I grin slowly when I realize that Killian is underneath me, breathing deeply as he sleeps.

I pick my head up off his chest, and even though he's still sleeping, his arms wrap tighter around me, caging me in.

I press my lips on his chest, kissing softly, and goosebumps raise on his skin. He's still sleeping, but I continue placing soft kisses up his chest until I reach his neck.

His breathing catches in his throat abruptly, and I know he's awake.

"It's about time, Katrina," Killian murmurs, his voice a low rumble.

I smirk against his neck, and he groans softly when I kiss the most sensitive part. My wolf suddenly realizes that's where a Mark would be placed, and I quickly move my mouth away from that area and kiss his jawline.

"What's gotten into you today, darling?" Killian moans softly, lacing his hands in my hair. "Not that I'm objecting, of course."

"Just wanted to show you what happens when you wake up in my bed," I say sweetly.

He's going to have to learn his lesson the hard way.

Killian tilts my chin up with his hand, and closes his eyes as he leans in to kiss my lips.

I knee him in the groin.

Killian yells out a string of cuss words as I scramble off the bed and laugh in delight.

He groans, clutching his manhood. "How dare you?" He asks.

"I told you to stop teleporting in my bed!" I yell, half-angry, half-amused.

Killian frowns. "I don't remember hearing that."

I scream in frustration and launch myself on the bed to strangle him, but he disappears.

"I hate you," I tell him when he reappears behind me, grinning like I didn't just kick his junk in.

"I hate you more," Killian narrows his eyes.

"Well, I hate you most," I snarl. "Now get the hell out or I'll kick your balls clean off your body."

"Creative," Killian muses. "I'm beginning to worry that you have an obsession with my-"

"OUT!"

Killian sighs. "Fine. Just wanted to remind you that you have circulus training with me today."

I frown when I remember. The last few days, we've been partnering off to train, taking a new partner every day and working with them alone.

"Can't I just train with Knox?" I whine.

Killian rolls his eyes. "Not a fair fight, and you know it. What, scared you're useless without your little Sight?"

"You're the one who just got your nuts kicked in," I grin at the memory.

"You cheated. Just wait for me to get my payback," Killian's eyes flash in mischief.

I glare at him. "No. That was me getting my payback. You're not allowed to retaliate."

Killian shrugs. "I can do what I want, darling. I'm the Alpha. And I really would like to return the lovely wake up call you gave me."

My cheeks redden. "You better not."

Killian tips his head back and laughs. "Your little prank will look merciful compared to what I have in mind. Now get dressed and meet me downstairs for breakfast. You look too thin."

With that threat, command, and insult, Killian disappears.

I grumble long after he's gone while I get dressed in my training clothes, already knowing that Killian is going to make training miserable for me.

Whatever, kicking him in the nuts was totally worth whatever he planned on sending my way.

The one good thing about training with Killian is that I won't have to wear my gloves. Recalling what Killian said about his last Seer friend, my heart sinks. I knew what he was talking about, about Killian giving his mind a break.

Seers are constantly assaulted by visions, thoughts, bits and pieces of the future. It hurts, constantly makes our heads feel like they're on the verge of exploding.

Drains us of our energy.

Kills us.

The Curse of the Seer.

And as the days go on, the curse gets worse and worse. Killian mentioned I looked too thin, and he was right. My body was eating away at itself, destroying me from the inside out. I feel weaker, but at least I know I still have about a year left.

At least my Sight is generous enough to let me know when I'll die.

Small mercies.

Once dressed, I put Akoni's bow and quiver on my back and head downstairs. Killian is Viatoribus, he certainly would be able to teach me how to use it.

I'm not completely terrible with weapons, I'm even borderline okay with a knife, but I didn't have any experience with a bow. I'm not sure why I really cared to learn how to use one. Maybe it's a bucket-list kind of thing.

I chuckle to myself at my morbid joke when I walk into the kitchen, where Killian and Knox are eating breakfast and looking over one of the many books.

Killian looks up at me and immediately narrows his eyes. "Why the hell do you have that?" He demands, looking at the bow.

Knox sighs and gets out of his chair without saying a word and leaves.

"I want you to teach me how to use it," I state.

Killian's teeth mash together. "Then you can use one of the bows in the training center."

I frown. "Why? Akoni gave me this one and I like it."

Killian's frame shakes slightly, and his eyes look pitch-black.

"Fuck, Killian, what the hell is your problem?" I throw my hands up in exasperation. "It's just a freaking bow. He doesn't want me to be his Seer."

A true statement, because he knows that I'll just be another corpse to bury soon enough.

"He wants you as something else," Killian mutters, scowling still.

"What are you even talking about?" I question in confusion, and it's not the first time I wish that my Sight worked on him.

"Whatever," Killian suddenly relaxes, and his eyes go back to normal. "But once you learn how to use it, I'm going to teach you how to make your own."

"You know how to make a bow and carve arrows?" I ask in surprise.

Killian grins proudly, no longer in whatever weird bad mood he had earlier. "Sure do, my dear. All Viatoribus learn how to make weapons as soon as they're old enough to hold a blade."

"What was it like?" I ask him, sitting next to him at the table and taking a muffin. "Growing up with them?"

"It wasn't as bad as you would expect," He says with a wry smile. "Despite the lack of belongings, there was never something I needed that wasn't provided or I couldn't get for myself. The Viatoribus made me stronger than I would have been if I stayed in Crimson Shadow. If I ever have children, they'll spend time with the Viatoribus as well."

"Really?" I ask in surprise. "You liked the Viatoribus that much, you'd trust them with your kids?"

Killian gets a faraway look in his eyes. "They'll have it easier than I did," Killian says, his throat bobbing slightly. "They won't be Ultimum Viatoribus, since there's only one at a time."

"Isn't the Ultimum Viatorem respected?" I frown. "Why wouldn't you have had it easy with the Viatoribus given your status?"

He gives a sad smile. "Power is a funny thing, Katrina. People want it, kill for it, die for it. But they fear the ones who have it."

I know all too well what he means, probably more than he thinks I do. Having the Sight has pushed more people away than I could count.

"Akoni, the previous Princeps Viatorem, and the healer were the only friends I had in the Viatoribus," Killian admits. "They were the only ones who weren't scared of my power or status. I should have known that Akoni would be the next High Traveler," Killian laughs, shaking his head slightly.

"What do you mean you should have known?" I ask in confusion. "Wouldn't you have known that he would take the position from his dad when he was old enough?"

Killian chuckles. "The Viatoribus aren't like other packs, Katrina. The Princeps Viatorem isn't an Alpha. It isn't passed down through a bloodline, it doesn't go from father to son."

"I... don't understand," I say in confusion. "How does someone become the High Traveler?"

Killian shrugs. "Once a Princeps Viatorem gets old or dies, the next one is selected. We call it the Spiritus Sole. The Spirit of the Sun. The Spiritus Sole goes from the previous Princeps Viatorem to the new one. We don't know who the Spirit of the Sun is going to be until they get chosen."

"How does it choose?" I ask, completely fascinated by the Viatoribus culture.

Killian shrugs again. "Most Viatoribus believes it chooses based on strength of spirit, moral strength, stuff like that."

"Not physical strength?" I ask in surprise. Being an Alpha of a pack was always about physical strength.

Killian shakes his head. "Nope, but the Princeps Viatorem gets stronger after having the Spirit of the Sun inside them. Physically weaker wolves have been chosen. It's about heart, not muscles."

"What happened to the last High Traveler?" I ask hesitantly.

Killian looks away. "She passed away. During a coven raid."

"I'm sorry," I apologize. "I-I didn't know that women could become Princeps Viatorem," I change the subject away from her death.

Killian smirks slightly. "Why wouldn't they be able to?"

I frown. "Alphas are male."

"Ares Alstott wouldn't be pleased to hear you say that," Killian jokes, and I laugh.

"Ares Alstott transferred away her Alpha position to Omar Brooks almost a year ago," I inform him, though I'm sure he already knows.

Killian shrugs. "She was still an Alpha. Still is stronger than most of them. The Moon Goddess was the one who made all of the Alpha nonsense, and because she was a sexist sack of shit, she made Alphas hereditary and passed down through the males. Ares is female. If she was raised from the start to be an Alpha, she would have been stronger than Cain."

"Their children are going to be unstoppable," I chuckle, shaking my head. Seven of them. All raised by a sociopath and a psychopath.

What could go wrong?

"Have you Seen what will become of them?" Killian asks curiously.

I suppress a smile. "More or less."

"Do you really not See anything about me?" Killian asks hesitantly.

"You know I don't," I answer slowly in confusion, not sure what he's getting at.

"The future of Crimson Shadow," He says quickly. "Do you know if I have an heir?"

I frown. "I-I can't see that," I swallow thickly. "I'm sorry."

And I was sorry. Sorry that I couldn't reassure him that he would have his happy ending and an heir. Even sorrier that I wouldn't be there to see it.

Killian deflates in disappointment, before replacing his somber expression with a happier one, though I didn't need Sight to tell me it was fake. "It's fine, I don't need an Oracle to tell me that you and I end up together," Killian winks, and I roll my eyes. At least he felt well enough to annoy me.

"We should go to training," I say, standing up. "And you should be the target."

Killian snorts. "Fine by me. Not like you'd be able to hit me anyways."

"Is that a bet?" I goad, pushing him into a challenge.

"Name the terms," Killian gives a crooked smile.

"I get three shots," I state confidently. "From 50 feet away. If one of them touches you at all, you have to promise to stay out of my bed."

"And if I win," Killian purrs, and teleports in front of me, putting his hand on my cheek. "What do I get, my dear?"

I gulp. "I'll do your laundry for a month?"

Killian rolls his eyes. "Pass."

I sigh. "Spit it out, Killian. What do you want?"

"You be my date to the ball," Killian grins impishly. "You miss your shots, you have to be my date for the night. That includes having to admit to the circulus and any vampires that you're spoken for."

I roll my eyes. "What a stupid thing to ask for," I mutter. "Fine, whatever."

It didn't matter, I could easily make those shots. Even I could hit a target from 50 feet, and I wondered why he didn't make it more of a challenge.

"It'll be my pleasure to escort you to the ball, Miss Parker," Killian says antagonistically as he strokes my face with his thumb, and I fight the urge to bite off his finger with my canines.

I'm about to do just that when Killian's eyes glaze over, and he swears.

"What?" I ask nervously. "Did another wolf go missing?"

Killian shakes his head. "A wolf was patrolling the edge of the territory and found an envelope attached to a tree."

"An envelope?"

Killian grins. "It appears the bloodsuckers have responded to our invitation, my dear."

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