Page 42 of The Unwanted Mate of the Lycan Kings
“A month ago?Zeke told me and Lyon he only returned for The Maze Games.”
Malachi’s brows pinch, and he shakes his head.“No, Zeke has been here for over a month.His kingdom is being run by his beta.”
“Excuse me?”
“You didn’t know?”King Regan shakes his head.
“Check the logbooks.He’s up to something.Ask any of the staff, but your father’s had issues since he arrived.”
“I noticed that he seems...”Regan doesn’t finish.
“Not himself...Yeah, he’s even been forgetting staff names.He’s attacked Shelley twice.He’s not of sound mind.”
“He attacked her?”Regan questions.
“Yes, I had to pull him off her at dinner the other night.It was like he forgot who she was.He called her Litha...thought she.”
“Litha is dead,” King Regan states.
“I know.I was there with you and watched her burn.But...I don’t know.It’s like he sometimes forgets what decade he is in.”Malachi worries, and by his aura, I can tell he genuinely loves and worries about his brother.
“I shouldn’t be telling you this.But—I owe him my life,” Malachi says sadly.
“I’ll find out what is going on.”
“And be quick.Zeke is hiding something.You need to find out what it is.”King Regan nods, and Malachi motions for the guards toopen the gates.King Regan stomps, and I look at Malachi.“Well, off you go.Keep up.”Malachi smiles.
“You didn’t tell him?”I ask.He looks at me, confused.
“Tell him what?”I pull my sleeve up a little, and Malachi instantly rips it back down to cover my wrist.
“Don’t let them see,” he hisses, glancing around at the other guards, who aren’t even looking in our direction.
“I had a hard enough time ordering the maids to forget.As for the vamps, I took care of them,” he whispers.“Now go and never mention this again.”
Malachi’s words leave me with more questions.I know a witch cursed the lycans, but why, after all this time, do they still hold a grudge?What’s done is done!Shaking my head, I race to catch up with Regan.He is already on the path, and once I reach it, I slow down.
Regan doesn’t seem to care if I keep up with his long strides as we walk into town.He seems to be on a mission to get this over with and get away from me, which is fine by me.
As he pulls further ahead, I stop trying to keep up.Instead, I take my own pace, looking for paths and alternate routes.I’m so lost in my thoughts on escaping that I’ve forgotten all about being in Regna’scare.When I look ahead of me, he’s gone.
Finally having a moment to myself, I pull one sleeve up my arm to reveal the fading rune, and I can’t help but wonder what this means.In order to revitalize them, I would need someone to point me in the direction of a variety of herbs, including wolfsbane, and a branding iron.I highly doubt King Regan would do so without asking questions.Plus, there is the issue of the spell Granny used.
Stopping, I glance at the forest lining the narrow footpath, wondering if I could find any of the herbs here.The fading rune has lost its normal shade of blue and has turned gray.The scar beneath is the only indicator of what it once was, yet the magic has faded, and I’m unsure if I can recreate it.
Granny used a spell I never paid attention to because I never understood the language she spoke when she did it.However, while unsupervised, I decide to wander off the path.I find some wild currents and pick them, popping them in my mouth and chewing before pickinganother handful and moving a little deeper.
Becoming absorbed in finding herbs and trying to locate the dreaded wolfsbane in the thick brush, I find crab apples and pick an entire handful of berries and fruit.
“Human!”I hear King Regan snarl, making me jump.He growls angrily, and I can hear him stomping through the forest.I sigh, knowing my mission to find the herbs I need is over.But I got currents!Although they are quite bitter in the wrong season, having them reminds me of home.
“Zirah!”Regan snarls.My arm starts burning again, and I glance down at it, seeing the next rune seem to blink.What is going on with me?Tugging my sleeve down, I turn my head toward the sound of his voice.
He breaks through the surrounding brush with a snarl on his face.“You’re testing my damn patience, girl!”
“And you’re testing my damn legs, Bigfoot.If you want me to remain by your side, remember I have shorter legs!You went ahead, so I detoured,” I retort.
“Your attitude is gettingon my damn nerves.Do you think I want to babysit you?”he snaps, grabbing my arm and tugging me back toward the path, using those impossibly long strides and a fast pace that leaves me stumbling to keep up.
