The Cat Shifter (Book 1 of Shifter Series)

Chapter 62

My mom disappeared from my view, and I had a feeling that she was looking at Uncle Peter. She didn't say a word that I could hear, and I couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to help her talk again.

"Is Aunt Diane there, too?" I asked, interrupting whatever silent discussion that they were having with each other.

"Yes, Dear, I am here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, and her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, and I had a feeling that she tried to shift but couldn't because she was placed under the same spell as me. "Trevor..?"

"Is safe and alive," I said and closed my eyes again before I opened them and stared at the ceiling. "He's with Carver. He's met his mate."

My mother appeared over me again and cocked her head. She didn't say a word while she studied me, but I could tell that she wondered if I met mine as well.

My cheeks turned red, and I flicked my eyes a little away from my mother, not answering her unasked question.

My mother grinned and shook me again, and I knew that she wanted me to answer her question. She wanted to know if I had met my mate and who it was, for she had a feeling that I had met him due to my silence and the fact that my cheeks had turned red.

"Well?" my uncle asked, sounding amused because I hadn't answered her question and was blushing. "Have you met your mate?"

I hesitated before I flicked my eyes a little as if to nod. "Yes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I cleared my throat and tried to shift but couldn't because of the spell. "His name is Brody. He's Kaden's son..."

My mother disappeared from my view again, and I had a feeling that she looked at Aunt Diane and Uncle Peter.

I bit back an annoyed sigh while they "talked," and I closed my eyes and waited for them to finish their discussion or for someone else to appear.

Again, I was shaken "awake," and I opened my eyes to see that my mother was kneeling over me again with a small frown on her face and furrowed brows.

She blinked and cocked her head while she studied me, and I had a feeling that she was wondering if I was ok.

"I'm ok," I said and flicked my eyes as if to nod before I looked at her again, my voice barely above a whisper. "I was just waiting for you to finish your silent conversation with Uncle Peter and Aunt Diane."

Relief flashed through my mother's eyes, and she moved a hand through my hair, giving me the comfort that I needed. She studied me before she moved away and talked to Uncle Peter and Aunt Diane some more before she appeared in my view again.

"She is wondering if you are in love with him," Uncle Peter said, and I bit back a small snort and flicked my eyes as if to nod.

"I wouldn't have let him mark me if I didn't love him," I said and looked at her with a small smile on my face.

My mother cocked her head and raised an eyebrow in question. She didn't say a word and hesitated before she reached over and touched my cheek. She didn't move my head to the side, and I had a feeling that she wanted to but didn't want to be considered too nosey.

I bit back a small chuckle and closed my eyes, enjoying her warmth. "You can move my head and see my mark, Mom," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, loving and feeling weird about calling someone "Mom" when I hadn't called anyone Mom for over a decade. "It should still be there."

"Should?" my uncle asked, not hiding the protectiveness in his voice, and I bit back a small snort, amused. "What do you mean by that, Katherine? Is the mark there or not? Did he mark you and then reject you afterward?"

"No," I said while my mother moved my head to the side so that she could see my mark and if it was there. "He wouldn't do that to me." 'Tigress?' I asked, deciding to try and see if I couldn't link my tiger and get everything ready. 'Are you there?'

Silence...

I bit back an annoyed sigh and pressed my lips into a thin line, knowing full well that I was going to have to wait for her before I could do anything, like break free from this damn spell that was placed on me and to save them.

"Is it still there, Wynter?" Uncle Peter asked, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "Or did it disappear?"

My mother studied the mark on my neck before she released my head without touching it, much to my gratefulness because I did not want my mate to be worried when nothing bad was happening or going to happen to me.

"Well?" my uncle asked, and I had a feeling that he raised an eyebrow in question.

She said something to him, and he breathed a sigh of relief, and I could feel the tension leaving him just as fast as it came.

"Good," he said, and I bit back a small snort while I rolled my eyes and pressed my lips into a thin line, amused but also annoyed.

"Did you think that it wouldn't be there, Uncle?" I asked, teasing him slightly, and he bit back a small chuckle before he cleared his throat.

"I was a little worried," he admitted before he cleared his throat and shifted a little. "I don't want you to get hurt by him, even though I have a feeling that you won't get hurt by him."

"Carver wouldn't allow something to happen," I said and flicked my eyes to the side as if to shake my head. "Now, enough about me, please. What's happening here? What's going on? Is everyone ok?" I paused and cleared my throat, feeling all of them stiffening while my mother moved away from me and looked at Aunt Diane and Uncle Peter. "I know what happened between Romanov and the two of you..."

My mother moved toward me again after she was done talking with them. She offered me a small smile and moved a hand through my hair, her eyes filled with tears.

She blinked and blinked away the tears again, making sure that none of them fell, and I closed my eyes and bit back a small sigh, enjoying her comfort and hoping that my presence was comforting to her, too.

"We're ok, Katherine," my aunt said softly, her voice cracking and filled with pain, and I opened my eyes, even though I couldn't see her. "It's not Amity's fault. You can still trust her." She paused and cleared her throat, and I had a feeling that she licked her lips before she bit back a small sigh. "She is still sworn to serve the throne and those that sit on it."

"Ah, but can she really do that while she is under my control?" someone sneered from an area that I couldn't, and my mother instantly tried to cover my body with hers, looking at them and trying to protect me.

The person, my "uncle," chuckled coldly. "Amity..." He gestured to my mother and pursed his lips in annoyance. "Be a dear and move her away from my sweet niece and get my niece to stand and face me."

"Yes, "Your Majesty,"" Amity said and did what she was told to do. She moved my mother away from me while she made me stand, no matter how much I "tried" to fight the control but couldn't.

My uncle chuckled while he watched me "struggle" and bowed mockingly when I looked at him and those that stood near him.

"Hello, my dear niece," he sneered, pursing his lips in disgust. "It is so nice for you to join this family reunion." His sneer grew deeper while he narrowed his eyes and took a threatening step toward me. "Too bad this will be your last."