The Missing Princess
Chapter 18 - Strangers

Kodi

I was more fucking nervous about seeing my grandparents than I am about becoming Luna. I may have only been here for a month and a half, but it feels like this where I belong. Everyone in the pack has welcomed me with open arms. Well almost everyone. There are still a few she-wolves that think they have a chance with Reign, and I know a few of them are still friends with Mandy. I was the one that came up with the idea of sending her to live with her aunt. Reign wanted to turn her rogue and ship her to the mainland. I couldn’t do that to Ranu. While she make her own bed and has to sleep in it, Ranu has been nothing but sweet to me. Fuck, he made Uahi his own fucking bat cave which turned out adorable. I will agree with Reign though. The damn light needs to disappear. I did get rid of it, but some asshole had another one made and put it where the first one was. I was able to figure out how to rewire the damn thing and put it on a timer. It can’t be used at night. Reign wanted the signs to go away, but I think they are cute. The one out in the front yard of the pack house makes me giggle every time I see it. “BEWARE OF BAT” is hilarious and everyone loves it. Rory and Vance even doubled over in laughter when they saw it, but it also doesn’t take much to make those to dipshits laugh. I think they thought it was a joke until they saw Uahi. They shut up real fast. Then there is the issue with whoever has been slinking around the edge of the pack for the last week or so. Reign has made sure to have at least two to four of our best trackers on patrol at all times. Ino has also been acting weird. I swear there is something weird going on in this damn pack and I am going to replace out.

“Remind me again why we are doing this? The Alpha is going to kill me when he replaces out.” Brandt hisses.

“I am still trying to figure out how you talked me into this shit. Eli and Reign are going to have my ass.” Xenton grumbles.

“Do these guys normally bitch this much?” Fern asks.

“No and if I had known they were gong to bitch worse than a woman I wouldn’t have brought them along. Eli and Quinn are meeting with Reign, Ino, Kekipi, and Mauku right now. That meeting will last for hours. You two are the only ones that know the scent of a dark fae.” I told them.

I didn’t have the sense of smell that a wolf did, and Eli had told me that vampires didn’t either, but for some reason Xenton did. Xenton told us that there had been a rumor that one of his ancestors had a wolf mate and another had a bear shifter as a mate. Whether it was true or not his sense of smell was crazy. As we got closer to the border where the scent was last found I could feel the remnants of magic hovering in the air. It felt familiar but there was something strange about it as well. Whoever it was hasn’t been here in at least a day. Magic can stay hovering in the air for a while, but with each passing day it disapates. I casually looked around to see if I noticed anything that no one else might.

Again I didn’t have the eye sight like shifters or hell even vampires, but being on my own and having to watch my own back I have learned to observe any and everything. I tend to notice shit others wouldn’t.

“Whoever was here does smell a little like you Luna, but nothing is standing out.” Brandt commented.

“I have to agree, while I do catch a brief dark fey scent it isn’t strong.” Xenton admits.

I nod as I walk around. The others looked around as well. Fern stays by me. I know he is wondering why I asked him to come since he is human, well at least that is what he thinks. As we walk towards the edge of the forest the magic in the air becomes a tad stronger. I touch one of the trees and it gives off a slight pulse. Now, that in itself is not weird. Being a fey and witch I am more in tune with nature, but this isn’t normal. I walked around the tree as Fern looks among a pile of rock. That is when I see the imprint and not far from that I replace a silver bangle and lock of bright red hair. I hurriedly slip them into a small bag I have as Brandt and Xenton call for us.

“Did you two replace anything?” Xenton asked.

“No, did you two?” I asked.

“No and the alpha just linked asking where we are.” Brandt says.

Well shit, I guess it is time to go back. We hurry back and then I realise that I am going to have to explain why Fern is here. I have told them about him already, but this will be their first time meeting them. Fern looks ready to shit himself as we walk up to the pack house. I roll my eyes when I see Reign and the others standing there on the porch. I can tell he isn’t overly happy. I don’t see Ino or Uncle Aaron, but I also knew that Uncle Aaron had been drug into town with Naydeen. She needed his opinion on a dress for my ceremony tomorrow. He looked like he would rather he walking on glass than go shopping with Naydeen. I couldn’t agree more. I love Naydeen but I am not who is more insane when it comes to shopping, her or Dani. I knew Dani was having a blast with all the frilly, lacy clothes the fey made. I was also told that she put a few of the fey warriors on their ass when they assumed she was some barbie doll that just wanted to dress up. Rory had said everyone loved her and Ellie, but they also thought they were the packs princesses. Dani was, but she was also one that could kick your ass while wearing her fancy dress. Vance send us a video of the fey warriors mouthing off and then instantly regretting it.

“And what exactly have you been up to my little copper flame?” Reign drawls.

“Just out for a walk with friends.” I replied with a smile.

Yeah, he wasn’t buying any of this. Fine, suspicious bastard. I tell him why and Eli even folds his arms across his broad chest. Brandt looks ready to faint while Xenton stands there like nothing is wrong. Fern hasn’t said a word. I pulled out the bag I had and showed them what I found when a loud commotion is heard in the house. I hear Kekipi yelling from within the house as loud growl is heard. Ino comes storming out of the house.

He is standing in the door way gripping the frame so fucking hard it audibly cracks. He is staring ar Fern who steps behind me. Ino’s got tunnel vision and it is focused on me. He lets out a growl as he starts stalking towards Fern and I. I growl back as he stalks closer. I can see hair starting to sprout on his arms as my claws elongate. I catch movement out of the corner of my eye as Xenton grabs my arm pulling me out of the way as Ino comes to a stop in front of Fern. I growl as I try and wank my arm fee when what Ino says next stops me in my tracks.

“Mate.” Ino growls.

Yesayrina

It had taken us years to replace her. Our family had left the land after my great great uncle fucked everything up when he raped the light fae queen. While we lived in a kingdom and our family was more or less rulers, dark fae didn’t really have kings and queens like other supernaturals did. Our family was one of the few that was more friendly with other supernaturals, but we still kept to ourselves more or less. After my grandfather had died we lost contact with the light fae side of our family. We had to move around a few times to avoid being captured and used by various assholes that wanted power and they would use someone with magic to achieve it. My two older brothers and I are the only ones of our family left. Our only other remaining family member was caught when we were younger and used by some fucking psychotic alpha. She had been rescued but the trauma of it all was to much and she killed herself. Laymina had let us know that a child had been born, and I knew it had to be a girl. Then she told us that it was a boy, but none of us believe it. The three of us began watching the castle trying to catch a glimpse of this child. Then shit started to go south. When the child disappeared I freaked out. I had a feeling that Alpha Aaron and Randy knew where the child was, but Randy proved to be notoriously difficult to replace. My older brother Ghadlamar just happened upon Randy when they lived in Texas. He had a young girl with him and we knew that this had to be the missing child. Then that fucking asshole Zenos and his fucking mate set the house on fire. No one had seen the girl in years.

“How did you even replace her?” Damhlanor asked.

“I kept hearing about a human that had an aura like an alpha, but the few that said it described it as an aura that felt like fey royalty.” Ghadalmar explained.

“It did take me some time to track her down. It helped that the surfing competition was help on the big island. She had been living there since the fire at the house in California. I am guessing Randy had somewhere there for her to hide.” Ghadalmar added.

“She looks just like great great Uncle Kolthador. She has the same copper color hair and those eyes. Those eyes only run in his mothers side of the family and they only pop up every three or four generations.” I pointed out.

I show then a picture of Kodi and they stare at it. It was know that many, many generations ago on his mothers side one of great great Uncle Kolthador’s ancestors was in an arranged marriage with one of the princes of the merkingdoms. The unfortunate daughter hated her husband, but was unable to talk her way out of the marriage. She bore the prince several children, including a daughter who was cherished and spoiled. That child found out what her mother went through and hated her family. She disappeared, but showed up years later as a fated mate to one of ancestors. That is where Kodi inherited her hair and eye color from. The merprince was said to have hair the color of copper and eyes that shone like a roaring fire. We had all watched the videos of her surfing and the videos of her fighting were beyond words.

“Even if she inherited some of the long lost merpeople abilities, that still doesn’t explain why she smells human, her speed and those fucking claws.” Damhlanor states.

“ True, I am still looking into that. Besides that one spell there is no other way she could desguise her scent.” I told them.

“That spell is dangerous and there is no way she could have pulled it off without something horrendous happening like her death.” Damhlanor hisses.

“That means we are missing something.” Ghadalmar commented.

He isn’t wrong. That spell has been more or less outlawed because it is so dangerous. I am not sure who the other human with her today was. I recognised the vampire with her so I knew that Eli wasn’t far away. I knew they were looking for us since Kodi had caught my faint scent. They knew someone was lurking around the edge of their territory, but they still hadn’t figured out that there was really three of us. We had been keeping and eye on Zenos and his band of assholes for years, and thankfully while the missing heir he thought it was a boy. I just hoped he wouldn’t figure out that Kodi was really a girl before we could show ourselves to her and the pack.

“Her grandparents are coming for her Luna ceremony this weekend.” I told them.

I can tell that the wheels in their heads are turning. They somewhat remind me of Rory and Vance, but not as imature. Those two are something else. They are like over grown man children, but then they are in the king mode they are actually serious and slightly frightening. I tell them we need to wait until after the ceremony and see what is revealed to her grandparents. After that I think we can approach them and explain who we are.