Chapter 35


    35. Bird Of Prey


    Kai groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.


    “It’s… everything,” he muttered, but of course, it wasn’t enough for Savannah. “No offence, but your


    brother is the biggest pr*ck I’ve ever met.”


    “True,” the Princess agreed, stretching the word. “But so are you. What’s the story there? Tell me


    because Gideon says the same thing about you. Even Riannon didn’t get much out of him, and she is a


    superwoman, no less. There must be more to the original version you both share.”


    “The story starts before I met him,” Kai grunted hesitantly and then pulled her higher on his chest,


    caressing her back. “Savvy, whatever you hear now, please know that I love you and please promise


    that ….”


    “I will not stop loving you because of you being honest with me,” she snorted. He felt relief running


    through his veins.


    “Fine,” he exhaled heavily. “When my parents died, Elene went into a state of shock. She was their little


    princess, and they adored her. Without them, my sister waspletely broken. After crying for months,


    she became quiet and never left her room. These were hard years for me, Savvy. I was very young,


    she was still a teen, and it was just her and me. At some point, I was afraid I would lose her.”


    “Sounds familiar,” Savannah sighed, and he ced a soft kiss on her forehead. She lost her parents


    too.


    “Penelope was the one to help me with Elene initially,” Kai continued, and suddenly Savvy did not like


    this story. Why did Penelope have to be a part of it?!


    “How … nice of her,” the Princess said through clenched teeth.


    “Anyway, she was helping, but Elene still wasn’t her usual self,” Kai continued. “Not even close. She


    only talked to Pen.”


    “Wait, wait, wait,” Savannah couldn’t handle it anymore and ced her index finger on his lips. “Never


    call her Pen again. Not in front of me.” But after thinking some more, she added. “Not ever!”


    Kai’s lips curled into a feline grin, and he quickly bit her finger gently with his teeth, sending tingles all


    over her. Then he took her whole finger in, closing his lips around it and released it slowly, bit by bit.


    “Stop this!” Savvy almost moaned. This was so silly, but it made her want him again. Somehow it was


    never enough.


    However, she decided that finally hearing this story was more important. So, she pulled the cover


    higher on them to cover up all the goods, not to be tempted anymore.


    It wasn’t helping much. Luckily, she was stubborn enough to endure this.


    “Continue, please.” She put on a serious face, trying to y it cool and only the devilish glint in Kai’s


    eyes told her that he knew what had crossed her mind.


    “Very well,” he started drawing circles on her exposed skin. “So, one day, my absolutely tonic friend,


    who is actually more of my sister’s friend than mine, and whom we shall not name anymore, brought


    her to my Alpha training. You probably already know that it’s exclusive to the top-ranked wolves.


    Lycans go there as well. Anyone who is about to assume the position from Alpha to Delta is obliged to


    study there.”


    “Of course,” Savvy nodded, not biting his joke. That was more like it.


    “So, naturally, this was where Gideon and I met.” Kai scratched his chin, noting that a beard was


    forming there again. “I wouldn’t want to lie to you, Savvy. There was no chance in hell of us ever


    bing friends from the very beginning. Do you know howpetitive your brother is?”


    “Very,” she had to admit because there was no point denying it. Gideon loved his victories.


    “And so am I,” Kai chuckled. “We were at each other’s throats in everything. Especiallybat training.


    Whateverpetition they had, we were there. One time he would win, and another time I would win.


    Well, mostly me, of course.”


    “Of course!” Savvy giggled, remembering that her sibling insisted he was the one leading their score.


    “Once, Elene and her nameless friend witnessed our training,” Kai continued. “And after that, they kept


    returning almost every day.”


    “They left the North for so long? That training centre is far away from both our kingdoms.”


    “Elene’s health was more important back then, and my uncle was taking care of the kingdom in my


    absence,” Kai exined. “I thought they wereing to see me, but I caught Elene giggling next to


    Gideon after one training session. Savvy, you have no idea what it meant to me! She was smiling and


    looked happy again. After such a long time.”


    “I understand,” she whispered. She knew far too well how the pain from the loss of her own parents felt.


    “Your brother was always polite with her, so I was starting to warm up towards him. But then… One day


    I heard Gideon talking badly about her.” Savannah looked at the Northern King in surprise and saw


    how tense his face was. The memories were unpleasant.


    “What did he say?” She asked, sure that it must have been a mistake.


    “L and I heard him and his Beta talking.” Kai’s voice was lower than usual, deeper. “The Beta


    asked if Gideon was interested in Elene, and your pr*ck of a brother said that he would rather stay


    alone forever than be with someone like my sister. He called her a spoiled brat who liked to y victim


    all the time, and when his right hand asked if it was okay for him to pursue her, Gideon prohibited,


    saying that she wasn’t worth the time.”


    Even Savannah had to admit that it was harsh. However, knowing Elene, she believed there was a


    reason for everything.


    “Did you ever speak to him about it?” she muttered.


    “No, I tried to ignore it first and ordered Elene and the nameless one to return to the North,” Kai


    grunted. “But … Elene burst out crying and became depressed again. She … She tried to kill herself.”


    Savvy gasped for air. This wasn’t something she expected.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    “I had to leave school for a while to take care of her. She was depressed again, and I was desperate.”


    “Was this when you asked Gideon to marry her for the first time?” Savvy felt so sorry for him. She could


    only imagine now what it was like for someone as proud as Kai to make such an offer to her brother.


    “Yes,” he replied dryly. “And?”


    “And it went really bad. We almost killed each other in the process.” The reply shocked her. Gideon


    never told her anything about that. “It got worse from there.”


    “So, then you asked for my hand in marriage?” She looked at him questioningly, brow arched.


    “I was a fool because I simply wanted to piss him off,” Kai admitted. “Who would have known that you


    are… you.”


    “Well, the desired effect is achieved.” Savvy tried to suppress augh. “You are not the only one with a


    younger sister and no parents, you know?”


    “I know,” he admitted. “I would have handled it differently now. But now I am older and madly in love


    with you.” Kai bent down and ced a kiss on her forehead. “Back then, was still the bitter, rebellious


    boy who had to pretend he was a king and had no boundaries.”


    “Kai,” Savannah bit her lip and nced at him through hershes. “I always wanted to ask you


    something. Remember Bjorn?”


    The sound of this name made the Lycan sit up and meet her eyes.


    “That went from unpleasant to infuriating rather quickly.” A softugh rocked his chest, but she could


    see how puzzled and unsettled he was.


    “As you know, we had a conversation,” Savannah decided toe clean about everything, but first,


    she had to find out one thing. “He said a phrase that stayed with me. He said that you cannot be killed


    in a battle. Why would he say that?”


    She watched his face closely, but not a single muscle twitched,


    Kai hoped to postpone that revtion forter, but since she asked, not telling her would be the same


    as lying. And all he wanted was honesty.


    “I can be killed, of course,” he answered after what seemed like forever. “But that’s a challenge for


    everyone.”


    “Killing a Lycan is always a challenge,” she retorted.


    “True,” Kai nodded slowly, and she knew he was choosing his next words. “Savvy, this is something I


    have to tell you anyway. The northern royal bloodline is special. And it’s not


    because we just say that. We can do something that other Lycans can’t.”


    “What would that be?” the Princess chewed on her lip nervously.


    “We can control our third form,” Kai confessed, and his beloved couldn’t believe her own ears. “I can


    shift into my beast when I want, and I never have trouble shifting back into my wolf.”


    It had been days since they were in contact with Savannah and Zara knew everything was in her hands


    now. She had to be somewhere close since the King was missing too, and they were told that the two


    of them were spending time together.


    It was possible, and Zara knew that. The sparks between the Princess and the King were undeniable.


    Everyone who worked at the castle or took part in the Trials knew that Kai only had his eyes on


    Savannah. This wasn’t a secret even despite them acting in public like they had nothing to do with each


    other. It was impossible to ignore all the nces or the fact that when the King was supposed to have


    dates with other contenders, he ended up only exchanging a word or two with them briefly. Penelope


    was the only one who got the honour of a more extended conversation, but he didn’t look at her the


    way he looked at Savvy. And the length could have been exined by them being friends.


    So, Zara was hopeful that what the Northern Princess was telling her and Kyle was the truth. Savannah


    was just spending her time with the man she was infatuated with.


    However, since the recent events, Zara couldn’t sit still, knowing that Savvy had to be in the castle.


    This was why she started looking for the one she swore loyalty to. The one who gave her a new home


    and a new purpose in life.


    After the Red Harem, which Zara refused to call that Eden in her mind, she was lost. Savannah took


    her under her wing and helped her to feel useful, smart, and brave again. Something that Castiel and


    her flock, which banished her, took away a long time ago.


    The snow made flying challenging, but at the same time, it covered her from all the eyes on the ground.


    They were told not to look for the king, and technically, Zara was disobeying Princess Elene’s orders.


    It was too bad; she served a different princess. And the ck hawk didn’t n to stop looking for her


    since Kyle couldn’t reach her via the mind link.


    On her first day, she flew around the capital and surrounding areas, but there weren’t too many people


    outside. Sadly, she realised very fast that her abilities were limited and she couldn’t fly too far in such


    weather without risking death in the process. This wasn’t an option.


    She tried flying over the surrounding mountains on the second and third days but had to return to the


    castle quickly because of a heavy snowstorm.


    Next, she decided that she needed to be more innovative. The King couldn’t have been missing without


    anyone knowing where he was. Elene knew their location for sure, but she wasn’t going to share. The


    other one who had to know Kai’s whereabouts was his Beta, L. So, when Zara saw him


    speaking to Elene on the other day, she shifted into the smaller version of her ck hawk and watched


    him until he left the castle in his wolf form. L had a cream-coloured wolf and was hard to spot in


    all that snow, especially during a blizzard, but she still managed to do it. When he stationed himself as


    one of the mountain guards, Zara knew that his King had to be close.


    But then the lycan was on the move again, and she had to follow him deeper into the mountains.


    Luckily, the weather was finally allowing it, and she could spy to her heart’s


    content.


    Until he entered a cave.


    Grunting, Zara shifted back to her human form. Thankful for the fact that birds got to keep their clothes,


    unlike the wolves and cats. However, she still wasn’t dressed for the asion. Her ck jeans and


    leather jacket weren’t enough. It was freezing in the North now, and she couldn’t believe they were


    parading outdoors in open dresses just days ago.


    Zara walked into the cave, trying not to make any noise. She did not see the Beta Lycan anymore and,


    after some time, assumed that he was gone. When she walked further inside, she realised this wasn’t


    just a cave. There was a long dark passage inside.


    Swallowing the lump in her throat and determined to find Savannah today, Zara confidently entered the


    cave’s depths.


    However, she didn’t walk for too long as someone grabbed her neck in the darkness and mmed her


    against the surprisingly smooth wall.


    “What does a pretty bird do in a ce like this?” L chuckled darkly, opening a lighter’s lid and


    illuminating the space around them with the tiny me. Barely enough for her to see his stern face or


    the outlines of his naked body. Where on Earth did he take a lighter here?


    “Just stretching my wings,” she lied without blinking, and his lips curved into a menacing smile.


    “Is it a physical activity that you seek?” “Why?” she raised her brow, not letting herself be intimidated.


    “Are you offering?”


    “How can I deny a pretty bird like you?” He stepped closer so that she could smell his scent of blue


    spruce. She had already noticed it before when they stood next to each other at official events, but right


    now, it was incredibly intense.


    His face was suddenly too close to hers, noses almost touching.


    “What happened? Do you feel that I am your mate? Do you want to growl mine?” she taunted him with


    hisrge palm still around her thin neck. He could have snapped it here and there if he wanted to. Their


    eyes locked, and for a few seconds, it felt like a battle of two minds.


    “I already had a mate,” L snarled, and Zara found herself slightly disappointed hearing this. Not


    that it mattered. She already knew they weren’t mates.


    “Oh, did she reject you and run away?” she smirked and felt his grip tightening. “She is dead,” he let go


    of her at once, almost making her copse to the ground and


    –


    ”


    -“”–


    turn away. Now she was feeling guilty for being such an evil brat. What was she thinking,ughing at


    someone’s mating situation? She was the one to know that these things were never simple after what


    happened to her.


    “I am sorry.” Zara suspected that he didn’t care for her lousy apology, but she owed it to him anyway.


    She knew a broken heart when she saw one.


    “Go away,” he groaned with his back towards her, while she let out an apologetic sigh. “Return to the


    castle.”


    “I am sorry,” she repeated, “but I have a mission toplete. I am not a pretty bird. I am a bird of prey!”


    “Don’t you dare!” L warned, but it was already toote.


    The girl shifted in a blink of an eye and flew deeper into the dark tunnel at high speed. She could hear


    a furious growl behind her back and knew that the Lycan had shifted into his wolf already. Luckily, she


    could feel the airflow and knew that after a while, the dark tunnel would end with an exit, leading her to


    the other side. This was also why L was so angry. He wouldugh her off if she flew into a dead


    end. But he was following her, roaring on his way, which led her to believe she was on the right track.


    After a few minutes, she saw the light and was finally able to use her top speed. In a sh, she was


    soaring high in the sky, trying to adjust her eyes to the brightness.


    It was still snowing, but the blizzard was definitely behind them. She saw the frosted woods and cliffs,


    but there was one thing that attracted her attention at once. A generous


    clearing on the shoulder of one of the mountains looked well kept, and a little cosy-looking house stood


    right there. Two people were running around it and throwing snowballs at each


    other.


    For a moment, Zara was sorry that she was going to break up their happiness. All the shifter gods


    knew that Savannah deserved to be happy.


    But at the moment, Kyle needed her help more…