His Stolen Mate

Chapter 18: Punishments

~Anika's P.O. V~

         After the crafty Dragon God left, the royals did too, leaving me with only my dad. His eyes spoke anger and humility, I only bowed my head in shame for what I just did. I embarrassed him in front of a god, one that might be more powerful than The Moon Goddess. Yeah, I could have controlled my anger better and instead of lashing out I could have have asked or pleaded for him to stop hurting my dad. I sat there silently, waiting for him to do something. The seconds passed by like minutes, the thoughts of him giving me a consequence were swimming in my head. Was he going to throw me in a lava pool? Was he going to hit me? Was he going to make Whitney and I be together? 

"Anika. What you did was inexcusable." His words cut through my thoughts. "Think of the worst consequence then tell me." s**t. The worst? it would have to be...

"I would have to stop looking for Matthew..." Saying the words hurt more than falling into a pit of lava. The very thought of never seeing him again made me bite my lip hard. How could I stop looking for him? It wasn't right. My heart belonged him and I knew he knew that. His eyes told me that he didn't care about that right now. Of course, he wouldn't, his own daughter just humiliated him in front of the more important being to ever exist.

"Good. I want you to concentrate on Whitney and Adam for the reminder of the time. Once you are 21, you will take my throne. Your brother will become Alpha and I will hear nothing about this. Am I clear?" Danger was in his voice. The clear and present terror that slithered from his mouth. Viper and Pearl were already backing down. I nodded once. "I need a verbal answer." He commanded.

"Y-yes sir." I responded. My whole life was being taken over. I felt so caged now. The Moon Goddess and The Dragon God want me as their pets, while my father and other family want me to be some high rank. I can't take this anymore. I have more freedom being a human living with her Vampyric fiancé than I do as a dragon or wolf. 

"Good. You are not to leave this room until I tell you to." With that, he turned and left me standing in the middle of my floor. Once I heard the door close, I went to my balcony and shifted into Pearl. Looking down, I saw that I could make this jump. Backing away, I took deep breaths in and out, before lunging myself off of it. 

Pearl: Anika! What are you doing? You heard father.

        I don't care! I am not someone that anyone can use as a puppet! I am not staying there! We're going back home! Home to Idaho! Where I was living peacefully with Matthew!

Viper: I agree with Pearl. Go back before dad notices you are gone! 

        With that said, I ran as far as I could into the dark forest, using my wolf helps me stay out of sight.

~Adam's P.O. V~

        Quinn and I just got back from a hunting trip, he was a natural at catching big game. We brought back a mountain lion, grizzly bear and moose. This should keep us all well fed for at least a couple of weeks. When we saw Nathaniel walk by, we bowed our heads.

"Welcome back son. Adam. Well done." He had fury in his eyes. What happened while we were gone? His footsteps were heavy as he was walking away from us.

"Your dad is pissed off. I wonder what happened." I looked at Quinn. He shook his head.

"I'm sure it was just Anika being Anika. She can and will piss everyone off if she could." As true as that is, that only makes her more attractive to me. It means she's not a push over and that is a good thing. When I get her back, I will treat her to like the queen she is. 

"Speaking of, should we go check on her?" Jasper was pouncing in the back of my mind.

"Nah, she'll be okay. We should hit the hot spring. Hunting made my muscles sore." I chuckled at him. He is still new to being both a dragon and a wolf. We made our way to this castle open bath, it was then I caught his scent. Whitney. I looked over and saw that he was completely zoned out. Maybe he knew what happened.

"Yo! Why was King Nathaniel pissed off?" He didn't even flinch. "Dragon breath! Are you listening?!" Still got nothing. I took off my clothes and went into the bath. I made my way to him and smacked him on the head.

"The f**k?!" He jumped up and went into a battle stance. "What do you want Mutt?"

"A: I asked what happed while we were gone. And B: You were in a trance. So spill." I crossed my arms.

"What's it matter to you? You weren't there." He spat back before sitting down.

"Yeah, I get that. But, why was King Nathaniel so furious?" Quinn came to my side.

Whitney sighed and laid his head back, "The Moon Goddess marked Anika, that action then brought down The Dragon God." He rubbed his face. "He took Anika..." Before he could get another word out, Quinn and I shifted and were roaring at him. "Calm down! Let me finish!" He shouted. I continued to growl but I closed my mouth. "He took her on a mental journey. Said he raised her from an egg eons ago. She became so infuriated that she attacked him. Before she could say anything more, Nathaniel covered her mouth and apologized on her behalf. Then the Dragon God left. We also left without her or her dad." Knowing what happened now, I shifted back and so did Quinn. 

"So, she's okay then?" He was a caring a caring brother to her, but sometimes gauging his feelings were a bit hard.

"Yeah. After The Dragon God erased the mark, she was fine. I just wished I could do more to protect her, you know?" He may have been my rival for her, but I couldn't help feeling like this could connect us better. Protecting the woman we love and desire. That was something I could easily agree on.

"I do." I sat down next to him. "You know, she is going to have to choose one of us. What will happen if she chose me or that bloodsucker?" I know I would want them dead, but this was a sport for us. Who can win her heart and all that.

"I don't know, man. I guess be happy that she is happy? Although, I would be lying if I said I would be okay with it. Have you seen her body? It's a killer bod." This earned him a growling from Quinn.

"You two do know that I can and will kick your asses if you keep talking about my baby sister as if she is an object, right?" He was right, we got off hand.

"Sorry, Quinn." I apologized quickly.

"Yeah, I am too." The conversation ended and the silence became uncomfortable. I guess I was acting abjectly. I sat there and thought about her, the first time I laid eyes on her. Thinking she was human, I wanted to go back in time and knock myself on the head for thinking that way. Oh well, now I just have to win her affection and my mate bond with her again. I missed her Pine smell, obviously her Strawberry scent still made my mouth water, but not nearly as much. 

        After a grueling hour in the tub with these two, I decided to go to Anika's room and see how she was doing. I wanted to comfort her and show her the catches that her brother and I got, then tomorrow, take her out for a couples late Valentines Day breakfast. I searched for a nice restaurant near here and one that served breakfast. It was called "Power of Pancakes" it was a little like a bed and breakfast gig that had a view of the mountains like no other. I reached her door and knocked.

"Anika? It's Adam." I still got no response. What is it with everyone ignoring me? Instead of knocking again, I opened her door.

~Quinn's P.O.V~

        I couldn't believe these two, they acted more like animals than... well... Animals. Adam had gotten out about 10 minutes ago. Whitney went back into spacing out and here I was thinking about my sister. This all powerful dragon from eons ago? No wonder the dragon kind thinks she's a myth, there hasn't been another one. Still, I couldn't help but feel kind of powerless compared to her, she's special and I am just a regular wolf and a regular dragon. What could I do that my sister can't?

"Quinn." Whitney looked at me. "Be real with me; do I have a chance with her?" How the hell was I supposed to know? Anika paved her own paths. I couldn't be sure of anything.

"Why are you asking me? She's the one you need to talk to. I have yet to know what she is going through with you 3 fawning after her." I stood up and grabbed one of the towels that were hanging up. "Go! Go talk to her!" I shouted at him. He quickly got up and grabbed the one next to the one I grabbed. Then stormed off. I got dried off and headed back to my room. There, stood my dad, Nathaniel. I scowled at him.

"Son. It's time you took your place as Alpha of Horse Tail Falls." He was joking, right? This had to be some lame attempt to get me to submit to him.

"Oh, yeah? What makes you so sure, old man?" I unlocked the door and opened it.

"Because, your sister is going to be The Dragon Queen with Whitney by her side." Excuse the hell out of you?!

"What did you say?"

"It's time." He stated.

"Isn't this supposed to be Anika's decision?!" I just couldn't stop challenging him.

"It was. But, she made a grave mistake tonight. I have to make the decision for her." Why couldn't anyone leave my sister be?!

"No! She will make that choice! Not you!" I did the unthinkable. I stepped up to him hard. Throwing off my shirt, ready to be hit.

Two voices rang through the hall, "Quinn! King Nathaniel!" Whitney and Adam were running to us. 

"What?" I asked.

"Anika. She's gone!" Whitney and Adam said in unison. In UNISON! 

~Nathaniel's P.O. V~

"Gone?!" Using my dragon voice, I needed them to get a hold of themselves. "What do you mean gone?!"

"As in, she is not in her room, the foyer or even the library." Prince Whitney answered.

"I even checked the garden, the lava pools and went back to the hot spring." What is that girl thinking?! Wait... Maybe...

"No, I can't think like that." I mumbled. Though, she is prone to kidnappings... I had to shake the thoughts from my mind. Quickly and with worry, I ran to her room and slammed the door open. I told her to stay in her room. She was grounded to it. I looked around and saw that her balcony was wide open. I went to the side and smelled wolf. I opened my wings and flew down to the ground, and sure enough, I saw paw prints. Big ones. She ran, I had to go after her. Did she forget that Bastian is after her and Quinn?! Quinn can handle a fight now thanks to that Davis boy and me, but Anika? She lacked the emotional strength to fight him now.