Chapter Thirty-two

Briar

I held both my hands out from my body, palm upwards again and I concentrated on drawing every single particle of the precious golden dust in the clearing into my hands and they were slowly being filled up with the twinkling motes as they drifted towards me and coalesced quickly into two hard, shimmering, large, golden nuggets, one in each of my hands within moments.

My audience of one, Hunter, just stares between the golden nuggets of pollen in my hand and at me with equal measures of shock and awe at what he's seeing me do. It makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable and vulnerable in the moment as someone else besides Ruby and Mistress Garnet are seeing me use my magic.

Hunter sees my worried thoughts on my face and rushes to reassure me, 'You're just simply beyond anything I have ever seen before Briar and I don't think you have even tapped your full potential! I think you maybe even more powerful than-,' and Hunter catches himself before he says something, 'than well anyone I know at least,' he amends to me, 'but don't worry, no one here will do anything to you, you're a free person and you'll remain that way, just like myself!' He vows rapidly and bows at the waist towards me.

I don't know how to react or what to say to Hunter but I find myself being saved from doing anything by the sounds of people groaning and waking back up around us and Hunter's attention darts away from me to look out over the group instead.

He nods once to me, before rushing off to help Ryo get back onto his feet first and anyone else within his reach, whilst assessing for any more unseen injuries and informing people of what has happened to them as they all groan out questions and rub sore heads. I run over to Ruby who is the closest to me and help support her back to her feet as she brushes her long red locks out of her face to see me clearly once again.

'I see we won somehow,' Ruby remarks while winking at me, very well knowing how we 'won'.

'I saw you use your magic and so did Hunter,' I point out to her and Ruby shrugs her shoulders at me nonchalantly.

'So did Mama,' Ruby pointed out as well, 'we decided to throw our lot in with yours as you're family and where you go, we go with you too,' Ruby admits to me carefully, gauging my reaction to her news and I immediately tackle her in a bear hug, lifting her off her feet for a second and swinging her around as Ruby whoops out in laughter at my antics.

'I take it, you told Briar our decision just now,'Mistress Garnet calls out to us as she reaches our side too and I look over to her and release Ruby to only hug her mother in the same kind of fierce hug that had her gasping in surprised laughter as well.

'Who's your new friend?' Ruby asks stepping away slowly and eyeing the wolf that shambles upto me and shakes his green gold fur out as he joins my side again and sits down besides me, staring in obvious interest at Ruby and Mistress Garnet who now steps out of my hug to observe the wolf carefully.

'He helped me when I got lost in the woods earlier on but now that I think about it, I got lost because he frightened me and I started to run not remembering which way I was supposed to be heading back in,' I remark as I stare down at him and he tilts his head to the side to look up at me as well.

'He has a very unusual colour for a coat of fur,' Mistress Garnet remarks eyeing up the green gold hue, 'and an unusual marking too,' she points out the shape she can see on the side of the wolf's rib cage closest to me and I kneel down to get a better look and reach out to retrace the shape with my hand.

'It's in the shape of a leaf,' I remark out loud as I stare at the dark green leaf that stood in sharp contrast to the rest of his fur and the wolf leans heavily into my touch, seeming to enjoy my attention right at that spot.

'Yes,' a male's voice cracks out suddenly in an imperious demand besides us all, it makes me flinch in fright. Prince Raine is standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, all forbidding looking and he's staring down harshly at the wolf besides me, 'I want to know who your friend is too,' he remarks icily and his eyes are changing shape, turning more animalistic by the second and he emits a long low growl at the wolf besides me, 'change back now!' He growls out the order and the wolf besides me shudders and his form begins to shift and change before my startled eyes.

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I blink and right before my face I find that I'm now looking at a toned man's bare leg instead of a wolf and I hear Ruby coyly giggling out loud at what she can see and Mistress Garnet gasps out, 'Oh my,' within my range of hearing as well.

'Briar, close your eyes,' a low gravelly male voice issues out gently to me and for some reason I listen to him and do as he asks as I feel no animosity coming from this voice to me.

'If you don't mind,' the voice asks from somewhere above my head, 'I don't want my first proper introduction to my Mate being naked,' he says and though I can't see it, the man must be indicating a direction somewhere, 'if someone can walk ten minutes in that direction, my pack containing my clothes can be found laid on top of a fallen tree,' he explains and Prince Raine grunts and must've signalled someone close by to come to him.

'You two there!' Growls out Prince Raine, 'Take this man inside a tent and guard him and you? Prince Raine asks another, 'Can you go in the direction this man has shown and see if you can find his pack and clothes within. Be careful of any traps,' Prince Raine says in a warning.

'I promise there's no traps,' the voice above my head says and it takes a moment before Prince Raine replies back to man in front of me.

'I see,' Prince Raine answers icily and talks to one of the soldiers waiting, 'take him away now,' he orders and I hear the sound of shuffling and feel the air current move in front of my face, indicating the man from before me is moving now.

'Yes Sir!' Two voices snap back in answer and I can hear one set of feet run away to hopefully retrieve the shifter Fae's pack and clothes for him.

Still not opening my eyes yet, I hear someone's clothes shift against their body as they kneel down to my level next to me and it's Prince Raine who I hear talking close to me, 'You're safe to open your eyes now Briar,' he calls out gently to me and I blink my eyes a few times and then look directly at him and my breath is trapped in my chest.

The look in his eyes for me are full of warmth and concern and he gives me his hand to hold, 'Lets get you up now,' Prince Raine says to me and I slide my hand into his without thinking much about it and as he helps me to stand up, he gently wraps me up within his arms as well as he does so. He's holding me close and he places his mouth besides my ear.

I could feel my heart rate pick up its pace at my close proximity to him, the smell of cedar and pine that clung to the Prince was all too enticing to my inexperienced senses of being this close to a male. My pulse was beginning to race out of control but I still didn't break out of his hold, in fact I hadn't realised how wound up I had been from my actual first skirmish and his hug was relaxing me somewhat and bringing me a sense of peace as well. As if his presence was easing my worries somewhat.

'Hunter has been telling me briefly that you managed to stop the fight before it even really started,' Prince Raine murmurs softly to me, 'and so no lives were lost today,' he whispers into my ear and his warm breath feels ticklish against me, making me tremble against him involuntarily.

Prince Raine continues to speak intimately as he rubs one of his hands up and down my back now in slow soothing circles to continue to relax me, 'I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart and tell you I am grateful for all you've done just now,' Prince Raine earnestly tells me and then he pulls away slightly to look into my eyes to make sure he has my attention.

'I also have something else to tell you because a certain someone told me that I had been remiss before in introducing myself to you, Briar,' he says and a look of joy and wonder paints his face as looks me over, 'I am one of your Mates Briar,' Prince Raine declares clearly to me so there is no more misunderstanding this and he laughs in happiness as he pulls back to place a chaste kiss against my cheek, before releasing me from his hold and smiling down at me as he watches a deepening blush paint my cheeks pink in my awkwardness.

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'Now if you will excuse me my Mate,' Prince Raine begins to say as he spots the soldier coming back from the woods he sent into earlier, to retrieve the pack and clothes, which we all can see that they have done, 'I must investigate who the stranger is that was with you before,' he tells me and that snaps me out of whatever spell I was under.

'I want to be there,' I begin to protest to him and Prince Raine holds up his hand to quiet me for a moment.

'And you shall I promise, as he has said he is your Mate and we all need to get to the bottom of this matter at once but prior to that, we need to know if he was with the group probably sent from the Winter court to attack us or learn that it was a random coincidence that he found us at the same time?' Prince Raine explains to me and I know he is making sense but I don't know him well enough to know that he wouldn't do something to the wolf shifter who stood by Hunter and myself in the fight when he didn't have to and that right there is enough to tell me where his allegiance lies for me.

Someone else now arrives and they stand so close behind me that I feel their body warmth embracing me but they're still not quite touching me physically and it makes me hyper aware of their proximity, 'In other words here, Raine is saying we need to know where the random stranger's allegiance lies before we deem it safe enough for you to have contact with him, as we will not put our Mate's safety in question,' Lord Ashton says from behind me and places his hands on my shoulders to turn me around to face him directly and he intensely stares into my eyes and places one of his finger tips to my chin and tilts my face up to see him all the better with.

'And in case you missed what I said back there, I am declaring that I am your Mate as well Briar as I received the same message to correct any misunderstandings straight away from a certain mender we're both well acquainted with,' Lord Ashton tells me and then gives me one devilish smirk before taking a step away from me and breaking our physical contact with each other.

I'm left standing by myself now, feeling rather dizzy and embarrassed at being the subject of their close scrutiny as both Lord Ashton and Prince Raine continue to watch me. I'm not used to this kind of attention, of any Faes' or even a males' attention of this kind for that matter and I don't know how to act and I look around helplessly in a panic for anyone to intervene right now and I see a certain head of wild brown curls with touches of red invade my vision once more to save me yet again.

Hunter immediately starts talking when he arrives by my side in a clatter, slightly out of breath. 'The wolf shifter is dressed now and I have examined the mating mark that I was told to check out on him wasn't faked or anything else and I'm here to tell you that it's real,' Hunter informs Prince Raine and Lord Ashton, 'I've cross examined it with Lucas's Mate mark and the shifter's brand is a match for his,' Hunter finishes saying and now everyone's attention is off of me thank goodness and I start to relax a fraction now.

'Ryo has also sent me to tell you, he is organising the party to move up the final leg of the journey and is first loading our prisoners and some of our personal guests ahead of time in the current empty wagons, to take them over first,' Hunter informs them and both men nod that they are following along with what is being said.

'Ryo's also said he's going to entrust the safety of everyone else who remains here in the campsite with the both of you and the officers left behind here,' and as Hunter finishes saying that, I can see the people that I helped to tie up from before are now being made to sit inside the covered wagons in this short amount of time that's gone by already. I observe Prince Raine and Lord Ashton look at each other in a silent communication of sorts between themselves before they look to me again and I quickly look away from their gazes and I try and ignore them the best I can.

'How long do you think we will have to wait until we can move on?' Mistress Garnet asks the two people who are being left in charge of the remaining people's safety here.

'Well as the crow flies as they say, it will take over an hours journey, depending on how fast they go,' Prince Raine estimates for us.

'With Ryo, knowing him, it'll probably take a lot less,' Lord Ashton surmises, once again looking at me and I look away once again from him to study the ground at my feet. 'If the journey was attempted by our current way of travelling it would still take weeks to get there, I'm rather sure you'll be in for quite a huge surprise all of you ladies,' Lord Ashton hints to us with a genuine smile of joy on his face, I can see that as I sneak a look at him again.

'I see young man,' Mistress Garnet answers and pauses for a moment, 'this surprise better not disappoint then,' she remarks with a touch of humour.

'Oh I can guarantee you that it won't disappoint,' Prince Raine says, 'just like how you and your talented daughter did not disappoint us when we needed help back there and you came to our aid with your skills. We promise you right now that the trust you placed in us by exposing yourselves is not misplaced. You will remain free and can do whatever you wish in the place we're travelling to,' he tells all three of us.

'Yes, thank you Mistress Garnet for watching out for me back there,' Lord Ashton gives Mistress Garnet a deep bow, 'my particular strengths do not at all lay with fighting,' he admits with a bit of a wince.

'Mine neither,' Hunter pipes up as well, 'thank you so much for taking a leap and using your power to protect me back then,' he says to Ruby and puts his hand out to Ruby who looks down at it and then lets loose a squeal of delight as she realises Hunter is giving back her missing knife from before.

'Well thank you as well for tackling the one who was sneaking up behind me,' Ruby returns the thanks back to Hunter as she accepts her knife and disappears it somewhere upon her person again. Hunter watches Ruby whilst she does that with some speculation in his gaze but I know from personal experience it's hopeless to try and figure out how she does it.

'Well then I think we've spent enough time here for now, we should go and talk to the stranger,' Prince Raine suggests to Lord Ashton and Hunter, 'and then you can talk to him after too Briar with Mistress Garnet and Ruby for support as well if you like them to be with you?' He says to me cautiously and I look up at him and I nod yes to the suggestion. I think I will need their support but in a different way though than he thinks, I think I need them as a buffer from all of them that claim to be my Mate.

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Lord Ashton and Prince Raine go and take their leave of us now and Hunter pauses behind for a moment as he looks to me to ask a question, 'Did they clear up the misunderstanding then, that they made with you?' He asks me and I can't help the sigh that escapes me at that question. He furrows his brow in further question as he waits for me to elaborate.

'It's true what they say, that sometimes you're better off not knowing about things,' I eventually say to him and it's clear that Hunter doesn't understand where I'm going with this.

'Even with the whole Mate issue at hand here,' I say and gesture wildly with my hands, betraying a bit of my inner turmoil and continue to speak, 'it's clear to me that we live in different worlds and that alone will cause no amount of problems to begin with as well as our differences to each other,' I point out to him.

'Oh Briar honey,' Mistress Garnet begins to say sympathetically to me, 'it's too soon to make a decision as important as this one is for you on a span of a day or two,' she tries to remind me and I realise that she is right and I deeply sigh.

'You're just scared at the minute,' Ruby points out to me less sympathetically than her mother was to me, 'but like it was said earlier to you, we'll support you either way, whatever you decide,' she says to me and shrugs her shoulders at me too, 'but don't think I'll let you run away from this situation without trying to see it through,' Ruby tells me and my face bolts upright and I look at her in shock.

'What?' Ruby asks me defensively, 'I'm your adopted sister and best friend, I know you very well by now and I know that all you have ever done in your life is not take a chance at it and you let yourself get defined into a tiny box category by the others so much that you've lost sight of who you really are and that's someone who's deserving of being happy,' Ruby tells me and pulls me in for a hug that Hunter and Mistress Garnet watches.

'Well, I second what Courtesan Ruby just said,' Hunter votes and Mistress Garnet nods yes as well.

'I do too,' she says and steps up to give both her daughters a hug too, Hunter shifts his feet for a moment and looks over his shoulder and then back to us.

'It looks like I got to go ladies, so excuse me,' Hunter says and dashes off in the direction of the tent where Prince Raine, Lord Ashton and Lucas have gathered outside of, leaving us to our group hug.