Daeton's Journey (Wiccan-Were-Bear Book 10) (4 page)

“Oh, fuck,” Perseus growled.

Ekho was more skeptical. “The white-haired wizard is dead.  Who in Hades would come after Daeton on his behalf?”

“I don’t know.”  Perseus glanced back at the burned home of Daeton’s friend, Perri.  “But he’s not going to get her.”

Chapter 3

Daeton sat on a small stool in the bathroom while Draya brushed her hair.  She didn’t care much for being attended to, but Draya and her sister, Fontaine, had grown up as servants in the castle of Prince Aedan, and they didn’t know much outside of that life.  She often told them she could do things on her own, but sometimes she would see them look frightened, as if they were afraid they’d displeased her.  So from time to time, like this morning, she let them fuss over her.  It also gave her time to think.

Draya ran a coarse-bristled brush through Daeton’s waist-length onyx hair, humming quietly.  Sitting on another stool by the window, Fontaine fixed the hem of a skirt that Daeton had been given by one of the Centaur mates, a pretty blonde named Vivi.  The skirt was too long and Daeton had tripped over it twice the first time she wore it, so Fontaine was raising the hem by two inches.

“What troubles you so?” Draya asked, her blue eyes meeting Daeton’s in the mirror that hung on the wall.

She sighed.  Perseus and Ekho had told her their belief that someone was trying to get to her to avenge the white-haired wizard’s death.  The Vehsi had attacked the settlement and come for her, using the fire at Perri’s home as a distraction.  She felt terrible that Perri and her family had been attacked as a way to get to her, even though Perri didn’t hold her accountable.

“When I killed the wizard, I thought that was the end of that whole mess.  I thought we were safe now.”

Fontaine looked up from her work.  “You don’t think the Centaurs can keep you safe?”

“I know they’ll do their best.”  Shit, she hated to say that out loud.  If Perseus knew she had doubts about the future, he’d go out of his way to reassure her that he could take care of her.

After leaving Prince Aedan’s castle, she had promptly put the whole I-killed-someone memory into the far recesses of her mind and focused on her new family.  She had two husbands who kept her very busy at night.  She had friends and an extended family of Centaurs and their mates within the settlement who made her feel loved in ways she never knew possible.

Draya’s hand stilled.  “Someday I hope to have the love of a male such as you have with your husbands.  They don’t seem to be happy unless you’re in their sights.  They would die to keep you safe.  Those creatures that attacked — I hope they were speaking lies.”

Daeton reached up and squeezed Draya’s hand.  “Me too.”

When she had first come into the Medes Realm, she’d been on a mission with her two were-bear protectors — Rysk and Tyrant — to get to Prince Aedan’s castle.  The prince hadn’t had good intentions though, and had lured her there with the intention of giving her to Urijah, the white-haired wizard, so that he himself would not be killed.  The wizard had killed Aedan first and planned to kill Daeton.  He hadn’t succeeded, and she had killed him instead, shifting into her bear form for the first time in the throne room while a battle raged around her.

He was dead.  That was the end of that threat.

But maybe it wasn’t.

She shuddered, remembering what the Vehsi had said before he ripped his own throat out…her for sale in the slave market and her husbands dead.

Elektra, Perseus’s mom, came into the room.  “Oh, your hair is so lovely.”

“Thanks, Moman.”  It had taken some time, but Daeton had gotten used to calling Perseus’s parents papan and moman, though she couldn’t stop thinking the words
mom
and
dad
.  Old habits died hard, she supposed.

“I wanted to go to the market and pick out some fabric.  Cosmo ripped his favorite shirt and it’s beyond repair.  Would you like to go with me?”  Elektra asked.

“Of course.  I’d love to pick out some fabric for curtains for the new house.”

She got ready and left the house with Draya, Fontaine, and Elektra.  But when she met Perseus outside and told him where they were going, he objected vehemently.

“No, Daeton.  It’s not safe.”

“Your moman is going,” she pointed out.

“She wasn’t the reason for the attack last night, nor was she prophesied about by a crazy Vehsi.  You can’t leave the settlement until the threat against you is gone.”

She made a face and opened her mouth to tell him he was overreacting, but as if he could read her mind, he pulled her into his arms with a soft growl.  “It’s not that I want you to be miserable sweet bear; it’s just that I can’t abide you being in danger.”

“I’m not miserable.”

“Liar,” he gave her a wry smile.  “We’ve got scouts trying to find out where the Vehsi fled.  Hopefully they’ll be able to discover what’s going on so we can end this danger.  When you’re safe, then we’ll talk about you going to the market.”

Ekho lightly tickled her arm with his fingertips as he joined them.  “You have to trust us to keep you safe.”

She turned her head and rested her cheek against Perseus’s chest, looking at Ekho.  “I do trust you.  I thought the market would be safe, I didn’t consider that it might not be.”

She didn’t want to think that her life was still in danger, or those of her husbands or her extended family, but she couldn’t deny the evidence.  Someone was out to get her.  The question was…who?

* * * * *

The morning of the December full moon, Daeton picked wildflowers with Draya and Fontaine to use as the scent in an oil.  The oil would be sold in the marketplace.  The flowers, called
holadils
, smelled like lavender but were coral-colored.  “Do we have enough?” Fontaine asked, lifting the flower-laden basket.  Daeton, who had become quite adept at making scented oil, added her bunch of flowers to the basket and said, “I believe so.”

“Good, I’m hungry,” Fontaine said.  “I didn’t sleep well last night and ate morning meal before the sun rose.”

“Why didn’t you sleep well?” Daeton asked as she stood and brushed the dirt from her skirt.

“I don’t know.  I just felt unsettled and couldn’t get comfortable.”

“I feel like that on the full moon.  My bear gets anxious.”

“You have two husbands to keep you company, though,” Fontaine pointed out.

Daeton blinked at the young woman.  “Are you having mating dreams, Fontaine?”

She shook her head.  “No.  I just feel unsettled.  It’s been that way for a few days now.”

Fontaine and Draya were human, so they wouldn’t feel the pull to shift with the full moon, but that didn’t mean they weren’t sensitive to supernatural things.  They’d been raised in a castle with a were-bear, and the Medes Realm was full of unique shifters and other paranormal creatures that Daeton had never known existed.

There was a commotion as they neared the homes and Daeton saw the males standing around, their hooves stamping nervously.  As they drew closer, Daeton was surprised to see two familiar faces – her former protectors, Rysk and Tyrant.  They held their hands in front of them, as if to show they were unarmed.

Daeton raced forward, pushing through the crowd to leap into Rysk’s arms.  “Princess,” he said, his voice a low growl.  “Thank the bear spirits you are well.”

“I’m not a princess anymore,” she said as he set her on her feet and she hugged Tyrant.  Both males were tall and muscular, their bodies honed from years of training and fighting in the former prince’s army.  “I never actually
was
a princess,” she added.

Tyrant shook his head.  “You always will be to us.”

“Daeton?”  Cosmo said anxiously. “What’s going on here?”

“You remember Rysk and Tyrant, the warriors who saw me safely to the palace.  This is my father-in-law, Cosmo.”

Rysk and Tyrant bowed their heads briefly.  Cosmo grimaced.  “As I recall, they led you right into a trap.”

“No one could foresee what would happen,” Daeton pointed out.  “I’ve forgiven them, and I’m the one who almost died in the palace.  You should forgive them, too, Papan.”

He looked over her head at the warriors, his eyes hard and his face set as if he were silently communicating his displeasure to them.  After a tense moment, he said, “If it’s what you wish, my daughter.  Let’s speak in the house.”  He sent Abrax to find Perseus and Ekho, and Daeton hooked her arms through Rysk and Tyrant’s arms and started off toward Cosmo’s home.

“What brings you to Cholas?” she asked.

“A week ago, we felt compelled to come to you.  I don’t know why, but I believe we are meant to be here at this time, to help you,” Tyrant said.

“Help me with what?”

Rysk said, “We don’t know.  But we both felt the need to come back to Cholas.”

Daeton was quiet as she sat down at the kitchen table in her in-laws’ home.  “I’m surprised to see you, but if you feel the need to be here, then as far as I’m concerned, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

Perseus and Ekho stormed into the kitchen.  Ekho pulled Daeton from her chair with a loud growl and Perseus kicked the table away.  Rysk and Tyrant stood quickly and moved away from Daeton’s rampaging mates.

“For goodness sake, guys,” Daeton said, “they’re not trying to hurt me!”

Ekho’s body vibrated as he growled.  “The last time you were with them, you could have been killed!”

“That wasn’t their fault.”  She looked at Perseus, who was frowning severely.  “If I’ve forgiven them, then you should too.  Plus, they said they felt like they needed to come see me.  Doesn’t that sound like something we should explore instead of acting like cavemen?”

Ekho looked at her.  “Cavemen?”

She forgot sometimes that they didn’t know about the Mortal Realm’s history.  “How about jackass?  Do you know that word?”

He snorted and grinned.  “That word I know.  I’m sorry, honey kitten.  We’re so worried about your safety, especially since the Vehsi attacked.”

“When did that happen?” Tyrant asked.

“A few weeks ago,” Perseus said, moving away from them to join Daeton and Ekho.  “I’m sorry as well.  I overreacted to hearing you had returned.”

Rysk relaxed.  “It’s our fault.  We were duped by Prince Aedan in his quest to sacrifice Daeton in his place.  We are as liable as him in what could have happened.”

“Enough of the blame game,” Daeton said, taking Perseus’s and Ekho’s hands and squeezing them tightly.  “We’re all here and we’re all safe.”

Perseus and Ekho reluctantly shook hands with Rysk and Tyrant, and after righting the table, they all sat down.  Cosmo and Elektra brought a meal and joined them, and they spent the afternoon talking.  It reminded Daeton of the journey she’d made through the Medes Realm with her were-bear protectors.  It was better now, of course, because she had her mates by her side.  Whatever had drawn Rysk and Tyrant to Cholas, Daeton was thankful they were there.

* * * * *

Daeton looked up at the dark sky as the full moon rose slowly.  Her bear was anxious to shift and hunt with her mates.  She was especially excited to be able to hunt with Rysk and Tyrant, who were were-bears, the last of their particular kind.  In spite of her excitement, though, she felt as though there was an evil presence nearby.  It had saturated the air and made everyone in the settlement uneasy.

Perseus had been against the hunt that night, wanting her to shift and stay within the area of the settlement, but she had argued for some time in the woods.  Walking around between the houses just wasn’t enough for her or her bear.  Ekho had backed her up, because he understood the need to hunt and get in touch with her primal side better than Perseus did, and when she’d pointed out that Rysk and Tyrant would be there, too, Perseus had reluctantly agreed.  Of course, he’d also insisted on extra Centaur guards, but she was fine with that.

They walked through the settlement to the edge of the woods that bordered one side of the Centaurs’ property, Ekho on her left and Perseus on her right, with Rysk and Tyrant behind them.  A small group of Centaurs in their human forms stood at the edge of the woods.  The full moon shone brightly overhead and she could see that many held weapons, from swords strapped to their backs to quivers filled with arrows and bows.

The males all turned their backs to them as she began to remove her clothes so she could shift.  Her bear stretched and rolled under her skin.

“I wish I was a witch like my sister-in-law Elizabeth, so I could call on a god or goddess to tell me who sent the Vehsi,” she said, toeing off her moccasins.

Perseus scanned the area and then turned his eyes to her.  “That Vehsi who claimed he saw our future could have been guessing.”

“That was a pretty damn good guess,” she said, shaking her head.  “I don’t think for a second it was a guess; I believe whoever sent the Vehsi is powerful enough to foretell the future.”

Perseus made a frustrated sound.  “Then why are we leaving the safety of the settlement?”

She opened and closed her mouth a few times before sighing loudly.  “Because I’m going nuts, okay?  You won’t let me leave the settlement even to go into the market, and the mates aren’t allowed anymore, either.  The herd is patrolling the settlement around the clock.  The patrols can’t keep it up forever.”