The Cat Shifter (Book 1 of Shifter Series)

Chapter 60

Derrick cleared his throat, and we looked at him. He looked in the direction that they were going in before he looked at me. "Are you ready?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question.

I nodded in confirmation and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Yes," I replied. "I am ready for this. It's high time I get Amity back under my control and back under control of the throne."

Trevor snorted and placed his hands behind his back, and we looked at him with blank expressions on our faces. "You are the throne, Kat," he said, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. He bit back a small smirk, but he winked teasingly, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes again. "Don't give me that. You are, and you know that you are."

I bit back a small sigh before I shook my head. "I am not the throne nor am I the kingdom," I said and gestured for Derrick to start leading the way, and he nodded and started to walk in that direction with us following him. "I am only the princess."

"Actually, queen," Trevor said. "You are the queen, not the princess."

"You are the High Queen to be exact," Brody teased while he nudged my shoulder, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "But you are more than that to me." He winked teasingly before he gave me a "steamy" look that had my tiger side purring.

My cheeks instantly grew red with that wink and look, and I held back an eye roll but scowled, feeling slightly pleased and slightly aroused. "Shut up, Brody," I grumbled under my breath, and my mate bit back a small snort while he rubbed against me. "I know that I am your mate and Luna."

"Exactly," he said with a slight nod, and he winked again with my cheeks turning redder. He squeezed my hand reassuringly before he lifted it to his lips and kissed it. "But you are also my love."

My cheeks turned a darker shade of red, and I looked away from him. "Brody," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, and Brody chuckled softly. "Please."

"I know," he said while he squeezed my hand again and let it fall to our side. "'Be nice, and shut up.'"

Derrick cleared his throat to hide a chuckle, and I looked at him before I looked at my mate again. "Are you the new High King, Alpha?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question while he looked between us.

Brody hesitated before he slowly nodded in confirmation. "Yes," he confirmed verbally. "I am the new High King." He hesitated before he cleared his throat and held onto my hand tighter. "Do you have a problem with that?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question.

Derrick bit back a small chuckle while he shook his head. "No, Your Majesty," he said and bowed slightly in respect. "I do not have a problem with you being my High King or King, for that matter."

Brody sighed with relief, and his shoulders relaxed slightly as if he had been afraid of what Derrick had to say for some reason. "Of course," he said before he cleared his throat and slowly nodded. "I am glad and grateful. Thank you, Derrick."

Derrick chuckled and slowly nodded. "May I ask how you all are going to set everything up when you have kids?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question, and we grew silent while we blushed.

"Derrick," Carver warned while he narrowed his eyes and scowled, and Derrick looked at Carver. "Don't. Not yet at least. Please."

"We... don't know, yet," I said, choosing my words carefully while I cleared my throat and shrugged. "We want to get done with everything that deals with my uncle first before we talk about mateship, where to live, who gets what, and everything like that."

"Hmph." Derrick nodded again before he looked at Carver before he looked at me. "Are you worried?" he asked while he raised an eyebrow in question, and I shrugged and grimaced.

"Of course, I am," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted a little closer to my mate. "I am always worried, especially since I don't want anyone to think that I am like my uncle."

Derrick chuckled sadly and shook his head. "Oh, you aren't like him, Your Highness," he said softly. "No one thinks that way about you. I promise."

I hesitated before I slowly nodded, not able to meet his gaze, my heart growing warm. "Thank you, Derrick," I said softly. "I appreciate that."

Derrick chuckled and nodded. "To be honest, you are more like your mother than anything else," he said. "However, you do have your father's temper and his kind heart, too."

Carver cleared his throat to hide a chuckle, and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "He is right," he said softly while he nodded. "You do remind us of a mixture of your father and mother with some parts peeing your mother while other parts are more like your father. However, both parts are equal and will help the clans in the future."

My cheeks grew slightly red, and my heart grew warm. "Good," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I cleared my throat and shifted, growing serious. "How do you think Amity is going to react to being called again?" I asked, changing the subject.

"She's going to be relieved," Derrick said with a small chuckle while he slowly nodded. "I think she might be ready to get under your control again." He cleared his throat. "Do you have everything that you need?"

"Yes," I confirmed while I slowly nodded. "I have what I need to get her back under my control. King Philip made sure of that."

"Good," he said before he sighed with relief before he cleared his throat. "I am glad. I don't think she wants to be under your "uncle's" control any longer."

I bit back a small chuckle while I slowly nodded. "Of course," I said, my voice barely above a whisper while an image of my mother and aunt appeared in my mind before I shook my head. "I don't think she likes it."

Derrick chuckled and shook his head. "She doesn't," he said while he grew serious and cleared his throat. "Both Carver and I can attest to that, and I hope whatever you do today will bring her some peace of mind."

I hesitated before I slowly nodded, not knowing what was safe to tell him or not, especially because of the male behind me, who's mother and father were still in captivity of the man that I called my uncle. "It will," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I cleared my throat again. "It will help free her and others that are under his command, and hopefully, that will give her the peace of mind that she so desperately desires."