Page 60 of Shattered Fears

EPILOGUE

Kingsley sat rooted to his chair. He hadn’t spoken since Selene, Ethern, and Jessica had returned from Ireland, visibly shaken, and informed him that his father was dead. Apparently, a loud magical scream had woken those, who had magical abilities, and led them to the Irish coast where they discovered his father’s skeleton. They weren’t sure how he died, or who did it, but Jessica suspected that a druid called Ciaran was the only one with the ability to do so.

When they had told Isobel, she’d let out a cry so unearthly he thought she may have been broken permanently. Despite her estrangement with their father, his sister was still struggling with the news. He felt no such feelings, though. He was glad he had died, and he hoped he had suffered. After what he’d done to him, he could never have forgiven him, dead or alive.

One of them should probably tell their mother. Mind you, she wouldn’t care. She’d be set up for life, now, because their father was well insured. It wasn’t something he could face doing at the moment.

He looked over at his sister again. She still had tears streaming down her face, and Zain was doing his best to comfort her. The bear loved Kingsley’s sister so much. It was plain to see. He was hurting because she was. He thought to himself it must be nice to have someone who cared about you in that way. He’d never experienced any love from their father. He’d never told Isobel, but the man had beaten him since childhood. It was one of the reasons he’d rebelled against everything his father stood for and left home as soon as he could. His father had never wanted a son and especially one who wouldn’t follow in his footsteps. He wanted the perfect senator’s daughter to marry off, for his own personal gain. Shame she fell in love with a shifter instead.

He needed to get out of here. He couldn’t sit around and pretend to be upset for a man who never showed any compassion for him. He got up, and a few people in the room looked at him, knowingly.

“I’m going to get some more sleep. I’m feeling a bit off,” he stated.

“Do you want me to check on you?” Jessica asked.

“No, I just need more sleep.”

“Ok.” The witch sat back down and resumed worrying a nail, which she had been biting. It occurred to Kingsley, once again, that something truly terrible was happening if the witches were scared. His mind began to wander; magic would be a cool power to have, he thought. Although he also liked the idea of shifting. He wished, as per the old adage, that being bitten meant you developed the abilities to change. If that had been the case, he’d have had one of them chomp down on him years ago and eaten his father for dinner.

He left the room and started down the corridor but stopped when a voice called out.

“I’m guessing you aren’t exactly mourning his loss too much.” Hunter, the big wolf alpha who’s house they were staying in, leaned casually against the wall.

“Not really. I’m not jumping for joy, but I’m not unhappy he’s dead.”

“I can understand that. He messed you up pretty badly.”

“Yeah, I’m still hoping I can tattoo when it all heals.”

“So am I. I like your designs. I’ve got a particular one the ex-wife made me get that I’d like to get covered up.”

“You should never let a woman choose a design for you. First rules in the tattoo business if you’re a man.”

“Thanks for the advice, after the event.” Hunter pushed off the wall. “You really tired?”

“No, not really. Wide awake, actually. Why?”

“I’ve got a prisoner I need to check on, and I wondered if you wanted to help?”

“Prisoner?”

He nodded.

“Yeah. Bear shifter. The reason for this mess, or so they say.”

“You think differently.”

Hunter started to walk along the corridor, and Kingsley fell in line beside him. The wolf was tall in stature, his brown hair long and pulled back in a bun. It was his bright blue eyes, which looked straight through you, that he’d noticed first, though. He’d never felt uneasy around the other shifters, but there was something about the power Hunter projected that scared him.

They trotted down some stairs at the end of the hallway. On reaching the bottom, there was a door with a scanner outside which Hunter put his hand toward. A light flickered over it, and the door opened.

“I like my mod cons.” The wolf shrugged at him. “Keeps you safe in this crazy world.”

They entered a dimly lit room and Kingsley could, just about, make out a sleeping figure on a makeshift bed in a cage. She was small and looked fragile. How could this be the woman responsible for all that was going on above them?

“She started this?”

“Yes.” Hunter sighed.

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