Moonlight Ridge

14

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She was going down the stairs while rubbing the spot above her heart. She heard running behind her. Shifters ran by her and apologized as they squeezed past. Then a never-ending stream of shifters continued past her. The stairs now crowded with everyone. She was almost to the bottom when she heard her name.

"Lee! Wait!" Emma called from somewhere behind her on the stairs.

She turned in time to see Emma walking in front of Walter. Walter was growling at the other shifters so that they moved and Emma had a clear path to Leo. Emma grabbed ahold of her hand and followed the crowd of shifters outside. Outside was chaos. Everyone was running to a growing crowd of people shouting. The crowd was in a circle. The familiar scents of Brandon and Mallelis hit her as she made her way to the crowd. Emma and Walter followed behind her.

"What the hell is going on?" Emma asked her.

Leo shook her head.

"Please, Em. I'll tell you later but right now I need your help getting through this crowd." She said in a panic.

Emma turned to Walter. Without her needing to say anything, Walter began shoving his way through the crowd. Emma hurried after him, and Leo followed close behind. All three of them made it to the center. It was a sight to behold. There in the center stood Brandon with only his pants on. Opposite of him was Mallelis in the same state of undress. Her heart beat a little quicker when she looked at the man who was supposed to be her mate. Both men were growling at each other. Mallelis didn't even glance at her. With effort, Leo tore her eyes off of him and rushed to Brandon. She brushed her fingers along his back.

"Please, Brand. Come with me." Leo pleaded in a whisper.

Brandon turned his head. Presumably to respond, but Mallelis, seeing a weak spot, lunged forward. Leo sensed it just before it happened, and she threw her arms around Brandon with a cry. She knew it was stupid. Reckless. It could have killed her. But it didn't. In her fear for Brandon's well-being, she had released the same kind of power as with the shield. Large tree roots shot up from the ground and made a root wall to block Mallelis. She watched as Mallelis bounced off the wall and fell. The same roots that had created the wall moved at lightning speed to wrap around his arms and legs. They held him down as he fought to free himself. Leo stared in shock, but she felt Brandon speak close to her ear.

"Truly amazing." He whispered.

"Enough!" Glarald shouted in the distance.

The crowd parted for Glarald and the elves that came with him. He looked sternly at Brandon and Mallelis.

"Alpha Reece. Take the aranel to the War Room. We will join you shortly." Glarald said.

Brandon led Leo away, but not before she heard Glarald speaking to Mallelis in Elvish dialect.

"Mana ere tye sen? Sina na- vamme i vior -o a Héru Shifter? Poica eltu ar túl ana i omentie sambe." [What are you doing? Is this how a Master Shifter should behave? Clean yourself and come to the meeting room.]

He stopped speaking to him and began a low incantation. She felt it in her blood. He was using magic to remove the roots. She turned and watched with intrigue. As quickly as they had come, the roots released Mallelis and shot down into the ground. Brandon gave her a gentle tug and she turned to follow him again.

Once again she found herself down in the vast War Room. She stood nervously, awaiting the other's arrival. Brandon paced behind her. At last, Glarald came down the stairs with Mallelis. Brandon stopped pacing and stood in front of her.

Leo peeked around Brandon and saw Glarald looking at Brandon.

"I will have to ask you to step aside so that she may speak, Alpha Reece."

Brandon moved to her side unenthusiastically. Glarald moved to Mallelis' side. Without meaning to, Leo locked eyes with him again. Her heart stuttered in her chest. He was already glaring at her.

"Now. Alpha Reece, do you care to explain why you and the Master Shifter were fighting?" Glarald asked.

"I think the better question is: why would Mallelis would refuse to claim his true mate?" Brandon spat out.

Glarald looked at Mallelis with alarm.

"You found your true mate and refuse to claim her? Why would you do that? Your mate makes you stronger, and I would say we need that right now."

Mallelis glanced at Glarald for a second before zeroing back in on Leo.

"There is nothing to claim. I refuse to accept a mongrel. It is a mistake. I already have an intended. I have been courting her and plan to mark her upon her arrival here." He replied.

Leo's heart exploded with pain as she heard him. Her hands curled into fists, and she squeezed them shut so hard, it hurt. Simultaneously, Brandon broke out into loud growls. Glarald looked confused.

"Who is this mongrel you speak of?" Glarald asked.

Mallelis glowered at Leo and Brandon.

"The woman that Alpha Reece believes is King Theodre's lost daughter." He commented icily.

Now, it was Glarald's turn to look at Mallelis with anger.

"Firstly, she is not only believed. She has royal blood. Of that, there is no doubt now. She demonstrated her powers when she helped Alpha Reece. You will not utter another insult to the aranel again. But to the matter of her being your mate, to have the gods pair you with Leonna is no mistake. You both have been chosen to reunite the realms and end the darkness that the bloodless ones started. Elven kind and humans are never chosen as mates to a shifter. If you deny this union, you will lose the gods' favor and perhaps doom us all." He said in disappointment.

Mallelis held his head high in defiance.

"You know why I cannot accept her. I have made my choice. I will yield in regards to work with her to do what we must but that is all." Mallelis said with finality before turning and leaving.

She felt the strength leave her legs as he left. She started to fall, but Brandon caught her and held her up. An odd noise between a sob and a hiccup came from her. The hollow feeling in her chest intensified. Glarald turned to Leo sadly. He came to stand in front of her. She looked up at him with tear filled eyes. She wasn't certain why Mallelis' rejection hurt so much. She hardly knew the man, much less loved him. Glarald reached out his hands and began to speak in Elvish. She could feel the magic flowing from his hands into her. Whatever magic he was using was slowly taking away the pain she felt in her chest. When he finished, it was a dull ache. She let out the breath she had been holding.

"Thank you, Glarald." She managed to rasp out.

"There is nothing to thank me for, aranel. I am in your service. I apologize that I can only give you a day to recuperate from this loss, but we must start your training."

"Training?" She asked.

"Yes. You are our most powerful ally. More so than the Master Shifter. We need to train you to use your magic." Glarald said.

To her surprise Glarald put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on both cheeks. He turned and left her alone with Brandon.

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A/N: Glarald pictured above.