Page 75 of Cursed (Haven Realm Chronicles 3)

Chapter 28

One WeekLater

My stomach tossedlike a stormy gale. I glanced around, terrified a guard might patrol the Terra woods near my house. I mean, the four hunky princes at my side stood out like sore thumbs in their blue pants, golden tunics, and cloaks. Everyone in Terra knew everyone. I wanted no more trouble for my family. Not after the crap Tristan and his goon buddies had pulled by turning up at the castle and then tried kill the bear shifters. They must have tracked me from the Golden Lock to rescue me or some bullshit. But they’d been lucky to survive. Raze and Ash had escorted Tristan and the guards to the Golden Lock tavern and left them there, disorientated and confused. With my spell, they wouldn’t remember me using magic, bear shifters, or anything from WhitePeak.

That idea still hadn’t settled in my mind. The whole event still tortured me as everything had happened too fast. But I’d saved my princes and everyone else. My shifters had declared their love for me, and I hadn’t felt a sign ofLilita.

I didn’t expect to actually succeed in folding my energies back together. To think, as a child, the terror of working with dark magic had affected me so much that I’d manifested Lilita in my head. She represented everything I dreaded, and that explained why my abilities weren’t strong enough. That half of me I feared had controlled me all along. And the scary part was when she’d spoken, it had been me, taking on her persona, but I didn’t realize it because I’d someone dividedmyself.

Yep, some fucked-up shit there. But I planned to work through that with my four amazing new men. If anyone understood me, it wasthem.

A few days ago, I joined them on a visit back to their cousin’s manor to check up on them. Rek’s wife had discovered from his mistress that he worked with death voodoo magic and sacrificed a young girl. They admitted he’d gone too far. No one spoke of who had killed him, but I suspected they knew it was Talin or Raze. Maybe they didn’t have proof or worried about Talin’s reaction, but they agreed to put the past behind them and worktogether.

The wind brushed past me, rustling the leaves in the woods around me, and I couldn’t stopperspiring.

“Perhaps going home isn’t the best idea," I told my men. A knot formed in my stomach at the thought. "Maybe we should ease Dad into the idea. This is a bitsudden.”

“Don't back down now, sugarplum,” Leven said. “Talin needs aqueen.”

Goddess! Did he have to remind me? Was I even queen material? What if I could never meet the expectations or the other bear shifters never accepted me. But the princes insisted they would as it wasn’t unusual for shifters to mate with differentraces.

“Keep your voice down,” I said, glancing around again. I didn’t need a guard overhearing us and realizing I’d illegally brought four bear shifters intoTerra.

Talin took my hand, kissed it and warmed it between his palms. “We’re asking your father for your hand today. No more waiting. Officially, you will wed all ofus.”

My knees went weak from his touch.Damn him!He could say anything, and I’d be his. All of theirs. But how would Dadreact?

The uneasiness tumbling inside me flared. My dad would freak when he opened the door and found me escorted by these four. Then I’d probably give him a heart attack when I told him I was marrying not one, but four princes, and I would become the queen of WhitePeak.

We stopped near my house, and my heart drummed, yet it felt like a lifetime since I’d lefthome.

“A deal’s a deal,” Ash chimed in, stroking the roses planted out front along the path to my home. “I owe you a magnificent garden to complement these gorgeousroses.”

True. I was excited. But how was that going to work if I married the shifters and moved into hiscastle?

“Maybe you could have these in your bouquet?” Ashsuggested.

What a perfect idea. My dad would be touched. I imagined my mother smiling down on me. Tears pricked the corners of myeyes.

But first things first. Tackle one thing at a time. Dad being top of the list. The boulder in my stomach hardened just thinking about facinghim.

“Okay.” I took a deep breath, stretching out my shaking arm to the latch, but the door was locked. Reaching up, I tapped the top ledge of the doorframe for the spare key when the door flungopen.

Father stood there, his expression flickering from a joyous smile to tight lips. He seemed ready to shake me for being gone solong.

“Bee, thank the goddess you're back. I was so worried.” He enveloped me in a warmembrace.

Dad warily eyed all the princes with suspicion. “Areyou introuble?”

My throat clogged up with nerves. I couldn’t get a word out. What was with me? I could stand up to a guard no problem when he bothered my dad, but admitting wanting to marry four princes had me allbothered.

“Is she ever,” joked Raze, and my dad’s eyeswidened.

My stomach churned, making me want tovomit.

“No trouble, sir,” Ash assured my father, elbowing his brother. “We’re ensuring your daughter’s safe passagehome.”

Dad’s eyes widened, and his shoulders stiffened. “Thank you for returning my daughter.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and bundled me inside thehome.

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