KATOMI - RISE OF THE FAE QUEEN

CHAPTER 30 – SHE BREAKS I BREAK

WYATT’S POV

‘I want mate!’ Kai growled restlessly

We’d been sitting in a meeting with the elders for hours now, going over a treaty from one of the other Kings, King Altor, he was the oldest of the kings, still refusing to hand over his crown to his son until he found his mate and he was by far the most temperamental of the Kings

His territory covered the whole of Europe, the second largest territory apart from my own, a fact he resented.

We went over this treaty every 20 years and it was always like pulling teeth, part of me just wanted to tell him to shove it but I had to keep my people safe, I had to keep Katomi and Remi safe.

‘Me to’

‘Let’s go find them!’ Kai demanded, he sounded on edge

‘What’s with you?’

‘Somethings wrong!’ He growled and I got a rush of fear, he was right, something was wrong with Kat ‘Go to mate!’

The door of the conference room smashed open and Beau rushed in breathing hard and looking terrified ‘KAT’S IN DANGER!’

My whole heart stopped ‘GO!’ Kai screamed

‘WHERE IS SHE!’ I jumped up, my chair crashed to the ground and the elders jumped slightly ‘Why didn’t you link me!’

‘She’s still at the mall’ Beau shouted as we ran down the hall ‘No one can link, there’s something blocking us’

‘How do you know she’s in danger?’

‘I was training with William when Bron called him’ Beau explained as we charged down the stairs ‘A Fae killed her guards, Kat’s fighting him’

‘WHAT!’ I shifted instantly, Kai was faster than I was, pack members flung themselves out of our way as Beau and I ran through the packhouse.

‘GO FASTER!’ I screamed, despite already out running Beau and William who we rushed past a few seconds ago

‘I can’t’ Kai growled in frustration ‘Mate is taking our strength!’

‘Why would she need our strength!’ I was completely frantic, I'd only ever felt fear like this once before, the day Kat was stabbed by my father ‘He must be too strong for her, he’s hurting her! I’LL KILL HIM!’

Kai whined as he tried to push himself faster and then suddenly our strength returned, and he shot forward

‘WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!’ I screamed ‘WHY HAS THE POWER RETURNED, IS SHE DEAD!?’

Kai whined in agony as he flew through the territory, we reached the mall in minutes, smashing through the glass sliding entry way, not bothering to wait for the doors to open, people screamed in fright and jumped out of Kai’s way.

We found Kat’s scent easily and we bolted after the trail, I could smell her blood as Kai raced down the stairs to the basement and my heart raced faster in fear 'Please be alive, please be alive'

After smashing through yet another door we arrived in the parking structure, the sight before me was horrific, Kat’s guards were laying on the ground, Natalie was dead but Darcy was lying unconscious, bleeding heavily.

My eyes scanned the area, there was a dead Fae on the ground with a dagger through his chest and surrounded with a pool of blue blood

‘WHERE IS SHE!’ Kai looked around, sniffing the air

We found her sitting against a wall, her eyes were closed, and covered in disgusting Fae blood, but her heart was beating, in fact, it was racing hard.

Kai howled and we bolted to her as her eyes flew open while Bronwyn jumped up out of my way, giving us room and Kai rubbed against her, whining hard, Kat’s whole body was freezing and shaking

She was in shock and didn’t move, I took back control and shifted, I noticed Bronwyn turn to give me privacy but that was the last thing I was worried about

‘KAT!’ I cried out and pulled her into my arms, but she still didn’t respond so I pushed her back at arm’s length and examined her, her arm and back of her head were bleeding heavily and there was a blood stain and rip on her shirt, I pulled up her shirt to see a small stab wound over her scar, I growled and pulled her back tightly into my arms

‘I’ve got you’ I assured her and kissed her on the cheek ‘You’re safe my darling, I’m here’

I hated myself more than ever, I wasn’t there for her again, she’d had to fight on her own and by the looks of it, she’d had to kill, something I knew would rip her apart, she was far to kind-hearted

‘What happened!’ I screamed at Bronwyn who flinched, I didn’t mean to frighten her ‘I’m sorry’ I tried to calm down ‘Please, just tell me what happened’

Bronwyn looked at Kat for a few seconds with tears falling from her puffy red eyes

‘We were going back to the car but Kat’ She looked at her again ‘She got scared, she said something was wrong and we had to leave and then the man’ She looked at the Fae, a rage erupted inside of me when I looked at the bastard ‘He came up to us and said you’d sent him because Liam had to leave but Kat didn’t believe him so she lied and said she needed to go to the bathroom so we could get away from him’

Bronwyn took a deep rattling breath ‘But when we got to the elevator and saw Darcy on the ground Kat went to help him’

‘Of course, she’d f*cking help him!’

‘She should have run!’ Kai growled angrily and we held Kat tighter.

‘And when she distracted he grabbed me and held the knife to my throat’ Bronwyn cried and touched her neck were a small cut resided ‘Natalie came then but… but the Fae killed her and attacked Kat, I couldn’t help, I don’t know how to fight and Kat told me to stay back, I couldn’t link anyone so I called her dad and Kat’ She looked down at her best friends tightly bound in my arms ‘She killed him, I managed to drag her away from him and I looked for Liam, his unconscious in the trunk of the car, I did what I could to stop his bleeding but there were a lot of injuries, Kat stopped talking a few minutes ago, she won’t move, I tried’

Beau's Lycan Niko finally arrived, his eyes widened as he looked around before they landed on Kat and I saw the relief in his eyes when he noticed she was still alive, his eyes then swept over Bronwyn before he turned and ran from the basement, returning a minute later wearing pants and holding a pair for me, the tag still hanging from them.

He tossed them over as a group of guards arrived, along with William who called out to Kat and rushed over to her, however when he reached the Fae, he froze and gasped

‘Troy?’

‘How do you know his name’ I felt my eyes darken ‘Do you know this Fae!?’

‘He told us’ Bronwyn said quickly, looking at William ‘He said his name was Troy and I told Mr Aron’

‘You said his name as if you knew him!’ I growled, what were they keeping from me?

‘Alpha I’

‘TELL ME THE TRUTH!’ I shouted in my Alpha tone ‘HOW DO YOU KNOW HIM!’

William looked terrified but he answered me ‘He’s the Fae prince, the Queens only male child’

‘WHAT!’ I shouted and looked at him before turning to Beau who looked as alarmed as me

‘He said he wanted revenge on you’ Bronwyn told me nervously and looked at Kat

‘So the b***h has finally tried to get revenge for her mate’

‘We can’t let this stand’ Beau said angrily as a few of the other guards began to grow ‘We need to retaliate before she tries to hurt Kat again’

‘Alpha I’ve met the Queen’ William told me and I frowned at him, why had he never mentioned this before ‘I know her, she’d never have agreed to send her son to kill your mate, it’s not her way’

‘I don’t give a f*ck what you think her way is!’ I snarled ‘Her son tried to kill my mate, your daughter, I will not let this stand, if she wants the war back then she’ll get it!’

‘Wyatt?’ The sweetest sound filled my ears and everything else was forgotten

I looked down at her, her eyes were wide with sorrow and it broke me ‘I killed him’

‘You, killed him?’ William gasped, looking from his daughter to Troy

‘I killed him’ Kat said again, her voice shook with so much pain, it ripped my heart out, she looked down at her hands that were covered in blood ‘I killed him’ Kat started hyperventilating ‘I killed him’

‘TAKE MATE HOME!’ Kai demanded so I jumped up and quickly pulled on the shorts before scooping her up

‘It’s going to be ok baby’ I whispered into her hair ‘I’ve got you’

William came over to us and reached for her, only to draw his hands back when I growled threateningly

‘MINE!’ My eyes darkened and William stepped back

‘Alpha please’ He pleaded, he was looking at Kat with terror as she continued to cry ‘I should take her home, she needs to be somewhere she feels safe’

‘I’m taking her home’ I snapped and pulled her closer ‘To my home, she is safe with me, you can come but she stays with me, don’t touch her’

‘I understand’ William nodded, he knew to well the pull of the mate bond, when your mate was in danger or hurt, you would never allow anyone near them and Alpha’s were even worst then normal mates, you weren’t just dealing with the mate pull, there was also the pull to protect your Luna, it made it hard to concentrate, hard to let anyone close to her, even her father

‘Beau’

Beau rushed over to me, looking at Kat with pity

‘Make sure Darcy and Liam are taken care of’

‘I’ve already called for the ambulance’ He informed me, he really was an asset to have around ‘The guards have taken Liam out of the trunk, he’s in bad shape but I think he’ll survive, you’re fine to take the car’

‘I want the area swept’ I said firmly ‘He mightn’t have been alone, shut the mall down and inform Natalie's family of her death, I’ll speak to them in person in a few days’

‘I will’

‘And have someone take Bronwyn home’ I ordered 'I don't want Kat worrying about her'

‘No’ She rushed over to us ‘Please Alpha I want to stay with Kat’

‘No’ Beau snapped at her before I could ‘You will go home and rest after the healer looks you over, I’ll take you myself’

I frowned at Beau as he gently touched Bronwyn’s neck, she winced where he touched her, he’d never shown such care with a girl, Kat had mentioned to me that she thought they were mates, but only time would tell

‘It’s healing to slowly’ He commented and looked at Kat’s arm which was still bleeding ‘Was it a silver dagger?’

We both looked at the dagger in the Fae’s chest, it was silver, I growled again furiously

‘F*cking bastard’ William growled down at Troy, I watched as he walked over and picked up another silver knife on the ground ‘It’s Kat’s’ He said when he noticed me watching him

‘She still carries a silver knife around’ I asked, she’d told me she had a knife with her when my father attacked her, but I didn’t realise she still kept one, why would she feel she needed it

‘And a good thing too’ William commented

‘William, will you drive’ Was all I said and took Kat to the car

‘Yes’ He followed me to the car and slipped into the driver’s side

Kat was still crying but by the time we’d reached the house, she was asleep, so I carefully pulled her out

‘I’m able to link again’ William told me as he came inside ‘I’ve linked Shay and she’s going to come over and give Kat something to help her heal’

‘Good’ I started walking up the stairs ‘I’m going to give her a shower, I want this f*cking disgusting Fae blood off of her so send Shay up when she arrives’

‘Shay can wash her’ William said quickly

I growled and turned to him at the bottom of the stairs ‘SHE IS MINE!’ I roared and Kat groaned in my arms, luckily, she was far to mentally drained to awaken ‘I’VE HAD ENOUGH WILLIAM, YOU NEED TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT KAT BELONGS TO ME NOW’

‘She isn’t ready for this kind of thing’ William argued ‘She wouldn’t want you to see her naked, Shay can’

‘I’VE ALREADY SEEN HER NAKED’ I felt my eyes darken, Kat would hate that I'd admitted this to her father, but he was really getting on my last nerve, I was already on edge because of the attack, William glared at me, his eyes darkened ‘DON’T PUSH ME TODAY WILLIAM, I WILL KILL YOU!’

He lowered his head, but his heart was racing, I took a breath and rained in my temper

‘I get that as her father, this is difficult for you’ I said begrudgingly ‘But she is mine now, if I want to see her body, I will, if I want to mate with her, I will…. so, either accept it or don’t but I am done with the remarks, now I’m taking MY mate to clean her up, send Shay up when she arrives’

I turned and took my girl into the bathroom, I didn’t remove my clothes as I stepped into the shower with Kat still in my arms.

I sat down on the ground and peeled off her outfit, she was wearing a different one than this morning, I wondered why she’d changed into sweats to go shopping, was this a normal female thing.

Once she was naked, I used my body wash to clean her skin and she whimpered in my arms as I washed the back of her skull, from my experience with wounds, it looked like she’d cracked her skull, he must had thrown her down hard in order to inflict this kind of wound.

Kai was furiously growling inside of me, we wanted to hit something, to tear something apart, it was torture knowing I wasn’t there to protect her.

‘We did this’ I growled angrily ‘The Fae attacked her to get revenge on us for Aram’

‘She’ll never forgive us’ Kai howled ‘She had to kill because our enemies wanted to hurt us, she was hurt because of us, we’ll lose them’

‘We won’t!’ I snapped and pulled her into my arm ‘If they want to leave us because of this, we’ll find a way to get them to forgive us and we will get revenge, I’m going to start training the troops again’

‘I know’ He responded ‘I could hear you debating it as we drove home, I agree, I want them ready in case they try something again’

Kat moaned again and I realised I was holding her to tightly ‘s**t’ I gasped ‘Her arm is bleeding again’

‘You i***t!’ Kai reprimanded me

I gently started washing the blood from her arm and sighed in relief as it began to heal, when I was done, I moved onto her chest but Kat’s eyes slowly opened

She looked around frantically ‘Shhh’ I hushed her and kissed her gently on the forehead ‘You are home, I’ve got you baby’

‘Wyatt, Kai’ She cried out our names as if they were a life line and scrambled up onto her knee’s over my lap and hugged me around the waist while she cried into my chest.

I held her head gently so I wouldn’t reopen her wound and her back, holding her tightly to me without hurting her, I wished I could always keep her this close, this safe and protected.

‘You came’ She wept, I closed my eyes in pain ‘I called out for you but you couldn’t hear me, something was blocking me but I knew you’d come for us’

‘Always baby’ I whispered in pain ‘I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner, I’ll never leave you alone again’

‘I killed someone’ She told me again, she must have forgotten me arriving at the mall, she was in too much shock

‘I know baby’ I hushed her ‘It’s going to be alright, you did so well, I’m so proud of you’

‘Your proud of me for killing someone’ She said in disbelief

‘I’m proud of you for saving yourself’ I told her ‘For protecting yourself and the others, you were so brave’

‘It was because of you’ She looked up at me, her face was twisted in pain, her eyes red, her lips trembling ‘I used your strength, he was so strong, I couldn’t, I’m sorry’

‘Don’t ever say that’ I growled ‘Whenever you need my power, you take it, don’t worry about me, not for one second, you save yourself’

She nodded as more tears fell and I quickly pulled her back into my arms

‘He tried to stab me’ Her voice was tortured ‘He tried but I used your strength, and I turned the knife around…… I didn’t want to kill him, I just wanted to stop him, to hold him off until you came but he let go, he was holding me off, but he just let go, I didn’t mean to kill him’

‘Don’t think about it’ I pleaded ‘Just push it out of your mind, you did nothing wrong and the Queen will regret sending her son after you’

‘The Queen?’ She asked and looked up at me

‘Your father told me your attacker was the Fae Prince’ I told her and her eyes widened ‘I need you to tell me what he said to you, everything you can remember, was he acting alone or was this ordered by the Queen?’

Tears fell down her face again ‘I don’t want to think about this anymore, please’

‘It’s alright’ I pulled her back into my arms and rocked her ‘We’ll talk again in a few days when it’s not so fresh’

I let her cry herself dry and once she was in control I lifted us to our feet and pulled her back into my arms and carried her into my closet

I sat her down on the comfortable rectangle divider chair before I pulled on a dry pair of shorts, I picked up one of my shirts and slid it over Kat’s still shaking form once I’d dried her off, I needed to get her something warm to drink, it would calm her nerves, thankfully she’d stopped bleeding, but I still wanted her arm, head and chest checked over.

I knelt down to help her put on a pair of my sweats, they were to big but I could tie the draw string tight enough that they wouldn’t fall down

‘I can do it’ She said and tried to feebly push my hand back

I ignored her and pulled the pants up her legs, I helped her stand and pulled them all the way up, tying them tightly, once I stood up, Kat wrapped her arms around and again

‘Come on’ I said gently and kissed her forehead ‘Shay should be here to check you over’

‘Don’t let me go’ She pleaded and held me tighter

I bent over and pulled her up into my arms again ‘Never baby’ I promised as I walked her back into the bedroom.

I found Shay and William standing together talking through the link but they broke apart when they saw us.

‘Bunny’ William came over to us, making sure to keep his distance and very deliberately not looking at me

‘Daddy’ She smiled sadly at him

‘How are you feeling sweetheart?’ Shay asked as she came closer

‘I don’t know’ She said softly and looked at the ground

I pulled back the bed spread and sat her down, was it only last night that I had her here in my arms, touching her tantalising body and now I was afraid to even touch her for fear of hurting her wounds

‘Shay’

Shay quickly came closer and stood beside me while I held Kat’s hand tightly but she sat down and gently touched Kat’s arm, making her wince, I growled, and Shay let her go.

‘Sorry’ I was breathing hard, I closed my eyes ‘Just do it’

If I couldn’t see Kat in pain, I wouldn’t hurt Shay for touching her, Kat’s fingers tightened around mine as Shay got to work and I continued to breath in her scent, trying to calm myself down.

Kai wanted everyone to get out so we could be alone with Kat and Remi, he was more desperate than ever to mark our mate, she’d automatically have part of our strength at all times and it wouldn't drain us of our strength, she would be safer but I had to wait, I was always waiting, years of it, I was done waiting and yet, if I had waited like I was meant to than Kat wouldn’t keep getting hurt.

‘Troy had to be the Fae that attacked her in the car’ I told Kai

‘He’d better be the one’ Kai growled ‘If there’s more Fae on our land I’ll rip them apart, every single one!’

‘Why would the Queen go this far’ I wondered ‘She’s never gone to so much trouble to send people onto our land’

‘We’ve never had a Luna before now’ Kai reminded me ‘We made her a target, we should have waited’

‘I know’ I sighed

‘How are they getting into our territory in the first place?’

‘I don’t know’ I said angrily ‘But I’ll personally be going to the border and speaking to every guard and if I find out a single one of them has gone rogue, I’ll rip their f*cking heads off’

‘All done Alpha’ Shay informed, I opened my eyes instantly and looked down at my girl, she had a bandage wrapped around her upper arm and her colour was returning to her cheeks, I missed her blushing cheeks desperately

‘And her chest and head?’

‘I cleaned the wounds’ Shay assured me as she rose and walked back over to William, he was looking at Kat, I got the impression they were linking privately, I didn’t like that, why wouldn’t they talk out loud, why was there something she could say to her father that she couldn’t say to me ‘Praise the goddess it wasn’t deep’

‘Yes’ I agreed

‘She has a concussion but her healing ability will help with that’

William growled and we all looked at him, he was glaring at Kat whose eyes were wide, pleading

‘What is going on?’ I snapped ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Nothing’ Kat shook her head slowly ‘He’s just worried about me’

I looked down into her eyes and bit my tongue ‘I see’ I said slowly, I didn’t believe her, they were talking about something else

‘Williams probably trying to convince her to go home with him’ Kai growled

‘He better not be’ I turned and glared at him before speaking out loud ‘Katomi and Remi will be staying with us for the next few days and that is not negotiable’ I added when William opened his mouth, Kai was right, William had been trying to get her to go home with him ‘I left her in your care for years but it’s my turn now, I will no longer stand back and let you make the decisions on her life’

William glared at me before looking back at Kat who shrugged and smiled sadly at her father.

‘As you wish your majesty’ William said testily

‘Is everyone dead?’ Kat changed the subject and looked up at me, her eyes filling with tears

‘Just the girl’ William answered, I growled in warning

‘She doesn’t need the details’ I snapped, I touched her face ‘It’s not something you need to worry about right now, worry about yourself and getting better’

‘Did she have a mate?’ She asked, I sighed, she was always to worried about others, a Luna trait no doubt

‘No’ I answered her question ‘Please put it out of your mind’

‘Bronwyn?’

‘She’s fine’ I assured her ‘Beau is taking good care of her’

‘She’ll like that’ Kat smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes like it usually did

‘Kat needs to rest’ I said firmly, leaving no room for argument ‘You are both dismissed’

‘Alpha, you can’t seriously expect me to just leave my daughter after everything she’s been through’ William argued

‘What did I just say William!’ I snapped ‘She is mine now, I am in charge, and she needs rest, you can come back and check on her again tomorrow’

‘Daddy it’s okay’ Kat said gently and touched her chest, her eyes widening before she started looking around the room ‘Where is it!’

‘Baby?’ I knelt beside her ‘Where’s, what?’

‘My mom’ She shouted and began to look around for her clothing ‘Her photo where is it!’

F*ck, I’d taken her clothes off in the shower, if the photo was in her bra, it was ruined

‘I’ll find it’ I told her and pushed back onto the bed, she was trying to get to her feet ‘Stay with her’ I said and rushed to the bathroom

‘Please’ I begged to the goddess ‘Please let it be ok’

I started rifling through her wet clothes on the shower floor, finally finding her bra, I lifted it up and there in one of the cups was the small image of her mother, it was soaking wet but the image was undamaged

‘Oh, thank the goddess’

I returned to the room, William was sitting beside Kat, hugging her, I growled, and he looked at me for a second before he kissed Kat and stood up, stepping aside for me

‘It’s here’ I passed it over to her and she sighed in relief and wiped the photo on the blanket ‘I’m so glad it’s not ruined, I’m sorry baby, I forgot it was in your bra’

‘The photo can’t be damaged’ William told me, I turned to see him smiling at Kat ‘She was such a tom boy as a child, running around in the woods, jumping into the lake fully clothed, sneaking into rabbit holes, I had a witch spell the photo so it couldn’t be damaged’

‘Good thinking’ I smiled and sat down next to Kat who was tucking the photo inside her pillow slip

‘We should get it framed for her’ Kai suggested

‘She wants to keep it with her’

‘So, we’ll get a larger one printed’

‘Good idea’ I reached in and kissed Kat’s forehead, she looked exhausted ‘It’s really time for everyone to leave, she should get some more rest’

‘Yes Alpha’ Shay smiled at her stepdaughter, she reached out and passed me a glass jar with white liquid ‘This will help the wound heal, it’s specifically made for wounds made from silver weapons’

‘Thank you’

‘I left her a sleeping tablet too’ Shay pointed to a small white pill sitting on a tissue on the bedside table ‘She might need it tonight’

‘Thank you’ I said again

‘I love you bunny’ Her father smiled ‘Stop scaring me like this’

‘I second that’ I said firmly

‘I’ll bring the twins to see you tomorrow’ William suggested ‘They’re worried sick’

‘Alright’ Kat smiled

I walked everyone to the bedroom door, thanking Shay once more before shutting the door.

I took a deep breath and turned to Kat, we didn’t talk, we just looked into each other’s eyes, how would I ever live without her if something like this happened again, what if she doesn’t survive next time

‘THERE WON’T BE A NEXT TIME!’ Kai roared

‘If there is, I’m killing myself Kai’ I warned him ‘I’m not living without them’

‘I agree’

'Come here’ Kat whispered and reached out her hand to me

When I could move again, I wondered back to her and climbed into the other side of the bed and pulled her into my arms

‘I’m so sorry baby’ I whispered into her damp hair ‘This is all my fault’