Allissa


    I thought that bing the queen would make me feel different. But I was still just me. Lyle followed me everywhere and was always helping me. There were a lot of boring things I had to read and sign. I wonder how Darren managed to stay awake. I honestly felt myself dozing several times. Luckily for me, I could me the pregnancy.


    "Issy, look, this just arrived from Darren!" Lyle ran to me with childlike excitement.


    My fingers moved so fast as I dove into the letter. It had been days since I''d heard from him. I felt my eyes watering up. His words reflected exactly how I felt. I wish I could see him... I wish I could hold him. I wonder if he knew I was the queen. now? At least I knew he was okay, but it did little to heal the aching pain in my chest.


    "He''s okay." I smiled, ncing up at Lyle''s relieved eyes. "Sounds like the battles have been steady. I''ve been so worried -"The tears welled up in my eyes as I held his letter to my chest. I had barely been hanging on. My mate was out there fighting, and even though I knew he was alive, I didn''t know anything else. The nights had been so long. I''d barely. pt. The baby was the only reason / was even eating. And what terrified me was this had only been a few days. How would make it months? I didn''t even want to entertain the idea of years.


    Спартет оз


    I felt Lyle''s armse around me, and he pulled me up from my seat to his chest. He wrapped his hand around my head and held me tightly.


    "I know Issy. I know. I''m here for you," Lyle whispered as he patted my head. "You know... you can cry in front of me. I know you''ve been holding it in, but you don''t have to. Especially in front of me. I love you, Issy. In an adorable sister sort of way. And whatever trials that fairy told you about, I''m going to bet there, too-"


    "First off, I am not THAT fairy. I have a name, mutt. It''s Fury. Remember it. Use it." A snarky tone rang from above us and we both whipped our heads up to see the source. Fury was slowly lowering herself,nding directly in front of us. "Second, you won''t be able to help her with her trials,en if you wanted to."


    "And why is that?" Lyle growled, his arms gripping me protectively.


    "Because


    she looked at her fingernails and smiled. "You''ll make a choice, and it won''t be to help Allissa."


    "Who says I need help?" I straightened my shoulders while Lyle kept a protective grip on me. "And why are you here? I thought you were a messenger for the gods." She flipped her eyes up at me as if there was a lot she wanted to say but wouldn''t... or couldn''t.


    "A messenger, not a ve. I am not their pet." Fury''s eyes glowed as she flipped them up at me. "I deliver messages and


    blessings, but I am free to go as I please. I am not here on their behalf. I—I was curious... if you had the strength to make it through your trials." And for the first time, I caught a glimmer of sympathy. Shit, if a celestial fairy was looking at me with those eyes, what the hell was I going to go through?! But it was what she said earlier that really had my mind reeling. There was only one other person who Lyle would choose over me, and that was Darren. Unless he ended up meeting his mate?


    "Will Darren be in trouble?" It was Lyle''s voice that asked what I was thinking. I guess he came to the same conclusion.


    "Not all strength is physical. And to make it through the trials. ahead, both physical and mental strength is important. And―"


    "Damnit, Fury! You aren''t allowed to help!"


    She clicked her tongue at the loud voice that boomed in the room. A momentter, Gujin manifested himself. "Who said I was helping them? They certainly had no idea what I was telling


    my words. them. The truth is... you want them to look into You''re the one helping her. Clever fox. Finding a way around the gag order."


    "I wasn''t the only one. After all... lost time can never be found again, but people can."


    My eyes widened with Gujin''s words. Those were the words I pulled out from my father''s watch. What the hell did it can?! Were those words not left by my father but someone else? My brows furrowed as I thought of the words. Lost time... this could mean me being away from Darren. It is time, time Chapter 85


    together that we''ve lost. Lost time can''t be found, but people can. Did this mean that Darren would be lost? Or captured?! He would need his physical strength, and I would need my mental strength? Gosh, it could be anything. Or maybe this was about my father who was captured by the demons. He was mentally enduring and needed our strength to free him? If we were already fighting against the demons, then maybe there was a chance to save him if he was alive. That was a big if... as an alpha, the demons would have killed him and harvested his strength for themselves.


    Still, there was something that didn''t add up. If the demons did take my dad and the pack soldiers, then who was working with them? Someone had drained and locked our ounts. This all happened by the time we realized my father was missing.


    My missing father. Drained financial ounts. The family heirloom watch with the note in my father''s handwriting. I was missing the connection. Maybe there wasn''t one. Just a bunch of strange coincidences. But that note meant something. When did my father write it? And how did that watch get left behind?


    Unless ...


    My eyes narrowed at Gujin. "You made sure the watch was left behind, didn''t you?! You knew the words inside the watch. And on the day I got the watch back, you were there. What do you know?"


    "What did I tell you about me?" The golden flecks in his seemed to glow as he stared at me.


    es


    "That you are a messenger of the gods, a nine-tailed fox who


    delivers blessings and curses." I watched as he nodded his head. "How does that answer my question?!"


    "He can''t answer your question." Fury scoffed, rolling her glowing blue eyes. “Because he isn''t allowed. But if you just think about the watch, and-"


    "Fury!"


    "For fuck''s sake, Gujin. I hate foxes. You know you have nine-tails... nine! You can''t tell me one of them doesn''t have a dingleberry hanging from the fur."


    "Such a poor attitude... it''s unbing." Gujin nced over at


    her.


    "So is your dingleberry." She smirked and I saw the man''s face falter for a moment. Rage crossed his expression for a brief second before he reigned it in. Fury looked at me and her eyes glowed. "Hot potato. Cold potato. Wonder what it means? Cold potato that hasn''t been near the fire. The hot potato is radiating in heat... energy."


    "FURY!"


    "Get a flea bath! I didn''t say anything. I''m hungry and want a baked potato. Anyone with a brain would understand that." Her blue eyes glowed, staring at me. This was a message, and she wanted me to understand. "I''m bored." She swiftly van ed. Gujin muttered a few curse words and disappeared as well.


    My brows furrowed as I looked down at the ground. A baked Chapter 85


    potato? What did that have to do with anything? We were


    g about my father and THE WATCH!