The Kings Mate

Ryder was over the top of me, his body shaking as he protected me from the still falling debris. My head throbbed from the impact of hitting it against the hard earth. My heart pounded as I realised what I was stuck in the middle of.

All of my guards, plus others were stood, shifted into their wolves, in a tight circle around us. Turning my head I could see that wolves were fighting the deformed and mangy forms of the rebels. They equalled us in numbers, even with the alphas and there best fighters, it was an even fight.

Deep and feral growls filled the field. I couldn’t think straight with all the noise. I hadn’t noticed that Ryder had removed himself from me and was pulling me up and placing me onto the back of Reynolds blonde wolf.

“Don’t.” My hand was gripped tightly into the material of Ryder’s shirt. I wasn’t about to let him lock me up in our room, making me wait and worry that he might not come back to me.

His eyes were desperate as he shook his head at me. Quickly he bought a hand up to the back of my neck and hurriedly pressed a kiss to my lips. My eyes watered when I knew that his kiss was a goodbye.

“I love you.” His hand slipped from my skin as Reynolds pushed himself forward. The last thing I saw of him was him shifting into the beautiful body of his wolf.

Never had I seen my guards move this fast. The movement was making me sick. My hands locked tighter into his fur when we slide across the wet marble floor. There were rebels inside the castle as well. The sprinklers rained down on us, the water falling in my eyes, making it difficult to see the wolves that were moving to attack us.

“Hold on,” Reynolds growl echoed through my mind. I was already holding on tightly but I managed to latch my fingers further into his fur, watching my knuckles turn white as I did.

Reynolds lips pull back exposing the gleam of his teeth in warning to the rebels. His snarl was met by ferocious growls. The rebels had blocked off the stairs. If they wanted to get me to safety they would have to fight.

“Get me to Ryder’s office.” I tell Reynolds through the mind link.

“No, the security is best in your suite.” Reynolds was moving towards the rebels now, effortlessly ripping through the skin of the ones that had gotten to close.

“Take me to Ryder’s office Reynolds.” He growled and he shakes his big head with my order.

There were only a few rebels left now and Reynolds easily moved past them with my guards following behind us now that more of Ryder’s guard entered the castle. My own guards shot confused looks at Reynolds as he moved towards Ryder’s office instead of my suite were I was guaranteed the best safety.

Reynolds slowed once we were in the large office. Sliding off his back, all my guards run into the room behind us. The already thick and heavy doors close behind us, the even thicker protective metal that was laced with silver falling down over them.

Once I was secure in the room Reynolds shifted without warning and I didn’t have time to turn before I got an eye full. I hadn’t meant to, but my eyes flicked down without my intention. My face reddened as my thoughts instantly moved to compare him to Ryder.

Ryder was bigger.

Shaking my head of the thoughts, I concentrate on the big problem. My feet carry me across the room and behind Ryder’s desk, where I have to keep my thoughts from roaming back to what happened on it earlier in the week. I wasn’t pregnant yet. Ryder was going to tell me when he had scented it on me. I hope he still had the chance to.

“You aren’t safe in here. Your room is the best place for you.” Reynolds said coming up behind me, now wearing a pair of shorts.

Opening one of the cupboards I pull out the bow I was used to using, but instead of taking the practice arrows, I take the satchel that is full of the sharpened silver arrows. My hands lingered on the items that I had become greatly accustomed to.

“No,” This time it’s Cole that speaks as he steps up beside me. “You’re safety is priority. You are not going out into that danger.” My eyes moved to look at Cole standing at my side in his human form. His usual calm demeanour was lost. He was unsettled. “As much as you enjoy archery, it is more of a hobby then a combat skill. It is only to ever be used as self-defence. I am not allowing you to walk into one of the most dangerous wars we have ever seen.” Cole was often quiet and hiding in the background but now he was very outspoken.

Opening my mouth I go to counter what he says but Reynolds speaks first. “You don’t want to hear it Lottie but he is correct. We can’t lose you, this kingdom won’t lose you.”

“I am the queen.” I yell. My hands tighten around the bow and satchel. I had never yelled before and I took a deep breath, trying to reign in my anger. “The kingdom won’t lose me and I won’t lose them. The main reason you can’t lose me is because of an heir. You may not have me but you still have what you need to create one without me. I will protect my kingdom.”

Both of their mouths tightened after I finished speaking. They couldn’t argue with me. Their heads dropped. It was awhile before they finally looked back up. They had been mind linking with each other.

“Ryder is going to kill us.” Cole grumbles before he turns to step behind me and to get into the cupboard that I had opened.

My chest still raised and fell rapidly, my heart beating strongly as the adrenaline starts to pump through my body. Reynolds was having the same reaction as he made eye contact with me. He growls lightly in his throat as he takes whatever Cole held out.

When I noticed that it was a thick padded vest I slipped my arms through it and allowed Reynolds to strap it up tightly across my chest and stomach. His hands lingered over my stomach for a short second. He was worried but he was going to worry me as well. There was no point in me staying safe just so I could produce an heir if my child didn’t have anyone one to rule.

“If it gets to dangerous Lottie I will be getting you out of there even if you order me to stay.” I give him a single nod.

Taking a step back he shifts back into his wolf and Cole is quick to help me back onto him, tightening something around my waist and back around Reynolds front legs. Cole exhales deeply and shakes his head, grumbling again. “He’s going to kill us. Then probably tie you to the bed.” His eyes meet mine and we exchange a knowing glance.

If it were any other time I wouldn’t be complaining about the idea but I had to concentrate.

“Think about this again Lottie.” He was pleading with me now, a small whimper leaving his muzzle.

My hand rubs over his fur, hoping to reassure him. “I can help Reynolds. You just need to keep me safe while I do.”

“I’ll always keep you safe Lottie.”

The other wolves bristled around us as Cole stood at the doors. He gave me another look, asking me again not do this but I nod to the door telling him to open them. Pulling the doors open Cole instantly shifts, nosing the doors open completely.

The sounds of the battle going on outside push against my ears through the now open doors. The whimpers of wolves caused my chest to tighten and I fell forward a little on Reynolds neck. My heart hurt to know that the wolves that I was supposed to lead were being wounded.

“Lottie,” Reynolds backed up a few steps, away from the door.

“I’m fine.” Pushing back up from his neck, I breathe deeply trying to loosen the feeling in my chest. “Let’s go.”

Putting all of his strength into his hind legs Reynolds pushes himself off the ground and out the door. The walls of the castle fly past us as Reynolds takes me back down to where the main fight is. Getting ready I stretch my hand back and pull out one of the arrows and draw it up.

Reaching the first floor Reynolds skids to another stop. I knew he wasn’t going to get me to close to an actual fight and that was what was happening right in front of us. Three castle guards were battling four rebels.

Lifting my bow, I take aim and release the arrow into one of the closest rebels. The silver of the arrow whistled through air as it lodged it’s self into the sensitive are of the rebels rugged skin of its neck. The rebel fell to the ground without even a whimper. It didn’t move as the warrior that was fighting it turned its attention to another.

I’d just killed a wolf.

My thoughts couldn’t stay with what I had done for long. My eyes saw another rebel sink its teeth into a warrior’s hind leg. Grabbing another arrow, I release it into the rebel. I had missed my mark of letting it land in his neck and instead I got him just behind his shoulder.

With the last rebel down another one of my wolf’s jumps in, sinking its teeth in to the rebel’s neck and pulling out a chunk of skin. The sight of the bloody chunk of flesh sitting on the once white marble floor makes me gag a little but I don’t have time to react as the wolves that were fighting before are now leading us out to the field.

I had expected some of the wolves to give me a strange look but when they turned back to look at me they gave me a quick nod and moved to stand in closer to the formation that my guards had created around me. The respect they felt for me rolled of them and I felt that the respect and my need to protect gave them all that they needed to continue to fight.

Instantly my eyes fall on the black and white wolf across the field that was Ryder. He was fighting off three wolves at once and I hoped desperately that one of them wasn’t George. Pulling my eyes back from him I look over at all the other wolves that were fighting.

I only had a hundred, well ninety eight arrows and there were many more rebels than that. Reynolds was surveying the area and debating which fight was the least dangerous to get me close to. He looked towards where there were only a few wolves fighting and he moved around the back of them.

It took me only a minute to have the arrows buried in the two rebels and have them dead at the feet of the warriors.

“Take me in close to them.” I say to Reynolds before he has the chance to take me around to more wolves. Reynolds actually growls at me a little, the fur around my fingers sticking up a little as he does. “I just want my arrows back.”

Slowly he walks closer to the wolves that didn’t have a heartbeat and were gradually shifting back to their human forms. He had his lips pulled back ready to attack if they were to suddenly pop up. Reaching down over the side of Reynolds I pry out the silver arrows and slide them back into the satchel after wiping the blood off on the thick black denim of my jeans.

Before I even have the chance to properly string up another arrow, I’m freeing it and watching it land into a rebel that was attacking Cole on my left. The rebel let out a small whimper as it struck him in the side of his stomach but he didn’t stop fighting his claws trying to get a desperate hold in anywhere on Cole’s body. Cole was moving too fast to feel the sting of the rebel’s claws however.

Cyrus, who had been on the right of Reynolds and I, noticed that Cole wasn’t getting far and pounced over the back of Reynolds, tackling the rebel to the ground. Cole took his chance with the rebel down and sunk his teeth into its neck with the intent to kill.

I had to turn my head away from the drips of blood moving down Cole’s muzzle. I felt bile rise in my throat at the sight and then my body sway a little. Being a human girl I thought I would have been ok with the sight of blood but I felt turned off on it in that moment.

As I looked back up I noticed that a number of the rebels were falling back into the woods with a promising growl of return to the wolves that were still standing. My eyes moved back over to where I knew Ryder was. He was still fighting off another wolf that was covered in more scars than fur.

It was Ryder against the one rebel. All the other wolves were nervously pacing around the dual, teeth glinting and ready to step in if needed. It wasn’t Ryder that needed the help. It was us.

Both my guards and I were so distracted by what was going across the field we didn’t notice the rebels sneaking back up behind us. Wolves of the royal guard were still surrounding us but not enough to keep the rebel’s away from me.

It was three rebels to each wolf that was trying to protect me. My heart pounded as I reached back to grab another arrow. I felt so rushed I didn’t even aim properly, just towards the rebels that I knew were trying to hurt my wolves.

I had managed to get four rebels down before one started snapping at my leg. I hadn’t thought about doing it but my leg kicked out and landed squarely on the rebel’s nose. It withdrew back and I took my chance to release another arrow into its neck before it had the chance to come back at me again.

Reynolds was sinking his teeth into more rebels as they became closer. He was trying to keep his movements to a minimum so he wasn’t jostling me too much on his back. The fight was evening out more and the ratio was beginning to work more in our favour than in theirs.

A grunt left my mouth when a rebels head collided with Reynolds side. Leaning forward I buried myself against Reynolds neck as he rolled. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get himself back onto his feet.

The rebels that had hit Reynolds now went for his neck while another held him to the ground. There was a throbbing pain running through my spine from the force of which I hit the ground and I had lost feeling in my leg from the weight of Reynolds wolves weight still resting on it.

Even with the pain that I felt I pulled another arrow and shoot it into the neck of the rebel that was trying to kill one of the most important people in my life. Just as I was about to sting another arrow and let it sink into the other rebel that was attacking us, its teeth sunk into my leg instead.

I couldn’t help the scream that left my mouth. The rebel’s teeth weren’t in my leg long before one of my other guards was quick to push it away from me. Pulling the strap that held me to Reynolds I push at his weight so I can slide my leg out from underneath him.

Reynolds wasn’t moving. I could still hear that his heart is beating but there was a gash in his hind leg and an even bigger gash over his stomach. There was a lot of blood. I wanted to move over to him and check that he’s ok but rebels were still trying to get me.

Pushing myself up to my feet I struggle to stay standing. There were only a handful of rebels left but they weren’t giving up without a fight. The wolves that were left weren’t trying to kill the rebels. They were only trying to make them surrender.

Just when I feel comfortable enough to take a step closer to Reynolds now that all the left over rebels had been subdued and my guards looked alert around me. At the rate I was going and with the decisions that I was making it may have been better if Ryder did actually tie me to the bed.

I felt the main force of the impact come from behind. The large paws of the rebel pushed against my shoulder blades forcing me back to the ground. I groaned when I fell sharply onto my hip, my head rebounding against the ground once again. My head was still hurting from the first impact but now I felt like I was about to pass out, it hurt so much.

Rolling to my back I felt a pressure against my stomach. Opening my eyes I just saw the ragged skin of the rebels’ paw that Ryder was fighting earlier against my stomach. My hands were futile as I tried to push it off me, it just increased the weight. When it tried to extend its claws, it quickly yelped and pulled back as another wolf moved over the top of me.

My eyes couldn’t focus on the wolf above me but I could feel that it was Ryder. He was growling at the rebel that had hurt me, showing his elongated teeth as he stood protectively over the top of me. The rebel quickly bolted as he realised that he wasn’t going to get anywhere and about twenty of the royal guard wolves chased after him.

My eyes rolled over to Reynolds still unmoving. The remaining rebels had now been captured and were being taken back inside the castle with an escort of three guards each. The field was mostly quiet now. Only the voices of some women that were tending to the injured wolves could be heard.

“You idiot.” Ryder’s hands were on my cheeks forcing me to look at him. He was breathing heavily and he was shaking so much I was surprised he could hold his wolf back that well. “Do you know how many times you could have died?”

Trying to pull myself from his hold I look back towards Reynolds. “You need to help him.”

Placing one arm in front of the other I try to pull myself over to Reynolds. Ryder only had a few scratches but he was covered in more dirt and sweat than blood. Reynolds needed help.

“Lottie,” Ryder’s voice was quiet and came out in a slow exhale.

I didn’t stop moving. I was close to Reynolds.

“Stop moving sweetheart.” It had almost sounded like he was crying. I had felt like crying as well. After this I knew that Ryder was going to set stricter rules on me and not let me leave our room and if I had to do it without someone I could trust like Reynolds I would go insane.

“Lottie, stop.” This time Ryder had grabbed me.

My eyes blurred as tears finally fell from my eyes. I tried to push away his hands but my head was starting to hurt more, my movements lethargic. Even though my eyes were blurry I could see that he was in tears himself.

“He’s getting help now please stop moving or you’ll hurt yourself more as well.” His voice was worried as his eyes flicked over every inch of my body, surveying every little nick to check that I wasn’t suddenly going to bleed out.

Riley falls onto her knees next to me and leans up over me after she throws a pair of shorts towards Ryder. She has a small light in her hand and she tries to point it in my eyes but it hurts too much. Ryder is back down beside me now, a hand on my forehead as he tries to keep my eyes open for Riley to check.

“It hurts.” My voice was groggy. I was about to pass out and nothing could stop it.

“Lottie, stay awake for me.” Riley had dropped the light and was now gently tapping my cheek to get me to stay awake but Ryder slapped her hand away. She shakes her head and looks back up to Ryder. “We need to get her to the hospital wing now. I need to do tests to check there is no serious problem.”

“It’s going to be ok Lottie.” Ryder said as he gently lifted me up from the ground. It was only us here now and Reynolds body was gone.

The second my head fell against Ryder’s chest and I heard the steady beat of his heart I allowed myself to finally fall asleep.

My knees were drawn up to my chest and my head buried into them as I just cried. The careers had let me have my own room for the night so I could have some privacy. My hands hadn’t stopped shaking from the moment Henry had locked the door to his room.

I couldn’t talk. I had sat at the police station with Heidi by my side all day. The officer that had gotten me out of the room kept trying to speak to me and tell her what happened but every time I opened my mouth I couldn’t manage to get any words out.

Finally arriving back at the home was overwhelming. As soon as I had stepped through the front doors all the excited and high pitched voices of the girls had stopped and all their eyes had moved back over to look at me. They had started to whisper and Heidi had to lower her hand to my back and push me from the room.

It hurt. All I wanted was someone to love me and now whenever I thought about what he had said to me my dreams had been destroyed. A part of me knew that wasn’t how a father gave his daughter love but in that moment I didn’t really care. I just wanted a father.

A knock at the door sounded through the room and I buried my head further into my knees. “Go away.”

The door opened anyway and I felt the weight of the bed sink beside me. If it were anybody else they would have just left me alone but when I feel a comforting pair of arms wrap around my shoulders I know that it’s Heidi. I welcome the warmth that her touch provides me.

“It’s going to be ok.” She whispers to me as she strokes through my hair. It was dirty and knotted but she was still giving me comfort. “He’s going to go away for a long time. It wasn’t only you he did this to and he had kidnapped Nicola. She didn’t want to be there anymore than you did.”

I stayed quiet. Her words weren’t going to help me. I was never going to find a family.

“I know what you’re thinking Lottie.” She pulls back away from me and forces my face up to look into her eyes.

She was already in tears. The streaks of water did nothing to disturb the immaculate make up that she had caked onto her face earlier that morning. Her tears had actually managed to make her look more real. She had been good to me.

“Don’t let what he did make you think you are not worth it.” She ran a finger over my cheek and it was then that I realised I had started to cry myself. “You are one of the most amazing people here, staff included. You might not find a family but I do know that you will find one of the most amazing guys, or girls, doesn’t matter, and they will care for you with all they have because they will love you for you. What happened to you today, in your past and the day that you came here, none of that will matter. They will be your family and with them you’ll make it bigger with the love that you share with each other.”

Heidi’s hands shook as she wrapped me back up in her arms. I don’t know if I completely believed her words but they had warmed my heart. If she had believed that for me than I don’t know why I couldn’t but I there was just no way I could push that thought into my mind as a possibility. There was always a chance that it wouldn’t happen and I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

“Will you please eat something?” She asked me after a while and I had felt my tears dry on my cheeks.

I shook my head as I pulled back away from her and back in on myself. She sighed deeply but didn’t push the subject. Lifting her hand up she ran it back through my hair and pushed the loose strands that had fallen forward back out of my face.

“You’re not going to want to believe this but I love you, Charlotte. You’ve been in the godforsaken place for so long it’s hard not to.” She pushes herself up from the bed when I look away from her. “Please don’t do anything stupid.”

With that she leaves the room. The exaggerated tone of her voice had actually managed to bring a smile to my face.

Once I was alone again it hit me all again what happened. Every time I woke up here I would be reminded of what had almost happened to me. Whenever the prospect of being adopted by a new family approached I would be questioning what they were going to do. I would never be able to grow to close to anyone again after what he had done to me.

Getting of the bed I grabbed the backpack I had used for school and stuffed a few pairs of clothes and shoes in it. It was an impulsive decision but anything was better than being in here. The bedroom was on a second story and to get out of it I had to pull the sheet of the bed and tie it to something so I could get down without hurting myself.

I gave one last look at the two dark doors that lead into Carlett home for girls and turned away from them forever. I never wanted to see them again.

“I’m sorry Heidi,” I whispered to myself, pulling the hooded jumper around me tighter as I had started feel the sharp cold fall of the snow. “I can’t do it anymore.”

There was no life for me there.

***

The flashback left me lost. Since Heidi came back into my life I had regretted the way that I had left without telling her that I was going to leave. I didn’t however regret leaving that hellhole. I knew I would have been in a lot worse position in my life if I had stayed.

Pushing away the thoughts of my past, I concentrate on what was happening now.

My heart thumps heavily against my chest. It echoed through my ears as I tried to listen out to where else I was. There were a lot of muffled noises and my guess was that I was still in the hospital room of the castle.

The teeth marks didn’t look deep enough when I saw them to warrant a visit to the hospital. All they needed were a few stitches and a bandage and they would heal quickly if Ryder was close enough. I hated being in the hospital room.

Ryder?

Even with all my senses dulled I knew I would have been able to feel him close to me. If I had to be in the hospital I knew he wouldn’t have to be too far. I couldn’t feel his touch and I couldn’t even feel his presence close to me.

“Ryder,” I managed to croak out.

More mumbles hit my ears but I couldn’t make sense of what was being said. I felt touches moving over me as well but the pressure was so light I didn’t know what they were. They might have broken my arm and I wouldn’t have cared.

“Ryder,” the word felt stronger this time.

Lifting a finger from the coarse material of the bed sheets I force my body to try and feel something, to feel Ryder and know that he was close and ok.

“Lottie,” Riley’s words are pushing through the haze of my mind now. “I need you to stop moving.”

I hadn’t even realised that I was moving until I noticed that the light pressure I had felt was my arms being held down to the bed. I kept squirming in there hold, my muscles and limbs finally starting to move the way that I want them to. I also realised that the only thing that I was wearing was my bra. My jeans, shirt and underwear were gone and I was exposed to everyone that was in the room with me.

“I want to see Ryder.” My voice was steady again as I tried to sit back up.

“He’s too unnerved to be in here now. He’s more of a risk than a help to you and I won’t allow it.” Her hands were putting a lot of pressure on my thighs now, trying to keep them still as she pulled them back to the bed.

Slowing down my movements I listen into the sounds that were happening outside of the room. There were growls and crashing noises but through it all I could hear Ryder calling out to me. I wanted him here now.

Forcing my eyes open I see that one of the people holding me down is Allie and she seemed to be struggling to hold me. When I meet her eyes they softened and she had to look away from me with a shake of her head.

“Stop moving Lottie.” She whispers as she runs a reassuring thumb over my skin.

“If she doesn’t stop soon Allie, I’m going to sedate her.” Riley moves away from me and over to a side table picking up a needle. If she wanted me to stop moving, her actions weren’t making me feel any better.

“Let me see Ryder.” I yelled out in an order not caring about the scratch I felt in my throat.

Riley was moving over to me now and no matter how I moved I couldn’t escape her grip as she tried to pull my arm into her grip. I screamed for Ryder again as I felt the sharp pinch of the needle entering my arm. The colliding noises grew outside with a number of grunts and groans.

I was falling back asleep now and Allie had started to stroke through my hair in a motherly manor.

“I want to see Ryder.” My voice was groggy again.

“I know you want to sweetheart but his distraught already. Letting him into the room is not going to be good for you,” Her head fell and when she lifted her eyes back up to me they have water in them. “…or for your pup.”

My breath caught in my throat, my body starting to shake. I tried to move a hand to cover my stomach but it was still being pinned to the bed.

“He nearly lost the both of you today and he won’t be able to tell the truth between someone hurting or helping you.” She looked down at Riley that was now between my legs as she started to push against my lower abdomen with Eleanor stood at her side. “You’re bleeding a lot but there’s still a heartbeat. It’s best if you fall asleep, your body will be relaxed.”

Gently I managed to shake my head. I was worried about my pup now and if I couldn’t have any control over what happened and I wanted its father beside me.

“I know you want him Lottie but I swear I am not going to leave your side until he can have you in his arms. Go to sleep sweetheart.” Whether I wanted to stay awake or not, I had no choice, my eyes fell closed and I tried hard to hear the sound of my child’s heartbeat before the darkness fell over me.