Blessed Curse

Going along with it

(Keahi POV continuation)....

“Another one? Good. I need help with construction.” Grizzly and Bear release me and I fell to the floor. “F*ck I wish you guys didn’t drain them all so badly. They’re all useless when I get’em, and now I gotta baby sit and build you back up.” This Mr. G grumbled.

Brown and Grizzly didn’t even look back over their shoulders at Mr. G and just walked out. “F*cking assholes.” He grunted.

“Sorry sir.” I apologised. “I’ll try not to be too much trouble.” Groveling. I had never groveled. But I am useless right now. I literally had no strength in me to even put up an ounce of fight.

“Well, let’s get you some food and some of your strength back.” I nodded and awaited his next command.

“Sit. Mrs. Cora will bring you a meal.” I do as he says and not ten minutes later a huge plate is placed before me. “Eat up. You get one meal a day.” Mr. G says as he continues working on some sketches on a table at the far end of the room.

I practically start to inhale the food in my first bite. Savoring and enjoying every flavor that hit my tongue was my last thought. In all honestly, it could have been rotten food and it probably wouldn’t have fazed me.

“Slow down, savor each bite. As I said, this is your one and only meal for the next twenty-four hours. You can have as much water as you’d like, but you will have to work for your food. No work, no food. That’s how it goes around here. You must pay your dues.” Mr. G scolds again.

I slow down, allowing the savory gravy to linger over my taste buds. The potatoes were perfectly cooked. The meat, while I could taste the wild game in them, the gravy masked it nicely, giving the food an all around home-cooked meal feeling. The steamed veggies were colorful, and I usually don’t eat veggies, but I was not gonna deny any kind of food right now.

When I was done, Mr. G called the grandma-looking woman and she took my cleaned off my plate. “How long were you held down there?” Mr G asked.

I hadn’t really spoken out loud in a while, so my voice was hoarse, “I don’t know. I think a month. Give or take some days. In all honesty, it could have been a year and I wouldn’t know.”

Mr. G sighed, “well, you seem like you’re a nice guy. Whatever reason you were sent here, it had to have been bad. So let me make myself clear, I am not one to be trifled with. I am not just the ‘handyman’ around this den, I am also the top warrior in our ranks. F*ck with me and find out.”

I chuckled, “no sir, no thanks. I’ll do as you say, when you say.” He scrutinized me, his gaze felt like it was penetrating my soul. After a couple of minutes, he smiled, “honesty will get you far here boy. Now, what are your trade skills?”

“Ummm-well, I’m a jack of all trades, master of all. I can build. Wood, metal, concrete, you name it. I don’t do gardening. My green thumb turns everything brown, so if you all need produce, I’d suggest keeping myself away from the garden.” Mr. G smiled but noted everything down.

“What about machinery? Bulldozer, front end loaders, backhoes? Heavy equipment?” I nodded, “I used to work in a shipping yard. We loaded everything from dirt and cinders, all the way up to prefabbed tiny houses.” Once again his eyes scanned me and when he found what he was looking for he nodded in approval.

“You still have little strength to help out in the field. For now, I’ll put you on a forklift.” I nodded and awaited his next instructions when the door opened and in walked the beautiful princess.

“Mi-lady.” Mr. G bows and I follow suit. “Uncle Gio, stop that.” He rises and smiles. “I had to be a good example for my new recruit. What brings you down here sweety?”

I let my eyes peruse the beauty before me. Blonde hair pinned up into a neat hair style. Giving sight to her slender neck. Her blue eyes held a series of emotions. If I allowed, I’d probably get lost in them. Her nose was as cute as a button and her lips were perfectly pink.

She was a life-sized Barbie now that I looked good. Everything about her was of Barbie.

“I came to check on the new recruit. Thing one and thing two assaulted him.” She turned her attention to me, “are you okay?”

Taken back by her hospitality, I lowered my gaze in respect and nodded, “I’m fine, thanks.” I didn’t even hear her feet move but soon a small delicate hand brushed my forehead, causing me to wince.

“They got you good there. I’ll send a nurse to tend to your wounds. Infection has already started.” I kept my eyes on her feet and nodded.

“What’s your name?” She asked. “Keahi, Princess.” She didn’t say anything for a bit, then introduced herself, “I’m Princess Sury (Soo-ree). Soon to be crowned Queen of the werebears. I have read your file and find it odd that there is little to no information about you. Care to fill in the blanks.” My eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

“I-I don’t know what happened. Honest. I was thrown into my King and Queens dungeons for rejecting my mate, their daughter. The Princess of Wolves. After a few days, I was taken out of the dungeons and sometime later I was there. Wait, how long was I here?”

I watched as her eyes shifted to Mr. G. “As far as the file goes, it says about three weeks. Not sure how accurate that is. Question, why did you reject your mate?”

I sigh a long sigh, “it’s a long sad story, princess. One I truly wish to not delve into right now.” Being denied an answer looked like it didn’t sit well with her, but for some reason, she let it go.

“I’ll let it go this time. But I need your story and why you are here. We do not take in slaves just on a whim. To assure you you are not a spy or some sort of secret assassin, you will tell me your story.” Her eyes shifted to an ember color and I felt as if her authority rolled off her.

It did nothing to me, but I still felt it. “I promise you, I came with no ill intent.” She nods and turns to Mr. G.

“Uncle, my father would like a word with you if you could. He knows you are a busy man, so when you have time.” She looks back at me, gives me a little nod and leaves.

“Next time, show more respect, eh.” I turned to Mr. G and I guess the look on my face was one of confusion, so he went on. “My niece is-she’s a sweetheart. Her heart is always for the weak. But she doesn’t tolerate disrespect on any level. To see you still breathing is an oddity right now. Just to not push her any further, show more respect.”

I huffed a little laugh out and he shook his head. “I’ll take you to the warehouse. Show you your job. Give you the gist of your temporary schedule.”

He leads me out and down some solid rock stair cases, down the mountain side. The large entrance looked over a vast valley. Deep green rain forests held a wet and sweet smell. Waterfalls cascaded down tall, steep mountain sides, creating a soft mist in the air. I watched as men, women, even children frolicked about, tending to gardens, the grounds and other buildings below. Small cottage homes littered the valley floor.

Seeing a warehouse with four docks on the beach side, Mr G. led me over to one of the larger warehouses and called out for someone.

“Hey boss. New one?” Mr. G nods and hands the man a file and digital device. “ Check the file under, home repairs. I think you’ll like the plan I had set.” There was a silent understanding between the two when a loud horn broke their little silent conversation.

“Kai here will show you your new job. And Keahi? Don’t do anything stupid, will you? Stay alive.” I didn’t know what that meant but I wasn’t about to cause problems in my state just yet. “I won’t.” Mr. G smiles and walks off, leaving me with Kai.

“Says you’re good with most machinery. Got you on a forklift. Follow me.” I do and soon find myself in the middle of walls of pallets, loaded with who knows what.

“This row here needs to be moved to that end over there for tomorrow morning's shipment. If you get confused, blue pallets only. After you’re done, come see me upstairs.” He hands me a clipboard and walks off, leaving me with no sort of measure of security. Huh?

I got to work and not a couple of hours later I finished moving forty-six pallets. I parked the forklift and headed up a set of metal stairs to an office and knocked. “Come in.”

I do and Kai raises his head from his paper work. “You’re done?” He asks in amazement. He stands to look out of the large windows overlooking the warehouse. “I’ll be damned. Well, I guess you can take those red pallets and move those besides the blue ones for tomorrow, late evening shipment. If you finish that one, you can put the yellow pallets beside the red. Leave ample room between the rows.” His eyes scan my reaction, and when I fail to protest, he huffs.

“ The work day ends in two hours. Get what you can do and the rest will be for tomorrow.” He orders. “Got it.” I leave and he watches me as I do as he says.

***********

Kealohalani POV

My days have been very hard. Everyday I pushed my magic out, searching for Keahi, but each time I came up empty. My wolf and I yearned for our mates.

“This is why I never wanted a mate!” I cursed to myself. Well, I thought I was alone. “Same here.” I turned in shock when Naomi’s voice sounded.

“Omi-gosh you scared me.” I laughed as I skipped over to pull her into a hug. “Sorry, didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But I get it.” I pull her with me to sit on my large sectional in my room which has become my solitude.

“I thought you were leaving with Tobias?” Her gaze avoided me as I could see she was fumbling around with what to say.

“I am. Tomorrow. I-I wanted to apologize,-“ I went to cut her off, but she held my eyes in a way to say, hold on so I did. “I am so sorry you had to go through this because of me.-“ It was then I cut her off.

How could she even think for a second that any of this had to be her fault? Really? “Knock it off, Omi. This-all of this is not your fault. It’s Nahe and Nanea’s fault. No one else’s.” My aura was quick to flare in my anger.

She cowered slightly, feeling my powers radiate off of me. *sigh* “Hey-never cower from me. I’ll burn the next person who even thinks of harming you.” A lone tear fell down her cheek and all I could do was pull her into my arms and hold her.

“I love you, Omi. You are my sister. Will always be my sister. And anytime that you need me, I’ll be there.” Her arms that were wrapped around my waist squeezed and I sighed.

Not moments later, she broke our moment with a question. “I thought you were going with Dad Alaric?” I nodded, “I am. Tomorrow. Kahi says Dad is renovating our rooms there. Says that Dad never imagined more than one of us living there at the same time, so he had only made one room for one of us at any given time. But I think he’s still processing everything that happened yesterday, ”I explained.

She nodded and sighed. “You know, I kept hovering over the events that happened since Nahe had started all of this all the way up until yesterday. I keep searching for a reason as to why they felt like I’d always be a threat. Now knowing what I am, do you think somehow, someway, they knew? I mean, I was plane old Jane Smith before this. I had no gifts. Now I know I am adopted. Born from a sinner and who knows? Then finding who I am, finding who my true self is, is the only conclusion I’ve come up with.”

Omi took another sigh and she got me thinking.

What if they did know? But how would they know? “Tobias said that your true self was only revealed when your wolf went-umm”-she sighed, “you can say it. It’s okay.”

“Since your wolf was killed. How would they have known if you were the lost Phoenix of the sun?” We both sat in our own thoughts, unable to come up with an explanation on our own.

“I’ll ask Tobias about it. See what he thinks.” I agree and we both sit in comfortable silence staring out the large picturesque window. The sun was still high up in the sky. No clouds were visible for miles on end. The bluest of bluest skies graced us with its beauty. Soft easterly winds brought in light breezes, keeping the castle nice and cool.

The stream outside my window trickled softly, lulling us into a peaceful silence. “I’m so sorry about Keahi.” I smiled a gentle smile and turned to my sister. “He didn’t reject me.” Her body shifted and I could see the confusion and curiosity at the tip of her tongue.

“Keahi and I figured out some things....” I explained everything and when the truth was out Naomi looked even further confused. “So-Makana and Dominic, they couldn’t help me without hurting you? That makes no f*****g sense. Are they not listening to anything anyone has said?”

I chuckled and shook my head, “apparently not. But his and my situations are supposed to be temporary. We followed through with it only to confirm my mom and dad's thoughts. But now Keahi is missing and asking mom and dad right now isn’t an option.”

Naomi lay her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arms in mine. “I’ll ask Tobias to help find him.”

Once again, we fell into comfortable silence when a knock on my bedroom door sounded. “Princess, your presence is needed in your mothers wing?”

I internally cursed, not ready to face my mother just yet, but now or later, my feelings I knew were not going to change, so there was no sense in putting her off. “I’ll be right there.”

Naomi stood and reached her hand out to help me stand. “I love you Omi. When I get settled at Dad Alaric’s come see me more, okay?” She smiled and agreed and I left to have a chat with my mother.