The Cat Shifter (Book 1 of Shifter Series)

Chapter 61

Derrick stopped in a secluded area away from the clans and cleared his throat while he looked at me. He bowed, lowering his gaze to the ground while he did so, his whole body on the verge of being tense but not. "This is where you are able to contact her, Your Majesty," he said softly before he cleared his throat again. "Do you know how to?"

I set my jaw and nodded. "I do," I confirmed before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "I know how to contact her." I paused and cleared my throat before I shifted on my feet. "However, I think I am going to ask you all to leave, and let me contact her on my own."

Carver shifted a little and looked at me, shocked and slightly nervous, and my mate grew tense beside me. "K-"

I raised my hand a little to stop him from talking, and he closed mouth while he pursed his lips in annoyance. "I want to do this by myself, Carver," I said again while I looked at him. "I will be fine. Ok?" I raised an eyebrow in question. "She's not going to hurt me."

Carver set his jaw before he slowly nodded. "Ok," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. He looked at Trevor and my mate before he looked at me again. "Are you s-"

"Carver, please," I said, interrupting him. "Let me do this on my own." I dipped my head closer to my chest while I stared at him, praying that he would get the hint and back off without me having to fight him on it.

Carver sighed and nodded, relenting. "Ok," he said before he shook his head and cleared his throat. "I will not fight you. If you want to do this on your own, then we will allow you."

Brody's eyes grew wide and realization dawned on his face as if he finally figured out what I meant. "Wa-"

"I am doing this on my own, Brody," I said while I shook my head, interrupting him. "I will be fine. She's bonded to the throne and to me. She can't hurt me."

"Well, she could try," Brody said while he gave me a pointed look with raised eyebrows, and I shrugged and grimaced because what he said was true, even though I didn't believe it. "Are you sure tha-"

"Yes," I said while I slowly nodded, interrupting him. "I am sure that she can't hurt me." I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet, growing serious. "I am going to do this on my own. I have to do this on my own. Please, Brody, let me do this on my own."

Brody hesitated before he slowly nodded, relenting. "Ok," he said softly. He cleared his throat and walked over to me. "Then can I at least give you a kiss before you do this?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper while he stared at me with wide eyes.

I bit back a small laugh before I slowly nodded. "Yes," I said and closed the gap between us. I placed a small kiss on his lips, and he pulled me into a quick hug, too.

I bit back a small sigh while I hugged him back and closed my eyes. "I love you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, and he chuckled, his whole body shaking with that laugh.

"I love you, too, Kat," he said softly before he placed a kiss on the top of my head and squeezed me tighter.

I smiled and closed my eyes a little before I took a deep breath and let it out with a small whoosh before I opened my eyes and took a step back, getting out of my mate's arms, even though that was where I wanted to stay. "Ok," I said and nodded while I grew serious, making sure that they weren't able to tell how nervous I was. "Then I guess the next thing that we have to do is get this thing done."

"Be careful, Kat," Carver said while he dipped his head closer to his chest. There was this knowing look in his eyes, and I couldn't help but smirk.

I took another step back, keeping my eyes on them, slowly nodding. "Always," I said before I created this type of forcefield to keep them trying to get to me while I worked on getting Amity back on my side again because I had a slight suspicion that they were not going to leave, no matter how much I wanted them to.

I'll always be careful.

I promise...

***

I took a deep breath and released it with a soft whoosh, trying but failing to relax, knowing full well that whatever happened next could change the course of this whole thing and could end in my death.

(01/18/2024)

I took another deep breath before I released it with another soft whoosh and held out my hand. I tapped into my magic and started to mutter the spell under my breath, starting to call Amity to me.

The group that came with me were about to leave with Derrick before I started to work, but they stopped and stayed put to watch me do this, much to my annoyance, but I couldn't worry about that now because I had started the spell and needed to finish it.

They were worried; I could tell, but they knew that I would be able to protect myself and get things done, even if it wasn't something that they would want me to do.

The wind around us started to pick up while I did the spell and blew through my hair, whipping my hair around while it picked up loose dust, dirt, and leaves, slowly starting to block me from view.

"Car-" Trevor began when the wind started to pick up around us, and the dust, dirt, and leaves started to twist around me. Panic filled his voice, but it didn't do anything to stop me from doing what I needed to do.

"Hush, Trevor," Carver warned, interrupting him. He cleared his throat and grew serious while he looked at Trevor before he looked at me again, even though I knew that he was having a hard time seeing me. "Just watch. Do not say another word. Everything is going to be fine."

I hope...

"Bu-"

"Shhh. Just watch, and let her work."

I ignored them and continued to do the spell, and everything started to become darker and harder for me to see, especially things that were right in front of my face.

And, I knew that I was getting harder to be seen by the rest of my group, and I could tell that Brody was getting very antsy and super agitated because I could tell that he didn't like this one bit but couldn't do anything to stop it.

"C-"

"It's ok, Brody," Carver said softly, interrupting Brody before he cleared his throat and shook his head. "Just stay quiet and let her work. Everything will be fine. She will be fine. You have my word." 'Be careful, Kat,' Carver said through our mindlink, and I had a feeling that he set his jaw to keep himself from saying anything else. 'Stay alive and well. Is that understood?"

I bit back a small smirk and slowly nodded, even though I knew that he wouldn't be able to see me. 'I'll be fine, Carver,' I promised. 'Amity will have my back when I am going to need her the most.'

He paused and cleared his throat, biting back a small chuckle. 'Are you sure?' he asked, and I nodded in confirmation.

'I am,' I confirmed through our link and finished the spell. 'She will have my back.' I shot a small ball of magic into the ground and created this dark portal that connected me to where I wanted and needed to go. 'Tell Brody that I love him and that this is the only way to save her and those that were locked away,' I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

'I will,' Carver said. 'J-'

A hand came through the portal and grabbed my shirt, interrupting Carver from talking and pulled me through it, and I didn't resist as I would have done if I hadn't set this up with the person that was pulling me through the portal.

I will, I thought, even though I knew that he wouldn't be able to hear me. I closed my eyes and set my jaw. I will be as safe as I can be.

I promise...

And with that, everything turned black and there was nothing but silence.