Heir of the Coven (Daughters of the Warlock 3)

I was a little confused by our schedule. Witches and warlocks loved their sleep!

“The shifters are morning creatures,” my father said as he sipped on his morning coffee. “Especially wolf shifters. You’ll find bears are not especially morning people. But to answer your question, they’re going to show you a great deal of respect if you abide by the time they keep rather than the time you keep.”

Bear shifters... what a thought. I’d never even imagined that was possible.

“Okay.”

What else could I say? As usual, I didn’t know anything about this world, nor its inhabitants. I just had to trust that the information I was being given was all correct.

The three of us followed the same routine as we had the day before. Ta

vlor, armed to the teeth, was dressed in dark, long robes. My father wore a similar plain outfit, not wanting his clothes to point out the grandeur of his position.

Our cloaks today were all thick, natural fibers. No fur, for obvious reasons. But they were a level of comfort and warmth should we encounter a cold climate, which I was expecting we would.

As soon as we were all ready, we slipped through a portal door and whoosh, we were off.

Once through that strange, cold void of space, I opened my eyes. I stood in a thick wood. I inhaled the pine scent and shivered at the chill of the morning air as it touched my cheeks. The air was crisp and clear and burned my lungs, but in a good way.

I pulled my cloak around myself tighter. “It’s freezing.”

My father moved ahead and we walked together along a beaten path, around the huge trees and large bushes.

“It’ll warm up.” He nodded to his left. “The sun’s rising.”

I glanced towards the horizon that I could see between the trees. “That’s... beautiful.”

I stopped walking for a moment, giving myself a chance to take in the sight. The sun cast incredible colors across the sky and land. Reds and oranges, but also purples and pinks.

Just breathtaking.

If everything were ideal, it would have been just me and Tavlor here for romantic reasons rather than political ones.

We kept walking, I assumed to find whatever meeting point we’d been assigned.

There was a sudden growl ahead of us. Tavlor put a hand out, signaling to stop. I froze.

The growl intensified, then I realized it wasn’t just in front. The sound was coming from all around.

Behind us. In front of us. To the sides.

They had us surrounded.

I swallowed. I had been caught by shifters before and the experience wasn’t pleasant. I didn’t want to repeat it, quite frankly. I didn’t want to attack the shifters as we were in their realm and they probably saw us as threats, but at the same time, I didn’t want to be injured, either.

The hairs on my neck stood on end as the noise began to sound more threatening, deep and throaty. Large grey and black wolves appeared between the trees. Their yellow, glowing eyes stood out against the early morning light.

At the very least, I could protect us from them.

I threw my cloak back and conjured up a protection spell, getting ready with a more offensive spell if needed. I didn’t want to use it, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight, even if we were in a different realm.

I’d killed this type of shifter before, and unfortunately, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again if they forced my hand. Especially to protect my father or Tavlor.

“We are here to see the Alpha, Robert Tannen,” my father called out, his hands up in a placating gesture. The growling stopped, as though someone had switched off a tap. Then the wolves were gone, disappeared as though they had never been.

In their place stood men.

Naked men.