Ashlyn
It’s been a week since our fight, a week. I haven’t seen Mason all week and I’ve been staying out late every night in the park. I hated feeling like I wasn’t welcome in my home, and this wasn’t my home without Mason. I even went out and bought a new vehicle, an SUV this time. It was all blacked out, including the windows, and I’ve been looking for a new place to live.
I’m not sure what’s going on with Mason, but it kills me, not being with him. He’d be gone when I woke up, but I’d try to stay away in the evening. I didn’t want to be around him all happy with Amber. He hasn’t even tried to talk to me. And it killed me regretting his mark on my neck. And poor Tundra had been so depressed, she missed her mate.
Walking out of my old room, I actually dressed for the day. I had black leggings, my heeled ankle boots, and a cream-colored off-one-shoulder knit sweater. It was 3/4 sleeved, and the cuffs were wide and tight against my forearm. I made sure I covered Mason’s mark. I never thought I would deny my mate. My hair was down, and I curled it into beach waves. I didn’t bother with makeup. I was just going to hit the mall and then go house hunting.
When I made it to the living room, Brandon was on the couch watching me sympathetically. I didn’t expect him to still be home. He stood up from the couch.
“The Alpha King would like to speak with you,” he said. And I nodded. I already had my purse, and I was ready to go as I was just about to head out myself. We didn’t say a word until we walked out of the pack house and Brandon was heading towards his truck.
“Can we take mine, please?” I asked him. He nodded and followed me into the garage so I could get my vehicle. We drove to the pack offices in silence, and my stomach was in knots. I didn’t even know that the Alpha King was back yet.
Brandon didn’t lead me to the Alpha King’s office. He walked me into a conference room. The Alpha King was sitting at the head of a long table with comfy office chairs along it.
To my surprise, Mason was there with Liam to the left of the Alpha King. Brandon went over to sit with Mason. Mason didn’t even acknowledge me, and tears swelled in my eyes at his silent rejection.
“Derek?” I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Why was he here?
“Ashlyn.” He nodded.
Derek was sitting on the other side of the table with an older man sitting beside him and the Alpha King. Maybe that’s his father, the Dragon King.
“Ashlyn, please take a seat.” Arthur asked me. I took the chair in front of me, the one opposite of the Alpha King. I looked around the table. Derek and the other man were watching me intently while Mason had his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Brandon and Liam were looking at me sympathetically, and I didn’t understand why.
“Is everything okay, Arthur?” I hesitantly asked the Alpha King.
“Ashlyn, I’d like to introduce you to the Dragon King Victor. He’s Prince Derek’s father.” He introduced the man seated beside him.
“It’s nice to meet you, your majesty.” I bowed my head to him in respect. He stood up from his seat and I immediately thought I had done something wrong. He walked over to the chair beside me and I was sweating bullets. Dragon King Victor was a very intimidating man. He was tall, built like a house, and he had the same light brown hair and sea-green eyes that his son Derek had. He sat down and took my hands in his, giving me a smile.
“You look so much like your mother, Ashlyn.” He smiled.
“Thank you.” I sighed in relief. “You knew my mother?” I asked him.
“I did. I was one of her mates.” He said, and I was stunned. What the hell was he talking about?
“I don’t understand.” I stuttered out.
“Ashlyn, we have a lot to explain to you. Okay?” Arther spoke, and I nodded.
“Ashlyn, I wasn’t always in line to be king. Your father, James, was king before he handed the crown over to me.” Arthur started, but Mason interrupted his father.
“What are you saying, father? We aren’t actually royalty?” Mason demanded. And his tone surprised me.
“Son, we have royalty in our bloodline, but I was Alpha King James’ beta when he met his mate, Ashlyn’s mother.” He explained. And I looked over at the Dragon King.
“But how were you, my mother’s mate, if my father was?” I asked him, confused.
“Your mother was an elemental like you are, Ashlyn. Fated to the sons of the council. The Vampire King, the Fae King, the Warlock King, your father and I. It was up to your mother to keep the peace and run the council with us beside her.” He explained, and I was even more confused.
“What happened?” I whispered. This was so much to take in.
“Your mother chose your father and only your father. The four of us accept her decision, with the Alpha King stepping down from his place on the throne. Alpha King Arthur took over for your father and your mother and father left.” He went on.
“So what does this mean?” I asked them.
“It means that you are the true heir to the throne,” Arthur said, until Mason smashed his fists on the table.
“Bullshit father!” He yelled.
“Mason, what the hell has gotten into you?” Arthur asked his son. And Mason was quietly staring daggers at me.
“It means, Ashlyn, that you and I are also mates.” Derek spoke, and Mason laughed. We all looked at him.
“Good, you can have her. I’ve decided to take a chosen mate.” Mason said with a smirk, and my heart broke at his words.
“Mason, you don’t mean that?” My voice cracked, and the tears were falling down my cheeks.
“I mean that. I don’t love you, Ashlyn.” He growled. And at that moment, my heart shattered and Tundra was howling in my head.
“Now you don’t love me?” I yelled. Pain and pressure was building in my chest.
“I never loved you.” He growled.
“Fine.” I whispered, trying to hold myself together. I grabbed my purse and tried to leave, but Mason was in front of me.
“Withdraw your claim to the throne.” He demanded, staring down at me.
“I never want the throne. I just wanted you.” He moved out of my way after I whispered to him.
I didn’t hesitate to get the hell out of there before I fell apart. I hopped into my SUV and burnt rubber. My emotions were about to explode, and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.
Dragon Prince Derek
I let out a loud growl when Ashlyn left the conference room in tears. What the fuck was wrong with the Alphas in her life?
“Mason, what the hell is wrong with you?” His father growled.
“Father, I’m in love with someone else,” Mason told him.
“Ashlyn is your fated mate, she loves you and you couldn’t have figured that out before you marked and mated her?” The Alpha king yelled, his face turning red with anger. And Mason just shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal that he had just broken the Luna Queen’s heart.
“Mason, what the fuck? You love Ashlyn.” His beta questioned him.
“I’m in love with Amber.” He told us.
“Brandon, go after Ashlyn and make sure she is safe.” The Alpha King commanded. And the beta rushed out.
“Mase, you’ve known Amber for six years and not once have you mentioned any feelings towards her.” His gamma questioned him.
“I’ll be stepping down as Alpha King and giving the title of Luna Queen to Ashlyn. If this Amber actually loves you, she’ll stay even when you are not crowned king. And it will be up to the Luna Queen if she’d like to keep you on as beta.” He informed his son.
“Ashlyn doesn’t want the throne, Father.” He growled at his father.
“I don’t care if she wants it or not, it’s hers and you will just have to live with being demoted.” The Alpha King commanded.
“Not so important now, are you, Mason?” I smirked. I wouldn’t be using his title anymore.
“What the fuck is your problem?” He growled.
“You and her fucken alpha ex are my fucken problem!” I yelled at him.
“How the fuck do you know about her ex-mate?” He yelled back.
“She told me all about you and that cheater while I was helping her in the shower after she was almost beaten to death. She was fucken broken by the two of you fucken idiots.” I growled and Mason grabbed me by the collar, throwing me against the wall behind me.
“Don’t you fucken touch her!” He screamed in my face. I was stunned by his outburst. Wasn’t he just giving her to me? He shook his head and let me go. He almost looked confused when he backed away from me. Just then, Brandon rushed back in.
“Ashlyn’s SUV is gone, and she hasn’t shown up at the pack house.” He informed us, panicked. The last time she went missing, someone kidnapped her. Fuck. My father turned to me as the Alpha King turned to the Beta and Gamma.
“Find her!” They both commanded. And the three of us rushed out to find her, leaving my father and the Alpha King with Mason.
Old friend
Dragon Prince Derek
Beta Brandon, Gamma, Liam and I were rushing through the foyer of the office building when I heard someone say Ashlyn Knight. I grabbed Beta Brandon’s forearm for him to stop while I was scanning the area.
There was a young woman talking with the receptionist. She had blonde hair and light blue eyes and didn’t smell like a wolf or dragon. She smelt like a witch, but why was she asking about Ashlyn?
“Do you know her?” I asked Beta Brandon while pointing in the young woman’s direction.
“No, why?” He asked, confused.
“She just mentioned Ashlyn.” I told him. Liam had already run out of the office building, so just Beta Brandon and I walked over to the woman.
“How do you know Ashlyn?” I questioned her.
“I’m Sage Winters. Our families were friends. I was called here by Alpha King Arthur.” She explained.
“Why would her family be friends with witches?” I demanded. This could be another trick to kidnap her.
“But she can be friends with dragons?” She snapped, and I growled.
“Enough!” Beta Brandon commanded.
“Ashlyn is missing. Can you help us find her?” He asked.
“Yes, but I will need something of hers.” She told us, and just then, Mason walked across the foyer and out the front door. Sage was studying him intently.
“What?” I asked her.
“He has dark, powerful magic surrounding him. Isn’t that the Alpha Prince?” She asked.
“Former Alpha Prince.” I told her.
“What magic?” Beta Brandon asked, confused.
“First, we find Ashlyn, and then we can discuss what the fuck is wrong with Mason.” I rushed out, and they both nodded.
“I’ll need something of hers and a wide open space to perform the spell,” Sage said while we walked out into the parking lot.
“Okay, I’ll go get something from her room. You two walk to the field behind the building. I’ll meet you there.” Beta Brandon said before taking off.
Sage and I started walking around the building to get to the field. I could feel that Sage was a powerful witch.
“So what does the Dragon Prince want with a she wolf?” She questioned.
“She’s my mate.” I sighed. Sage grabbed my forearm to stop me.
“Ashlyn’s like her mother.” She gasped.
“Yeah, it would seem that way,” I answered.
“Alpha Prince Mason would also be her mate. Why isn’t he here?” She asked, confused, while we started walking again.
“He is her mate, and they marked and mated but then he just rejected her.” I explained.
“It could have something to do with the dark magic I felt surrounding him.” She commented, and I think she may be right.
“He was acting strange. He told me I could have her, but when I mentioned helping her, he attacked me, telling me I had better not touch her.” I told her about the incident in the conference room.
“Interesting. Was it like he was confused about what was going on around him?” She asked, and I nodded.
“I have a theory, but first, let’s find Ashlyn. If she’s like her mother, she is in more danger than she knows. And right now, she is very dangerous with all her emotional stress.” She stated.
“Dangerous?” I asked, confused.
“The power that Ashlyn possesses is linked to her emotions. She’s literally a ticking time bomb if she doesn’t get her emotions in check.” She told me, concerned.
We were waiting in the middle of the field when Beta Brandon finally showed up. He passed her a hairbrush that I’m assuming is Ashlyn’s.
“This will do.” Sage confirmed. She sat crossed-legged in the snow and motioned for us to move back, which we did.
She started chanting a language I didn’t understand. The wind picked up and her hands glowed green. It didn’t take her long before her hands stopped glowing.
“Did you find her?” I asked impatiently.
“She’s moving, she’s heading south, but I’m not sure where. Do you guys know where she would go in that direction?” She asked.
“Alpha Ian.” Beta Brandon exclaimed.
“Why the fuck would she run back to that cheater?” I growled.
“Alpha Ian and Ashlyn are friends. She also has other friends in that pack. This was supposed to be her home, but now she is going back to the place where she grew up.” Beta Brandon explained, but I couldn’t help but frown. Neither Alpha deserved to have Ashlyn in their lives.
“Isn’t that pack seven hours away?” I asked him, and he nodded.
“I’ll call Alpha Ian and let him know we are coming and that Ashlyn will hopefully show up there.” Beta Brandon informed us while pulling out his phone.
“I can fly us there, so it won’t take that long.” I told Sage, and she shook her head no.
“I’ll portal us there. It’s the fastest way to get there. Then if she doesn’t show up, I’ll track her again.” She tells me and I nodded. She must be really powerful to open a portal that far away.
Beta Brandon finally ended his call with the alpha and came back over to us.
“Alpha Ian hasn’t heard from Ashlyn, but he will keep calling her. He has also given us permission to enter the pack.” He explained.
“Great, now take my hands and think of the pack house you want to go to.” Sage explained, while taking one of our hands in hers.
“Why?” Brandon asked, confused. He clearly didn’t hear the part about the portal.
“I’ve never been there, so I need you both to think of the pack house so I can open a portal.” She told us. I’ve only been there once, so I was pretty useless, but Beta Brandon has been there more often.
Beta Brandon closed his eyes and thought of the outside of the pack house and not long after, we were stepping through the portal that Sage had opened.
We were now standing in front of the Blue Moon pack house with scared warriors around us. Beta Brandon asked to speak to Alpha Ian, and it didn’t take him long to come charging out of the front door with his Beta on his heels.
“Did you find her?” He demanded.
“She is heading in this direction. If she doesn’t show up in a few hours, I’ll track her again.” Sage explained, and both Alpha and Beta looked stunned.
“You’re a witch?” Beta Alex asked, and she nodded.
“I’m Sage Winters, a friend of Ashlyn’s.” She introduced herself to them.
“I’m Alpha Ian and this is my Beta, Alex.” He introduced them to her.
“What is the Dragon Prince doing here?” Alpha Ian asked Beta Brandon, and I growled.
“I’m here because Ashlyn is my mate.” I told them, and they were both shocked.
“How is that possible? Isn’t Alpha Prince Mason her mate?” Alpha Ian asked, confused.
“Let’s go inside and we can explain everything that we know so far.” Beta Brandon told them and they led the way into the house. Alpha Ian led us to an office on the second floor, which I assume was his. We all took a seat in the seating area.
“Alright, now explain, Beta Brandon. Why is Ashlyn on her way here? And where is Alpha Prince Mason?” Alpha Ian demanded. And the Beta sighed.
“Mason has rejected Ashlyn.” Beta Brandon started, but was interrupted by the Alpha.
“What?” He yelled angrily. “He already marked and mated her!” He looked pissed, so maybe he cared about Ashlyn after all.
“I’m not sure what is happening to Mason, but Sage here has a theory, but we need to focus on Ashlyn first. The Alpha King is going to renounce his title as Alpha King and crown Ashlyn the Luna Queen.” He explained.
“Wait, didn’t the Alpha Prince reject her? How would she be crowned Luna Queen?” Beta Alex asked.
“Ashlyn’s father was King before he gave up the throne to be with Ashlyn’s mother. His Beta, the Alpha King, now was crowned King.” Brandon answered.
“Ashlyn’s mother was also an elemental, and she was also fated to the five sons on the previous council, now the current council. Ashlyn’s mother was supposed to run the council with her five mates. She decided that she just wanted Ashlyn’s father, and he stepped down. The other four mates took on chosen mates. My father told me that Ashlyn’s mother loved Alpha King James, and that she didn’t want to start a war. The other four mates decided that her happiness mattered and so a war didn’t break out.” I explained to them.
The room was silent while everyone absorbed the information that was now shared. And I was feeling anxious about explaining this all to Ashlyn. I want her to be happy, but how could I let my fated mate go, like my father did? Finally, Alpha Ian spoke.
“So what do we do?” He asked.
“We will wait a couple more hours. If she’s not here by then, then Sage will track her again.” Beta Brandon told them.
“And what about Mason?” Alpha Ian asked.
“I think that there’s a powerful spell placed on him. I won’t know for sure until I see Ashlyn, but I think it’s blocking the mate bond. Whomever put the spell over him was powerful to suppress an already formed mate bond.” Sage explained.
“How do love potions work?” Alpha Ian randomly asked her.
“Well, both parties would have to take a potion and both would have to be mateless, but of age to find their mate. A love potion can not override a mate bond that is already formed. Why?” she asked him.
“Ashlyn told me that there was a love potion placed on her and I. I never understand why someone would do that?” He told us. Ashlyn was definitely right about her life being complicated.
“You don’t need to be a powerful witch to make a love potion, but I wonder why someone would want to keep Ashlyn away from her actual mates?” She pondered.
“So, since Ashlyn has met two of her mates already, a simple love potion wouldn’t work on her?” Beta Alex asked Sage.
“That’s correct, you would have to override not one but two mate bonds and that is almost impossible to do. You might have to kill one mate and spell the other for it to work.” Sage explained.
“That explains why Ashlyn could feel the bond with Mason before she broke the love potion with Alpha Ian.” Beta Brandon commented and Sage gasped.
“Ashlyn did what?” She exclaimed.
“Ashlyn broke the magic of the love potion.” Beta Brandon repeated. And Sage was shocked.
“Only higher level witches can break another witch’s spell and only if the spell is simple. Ashlyn is more powerful than even her mother was.” Sage stated.
“And how do you know?” I asked her.
“Her mother and my mother were friends. My mother helped keep her pack safe until someone attacked, and the magic that they used caused my mother’s magic to react differently than she expected. It wiped out all living things in that area. I always thought Ashlyn was still there, that she was dead alongside her family, until the Alpha King tried to call my mother. He wanted her help with Ashlyn.” Sage went into detail.
“Where is your mother now?” Beta Brandon asked her.
“She died a few years back. I answered the Alpha King’s call, and when he mentioned Ashlyn, I said I would help. We had been friends when we were younger, before the attack. We even knew Mason back then,” Sage told us.
“Wow, this is a lot.” Beta Alex breathed out, and we all agreed. But the one person I felt bad for was Ashlyn. This was a life that she didn’t get to choose.
“Well, let’s get you three settled, since I’m assuming you are all staying?” Alpha Ian stated, and we nodded. And we all left the office to get settled into our rooms. Now the only thing left to do was to wait for Ashlyn to arrive, and hopefully she does.