Royal Shifters Series - Chapter #133 - Free To Read

Book 5: Kami

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Book 5: Kami


News station vans have been parked outside of my house, everyone eager to hear the story on how I found Samantha and how scared I was when I found the killer’s body. At least, that’s the story I’m sticking with. When the police came to the scene, none of them suspected me as the one who killed the murderer. I guess I don’t look like I’m capable of shattering someone’s neck bones. The less focus on me, the better.

Samantha’s parents even called me this morning to thank me for finding their daughter, even if it wasn’t in the way they’d hoped. They wanted to pay me a reward for finding her, but I kindly refused. Just knowing I could bring them closure was payment enough.

I thought for sure once the police searched for evidence, I’d be sitting in a jail cell, but that’s not the case. It’s as if it’s being swept under the rug and dismissed. There had to be some of my DNA at the crime scene, especially since I touched Michael with my bare hands. That was his name, Michael Lawrence, a serial rapist and murderer, who had been on the Most Wanted List for two years now for killing over thirty-five women. If I hadn’t found him, there’s no telling how many more he would’ve hurt. I guess I should count myself lucky the investigators don’t give a shit who killed him. Hopefully, they see it as a blessing.

Looking out my living room window, I watch as the last news van drives away from my house. Along with my brother and Faith, my parents are outside, talking to other members of our pack. With Tate being the alpha, it’s his authority I have to follow. If he forbids us to kill humans, then we have to abide by the rules. In my case, the human I killed couldn’t even be considered a human; he was a monster. There has to be an exception to the rules.

Tia comes up and stands next to me. “What do you think they’re talking about?”

I shrug. “Who knows? I’m too tired to focus on them right now. Today’s been exhausting.”

Clasping my arm, she pulls me over to the couch, and we sit. “You can’t be tired. Tonight’s your graduation party. We have to celebrate. I’m excited about seeing Laila and meeting more of your friends. Luckily, Orin will be there to keep me company if none of them like me.”

Smiling, I lean my head against the couch. Orin was part of the Blue River pack, but he wasn’t evil like they were. He decided to follow Tia when she came to join us. “Don’t worry. They’ll like you,” I promise her. “And I won’t be too tired for the party. It’ll get my mind off of everything. With the media attention, even though it’s just local, I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing regarding the FBI. They might not want me.”

Tia scoffs. “You’ll get in.”

The front door opens and Tate walks in with Faith. As far as looks go, Tate and I have the same light brown hair, but he resembles our father with his bright blue eyes, and I have gray eyes like our mother. On the other hand, Faith is gorgeous with her whitish-blond locks and clear blue eyes that are typical for a royal arctic wolf. I haven’t had time to speak to them about what happened.

I stand and stare at my brother, whose unreadable expression on his face has my mind wandering in a million different directions. I don’t know if he’s angry or proud of me, or both.

“Just get it out,” I say to him. “Tell me how reckless it was to go after a serial killer.”

Tate glances over at Faith, and they both smile. Faith walks over and hugs me. “Kami, you’re too much.” She leans in close to whisper in my ear. “We’re proud of you.”

I step back. “You are?”

Tate holds out his arms and beckons me to hug him. “Of course, we are. You did what any of us would’ve done. I’m just thankful the cops didn’t suspect you of killing the cocksucker.” I hug him, and it feels good to know he supports what I did. “You showed amazing restraint, Kami. It takes a strong will not to have ripped that fucker apart after what he did.”

I let him go. “Trust me. I wanted to.”

He nods. “Exactly, but you didn’t. You let your brain do the thinking and not your emotions. Explaining to the police why there’s a serial killer with his body parts torn apart wouldn’t be an easy thing to explain.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I huff. “I’m not stupid, Tate. You do know I want to join the FBI, right? It’s kind of a given I need to think with my brain. I can’t be going all shifter on a bunch of humans.” It did feel good to show that side of myself to Michael before I snapped his neck.

He chuckles. “I know. You’ll be an amazing FBI agent one day.”

“That’s if I get in. Who knows what’ll happen now.”

Faith comes over and drapes an arm over my shoulders. “They’d be stupid not to take you.”

Visions of Samantha run through my mind. “I just wish I could’ve saved her.” Faith’s arm slides off my shoulders, and I turn to her. “There are so many people out there who can’t defend themselves like we can.” Tate opens his mouth to speak, but I hold up a hand. “Yes, I know. I can’t save everyone.” It was the sole reason why I started out wanting to be a doctor. I wanted to save people, but then I found another way I could save them.

Faith nudges me with her elbow and winks. “But you can try.”

Tate shakes his head and grins. “I think my mate’s rubbing off on you, sis.”

Faith has been an inspiration to me ever since she joined our pack. She’s made me stronger, more confident, and one hell of a fighter. We’ve trained for hours on end, and I’ve even spent one-on-one time with other females in our pack to help them become better fighters.

Faith beams. “Kami’s always been a warrior. I’m just excited to see where she goes from here.”

Tia gets off the couch and comes to stand beside me. “I am too. I think amazing things are about to happen.”

Tate nods. “And they are. Right now, we have a party to get ready for. Several people have already called and said they’re in town.”

Faith slides her arm around his waist. “We should probably go and help your parents finish setting up.”

Tate smiles at her, and it brings me joy to see them so happy. He kisses the top of her head and turns back to me. “We’ll see you at the party.” Faith waves, and I watch them walk outside and get into Tate’s truck.

“That went pretty well,” Tia says. “I don’t know why you were so worried. Your brother’s not as straight-edged as you might think. I spent a lot of time with him in Canada and saw how ruthless he was.”

Ever since Tate got back from rescuing Faith from the Blue River pack, he hasn’t spoken much about what he had to do during that time he was there. I’ve only heard about it from Faith and Tia. Tate’s never been one to kill senselessly, and that’s what he had to do. I don’t know how many shifters he killed, but I know it was a lot. The one that hurt him the most was losing his second-in-command, Anson. Hell, his betrayal devastated our whole pack. His twin sister, Ansley, is one of my good friends, but she keeps mostly to herself these days. I’m hoping to see her at the party, but I doubt she’ll be there. I want to touch her and see if my dreams can help her find her mate. I think that’ll help her find her happiness again.

A smile lights up my face, and Tia laughs. “Uh-oh. I know that mischievous look of yours. What’s on your mind?”

I shrug playfully. “We might need to make a pit stop before the party. You said it yourself you think amazing things are about to happen. I get that inclination too.” There’s a warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach when I think about Ansley. She needs me, and I’m going to help her.

* * *

When I step out onto the front porch, the breeze is warm, and I can smell our Honeycrisp apples ripening on the trees. It’s one of the things I love about the beginning of Fall. My parents had the trees planted when I was young, and when I turned eighteen, they built me a house on their land. It’s my own slice of heaven.

“You know what I’m excited about?” Tia says from behind me.

I look over my shoulder to see her walk out the front door, dressed to perfection in one of my floral sundresses and boots. When she lived in Canada with the Blue River pack, her attire consisted of cocktail dresses and fancy jewelry. Then again, she lived in a giant mansion with a rage-filled alpha worth millions of dollars. In Montana, things are different. My family does have money, and we live comfortably, but we don’t show it off. I would prefer jeans and boots over an expensive gown any day.

Tia stands next to me, and I look at her. “What are you excited about?”

She peers out at the Grayson land. “This. Living my life here.” A smile lights up her face, and she turns her sea-green eyes to me. “I finally feel like I’m home. For the first time, I’m not being used for my magic.”

I hug her hard. “And you never will be.”

She pats my back. “I promise I’ll find my own place to stay soon.”

I roll my eyes and smile. “There’s no rush.”

She lets me go and grins as her gaze roams over my body. I chose to wear a denim skirt and a pink sleeveless top and boots with my hair in waves down my back; down to earth but sexy. “Who are you trying to impress tonight? A certain wolf maybe?”

I shrug and wink at her. “You never know.”

Honestly, I’m not trying to impress anyone, but a part of me does wonder if my mate will be at the party. In my dreams, I love every second I’m with him, even if I can’t see his face or hear his voice; I love just knowing he’s there with me. However, it is infuriating I don’t know who he is. I’m starting to think it’s because I haven’t chosen him yet. I don’t know any other reason besides that. Whatever magic I have is dangling him in front of me, almost like a cruel joke. Then again, it might not be the right time for me to know who he is.

Tia smiles. “We should probably go. We’re running out of time, and I know you want to stop by Ansley’s house before the party.”

I nod. “I do. Let me get my keys.”

Hurrying inside, I grab my keys off the counter and lock the front door. Tia is already in my Jeep when I get outside, so I hop in and we start on our way. Ansley lives ten minutes away from me, and it’s on the way to my parents’ house, which is where my graduation party is being held. A part of me hopes Ansley will be at the party instead of home, but her car is there when we pull into her driveway.

“Do you think it’ll work?” Tia asks.

I park beside Ansley’s silver Toyota Camry and sigh. “I sure as hell hope so.”

All I have to do is touch her and pray that my dreams tonight will help me see her mate. I honestly think Ansley’s to the point where she’ll run off on her own if she doesn’t get help dealing with her brother’s death. I love her, and I know she’s strong, but she’s not strong enough to live outside of a pack.

Taking a deep breath, I open my door and hop out. “Here we go. I’ll be right back.”

Tia stays in the car while I make my way to Ansley’s door. Her parents had a small cabin built on their land for her when she turned eighteen, just like mine did at that age. When I get onto the porch, I can see Ansley through the window, sitting on the couch and watching TV. Her brown hair is unkempt, and I’m pretty sure she’s wearing the same T-shirt she had on the other day when I visited her. With her shifter hearing, she has to know I’m there.

“Are you seriously going to make me knock?” I call out.

Ansley’s shoulders sag, and I can hear her tired sigh. She stands and turns to face me through the window. It’s as if I can feel her sorrow and pain through her eyes. They’re usually bright green, but today, there’s no light at all. She slowly walks to the door. “I’m sorry, but I can’t go to your party, Kami.”

“That’s not why I’m here.”

Ansley opens the door and leans against the frame. “Then why are you?”

“You’re one of my closest friends, Ansley. I miss you, and I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Ansley hangs her head, and a tear falls down her cheek. “I’m not, Kami. It all just hurts too much. After what my brother did, it’s too hard to face the others. My parents are thinking of leaving the pack.” Anson did betray us, but that was him, not her.

I reach down and grab her hand. “I know you feel like you don’t belong here anymore, but you do. I want to help you, but I need you to give me a little time. Don’t go running off in the middle of the night.”

She lifts her gaze to mine. “Time for what?”

As I hold her hand, I send up a silent prayer to the moon, hoping its magic will help me. I pull her into my arms. “I have a way to help you, but I don’t know how long it’ll take. You have to trust me on this.” I step back and stare right into her eyes. “Promise me you’ll stay.”

More tears fall down her cheeks, and she nods. “Okay. I trust you. I won’t leave without telling you.”

I hug her again. “Good. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Have fun at your party. And good job, by the way. I saw you on the news. You’re going to make an amazing FBI agent one day.”

I can only hope so. “Thanks, Ansley.”

I let her go and get back in my Jeep. She smiles sadly and waves as we pull out of her driveway. “I can always use magic on her,” Tia suggests. “Just a little something to make her feel happy.”

The thought is tempting, but Ansley will never forgive me if she found out. Concentrating on the road, I shake my head. “We can’t. I don’t want her mad at me. I’m just hoping I dream about her and her future mate tonight.” I glance over at Tia, and she nods, but there’s a hint of slyness to her smile. “What are you grinning at?” I ask, turning my attention back to the road.

Tia giggles. “Oh, just you. If you don’t dream about Ansley, maybe you’ll dream about the wolf you’ve been dallying with for the past couple of months. What exactly do you two do when you’re together?”

Cheeks burning, I keep my focus on the road. My dreams have recently been more on the X-rated side, making it awkward since I can’t see the guy’s face. “That’s none of your business,” I say, winking over at her.

Tia shakes her head and laughs. “Guess I know now why you’ve been moaning in your sleep.”

If she only knew. I had a couple of human lovers the past year, but nothing compares to the sex I’ve had in my dreams. Ever since I started having the dreams, I’ve stayed away from human men. They can satisfy our needs, but I’ve heard wolves are the best. When I wake up, my body feels satiated and tired, as if what happened in my dreams was real. I can’t explain it, but it’s incredible. Just thinking about my dreams makes me wish I could skip the party and go right to sleep.

My body trembles and I look forward to more dreams. “Let’s just say my mate knows what he’s doing.”

* * *

I knew my college graduation party would be huge, but I didn’t realize to what extent. As I look around at everyone, it brings me joy to see our closest friends and allies come together. Not only are there wolves from the Royal pack here, but Chase Maheegan is here with his Timberwolf pack, the Northwestern alpha, Ian Randale, and his people are here, along with Colton Redding and his red wolves. We’re all separate groups, but we work as one. We help each other in times of need.

So much has changed this past year with the royals resurfacing. For the longest time, the packs have been at a standstill. No one was finding their mates, and no new wolves were being born. That is until the royals brought magic back to our people.

I glance over at Tia and smile at the way she observes everyone with such fascination. She’s not used to seeing wolves get along the way we do. “Different, huh?” I say.

She takes a sip of her margarita. “A little. I think some of them are afraid of me though.” I’ve noticed it too with their skeptical glares, but I’m hoping in time they’ll be more comfortable around her. I thought with her being by my side, it’d help, but word about how she came to be with our pack has spread far and wide. Everyone knows how powerful she is and that her magic can put a wolf down with just a flick of her wrist.

Taking her arm, I pull her over to the refreshment table so I can grab a handful of cotton candy grapes. They taste just like the sugary treat. I search around for Orin, and I find him tossing back whiskey shots with some of the other males in the pack. Maybe he fits in more because he’s a wolf and not a witch. Some are afraid of Tia’s power.

“Laila will be here in a few minutes,” I assure her. “Once everyone sees you with her, maybe they won’t be so afraid of you.” It just so happens that Laila and Cedric pull up into the driveway just as I say it. Laila is a royal arctic and part fae, which gives her a type of magic that’s even more powerful than Tia’s. They met many years ago when both were held captive by other alphas. Captive. The thought of it all infuriates me. When I look around, there are so many women among me who have been victimized. I was abducted and tortured by the Yukon pack. Faith was taken by the Blue River alpha, Killian. And Laila was thrown into the middle of a fae war and almost didn’t survive. We’re all stronger now, but it’ll never end. All I want is to keep people safe, to protect them.

“Kami, Tia,” Laila squeals, waddling over with her arms outstretched. Her baby’s due in a couple of months, and she looks radiant in an emerald dress with her bright red hair in loose waves down her back. She hugs me first and pats my back. “Happy graduation. Have you heard anything from the academy?”

“Not yet,” I say, letting her go.

She winks at me. “You will. Don’t worry.”

Turning to Tia, she hugs her hard. “And how are you holding up? I know it’s different being here.”

Tia laughs, but there’s a hint of sadness to it. “It is, but I’m adjusting. I know some here probably still see me as the enemy.”

Laila links her arm with hers and pulls her toward the crowd. “They won’t after tonight.” Laila winks at me, and I mouth the words thank you to her.

Faith comes up beside me and bumps me with her shoulder. “Are you enjoying the party?”

I bump her back and smile. “Of course, I am.” Then I flourish a hand around the yard. “But you didn’t have to do all of this. I can’t imagine the amount of work it took.” What used to be my parents’ simple backyard has been turned into an oasis, surrounded by twinkling lights and fountains with a dance floor right in the middle.

Faith snickers. “It was fun. I think your parents love it.”

We spot my parents on the dance floor, holding onto each other as they slow dance. “They do look happy.”

“Yes, they do,” Faith agrees.

Clearing my throat, I lower my voice. “I might need your help in a little bit. Do you see Jamie over there?” I nod at her, and Faith follows my line of sight. She’s dressed in a cute yellow top and jeans, talking to two other girls in our pack.

Faith nods. “I do see her. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” I say with a mischievous grin. “I happened to have a dream about her and another wolf in our pack.”

Faith gasps. “Seriously? Who’s her mate?”

After searching the crowd, it doesn’t take long to find Thorin with his friends. I nod toward their group and Faith looks over at them. “Thorin. I’ve seen Jamie around him on numerous occasions. There’s definitely something between them. I have a feeling if we get them together tonight, it’ll happen.”

Faith turns to me, her smile playful. “Leave it to me. If this works, then it’s safe to say you do have a special power. It’ll be the third couple you’ve matched.”

If only my magic worked on my own mate. It’d be nice to know who he is. Once I’m done with my grapes, I grab another handful from the table. “Have you talked to Micah?”

Micah is a royal arctic just like her, and he used to be her protector. Now that she’s bonded with my brother, Micah’s free from his duty. Faith pulls her phone out of her back pocket and sighs when she looks at their last text.

“The last time I spoke with him was a week ago. He said he was okay.” I can hear the concern in her voice.

“I’m sure he is, Faith. And when he comes back, he’ll have the other royals with him.”

Many years ago, the first Royal pack was attacked, and the ones who weren’t murdered went into hiding. Everyone thought Faith was the last royal female, but she’s not. That’s why Micah is on the search for the rest of their old pack. They’re not safe out there on their own.

Faith nods. “It’ll be nice to see my old friends again. It’s been so long.” Her eyes focus on something across the yard, and she smiles. “Ah, here comes my brother.” She snickers under her breath. “I know you just love him.” Her words drip with sarcasm.

On the contrary, her brother’s a complete and utter asshat. He’s a royal arctic, and all the ladies in my pack love him. Hell, all the women everywhere adore him, and he knows it. His charm, however, does not work on me. Silently, I groan and turn my focus to Colin, who gives me a smirk as he approaches. Is he good-looking? Of course, he’s a royal. He possesses all the attributes of an arctic with his whitish-blond hair and striking blue eyes. His left arm is covered in tattoos, but he doesn’t need them to help with his bad-boy persona. He’s the kind of guy girls are warned to stay away from. I can only imagine the number of hearts he’s broken over the years.

Colin smiles at us and winks at Faith. “Good to see you, sis.”

Faith kisses his cheek. “Glad you could make it.” Then she turns to me, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “I need to go check on something. You two have fun.”

I glare at her, but all she does is grin wider and hurry away. Colin chuckles and plucks a grape from my hand, popping it into his mouth. It takes all I have not to shove the remaining ones down his throat.

“Saw you on TV.” He moves closer and smiles even more. “Good job, by the way. I heard you applied to the FBI Academy.”

“You heard right.”

His expression is both shocked and impressed. “Nice. I didn’t know you were interested in that.”

I snort. “I’m not shocked. I didn’t know you thought about anyone else other than yourself.” Do I really believe that? No, but it felt good to jibe at him. He’s very protective when it comes to his family and friends. I’ve seen it firsthand when he risked his life to stand by Faith’s side when the Blue River pack took her. He also tried to protect me from a drunkard one night at a party many months ago. It infuriated me he thought I wouldn’t be able to defend myself.

Colin shakes his head and laughs. “You are one feisty wolf tonight. I get the feeling you’re mad at me about something.”

I look right into those crystal blue eyes of his. “Being mad at you would mean I actually care. Why don’t you bother some of the other females around here? I’m sure they’d be happy to have your company.”

He glances around the yard and shrugs. “I could, but I’d rather stay here with you. You’re more entertaining.”

“Great,” I grumble sarcastically. “Now I’m being punished.”

He bursts out laughing. “See, that’s what I like about you. You’re witty and funny as hell.” He moves closer to me, and I tense when his body touches mine. “Look at all those men staring at you,” he says, his breath warm against my ear. My heart rate spikes, and I hate myself for it. When I peer out at the crowd, several wolves from the other packs are watching us. I can sense their need to be closer to me; I can even feel a hint of it coming from Colin. “Be prepared, Kamille.” Shivers run down my arms; no one ever calls me by my real name. Hearing him say it makes me feel things I don’t want to feel.

“Prepared for what?” I say, my voice breathless.

“All of these men are going to be breaking down your door to get time with you. I can see it in their eyes.”

I step away from him. “I’m glad you won’t be one of them. There’s only so much ego one can fit in a relationship.” His smirk makes me want to smack it off his face. “And do me a favor, don’t call me Kamille. Only my close friends get the privilege.”

It doesn’t matter what I say, but he seems to get more enjoyment with each passing second. I turn to walk off and run right into Chase Maheegan, the alpha of the Timberwolf pack. He catches me in his arms and smiles. “I still have that privilege, don’t I?”

Holding onto his arm, I smile back at him. He’s a gray wolf, just like me, with ash-colored hair and dark blue eyes. He’s more like a brother to me than anything. “Of course, you do,” I say sweetly.

Chase winks at me and then extends a hand to Colin. “Good to see you again, brother.”

Colin shakes his hand. “Same to you.”

I deliberately keep my focus on Chase. “Do you want to dance?” I ask him.

Chase chuckles and shrugs. “Sure. I’m not a very good dancer though.”

I let his arm go and take his hand. “I’ll teach you.” He follows me onto the dance floor, and I happen to glance over my shoulder at Colin. Big mistake. There’s a look in his eyes that says he’s not done with me.

Why the hell can’t he just leave me alone? Oh, I know why. Guys like him always want what they can’t have.

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