Chapter 134
*Colette*
I walk in silence with Zale, my nerves sending shock waves through my hands, making them shake. This is fine, it will all be fine. Except what if they meet me and hate me and want to withdraw the whole joining our war thing? Then they have access to our pack and they could become enemies. I blow a heavy breath through my lips, an anxious sound breaking free as Zale chuckles.
“You are nervous?” He asks.
I snort a laugh and nod.
“What gave that away? The shaking or the labored breathing?” I ask, and he grins
“You are Caspian’s daughter. Regardless of if you feel this goes well, I will honor my promise. We will back join this war.” He says sincerely, and I frown at him.
“Then why would you phrase it like this is a ‘must happen scenario’?” I ask him and he shrugs.
“I only said you must meet them. I did not say you need to be best friends and go on family bonding trips. We are a close knit family, or at least we all thought we were. The secret of you has been…interesting.”
I bob my head and bite my lip nervously. Zale, though not much of a talkative person until after my dad’s death, is someone I trust. Ezrah was different; he was an occasional friend, someone Caspian trusted over working with him. There is a difference when it comes to living with and being related to someone. At least in some capacities.
It didn’t do much for me and Leslie, or even my uncle, that I didn’t know was my uncle. But had I known, had she known, maybe things would have been different. It’s doubtful, since Leslie was a selfish, spoiled brat who got what she wanted. May the moon goddess take care of her, but still. Leslie was a bitch and Zale…he is respectful, and he truly looked up to Caspian. I could see it in his eyes.
“So am I meeting like a grandma and grandpa or his siblings? Cousins?” I ask, trying to get a feel for what I am walking into.
“You will be meeting some of our cousins,” Zale says, giving me a soft smile. “They are reserved and respectful by siren’s standards. The elders rarely make these types of long trips.”
“Ah,” I murmur, only partially listening, squinting as I try to see who might be out in the water waiting for me. Are they hiding beneath the surface or perhaps maybe they have come ashore as only royals can do for extended periods of time?
“One thing to keep in mind, Luna, is that Siren’s are a little…well, we can be abrasive. With them not having been around humans much other than King Caspian and now myself…they may seem a little…”
“Rude?” I ask with a grin, my nervousness only growing with every damn thing he says.
“Yes, you might say that.” He sighs. “I like to think they are just painfully honest.”
“Great. So if I think I look fat in a dress, they are the ones to ask, not Merikh. Noted.” I say more to myself, but he chuckles anyway.
With every step, I can feel my stomach twisting and the way my mind spins with all sorts of scenarios, from great to terrible. I must be lost in my head for a long time because when a hand touches mine, I startle and I see beautiful aqua eyes that seem to move like the ocean current. A tan face smiles at me, near bleach blonde hair flowing over her right shoulder, and her hand resting on mine.
“You look like him.” She murmurs, then she turns with a huge grin on her face to look over her shoulder. “Doesn’t she have his face shape and I can feel it in her?”
“Feel what?” A dark-haired man asks, looking bored as he steps closer, his eyes a sea foam green as he frowns.
“The ocean, Wade.” She says, turning to face me again. “It lives in her veins.”
“Oh, for seaweed’s sake, Maris.” Wade groans.
“She is kind of plain.” Another face says, shrugging, “But I kind of see it. Maybe if she didn’t look so scared, she would resemble him more. King Caspian was never scared. He never had a weakness.” The younger girl says, tilting her head as she watches me. “I was his weakness.” I say with a straight face. “My mother and I were both his weakness.”
They freeze, all of them looking at me, then Zale before he clears his throat and steps forward.
“This is Princess Colette, though here she is known as Luna Colette.” He tells them. “Plain or not, like it or not, she is of royal blood, like you all. Only she is more pure.”
Wade scoffs and throws his head back, laughing.
“She is a half-blood, part dog.” He says, looking me up and down in disgust.
“And yet, she still possesses more direct royal blood than you.”
Wade’s mouth twitches and he rolls his eyes, looking around at Maris and the others who remain nearby, simply watching.
“Can she do anything water related?” Maris asks, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she contains herself by biting her lip and grinning.
“Can she even swim?” Wade asks.
“Of course I can. All dogs can swim. It’s cats that hate water.” I snap at him, giving him a fake ass smile. The corner of his lip twitches up, but he looks away before I can witness if it morphs into a smile. “Luna Colette can transform into a wolf on land and in water, only in water her wolf becomes liquid. She is untouchable in water form.”
“And yet, Caspian still died-”
“He sacrificed himself for all of us.”
Zale cuts Wade off, stepping in front of him, his shoulders rolled back. “And your Wade, were warned of how to speak to not only the people on the surface, but to a princess of our kind. Drop your attitude or you will be on Trench duty for the next one hundred fucking years.”
Wade takes a step back, his tongue pressing to his inner cheek like he has much he would like to say, but he doesn’t.
“Yes, my king.” He grits out before backing away.
“What would you like us to call you?” Maris asks, pushing her way in front of me again. “Princess? Luna? Luna Princess?”
I shake my head and chuckle.
“Colette is fine.”
“Luna, that seems a little too personal,” Zale whispers, and I brush him off. Maris seems genuine in her excitement and I get the feeling she and I are going to be exceptionally close. “She is family,” I say to him with a soft smile. “Come to think of it, you are, too. Family uses real names, not titles.”
At least I think that is how it goes. I really can’t say, the whole not having a family for most of my life thing sort of skews my knowledge.
“I’m Maris! King Caspian was my
uncle, well, great uncle. Something like that is a little different for us with our lives and stuff, but…anyway. I am so happy to meet you. It is so obvious how pure you are. We are going to be great friends.”
Wade frowns and then clears his throat, then he looks around. “Maris and I are the oldest.”
“Wade was supposed to be first in line for the throne but well…clearly that didn’t work out.” She squeals, her voice still cheery and happy despite the very tense air surrounding Zale and Wade. Blunt and oblivious. Sirens are both, it seems, when they are on the surface.
“Maybe not the best thing to say.” I give her a gentle smile and she frowns.
“But it’s the truth.” She says.
“But perhaps Wade doesn’t like to think about it?” I offer and he seems surprised, his brows rising in shock. “How about I give you a tour, then later I can show you all my wolf in the water?”
My cousins all chatter excitedly, unfamiliar faces stepping forward to meet me as I grin, my heart full and my eyes watering. It’s such a strange feeling being happy and yet so heartbroken simultaneously.
Search theFindNovel.netwebsite on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.