Chapter 71 - Lost II - The Royal Hybrid

Tatiana’s POV

“How are you alive?” she choked out while taking a step back.

“I have my ways,” I shrugged. “Why do you seem so shocked?” I asked while taking another step forward.

“I-I’m not,” she gasped as she nearly tripped over her own feet trying to back away.

“Finally,” Hayden exclaimed and walked behind Kathleen.

I think I must have looked very confused when he grabbed her hands and locked them behind her back because he immediately began explaining.

“I knew she had something to do with your disappearance all along,” he said as he tightened his grip. “You can’t imagine how much I have fought every instinct in my body to not rip you to pieces every time I laid my eyes on you,” he growled, directed at Kathleen.

“Let me go,” she hissed. “You have absolutely no proof! Besides, when I kill someone, they usually stay dead.”

“Funny,” I chuckled dryly. “You didn’t kill me though.”

“That is what I am saying! Make him let go Tati!” she pleaded, her poker face back up.

“Now where would the fun be in that?” Chad asked from behind me. “There is one good reason why you didn’t get to kill her little Kathy. I saved her and you failed.”

And just like that, at the sight of Chad, her face fell, and her true self came out.

“I should have known you didn’t have the balls to do this,” she yelled. “I should never have trusted a coward to do the job.”

“And there she is,” he grinned. “Now, Hayden, as much as I believe that you have a good hold on her, you need to hold your breath real quick.”

“Hold my-“

“Just do it,” he quickly said and so Hayden complied just as Chad threw a glittery powder in Kathleen’s face, and within seconds she collapsed in Hayden’s arms.

“What the…” he muttered.

“Sleeping powder,” he explained. “It will make the next thing we need to do here so much easier, but before that happens, I think you should both go say hello to your mate,” he smiled softly, and I mentally thanked him.

Hayden didn’t hesitate, and I had to choke down my laugh as I watched how he literally threw Kathleen away from his arms. She plummeted to the ground with a thud, but before I could even process it, Hayden had swiped me up from the ground and taken me into his arms.

“I knew you weren’t dead,” he whispered, his voice breaking a little. “I knew there was more to it than what it seemed like.”

“I’m so sorry,” I immediately said. “I’m so very sorry.”

He put me on the ground, grabbed my arms, and pulled me away from him so he could look at my face.

“Don’t be sorry,” he smiled. “You are here now,” he said and wiped a tear from my face before he turned his head to look at Gabriel, who still looked at me like he had seen a ghost.

“Gabriel,” I whispered softly as I freed myself from Hayden’s grip and walked over to him.

He stood still, not saying a single word as I slowly but surely put my arms around him.

“I’m here,” I cried as I felt his hot tears land on my head. “I’m here,” I repeated, and I continued to repeat it until I felt his arms move and finally grab me tightly.

“You are really here,” he mumbled.

“I really am,” I assured him.

“It is really you,” he croaked out.

“It really is.”

“I almost didn’t believe it when Hayden told me and yet…” he trailed off.

“I am here now,” I said, smiling as he pressed me harder against his chest.

“You are here now.”

I was so focused on hearing Gabriel’s heartbeat that I nearly didn’t register when Hayden’s arms engulfed us both. I knew we had stuff to do, that we had things that needed to be explained, but for now, all I could think about was being there with them; to feel them relax and finally be able to breathe.

“It still hurts,” Gabriel muttered under his breath. “Why does it still hurt when I have you right here?”

“That would be my fault,” Chad said from the side.

Both the guys let go of me and looked at Chad, who was currently in the middle of picking Kathleen up from the ground.

“How did you do it?” Gabriel asked.

“Magic, right?” Hayden stated, as if he already knew the answer.

“I would love to explain everything to you, but first we need to find a place where we can put her and it needs to be a place no one will find her,” he said in a strained voice.

Gabriel and Hayden shared one look before they both spoke in unison.

“Zaya’s tower.”

We didn’t stick around to chat, as we all began making our way to Zaya’s tower. But it wasn’t as easy as it had sounded. Not only were there even more guards than there had ever been, and it wasn’t only Kathleen who had to stay hidden, it was also me.

If anyone got to know that I was alive, then soon everyone would know and that included Killian, and if he knew… He would stop his plan which would ruin everything we had been planning. This was our only chance to take him down for good, so everything needed to go smoothly.

“I will go distract Conrad,” Hayden whispered. “He is the one on the watch around the tower.”

“Then what about you?” I asked.

“I will meet you there once I have the opportunity to get there without raising suspicion, but for now, you need to go.”

I glanced at him, his face, his body, and took it all in before I stole a quick kiss.

“Go now,” he smiled once my lips had left his. “And Gabriel,” he added. “Don’t leave her side.”

“I won’t,” he assured him and waved him off.

We watched in silence as Hayden slowly made his way over to Conrad and once Hayden started walking with him in the other direction, we headed straight for the tower. It wasn’t until we were inside behind the closed door that I could finally breathe.

“Now we just need to go up,” Gabriel said, and headed for the stairs.

“Up?” Chad questioned and eyed the stairs. “Fuck me,” he exclaimed.

“You look strong enough to handle that,” Gabriel shrugged.

“I might be strong but that,” he said and nodded toward the stairs. “Would drain anyone.”

“We can switch halfway,” Gabriel quickly said. “Now move before someone notices us.”

With a deep sigh, he set in motion, and sure enough, once we were halfway up, Gabriel took Kathleen and swung her over his shoulder, not even trying to be careful with her.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he huffed. “She deserves a few bumps on the head,” he grumbled, and earned a laugh from Chad.

“I can’t say I disagree there, Tatiana,” he chuckled.

“Of course, you would agree.”

“So should you,” he said. “After all, you were the one she betrayed. Not us,” he pointed out.

“I know.”

Once we were up and Kathleen had been put in a corner where she could be tied up, I looked around a bit.

“If you think it is empty, it's only because Zaya has managed to protect this place with a spell,” Gabriel explained as he saw the confusion written all over my face. "She can even hide herself. It is pretty cool actually. Terrifying, but cool."

“Oh,” was all I managed to say.

I hadn’t been gone for long yet, so many things had changed.

“So, you wanted to explain some things?”

“Yes, but we need to wait for Hayden before I do it,” I said, looking out the small window.

I had so many memories here. The wall that I had blown to pieces more than once, the many hours spent trying to control my powers or all the potions and spells Zaya had tried to teach me. That was how my life was before it got turned around and now, instead of being here to make progress within myself, I was here to hide my former best friend who betrayed me and now was the reason everyone had to think I was dead.

“I’m here so we don’t need to wait any longer,” a heavy-breathing Hayden spoke from the door.

And so, my explanation began. Everything from Chad being the rightful heir to Killian, to Kathleen being behind the attacks. Some of it they already knew and some of it they didn’t. Not that it surprised me much, seeing as both of them were warriors and they weren’t exactly stupid either.

After I had explained how Chad managed to hide me and mask me to fake my death, they began to tell me how they had found out about Kathleen and Chad.

“So, there is a big book with my name in it?”

“There is yes,” Gabriel nodded.

“Now, as much as I want to continue discussing all of this, that is not the question I want to be answered,” Hayden said as he wrapped his arms around me.

“You want to know how we fix the mating bond between you?” Chad guessed.

“Yes.”

“The witch I got the potion from also gave me one to reverse it when the time was right, but I am afraid to inform you both that that time is not now.”

“You can’t be serious,” Gabriel groaned. “Do you have any idea how painful this is?” he half-yelled.

“No, I don’t have a mate, so I don’t know,” Chad admitted. “And I am sorry that you have to keep this up, I truly am, but as far as everyone in this pack knows, Tatiana is still dead, so if you two suddenly get your connection to your wolves back or seem overly happy, then they will know that something is up.”

“What about my mom and dad?” I asked out of nowhere.

I hadn’t even given them a thought after I left the hiding place where Chad had kept me. “Can’t they know?”

“That would be a huge risk,” Chad said carefully. “I really don’t think it is a risk worth taking. Besides, if I am correct, Killian should already be on his way, so it won’t be long now before you can finally come out of the shadows.”

“So I just have to be patient?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“And what about us?”

“You two will have to inform your Alpha and Luna that war is coming, and it is coming now.”