The Cat Shifter (Book 1 of Shifter Series)

Chapter 79

We made it back to the tent faster than we had gotten to the Warlock king and prince especially since Ro hadn't tried to control me a second time.

I breathed a small sigh of relief when I entered the tent and saw that my mom, aunt, uncle, and Amity all had something warm in their hands and it looked like they were a little more alive than they had a few minutes ago.

Amity was about to stand when she saw King Philip behind me but paused as soon as he raised his hand to stop her.

"Stay seated, Amity," he softly scolded while he narrowed his eyes and scowled. "You do not have to stand, especially since you have also just been rescued and should continue to do what you were told to do before I entered."

Amity hesitated and slowly nodded, biting the inside of her lip. "Yes, Your Majesty," she said and bowed her head while she sat down again. She glanced at me from the corner of her eye and looked at him again, not saying a word to me.

"We also have a cup of tea for you, Your Majesty," Stephen said, looking at me and bowing his head. "It has been suggested that you drink some as well to make sure that there aren't any... lasting effects of what has happened to you in the last few hours." He raised both eyebrows in unison and glanced at Poa, who was watching everything with her hood over her head before he looked at me again.

I wrinkled my nose and pursed my lips in annoyance but not at the fact that he called me Your Majesty because I knew that there was no way I would be able to make him stop until his father was killed. "I hope not," I said with a small groan in my voice before I walked over to where there was a cup on the table for me. "I have other stuff to worry about and that shouldn't be one of them."

"And what happened exactly?" King Philip asked, pursing his lips in annoyance. He looked at the hooded figure in the room and scowled before he narrowed his eyes. His whole body grew tense, and I could tell that he did not like that the hooded figure was in the tent with us.

I grabbed my cup tighter in my hand and stared at King Philip with a hard look in my eyes. "I would not look at our friend the way that you are looking at them, Your Majesty," I said and bared my teeth in warning while I narrowed my eyes. I couldn't help but become very protective of her, knowing full well that she was one of our few hopes if we wanted to survive. "They are not dangerous at all. If they were, then they wouldn't be here."

Poa bit back a small snort but didn't say a word. Her whole body was relaxed, and a look of amusement would have flashed through her eyes if we could see them. She bowed her head in greeting and stood, but she did not remove her hood from over her head.

King Philip scowled and narrowed his eyes, studying her. He continued to look at her before he looked at me, and his eyes flashed with something that I didn't know and didn't like at all. "And why are they hiding themselves?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me. "Shouldn't they know that it is rude?"

I scoffed a small laugh and held back an eye roll. "Oh, they do know that it is rude, Your Majesty. However, for their protection and my peace of mind, I do suggest that they keep their hood up and cover their face," I said and glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

Poa bit back a small chuckle and bowed her head. She didn't say a word and looked at Stephen before she looked at me. Her whole body was relaxed, and she clasped her hands behind her back while she started to rock back and forth, looking as innocent as she possibly could.

Stephen cleared his throat to hide a chuckle and slowly nodded when Poa said something before he looked at me. "I am surprised that you are protective of my mate, Your Majesty," he said and gestured toward her, and I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line.

"They are a part of my clan because they are your mate, Stephen," I said coldly. "It is my duty to make sure that they stay safe and alive. Is that understood?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him.

Stephen bit back a small smile and nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty," he said and cleared his throat while he grew serious. He folded his arms across his chest and looked at King Philip and then Austin before he looked at me, slowly blinking.

"And who is your friend, and why are you so protective of them?" King Philip asked and narrowed his eyes while he scowled.

I hesitated and glanced at Stephen, silently asking if he and Poa would be fine with the Warlock king and prince to know about her or if it would be best if we kept it as a clan thing for now.

Stephen didn't say a word and slowly blinked while he talked with his mate, pressing his lips into a thin line.

King Philip bit back a tired sigh before he shook his head, pursing his lips in annoyance when we didn't answer his question. "Anyway, go ahead and drink the tea because you haven't started it yet, Princess," he said and gestured toward the tea. "I believe that is something that they want you to do."

I held back an eye roll while I pressed my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word and started to drink the tea, raising an eyebrow in question at the taste because for some reason it confused me.

It was sweet but not too sweet, and there was this tanginess to it that I couldn't describe, for it was something that I had never tasted before.

Poa giggled in amusement when she caught the look on her face. She didn't say a word and gestured toward the bed that I had been on when I was brought here, and I could tell that she wanted me to sit there while I drank my tea.

I held back an eye roll and was about to do just that when Carver cleared his throat, and I instantly looked at him with a small scowl on my face. I didn't say a word and watched as he smiled and cocked his head to the side where my mother, aunt, and uncle sat, and my mother was looking at me expectantly with her eyes wide and filled with tears.

I hesitated and looked at Poa before I looked at my mother because a part of me yearned to be near my mother just as much as I wanted to hear her speak in any shape or form.

"Go ahead and sit down next to your mother, Your Majesty," Stephen said, and I glanced at him with wide eyes filled with the same pain and sadness that were in my mother's eyes. "Our friend says that it is fine."

"And then we'll talk?" King Philip asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he looked between the rest of us.

I hesitated before I started to walk over my mother with the cup in my hands. "For some, Your Majesty," I said and slowly nodded while I sat down beside her. "As I have mentioned before, I would much prefer to talk to everyone in private and safely in a room on my pack lands, especially since there are some things that I do not want out in the open."

My mother pulled me closer to her and pressed a small kiss on my head, and I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth she gave me.

Oh thank Gods...

"But we are in a tent and have a few warlocks in our midsts," King Philip said and tucked his head closer to his chest while he studied me with a small smirk on his face, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl. "Why would you not feel comfortable here if we make sure that no one can hear us?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Because, I will not feel comfortable about it even with that extra added protection," I said and shook my head. I took another sip of my tea and tapped my finger on the edge of my cup. "I am sure that our friend will be fine with it, but I am not." I glanced at Poa when she giggled.

King Philip pressed his lips into a thin line and looked at her again, studying her with such intensity that the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention.

He looked at his son when his son nudged him before he looked at me. "And what if I take a guess as to why you don't want to talk about our friend, Your Majesty?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied. "Would you mind if we talked about them and other things as well?"

Oh, no...