Hidden Gem - Beasts of Beauty Series - Book 4

Chapter 5

"Malachite, can I come in, love?"

I remain silent and after a few moments, the door to my bedroom opens. My mother walks in with a sigh when she sees I have not moved since she was last here.

It's been two days since Amethyst and I met Zakreus and discovered he is supposedly my soulmate. All I have done since flying away as quickly as I could is sleep and overthink.

I don't think my parents know what happened, but Amethyst told Garnet and Opal everything. To say they were furious would be an understatement. Opal almost screamed so loud Ma and Pa would have found out. Garnet silently stewed until it sunk in that I am apparently the soulmate of a shapeshifting wolf creature.

If it were only the wolf's word, I wouldn't trust it. But we've learned to trust a nymph's intuition. If my sister says I'm the wolf's soulmate, then it must be so.

And I'm so, so terrified.

He's not allowed on our land, so I'm sure he wants to take me away to live with him and his weird wolf family. What do they call themselves? Would they be a frollick of wolves?

I am overrun with curiosity and a desire to know everything about Zakreus specifically. Uncharacteristic thoughts constantly infiltrate my brain; I often imagine how it would feel to simply touch him. I repeatedly remember the way his intense gaze made me feel and every time it makes me shiver.

Everything moved so quickly in the moment, but remembering him brings on pleasurable feelings. When the events are replayed in my dreams, I feel beautiful and admired under his gaze. It's a feeling I have never felt before - not even with Newt.

It is all so extreme and intense and incredibly overwhelming.

I haven't even allowed myself to think about Newt. What am I supposed to do about him?

My mother sets down a tray on my side table. There appears to be a bowl of soup that I will not touch, a piece of bread that I may nibble on, and a big cup of warm milk that I will definitely drink. Ma strokes my greasy, unwashed hair a few times and sighs.

"Are you feeling any better, love?" she asks me. When I don't respond, she continues. "Amethyst insists that you have some sort of stomach illness, but...darling I don't really believe that's true. Will you please talk to me?"

"Can I talk to you as your daughter and not as the daughter of Lady Aquamarine?" I ask her, my voice quiet and vulnerable. All of us have an understanding with our parents that if we ask this, it means they cannot use anything we say when making decisions as leaders of the frollick.

This is important because I don't want them waging war on the wolves.

"Malachite, my darling, if it's this serious, then of course. What you say will not leave this room," my mother assures me.

"I want to know the truth about the chimera," I whisper, peeking up to see her reaction. My mother's face is blank as she watches me carefully.

"Why are you asking about the chimera, Malachite?" she evades the question.

I turn to face her fully now, narrowing my eyes, "Because something doesn't feel right about the stories, Ma." A weird look crosses her face and she appears to be conflicted.

"Alright," she says finally. "Your father and I weren't going to tell you all until our successor is picked, but..." she trails off. "The stories about the chimera are a bit misleading."

I give her a look telling her that she should definitely not stop there. She sighs, but continues on.

"They are called wolves, and they are a species of men and women who can shift into large animals. They never actually hunted our people, but they are still very dangerous," my mother tells me. "Before I was even born, your grandfather negotiated with the leader of the wolves and they both agreed to stay on their own lands. A wizard helped your grandfather put a barrier up so that we can be sure those beasts never come onto our lands."