Katherine's Time

Chapter 7

Kate P.O.V.

I wake up to the sun falling over me. I try to get up, but I can’t. That’s when I remember the nightmare I had and Chad coming in to comfort me. I look over hoping to see him still asleep, but he was already gone. I was a little disappointed, but I decided to find some clothes for the day. I look in the closet but all I find are Austin’s clothes. I go over to the dresser thinking I'm only going to find his clothes as well. I was pleasantly surprised when I found a drawer of female things in just my size. Or they would have been if I hadn’t lost a bunch of weight. I was slowing gaining it back, but the clothes were still a little loose. I quickly put the workout pants on. As I went to put on the matching sport bra, I heard the door open. I quickly grabbed the shirt to cover my front as I looked behind me. I saw Maggie standing there with some clothes in her hands, but her face was white as a ghost. I quickly finished getting my bra on before walking over to her and said, “Maggie, is everything ok?” She shook her head and said, “Yes, everything is fine. Chad said you may need some clothes and since I was closest to your size, he asked me to bring some up for you. Are you alright miss?” I realized she had seen my back when she came in. I sighed and said, “Yes, I'm alright. I guess I can tell you, just please don’t tell anyone else, ok?” She nodded her head, and I told her what I told the guy's last night. By the time I got finished she was crying.

She looked at me as she sniffled and said, “I don’t know how you survived all that but I'm very glad you did, and I'm even more glad that you are a member of this pack now. No one can ever take you away from us.” I laughed at her before I realized what she said. I asked her, “How did you know I'm a member of this pack? We haven’t made the announcement yet.” She giggled as she said, “I saw your mark. It's on your ribcage just below your breast on the right side.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I got up and ran to the bathroom to look for myself. It was right where she said it would be, but mine looked different. I called for Maggie, and she came into the bathroom. I asked her where her mark was and she showed it to me, right above her tailbone. Hers was solid black like the one on the box from last night. I looked back at mine, and it looked as if it shimmered in the light. Almost like it had oil over the top of it. I asked her if it seemed different to her, and she said that maybe because it was new. That could be it. I’ll have to ask Liam about it later.

We went back into the other room, and I grabbed one of my brother’s white muscle tanks and we both headed down to breakfast. There were the same people from last night sitting around the table. I sit towards the head of the table beside Liam. I notice Will and Chad sitting across from me. I said, “Hey Chad, thanks for sending Maggie up with clothes but I found some among my brother’s clothes. Enough for a couple of days. At least until I can get to a store.” Chad looked up and said, “That doesn’t surprise me. Austin always hoped you would come here and probably was prepared in case you had to leave in a hurry and couldn’t get your things. If you look in the desk you probably have a credit card in your name as well.” I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll have to look through everything later.

I look at Liam and said, “Liam, when can I start training?” He looked startled by my question before he cleared his throat and said, “Chad can take you to the training field after breakfast if you want to start today. I thought you might take a couple of days to get settled.” I gave him a wide smile as I said, “I appreciate the thought, but I would like to get started as soon as possible. That is as long as Chad doesn’t mind.” We all looked over to him and he coughs a little before he says, “It would be my pleasure my lady.” We all laughed at that as I glared at him. We finish breakfast and get started on training.

Training turned out to be 6 hours of running, fighting, stretching, and yoga exercises to make sure we were flexible, loose, and had plenty of stamina if it was needed. I thought he was going to start me off slow, but he gave me no breaks about it. He worked me hard. I finally got back to the pack house and took a shower. After I was getting dressed, I heard Liam in my head, “Katherine, can you come down to my office when you get the chance?” I chuckled to myself when I jumped, but then told him yes. I finished getting dressed in a pair of my brother's ripped jeans and one of his muscle tops. I put my hair in a high ponytail and headed out of my room. I knock on the office door before I hear a faint, “Come in.” I walk in to find everyone already there. I look around at them as I sit in the chair across from Liam. I ask, “So what’s going on guys? What did you need me for?” They look at each other before Liam says, “Well there is someone here to see you, but we weren’t sure how you would feel about it.” I give them all a puzzled look, but before I could say anything I hear a familiar voice behind me say, “I am here dollface.”

I haven’t heard that voice in a while. I turn around and come face to face with my savior, Kristof McRurii. He stands around 6’ 2” and has around 220 lbs. of solid muscle. He has raven black hair and deep blue eyes. I would say they are about the color of a lapis stone. I thought I would never see him again after he saved me from Ian. I laugh as I launch myself into his arms. Everyone is just staring at us. I look into his face and say, “Krissy, I never thought I would see you again. What are you doing here?” He looks at me and said, “I was sent as an envoy from my people to see the long-lost Irish wolf princess.” Wolf princess, huh? I c****d my head to the side and gave him a confused look. I look over my shoulder to see all the guys with guilty expressions. I let go of Kris and turn on them while I put my hands on hip. I look them each in the eyes and say, “Someone had better start explaining what the hell is going on, and I mean right this instant.” They all looked at me with surprised looks before Chad said, “Austin told all of us of an ancient prophecy that involves you. Because of you being a special wolf and a gift from the Goddess above that is why we know it is you. Everyone will call you princess if they are from another race since they all know of the prophecy as well.”

He went to take a breath, but Liam continued where he left off. “You are the daughter of the moon goddess, Selene. And I mean her real legit daughter. You are a demi-goddess, Katherine. And as such you are the most powerful being on this earth that we know about. You will be even more powerful next month after you shift for the first time. The proof is seen in your mark.” My mark, what does he mean? I lift my shirt up so I can look at it. I said, “I was wondering why mine looked different from yours and even Maggie’s. Why does mine look shimmery like that?” Liam and Will exchanged looks before Will answered. “It’s because it will change once you get your wolf. It will change color as well as change the look of your wolf. The entire pack symbol will change. Everyone’s mark will change to the look of your wolf. It’s black now because Austin’s wolf was almost black. So that’s what it looks like. The color of our Alpha. We haven’t had a new alpha sworn in to lead the pack yet.” I look over and ask Liam, “But aren’t you the Alpha?” He shakes his head at me and said, “Oh no, I'm only a beta. I took charge while we waited for you to come to us. We were about to start the search for you. But you showed up on your own.”

I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I can understand that. I look back at Kris and say, “So I guess you are a supernatural creature.” He looked down as he said, “Yes, I am. That’s why Ian abducted me. He wanted me for my abilities.” When he mentioned Ian, I heard 3 growls behind me. Chad looked at me and said, “How exactly do you know this man and what does he have to do with that piece of filth?” Kris is the one that answered before I had a chance. “I am the one that saved her and took her to a hospital. I healed a lot of her injuries. I couldn’t keep them from scarring however I made sure she lived. I didn’t realize at the time who she was. But Selene came to me in a dream and told me that I had to save her no matter what it took. So, that’s exactly what I did.” I never knew why he saved me after all that time. I had resigned myself to my fate and that I would never leave that dirty little cabin Ian had kept me in. Kris looked at me and said, “Hey stop thinking about it, princess. You're not there anymore. You survived, and I can see you are doing better. Even if you are still a little on the malnourished side. And I’m the envoy from the Druid race.”

I heard the guy's gasp, I said, “What is it?” Liam looked at me then at Kris and said, “Druids aren’t really around that much anymore. At one time there were a lot of them but supposedly they were wiped out during a civil war among their people. I haven’t heard about them coming back.” Kris laughed and said, “Yea, that was the way our elders wanted it. They figured it was easier to just fade from view and keep ourselves hidden. Granted there aren’t very many of us left, maybe about 100 or so and we are scattered. But my cousin Alexander sent me here when the elders received word of the lost princess returning. I didn’t know it was Kate, but here we are.” When he said his cousin’s name, I felt a tingle go down my spine, but I didn’t understand why. I’ve never met him, but I have heard about him from Kris while Ian held both of us captive. They kept him in gold chains, while I was kept in iron ones. I wonder who he is.

Liam looked to me then to Kris and said, “So why would the druids come out of hiding to meet our princess?” That was a very good question. If they were truly in hiding, why come out just to see me? Kris looked me in the eye and said, “I heard that Ian paid a visit to your packhouse here. I also heard you were looking for a way to keep him out permanently. I think I can help with that.” I looked at him and said, “How can you help?” He smirked and said, “Well druids have a close connection with nature, not to mention that I can talk with the animals around to figure out exactly what they saw and if they can help in any way. Besides I can put a special kind of barrier around your lands so that you will at least know if anyone uses magic to try and get in again. I also know many of the Fae and can get them here to place stronger protections around you and the house.” We all looked at him in shock. I had to ask, “Ok I would love it if you did, but I have to ask, why would you want to help us? We are of different races, and yours is in hiding from the rest of the world. It might get out that our land is protected by you. So, why risk everything for us?”

Kris looked at me with a fire that I hadn’t seen in a long time. The fire of deep rage and hatred for something. He said, “I’m not doing it for your people. I’m doing it for you. I have always known what you were. And I knew that the time would come when we would need to rejoin the supernatural world in order to help with the upcoming fight. That is also why I didn’t question the moon goddess when she asked me to save you. I knew you would need me and my cousin to help you. We are strong fighters, and we have our own special abilities. Mine are very similar to your own. I can shapeshift as well as talk to animals. I won’t ask for anything in return. I just want to help take that piece of filth off the face of the Earth. He is vile and evil to the core. What he did to you was unimaginable, but somehow you survived. And that kind of inner strength is very hard to come by. I will stand with you whatever comes at you. And so will my cousin. I was supposed to see the princess and get to know her to see if she was worth fighting for. But once I reached your lands and felt your energy here, I knew I would fight with you. I’ve already told my cousin that he needs to make time to come here himself.”

I couldn’t believe all of this. Did I really have that kind of inner strength? Liam says, “We greatly appreciate everything you are willing to do, but who exactly is your cousin?” That was a very good question. I knew his name was Alexander McRurii, but I didn’t understand what his position was within his own race. Kris looked down and rubbed the back of his neck as he mumbled something that none of us could hear. I shook my head and said, “I didn’t quite hear that, would you like to say it louder?” He gives me a sheepish look as he says, “He is more or less the prince of our people.” I was shocked. And from the looks on the guys' faces so were they. I say, “So basically you are saying that at some point we will have a druid prince showing up at our door in order to meet me because I'm some mystical demi goddess that will basically have to fight Ian and his armies of evil from trying to take over the supernatural world as we know it? But we don’t know when this battle will take place. Is that just about, right?” I look around the room to see them all nod their heads yes. I heave a deep sigh before I say, “Ok then, what do we do to prepare for this fight?” Liam looks at me and says, “First we train you harder than any other person we have ever trained. Secondly, we make it through your birthday, and we make you the alpha. And last but not least we work on our relations with other supernaturals and see how many we can get on our side.” I heave another deep sigh when I realize that my life was about to become a lot busier than it was before. Let’s get this show started.