Taming an Immortal Ch. 11

Yelping, Drake dissolved into a shimmer of light before landing on Rose's shoulder in his Changeling form. When Miria tried to catch him, he merely pecked at her fingers revengefully.

"Now, now children. Behave!" laughed Rose as they continued walking towards a makeshift tent where a group of red wolves and humans had congregated.

"My Lady, what brings you here today?" One of the burly red wolves greeted her; his eye darting at Drake suspiciously.

"Merkel. I'm glad to see you're well. Have there been enough supplies for the workers?"

"Miria has brought enough... supplies, to build another village." The wolf coughed slightly before looking away.

Why that cheeky little...

Hopping off Rose's shoulder, Drake landed on Miria's head, tapping her scalp with his beak. Her reaction was a second too slow but Miria eventually managed to grab him by the neck before stuffing him in her bag.

That was a mistake of course for he started squawking at the top of his lungs to be released from his cloth prison.

"Miria... give him to me." He heard the order from Rose. A second later, her scent was close to the bag as she hissed. "Drake, this is why Anzer keeps needing to have a talk with you. I'm feeding you to Merkel if you don't behave!"

"I don't eat seagulls. They taste disgusting," said the red wolf with a laugh. "But, Titus over there might fancy some meat. He's been complaining that fish and kelp aren't his thing."

"I'm so sorry about him. He's just a baby," said Miria apologetically as she handed Drake over to Rose. "Umm... have you had lunch?"

Drake only wished he didn't have to witness such a revolting scene before him. Miria, warrior princess was currently swooning over the heap of muscles like some love sick puppy. What was it about those damn wolves that Pureblood women always found so alluring? Tsk!

"Perhaps you could come with us," suggested Rose. "I was planning to take Drake here to have soft-shelled crabs down by the pier."

If he could roll his eyes, Drake probably would for the red wolf -if it was even possible -had gone an even brighter shade of red.

"Of course my Lady. It would be my honour. Let me see if the Princess would like to join us."

When he was gone, Drake jumped off Rose's shoulder and took back his human form.

"That was painful Miria. Please... I need a stick to poke my eyes out."

Both women glared at him but only one smacked him on the head -Miria was obviously guilty.

"Now Drake, Eulalie is the Princess of the East. I know you can't hold your tongue around me and I love you for that... but, please, try not to get yourself eaten around her."

Drake was about to tell Rose that was highly impossible when he spotted her.

Hair so blonde they appeared almost white, the Princess walked - no, floated as her dress flowed like water behind her.

Drake had found his match and damn she looked much better in feathers than him.

"Lady Rose! I'm surprised you're still here!" The princess nodded her head slightly at Rose before smiling at Drake and Miria. "I would have thought you'd left with Lord Adam to the West."

"I could ask you the same too," replied Rose with a smile.

Drake thought it was admirable how her face betrayed nothing when every Vampire and Changeling around her could scent her sadness. Drake only wished that she would allow someone to share that pain with her.

"I have no taste for such ceremonies. Only father has gone, so I'm free to do as I please. I'll stay and help with the rebuilding first. Besides, it looks like I'll be coming here quite often."

Turning to the red wolf, she nodded, gesturing for him to speak.

"We have thought over your offer and we accept my Lady," said Merkel. "We will stay and make our home here amongst your people."

"That's wonderful!" Hands clapped together, Rose gave her brightest smile. "It is the most we could do for you after all your help defending us."

"As I recalled, you fought just as hard alongside us," said Merkel, returning her smile.

Drake almost choked on his own spit at those words. What! Rose was fighting? Does that human ever not land herself in trouble?

He had heard of the casualties of course; news travelling fast amongst the seagulls operating along the coasts. If he knew Rose was in actual danger, he would have defied his father and flew south anyway! But Anzer had forbade him -what could a fisherman do when a war needed warriors, he had said.

Sure, he couldn't hold a sword nor command soldiers but he would never have put Rose in a position where she would require either in the first place. Now that was what a true mate would have done. But more importantly, if Drake had found his true mate, he would never leave her side.

***

Zahara hung the white dress by her window and stared at the silken material. Lady Elisa had gifted her the gown with the warning that she not taint it with her stupidity and weakness. Even as an Arceneaux, Zahara was still deemed less of a royal than her son.

Pretentious witch!

At least tonight, she would have her own mother to keep her company. Annabelle would never have told her she was stupid or weak. There was no shame in preferring to keep your nose in books!

However, at the sudden knock on her door, Zahara almost jumped, wondering if Elisa had perhaps heard her complaints and was about to punish her severely.

"May I come in?"

No, that voice was too masculine for the Queen Mother.

"Etienne? What are you doing here? You know you're not allowed to see me until the wed -oh forget that. I'm coming!"

Grooms were not supposed to see their brides a week before the wedding. But then again, there was no denying that their union was anything but contrive. She knew he would look right at her during their vows as though she was worth nothing more than the earth beneath their feet.

Opening her door, Zahara was genuinely surprised to see Etienne's face flushed with excitement. She hadn't seen him in that state since...

Well, since they were children. His father had just ascended the throne and Etienne had been so over the moon that he had rushed to her room and dragged her out to tell her all about it. Zahara wondered what happened to that spirited little child. Has his hatred for humans as a result of his father's mate turned him cold?

"Zahara, come! You must help me." He tugged her by the wrists and yanked her out of the door. "I know father left a lot of his works in the library but I just don't know what they are! I've looked through all his letters, the files... nothing!"

Zahara was too confused that she kept tripping over her own dress as they half ran, half flew across the halls into the forgotten chambers of the castle. Here was a section that had been banned to everyone and left to decay and dust, as the memory of the Pureblood who once filled the rooms with light and laughter.

"What exactly are you looking for?" she wheezed as dusted cobwebs caught in her face.

"My brother."

Etienne finally stopped in front of the grand library of his father's personal collection. The burst of emotions she had just seen earlier was gone - replaced by a cold front as they entered the room.

"You think he wrote an account of his other son's birth?"

Etienne turned to her; a strange look on his face. He seemed to want to say something but at the last minute, turned his head away and began to pull out random books from the shelves. Zahara didn't know why the sudden interest in his brother. She was aware that Anzer had come and seen him before leaving for Seurri. Had the Halfling said something that made Etienne reconsider his stupid decision?

"Etienne... I cannot help you if you do not tell me what you want me to help you with."

He ignored her; his attention focused on books and files written two hundred years ago around the time of his half-brother's birth.

"Fine, then I'll go... if there is nothing I can do."

She was halfway through the door when he grabbed her hand, tugging her backwards.

"No. Please." Desperate eyes of gold. "Stay."

Zahara rolled her eyes at him. So he knew the right words to say - just that he said it to the wrong woman.

"I know your father wrote a lot but I never thought he'd have this library all to himself," she admitted. By law, every Arceneaux upon his death had to part with their histories and works to be safeguarded in the family library. Sure, some had managed to hide a few valuable books to be kept in their personal treasure trove but all these...

They were magnificent.

"Did you know that your father was multilingual?" Zahara bent to pick up a book Etienne had discarded. The abrupt cursives and strokes of this one was characteristically Changeling - not of wolves but something else. "I'm amazed at how many of these he had written. It's mostly poetry."

"I can't read that scribble! Did Father do that on purpose? So no one could find out?" He slammed his fists against one of the shelves, causing a mountain of dust to cake over them.

Zahara kept silent. Goading him for an answer was pointless. Her cousin would tell... when he was ready.

"These books here are very specific Changeling scripts," she replied instead, flipping the pages. "I'd say they look almost as if someone with webbed fingers wrote them. See the swishes and flicks? It's characteristic of someone holding his brush against the wrist rather than -"

"Just read it Zahara."

Zahara felt her face flaming. There was no way she was going to go through everything aimlessly!

"I will ask one last time Etienne Arceneaux. Or this conversation is over." She snapped the book shut, sending a gust of dust flying upwards.

The Lord of the West simply snarled at her; baring his teeth in defiance.

"Fine. Then go. Find me when I am needed."

For the wedding. She understood.

God was he stubborn! Why wouldn't he just tell her? With a sigh, she sat down amidst the pile of books and looked up at him.

"Is it for Rose?"

That did it.

Shoulders slumped, the Pureblood took a seat next to her.

"I spoke to him."

"Who?"

Silvery eyes looked up into hers; the truth almost unbearable for him to accept.

"My son."

***

NB: Sorry this took so long to upload! I had to rewrite this chapter as I felt the original draft pushed the story too quickly towards the end. I could have strengthened the chapter I'm sure but I figured I'd just upload it so we can move the plot along. Enjoy!