The Shadow Howlers

Zaiden knelt next to Selena when she dropped her knees and cried silently. When she felt him next to her, she threw her arms around him and cried on his shoulder. The people in the dining hall looked on with concern, not understanding what was happening. When Selena calmed down, she pulled out her notebook.

The man who kidnapped me from my pack and took me to Last Moon is here. When Zaiden read what she wrote, he mindlinked the guards.

“Lock the palace down. There’s someone here who shouldn’t be, and he’s responsible for hurting Selena.” The guards moved quickly, locking all the dining hall doors and standing in front of them to prevent anyone from leaving. Zaiden helped Selena up, and she clung to him as everyone else wondered what was going on.

“Hello everyone, thank you for coming. As you can see, I met my mate. Her name is Selena, and she will be your queen. It seems we have an unwelcome guest. Please stay where you are while we sort this out.” There were gasps and whispers around the room. Zaiden turned to Selena and mouthed his words without speaking out loud so no one else could overhear what he said.

“Where is he?” Selena looked around and saw the man trying to hide his face in the corner. She wrote quickly.

He’s in the corner wearing a dark blue suit. He has light brown hair. Zaiden looked and saw the man she was talking about.

“The man in the corner with the blue suit, get him and take him to the dungeons now.” Zaiden mindlinked the guards. They moved on the man quickly. He tried to get away, but they were faster.

“Is there anyone else?” Zaiden asked Selena. She looked around the room carefully, studying each face, and didn’t recognize anyone. She looked up at Zaiden and shook her head.

“Please go ahead and begin eating; we’ll be back,” Zaiden said before he and Selena walked out of the dining hall with several guards. He stopped when they were in the hallway.

“I want to go to the dungeons to speak with him. Do you want to go or stay here?” Selena didn’t need to think twice. She wrote in her notepad.

I’m going with you. Zaiden kissed her and put his arm around her shoulders. He knew she was strong, but seeing that man had shaken her, and he didn’t like it.

When they got to the dungeon, the man was in a cell wearing a silver-laced collar. Selena began shaking when she saw him, and Zaiden tightened his hold on her.

“Why did you come here? Everyone at Last Moon was killed. How did you survive?” Zaiden asked while looking at Selena so she could see what he was saying.

“I’m not part of the Last Moon pack. I’m Selena’s guardian.” She read his lips and stared at him in shock. She pulled out her notebook and showed Zaiden what she had written.

“She wants to know how you can be her guardian when you’re the one who kidnapped her and took her to Last Moon because of what she saw the alpha doing,” Zaiden said.

“First of all, my name is Andrew, and I’m not from Last Moon. Yes, I did kidnap Selena from her pack, but it was to protect her from those wanting to hurt her. Last Moon warriors kidnapped her from me after they tried to kill me. When I discovered she was at Last Moon, I found it in ruins and learned she had been returned to her pack. I was then told she had gone to the Shadow Howlers. When I went there, the luna said Selena had mated to you, so here I am.” Selena read his lips but still didn’t understand.

Why would I need a guardian? She showed the notebook to Andrew. He sighed and knew it was time she knew the truth.

“I can tell you. I can also explain why you have no wolf and why you’re deaf. It would be best if we could do it privately, with just the three of us. Somewhere, we can be assured no one will hear us,” Andrew said. Zaiden looked at Selena. She felt nothing from Andrew that concerned her. He may have kidnapped her, but she couldn’t remember what happened after she was taken. She looked at Zaiden and nodded.

“Okay, but you’re keeping the collar on,” Zaiden said as he unlocked the door to the cell.

The three of them walked back to the palace. Selena didn’t know what to think. Nothing made sense anymore. She couldn’t wrap her head around why she would need a guardian or who would want her to have one. Not her parents, because she knew they were glad she had left. So, who else would care about her?

Zaiden could see the wheels spinning in Selena’s head. His thoughts were similar to hers: Why would she need a guardian, and who would appoint one, especially without her knowing?

Andrew followed the couple into the palace and to the king’s office. He hadn’t thought Selena would recognize him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have shown up to the royal dinner. His benefactor may not have been happy that he had to disclose the truth to her, but it was time.

Zaiden sat on the couch with Selena on his lap. He hoped to make her as comfortable as possible while Andrew told them what he needed to. Selena wrapped her arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Okay, tell us why my mate needs a guardian,” Zaiden said, kissing Selena’s forehead. Andrew looked at Selena so she could read his lips while he spoke.

“I’m not from this realm. I was sent here from the one where gods and goddesses rule. Eros is the God of love and protection. He fell in love with Psyche, the Goddess of the Soul. They went to his home, hoping to live peacefully, but that’s not what happened. Psyche’s sisters became extremely jealous of their relationship and began plotting ways to drive them apart. When Psyche became pregnant, they devised a plan and gave her an ultimatum. They would let her and her family live if she gave the child to Eros and returned home with them. Psyche loved Eros and her child, so she agreed to do whatever her sisters wanted in order to protect her family. However, the sisters were still not pleased about Eros having their sister’s child. So, one of them stayed behind when Psyche left. That sister took the sleeping child and sent it to Earth. Once a god or goddess from our realm is sent to Earth, they can never return.” Selena was more confused than ever. She wrote in her notebook and showed it to Andrew.

What does this have to do with me? Zaiden already knew what Andrew was going to say before he spoke.

“You’re the daughter of Eros and Psyche.”