Fate Stained - Part Two
Chapter 14 - Long Live The King

I sat next to Kyanite’s bed. He looked a lot better now, the colour had returned to his face and the hole in his chest had all but completely healed. It was obvious that Jayce hadn’t intended on killing Kyan, if he’d wanted him dead then the hole in his chest would have been another half inch to the left and his heart would have been ripped out.

But, from the look on Jayce’s face at the time, he had no idea what he’d done and I knew it had been his wolf that had taken over.

That worried me.

“I told you I’m fine” Kyan grumbled, hanging his legs off the side of the bed and rubbing his face with his hands.

“I know. Flynn gave you a zap of power, it’s a pretty amazing feeling. I still want you to take it easy for a bit though”

“You should be the one taking it easy” Kyan answered, looking at me with concern on his face, “what happened back there? I know you’re tired and stressed but it’s not like you to collapse”

“I’m fine, really. Why did Jayce attack you?”

Kyan snorted and shook his head as he stood up from the bed. I watched as he walked over to the window and opened the blinds a fraction. The cabin that I’d put him and Flynn in was directly behind the pack house. It was kind of like a granny flat and Jayce had once joked that we’d put Dominic in there one day when he was old and senile.

“It’s kind of cruel putting me in here, you know” Kyan muttered, staring out the window, “Close enough that I can smell you but not close enough to touch”

“Kyan.Why did Jayce attack you?”

“How the fuck am I supposed to know? For someone that is meant to have great control over his wolf…he seems pretty out of control to me”

You’re telling me.

“Maybe so, but he wouldn’t just do something like that out of the blue. Did you say something? Do something?”

Kyanite turned to me, his emerald eyes searching for something within mine. He almost looked hurt as he studied my face.

“Are you looking for a reason to justify that dog almost killing me?” He hissed.

“Kyan, if Jayce wanted you dead, you’d be dead”

He snorted again and closed the blinds. When he looked back to me, something in his eyes had changed and the corner of his lips curled up slightly, a sultry smile playing teasingly on his perfect lips.

Kyan walked over to me slowly, reminding me of a panther stalking towards it’s unknowing prey. Right now, I was his prey.

“Quinn. I’ve given you and your Alpha time and space, I’ve taken a step to the side which is not something I would normally do; but it’s killing me. I miss you, I miss what we had in Hell”

Kyan knelt down in front of me, his open palm sliding up the outside of my thigh. Everywhere his hand touched, tingles and goose pimples followed. There was no questioning my response to him, physically, it was exactly the same response I had to Jayce. My body wanted him, craved him, needed him…but right now, my mind couldn’t be more torn - and Kyan knew it.

“Your head is so clouded with that wolf right now” he purred, his hand tickling the top of my thigh before disappearing down between my legs, “just give me a chance to remind you what it’s like to have a panther inside it instead”

My head dropped back and I closed my eyes as Kyanite’s knuckles grazed the outside of my panties. I tried squeezing my thighs together, to pause his movements for a moment while my brain played catch up, but he quickly put his other hand between my knees, pulling them apart.

“Kyan…I—”

“Goddess kids! Get a fucking room why don’t you!”

I gasped as Norah’s voice jolted me back into the room and without thinking my foot flew into Kyan’s chest, kicking him halfway across the room.

“Shit! Kyan, sorry!” I yelped.

Kyanite scrambled to his feet, his eyes narrowing on both Norah and Onyx as they stood in the doorway. Norah shrugged her shoulders, looking like she couldn’t have cared less about what she’d interrupted, Onyx, on the other hand, looked absolutely mortified.

“We did get a room” Kyanite hissed, “My room”

“oopsy daisy” Norah muttered.

“So sorry guys” Onyx muttered, “We bumped into Mason, he told me what happened, I just wanted to check on you Kyan—”

“Well you’ve seen me, I’m fine. Now get lost!”

“Kyan!” I snapped, “Don’t be such a prick, your sister was worried about you”

The panther Prince sighed, this shoulders dropping as he looked back towards the doorway. It was easy to see that Onyx worshipped the ground her brother walked on and the thought of upsetting or disappointing him affected her more than he knew; I just wished sometimes he would remember that before he opened his mouth.

“Sorry Nyx. I’m fine, look” Kyanite lifted his arms and spun around in a circle before facing his sister again, “Not even a mark”

I smiled as Kyan walked over to Onyx and gave her a quick hug, it wasn’t groundbreaking but it was a start.

“Are you ok?” Norah asked, coming to stand next to me.

Sighing, I rubbed my head. It still hurt slightly from when I’d hit it but I was definitely feeling a lot more focused and had more energy since Flynn’s little boost.

“I’m alright. I’ve just got to take it ea—”

I stopped what I was saying and tilted my head as I stared at Norah. Her amber eyes lost their focus, her face paling and her heart rate dropping. Jumping to my feet quickly, I grabbed Norah by the arm as she began to sway and sat her down on my chair.

“Norah! Are you ok? Look at me!”

Was there something in the water? Had Norah picked up whatever bug I had?

“What happened?” Kyan asked as he and Onyx ran over, “she’s white as a ghost”

“I don’t know…she just— went blank”

I clicked my fingers in front of Norah’s face, causing her to blink before a little bit of life returned to her eyes.

“Norah, what is it?” Onyx soothed, rubbing her arm.

It was chilling to see the bear in this state for seemingly no reason. The woman was invincible, nothing seemed to shake her. I’d been there when she took a bullet from Clayton and still called him a fuckhead afterwards. But looking at her now, she looked lost…hollow.

“Something is wrong. Something back h—home”

Onyx, Kyan and myself all looked at each other, there was only one thing that would cause that sort of reaction from this distance - someone in her tribe, that was close to her, had died.

“Oh, Norah. You don’t think— your mother?” Onyx breathed.

Norah shook her head, still staring off into the distance.

“No, I’d know if it was mum…I think. I need my phone”

I stood back as Norah jumped to her feet, and before any of us could speak, she was already through the door.

“I’ll go with her” Onyx said, taking off after the blonde bear.

I turned to face Kyan and he sighed, shrugging his shoulders before taking a step towards me. The corner of his lips curled again and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Not a fucking chance” I mumbled, turning on my heel to follow the bear and panther.

“Fucking cock blockers!” He yelled out after me.

Norah POV

What the actual fuck is going on?

My bear thrashed around inside me like she was in physical pain. A bond had been cut, that was obvious enough, but who’s?

I ran through the back door of the pack house and took the stairs two at a time. When I got to my room I skidded to a halt beside the bed and grabbed my phone.

Three missed calls. Fuck.

Both Meadow and my mother had tried to call me, at least I knew it was neither of them. Then who? Gerard?

“Norah, We’ll just be downstairs, ok?”

I turned to face the door and nodded at Quinn, she gave me a sad smile and walked away, heading back down the stairs.

Clicking ‘redial’ on Meadow’s number I felt fucking sick. Someone was dead and I was here, in Fern Creek, not picking up my fucking phone; some fantastic tribe member I was.

“Norah! Thank Goddess. I have to tell you something”

“Who died? please don’t tell me it’s your father—“

“No, Dad is fine. It’s the King. Norah, our King is dead”

My stomach turned. Bile rose into my throat and I swallowed dryly to force it back down. My King was dead. This was huge.

“How? What happened?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“That’s the thing, I don’t know. It’s all being kept very quiet, obviously everyone felt the bond break. The Queen is currently sedated in her quarters right now because we thought she might die herself”

I knew first hand what it was like to be around someone when their mate died. My mother, normally a strong powerful woman, had been reduced to a wailing, broken mess when my father died. It was like someone had thrust their hand into her chest and squeezed her heart with all their might. It was horrible. I’d felt pain, he was my father after all, but nothing like my mother.

“Where is Gerard? Surely as the head Shaman he would be with The King”

Meadow sighed.

“He is with him. It happened in his office. My father was linked immediately, seconds after we felt the bond break. I went to the palace too but wasn’t permitted entry into the room. They are still in there with the King’s body now”

“They?” I asked.

“Yes. Darius was in the office when he died”

Darius. Fucking Darius.

“You don’t think—“

“—Norah. I know what you’re thinking, but you need to be bloody careful. If anyone hears you say anything like that…Well, Darius will be King soon, you’ll be done for treason”

My knuckles clenched, quickly followed by more bile rising in my throat.

King Darius. Fuck. My. Life.

I looked down at my phone as it beeped in my ear. My mother’s photo flashed on the screen, alerting me to the fact she was trying to call again. I quickly pressed the decline button.

“Mum is trying to call. She’ll expect me to come home”

“Won’t you?”

I groaned, rubbing my hand roughly over my eyes.

“Fuck! Aghhh, I don’t fucking know”

“Norah, he was your King. Your father’s best friend, you’ll be expected to return”

Of course I would be. I’d known the King my whole life, my father had been his second in charge right up until he died. To be honest, since the passing of my father, I hadn’t really seen much of the King. He didn’t leave the palace all that often, Darius attended most of the events on his behalf. But yes, I’d be expected to return. He was my King and now he was dead. Darius would expect me to return. That giant, cock munching, cum stain would expect me to return and the thought of seeing his dumb face and pretending to console him after the loss of his father, made me sick.

How was I to know that he hadn’t killed the King himself? The idea wasn’t that far fetched. He made no secret that he already did everything and that his father had lost his touch after the death of his best friend. Maybe this was his ploy to get me back to Yo-Na, so he could lock me away and never let me leave again. I knew it was an arrogant thought, but I couldn’t help it. Once Douche Darius became King, he would be able to nominate any bear from Yo-Na to be his Queen. It was a fucking bullshit law, but a law that still stood, nonetheless.

“I can’t go back” I whispered into the phone.

Meadow sighed. As much as she knew I should return, she also knew and understood why I wouldn’t.

“Norah. If I lie to Darius…”

“I’d never ask you to. You can tell him you spoke to me and that I refused to come back. You can tell my mother the same thing”

“Where will you go?”

I sat down on the end of my bed and let out a long breath. Where would I go?

“Somewhere not even my King will replace me”