway, but they would have to move fast, so Alice and Marcus wouldn''t have time to return. Legend teleported back to the pce so they could tell Micah they needed his help. They were too far away for mindlink. Anna pulled out her phone to call Gary.

    "Hello," He answered.

    "It''s Anna. I''m outside your packnds. There''s a spell ced over the area, so as peoplee out, we have to be quick. I''m going to ce a spell that will give us some time before anyone knows something is wrong. Do you have everyone ready to leave?" She asked as Legend and Rocky appeared next to her.

    "We''re all ready to go. I want Sh out of here first." He stated adamantly.

    "Meet us on the north side of thends. Have everyonee and stay about twenty yards from where we are. The tigers can each do ten people at a time. They don''t have to sit on them; they just have to touch them. We''ll be ready as soon as everyone is gathered." Anna hung up and looked toward the two massive white tigers.

    "They''reing. We have to be fast if we''re going to get them all out of here. I know you two can do it. I''m going to wait here for thest person so I can make sure the spell remains strong." Legend walked over and nudged her hand. *"You need to leave with the first group, so you can remain safe. The spell will be sufficient; we can''t risk losing you."* Legend mindlinked her.

    "I''ll be fine, my love. Here theye." The three of them looked toward the pack members walking toward them. Some looked nervous, while others looked terrified. The pups were the only ones that appeared to be excited seeing the tworge tigers. Gary and Sh walked in the front of the pack with their arms around each other. When they were twenty yards away, the group stopped.

    "This is all of us. We started at thest house and rounded everyone up." Gary stated.

    "Alright, we''re going to have youe out twenty at a time. Ten people to a tiger. Make sure your hand is on the tiger, and before you can blink, you''ll be at the pce. Gary and Sh, you need to be with the first group." Anna knew the alpha would want to wait for thest person, but it was important that he remain safe to protect the pack.

    "I want Sh to go, but I''ll wait here," Gary answered just as she knew he would.

    "That''s not an option. You''re the alpha, and we need you to be there as your pack arrives." Anna saw the conflict on his face, but eventually, he nodded. They began counting people out into groups of twenty. After everyone was separated into their groups, Anna started to chant a spell to counter the one Alice and Marcus had over the packnds.

    Once the spell was in ce, Anna had the first groupe to the tigers. They all ced their hands on them and disappeared. As Anna prepared the second group, the tigers reappeared. After the first couple of groups, everything ran smoothly. The entire process only took about thirty minutes, but that didn''t help the weariness Anna felt at being so exposed. When thest group came out, she started to go toward Legend to go with them when she suddenly stopped. There was something or someoneing.

    "Quick, get them out of here ande back for me. Now." Anna saw both Legend and Rocky hesitate, but she didn''t have time to argue with them. "Go, now. I promise it will be okay. Come right back for me."

    Anna looked toward the sky when the tigers left with the two groups. Just as she thought Alice and Marcus wereing toward her. She felt a shiver run through her body, remembering all the good times she had with them as a child. She had to keep reminding herself that they were no longer what they once were.novelbin

    "Why are you here?" Alice asked in her chilling voice. Anna crossed her arms and looked at them with nothing but disgust in her eyes.

    "That''s none of your business. Why are you here?" She questioned them as theynded about ten feet from her.

    "We have to make sure that the pack is intact, and from the looks of it, they have gone to the wrong side. Why are there no wolves on the packnds?" Marcus asked.

    Anna increased her energy perception to try and pick up if they were going to try anything with her. She didn''t feel anything other than the darkness, so she assumed they had orders from Astaroth to not touch her yet.

    "I don''t know where the wolves are. I came here to see if they wanted toe to the winning side, but when I got here, they were gone. I assumed evil had already taken them over." Anna lied, hoping to convince them she hadn''t hidden an entire pack.

    *"Legend, don''t show yourself right now. Alice and Marcus are here; I don''t want them to know about your ability."*

    *"I saw them before I appeared, so I''m about a mile away. Let me know when it''s safe to get you."*

    "We don''t believe you. You''re a cunning little witch. Do you know where Santi is?" Alice asked, moving ever so slightly toward Anna.

    "Why would I know where he is? He''s the one that''s attacking us, so why would he be anywhere nearby?" Anna asked incredulously.

    "He has disappeared like the wolf pack, and you''re telling us you know nothing about either? I find that hard to believe. Why don''t youe with us so we can all have a chat with the master?" Alice moved toward one side while Marcus moved toward the other. Anna could feel their intentions and knew when they were getting ready to attack, but she had a secret weapon up her sleeve.

    "No, I think I''ll stay here. I still have a lot to do to prepare for theing battle. Wouldn''t want to meet him before it''s time." Anna watched them as they prepared their stances.

    "Wrong answer," Marcus said as he and Alice both jumped in the air toward her.

 Chapter 66 - Alone Time

    *"Now."* Anna mindlinked Legend as Alice and Marcus leaped in the air. The tiger teleported to her and as soon as she was touching him, he teleported them to the pce. Alice and Marcus were left looking at each other in confusion as she disappeared before their eyes.

    Legend appeared in their bedroom at the pce with Anna touching his side. He quickly shifted into Kamryn, who wrapped her in his arms.

    "That was too close forfort. What was their n?" He asked while holding her tight.

    "They were going to take me to Astaroth. They were there to check on the wolf pack. I''m sure the break in their spell alerted them. I''m d we got everyone out of there before they showed up." Anna rubbed her hands up and down his back. She pulled slightly away, looking at him with a smirk.

    "You nning to put some clothes on, mighty tiger?" She asked as she felt something poking her stomach. He smiled down at her with his eyes shining.

    "Why do you think I had Legende to the bedroom. We haven''t been able to be alone since Liana was born. Is your body ready because I want to make you forget about everything for a while?" Before she could answer, he crushed his mouth to hers, lifting her so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

    "Yes, I''m ready. I''m sorry we''ve been so busy and I''ve neglected you. How would you like me to rectify that?" Anna asked while nuzzling his ear as he carried her to the bed.

    "I don''t want you to do anything other thany down and let me worship you. Anna, you do everything for everyone else without allowing yourself time to rx. Let me take care of you for once while everyone is busy getting the wolf pack set up around the pce." Kamrynid her down, and as much as she wanted to argue that there was too much to do, as soon as he pulled her clothes off, every thought she had went out the window. He was right; it had been too long since they had been able to enjoy each other. Liana was with Marce and Jarek, who were bing her favorite aunt and uncle, so she would be fine for a while.

    Two hourster, Kamryn was staring at his sleeping mate with a grin. She looked so beautiful and peaceful in her sleep. He hadn''t been able to do as much to her as he wanted because, despite her trying to rx, she wanted to be in control. When he tried to please her with his mouth, she demanded he get inside her. Who was he to argue? After only one round, she was sound asleep. He wasn''tining. Kamryn was happy just lying next to her and having her all to himself. After the battle, he would make sure they had these moments every day. Even if it was only five minutes of just kissing her. Anna was the strongest person he had ever known, but even she needed a break sometimes. Everyone loved and respected her. They sought her out to make decisions like she was already the queen. He understood; she was the only one that could prepare them for the battle. However, it was more than that.

    Anna was incredibly personable, making everyone she was talking to feel like they were the most important person in the world. No matter if the person was the lowest of servants or the king, she spoke to them the same. He brushed the hair away from her face as he watched her. Kamryn knew they didn''t have much longer before someone would need her. Liana would want to eat, and somebody would have something for her to make a decision about, but right now, she was all his. When she started moving, she looked up at him with a smile.

    "Was I sleeping?" He leaned down to kiss her softly.

    "Yes, sweetheart. It''s obvious that you needed it." Anna smiled at him with her eyes narrowed.

    "Did you sleep?" She questioned.

    "Nope. I''ve just been staring at you and thinking about how amazing you are. I don''t think I tell you enough how much I love and appreciate you as my mate and partner." Anna giggled and sat up, rolling him over on his back.

    "You tell me every day not only with your words but in your actions. I''m the lucky one to have someone like you by my side. If I''m great, it''s only because we make a fantastic team. I''m sure Liana is ready for me now if we can steal her from Marce and Jarek. We are going to have to watch them when they go to the Lycan pce; they may try to take her with them." She ran her hand over his cheek and up into his hair.

    "Jarek has grown on me. When he was working with the trio, I was ready to kill him, but really he''s a good guy. I''m d you were able to make everyone see that he was working under Astaroth against his will; otherwise, he''d still be rotting in the dungeons." Kamryn ran his hand over her swollen breasts. He knew she was right; it was time for their cub to eat. Although, he liked seeing her breasts even bigger than normal.

    "Evil can make people do things out of their control. If there is still good in their hearts, they can be saved. However, if their heart is pure evil, there is no longer a choice. I don''t believe in killing others as long as they have a choice and choose good over evil. Everyone that Astaroth brings will most likely be entirely evil. I only want to watch out for the prisoners he took from here. If there is any hope of saving them, we will, including Elsie and Melita. We now know all their decisions weren''t their own."

    Kamryn gave her onest kiss before they got out of bed. They decided to take a quick shower before leaving the room. Once they were done and dressed, Anna wrapped her arms around him.

    "Thank you for this time alone. We both needed it." She pulled him down and gave him a deep kiss.

    "Anytime, sweetheart."novelbin

    They left the bedroom, and lots of noise greeted them. The pce was filled to the brim with werewolves. There were multiple guest houses on the royal grounds that also housed the wolves. Luckily everyone was able to have their own ce and could befortable. As they started down the stairs, they saw people socializing below them, and they turned toward the couple. Everyone started pping and cheering for them. Kamryn put his arm around Anna as she blushed. Randal and Lynn walked up to them, beaming.

    "Everyone was telling us how smoothly the process went with you getting them away. You both are unbelievable. They want to thank you personally. What took you so long?" Lynn asked, looking between them. When they both grinned, she shook her head and chuckled.

    "Nevermind, we don''t want to know," Randal said before they could speak.

    "As thest group was being taken away, Alice and Marcus came. I stayed behind while Legend brought thest of the wolves to the pce. They tried to take me to Astaroth, but I had Legend teleport to me before they could touch me. We were gone before they knew what had happened. I can tell you that they think we did something with the wolf pack, and they''re trying to see if we know anything about Santi." Anna spoke quietly, not wanting to damper the wolves'' happiness. "Well, at least they don''t know he''s here. Is the spell strong enough to protect everyone?" Lynn questioned Anna as she looked around the crowded room.

    "Yes, it covers the area no matter how many people are here." They noticed amotion on one side of the entry. Santi walked around as though he was looking for something.

    "What''s he doing?" Anna asked no one in particr.

    Santi walked around looking for her. Kip said that they had to find a woman that came with the wolf pack. He was convinced that she was their second chance mate. Tigers don''t go by scent as much as wolves, but if they got close enough, they would know who their mate was.

    He looked into the faces of each woman he saw. None of them seemed to feel the mate pull toward him. Santi was beginning to think Kip was wrong. Just as he was about to give up, he noticed a woman standing on the other side of the room. She was staring at him with her eyes widened. As he approached, they looked at each other and spoke at the same time.

    "Mate."

 Chapter 67 - Second Chances

    Santi stared at the woman in front of him. He was too scared to blink, afraid she might disappear. She was tall and slender, with long ck hair and light brown eyes.

    "You...you''re my mate?" She asked softly. Santi couldn''t speak; all he could do was nod. A sliver of fear went through his body when she fell to her knees in tears. Did she not want to be mated to him? "Why are you crying?" He asked nervously.

    "My first mate died before he could mark me almost ten years ago. I never thought I would get a second chance, mate." Santi fell to his knees next to her. He wanted to hug her but didn''t know if she would appreciate his touch. "My name is Santi. What''s yours?" She looked at him with wide eyes.

    "You''re Santi? The tiger who was evil but is now good?" He watched her expression. She looked curious, not fearful.

    "Yes." He answered simply.

    "My name is Maxie." She said shyly, looking down at the floor. Maxie never dreamed she would be mated to a strong and handsome tiger. He may be older than she was by at least a decade, maybe even two, but age didn''t matter in their world.

    "It''s nice to meet you. Would you like toe with me so we can talk privately?" Santi had noticed how everyone seemed to have frozen in ce watching them. Maxie looked around, and he saw her face turning red.

    "Yes, please." Santi stood up and reached out to help her. They both felt the electricity shooting through their bodies when their hands touched. He led her to his room, where he knew no one would bother them. Everyone stared at them, but he didn''t see any anger or hostility as he expected from the wolves. He saw smiles and nods of approval.

    Once they were in his room, he shut the door and walked over to the couch. Maxie followed him, ncing around, trying to take everything in. His scent was so strong that it made her want to leap into his arms and bury her face in his neck. She sat down on the other end of the couch facing Santi.

    "So you''re from the ck Mist pack?" Santi asked while clenching and unclenching his hands. He wanted to touch her but didn''t want to make her ufortable.novelbin

    "Yes. Originally I was from the Lost Moon pack, but when I met my first mate, I moved to ck Mist to be with him. He was a warrior but still young. While running around the perimeter one night on patrol, he was attacked by a group of rogues. He mindlinked the pack, but it was toote. There were too many rogues, and he was dead by the time anyone got to him. Many think we''re harder to kill because we''re shifters and more resilient. However, when someone is attacked by other shifters, it can make them as fragile as a human." Maxie looked down at her hands. The loss of Cole still made her heart hurt even after ten years. Although, after seeing Santi, the pain wasn''t as gut-wrenching as usual.

    "I''m so sorry you lost him. Why hadn''t you marked each other?" Santi reached over and took her hand. He couldn''t stand seeing the pain on her face.

    "I had just moved to his pack that day. We were going to mark each other the next day. We had ns to go to a cabin the pack had near theke so we could be alone for a few days. There were some days I wished he had already marked me so the pain of the loss would have killed me too. ck Mist epted me with open arms even after he was gone, so I stayed there. It made me feel closer to him, hearing stories of him growing up and talking to his friends. At night when I was alone, I cried myself to sleep. I''m sorry. You probably don''t want to hear about my first mate, and I''ve just been rambling." Maxie looked at where their hands were intertwined. She felt the couch dip near her as Santi moved closer, so their knees were touching.

    "I want to know everything about you. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I had a mate at one time, too, that I did mark. However, that was when my body was filled with evil. Even though I had already marked her, she rejected me. I didn''t feel anything from the rejection because my mind wasn''t in a good ce at the time. I found outter that she was pregnant with a cub. She was so distraught from how I treated her that she couldn''t care for our cub, so she dropped her off to my brother, King Randal. He raised her as his own. I wish things could have been different, and I raised her myself. I can''t bear the thought of the evil demon that''s holding her killing her before I can make it up to her." Santi''s heart hurt over everything that happened with Melita. He was upset about failing his first mate, but what he did to his daughter while Astaroth was in his body is what made him want to end his own life.

    "You''re not responsible for your actions while being controlled by an evil being. You would have made other choices if you didn''t have that darkness." Maxie felt her heart melting for therge tiger. They had both been through so much that had been out of their control.

    "The worst part is that the demon would take over my body, so it was like I wasn''t there. I found out that he''d raped Melita when he was in my body, so she thought I, her dad, had done that to her. I tried to exin that it wasn''t me, but she was broken by what he did. That was when I realized I needed to find a way out from under him. I''m still hoping to save her even if she doesn''t want anything to do with me." Santi let the tears run down his face as his body shook with the pain he''d caused. He didn''t talk about this with anyone because he was ashamed of the pain he''d caused.

    Maxie wrapped her arms around him and let him cry on her shoulder. She was crying with him feeling the pain he''d been holding inside for so long. He put his arms around her holding her tightly to him.

    "Hopefully, when this is over, you can be reunited with her. Look at me." Santi pulled back, and she saw his red-rimmed eyes filled with pain. Maxie put her hands on his cheeks, holding his head to look her in the eyes. "It''s okay to cry and show your emotions with me. I want you to promise that you''ll always tell me how you feel. When you need someone to cry with, I''ll be that person. When you''re angry and need to yell, I''ll listen. When you need someone to hold you to make you feel whole again, that will be me. We''re mates Santi. That means you never have to be alone again."

    "You ept me?" Santi asked in disbelief. He had made himself emotionally raw and told her more than he had told anyone. He couldn''t believe she still wanted him.

    "Of course I want you. You''re my mate, and that means we''re made for each other. Despite what happened in our past, we''re each other''s other half now." Maxie smiled at him as she rubbed her hand on his cheek. He took her hand and kissed her palm.

    "I never thought I would be offered a second chance, mate. I''m so d it''s you. You''re everything I could have ever hoped for and more. Can I kiss you?" Santi stared into her eyes, wanting to drown in them.

    "Yes, you can kiss me. This is the beginning of forever. Whateveres our way from here on out, we''ll face together." She smiled as he brought his mouth to hers. Neither had kissed anyone in so long that it felt like their first kiss. The sparks that ran between them intensified the kiss until it took everything they had to separate just to get some air.

    Neither had expected to be given a second chance. Life is unpredictable no matter what species you are. They were two lost souls who thought they were destined to be alone. However, lost souls have a way of finding each other in their darkest hour.

 Chapter 68 - New Arrivals

    Everything was moving fast. The wolf pack was settled and training hard for the battle. Santi and Maxie had marked each other so they could be connected before anything terrible happened to separate them. Despite the worry and tension from the fight, everything was going smoothly.

    Liana and Zack were getting stronger and had some control over their powers. It was an incredible sight to see little cubs who couldn''t walk waving their hands around to make things happen. They were the darlings of the pce, and everyone was mesmerized by them. The parents never had to worry about finding sitters if they needed time alone.novelbin

    Kamryn and Anna were walking toward the dining hall when a bone-chilling scream came from one of the rooms. They both started running in the direction of the screams when a door opened. Jarek came out holding a crying Marce in his

    arms.

    "What''s wrong?" Anna asked anxiously while looking over at Marce.

    "She''s inbor." They all started heading toward the room that was still set up from when Anna and Jaz had their cubs. As they got to the door, there were running footsteps from down the hall. Gary was running toward them, carrying Sh. "Let me guess, she''s inbor too?" Kamryn asked.

    "Yes," Gary answered before going into the room. Anna and Kamryn waited outside while the two couples prepared for the deliveries. The doctors and nurses arrived within minutes of the two couples.

    "You know what this means don''t you?" Anna asked nervously, looking at Kamryn.

    "What?" He already knew what she was going to say, but he was hoping he was wrong.

    "Once they''re born, we can be attacked at any time. Everything happens for a reason. We have all the tools we were meant to have once they have given birth. That means we need to be on high alert and have patrols all around so we can be made aware at the first sign of trouble." Anna spoke quietly while looking at the door, where they could hear the sounds ofbor from the two women.

    "Do you have any idea how long we''ll have until theye?" Kamryn could feel the dread washing over him. He was terrified that something was going to go wrong. What would happen if Astaroth got his hands on Anna? It would kill him if one hair on her head was harmed. They''de too far from her being the girl with no memory in the cabin for it all to end because of a demon.

    "I think we may have about two weeks, three at the most. The scrolls don''t have an exact date, but from what I read, it won''t be long after the arrival of the little ones. We have to stay strong not only for everyone that''s here but for our daughter and each other. Don''t let your fear of something happening to me make you lose focus on our goal." Anna felt him squeeze her hand, and she looked up into his terrified eyes.

    "Are you keeping something from me? Is something going to happen to you? Please tell me you''re going to survive this battle, Anna. I can''t lose you." Kamryn had tears running down his face, and her heart ached.

    The one thing that was clear in the scrolls was that not everyone would survive. She didn''t know who would die but knew it would cause heartbreak among them all.

    "I honestly don''t know who will survive and who won''t, but we need to be prepared for the worst." Anna wrapped her arms around him, trying to calm him, but he was already picturing a world without her. There was no way that was possible. His life would be over. Not thirty minutester, Gary and Jarek walked out holding their newborns.

    "You guys, they''re here. This is Sasha." Anna and Kamryn looked at the little girl with a light tanplexion and almost white eyes with a hint of amber. She had a head full of ck hair.

    "She''s beautiful," Anna said with tears in her eyes as she looked at Gary and Sh''s daughter.

    "This is Sean," Jarek said excitedly. They turned around to look at the little boy with dark brown hair and white eyes with a hint of grey.

    "He''s so handsome. I can see both you and Marece in him." Anna stroked his little cheek, and his eyes focused on her. She heard a voice in her head as she looked into the little ones'' eyes.

    *"My name is Felix. I can be a lycan or a tiger when Sean gets older, depending on what he needs. I know you, Anna. You are the one who will save us all. I was given to Sean as a gift to help you with this uing battle. Your ancestors are incredibly proud of the woman you''ve be. They have been able to hold off Astaroth until now because you are the only one who can defeat him. Your name was written in the scrolls hundreds of years ago."*

    Anna was shaking, but she continued rubbing his little cheek. As the tears streamed down her face, she tried to respond.

    *"It''s nice to meet you, Felix. I knew you were special, and I hope you''ll be in our lives even after this battle."* For the first time in a long time, Anna didn''t know what else to say. She heard a slight chuckle.

    *"Don''t you worry about that, my dear. You see, Sean is the fated mate of Liana, so before you know it, we''ll be rted."* Anna gasped and looked at the others, who were all watching her in confusion. Kamryn put his arm around her. "Anna, what''s going on?" He asked.

    "Felix spoke to me." She answered softly.

    "Who''s Felix?" Jarek asked, looking down at his son.

    "He''s Sean''s lycan and tiger. He''s unique and was sent here by my ancestors." Anna didn''t want to share everything he said. Some of it was personal. However, there was one thing she wanted to share.

    "Is that all he said?" Jarek asked. She smiled and bent down to kiss Sean''s forehead.

    "No. He also said that he and Liana are fated mates. So soon, we''ll all be rted." Everyone looked at her in shock. She walked back over to Sasha to see if there were any surprises with her. As she touched Sasha''s cheek, she looked into Anna''s eyes.

    *"I knew you''d make your way back over here. I''m as old as Felix, and my name is M. I''m Sasha''s wolf, but I also have the power of Spirit Energy. Felix and I have been preparing for this for a long time. You thought you had the power of six, but you''ll actually have the power of eight. We won''t physically be in your circle when you take on Astaroth, but our powers will help you nheless. Sasha is Zack''s, fated mate. Liana, Sean, Zack, and Sasha will be the most powerful beings on this earth. The need for that will alle in due time. Let''s get ready to take out a demon first."* Anna kissed Sasha''s forehead and looked up at Gary with a smile.

    "M, Sasha''s wolf, just spoke to me. Zack is her fated mate. So our family is rapidly growing. She also said that the four of them would be the most powerful beings on earth, but she wasn''t ready to disclose why that was necessary yet. Let''s go share this news with their mothers. Are you okay with me calling in the others to meet them?" The three men just stared at her with their mouths open. Anna couldn''t help but giggle.

    "How are you able to talk to Felix and M already?" Kamryn asked in awe.

    "They were sent by my ancestors. So they can speak directly to me right now. Our children are already incredible, but when they get older, they''re going to be out of this world. It''s truly going to be a sight to see." Anna could tell they were all still frozen with everything she shared, so she started walking toward the room where Marce and Sh were.

    "Congrattions,dies. Sasha and Sean are beautiful. Are you okay with having everyone else meet them so I can tell you what I just discovered about our children?" Anna asked. Both women looked confused, but they nodded. As the men finally walked into the room, Anna mindlinked Randal and asked him to bring Micha, Jaz, her parents, and Jaz''s parents, as well as Liana and Zack.

    Once everyone was in the room and had cuddled the little ones, Anna looked around at them. She knew this news would be surprising but would give them hope. She exined everything she''d learned from Felix and M.

    "This is unbelievable. Everything keeps getting more interesting and terrifying in the same breath." Lynn said while looking at the children. Liana was lying with Sean, and Zack was lying with Sasha. They all seemed to already know they were connected.

    "If nothing else is certain, the fact that our children will survive is something we can look forward to." Everyone nodded their agreement as they looked at the four precious ones sleeping. Anna watched all their faces. If she had one wish, it would be that everyone in this room would survive, but from what she understood from the scrolls, that would not be likely.

 Chapter 69 - Astaroths Revenge Plan

    Two weeks had passed since Sasha and Sean were born. Their talents were profound, and despite being newborns, they were well-intuned to everything around them. Liana and Zack wanted to be around their mates at all times. They may be too young to understand the meaning of mates, but their animal side knew they were stronger together.

    Everyone was on alert, waiting for Astaroth to attack. No one was leaving the royal grounds. The four sets of parents stuck together, working with the little ones to enhance their powers. When they were all working together, everyone in the pce felt the power. It was incredible to feel and witness.

    Anna had told everyone to expect the attack within the next week. Kamryn knew she was hiding something from him, but he couldn''t get her to tell him what. He could tell she was worried about something the closer they got to the battle. He thought it was the battle itself, but the closer it got, the more he felt it was something else. They were lying in bed, exhausted, studying her face.

    "I know you have something on your mind, and I also know that you don''t want to tell me what''s got you so upset. What are you hiding?" He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She thought about the best way to tell him without causing him to freak out. Anna would rather bear the weight on her own than give him anything else to worry about.

    "You have to keep what I''m going to tell you to yourself. It will be hard with your protective nature, but to keep everyone safe, we can''t disclose this to others." She looked into his eyes and saw the concern, but he eventually nodded. "Alright, I won''t say anything." Kamryn was nervous about what she was going to say, but he would do as she asked.

    "During the battle, not everyone is going to survive. I can''t tell you who, but some of our parents won''t live. They''re going to die trying to protect our children and us." Anna watched multiple emotions run over his face. She knew his instinct was to leave and hide them all away, but they couldn''t do that. They had to let things y out. Otherwise, they could all end up dead. She didn''t like it, and it made her sick thinking about losing anyone, but it was necessary.

    "There''s no way to save them?" Kamryn asked in a raspy voice. The thought of losing any of their parents made him want to break. They had all yed essential roles in getting them so far. When he saw the tears in Anna''s eyes, he broke a little more, knowing she''d been carrying this on her own to decrease the pain for everyone else.

    "No. Some of them will survive, but I don''t know who. We have to stay strong for everyone and not let this information make us waiver from what we must do to defeat Astaroth." Neither of them could hold back their tears. No matter what parents didn''t make it, the loss would be significant to everyone. Kamryn wrapped Anna in his arms as they both cried about what the demon was going to take from them. So much of their life together had been surrounded by evil. When would the good begin?

    Astaroth looked at the specimens before him. He had taken the souls of all those from the pce except for Melita and Elsie. Melita had no tiger anymore, so she was nothing more than a human. Elsie didn''t have her powers from Spirit Energy, so she was a waste of flesh. He couldn''t get anything from them by taking their souls, so instead, he would sacrifice them once they arrived at the pce. It would be a good way to distract everyone during the attack.

    The ck eyes of those in front of him would terrify those who weren''t truly evil. He chuckled to himself in his grainy voice. Alpha Gary thought he was so smart siding with the king and taking the pack to the pce. The alpha would soon discover that he may run, but in the end, it wouldn''t matter. Astaroth would eliminate the entire pack as soon as he stepped foot on the pce grounds.

    Alice and Marcus were at his side as they prepared the newly converted to fight. Astaroth was utilizing the body of Anton so he could move freely around the mansion. He still had no idea what happened to Santi. He assumed the tiger may have killed himself after the evil got to be too much for him. Either way, he was no longer his concern. After all the souls he''d consumed, there was no way he could be defeated.

    "You all are going to be my finest creations. When we defeat the tigers and Spirit Energy, we will be on our way to taking over the world. Once we''re done, we''ll have enough souls to take over the underworld. Satan won''t know what hit him once he bes a ve to me. I think it''s time I tell you why I''m doing this." Astaroth knew they didn''t understand what he was saying, but he didn''t care. It made him feel good to have them bend to his will.

    "This all started many centuries ago, so many I can''t even tell you how long ago exactly. Satan and I were friends who were happy in the underworld. We dominated everything there. Yes, he is the ruler of darkness, but I was next to him every step of the way. Everyone feared us and would cower down when we came near them until everything changed."

    "Satan met a female who made him feel different. He may have been full of darkness, but she changed him. He began talking about love and all this mushy crap. I couldn''t take it. He went ballistic when I killed her and tried to show him we were better without her. She was nothing but an insignificant piece of flesh that should have never been with him. Satan didn''t see it that way. He saw her death as a betrayal and reminded me that despite us being friends, he was still my ruler. I was sent to live deep within the earth, never allowed to go to hell again. He also left me with no flesh, so I had to find people toe to me so I could take over their bodies. It''s the only way I can leave my cave." Astaroth looked around at those in front of them. They had noprehension of what he was saying, but it felt good to tell his story. It was time to get his revenge on Satan for banishing him from hell.

    "You, my army of soulless beings, will help me get my payback for the pain and suffering he caused me. Once I rule all, everyone will know that love never wins. Evil is the only way to get what you want. Be prepared. We leave in three days." Astaroth left Alice and Marcus to deal with everyone while he went to visit his two sacrifices. Melita was in the corner crying inside her cell while Elsie was sitting on her cot, oblivious to what was going on. "Hello, my dears." Melita looked up at the man who looked like the guard Anton from the pce, but she could tell he wasn''t there anymore. After everything she''d been through, she realized how horrible she had treated Randal and Lynn after everything they''d done for her. All she wanted to do was return home and forget everything that had happened.

    "When are you going to let us go?" She asked, still sitting in the corner shaking. Melita hadn''t seen Santi for a long time. She now understood that when he raped her, it wasn''t him. She had seen the difference between him when he attacked her and how he had acted thest time she saw him. Whatever was using Anton''s body was most likely responsible for what happened to her.

    "You will be leaving when we go to the pce. I will take you both with me, but not to release you. Both of you will be my sacrifices to hurt the king and queen. I know they think of you as their daughter. When I remove your head from your body in front of them, it should make them break so I can kill them." Astaroth beganughing at the look of horror on Melita''s face.

    "Why would you want to kill anyone?" Elsie asked the man whose voice gave her chills. She may not remember who she was or where she came from, but she could still feel the eviling off him in waves.

    "It''s the only way to get everything owed to me. Don''t worry. You''ll also be killed, so you will no longer need to worry about your name or past." Elsie looked at him with wide eyes. She didn''t know what to say. Even though she didn''t remember everything, she didn''t want to die.

    Melita watched the demon walk away, and she had a thought. Maybe she could help her family in the battle. She had no tiger or power, but that didn''t mean she was useless. Melita stood up and began nning. It was time to be the woman Randal and Lynn always said she could be. It was time to make a difference and save those who took her in when she was a child. No more cowering in the corner, waiting to be rescued. Even if she died in the process, she would at least know that she did everything she could to help her family. When she heard the voice in her head, she almost screamed. It had been so long.

    *"Hello, Melita. I''m so d I could return to you now that you have decided to walk on the side of good rather than evil."* She smiled when she heard Asha''s voice. Now she had real hope. Her tiger was back.novelbin

 Chapter 70 - Returning What was Lost

    Melita held back her gasp when she heard her tiger, Asha, mindlink her. She didn''t want to alert anyone that anything was happening. She had to keep the fact that her tiger was back hidden. Melita knew that was one of the only reasons the demon hadn''t done anything to her yet. He thought she was no better than a human now.

    *"Asha, I can''t believe you''re back. I''m so sorry for everything I did. We''re in a bind now, but I''m hoping we can get out of it. I owe everyone at the pce an apology for how I treated them."* Melita held back her tears, not wanting anyone to hear her cry.

    *"You did do a lot of horrible things, but that doesn''t mean you can''t change. I''m back because you saw the error of your ways. I''m sure you know that you need to keep my presence a secret. That demon''s name is Astaroth, and he''s the worst of the worst. We must stay under the radar for as long as we can, or he''ll kill you. It shouldn''t be much longer. He wants to attack the pce in a few days. Kamryn''s mate Anna is powerful, and I believe they''ll be able to defeat Astaroth."* Melita felt pain in her heart thinking about Anna and what she''d done to her. She owed Kamryn and Anna the biggest apologies after what she''d done to them. Santi had made her think things that weren''t true. However, now she understood that everything he did wasn''t of his own volition. The evil that had gotten to so many had made them do things they never would have under typical circumstances. Melita was determined to show everyone that she was back to normal. Elsie was in the cell next to Melita and noticed a shift in the air. She didn''t know what it was, but something was giving her hope that she would be able to get away from where she was being held. Not knowing who she was or where she was from made her feel like she was crazy. Before she lost her memory, was she good or bad?

    She sat on her cot with her head in her hands. Elsie knew the other woman was Melita, but she didn''t know if she knew her prior to being in the cell. They didn''t talk much due to not wanting anyone else to overhear them. She did think there was something more to her than just being a woman with no memory. Why was she in that cabin in the middle of nowhere alone? If only she could remember something, then maybe she could get her and Melita out of there.

    Anna suddenly sat up in bed in a cold sweat. She was shivering and immediately got up to check on Liana in the bass beside the bed. The little cub was still sound asleep. What had woken her up? "What''s wrong?" Kamryn asked behind her, making Anna jump. She sat on the edge of the bed, not able to shake the feeling that she needed to do something.

    "I don''t know. I woke up like something was forcing me up. I don''t know what it is, though." Kamryn sat up behind her and began rubbing her shoulders. Anna let her head fall back against him while she focused on his hands, easing the tension in her body. Her mind began to wander as she tried to think of what woke her up.

    She thought about the uing battle and all the progress they''d made with their practicing. Maybe she forgot to do something with the preparations. Anna thought about each step they needed to take to beat Astaroth. That''s when it hit her.

    "I need to give Elsie her memory back." She whispered to herself. Kamryn stopped rubbing her shoulders to stare at her.

    "What? Why do you need to do that?" He knew she didn''t want harm toe to Elsie, but after everything she had done, why did she want to give her memory back?

    "I was seeking revenge on her for what she did to me and everyone else. However, I don''t want her to end up dead. I feel like for us to be sessful, we may need her help. She still may not survive, but I need to give her a fighting chance." Anna turned to look at Kamryn and saw the concern on his face.

    "What if she tries to hurt you again, or she tries to sabotage the battle?" He understood what she was saying, but that didn''t help his apprehension of letting her free. Both Elsie and Melita had hurt Anna, and he wasn''t one to forgive easily. She was the sweetest, most caring person he''d ever met, and they both tried to break her.

    "She won''t. Even if she did try something, we are too powerful for her to have any effect. I have to do this, Kamryn. It may be the only way for her to survive." Anna kissed his cheek. She wasn''t happy about it either, but she strongly felt it was necessary.

    "Alright, I believe in you and trust you''re doing the right thing." Kamryn kissed her gently, and she smiled up at him.

    Anna stood up and walked to the balcony. She opened the door and went outside, feeling the cool air on her flushed skin, making her shiver. As she raised her hands, her eyes closed. She began chanting the spell to give Elsie her memory back. She did it longer than was typically necessary to ensure it reached her where she was with Astaroth. Hopefully, it will be enough, and Elsie will make the right decisions.

    Anna returned to bed when she was done, and Kamryn wrapped her in his arms. She fell asleep with a slight smile. At least she knew she had done everything in her power to keep Elsie safe and give her a fighting chance. It was in her hands

    now.

    Elsie was lying on her cot, dozing in and out of sleep, when her eyes shot open. She sat on the side of the cot and looked around the cell like she was seeing it for the first time. Everything came rushing back to her before she''d lost her memory.

    Her name was Elsie, and she was a Spirit Energy witch. She remembered what she''d done to Anna and her mate Micha. Everything felt like a knife in her chest. How could she have hurt so many people? She had to make it right and make them see she was not the same as she was back then.

    "You remember, don''t you?" She heard Melita ask her in the darkness. It was so soft that no one else could hear if they were being watched.

    "Yes. I don''t remember much about you, but I remember the people I hurt." Elsie walked over to the wall where their cells connected. Melita did the same, so they could whisper.

    "I got my tiger back. I also hurt a lot of the same people you did. If we''re going to have any chance to save ourselves, we need to keep this information hidden. I think together we can help those at the pce. It''s toote for the others here, but we can help those we''ve hurt. How are you feeling?" Melita was d that Elsie got her memory back. Maybe with her magic and Asha together, they could be secret weapons.

    "I honestly don''t know how I feel. I''m angry about being here. I''m upset about the way I treated people. However, I''m also grateful for getting this chance. Anna had to have lifted the spell that made me lose my memory. She may have been the one to punish me, but now she''s giving me a chance to survive. When I see her again, I''m going to owe her my life." Elsie hoped she lived long enough to make it up to her cousin and apologize to Micha.

    "That''s understandable. I have a lot to make up for as well. We''ll get there and let them see that we''ve changed. It will work out. Are your parents there?" Melita asked. She was still struggling with seeing her father again, but she''d never known her mother. Sometimes she wondered where her mother was. Did she ever think about her?

    "My parents are here, actually. Alice and Marcus are my parents, or at least they were my parents. Whatever Astaroth did to them has changed them into something unrecognizable." Elsie knew she would need to grieve the loss of her parents. However, right now, all she could think about was survival. Not just hers but everyone that was waiting at the pce.novelbin

    "That''s seriously fucked up. I''m sorry he got to them. We better get some rest. I have a feeling the next few days, we''re not going to get much of it." They bothy on their cots, trying to go to sleep. Would theeback of Elsie''s memory, with her magic and Melita''s tiger be enough for them to be of help?

 Chapter 71 - Preparing for Battle

    The people at the pce were on edge. Astaroth and his army of soulless were on their way. No one had alerted them, but Anna could feel the evil and darkness getting closer. Everyone was spending time with their loved ones, not knowing if they would see them after the fight. Loss was expected, but they were all willing to do their part for the greater good.

    "Any idea if Elsie has her power back?" Kamryn asked Anna as they cuddled with Liana between them in bed.

    "I haven''t received any sign that she has, but I don''t expect to know until she gets here. I just hope she uses it for good and not evil." She kissed her daughter''s cheek, looking into her white-blue eyes.

    "Are you going to be okay seeing her and Melita again? The things they did to you make me want to kill them myself." Kamryn wasn''t one for violence, but he was finding it hard to forgive the two women who had hurt his mate. "They did terrible things, but I know that all of it wasn''t them alone. I believe both of them had outside influences that helped them make the decisions they did. We''ll see how they are when they get here. Actions speak louder than words. They can be forgiven if they choose to side with us when given the opportunity. If they decide to help the demon, the blood on my hands will wash off easily after I kill them." Anna looked at him with a small smile that gave him a chill. As sweet as she was, she could be just as vicious when her family was threatened.

    "I love you, my little witch." Kamryn leaned over Liana to kiss Anna on the lips.

    "I love you too, my strong tiger. How about we get breakfast and see how everyone is holding up?" She didn''t say anything to Kamryn but was still trying to find a way for everyone to pull through this. She refused to give up hope until the end. Nothing would keep her from fighting for her family.

    They quickly got dressed and headed down to the dining hall. Liana moved her little head around, looking for Sean, who was lying in his father''s arms. Their souls already called for each other. Sean''s head tilted to the side until their eyes met. On the other side of the table, Zack and Sasha were already sitting together on Micha''sp. These little ones didn''t know it, but the world would be doomed without them.

    "Good morning," Kamryn smiled at everyone even though he could cut the tension in the room with a knife. They all looked at Anna, and he could feel the weight of the world seeping into her as he put his arm around her shoulders. "I know what you want to know, and I can''t give you an exact time, but it will most likely be within the next twelve hours. Remember everything we''ve done to prepare and remain strong. We''re ready for this." She looked around and realized the entire dining hall had stopped eating and talking to hear what she had to say.novelbin

    "I have faith in each and every one of you. I''m not going to sugarcoat it and say this is going to be easy because it''s not. Be prepared for the worst of the worst. However, we will prevail in the end. We won''t go unscathed without loss, but we will take the demon down. You may recognize some of those who worked within the pce, but don''t let their appearance fool you. They are no longer what they once were. Astaroth will likely use one of their bodies to hide in in sight. He will send in the weaker fighters first to try and tire us. So save your energy as much as possible. Take breaks; otherwise, you''ll get sloppy. I love you all."

    As the tears began running down her face, everyone else cried with her. They knew this wasn''t going to be easy, but they were willing to do what was necessary to stop Astaroth. Anna walked around and hugged each person, trying to give them the strength and encouragement they were in need of. Kamryn stayed by her side, beaming down at her. His eyes met his father''s across the room.

    Randal couldn''t help the smile on his face as he watched Anna go around the dining hall, engaging with everyone. She was born to be a queen. He could see how much everyone loved her. They were willing to die if she said it was necessary. He took Lynn''s hand, noticing she was watching the young couple.

    "If we make it through this, we need to do something special for them. Not just crowning them king and queen. I want to have a ball to celebrate. We''ll invite everyone from every species. If nothing else, this has shown me that we need to not have us versus them mentality with other species. We''re all in this together. Good versus evil." She squeezed his hand with a smile.

    "That''s a great idea. It''s almost spring. How about we do a butterfly ball? We haven''t had one in a long time, and it would be the perfect start to a new beginning. Just like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon." Lynn was already picturing the beautiful gowns the women would wear. It was a nice reprieve to think about something other than what wasing for them.

    "We''ll do it and make it better than ever before. Now we just need to get past this hurdle so we can enjoy the rest of our lives spoiling our grandchildren." Randal''s heart hurt when he thought about not being around for Liana and Zack. He had always loved being a father, but those two little ones were something else. Being a grandparent made him feel more than ten feet tall.

    Micah looked over at Jaz, staring at the children on hisp. He''d never been so happy and scared in his life. He knew Anna said they would defeat Astaroth, but at what cost? She''d said the children would make it through the battle but what about the rest of them? Would he be around to see Zack be a man? He and Jaz were only getting started. He wanted a whole life with her, yet he felt like something was off as he looked around. Was he going to die in this fight? Was this thest chance he was going to have to enjoy his family?

    "What are you thinking?" Jaz asked, noticing how his demeanor had changed.

    "I''m thinking I love you and Zack. I just hope I survive to see him grow up and love you for the rest of my life. I''m scared, Jaz." She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss.

    "I''m scared too, but we have to stay strong and believe it will all work out in the end. You''re the strongest, most caring man I have ever met. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. I love you, Micah, and I''m not ready to be without you. So we need to fight for Zack, the kingdom, and our future. We have a lot more to aplish." Jaz pulled his face to hers so she could kiss him. She knew many thought because she was quiet and preferred to stay in the shadows that she wasn''t as strong as the others. She was okay with that, but when someone threatened those she loved, they better watch out because she could be worse than the devil himself.

    Everyone around the dining hall was having simr conversations. Dering their love for each other while trying to ovee their fear. Today was a day of togetherness throughout the pce. By the time night rolled around, everyone was ready.

    There were lookouts on top of the roof while Anna and Kamryn stood at the pce doors waiting. Astaroth was almost there. As the ground started shaking, they knew it was time. When the doors opened, Anna''s eyes widened. There were more than she''d thought, but that''s not what made her freeze.

    Alice and Marcus were standing in front of everyone with Melita and Elsie in chains. As they watched, they pulled out knives and held them to the two young women''s throats. Anna held back her scream as the des touched their necks. She''d hoped they could save Melita and Elsie, but this didn''t look good. Just as she was about to speak, she saw something in Elsie''s eyes that made her stop. Time for the rides to shift.

 Chapter 72 - Battle Begins

    Elsie''s eyes met Anna''s, and she gave her a tiny smile to let her know she knew who she was. She didn''t want to alert Marcus, who was holding a knife to her throat. As everyone stood still, Elsie pulled her energy from deep within herself. She knew she had to act fast before Alice and Marcus had time to react.

    Melita nced toward Elsie, waiting for her signal. They''d made a n. Elsie was going to cause a blinding light while Melita shifted into her tiger. They would then move to the side of those at the pce before Marcus and Alice knew what hit them. She looked toward Anna and could feel the power radiating off her. It made Melita feel even more ashamed for what she''d done to her. This was her time to make it up to all of them.

    Anna looked between Melita and Elsie. She could feel their changes and knew they had fought against the evil inside them. When she saw the glint in Elsie''s eyes, she knew what she was going to do. Anna looked at Kamryn and whispered in his ear.

    "Mindlink everyone and tell them to cover their eyes." He didn''t question her as he did what she asked. Everyone behind them shielded their eyes except for those from Spirit Energy.

    When Elsie saw what the others were doing, she pulled all her energy forward and opened her arms. A blinding light came from within her that made all the evil ones behind them scream in pain. Melita quickly shifted into Asha before shoving Alice away and leaping into the air. Shended directly in front of Anna and Kamryn at the same time as Elsie. When the light faded away, Marcus and Alice held each other with knives at each other''s throats. They quickly let go once they realized they no longer had their prisoners.novelbin

    "You will both pay for that. You can''t fight our magic. It''s within you now." Alice spoke in her cracking voice, but those across from her justughed.

    "You do not scare us. We''re stronger than you. Haven''t you heard that good defeats evil?" Anna moved forward slightly, resting one hand on Asha''s head and taking Elsie''s hand in her other one. She wanted to show a united front while letting the other two know she had their backs.

    "We''ll see. Astaroth has ns for you. Once your family is killed, there will be no hope for you." Asha began growling at Marcus'' words. They didn''t go through this mess for everyone to end up dead. Anna continued stroking her head, and she felt herself calming down.

    "What are you waiting for? We''re ready. I know you didn''t expect us toy down and submit to you." Anna asked calmly. She could feel the fear radiating off everyone behind her. However, she acted as though she was talking to an annoying neighbor. Alice red at her before she spoke.

    "It would be in your best interest toe to us so unnecessary lives will not be lost. All you''re doing is sacrificing those around you. If you turn yourself over to Astaroth, everyone else can live." Anna felt the worry from those around her that she would sacrifice herself. She wasn''t a fool; they would kill everyone there no matter what she did.

    "Nice try. I won''t be giving up, and no one else here will either. It''s you that needs to leave. No matter what you do, none of you are going to walk away from this. You will all be going to hell tonight. It''s time for you to meet Satan." Anna knew enough about Astaroth to know that he''d fallen out with the devil. When the ground shook below them, she smirked. The demon obviously didn''t like what she''d said.

    "Prepare to die," Marcus said while raising his hands in the air. There was a loud growl from all those around him. Anna saw Melita and Elsie getting ready to lunge into the fight, but she stopped them. This first wave would be defeated before anyone even had to break a sweat. Everyone on the pce side stood unmoving, just as she had instructed them to do.

    Her eyes met Kamryn''s, and she gave him a slight nod. Both he and Micha leaped into the air. They used their new powers to droprge boulders that they''d ced around the pce on the heads of thoseing toward them. While everyone''s attention was on the two men, Anna and Jaz went in separate directions. Anna threw fireballs, and Jaz threw bolts of lightning. The warriors were taken down in minutes causing Alice and Marcus to yell in anger. "Is that all you have? That was nothing. We''re just getting warmed up." Alice said with her cold dead eyes looking even darker.

    "Oh, honey, we have a lot more than that. Astaroth should have known better to send a few kittens to feed the tigers." Anna answered with a smirk as Melita came to her side in human form after going into the pce to put on clothes.

    "With Santi and Astaroth, there is no path for you to win. Evil is too dark for good to get through." Marcus walked a few steps closer but stopped when everyone startedughing. He and Alice gasped when Santi emerged from behind Anna. With one look, they could tell that the darkness had left him. He looked stronger and better than ever.

    "As you can, I am no longer under your wicked spells. You and Astaroth can go to hell where you belong and face the wrath of Satan." Santi knew he was getting under their skin by talking about Satan.

    Alice and Marcus were furious. They raised their hands so the next round of fighters could attack. There were more of them, and Anna knew their little group of four wouldn''t be able to take out all of them, so she raised her hands. Everyone ran and flew out of the pce to fight.

    Astaroth may have taken the souls of many, but they were no match for the force from the pce. It was obvious that Alice and Marcus were not expecting all the different species there. With multiple werecats, werewolves, lycans, and witches, the pce side was able to defeat the second wave of fighters in no time. A few of their fighters were injured, but no lives were lost due to their speedy recovery abilities.

    Melita and Elsie had not hesitated to go out and fight with the rest of them. Anna observed them to make sure there were no signs of deceit, but when they returned to her side, she was satisfied. They both had minor injuries healing quickly, but both looked ready for the next round.

    "Do you need a break? Your fighters seem like they''re depleting quickly. We''ll even give you a head start if you want to tuck tail and run." Those behind Anna snickered at her words. They knew she was scared about what was stilling, but she was doing an incredible job of riling up the opposition.

    "Why would we run? We''re not scared of you. We have many more soldiers that can take care of you without me having to break a nail. We just wanted to go lightly so you would have a chance to admit defeat. Since it appears you don''t care for your well-being or the well-being of the others, we''re done ying nice." Alice looked behind her and nodded. Anna and the others followed her gaze.

    Out of the forest behind them, somethingrge and dark was moving in their direction. Anna felt a moment of fear when she saw the being was even bigger than she had first thought. It was neither male nor female that she could tell. It was in the shape of a human, but it appeared to be made of something else as it had a ck smokey essence around it.

    The ground shook the closer it got, and it made a snarling noise that chilled them all to the bone. Once she could make out the face, Anna saw it hadrge tusks like an elephant that reached higher than its head. Its hands had ws that looked at least two feet long. While the others started shaking and crying in fear, Anna turned toward them and winked. She knew exactly what this was and how to defeat it.

    "Oh, you poor evil beings. If you thought this was going to be all you needed to kill us, you were sadly mistaken." Anna raised her hands and began chanting rapidly. When the others from Spirit Energy heard what she was saying, they began to do the same. All of them together sent their spell to the evil being getting closer. Just as it reached the pce steps, it suddenly stopped and knelt before them. The former pce guard Lucas was left kneeling when the evil surrounding it faded away.

    Anna changed spells and directed her energy into him, pulling out the darkness. She knew it worked when he looked up at her with his blue eyes shining.

    "Lucas, which side do you wish to be on?" She asked with her hands still raised in case he chose wrong.

    "I choose to fight for my king and my kingdom." Lucas bowed to Anna with a sense of relief. He felt like a mountain had been removed from him.

    "Please join us." She replied as he stood up and ran to her side. Anna looked toward Marcus and Alice, who looked as though they were ready to blow, and smirked.

    "You will pay for that." As soon as Marcus finished speaking, the ground started shaking so badly that people began falling. There was an earsplitting scream that seemed to pierce their souls. No one could see what wasing, but the darkness surrounded them, causing them to feel dread. As cries of despair rang out, Anna knew the real battle was now beginning.

 Chapter 73 - The Demon

    As everyone around them cried with terror, Anna, Kamryn, Jaz, and Micha stood tall. They knew the main event wasing soon, but they''d been preparing for it and were ready. Anna knew she needed to do something to calm them down. They had to stay strong if they were going to win this fight. As the darkness surrounded them, she closed her eyes and began to sing.

    Kamryn looked around when he heard the sweetest sound in the middle of the chaos. It seemed to be the calm in the middle of a storm. When his eyesnded on Anna, he realized she was singing. The song had no words that he understood, but the melody washed over him, making him feel calm and powerful all at once. He noted the others also seemed to be having the same reaction.

    After a few minutes, the crowd had quieted down, and everyone was standing straighter, ready to continue the fight. Kamryn noticed something else as well. The darkness surrounding them was turning from a solid ck to a light gray, almost like a fine mist. When her eyes opened and she looked into his, he knew it was almost time to bring out their secret weapons. The four little ones.

    Marce and Sh were keeping them safe until they were needed. As Anna''s song came to an end, he saw Alice and Marcus almost in a trance. They were standingpletely still with strange looks on their faces. "What''s going on with them?" He asked his mate softly.

    "That song is one Spirit Energy has been singing for a long time in times of despair, war, or conflict. They both know it well. I''m sure somewhere deep down, it''s bringing back a memory or causing them to feel something. We need to get ready for the hard part. Astaroth is preparing to show himself." Kamryn nodded, letting her know he understood.

    Alice and Marcus shook off whatever they were feeling before ring at Anna. She looked toward Elsie to gauge her reaction to her parents. Anna could see the sadness on her face, but there was also anger. When Elsie''s eyes met hers, she gave a slight grin.

    "They''re no longer my parents. I''m with you all the way." She said sincerely, and Anna could tell that she meant every word.

    "It''s nice to have you back." Anna nced toward Melita, who was staring at their exchange, before looking down at her feet. "It''s nice to have you back to Melita."

    "What? I thought you''d be ready to kill me." Melita felt her heart racing with hope when Anna gave her a small smile.

    "I know what you did wasn''t all on you. We''re d to have you on our side. Now, let''s kill some evil." Anna looked back toward the mist before them with a sinister look. It was now time to show what they were made of. She looked at Kamryn and nodded so he could mindlink Marce to have her and Sh bring the children out.

    A few minutester, they appeared, handing Liana to Anna and Zack to Jaz. Marce and Sh stood nearby with their own gifted little ones. After strapping the children to their fronts, they prepared for what was toe. Liana, Zack, Sasha, and Sean looked ominous as their eyes glowed white, making them look like something out of this world. Alice and Marcus took a step back in surprise.

    "What are these things?" Alice hissed at them while wearing a worried expression.

    "They are not things. They are our children. We wanted to make sure they witnessed the death of a demon and his soulless followers." Anna looked around at the warriors who, despite having empty ck eyes, didn''t look too keen on fighting at the moment.

    "You''re only ensuring their death. They will be killed along with you after Astaroth takes their souls. From the look of their eyes, they appear they have some special abilities. That will only help him defeat Satan." Marcus appeared smug, but Anna could see through it. No one expected them to have reinforcements they knew nothing about.

    "Why doesn''t he show himself? Is he scared of us? Surely a big bad demon doesn''t need to hide behind a few worthless minions." Alice and Marcus were furious at Anna''s words, but it was nothing inparison to how Astaroth felt. The ground started shaking as they heard a thunderous roar.

    "I am here. You will see me when I''m ready. Prepare to die, witch, and know that everyone with you will die because of your self-confidence in a battle you can''t win." The voice seemed to be all around them, making it impossible to pinpoint where he was hiding. Anna did not tremble in fear as she wore a small smile. She had to keep goading him to bring himself out in the open. They wouldn''t be able to defeat him if he remained hidden.

    "You''re wrong, Astaroth. We will prevail, and you will be sent to the devil for your well-deserved punishment. What do you think he would do if he knew you were betraying him like this?" The ground shook again as the demon growled. "By the time he finds out about this, you will all be dead. He won''t know what hit him when I get through with him. He should have known better than to keep me close back then. I know all of his secrets and his weaknesses. Once I''m through with him, he will bow to me before I end his existence." Anna shook her head at his words. Clearly, the demon was delusional to think he could beat Satan. She was sure the devil was well aware of what he was trying to do. He may be the ruler of all the evil ones, but that didn''t make him heartless. He epted his role in the greater scheme of things but would never take the souls of unsuspecting beings.

    "I almost feel sorry for you. To think you''ve been around for centuries and to have it all end because of your jealousy. Think of all you could''ve aplished if only you''d focused your energy on good rather than evil." While she spoke, Anna had everyone move into position. She almost had Astaroth where she wanted him. He was losing control.

    "Good is for suckers. Evil rules all. You should know that by now, Anna. I''ve been watching you and know you have the power of four, but that''s not enough to defeat me. You should know you need more than that. I don''t know what you expect from those creatures you call children, but it won''t make you sessful. I am untouchable." When Anna beganughing, the ground shook worse than before. They were so close. They were spread out, now making a half circle with Marce and Sh standing slightly behind her.

    "No one or nothing is untouchable. You may think you are above all, but you''re not worth the dirt stuck to my shoe. If you''re so high and mighty, show yourself. Stop letting everyone else fight on your behalf and start taking matters into your own hands. Unless you''re too much of a coward." There was a scream below the earth''s surface as the ground began splitting right where Alice and Marcus stood. They barely had time to move out of the way before Astaroth rose from the gaping hole.novelbin

    "I''ll show you who''s a coward. It''s time for you all to die." His voice sounded less threatening now that he was in front of them. Anna smirked with her arms crossed.

    "Pathetic. You sound like a toad that has been living too long underwater. You''re nothing but a decrepit old man who has lived way past his prime. Don''t you think it''s time you burned in hell?" Anna and the others were pulling their energy from within, preparing for what was toe. As confident as she sounded, she knew this wasn''t going to be an easy feat. Astaroth was more powerful than he looked, even though he appeared to be nothing more than a bag of bones. "I will never return to hell. I will send you in my ce. I''m going to rule the earth, so every being will be in mymand. Right now, I''ll start with someone you love." Anna felt a chill run through her spine as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. At first, nothing seemed to have happened until she heard an earsplitting scream. When she turned around, she felt her heart shatter as she fell to her knees.

    "Nooooooo," She screamed as Kamryn pulled her into his arms. Anna knew people would die, but it didn''t prepare her to see her father''s lifeless form lying next to her weeping mother.

 Chapter 74- Satan

    Anna wanted to break down from the loss of her father, but she knew she couldn''t. That would be giving Astaroth precisely what he wants. There will be time to grieveter. Right now, she had a demon to kill. When she turned back around, she had her face fixed with a fake smile. Anna saw the surprise on Astaroth''s face.

    "Did you think that would break me? We were expecting losses. You can''t go to war and expect to go unscathed. However, we will still win in the end." Anna looked toward the others who were still in the half circle. She was waiting for him to get a bit closer so he couldn''t try to slither back down into the hole.

    "You may act tough little witch, but we both know you''re a mess right now and want to run to mommy and your dead daddy." Astaroth hoped to have a stronger reaction from Anna than she was showing. He would never admit it, though. "Sorry, some of us can''t hide behind others like little bitches." Anna was pissed, but she refused to give him the upper hand. When he came a few yards closer, she knew it was time. She nodded to everyone. As the fighters behind her ran to attack the ones down below, she, Jaz, Kamryn, and Micah levitated into the air, making a square around the demon.

    Marce and Sh had their little ones directly across from him so they could help when it was time. Astaroth looked at them in confusion.

    "What is this supposed to be? Wow, I''m so impressed tigers can fly. If you think that will have some sort of effect on me, you''re mistaken." As he prepared to end them all, they pulled their energy forward and sent it directly at the demon. He froze when he realized that what wasing his way wasn''t the power of four. It was the power of six.

    "Our children are gifted as well, Astaroth. Now prepare to be sent to hell." As he stood still, he was surrounded by winds, lightning, and fireballs, alling at him at once. Micah and Kamryn rained boulders on him with so much speed that he had trouble fighting them off. Anna could hear people crying and screaming, but she kept all her attention on the task at hand. This was all or nothing. If they didn''t beat him, then they would all be dead.

    When it looked as though he was going to go down, he got a new wave of strength that made him grow to over eight feet tall. They didn''t back down, but she knew it was time for the other two to show what they were made of. Anna looked toward Sean and Sasha and nodded.

    They looked toward Astaroth with sickly smiles well beyond their infantile age. She knew it was M and Felix she was staring at. Their eyes began glowing brightly and beaming straight into the demon, who was taken by surprise. When he saw what was happening, it was toote. He tried to wave his hand and move away, but he was slowly turning to stone.

    He screamed as the stone began to crumble from the bottom up. Astaroth wasn''t prepared for them to have so many reinforcements, but he wasn''t giving up. They may defeat him now, but he woulde back. Maybe not in this century, but he would be back.

    "You will regret this." As the stone finished crumbling, his words were drowned out. They didn''t lessen their powers until he was nothing more than dust that floated away in the wind. With him consuming the souls of all those fighting for him, they also turned to stone. The pce''s fighters broke each stone to ensure they were truly gone. The entire battle was over a lot faster than anyone could have hoped. However, it came at a price.

    Anna and the others flew over the grounds to check the damage. They had lost more lives than she had expected. She flew over to where her mother was lying beside her father. She ced her hand on her mom''s shoulder as the tears streamed down her face. It was then she realized her mom had no energy. She was dead.

    "Nooooooooo. Why did he have to take both of them?" Anna fell to her knees, holding Liana close, rocking back and forth. Both her parents were gone. They would never see Liana grow up or any of their future grandchildren. She would never see their smiling faces as they beamed with pride. It was too much. The ck hole in her heart made her inconsble. It was then that she heard another scream. When she looked up, Kamryn was standing next to Lynn and Randal''s lifeless forms.

    Anna jumped up and ran over to wrap her arms around him. This shouldn''t have happened. She had expected one or two of their parents to be killed, but not all of them. She looked for Jaz and Micah, who were headed in their direction. "Jaz, where are your parents?" Anna asked anxiously. Was this a lesson? Were they all supposed to sacrifice their parents to win? She couldn''t stop her tears as much as she tried. This wasn''t right.

    "I can''t find them. When we started levitating, they were behind us. I don''t know what happened to them after that." Anna closed her eyes and tried to feel for Maura and Bryson. When she felt nothing, she already knew their fate. Jaz saw her face and screamed. She and Micah began searching frantically for her parents and found them just below the pce steps next to a rose bush.

    Why did all the parents die? Anna couldn''t wrap her head around it. The scrolls didn''t mention anything such as this happening. Something was wrong. As she looked out at everyone else, she noticed more than half of those they started with were dead. This confused her even more. Their loss should not have been this great. Where was Santi?novelbin

    Anna began searching for him while everyone else watched. They had never seen her this worked up before, and it concerned them. They had many losses, but she seemed frantic, not grief-stricken.

    "Has anyone seen Santi?" She asked, and everyone shook their heads. Then she heard it.

    "Here," A weak voice came from below her. She walked to the edge of the pce entry and looked toward the hole where Astaroth had shown himself. Santi was lying near it. He waspletely unrecognizable. His mate Maxie was lying dead next to his broken body. Anna raced down to kneel beside him.

    "What happened?" She asked with tears once again running down her face.

    "We tried to help. I know you said to leave him to you, but I still felt responsible for bringing him here. I''m so sorry, Anna. I should have trusted you. When your powers hit him, they also hit Maxie and me. It didn''t have the same effect but caused us to fly into the air. Unable to control our limbs, we began shooting the power to the people on our side. I''m responsible for the death of them all. I''m so sorry." Santi was sobbing loudly.

    Anna understood now what had happened. When the power of six goes into the body of someone good, it can cause an internal fight. That''s what happened with Santi and Maxie. Their tiger and wolf didn''t know what to do, so they tried to send the power back out. It hit their own people.

    Just as Anna was getting ready to speak, the ground began to shake. It was worse than what happened when Astaroth came. She didn''t understand what was happening. Who was trying toe for them now? Astaroth was gone. No other demon should be prepared to fight them. Anna stood up and looked around. Everyone was staring at her, waiting to see what was going on.

    Standing next to therge hole Astaroth had made, she noticed something moving deep inside. Against her better judgment, she leaned over to get a closer look just as arge ck figure emerged. Not all the way out, only partially. He was ck as night with two small horns on his head. His eyes were glowing red as he looked at her with a small smile. She felt no fear as she stared back in disbelief.

    "Hello, Anna. It''s nice to finally meet you." His voice was smooth as honey but still gave everyone a slight chill. She couldn''t help herself from smiling back. Maybe all wasn''t lost.

    "It''s nice to meet you too." She replied truthfully.

    "Anna, who or what is that?" Kamryn asked nervously. She looked at him and everyone else, wanting to see their expressions. Despite what they may have thought, he''s not the enemy. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Satan."

 Chapter 75 - The Gifts

    Everyone gasped with fear at the sight of Satan. Anna quickly reassured them.

    "It''s alright. Satan isn''t here to do us harm." She turned back to the devil, who was smirking at her.

    "Anna, my dear witch. You have been the pride of all worlds that everyone has been waiting for. Your natural leadership abilities have far exceeded everyone''s expectations." Kamryn walked over to his mate and daughter. He knew what she''d said about Satan, but that didn''t mean he wasfortable with the devil being so close to her. When the red eyes turned toward him with a knowing smile, Kamryn couldn''t help but rx. His eyes were actually kind despite the glowing red. "Ah, the mighty tiger Kamryn. You have proven yourself worthy of Anna''s mate in many ways. You both have much to conquer together, and I can''t wait to watch from the sidelines." Kamryn was utterly confused by Satan''s words. When he thought of the devil, this interaction would have been the furthest from his mind. Satan turned toward everyone and spoke in a deep voice that almost felt like a warm nket being draped over them.

    "I want to apologize to you all for the deeds of Astaroth. I never thought he would take it this far. I''d been watching him for a while but knew I couldn''t interfere. The power of six was the only way to end his terror. Together they are even more powerful than I am. The loss of life should not have been this great. It was increased due to the good intentions of others, so I am going to grant you all a gift. Your loss is not as it seems. The souls of those who died will be returned to them so they can live out their lives as destined."

    Everyone watched in astonishment as Satan raised one of hisrge hands and blew a red dust that covered all of the pce grounds. One by one, those that had been lifeless rose to their feet. Anna didn''t expect her father to be granted his life back because he died at the hand of Astaroth, not from Santi''s mistake. However, when Satan winked at her, he blew out a big puff of gold dust that went straight to her father. He sat up, looking around, pulling Caprice into his arms as they cried.

    "Thank you. I know you didn''t have to do this, but I really appreciate it." Anna''s tears flowed with happiness as those who now had life joined her and Kamryn beside Satan. Santi''s broken body had been restored as he held on to weeping Maxie, sobbing. Anna was thrilled that he was giving everyone a second chance.

    "You all have shown that good shall ovee evil. No matter how small the package, the heart of one witch has touched you all. I can see the impact she had on everyone here. So before I go, I will give you onest parting gift. A glimpse of the future. Liana, Zack, Sean, and Sasha have all been gifted with rare abilities that make them the most powerful beings to walk the earth. This was done because something even more sinister than Astaroth will being. They will be sessful, but I''m going to give them a touch of magic to help. Please bring the children to me." Anna, Jaz, Marce, and Sh held their little ones in front of Satan. Remarkably the little ones stopped moving as they stared at him. He beamed down at them with such pride he looked like a proud grandparent.

    "You four are wise beyond your years. Remember the lessons you have learned along the way when the timees. You already have such amazing gifts, but I will give you another. With this magic, you will be able to freeze time for the length of one minute, Liana. You''ll know when it''s needed." He blew blue dust over her before turning to Zack.

    "Zack, your gift will be in the form of speed. When the timees, you will use this speed to confuse your opponent." He blew green dust over him.

    "Sasha, as Zack''s mate, you have been given the gift to slow time. It will affect everyone except Zack, Liana, and Sean. Together you and Zack will be able to prepare for thest step." Satan blew yellow dust on Sasha and turned toward Sean. "Sean, you have the most important job of all. While Zack and Sasha confuse the attacker, Liana will freeze time so you can use your magic of electric shock. One touch of your hand at the right moment will be all it takes to end them." He blew purple dust over Sean.

    "It''s essential you do the steps exactly as I''ve described to be sessful. I know you all will make everyone proud. I have confidence that you''ll prevail and exceed our expectations." Anna hugged her daughter to her as she stared at the devil. "Thank you for everything." She smiled at him as he nodded.

    "You''re most wee, my dear. I bid you all goodbye." With that, he disappeared just as quickly as he''d appeared. The hole he came out of closed as though nothing had ever been there.

    "Anna, how did you know he wasn''t here to hurt us?" Kamryn asked, still trying to wrap his head around what he had just witnessed.

    "Satan has a bad reputation for being the ruler of hell, but in truth, he is embracing the role he was given. He doesn''t set out to do evil. He only takes the souls of those who are already evil. Satan has a special connection with witches, no matter what type of magic they practice. He understands us and respects us. When I saw him, I knew he wouldn''t harm us. That''s not what he does." Everyone was so quiet while she spoke as they looked at her with awe. Satan was enormous even though he hadn''t entirely left the hole. Anna appeared even smaller inparison, but it had been clear to see how he felt about her. It was as though he loved her like a daughter.

    "That''s incredible. I think we all need to rest, but in two days, we will have the crowning. It''s time to make it official for our new king and queen." Randal spoke loudly as Anna giggled with joy. She wasn''t giddy about bing queen; she didn''t care about that. Her happiness came from seeing everyone she loved living and breathing again.novelbin

    Everyone hugged their loved ones in relief that no lives were lost, thanks to Satan. As they all returned to the pce and went to their separate quarters, there was an overwhelming sense of happiness in the air. After every battle, there is always a lesson to be learned.

    It could be a lesson on how to defeat the next opponent or what not to do the next time. Lessons of forgiveness and love can also be learned. In this instance, the lesson was that a book can''t always be judged by its cover. Many had assumed Satan was pure evil that rained terror on those he came in contact with. When they were shown that they couldn''t be further from the truth, it was eye-opening in more ways than one. We all need to give people a chance to show their intentions before judging them. Rumors can cause destruction, death, and unnecessary hurt. Trust your instincts and show love and kindness rather than hate.

    Everyone that was part of the battle now understood the truth about Satan and would share their newfound knowledge. It may not be epted well, but it would open minds to the possibilities of what may lie ahead.

    Anna and Kamryn will soon be pronounced king and queen. They know there are many watching them to see how they rule. They also know they have support from multiple kingdoms and allies to help with anything thates their way.

 Chapter 76 - New King and Queen

    The clean-up after the battle was rtively fast after everything that had happened. Anna couldn''t believe how quickly everyone chipped in to get things back to normal. She knew part of it was because Randal had made it clear after the fight

    that they would have the crowning in two days. Today was that day.

    Anna didn''t care about having the title but also understood what a big deal it was to have the honor of being queen. Gary''s pack, Jarek, and the other werecats decided to stay for the crowning. People kept thanking her for bringing everyone together, but she didn''t feel like she did anything special.

    She was in the bedroom getting ready when there was a knock on the door. After making sure she was covered, Anna went over to see who was there. She threw the door open with a smile when she saw her mom, Maura, Jaz, Lynn, Sh, Marce, Elsie, and Melita.

    Over thest two days, she''d spent time with both Elsie and Melita, who had begged for forgiveness. Anna understood that they were under the influence of Astaroth, so she held no hard feelings, but it was difficult not to be cautious around them. They both had still tried to take her mate in the past. She watched them carefully when Kamryn was around, but they showed no overt interest in him, so she assumed everything was fine.

    "What are you all doing here?" Anna hugged each of them as they came into the room.

    "We''re here to help you get ready. I know you said you didn''t need it, but you''re preparing to be queen. Let us pamper you as a queen should be." Lynn said, holding Anna tightly to her. She loved both her sons'' mates as though they were her daughters.

    "Alright, if you must." They quickly got to work. Elsie and Melita worked on her make-up while Jaz and Sh did her hair. Lynn, Maura, and Carpice got her clothes ready. Within minutes they had done what it would have taken her at least an hour to aplish.

    Anna''s make-up was light, with smokey eyes making her grey eyes pop. Her hair had been put into a twist, with long curls falling all around her shoulders. They made sure to leave enough room for the crown that would be ced on her head. It was now time for the gown.

    When Jeana showed it to her, she knew she''d never seen anything more beautiful. She''d been working on it for months in preparation for when she would be queen. The fabric was incredibly silky and gold. Sparkly gold threads were running all through it, making it shine. The bodice was made of beads that looked like diamonds thatpletely covered her chest all the way to her waist. With the gold underneath, the sparkle was incredible. It had long sheer sleeves and several slits in the skirt so she could move easily.

    With the help of the others, she stepped into the gown. They wouldn''t let her look at herself until she had on her heels that were also gold. As her mother turned her around, she gasped. Anna didn''t recognize herself. She looked like a queen. "You''re stunning," Lynn whispered, patting the tears welling up in her eyes.

    "You really are, Anna. You look like a goddess." Melita stared at the beautiful woman with nothing but happiness. She was so thankful to be alive and knew she owed it all to Anna. "Thank you all. I don''t even feel real." She was trying really hard not to let her tears fall so they wouldn''t mess up her make-up.

    "Are you ready? I know Kamryn is anxiously waiting for you." Jaz put her arm around her friend. After everything they''d been through together, she considered her more of a sister now. "Yep. Let''s get this show on the road." The women all left to go wait in the throne room for the crowning. Lynn was the only one who stayed behind. She took Anna''s hands in hers.

    "My dear, you don''t know how happy I am to have you take the throne. When the agreement with your parents came about, I never dreamt you would be so remarkable. You''re going to be the best queen this kingdom has ever seen. I want you to know that if you ever feel overwhelmed or uncertain about anything, you can alwayse to me. Even though you and Kamryn will have the official titles, we''ll still be here to help you in any way we can."

    Anna appreciated what Lynn said. She knew they had been watching her and Kamryn this whole time to see how they would be as leaders. Apparently, they passed the test, but it was nice to have them to lean on when needed.

    "Thank you." They hugged one final time before heading out of the room. Kamryn was waiting for Anna at the top of the stairs. When he saw her, his eyes widened. She''d never looked so beautiful. Lynn left them alone as she headed to the throne room.

    "Wow," was all he could say as he stared at her. She smiled as she looked him over. He had on his royal suit. It was ck with different medals and cords all over it. She had no idea what they meant. "Wow, yourself there, handsome." Kamryn took her hands and kissed them

    "I want nothing more than to kiss you, but I know the other women will be upset if I mess up your make-up. Are you ready, my queen?" He asked as she put her hand on his arm so he could lead her down the steps. "As ready as I''ll ever by my king."

    When they got to the throne room, it was packed to bursting. Not everyone at the pce could fit, so those who couldn''t see the crowning waited in the dining hall for the celebration afterward. They stopped so their arrival could be announced.

    "Please wee Prince Kamryn and Princess Annabe."

    As they walked down the aisle, everyone pped and cheered for them. Neither could wipe the smiles off their faces. Liana was being held by Caprice, with her little eyes following her parents as they walked by. When they reached the steps in front of the thrones, Randal and Lynn were waiting for them. Kamryn and Anna bowed as they came to a stop.

    "Thank you all foring to this special crowning ceremony. Today we will be crowning the next king and queen so they can take their rightful positions on these thrones. My son Kamryn and his mate Anna have proven time and time again that they were born leaders. I think everyone here can agree that they showed their leadership abilities during the battle and showed respect andpassion to each person they came into contact with. This speaks to how they will be as monarchs. It''s not about telling people what to do and making demands or rules. It''s about how you treat people and work with them as a team."

    Randal took a deep breath before continuing. He hadn''t expected to be so emotional. He wasn''t upset about no longer being in power. He was overwhelmed by how right this was to hand over the reins to Kamryn and Anna. He knew they would do great things and couldn''t wait to see them seed.

    "Kamryn, please kneel before me." Kamryn took the three steps up to his father and knelt, bowing his head slightly. He felt the heavy weight of the king''s crown being ced on his head.

    "With this crown, I now dere you king. You will lead with strength and humility. You shall wear this crown with pride. Please stand, King Kamryn." He shook his dad''s hand before turning to stand before the throne. "Annabe, please kneel before me." Anna walked to Lynn and bowed slightly as she knelt so the queen''s crown could be ced on her head.

    "With this crown, I now dere you queen. You will lead with strength and humility. You shall wear this crown with pride. Please stand, Queen Annabe." Lynn hugged her, and then Anna walked the few steps to stand in front of the thrones. Kamryn took her hand as they smiled at each other.

    "Introducing King Kamryn and Queen Annabe."novelbin

    Anna looked up at Kamryn as he stared down at her. The love they have for each other makes them feel giddy. They would face challenges but ovee them because they had each other. Family can be by blood or by choice. They already had incredible families, but their rtionships with people who chose to stand by them spoke volumes of what family is meant to be. No longer are they only the king and queen of the werecats. They''re the king and queen of all shifters. Whoever wants to challenge them they have one thing to tell them. Bring it on.

 Epilogue 1

    **One Year After the Battle**

    Anna rubbed herrge belly as she watched Liana y with her mate Sean. They may only be toddlers, but their connection to each other was undeniable. It was so strong that Jarek and Marce decided to stay at the tiger pce rather than return to the lycan pce. Jarek was still the lycan king, and Marce was his queen, but it was in title only. After the battle, he decided to step back and allow Kamryn and Anna to rule all shifters rather than having two separate rulers. Micah and Jaz were staying with Gary and Sh at the wolf pack for the most part. Zack and Sasha also had a strong bond as mates, and no one wanted to keep them apart. Knowing they would have their own fight one day, everyone thought it best to keep the young mates near each other to strengthen their abilities.

    Anna and Kamryn were now expecting their second cub. They were having a boy who would be a hybrid tiger and warlock. They decided to name him Xade. He would be making his appearance any day now. Santi and Maxie had their daughter Daphne a couple of months ago.novelbin

    Melita overcame what Santi had done to her while Astaroth used his body. She understood it wasn''t him that hurt her, but when she found her mate Juan from a pride of lions that lived on the other side of the country, she leaped at the chance to leave. They visited every couple of months, but she was ready to start over somewhere fresh.

    Elsie also met her second chance mate. His name is Karl, and he''s human. They met when he was hiking not far from the pce grounds. He hurt himself, and she happened to be out looking for herbs. It took him a while to wrap his mind around the supernatural world, but now he was one of them. He worked as a doctor in the human world but gave that up to move to the pce with Elsie. She''d be Anna''s assistant, and they were now closer than ever. Karl had learned all he could about shifters and how to treat their injuries so he could put his skills to work in the event anyone got hurt.

    Randal and Lynn had decided to do some traveling to visit ces they''d only dreamed of. They could never stay away from their grandchildren for long, though. Every month they returned to the pce to visit. They were expected back in time for Xade''s birth. All those from Spirit Energy returned to the coven, including Anna''s parents. They flew down every few weeks, but she missed them when they were away.

    The pce had returned basically to normal, with most of the extra guests leaving. Kamryn and Anna had stepped into the roles they had been born for. Shifters from all over came just to spend one night and meet them. They weed everyone and treated each person like family. There would always be those who opposed them and wanted to take their ce, but they had too much support for anyone to be a real threat. "Mommy," Liana ran over and put her hands on Anna''s belly. "Xadeing."

    "Not yet, honey. He''ll be here soon." She leaned over to kiss her daughter''s forehead when she felt a sharp pain run through her abdomen, making her gasp.

    "Are you okay?" Marce asked,ing to her side immediately.

    "I think I''m going intobor. Can you help me?" As she stood up, Anna felt another pain. Before she could step toward the door, Kamryn was running into the room. "What''s wrong?" Anna smiled, but Liana spoke first.

    "Xadeing." She pped her little hands as Kamryn''s eyes widened. He lifted Anna into his arms. He had felt her pain when she had the first contraction, but he didn''t think she''d be inbor.

    "Marce, can you get the doctor, and I''ll take her upstairs." She nodded as she ran to find Karl. He''d been preparing to deliver Xade, and Anna knew he was excited to do this. Kamryn wasn''t too keen on the idea of having him deliver their son, but Anna insisted.

    When they arrived at the room set up for the delivery, Kamryn put Anna on the bed and helped pull her panties off. She had only been wearing loose dresses, so her panties were the only barrier to her son making his entrance into the world. Karl and Marce came running into the room, followed by Elsie with Liana and Sean.

    "How long have you been having contractions?" Karl asked as he washed his hands and put on gloves.

    "They just started, but they''reing strong," Anna answered as another hit her. As Karl rolled over on a stool. Liana jumped up and down, wanting on the bed.

    "Elsie, can you lift her up here, please?" Anna asked, wanting her daughter by her side. When Elsie put her on the bed, she sat at her mother''s side, rubbing her hand over her belly. Sean started whimpering, wanting to be up there with Liana. Anna nodded when Elsie looked at her. She put Sean on the other side he also rubbed her belly. Funnily enough, the contractions weren''t as bad, with the two of them rubbing her stomach.

    "He''s ready toe out. Anna, I need you to push." She took a deep breath. While squeezing Kamryn and Marce''s hands, she began to push. After only a few pushes, Xade came out with a head full of ck hair. Karl and Elsie quickly cleaned him up after Kamryn cut the cord. When he was ced in Anna''s arms, she kissed his little cheek. Liana and Sean both moved up so they could see him. They may not even be two years old yet, but they both had an old wisdom about them that was beyond their years.

    "Love Xade," Liana said as she paced her hand on his cheek. Sean put his hand on the other one. Xade opened his eyes wide, and Anna gasped. His eyes were like the other children''s. They were white but had a hint of grey, making them look almost silver.

    "Wow, look at his eyes," Marce spoke quietly next to her. "What does this mean?"

    "It means he will be helping them when their battlees." Anna looked at Liana and Sean stroking the new cub''s cheek. She was thrilled to have her son here, but for some reason, it felt like he was a gift to the two of them. "You''re all cleaned up. Do you want anyone else toe in?" Karl asked while washing his hands.

    "Yes, everyone cane in now." As soon as the door was opened, Jarek, Santi, and Maxie came in with Daphne. They allmented on Xade''s eyes as well. As excited as everyone was with their new lives and mates, there was always going to be that knowledge that their children would need to fight something greater than Astaroth. Would they all survive, or would this be the end of the tiger kingdom and Spirit Energy? Only time will tell.

 Epilogue 2

    **Twenty-five years after the battle**novelbin

    Liana, Sean, Zack, Sasha, Xade, and Lara stood ready. They had been training for this day their entire lives. Each of them was put on this earth to destroy those who wished to end life as they knew it. That wasn''t going to happen on their watch. Xade looked at his mate Lara. She was a hybrid panther witch. They''d found each other when a panther couple came to visit the king and queen of the shifters. Xade was two at the time, and Lara was one. They gravitated to each other as soon as they were in the same room. Anna and Kamryn exined to Lara''s parents what was happening, and they decided to stay in the pce with their daughter. They had never understood why her eyes were white with hints of yellow, making them have a gold appearance, but after talking to the king and queen, it all made sense.

    The six of them were not at the pce. This battle was one that they had to do alone without any interference from others. All of their parents wanted to help, but Anna had exined that it was not their fight. They had to trust their children woulde through as the scrolls and Satan had said.

    Liana was the unspoken leader. She was the one they all looked up to, even though she was the smallest of the group. With her long brown hair and petite figure, she was the spitting image of her mother. She was next in line to take the throne, but she told her parents they needed to keep it for a while. After all, those of the supernatural world live an extremely long time. Liana nned on enjoying some of that time without the stress of the throne. Sean was in total agreement.

    "They''reing," Liana said quietly as they waited near the high mountain between the pcends and the Spirit Energy coven. This was the ce that was told to them where they would meet the ones who wanted to end them. As the ground began to shake, the six of them slowly rose into the air a few feet.

    They knew who they were meeting, but they didn''t tell their parents. If they knew they were going to fight three demons who were the brothers of Astaroth, then there was no way they would have stayed away. The thing about the Spirit Energy scrolls is that there are certain parts only viewable by the one who was meant to read them. Anna didn''t see what Liana saw because those words weren''t for her. The ground continued shaking, sending avnches from the nearby snow tops, but they didn''t budge. When the three demons made their appearance from a gaping hole in the ground, Liana smirked. They looked like shriveled-up old men who should have been put out to pasture a long time ago. "Well, if it isn''t the terrible pathetic three." She giggled as they made growling noises. "Hello Xornag, Orriuth and Jezanith. We''ve been waiting for this day for a long time. I''m d it''s finally here." Liana looked smugly at the three demons, who looked as though they wanted to rip her face off.

    "Those are big words from a little girl whose mother sent our brother to hell. Consider all of your deaths as payback for the loss of our brother." Xornag said in a voice that sounded like he was choking on gravel.

    "You''re mistaken. We will not be the ones dying today. It''s time for you demons to return to hell, where you belong. Satan said to give you a message. Astaroth is there waiting for you, and he can''t wait to reunite you with your brother." The three demons held their tongues fromshing back when they saw the eyes glowing in the six people before them. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

    "We''re not scared of Satan. We have every intention of seeing our brother again after we defeat you. We''ll have the power to go to hell and remove him from the devil''s clutches." Jezanith spoke with pure hatred in his voice. Liana looked at him, and her eyes began to glow even more. It was time to eliminate them. No more ying with the demons. She looked at the others and gave a slight nod.

    While Xornag, Orriuth, and Jezanith waited for hereback, Liana and the others quickly flew into the air high above the demon''s heads. They held hands, making a perfect circle while spinning as fast as possible. Their eyes were glowing brightly as they began to slowlye back down toward the three demons while still continuing to spin at high speed.

    "What are you doing? This won''t work on us. Our magic is too powerful." Orriuth raised his hands, but nothing happened. The six above locked eyes before separating. Zack began moving around the demon''s heads so fast they couldn''t see him, while Sasha slowed their movements so they couldn''t capture her mate.

    Liana looked at Sean and smirked as she froze time for one minute, making the demons remain perfectly still. He quickly moved to their heads and held his hands out, sending electric currents through their bodies. As the freeze began to lift off them, the demons started screaming.

    While Sean continued sending shocks through them, Xade and Lara flew down over the three angry demons. Together they touched each demon on the head, instantly turning them to stone. Sean gave them one final jolt of electricity, making them turn to dust. Once no dust remained, they waited for the hole to close. Instead, Satan came through it, looking at each of them with a small smile.

    "Hello, my young ones. I met most of you when you were too little to walk. I know you were delegated a great task, but you came through just as I knew you would. Thank you for sending the demons back to where they belong. I promise you will have no more visits from those wishing to do evil to your or your families." Liana stepped forward just a couple feet from the devil and grinned. He couldn''t help but smile back. She looked so much like her mother; it was incredible. "I don''t remember you, but our parents spoke of the gifts you gave us. We need to thank you for making it possible to defeat them. We will be forever grateful for all you have done for our friends and families." She spoke from the heart. Her parents had told them without Satan, they would have lost many of the people they loved. He had made things right. For that reason, he will always have a ce in her heart.

    "You''re wee, child. I shall take my leave now, but know this. You will now be able to live in peace. I have your back and will make sure that no harmes to any of you. Please give my regards to your parents." Just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone, and the hole was covered as though it was never there.

    The three couples hugged each other in joy. They could finally live their lives. None of them had children yet because they spent all their time training for this battle. However, they wouldn''t have changed anything. Being able to protect their kingdom was important to them. They saw it as an honor to be chosen to fight the demons.

    They flew back to the pce, where everyone awaited them to begin the celebration. Liana and Xade ran to Kamryn and Anna.

    "It''s over. Satan said it was over. We are now free of the demons." Liana said as she clung to her mother.

    "I knew you all could do it. Now let''s celebrate your aplishment, and then I want every one of you to take a much-needed vacation. When you return, I expect to hear that I will be a grandmother." Liana looked at Sean, who was grinning from ear to ear.

    "I think we can make that happen." She said, making everyone within earshotugh.

    Love, family, and happiness are what held the kingdom together. Whether you''re a family by blood or by choice, knowing what you''re fighting for will always be worth it in the end. Good shall ovee evil if you let it.

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