Page 6 of Shifter’s Promise (Devourer of Magic)

Chapter

Four

A couple days later, I’d finally convinced father I could handle this—I could marry a jaguar and unite our clans.

We would have our territory back. Our people would have their lands and their freedom.

They wouldn’t be relegated to small homes in the capital, or stuffy bunkhouses when those homes filled up.

Leopards weren’t meant to live like this. We were meant to be free; wandering the savannahs and the jungle. We were meant to climb and weave and fight.

So I would fight for us.

I’d fought to get here. Fought to stay alive. I wasn’t out of fight yet, and until I was, I could never let Leopard Clan stay this way. If I was the sacrifice that must be made, so be it.

We hatched a plan once father was convinced.

Our first challenge: escape the house without Kara knowing.

While Kara went to the market we’d make our way to jaguar territory—the same territory that had once been ours. Disguised by thick leathers and a large shawl that wrapped around my shoulders and head, I slipped out into the heat of the sun.

Shit . Maybe I should have thought my disguise through better. I only wanted to keep myself from Kara’s keen eye. I didn’t want to bake to death.

“Ready?” father asked, stealing my attention.

I nodded, a grim set to my lips.

Father hesitated and I quickly brightened my expression. He sighed, knowing exactly what I was doing.

“Are you sure about this?”

I wanted to say yes, of course. I would do anything for my people—because in reality I would. A bigger part of me wanted to yell hell no! Instead, I pasted my fake, confident mask on, smiled, and nodded like a dutiful daughter.

“Yes.”

He assessed my gaze long and hard before grunting and slipping out behind me.

We walked side by side down the cobbled street, sandstone homes looming on either side. Clothes hung to dry between buildings. Some tanned leathers in their yards, while others played with their kids, or scolded them for getting too rowdy.

The scent of leopard surrounded me. The scent of home. It would bring tears to my eyes if I weren’t so damned nervous. Sweat dripped down my spine.

No matter how many times I’d talked myself through this, I couldn’t get over my anxiety. This decision would shape the rest of my life. It would change me and our people for generations to come. But it was for the best, wasn’t it?

I shook my head on a sigh. It had to be.

We wove through the streets, heading north until buildings became sparse and the great meadows rose toward distant hills. My heart raced as I caught a glimpse of the jungle. My leopard itched in our shared mind, desperate to sink our claws into thick bark and crawl through the trees.

I gently urged her to wait and instead focus on the beautiful white capped mountains. With a blazing sun and clear blue sky, it was an image I thought I’d never see again.

My eyes burned and tears welled, but I didn’t let them fall—not this time. I’d given up enough tears in my lifetime. The next tears to fall must be earned.

With determination settling my heart, I stepped into the tall grass of my youth.

My fingers trailed through the long, dry stems that parted around us.

As we pushed further, a home appeared. At a distance, I hadn’t been able to make it out.

Only a story tall, but long, it stretched at least thirty feet on either side of a large barrel entrance.

Constructed of the same grass we strode through, the roof nearly blended with the meadows completely.

If it weren’t for the wood making up the rest of the building, I might not have seen it.

My fingers clenched into fists. “What is that?”

“Jaguars,” Father growled.

I narrowed my eyes. Neither of us liked that they’d disturbed the meadows. They should be free and protected, not used for a clan house.

My fists shook the closer we drew. Cold sweat slipped down my spine. I swiped my clammy palms over my trousers. This was it. There was no turning back now.

A yowl broke the rush of wind through the long grass, disturbing the serenity of the meadows.

“What the—” I wasn’t able to finish.

A jaguar hopped down from within the entrance. I couldn’t see where it fell from, but I assumed rafters lay within. The jaguar stood its ground, spreading its paws on either side of its large, spotted body. Its lips drew back over fierce teeth, a vicious growl rumbling in its throat.

“Now, now, Vic.” Hearty male laughter poured from inside.

A man appeared from the shadows. He patted the jaguar's head. About the same height as father, six five, his tan skin stretched over wide pectorals. His eyes burned like twin suns. Long golden hair fell across his shoulders as he leaned outside, an arm resting on the doorframe.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” His lips twisted in a feral grin as he eyed first my father, then myself. I lowered my hood and his eyes lit. “The princess returns.”

I glared. It was one thing for my father to call me a princess—I was his first born after all—but to have this poor excuse of a man utter the word… I wanted to rip out his tongue .

“Jeremiah,” Father intoned, already displeased by his former ally.

The Head of Jaguar Clan laughed, a sadistic sound. “Henry! Always a pleasure.” He stepped outside, gracefully dodging the jaguar still growling in our direction. “What brings you here today?” From the glint in his eye, he knew.

We all knew. But he wanted to play games.

Father cleared his throat before stepping forward to greet the clan head. “Twinlin has returned and expressed her desire to continue our truce.”

Jeremiah’s grin turned wicked. “Has she now?”

“Yes,” I interrupted, tired of this run around that had just begun.

Stepping in line with my father, I straightened my spine and set my shoulders. I might not be a large woman, but I wouldn’t back down.

“I’ll marry one of your sons and together we’ll unite our clans. No more needing to fight over territory or resources. We can work together.”

“And why would we do that when we already have what we want?”

A snarl tore from my throat before I could stop it.

Jeremiah barked a laugh, tears welling in his eyes. “You’ve got a feisty kitten for a daughter, Henry. Much more bite than that mat?—”

“Shut your mouth.” Father stepped in front of me with a menacing snarl. “Keep my mate out of your filthy hole and stop the games, Jeremiah. You swore an oath in blood. An oath that cannot be undone.”

My eyes widened in surprise, neck nearly snapping, I looked at my father so fast. He’d done what?! A blood oath was uncommon for the severity of it. A blood oath meant there was no going back . I couldn’t believe my father had done it. Brilliant!

Jeremiah couldn’t back out even if he wanted to. If he did—the magic oath would kill him.

I laughed, and for the first time since meeting again, Jeremiah frowned. He regarded my father, all humor wiped from his expression. They stared each other down for several long moments before a sound inside drew my attention.

I met several sets of golden eyes—a trio of gold in fact—set in handsome angular faces.

The faces of men. The faces of the three boys who had once fought to be my betrothed.

Now, they regarded me with disdain. If I hadn’t known them as boys, I might not be able to tell them apart now.

The triplets looked nearly identical save small details—a scar through an eyebrow here, a smattering of freckles there.

Minute differences I remembered, if only vaguely.

My memories from that time had always felt like a dream.

Though, anything would feel like a dream compared to the waking nightmare I’d endured these last years.

Noticing my gaze had strayed, Jeremiah followed to meet that of his sons.

Quickly, that anger turned to a false joviality. “Boys! You’re here. Look who just showed up. I don’t know if you recognize her but?—”

“Twinlin,” the triplet furthest to the left said. He had deep brown freckles scattered across otherwise flawless tan skin.

“I thought she was dead,” the middle one continued. He had a scar through his left brow and a sneer on his otherwise handsome face. I might not be attracted to men, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t recognize male beauty.

The last didn’t say a word. Instead his gaze raked me from head to toe, not in a leer, but an assessment I did not agree to. Once he finished, a cocky smirk replaced his deadpan expression. Still, he didn’t utter a word.

“No such luck,” I snarked. Crossing my arms over my chest, I assumed the false bravado—the confident mask—that kept me alive all these years.

If I didn’t show the world I was scared, would they believe I was brave?

“We’d never want your sweet princess to pass,” Jeremiah agreed with an inauthentic smile. He glared like he wanted to tear me apart right now instead.

I rolled my eyes, done with the pleasantries. “If you’d rather go back on your oath…”

His nostrils flared, the corner of his eye twitching. “Of course not.”

I already had, given the chance. The words were written in his disdainful gaze.

My fists clenched. He wouldn’t get away now. He couldn’t. Not unless he wanted to die a painful death at the hands of his oath. I’d always heard that blood magic was the most painful death imaginable. Something in me wanted this man to be on the receiving end of such magic .

“Then who will it be?” Father crossed his arms and tilted his chin up, looking down his nose at the enemy.

Jeremiah growled, gaze darting to each of his sons. They looked none too pleased by the words exchanged. The moment his smile twisted, I knew he’d had a terrible idea.

“Why not give them all a shot at winning your princess?”

Every set of eyes landed on the man, confusion plain on our faces.

“What do you mean, Father?” one of his son’s, the one with the scar through his brow, asked quietly. He’d leaned in to ask, but at this distance, the words would never be quiet enough for a shifter’s ears to miss.

Jeremiah tilted his head back, a great boom of laughter shaking his whole body. When he finally met our gazes once more, he winked at me before staring down my father.

“We’ll have each of my sons vie for your daughter’s hand. Whomever she chooses after a week of courting will be Twinlin’s husband.”

All three of his sons’ jaws dropped in time with my own.

“What?” the quiet one hissed.

“You can’t be serious,” the freckled one snarled.

“You’d have us give up our chance of finding a mate?” the last balked. His eyes were as round as the sun.

At least I wasn’t the only one in complete shock.

“You’re serious?” Father asked carefully. Slowly, like he was considering it .

My brows scrunched as I shot him a look. You can’t possibly agree to this, my angry gaze must have read. He hardly glanced my way before returning to Jeremiah, who also seemed to be ignoring his children.

“What better way to choose?” The Head of Jaguar Clan shrugged like he hadn’t just sent four beastkin into a spiral.

“I could think of a thousand ways,” scar-brow snapped.

Jeremiah’s nostrils flared as he rounded on his son, teeth bared.

“And what ways would those be, Taka?” Scar-brow, aka Taka, opened his mouth but his father barrelled on, stepping closer until he stood a hair away.

“What way would be fair to choose between your brothers? What way could I choose that wouldn’t condemn one of my sons to a mateless existence? ”

Taka’s lips slammed together, his brows flying high at the same time mine crashed low. Was he… right?

Either way, whoever was forced to marry me—whoever I was forced to marry—we’d both be bound to a mateless existence.

Golden curls and bright orange eyes flashed in my mind’s eye where Gina once was.

My eyes rounded for only a moment before I shut down entirely.

Whoever that woman was, she couldn’t be my mate.

My mate was dead. I was already mateless.

This wasn’t the same for me as it was for the triplets. They hadn’t found and lost a mate.

If one of them married me, they might never get the chance.

My lips thinned as my thoughts raced. I completely tuned out, my vision narrowing, mind tunnelling in on the future that lay before me. A joyless marriage. A husband who hated me for trapping him. A family by marriage alone. A clan that would loathe me as a leader.

A hand on my shoulder had me blinking hard like my mind just popped back into existence.

“Twin?” Father asked. His brows furrowed in concern.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, shrugging him off.

“The princess is probably just overwhelmed,” Jeremiah said on a laugh.

I looked up to find his sons had disappeared in the time I’d disassociated. Only the jaguar, Vic, remained by Jeremiah’s side.

I nodded. He wasn’t entirely wrong.

“You’re certain this is what you want?” Father asked in a hushed voice.

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to pull sense back into my head.

If I didn’t do this, Leopard Clan would suffer.

We’d dwindle in numbers without room to grow.

My people would never be the same. Even if the last thing I ever wanted to do was marry a man, I strengthened my resolve enough to meet both their intense gazes.

“I’m certain,” I said with all the steel I could muster.

“Excellent!” Jeremiah clapped us both on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family, Twinlin. Your fiances will begin wooing you tomorrow. Be prepared.” His grin unsettled me enough to shiver.

“She will,” Father snapped back .

Jeremiah’s chuckle followed us across the meadows. It wasn’t until we’d reached the streets of the capital that I wondered: what had I just done?