The Cat Shifter (Book 1 of Shifter Series)

Chapter 88

My face grew pale, and I couldn't help but shake my head. "N-"

"Kat, you need to contact her," Ro said, interrupting me with a shake of his head. He scowled and narrowed his eyes while a look of worry flashed through his eyes. "What if it is something bad?"

"Then we can deal with it tomorrow," I said and shook my head, biting back a small frown. "She needs rest and food. We just got her back under my full control and away from Romanov. I don't want her t-"

"But this needs to happen," Ro said and shook his head, interrupting me a second time, and I couldn't help but scowl and narrow my eyes while I looked at the male I called my brother. He scowled and narrowed his eyes while he stared at me with a cold look on his face. "Call her."

"And possibly your mate, too," Ray said, her voice barely above a whisper. She leaned closer to her brother and bit the inside of her lip, and she bowed her head and submitted when I looked at her with a hard look on my face. Her heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in her chest, and I could tell that she was scared of what was going to happen next.

"Bu-"

"No buts, Kat. Do it," Ro said and gave me a pointed look while he interrupted me a third time with a shake of his head, and I instantly looked at him when he did that.

I growled my annoyance and gritted my teeth together, and annoyance filled my body. "Why?" I asked and narrowed my eyes while I looked between them before I focused my gaze on Ro. "Why can it not wait until tomorrow like everything else that we need to discuss or do?"

"Because if this kills you, then I want to know now and be able to stop it before it can kill you," Ro said and gave me a pointed look, raising both eyebrows in unison.

I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand through my hair and across my face before I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "I want her to rest some more, though," I grumbled underneath my breath, biting back a small pout. "I don't want her to overexert herself."

"She can rest later and make sure that she doesn't need to contact the Warlock King sooner," Ro reminded me, giving me a pointed look. "Call her and then contact your mate. Let's see if the bond between the two of you still works."

"It will work," I grumbled. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I released it with a small whoosh, silently praying that I would be able to contact her.

'Ams, I need you, but do not use magic to teleport yourself to me, please...' I said, using the bond while I opened my eyes. Relief filled my body and my eyes when I was able to contact my witch friend, and I had to breathe that small sigh of relief because I was grateful for it.

Oh, thank Gods...

'I am on my way,' Amity said instantly, and I knew that she was while worry for me filled the bond between us. 'I will be there shortly.'

"So much for a shower and a better nap than I had during the car ride home," I grumbled while I walked over to the chair. I grabbed my clothes and moved it onto the toilet before I sat down with an annoyed groan, and I folded my arms across my chest and pouted. "She is on her way."

"Then contact your mate next. Let him know that you need him," Ro said, and a look of relief flashed through his eyes while he looked at me.

I rolled my eyes and scowled but didn't say a word to him while I leaned my head against the wall before I closed my eyes. 'Hey, Brody?' I asked through our link, biting back a tired sigh.

'What is it? What is wrong?' Brody asked instantly before I had a chance to say anything else. 'Are you ok? I am on my way and will be there shortly.'

I bit back a small smile, and my heart grew warm and became filled with happiness and love for this man that I was set with. 'I am ok. I found something on my chest, and the twins are worried about it. They wanted me to contact Ams, too, and she will be here shortly.'

My mate paused, and worry filled the bond between us. 'And why are you not worried about it?' he asked, sounding a little protective and amused. 'Shouldn't you be? This is your body we are talking about, Kat.'

'Eh,' I mentally shrugged, biting back a small grimace. 'I only wanted their opinion and then they blew it out of the water. I also want a shower and more of a nap before I have to talk with my mother about what's going on, so I wasn't that worried about it.'

'No, you just want to stall the talk with your mother,' Brody said, and I knew that if he was there, then he would be giving me a pointed look and raise both eyebrows in unison. 'Do not say something like that and then say that you don't want to do that because I know that you do.'

I bit back a tired sigh and mentally nodded while I slouched more in my seat, exhausted. I bit the inside of my lip and slowly blinked, letting myself feel defeated and tired. 'Ya,' I said, my voice barely above a whisper. 'I want to do that. I want to stall. I do not want to talk to her just yet and have her tell me how disappointed in me she is for giving up my position as the High Queen.'

"Kat?" Ro asked and frowned while he studied me, catching something on my face that he did not know and did not like. He cocked his head, and a small frown appeared on his face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Just talking with my mate," I said and shook my head while I moved a hand through my hair and across my face. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and pursed my lips in annoyance and pain. "We're talking about the conversation that is going to happen with my mom."

'You aren't giving it up, though, Love,' Brody said softly while he made his way over to me. He opened the bedroom door and made his way to the bathroom, closing the bedroom door before he made his way over to the bathroom door.

Both Ro and Ray quickly moved out of his way when my mate entered the bathroom and started to rush to my side with a look of worry and nervousness on his face. They bowed but didn't say a word to him, and I could tell that they were worried about what he would do, especially since Ro had seen me "naked" without him being there.

I didn't say a word to my mate and looked at him with wide eyes filled with pain and sadness. My whole body was tense, and tears pricked the corner of my eyes while I looked at this man that I called my mate... and king.

Brody's eyes grew softer, and he walked the rest of the way over to me. He pressed a small kiss to my lips, and I quickly kissed him back, loving how supportive and understanding my mate was, especially with all of the self-doubt that plagued my mind. "You want everyone to be as comfortable as possible with you taking over as the High Queen, Kat," he said, his voice barely above a whisper while he pressed another kiss to my lip. "Romanov had given the Viera name a bad name, and you want to make sure that they know that you aren't like him."

I hesitated and slowly nodded, and my bottom lip quivered. I didn't say a word while I looked at my mate, letting him see behind the mask that I wore to protect myself and my feelings.

I was scared...

I was scared of everything and anything that was going on, not knowing how to act and not knowing if I was doing anything right. I felt like I was a disappointment, a failure, and there was nothing I could do to stop that feeling.

But that didn't mean I wasn't going to stop trying...

I was going to try to do this until my last breath and prove to others and to myself that I was worthy of this position that had been bestowed on me since birth.

My mate smiled and tucked his head closer to his chest when he heard my thoughts. He pressed his lips to mine, and I kissed him back with a gentle kiss to his lips. 'And I will be there every step of the way, Kat,' he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

You have my word...