Sins Among Royals

As soon as the car pulled into the circular driveway of Craggy Bluff Noah raced from his seat out on to the porch, in through the door and down to the room he was supposed to be sharing with Indie.

He noticed there were more vehicles in the driveway and it only made the guilt and fear he felt all the more present. What had he done.

As he reached the narrow corridor that lead to the rooms hanging over the cliff face he was met with surly looks and grumpy stares. What right did they have to judge him? He noticed that some of security team growled at him as they crossed paths.

Reaching for the door he was quickly met by his aunt who stared down at him with an icy, cold glare. “If I didn’t have to treat you kindly because of who you are you’d be stuck under my damn boot right now Noah.” She growled and scolded. Never before had she seen someone treat their mate so poorly. It was neglect and though she had never heard of anyone dying Indie was on the verge when they found her.

Noah entered the room and was immediately taken aback by what he saw.

The healer stood from the side of the bed and bowed gently. She looked up at Noah with disgust and annoyance. “If she didn’t need you I’d have you thrown out.” The woman had a thick accent that hit Noah’s ears like a concrete brick.

Everyone seemed bothered by his presence as the seriousness of the situation fully hit him. He looked down at Indie and her skin was pale, her lips were still purple and her breathing was light. He walked to her side and reached his hand out to touch her. Part of him almost withdrew his hand when he felt her skin.

It was deathly cold and prickly. He placed his thumb in the palm of her hand as his heart sank. “I was too focused on the past that I almost lost my future.”

He knelt at her side and stared down at her emotionless still face. A deep pit of despair threatened to open inside him as he took his thumb and traced it down the side of her face, she was so still that it scared him. “What must I do?” He looked up at the healer who softened a little at the broken look on his face.

“Let your body warm her Noah. Even though she is unconscious her wolf should know you.” The wise eyes of the healer looked on at him sadly. “If she is too far gone then I’m afraid there is nothing to be done. Only the mate bond is strong enough to call someone back from the brink of death.” It was very rare for anyone to call a loved one back from the brink of death but there were a couple of documented cases. She just hoped this would be one too.

Noah climbed over Indie and crawled beneath the covers. Part of him didn’t think it was a great idea. He imagined if she woke up she wouldn’t be too happy seeing him there.

If. That word caught like a prickle in his throat as tears sprang to his eyes. If was a bad word and one he didn’t want to try too hard to think about.

He worked his arm under her neck and immediately shivered against the coldness of her skin. He wrapped his other arm over her waist and rested it against her stomach pulling her closer to him. Everything about her was cold. Everything about her felt dead but the very slight rise and fall of her chest sent hope blazing through him like a meteor racing through the night sky.

“We’ll check on you every hour. If there is improvement we’ll leave you till she wakes but if there isn’t then I’m not sure what else we can do.”

Noah ignored his aunt as his focus shifted completely to Indie.

The door opened and closed and the room became deathly silent. Noah could hear shuffling outside but soon that faded away as well.

“Indie,” he whispered as his voice broke through the silence. “I don’t know if you can hear me but I’m sorry for everything.”

He felt a silent tear track it’s way down his cheek as the hand he had resting on her stomach sought hers for comfort. “I promise I’ll always be there for you. No matter what you need or desire I will do everything in my power to make it happen.” Noah felt it deep within him. The words he spoke were his oath, his promise to be what Indie deserved.

He wallowed in anguish at his stubborn selfishness. She had not done a single thing to him, had barely said a bad word and was only ever herself and still he was blinded by his pain that he didn’t take time to truly listen to her or get to know her and now he had left her vulnerable and almost dead.

After what felt like hours he finally dozed off to a troubled sleep. The guilt he felt amplified a million times and when he woke Indie had not moved and her breathing was still shallow.

Before long the healer walked back through the door with his aunt and immediately he could tell that things weren’t good. Aunt Eliora had red puffy eyes and the healer looked grim.

“She hasn’t improved,” the woman sighed as Noah shifted his weight and propped himself up comfortably.

“What does that mean?” He asked quickly. “We recognized each other as mates when I visited her pack. I know she’s my mate!” Noah informed the two women as his annoyance quickly grew again.

“There could be many reasons Noah.” The healer began, “but I believe that she has been claimed by another or she has claimed another.”

The words came as a shock to Eliora and as she gasped a curious thought struck Noah.

“How can that be?” Eliora asked as she placed her hand on her chest and a frown furrowed her brows.

The healer looked between the two of them and sighed. “The mate bond and the mate claim are two different things. You can claim and be claimed by someone without having a mate bond but that just makes it more difficult for true mates to find each other.” Taking a breath she looked down on Noah. “I believe that was what Medea did to you. She mated with her true mate but kept her claim for you.”

The information was like a revelation to Eliora but still Noah was not surprised and the idea he was thinking only grew stronger. “I think I know who she claimed.” He responded quickly as he thought of the blond haired girl Indie had been hiding from when first they met. The girl who was the mate of one of his third in command. “Aunt get someone to call Leo and tell him to get here as quickly as possible.”

Eliora left the room quickly as a glimmer of hope crossed her tired features. She rushed back into the room just as quickly. “They’ve just pulled into the driveway Noah.” For the first time since they’d arrive a genuine smile graced Eliora’s lips, there was hope.

Leaving the door open Noah removed himself from beneath the covers but stayed close to Indie. She was warm from where he’d been laying but she was still very pale.

Standing in front of foe doorway he spied Leo and his mate in the distance, one of his security informed her of the situation and he heard a shriek before her shockingly blond hair began bouncing towards him. The look of steaming anger across her features was hard to miss.

“Noah Blackwood!!” She screamed as her eyes landed on his figure. Poppy stormed straight up to him and growled, “if she dies I am going to poke your eyes out and make you eat lego!” The hallway outside the room suddenly emptied and Eliora herself left the room.

“Don’t start. I’ve had threats from everyone else.” He sighed as she seethed in front of him clearly holding in her anger. For someone that was turned she had remarkable self control. “If you want to contribute positively to the situation I suggest you go in there and lay with her.” Part of Noah felt rejected and down at not being able to help Indie, at not being able to fix her.

Without another word Poppy pushed passed him and gasped. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes and began falling as her mate, feeling her pain, rushed into the room only to see what was going on.

Poppy brushed the hair from Indies face and kissed her forehead, “Come one my little princess of darkness! You have to pull through for me and your troll faced mate.” She pleaded with her friend, “but mostly for me!”

Noah rolled his eyes at her comments and tried to not let them get to him. He knew he would hear many more before Indie was better. If she got better.

“I will leave you two alone. If anything changes or you need anything just call.” He made sure she understood that before leaving the room with a rather disappointed Leo.

The healer closed the door and began explaining things to Poppy who remained silent and Noah found himself wondering if she instinctively knew what to do.

“What happened mate?” Leo asked his Alpha curiously. “Everyone looks like they want your head. It’s really tense here.” Leo was always treated like family even though they weren’t related in any way. Leo was part of the group Noah had grown up with and over time Leo filled the brother role Noah didn’t get from his sisters.

“She told me the truth about your mate and I just lost it. I left her on the island not thinking about her not shifting or being able to swim.” Indie really was peculiar for a werewolf as they were all born with the ability to swim.

“Poppy,” Leo began as Noah became lost in thought, “she told me Indie has forgotten how to shift. She doesn’t remember.” It was an interesting thought that she had been in human form so long she no longer remembered her animalistic side. “Poppy also said of the couple of times she’s tried to get Indie to shift it hasn’t ended well.” Leo tried searching his mind for things Poppy had mentioned about Indie. “Said she freaks out and runs off. Took them three days to find her last time apparently.”

Noah let what Leo said sink in. “She is a really odd girl.” He mused quickly, “I suppose she’s a perfect match for me.” He smiled. Small smile that disappeared as quickly as he muttered it.

The boys left to walk out on to the large veranda out the front.

“So what’s it like? What’s your mate like?” Noah asked distracting himself quickly. Part of him was genuinely curious to know what a true, harmonious relationship was like.

The broad warm smile that immediately flushed across Leo’s face said more than he ever could.