Chapter 38

Kieran’s P.O.V

Breathing in deeply at the luscious, mouthwatering taste of my Mate’s scent, I followed the trail, desperately wondering if Elena was dead or alive. As I walked through the huge, wrought iron palisade gate, my eyes wandered across the great courtyard before me. Dozens of fond, childhood memories flooded my brain as I remembered back to happier times. My young childhood days were spent out under the burning sun, playing with the stable hand or servant’s children, either in this very courtyard or down on the beach. My brother wasn’t one for childhood games. He preferred to spend his days alongside my father, hunting, fishing or watching sadistic punishments. I could hear my soldiers following behind me slowly as we made our way across the courtyard.

The sweet melodic sounds of twinling water from the large water fountain in the middle of the yard caught my eye. Expecting to see green, murky stagnant water in the fountain, I was surprised to see sparkling, clear water lapping the sides of the white, marble basin. This place had been abandoned for years? This fountain should be filled with grime by now. Who has been cleaning it?

Turning my eyes away from the fountain, I glanced up at a white wooden door, sitting at the top of a flight of white stone steps. My heart quickened as the realisation sunk in. I had not stepped inside this Palace until before my mother had died. What state would this place be in? Would it be exactly as I remembered it? Would the Palace be in disrepair? Who would bring Elena here? Was it a warning?

Grabbing the handle with one hand, I turned the handle slowly and pushed the doors open, filling the air with the sound of groaning creaks that echoed in the great hall. Expecting darkness and the smell of mustiness and dampness, I was surprised to find that the great hall was light and airy and smelling of roses. Large bouquets of freshly picked flowers lined the walls while candles flickered lazily in their holders. It was evident that someone was living here! In my dead mother’s Palace! I was adamant that I was going to find out who was responsible and demand an explanation. How dare they! Standing still, while I decided what part of the Palace to explore first, a flashback filled my mind. I remembered how I ran down the grand staircase towards the front doors as I ran to the ravine to find my mother’s body after I had been informed of her death. Shuddering slightly, I could still feel the many pairs of hands from the guards who had run after me as they held me back after all these years. I remember looking up at the balcony above me, my eyes brimming with tears and emotions, and seeing my brother staring down at me emotionlessly which a gentle sneer splashed over his face before he turned away and walked out of sight. Carlton had never uttered the words, but I knew my mother’s death had pleased him, just as it had my father.

Finally deciding to check upstairs, which is where the stronger scent trail was coming from, I turned to face the grand staircase and began the ascent. I had only climbed two or three of the stairs before a loud commotion made me turn around. Four heavily armoured men had burst into the grand hall and furiously stood there, glaring up at me before turning to face the rest of my men. Before I could ask who the men were, or what they were doing in my mother’s Palace, they drew their swords, metal ringing out in the air like a sharpened knife, before running towards me, while more of the strange guards appeared from nowhere and began encircling my soldiers.

“Intruders! Intruders in the Palace of Pearl!” screamed the lead guard angrily. “Get them!”

Furious, I drew my own sword and ran down the steps to angrily meet the guards. With a loud ring of clanging metal, my golden sword connected with the steel grey swords of the attacking soldiers. The strange guards met me blow for blow and it was becoming increasingly hard to fend off four men on my own. Furious, I managed to briefly glance across at my Army who was heavily outnumbered by three men to one. The grand hall was filled with loud shouts, angry cries and pained wails, mixed in with the clanging and ringing of swords meeting swords and their opposing shields. As soon as the fight had begun, it was all over as the guards quickly outnumbered my men and took them prisoner.

“Give up son!” one of my attackers yelled furiously. “Stand down or I will have my men slaughter your men like dogs! Stand down, I say!”

Panting heavily, I slowly knelt on the floor, and placed my sword on the floor before raising my hands defensively. I was a strong fighter but I knew when I was heavily outnumbered. Having me and my men killed was no good to anyone. Seething in anger, I narrowed my eyes as I watched one soldier march behind me, before I felt his foot connect painfully with the centre of my back, throwing me forcibly to the floor.

“Take his men to the cells. We will question them later,” the strange man ordered loudly. “This one, however, is coming with us. Clearly, he is their leader, so I’m sure our Highness would love to meet him. Come on, let’s go!”

Grunting loudly, as I felt the man cuff my wrists and help me to my feet, I tried to shake his hands off me, only for the soldier to tighten his grip. Allowing him to frog march me across the great hall, I watched as we all continued through a set of wooden doors I knew that led to the Great Throne room. As I turned my head, I caught a glimpse of my men being led away in the opposite direction to where the Palace cells were. As I walked down a corridor that I knew I had walked down so many times as a child, my heart began to beat. Who would be on the other side of the Great doors? What was my fate going to be? Where they friend or foe? Was Elena with them?

We soon approached the familiar golden doors, the exact ones that I had installed in my own Palace as a reminder of my mother. The scent of Elena was strong here and my heart hammered loudly. As the doors were pushed open the sound of pretty, feminine chatter and laughter pricked my ears, causing me to frown in confusion. Judging by the number of voices I could make out, there had to be at least twenty to thirty women in there. Was this place being used as a brothel? How dare they!? Forcibly, I was pulled through the doors and almost dragged towards the centre of the room. Looking up, my eyes swivelled around the room, taking in the sights. The room hadn’t changed at all since I had last been in here except for one thing. Gone were the long wooden tables that previously sat my Father’s soldiers, filling their faces with copious amounts of food and wine, when they visited. In their place were comfy chaise lounges, filled with women, stretched out lazily in pretty dresses, the marble floor covered in luxurious fur throws and rugs with plump silk cushions. More pretty women in pretty silk dresses lay or sat on the floor, chattering lazily amongst themselves, blissfully unaware of my arrival.

It wasn’t until I was halfway down the Great Hall, that the chatter gradually subsided as many pairs of eyes fell on me. The gentle hum of hushed whispers began to fill the hall. Being a werewolf who could read minds, I could sense the woman’s admirations and seductive thoughts about my physique. Blanking them out, my eyes swang over towards the Glass throne. It wasn’t the woman who sat on the throne that caught my eye, but rather the young, petite woman sat beside the throne, on another smaller but just as elegant glass throne.

“Elena!” I called out desperately, fighting against my restraints. “You’re alive!”

“Shut up you!” hollowed one of my captives loudly before swiping me hard around the back of the head. “Don’t you dare speak to the Lady of Pearl without her consent!”

“Lady of Pearl?” I whispered incredulously, looking down at the floor. “No, you’ve got it all wrong!”

“Kieran!” Elena yelled, desperately, standing up from her throne, looking at me worriedly before glancing worriedly at the woman sitting beside her.

Finally, I heard someone making their way over towards me, her bare feet slapping against the floor until a pair of feet entered my vision. I felt her long, delicate fingers briefly touch my shoulder, as a sweet, gentle but familiar voice rang out.

“I don’t know who you think you are, Axley, but if you hit this man again like that then I shall have you demoted and cleaning the stable floors on your hands and knees with a toothbrush. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” apologised the guard, who I know knew was called Axley. “We found him and a small group of soldiers infiltrating this Palace. He is a trespasser!”

“This man isn’t a trespasser, you incompetent fool!” screeched the softly spoken woman angrily. “I demand you let him go at once. And his men!”

Axley quickly fumbled around with removing the cuffs from my writs and helping me to my feet. Glaring at Axley angrily, I roughly pulled my shoulder away from him and turned to face the woman furiously, about to demand an explanation from her. Just as my eyes focused on the soft, smiling face of this mysterious woman, I recoiled in shock. Warm, chocolate brown eyes bore into mine, laced with adoration and affection, as they gazed back down at me while soft red lips stretched into a smile causing ageing wrinkles to snake across her soft skin.

“No! It can’t be!” I gasped in shock, feeling sick to my stomach. “You’re meant to be dead!”

“Hello, Kieran,“ the woman whispered gently, cupping my face. “How I have missed you! It is me, your mother! ”