“Well, normally they aren’t,” Gretchin replies, frowning.
“And there are only five members of Watch Team One,” Violet points out, nibbling her lip, her eyebrows furrowed. “So that leaves one crown still free.”
Gracelin gasps and looks at her sister with shock. “Holy fuck. All this time, Gryff hasn’t been chasing a ghost.”
Gretchin groans. “God, he’s going to be insufferable now. He’s never doubted what that damn witch told him.”
Violet and I exchange a glance. “Would you like to share with those not in the know?” I wave at the two of us, feeling frustrated, but a weight in my stomach makes me think I know what they are going to say.
“You know, instead of us standing here while you’re half naked, how about you change? Then, we can talk about it out there,” Gretchin suggests, and I almost argue with her, but she’s right. The three of them leave the bathroom, and I turn around to stare at the tattoo in the middle of my back, the feeling of déjà vu super strong. It’s just like the one on Nox’s chest, with a heart in the middle of the tree trunk and six elegant, swirling branches forming the canopy. There is no doubt this tree matches the one I got super up close and personal with only a few days ago, and I have a feeling that Gretchin and Gracelin are going to tell me why.
Huffing out a breath, I spin around and study myself closely, surprised by my reflection. Although it’s been two days since my transformation, I really haven’t taken the time to look at myself, and I’m surprised by what I see. My face and skin are flawless. In the past, being a baker with somewhat of a sweet tooth, my skin has been prone to occasional breakouts. Then there are the chicken pock scars on my cheek that I scratched in my sleep, becoming a constant reminder of that very uncomfortable week in my early teens, but now they are gone, and my skin glistens like I spend hours a day on my skincare routine. The most shocking change is my eyes. I always thought they were a pretty, unique color that set me apart from everyone, but now they are stunning with that shifter glow behind them. They look like sparkling amethysts on display in a jewelry shop.
My gaze drifts lower to study my unfamiliar body. The muffin top I was rocking from trying too many of my own creations has flattened and become defined, like the muscles are sitting just below the skin. My hips are still curvy, but they have lost the dimpled orange peel skin, as have my thighs and ass. The stretch marks on my breasts from a growth spurt when I was thirteen have also disappeared. I’m still pale, but now instead of appearing sick from spending all my time inside, everything is sleek, smooth, and glowing with a healthy sheen. Even my hair, which is usually tied back and unwashed, is glossy and thick. Sure, I’ve been pampered by the attendants, but this is just something more. I’m assuming it has to do with my new magic.
Unable to look at myself and all the changes any longer without tears prickling in my eyes, I hurry into my closet and peel off my bra, pulling on a tank top and shorts. Despite the rapidly cooling weather, my new shifter metabolism keeps me warm, or that’s what Violet told me when I questioned her about the castle’s heating.
My hand brushes across the pendant around my neck, and my thoughts go to the man who gave it to me. I have no doubt in my mind that Nox wasn’t telling the truth. I’m hurt, but rationally, I only knew him for a few days. Although, when he discovered my big secret, I would think he would share his. Then again, maybe he was flustered. There is obviously a reason he lives in the human zone and disguises the fact that he is a shifter. Maybe he thought I would force him to return to the shifter zone. Hell, no wonder he drove away without a backward glance, and I haven’t heard from him since.
A pang inside my chest makes me wince. I thought we had something special, but then I recall his comment about being the hit it and quit it type, and I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised. He was just another person in my life who disappointed me. Brushing off the sense of melancholy, I step into my bedroom and brace myself for whatever I’m about to find out.
“Okay, let’s talk about this tattoo.” I wave absently at my back as I join the other three girls on my enormous bed. I have no idea why a queen needs such a big bed, but if I had to guess, I would say it has something to do with the royals having multiple mates. I feel a small throb inside me at the thought of sharing this bed with several men, and a few of the unattached male shifters I have met come to mind, but I quickly push those thoughts away. I need to focus on what the girls have to say.
“That tattoo matches my brother’s bond group, which means instead of a whole heap of men being marked for you to choose from like royals in the past, you’ve been gifted a fully formed bond group who has been waiting for their destined mate,” Gracelin explains gently, almost like she’s waiting for me to freak out.
I swallow the lump in my throat, but before I can say anything, Violet bounces up and down, looking gleeful. “Oh, I can’t wait to see Gianna’s face when she discovers that Watch Team One is no longer a possibility.”
“Your brother’s bond group? Do you mean Brodie, Hunter, Liam, and Gem? They are my mates?” I can’t hide my incredulous tone. Sure, I was super attracted to them, even before the royal marks appeared on my wrists, and I’ve felt a tug toward them every time I’m around them, but I knew I had no chance with them and was resigned to that despite my growing attraction once I was marked. A small flame of hope kindles inside me, but I don’t allow it to flare higher just in case Gracelin is mistaken.
“Yes, that mark on your back matches theirs perfectly, and not only them…” Gretchin pauses for a moment like she’s trying to gather her thoughts. “When the tattoos first appeared and the guys were matched, they were sent away for a few weeks, basically an all expenses paid vacation so they could bond. While they were on that trip, they stumbled drunkenly into an apothecary, looking for anise so they could get high, and the witch who ran the shop had a vision, telling them they had a sixth member and that their mate wouldn’t reveal themself until their sixth member did.”
“But that was almost ten years ago now, and no one has come forward with the same mark as the guys. Bond group members are usually the same age or within a few years of each other,” Gracelin explains. “I think he must have died before he could join the bond group, and because they weren’t bonded, they didn’t feel it.”
“But there are six consort crowns, so that can’t be true. He must still be alive,” Violet argues, and the sadness on Gracelin’s face clears, her eyes brightening with hope.
“Shit, you’re right.”
“But why hasn’t he come forward then?” Gretchin grumbles. “Only a shifter who isn’t in their right mind would reject a bond.” Her face falls, and she turns pale. “Oh God, what if he’s feral or shift frozen?”
Both Violet and Gracelin also look sick, but I don’t really have an idea what they are talking about. I know shifters aren’t allowed to change humans because they can go feral, but I don’t know exactly what that means, and I’ve never heard about shift frozen.
“Shift frozen? Can you explain that to me?”
Gretchin looks visibly shaken, but she runs a hand through her shorn locks and grimaces. “The reason shifters aren’t allowed to change humans is because without the magic of a royal, the human is always feral. It’s a population control thing, I think. Shifters would quickly outnumber humans if it wasn’t controlled, but occasionally, a born shifter can turn feral as well. If they spend too much time in their shifted form or something tragic happens to them, their animal can take over, and they won’t return to human form. They are not as dangerous as turned humans, but again, without the magic of a royal to force them to shift back, they are permanently lost to their animal.”
“And you think this is what happened to their sixth member?” I ask carefully, feeling guilty that I haven’t said anything about what I know.
“I mean, what other reason could there be?” Violet says. “Bond groups are kind of sacred for shifters.”
“Are all shifters part of a bond group?” I ask, because I really need to know more. I spent all morning in lessons with the king and queens, but it was mostly learning about the council and not about shifters in general. I know I have more lessons scheduled tomorrow, but I have so many questions burning inside me now, and if I’m fated for this bond group, I need that information going forward. I also want to hear it from a firsthand source and not a secondhand one like the book Nox loaned me.
“No, not all shifters are fated for bond groups. Adam isn’t part of a bond group, but he and I are fated mates.” Gracelin pulls the collar of the tank she borrowed from me down, showing a gorgeous mark between her breasts, a combination of stars and moons, but unlike mine, which is black, hers is gold like the marks around my wrists. “We were marked for each other by the goddess, similar to a bond group, but some shifters don’t get marks at all and end up mating whoever they want.”
“No one knows how or why mates or bond groups are selected.” Violet frowns, her eyes clouded with worry. “But bond groups usually receive their mark by their eighteenth birthday, and not many receive one after that. Their mate then receives their mark when the goddess deems the group ready, but it usually happens within a few years of the bond group forming. Watch Team One going almost ten years without a mate was unusual.” I wonder if she’s thinking about Talon. I know she likes him, and I saw them dancing at the ball while I was being introduced to people. Later, he introduced her to a group of men who must be his bond group. I almost stepped in because she looked overwhelmed, but Ember joined them, and Violet seemed to relax, so I let them be.
“And what about individual mates like Gracelin?” I ask, and Gretchin shrugs. “That can happen at any time, but usually before a shifter turns thirty. It would be awful if a shifter was in a relationship with someone and got married and then found out they were fated to another. Most shifters don’t enter into serious relationships until after that age so they don’t have to worry about broken hearts and the tragedy that would come with finding a partner and then losing that partner.”
“That makes sense. Do you have a mate mark?” I ask her, but then I grimace. “Fuck, am I allowed to ask that?”
