The Crown Hackura Prince and His Dragon Princess

Yule Cats Pt.1

Kingsley is Thirty-Four

Kinglsey was not having a good day. I felt genuinely bothered as if something tragic happened. Which didn’t make sense because everything was going according to plans here in New Zealand. Kayda said, “I feel like we need to be back in Tennessee.” I sighed, “I do too but we can’t. We are moving to help two people out here.” It was just me too. We’d gotten word that there were two members of the supernatural community on the chopping block around here.

One man because he was gay and a woman because she could only do a partial shift into any animal. Both were shifters, well one was a partial. So, it made sense she could only partially shift. Kayda offered, “Impressive even.”

Shifters were pretty cool to be honest. They could shift into any animal if they’d seen it. They kept to themselves though. Kayda snorted, “If this is how they behave I could see why.” That was very true. The notes I had said the woman in question had a rough time, and I wanted to be there to personally pick her up. I couldn't really explain why either. I just wanted to. Plus, the man being ostracized for being gay torqued me. We were supernaturals and we should be better than this.

Kayda agreed, “You should let me roast the ones that aren’t. I am famished.” I told her, “I already agreed if there’s a straggler we can bring said person back and roast them.” She added, “And then I eat them.” I chuckled, “What you do in your form is up to you.” She said, “Then I will eat them.” It was all so simple to her.

She agreed, “Yes it is that simple. The fact of the matter is it’s all simple. We have knowledge of fated mates. Judging this man for being in men when a goddess or god determined that for him long before he was born is insane. You are attracted to who you are attracted to. Men or women. Who cares? Like who you like and keep your nose out of others business.” I agreed with that.

She chuckled, “Which is why I like you.” She still didn’t like many people we came across. She said, “Stella is fine.” Stella remained a constant in my life. She had an entire network set up and we had people who worked for us now. I had contacts and people who agreed to help us relocate people. We had a whole intricate system for getting new identities that some Vampires helped with. They were a great source of information for all this stuff. They seemed genuinely excited that someone had asked them about something really.

I looked at the time and went to the spot I’d scouted. I’d observed the group that had the two people I wanted to extract on lockdown. I was only there for an hour when I heard the woman sobbing, “I’m sorry! Mom, I’ll try harder.” An older woman was crying. Kayda scoffed, “That’s the mother from the file. I am disgusted this is her child and she’s just letting this happen.” The dad ordered, “Get out of here before your emotions overtake what needs to be done.”

Someone muttered, “Bellyaching annoyance.” That person must not be native to New Zealand. That sounded more like an American accent. All the women left except one who stared at the guy I was saving. Then I saw the girl from the file I was rescuing and actually blinked. There was no way she was the man claiming to be her dad’s child. She had other blood in her that I’d come across before. She wasn’t just a shifter/ human mix. No wonder she had trouble shifting. Poor thing.

Another woman crossed her arms, “You can stop all this. Just agree to marry me?” Kayda screeched in my head. She said, “Her. I will roast and eat her.” I was getting the sense that would be for the best. The man answered, “I still don’t understand why you want that. I cannot love you as you deserve. I can admit you are attractive.” Kayda scoffed, “Debatable. We’ve seen far more attractive women. Hell, the partial they have with them is better looking.” The man continued, “I’m just not attracted to you.” She practically spit at him, “But you talk to her.” He asked, “Is that why she’s here? She was kind to me.” The woman yelled, “YOU HUGGED HER AND YOU WON’T EVEN TOUCH ME.”

Kayda said, “Let me set her on fire.” I agreed, “Yes, we can figure out how to kill the entitled brat.” Now, Kayda was content. The girl cried, “I was just…” The guy cut her off, “You don’t owe them an explanation and neither do I. Neither of us have deserved the ostracization of our people we’ve been given for being different. Now, they want to kill us because of a self-indulged and entitled brat who never heard the word no.”

Kayda said, “I like him. He is a truth-teller.” Well, that was good since we were going to be around getting them on their fate. The woman gasped, “DADDY!” A man hit the guy I was saving. Kayda screeched, “He goes too.” The man ordered, “Everyone get out of here.” Slowly the group left. Several members of both families were dragged away with tears streaming down their faces.

Kayda scoffed, “Cowards.” I told her, “It can be hard to stand up against everything you know.” She replied, “We started standing up to it alone. They could too. We would stand up for those we love.” I replied, “We don’t love anyone.” She simply said, “We don’t know that.” No, we didn’t. I moved around a lot here so I couldn't develop a deep attachment to anyone. Stella is the person I had the most attachment to at the point and we weren’t constantly talking or anything.

I shook those thoughts and pulled the lighter from my back pocket. The man said, “Last chance to save both of you.” The guy perked up, “Both of us.” The woman said, “That’s right. She can live if you agree. Maybe we can keep her as a pet. A plaything for us both.” Kayda screeched and I jumped down.

The man asked, “Who are you?” I went with a cliche but true statement. “Your worst nightmare. We are here for them and sadly for you my counterpart hates you both.” He shifted into a bear. I laughed, “At least that’s challenging.” I put him on the ground and punched him between the eyes. He shifted back.

I stared at the woman who was screaming. I rolled my eyes, “Aren’t you going to shift?” Kayda said, “Just let me kill her.” I let her take over. She gasped, “What has purple eyes?” Kayda answered, “Nothing you’ll ever know about because you’re my dinner.” She broke her neck.

I took back over and threw her over my shoulder. I grabbed the knife out of my back pocket and cut them loose. I said, “You’re free to try and go back, but a new life awaits you if you come with me.” I wanted them to choose me more than I could really explain. Kayda asked, “Why did you give them a choice? I told you I liked the male. I don’t like people often.” I didn’t know why I did it. It just felt like the right thing to do.

The guy said, “I’m Luca Labatt and this is Robyn Ashby.” I admitted, “I did know your last names.” She asked, “What are you?” I answered, “The person saving you.” She whispered, “Are you with Operation Saint Rita?” I answered, “I am.” She squealed then stopped. They both nodded to each other.

I grabbed the unconscious douche and threw him over my shoulder. Luca offered, “I can carry him for you.” He was built like a linebacker. I chuckled him off my shoulder. I asked, “Why didn’t you shift into a fly or something?” He laughed, “Our food has been laced with limestone.” I asked, “So, that’s your Silver?” Robyn answered, “Yup, but we keep it quiet.” I muttered, “Smart.” Kayda said, “Let’s leak it so they are on their best behavior.” I told her, “That could backfire. Good people aren’t the only ones who’d use it against them.” She huffed unhappily in my head.

We made it to the truck. Luca said, “Sweet truck.” I said, “It gets me around.” I parked the truck at the doc. I told them, “I’ll be back, but if I’m not you two get on that boat. You got me?” They both nodded. I grabbed the two spoils for Kayda and took off. Once I was out of sight I was jumping trees to my cave.

The Waitomo caves drew me in. I loved them and stayed in them wherever I could. I searched their pockets and found some Limestone and put it in his mouth. Then roused the man who screamed when he saw his daughter. He said, “You will pay.” I laughed, “No, but you will. Why were you going to kill a gay man for not wanting your daughter? It stands to reason she wouldn't have had a happy life.”

He said, “People bow to my will or they suffer.” I snorted, “How’s that working out for you now?” He glared at me and realized he couldn't shift. He screamed, “What did you do to me?” I answered, “Exactly what you did to them. He sneered, “She’s a failure who can’t even shift.” I said, “I bet she can without all of you in her life.” I didn’t know if that was true but I felt it would piss him off.

I said, “It’s amazing what people are capable of when they are given acceptance and love. I heard you did experiments on her. Maybe you’re the reason she can’t shift.” He sneered, “We put her in life threatening situations which should’ve had her supernatural blood firing.” I tapped my chin, “Ahh the eternal guessing game of should have. You do realize how dumb that sounds. Right?” He asked, “What’s someone like you going to do about it?”

I laughed, “Me? Nothing. My counterpart has plans for you.” I gave Kayda control and she took over. He screamed and backed up. Kayda chuckled, saying to me, “As if that would help him.” She set his daughter’s body on fire then threw her into the air to eat her. He screamed the whole time. She let him see how he was going to die before she set him on fire then ate him. She said, “He was juicy.” I snorted and shifted back. I grabbed my things and went back to the doc.

Robyn and Luca looked relieved when they saw me. We went and got on the boat together. Luca asked, “Where are we going?” I answered, “Australia. Then we will have a contact waiting to shimmer us to Iceland where your new lives await you.” I closed my eyes.

Robyn asked, “Do you know who contacted you about us?” I opened my eyes, “No, but that’s the point. We get word around about us and people can call us. Sometimes we hear about situations with the network we’ve grown. In your case, someone tipped us off.”

Luca asked, “Can you find out who it was?” I asked, “If you think it was someone in your shifter community I can tell you it wasn’t.” Robyn said, “My little sister’s mate is in a different supernatural group. She came to visit last week and was appalled.” I asked, “Shouldn't she have known how you were treated your whole life?” She winced, “I hid it from her. She’s my little sister, you know?” I answered, “I understand the concept, but I don’t have a little sister.” That I know of.

Kayda offered, “The other Dragon’s I sense are older I believe.” I asked, “Do I have a sister?” She admitted, “I cannot sense gender.” Well, I was the youngest. Maybe they hated me because I wasn’t supposed to be born. I was an accidental baby. I wanted to groan thinking the amount of theories I had about my own life prior to this were absurd. They ranged from literal out there crazy theories to my family trying to protect me, to them hating me and sending me off. Those theories came when I was exceptionally bitter.

Luca said, “We never knew they were experimenting on her until last week. People didn’t treat her well throughout her whole life.” Robyn sighed, “All my siblings can shift except me.” I asked, “Are you certain of your parentage then?” She replied, “My mom has human blood.” I said, “But you have more than human and shifter in you.”

Both of them gasped. She asked, “I do.” I nodded, “Do Shifters not feel pain if their partner cheats?” She admitted, “No, and my parents are chosen mates. Could he have known I wasn’t his?” I answered, “Unless he’s met the Supernaturals I have, then no. Given what I sense from you, I doubt it.” Luca rubbed her shoulders.

A flash of irrational jealousy went through me because it was clear they were friends. Kayda said, “It seems more recent. The things we heard about probably drove them together. Luca asked her, “Do you want to know what she knows?” She admitted, “I don’t know. Would it answer why I can only half shift?” I replied, “I mean maybe because you were around people who didn’t love and support you. Or because yes, you have another form you could shift into and not anything you want. Maybe the shifter side only accepts your other form.”

I asked, “How old are you?” She answered, “I’ll be twenty-one soon.” I sighed, “Or it’s because you’re not twenty-one. That’s when your other side can shift.” They gaped at me. Luca said, “All this time.” I asked, “Do shifters know their fated mate when they meet if they have chosen mates?” Luca answered, “Yes.” I said, “So, your dad could be your mom’s fated.”

She asked, “Where would people like me be?” I answered, “Well, you’re unique. If you mean the other part of you…” She cut me off, “If you want to just tell me. I don’t need cloak and dagger. Just tip off the Band-Aid and lay it on me.” Kayda said, “I do not hate her either. How odd. Two people I like.” I said, “Like? You went from not hating her to liking quickly.” She huffed at me.

I told her, “Well, on my adventures in Iceland I ran into a group that ended up helping me. They still do this day, and I have several contacts I could reach out to about you.” She started bouncing her knee. I said, “You have Yule Cat blood.” Luca whispered, “The big and vicious cats? Damn. Do they actually like Christmas?”

I laughed. Robyn frowned, “Don’t they eat people who do not receive new clothing before Christmas?” I answered, “No, they don’t eat anyone. They are quite vicious and large though.” She hugged herself. I said, “I was actually taking us to them, but I can take us somewhere else.” She shook herself, “No, I want to meet them. If they suck, you’ll take me away from them right?”

Luca threw out, “Me too. I’m done being passive about assholes.” Kayda chuckled at him. I assured them, “They aren’t assholes or I wouldn't work with them. I’ll make a call and let them know about some changes. Unless, you want to surprise them.” It could ruin my relationships with them, but I’d do it if Robyn cared.

She nodded, “You can tell them. I wouldn’t have known if you didn’t tell me anyway.” I stepped away and powered on my phone. I called my contact in the Yule Cat community. She greeted, “Sæll samferðamaður (Hello fellow traveler).” I replied, “Ég er með fréttir af pökkunum sem ég er að koma með. Það kemur dálítið á óvart (I have news about the packages I'm bringing. There's a bit of a surprise).”

Robyn asked, “You speak Icelandic?” I asked, “You know the language? The woman I’m talking to taught me.” She admitted, “My mom made sure I knew it.” So, her mom definitely knew why she was having trouble shifting. What a b***h. Kayda said, “I will roast the mother one day. Mark my words.” She had quite the list at this point.

The woman asked, “The woman who just spoke is the surprise I’ll imagine. You didn’t know she spoke Icelandic so what is it?” I said, “Well, she’s got Yule cat blood.” She gasped, “What?” I said, “Her mother is a shifter/human mix. She was not treated kindly in their community.” She asked me, “Where is she from?” I answered, “New Zealand.” The phone dropped and I heard it clatter before it disconnected.

I shrugged, “Maybe they will call back.” Robyn winced, “That can’t be a good sign.” Luca disagreed, “Or she knows who your dad is.” My phone rang and I answered, “Hello.” I heard swearing in Icelandic in the background. She asked, “When will you be here?” I answered, “We are on the boat now. The plan is still the same as it was before. This is just an additional piece to it.”

The yelling got louder. I surmised, “So, you know her father.” She replied, “It’s likely. Is her mother’s name Caterina Ashby?” Robyn answered, “Yes! That’s her, that’s my mom.” I heard someone ask, “Is that her? Was that voice my daughter?” Robyn squeaked and Luca put his arms around her. He yelled, “MY DAUGHTER IS BEING RESCUED BY OPERATION SAINT RITA?! IS THAT WHAT WE ARE SAYING?! WHAT DID THEY DO TO MY KITTEN?!” I heard the distinct sounds of a shift happening.

I told her, “If Robyn permits, I’ll email you the file. We will see you soon.” She sighed, “Yup. I’ll go see if I can corral the feral cat. We need his meow.” Luca covered his hand and tried to stifle his laughter. Robyn’s lips twitched into a smile.

I asked, “Would that be his second chance meow?” She answered, “Yes, she is. You have previous cargo with you, Katla. Bring her here with care, please.” I agreed, “Of course.” That was the plan anyway. She hung up. Robyn told me, “You can send the file you have on me.” I quickly did and powered my phone down.

I said, “I think you’re the daughter of someone quite important in their clowder.” Luca laughed out loud, “Their meow! That’s amusing and adorable.” Robyn seemed shocked. She whispered, “He already cares. My dad never cared about me.” Luca said, “Well, he doesn’t get the title dad. DNA doesn’t always determine parentage, but he was a crappy stepdad. Plus, he truly believed you were his.”

He looked at me, “You don’t look like a Katla.” Robyn agreed, “She doesn’t.” I rolled my eyes, “Just call me K.” Luca wiggled his eyebrows, “So it’s not Katla.” I admitted, “I have a lot of aliases. All start with K.” Luca nudged Robyn, “It’s a puzzle to solve.” Robyn said, “Luca is the best at that.” I told them, “I’m sorry they treated you like that. You deserve better.” They both smiled at me.

Robyn seemed to withdraw into herself. Kingsley said, “I don’t like that. Let’s make her talk.” I said, “So, you’re a kitten.” Luca busted up laughing. Robyn shrugged, “I guess. Can you tell me more about them?” I answered, “Yes, they actually protect a group of Elves that live there. They have a deal with the Hackura. They meet once every like one hundred and fifty years to affirm their guardian status for the Elves there. They can contact them if they need help, but they handle things on their own.”

I added, “They keep the Elves secrets and don’t let anyone mess with them.” She gasped, “Elves. I thought they were scarce and seldom seen.” I laughed, “Unless you know where they are. There’s a portal to their world in Iceland. They quite enjoy roaming about too. I’ve met a few.” And saved some. Luca said, “Wow.”

Throughout the thirteen days we were together on the boat I felt I might have made some friends. When we were pulling up to port Luca said, “Don’t you pull away from us.” I admitted, “I don’t have friends. Well, I have Stella.” He said, “Well, you’d better keep in touch with us.” Robyn agreed, “We need to hear from you at least once a week. You could alternate between us, but we will sick Yule Cats on you.”

I chuckled, “Fine.” She asked, “Can you stay for my birthday and see my cat? Please? Without you I’d be dead.” Her birthday was only a couple days away. Kayda was as torn as I was. We felt something terrible happened. I told them, “As long as everything is going well then I’ll stay.” Her and Luca high fived.

We departed the boat and made our way to my demon contact. He nodded to us and drove us to his house. He shimmered us to the agreed upon spot in Iceland and left. Kayda said, “We are surrounded.” It was just supposed to be one contact meeting us but given that things changed it did not surprise me that more came.

My contact came out. I greeted, “Sigrun.” She smiled at me but her gaze was on Robyn. Sigrun said, “Well, you will learn more about us than you did before. My brother is our ruler and she is my great-niece.” Kayda groaned, “Can’t they just say relative?” I replied, “That was more specific. She’s the child of the current ruler’s son.”

Robyn gasped, “What? Me?” She nodded, “His youngest son. I imagine he will be here soon.” She teared up, “He’s not here to meet me?” Sigrun laughed, “He’s been unable to shift back from cat form after he heard you existed.”

A man broke forward and cried, “Sister.” He hugged her and more came running over to her with their mom. I’d met them. She said, “I am Helga and you are most welcome here Robyn. I’m sure Refr will be here soon.”