It had been days since I last saw Xander. To be honest, I had desperately been avoiding him.
Sometimes at night, I would wake up completely drenched in sweat, and I would have this inexplicable desire to open the adjourning door to Xander’s chamber and ravage him.
These sudden urges were frightening enough to force me into staying inside my room with both doors bolted, and a chair was always wedged under the handle.
I didn’t feel like myself at all.
I almost didn’t dare open the door to get the food Leo brought me every morning. I only did it when I was highly famished.
“Xander should be the one locking himself up when I go crazy. This is stupid; I could just unlock everything and hunt him down...” I told myself frustratingly.
I did feel slightly better whenever Xander left for work in the morning, and I found myself alone on the floor. I felt like I could breathe again and found some remnants of my previous self.
Calling Xander by his preferred name still felt foreign in my mind. It was like I was doing something wrong. But I quickly got over it since I had other matters to tend to, mainly because I needed to keep a low profile and survive long enough to get out of this life of servitude.
I needed to keep my identity and powers a secret—calling him Xander seemed trivial compared to the rest.
When King Cardinal’s reign ended, the Usurper King Osprey ordered a witch hunt for what he referred to as the Unnaturals. Anything not human was now an Unnatural, and they were hunted down and killed.
Magic wielders such as I went into hiding.
King Osprey hated us so much that he ordered the execution of many magic wielders and shifters the first instant he stepped on the throne. His idea of balance was that no one or thing should be superior to him. It was a kill-on-sight order if they found you to wield magic or shapeshift. Simple as that.
When the kingdom fell, I went into hiding, and eventually, I was found and sold, passing off as a human.
Magic wielders lived off their magic, so hiding my magic almost made me go mad. I was purposefully splitting myself in two, renouncing who I was, and my first year of suppressing that power made me extremely ill.
Remembering this made my heart sink.
The years that followed were not kinder to me. I was born into nobility, and my brain was not wired to comply as easily as those of good working folks.
Holding the Lupinotuum Encyclopaedia in my hands, I thought about the wolf shifters and what they had also suffered at the hands of King Osprey.
I had never met one, even in my previous life. I had only heard about them from what my history teacher told me.
They were part of the balance that the Faiths created. The Faiths were supernatural beings capable of exerting forces beyond measures to maintain balance in the world. The Faiths balanced the humans and the shifters. The sun and the moon.
Magic wielders were an in-between. They were created hundreds of years ago, but no one knows how they came into the world.
I sighed, looking at the cover of the encyclopedia. Why would my magic want me to look at this? And how was this book still intact? Osprey had ordered every book on magic or shifters to be destroyed.
After I had retrieved the book from the library on my first day, I returned to my room and placed it on the table.
I could not bring myself to open it and read its content—it felt wrong.
The worn patches of brown leather which held the book together looked old. I almost didn’t want to touch it, fearing it would break if I didn’t handle it gently.
When I got up this morning, I decided I had procrastinated enough and that it was time I started examining the writings within, even if I was terrified about what I might find.
I flipped through the first few pages. Nothing was eye-catching, just more confusing big words that writers used in the old days to make stuff sound more scientific and interesting.
“Lycanthropes or Lycans, and werewolves, are considered shifters. Although contrary to their shifting counterparts, Lycans cannot transform their bodies into full wolf form. Their transformation is much more excruciating and complex. Their bones break and are reshaped inside their bodies to make them bigger, faster, and stronger. They have a wolf-like appearance but with a humanoid form, meaning they can walk on two legs or crouch and run on all fours.” This surprised me; I didn’t know there were two types of shifters. I thought that there was only one.
Curious.
I moved the book closer and continued. “The first recorded Lycan was born of shifter parents. They noticed the malformation when the boy shifted for the first time, around ten years old. The boy had wolf facial features and grew fur on his body as any shifter would, but some speculated that a mutation within caused the boy to keep a human-like physique.
Albeit Lycans are more agile and ferocious than shifters, it is surprising that they keep their consciousness while in their Lycan form, whereas shifters have what they call a “wolf conscience” that takes over in their wolf state. It takes a mentally strong shifter to somewhat control the wolf. Still, they eventually revert to their animalistic instincts, and once they shift back to humans, they often remember what their wolf did. One similarity the Lycans share with wolf shifters is silver. Besides slightly burning them, silver renders their ability to shift ineffective, so if one is in direct contact with the metal, they cannot transform into a wolf or Lycan form.”
I placed my thumb and index finger over the bridge of my nose and exhaled dramatically. My magic showed me this book for a reason, but I couldn’t put the puzzle together.
Was Xander a shifter? But that would be impossible since it’s a gene that one parent would have to give to their son.
Duke Kestrel was amongst the highest decorated peerage under the Usurper’s command and was one of the first lords to change sides, thus earning him one of the highest titles. He also shared the same beliefs about the Unnaturals. So, I found it highly unlikely that Duke Kestrel would be a shifter or that he would wed a shifter—Lady Lucia did not strike me as something supernatural.
The shifter gene is unlike those who wield magic; it cannot skip a generation or two. One of Xander’s parents would have to be a shifter, and this was just plain poppycock.
I closed the book annoyingly and stared at it. It was getting me nowhere. Plus, I didn’t care what Xander was; I just wanted to know what was wrong with me!
I was so irritated and angry that blue sparks came out of my hands when I slammed them on the table to get up.
The sparks swirled slowly, then increased in speed.
I was panicking. Nothing I did made it stop. I had lost control.
The invisible blue force threw the book on the ground, and it started shaking face up on the carpeted floor. The cover flew open, and pages flipped quickly by themselves until they stopped, and the crackling of blue light subsided.
I stayed frozen in place, eyeing the encyclopedia. I was reeling in all my emotions so I wouldn’t make another involuntary outburst of power.
It opened the book on a page with Mate Bond written at the top. I grabbed it and held it with my left arm while I read, lightly sliding my other hand over the page.
“As the Faiths demand balance in all magical things, Lycanthropes and shifters must find their fated mates to procreate. The males and females Lycan and shifter can use their sense of smell and instinct to detect their mate. It is more complicated when the fated mate is human, as they do not know of their mate unless they meet. At which time, both species will feel an indescribable magnetism to their other half.
Some reported tingling sensations or the feeling of fire deep within their skin upon touching their mate. Most females, shifters and humans alike will go in and out of heat—a state which prepares the females to mate, as the male pheromones activate the breeding process, and it is completed with the mate bond—”
I threw away the book and grabbed the side of the table to stay upright. This was too much for me. I couldn't be in heat, could I?
No. That was impossible!
My breathing started getting ragged and short. I was hyperventilating and knew I would probably lose consciousness if I kept this up.
As if on cue, black dots started swimming in my vision.
The table toppled over with my weight, and my hands and knees hit the floor.
The glass oil lamp on the table fell and broke; some bits of glass cut my forearms as I sank lower to the ground.
I thought I heard banging on my door, but it was probably the pounding of blood rushing to my head.
I fell on my side, and before darkness swallowed me, I woozily saw that someone had busted open my chamber door and repeatedly said my name.
Cressida POV—The day of the uprising It was dreary outside, and the musty old library where my magic professor showed me spells did nothing for my boredom. I had been at it for hours, creating the same round sphere of light between my hands. The reasoning behind the spell was that I could make this ball into anything I wanted: a source of light, warmth, or protection. I had perfected it years back, and I didn’t understand why Otis was so pent up on me working on it today. “Princess, you need to master basic energy spells before trying more advanced techniques. You know this! So, stop pouting and throw that damn ball at me!” Otis taunted. Fine! I’d give him precisely what he wanted if he wanted to practice attack and defence. I extended my hand and brought the other under, swirling the ball faster. I opted for offence, so I created a sizzle of electricity around the sphere. Should it hit Otis, his white hair and beard would puff from the static and shock, hopefully even incapacita
I was woken up by a heat flash, so I threw the sheets away from my body. I felt hot even though I could see goosebumps all over my arms and legs through my copper-coloured lashes.I tried to focus on my breathing and slowing down my heartbeat. At the rate it was pumping, I’d probably go into shock again.I was still too hot, so I clawed at my nightshirt. I needed to take it off quickly before I combusted.I sensed someone swatting away my fumbling hands and placing an arm behind my back and under my knees to lift me up. Then I was weightless, floating toward another dimly lit room.I felt faint from the insane heat pulsing through me, and after a moment, something wrapped me in a cold envelope. I didn’t think I had a fever anymore. It was simply me swimming in the cool darkness. My lungs had slowly returned to a normal breathing rhythm, and my limbs felt slightly numb from the cold. But I didn’t mind the sudden temperature change. I welcomed it.Soft fingers brushed my cheek, pushing
I was done fighting back my desires and welcomed their possession over my body.I dragged my nails over Xander’s chest, scratching his skin and leaving red trails everywhere. I suddenly wanted to leave whatever mark I could to finally show that he was mine.Xander’s arm snaked up the length of my back, and he fisted a bunch of my hair, crashing my lips to his once again.His kisses commanded attention, and I moaned when he bit my lower lip.He returned his arms to the front of my wet nightshirt and ripped it open. Buttons flew on the bed and rolled onto the floor.The sudden breeze against my breasts made them peak, and I felt Xander’s hands explore my mounds hungrily.He had moved his mouth down my jaw, following my neck, and kept kissing and nipping until his tongue latched onto my breast. His other hand made circular motions on the other, taunting me and making me wet.My juices started wetting the inside of my thighs; the heat was building up between my legs. I arched my back, all
I lay in Xander’s bed, basking in the pool of sun that shone directly over me. The higher part of the windows contained stained glass, and as the sun streamed from the half-closed curtains, it cast a rainbow of colours on my skin. It felt magical to see those dancing tints vanishing and reappearing from the movements of clouds in the sky. Xander had left early, not wanting to wake me. I groaned at the thought. I hoped that was the reason and not out of regret. Faiths, I hoped it wasn’t out of regret…. I hid my warm, red face in the pillow beside me to stifle my groan of embarrassment. I bit my bottom lip, thinking back to the steamy night I had shared with him and flushed a deeper crimson at the memories of his touch on my skin. The bedroom door opened, and it startled me to see Xander walk in, his gaze finding me immediately. I flashed him a stunned smile and bunched the covers to hide my nakedness. He removed the vest of his black two-piece suit and sauntered to my side. H
With Xander knowing I was a magic wielder, he had encouraged me to practice magic again. He assured me it would be safe in his quarters, and I believed him, but I was still wary of Leo. The boy had always known this world—this hatred against Unnaturals. I didn’t know what he would do if he saw me performing a spell. Still, I engagingly accepted Xander’s encouragement and trained regularly by doing spells. I always did so when I knew I was alone. I was a little rusty, so I asked Xander if he had any books on spells or casting techniques in the estate. He had looked everywhere after I made the request, but the answer to my question had been “no,” and I received an unfortunate look from Xander, who knew this was important to me. It didn’t surprise me that there weren’t any books on that subject anymore. After Osprey came to power, anything regarding magic was destroyed. Priceless knowledge simply vanished at the beginning of his reign. It broke my heart. I almost regretted my lazines
Xander POV I looked over the finances. I felt terrible leaving Ida alone in my wing while I tended to business my father had ordered. I longed to be back with her, and my Lycan was in one of his moods. I had a lot of difficulties keeping him in check ever since we had found our mate. For him, it was inconceivable that we parted from her. I kept reminding him of our duties, but he snarled at me. Besides, I was down to our last bit of business before I could call it a day and finally be able to see her. I had to get Ida’s papers from Mr. Crane, my notary. I had them drafted the morning after I had marked her, but I was missing some information before they could be signed and sealed. I had finally gotten word that they were ready. Ida had reluctantly provided some information about her family and past, simply saying that she didn’t have a last name since she was orphaned and lived most of her life as a slave in different houses. It made my job harder since I had nothing to go on. Not
Sitting in the main parlour, I looked over the papers Xander had drafted for my freedom. I traced the ink of my new name with my index finger. It was written in beautiful cursive lettering: Ida Raven. It felt bizarre to see it written on an official piece of paper. Papers that were supposed to prove my free citizenship in Airedah. I was no longer a slave to the new regime. Legally binding documents… that were a complete lie. I thought of my father and mother and silently asked what they would think of their daughter’s new identity. Would my choices to survive for the past decade disappoint them? I had buried the Cardinal name to ensure I did not perish alongside them—but would they approve? Wouldn’t the fact that I could live secretly ease their deception? The Cardinal line was not dead, not entirely—Princess Cressida still lived inside me. She wasn’t gone, simply hiding until it was safe to come out. But I feared that the new Cressida would never be a sliver of what she once was;
I had woken up early with Xander to go find Leo. Xander had given me a blanket and asked me to wait in the hallway before entering the room. Once he called me in, I lifted my hand with the oil lamp and entered the darkness. Through the flickering flame of the light, I noticed the small boy lying naked on the ground. I curiously looked around and noticed deep bloody scratches in the stone walls. There was a small table and a single chair. I guessed it was for Xander when he came over to stay with the boy through hard nights. Xander had explained that since wolves respected Alphas and he was naturally stronger than most shifters, Leo’s wolf never attacked him. He did have to restrain him with a shackle around the neck and one leg when Leo became a danger to himself, though. When I reached the boy, I placed the light on the ground and pulled the blanket over his tiny body. Xander slid a strong arm under him and lifted him. We brought Leo back to his room, where we cleaned and put him