Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (book club suggestions txt) 📕

the night’s long journey and war in the Dream Realm. After a while, even their unofficial leaders joined them.
Sierra and Aaron were quiet until he caught Ariana staring at him in wonder.
“We have something to tell you.” Aaron started, sharing a look with Sierra.
“I’m a Watcher-kin Sun-Dancer.” Sierra explained all that she’d told Aaron two weeks before. When she was done, all was silent. “Well?”
“Well what?” Shane asked innocently.
“What do you think?” Aaron countered.
“I think we have yet another weapon against Orthos.” Aimee announced. “Does he know about her?”
Both Aaron and Sierra nodded, going on to tell them just how he knew.
“There goes that idea down the tubes.” Scott remarked. “At least he doesn’t know I’m a Fire-Starter.”
Now it was Aimee and Scott’s turn to explain to those who didn’t already know.
“This is perfect!” Luna cried. “We’ve got Companions working together, finally,”
Ariana interrupted her. “Dwellers ready for action, according to the Moondancers,”
“More Crusaders added in, don’t forget.” Derrick supplied, and Shane nodded.
“And now, we’ve got a Fire-Starter and a Watcher-kin!” Luna cried, completing their combined sentences. “Orthos and Bane will never see it coming!”
“I’m still wondering why they’re so quiet.” Ariana supplied with a serious look on her face.
“Enjoy yourself while you can, sister.” Shane remarked.
“Don’t you dare jinx us, Ariana Reading!” Julie put it.
Ariana laughed, showing them all she was just kidding. She put her hands up in surrender. “I swear, I won’t jinx us.”
“Though she does bring up a good point.” Derrick said, teasing eyes on Jamie and Shane.
They knew right then they’d just been duped by both Readings.
“Not you, too!” TJ cried.
The group threw balled-up napkins and straw wrappers at their unofficial leaders.
When all conversation had come to a lull, the Crusaders were left sitting and staring around the table at each other. Each wondered what the others were thinking. Once the check came, they paid it and drove home in silence, wondering once again what the night would bring them.

Story: #3:
Of Stalkers and Bondmates

Page Red Wolf Moondancer trained a small group of kits not far from the Practice Fields. He put them in pairs; Destiny Grey with Tiger White-Snow, Ronan BrownPatches with Nicola HeartLily and Princess Celine Stargazer with himself. While he taught Celine how to defend with hidden throwing stars, he sensed something in the shadows.
She threw one of her hidden stars at him when she thought him unaware. He just caught it and stared into the distance toward the forest.
“Page?” She tried grasping his attention, but he didn’t hear her.
Red Wolf stopped what he was doing, smelling the scent of a decaying Stalker nearby. “BrownPatches.”
“Aye, Page?”
“Take them away from here.” Red Wolf barked without looking at the beagle-pup. “It is no longer safe.”
“What is it, Page Red Wolf?”
“Stalker.” Was all he said.
Ronan understood. A Stalker was nothing a quartet of younger Companions should mess with. He tried gathering the four kits, but Celine wouldn’t move.
“Come, Princess. You heard what he said.” Ronan tried. “It is not safe.”
Celine ignored him, taking Red Wolf’s hand in her own. She stared into the distance with him.
Please, Celine. Red Wolf begged to her in his mind. Go home.
I stay with you, Chikité.
That name. Just by the sound of his Clan-name, he knew she would go to the depths of Hades for him, with him. His heart warmed at the gesture of love. She was truly his Bondmate.
Without taking his eyes off the distance, he smiled at the thought, squeezing her hand.
“Take them away. I will see to the Princess.” Red Wolf barked.
Ronan BrownPatches sighed. “As you wish, Page. Come along you three. If he senses a Stalker, we should flee while we still can.”
Once they were gone, Red Wolf took her in his arms and kissed her, holding her close.
“I only worry for you, Celine.” He told her aloud. “I do not want to be hung should any harm come to you.”
Celine hugged him tighter, meeting his eyes. “As long as you are with me, Chikité, I will be fine.” She kissed him again, teasing. “Now go do your job as a Hunter and destroy your turned kinsman.”
One final kiss and he pulled away, shifting to Dweller form as he watched the distance. She stood in place, watching him in wonder. She wasn’t afraid this time, only curious.
“Come out of the shadows and face your destruction, Stalker!” Chikité called out.
The wind cooled, a breeze blowing debris all around them.
“Weather-beast, are you?” Chikité said. “Coward.”
“I am no more coward than you, Dweller-Companion.” A hiss was heard from the trees and a Stalker came out. The wind around them stopped blowing, settling leaves and other wood debris where they lay.
Chikité got a good look at him. He was dressed in seventeenth-century garb, which was worn and torn from years of abuse and neglect. His skin was pale and peeling in places. He smiled, showing broken teeth and receding gums. There were stains on his teeth and fangs, left from centuries of death-Feedings. His blood-shot eyes were wide and he smelled of death and decay. Chikité tried not to let the stench bother his delicate canine senses. From the looks of him, this Stalker wasn’t one he knew. Didn’t matter. He would be destroyed the same as any other of his kin.
“I suppose you are Red Wolf Moondancer?” The Stalker quipped.
A Stalker that didn’t know Red Wolf’s kin-Clan name? That was strange.
“Who are you?” Chikité demanded. “What business have you in this Realm?”
“Crucis sent me to destroy you, mutt-boy.” The Stalker supplied. He bowed. “I am Marcus.”
“How do you know of me?”
“Who doesn’t know you, Red Wolf, son of the Moondancers who lives in this Realm alone?” Marcus taunted. “Didn’t your precious Lord Guardian give you permission to be in both worlds?”
“That is none of your concern!” Chikité cried. “I will destroy you, so help me!”
Marcus only laughed. “Not before I feast on your blood, Companion!”
Marcus moved, and Chikité attacked. The two fought tooth and nail, fang and claw until the Stalker managed to rip Chikité’s chest.
Celine’s panicked cry stopped them both in their tracks. “Red Wolf!”
Both froze in their places. Once Marcus saw who cried out, he stepped back and laughed. “Are the kin-Clans so desperate, they take Companion kits as Bondmates?”
“This is between us only, Marcus!” Chikité yelled as Marcus moved closer to Celine. She froze, now scared for herself. “Leave her out of it!”
One look from Marcus and Chikité was thrown half-way across the clearing, back-first into a tree trunk.
Celine was frozen in fear, unable to speak or move to save her life. The Page’s lessons seemed senseless now, since she couldn’t move to use the magic she needed to help them.
Marcus’ blood-shot eyes stared at her, and she couldn’t tear herself away from them.
“So pure and lovely.” He said, his voice and eyes put her in a half-trance. He moved to trace a tattered nail down her cheek. “Yes, you are, my sweet little thing. I believe I will make you mine, once I destroy your Companion mate.”
She shivered in fright, crying in her mind. Help me, Chikité!
Once he sensed Marcus’ intentions, Chikité was back on his feet and flying in between them. “Stay away from my Bondmate!”
With a nod of Chikité’s head, Marcus was thrown across the clearing.
Marcus stood, and Chikité didn’t move.
“How dare you come between me and my happiness!” Marcus growled, standing and hurling himself at Chikité.
Chikité shifted to full-wolf form and attacked again, this time pinning Marcus down to the ground. He fought and wrestled with the Stalker until gaping wounds showed on Marcus’ body. Blood was spilled and Chikité knew to get away from it as soon as possible. A Stalker’s blood was poisonous, and could very well taint any Dweller-kin blood it touched. Chikité had to be careful not to let any of the Stalker’s blood enter any of his open wounds, or his would be tainted forever.
As soon as he could sense Marcus was near-destruction, Chikité shifted back to his Dweller-form. He growled. “Stand, and face me like the man you once were so long ago.”
Marcus was weakened by so many open wounds, he couldn’t stand. He was clearly defeated, and Chikité took the opportunity to destroy him.
He conjured a lightning ball in his hand and took aim at Marcus’ empty, black heart.
The Stalker only screamed as he turned to ash. Wanting to leave no evidence of the destruction, Chikité called the winds to blow Marcus’ ashes into a nearby river to be carried away and forgotten.
Chikité shifted form back to his Companion self before meeting Celine’s eyes.
She was not afraid of seeing that. Red Wolf realized.
She wrapped his arms around him and held on tight. “Oh, Chikité! For a moment, I thought I would lose you!”
“Not for a long time, my pet.” Red Wolf supplied, and winced when she examined his wounds with her hands.
“Do they hurt?” Celine asked, her eyes and hands exploring his chest wounds.
Red Wolf nodded. “I will heal.”
“Let me Heal you.” Celine said. “Matéré says I am a powerful Healer.”
Red Wolf smiled. “I do not doubt it, for your mother is a powerful Healer herself.” He kissed her. “Just promise to be gentle, my love.”
Celine blushed at the statement, but nodded. He sat on the ground and she went to work Healing his many open wounds. When she’d exhausted herself, she fell into his lap.
“Celine?” Red Wolf waited until she blinked back into consciousness before he kissed her again.
“Are you Healed, Chikité?” Celine whispered.
He helped her stand. “Thanks to you, aye.”
“Good.” Celine supplied.
They kissed and hugged again.
“We should return and tell your father.” Red Wolf announced, breaking the embrace and walking toward Stargazer Castle.
After a few minutes of silence, Celine spoke up. “What is a Bondmate? Is it anything like being wed or lovers?”
Red Wolf looked at his and smiled. “Nay, my pet. The feelings between Bondmates are much stronger than just being lovers or wed. One cannot survive without the other for long, and the love-bond between them is unbreakable.”
“You called me your Bondmate.” She continued. “Does that mean I am yours?”
Red Wolf wrapped an arm around her waist as they continued walking. “While my heart and soul recognize yours as the other half, I cannot claim you as my Bondmate. Not yet.”
“I admit, I cannot be claimed by any male, not with my father being who he is.” Celine supplied. “He would not approve.”
Red Wolf nodded. “He would have no choice in the matter, my pet. Not even Wolfton Stargazer himself could change our hearts, no matter how hard he tried. He cannot tear us apart.”
Celine sighed, pulling herself closer to him. “I would not want him to.”
Red Wolf kissed her temple, thinking now of the upcoming war. “Will you fight with us, Celine?”
Celine stared at him. “Why would you think differently? I would fight to the death by your side. Would you not want me to?”
“Oh, aye, I would love you to.” Red Wolf announced.
“Why do you ask such a silly question then?”
Red Wolf stopped them in their tracks. “I would not want you hurt. It would nearly destroy me to see you hurt.”
“I can take care of myself, Red Wolf Moondancer, and you know it.” Celine stepped back, folding her arms.
“I know you can, and you have shown us all.” Red Wolf replied, searching her eyes. “I just worry if you lost