Marked Claws (Mystic Bonds #2) | COMPLETED

2. Cara

Melida rested her hand on the door, ready to open when I clasped onto her hand. My heart skittered like a nervous horse and excitement and fear bubbled up.

Not only was I in the presence of a Royal but I'd just had my best friend from my time in the world of slavery show up as a Lord here. Micah had been the closest thing I has after being dropped into the cruel slave world when my parents were murdered by a company led by a blood eyed vampire.

But around six months ago, life as I knew it changed.

It started when I tried to make an escape from a slave auction to the vampires that I was an unwilling part of.

An escape that had failed miserably when the Shifter General of the Celeran army, Lucien, found me and took me to the Royal Palace. There I was thrust into the role of a maid. Strange things happened and I grew an aversion for the riddle speaking Vampire Queen. And then came my meeting with her son, Prince Damien who ignited weird feelings inside me even as he took my blood by biting. But he made it sexual and pleasurable. Even then, the pull I had for both him and his best friend was worrying.

Apparently that hadn't been enough for me. Because when the Fae King of Valeryn arrived with his benevolent sister Seraphima, my fate was sealed. I was whisked away as her personal Handmaiden to live a life in Valeryn much to my bafflement.

And of course, not to forget the Alpha werewolf who crawled his way under my skin by becoming my protector after our face-off in Sera's room during an attack on the Celeran Palace.

Much to my surprise, I'd found Micah in Valeryn's capital city and he had returned my mother's ruby necklace to me. Something that turned out to be much more than a simple jewel.

I learned to wield a sword, I formed bonds with the most unlikely people. I grew closer to the Fae Princess who was keeping my true identity a secret from even myself. But I couldn't dislike her. And the growing heat between me and her brother Arion ended up in my first kiss after a night of slaying the hell-creature called Daeva. I'd fallen asleep after crying my eyes out to a wolf who was sweeter than honey to me.

But then everything came crashing down.

A Daeva attack overpowering the Fae even with Damien and Lucien providing aid took place and it ended up in a gruesome fate I knew I wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.

A Daeva had nearly killed me but Alpha came to my rescue and then I finally saw him in human form. Only....it ended up in him killing me with my trusty dagger. A betrayal worse than my death.

But then Sera took a killing blow from a Daeva meant for Alpha. She glowed and brought us victory but at the cost of her death. I took my last breath seeing her lifeless form slumping to the ground.

Yet here I was, an anomaly.

And now, I wasn't ready to face the Alpha I couldn't sort my feelings for. My heart beat frantically.

"Why?"

She rose a brow. "You already have a feeling, don't you? I'm not going to be keeping secrets so don't worry. Not like Se-"

Her voice died down and I already knew who she was going to speak of.

My throat clogged up and feelings I didn't know I was still capable of came out in the form of a burning behind my eyes. I blinked furiously to clear them of the liquid gathering and Melida was silent.

Her next grin was strained but I refused to acknowledge the slip. I wouldn't think of it. No.

"Anyways, let's head in."

"Just like that?" I widened my eyes.

She gave me a haunting look, "I'm the Princess and his elder sister, they'll understand."