Fate Stained - Part Two

“Absolutely not! Quinn! This is crazy!”

Jayce’s voice bellowed behind me as I stormed into Blake and Cameron’s house. I entered the kitchen to find the wolf-mage hybrid feeding the triplets as they sat in their high chairs whilst Felix slept soundly in a basket on the dining room table.

“I’m sorry to disturb you” I panted as Blake’s shocked eyes met mine, “But I need your help”

“What do you need?”

“No” Jayce growled, finally catching up.

The monster of a man stood behind me in the kitchen doorway, his hands on his hips as his stare narrowed at me in annoyance. I rolled my eyes and turned back to face Blake.

“Ignore him. I need you to open a portal to get me to Flynn, Kyan and Cam”

“Why? What happened?” She asked, a level of panic creeping into her voice.

“You didn’t tell her?” I snapped, turning back to face my mate; who now shuffled uncomfortably on his feet.

“I was about to”

“Tell me what? I felt bonds break, but I knew they weren’t Cameron’s…obviously. Will someone please tell me what the Hell is going on!”

My gazed shifted back to Blake and to the triplets, who were too engrossed in their afternoon tea to worry about our conversation.

“Two beheaded Fern Creek wolves came back through the portal, Corey and Jordan, then the portal closed. I need you to send me out there”

Blake chewed on her bottom lip, staring at the very obvious baby bump that I was sporting.

“Quinn…I—”

“I can stop this! Please, don’t make me order you”

“Quinn. This is absurd!” Jayce barked, turning me around to face him, “This is no longer just about you and what you want to do. You are carrying our baby. I should have a say in this too - and I say no!”

Snorting, I pushed Jayce back from me.

“Your baby? And who says she is your baby anyway? You don’t know, nobody knows! What if it’s Kyanite’s? What if he gets killed out there? Are you just going to let this baby grow up without a father?”

The instant hurt in Jayce’s face was like a dagger to my heart. I regretted the words as soon as I said them but it was too late to take them back now.

“This baby will never grow up without a father, regardless of what happens. You know that and I know that”

As far as answers went, that was a pretty good one. I allowed my features to soften slightly and reached out to hold Jayce’s hand. He sighed as my fingers laced with his. The man had known and loved me for three years, he also knew how stubborn I was, this was not an argument he was about to win.

“You need to trust that I would never do anything to put this baby in harm’s way. If we lose our men out there then there is no way we will be able to keep those bastards out when they arrive at our gates. We need Flynn, Kyan and Cameron back here and safe. I know what I need to do”

The internal battle Jayce was fighting was brutal. I knew it. The glint in his eyes, the pulsing muscle in his jaw, the grinding of his teeth…everything in his mind and body was screaming at him to say no; but what a waste of breath that would be.

Blake. I need you to open that portal. Don’t let Jayce through it after me. I can read him like a fucking book.

It’s already open. Just outside the front door. You bring my mate back. You hear?

Of course.

“Ok. But I’m coming with you” Jayce grunted eventually.

“No. You’re not”

“Qui—”

Not letting Jayce finish his sentence, I released my hands from his and kicked his muscular legs out from under him, then I was sprinting out the front door before he even knew what was happening.

Blake was right. The swirling mass of blue was there, waiting for me and with no time to hesitate, I jumped through it, instinctively cradling my belly as the buzzing portal zapped me out of Fern Creek.

Kyanite POV

I’d never fought a bear before, let alone twelve of them. They fought differently from wolves and panthers. They weren’t as fast and agile, but God they were strong. They also had a dexterity that panthers and wolves just didn’t possess and could use their giant claws almost as effectively as hands.

I ducked another swipe from the monster I was fighting. He was slowing down and I knew from the pool of crimson at his feet that the animal was bleeding out. Another swipe, I ducked it again and this time retaliated with a swipe of my own. The giant grizzly bear, now too weak to dodge my blow, crumpled to the ground in a mass of brown, blood stained fur. I stood back for a second, waiting as the light in his eyes went out.

Two down.

I took this brief moment to catch my breath and turned to face the battle that ensued before me. Black panthers and wolves in varying colours fought side by side, I’d never seen anything quite like it. Together they worked to rip bears apart, using their strengths to bring the beasts down. I’d felt one of my panther claw bonds break earlier, and, as my eyes scanned the battling bodies, I could now see my fallen.

Tarnell. May Apollo guide you safely to the paradise that awaits your soul.

Where is King Darius? - one of my panthers linked me between killing another bear and moving on to the next - I cannot sense one of these beasts being more powerful than the others.

He was right. These bears, as strong and skilled as they were, were warriors - there wasn’t a King in sight.

The coward isn’t here. Some leader he is.

I hissed and jumped headfirst into the fight, leaping on to the back of one the bears that Flynn was battling. Flynn was now in his own panther form, a dazzling gold cat with ice blue eyes. I watched as the tribrid-warlock had effortlessly shifted between his animals, depending on what skill set he required at the time to defeat his current foe.

With my jaw firmly locked on to the nape of the bear’s neck, Flynn reared back, then using his razor sharp claws, swung forward and sliced the bear’s torso from collarbone to pelvis, it’s organs spilling out everywhere on to the ground before him.

We both looked around, six bears remained. I clenched my teeth a growled, my claws digging into the soil at my feet as another severed bond tore through my body. I looked across the battle to see another of my panthers falling limply to the ground, a large, brown beast standing over him.

I was just about to tear through the forest in his direction when Cameron’s wolf caught the bear off guard, his teeth sinking effortlessly into the furry flesh at the front of his neck. The bear’s roar was drowned in the gurgling sound of blood as Cameron dangled from his jugular. Then, with the final sound of tearing flesh, the wolf dropped to the ground and landed on all fours with the bear’s oesophagus clenched firmly in his jaws.

It was times like this where I wished I could mind link other species because the gratification I felt towards the Beta in that moment for his ruthlessness towards the bear that killed my warrior, was immense. Instead, I waited until the wolf’s eyes met mine and gave him a simple nod - of which he returned before moving on to the next bear.

Just as I chose my next victim, a loud buzzing reverberated through the forest and a swirling pool of blue began building in front of us. My eyes darted over to Flynn, but with his focus firmly on the bear he was fighting alongside one of my panthers, I knew this portal was not his creation. I darted towards it, leaping over fighting bears and dead bodies. If this was a portal from Yo-Na then there was a very good chance Darius would be coming though it. I needed to kill him before anymore damage was done to my men and our allies.

But instead of a bear coming through the haze, I skidded to a halt as Quinn stepped through, her arms firmly wrapped around her belly that seemed somewhat bigger than it had been yesterday. As if instantly knowing where I stood, her eyes were drawn to me and a look of relief passed across her features. She then quickly a scanned the area and her body noticeably relaxed at the sight of both her brother and Beta.

What the fuck is she doing here?

Quickly getting over the joy of seeing her face, I was now left with the anger and frustration of seeing her here in the forest when she should be safely back in Fern Creek. That had been the agreement. Flynn and Cameron would come here to get me safely back and Quinn would stay in the compound to rest. But no. I should have known better - my Queen clearly had other ideas.

“ENOUGH!” The Shifter Queen roared, her voice tearing through the trees like a violent gust of wind, “As your Queen, I order you all to stop fighting!”

The sounds of growling, hissing, roaring and tearing flesh all stopped and my eyes widened as I looked around at the sight in front of me. Quinn’s order worked. The fighting ceased. Even Flynn, wether it was to due with his sister’s command or his own free will, had stopped fighting, shoving a bloodied bear to the side as he looked over to Quinn.

“Where is Darius?” Quinn hissed between clenched teeth.

My face fell as I saw the sweat beading on my mate’s forehead and the ticking of the muscle in her jaw. I quickly shifted back into my human form without a second thought and hesitantly moved towards her.

“He isn’t here. The coward sent his men in for slaughter” I answered.

Quinn’s eyes didn’t meet mine. She stared ahead, her body tense and rigid. I looked around at the few remaining bears and could see, quite clearly, that they were all trying their hardest to fight her command - mentally pushing back against it with everything they had.

“Quinn. You need to stop”

I looked over to Flynn. He’s shifted back into human form too and walked slowly in the direction of his sister, careful not to startle her. A faint trickle of blood began to appear from Quinn’s nostrils as she narrowed her glare on one of the bears closest to her.

“Yo-Na warriors. You will go back to your tribe and tell Darius that we do not have Norah. You will tell him that if he comes near my shifters again - I will kill him”

The bear closest to her growled, his lips curling up over his teeth as he fought back against the command.

“Quinn” I said gently, “Please, you’re hurting yourself”

“Get in the portal”

I looked to the portal, the magic beginning to waver as whoever held it open struggled to keep it that way.

“Quinn—”

“—Now! Panthers and wolves. Go through the portal now. That’s an order!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, my panthers and the remaining wolves, including the Beta, passed through the portal. My body twitched as I tried to fight the command.

“Kyan! Don’t fight it. You’re hurting her!”

Flynn raced to Quinn’s side and grabbed her shoulders. Seeing that she was with him, I reluctantly turned and leapt through the portal and allowed the buzzing whirl of electricity to take me back to Fern Creek.