Just like before, everyone stands as I walk in. Once they all sit, I wait.

I have no idea if I'm supposed to say anything, or just wait for one of them to speak. Thankfully, I don't have to ask because an older looking woman stands. "Tichela. Owl Shifter." She looks to someone. "Now, I agree that your disappearance the past three years is befuddling, but I will not judge based on a life or death situation." Her eyes zero in on me. "But we do have some questions." I nod, motioning for her to go on. "We accept your mother as proof that this so called curse can be reversed, but what we don't understand is how she was cured. This may not be a single event, and we must know how to resolve it when it appears." She says, calm, collected. Much different than the inside of my head, which is chaotic at best.

What am I supposed to say? I can't tell the truth. I also can't lie. She is one tricky cookie. "Well, um." I look around the table, and I see nothing to help me. Philip is smiling, but that doesn't ease my nerves.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and look at Connor. He steps up beside me before placing a warm kiss on my forehead. "My mate's father requested the help of a witch. My mate doesn't know how she did it. All she knows is that it works."

The sly dog. He used pronouns to hide the fact that I saved her. He's right. I don't know how I did it, or at least, how to explain it. The thing is though, now they could ask for me to have Edna tell them how my mom was cured. That is not good.

"What is the name of this witch? Perhaps she is a part of my coven. I may be able to ask her for her help." Philip stands, posing a good idea, but one that won't work.

"She doesn't belong to a coven. She prefers to live on her own." I say, glad Connor is standing right beside me. His mere presence is calming right now.

Philip furrows his brow and purses his lips slightly. "Hm. Odd." He sits without another word, causing an eerie silence to fill the room.

The older woman clears her throat and shifts to stand better. "How did this all come around? Who placed this curse on your pack?"

I dip my head. "We aren't sure. No one has come forth to announce themselves."

She nods her head. "It seems like they just want Midnight Moon to vanish, and we don't promote that. I've always told these people we should have a monarchy again. Make these people listen. Maybe things like this wouldn't happen." She looks down and swings her head side to side sadly.

"A monarchy would never work." A man says from the other side of the table.

"It'd work if you let it, and don't be rude." The lady says abruptly.

I nod. "I agree that a monarchy wouldn't work. We're all so different. There would be threats of rebellion every corner you turned."

She watches me closely and I stand very still. "Interesting." With that said, she takes a seat.

I look around, wondering if anyone else is going to ask any more questions.

Philip stands, looking over the room. "That's all we have to ask for now. You are dismissed."

That's it? Only a couple of questions? I thought they'd tell me if they'd help me or not. Nonetheless, I bow my head respectfully. "Thank you." Connor and I walk out hand in hand. "So what do you think?"

Connor looks down at me while we walk. "About what?"

I shrug and bite my lip. "About the Senate. They asked questions, sure, but they just seemed so..."

"Indifferent? Yeah. I felt it too. They seem more preoccupied with arguing with each other. Kind of sad now that I realize they make the rules." I nod, my thoughts drifting elsewhere.

"I want to run so badly, but I can't. Not here." I groan in frustration and Connor pulls me closer to him.

"Who says you cant?" He asks playfully.

"Um, the fact that there are a bunch of people here that I don't trust makes me weary, so me, I say I can't." I stick my tongue out at him and he laughs before kissing the corner of my mouth.

"We'll run later tonight, when everyone is asleep." He whispers it in my ear and I shiver. Connor places a small kiss right above his mark which causes me to shiver again, but this time it's heated. "But if we're going out tonight, then we'll be doing now, what we were going to do tonight."

I nod silently and he places his lips on mine. At some point, he lifts me up, carrying me all the way back to the room we had slept in last night. Connor break our kiss, placing me on top of the bed. His lips spread warm tingles as he travels down my neck and to my collar bone. A small, breathy moan leaves my lips and I frantically dig my fingers into his hair.

"Say my name baby." His voice is deep and husky, a hint of want, but a lot of need. 

I gasp and close my eyes. "Connor." He's kissing his mark, lightly sucking and nibbling. In my euphoria I don't hear the knock at the door, and if Connor heard it, he decided not to care.

"Sophie." A voice comes from outside the room and I groan.

"Come back later!" Connor growls out from above me, his eyes staring into mine. They're dark, and swimming with lust.

"I found something in my book. I thought you two would want to know." It's Lily, I can tell.

Connor groans above me and I smile. "I guess this will have to wait." I give him a small kiss on the cheek, and he mumbles at me.

"I just wanted a little private time." He sits up and rubs his face.

"You can come in Lily." I say as I sit up.

Connor glares at her and she stops in her tracks. "What did I do?" She asks, looking from him to me.

"Connor." He plops back on the bed and I roll my eyes at him. "Nothing. He's just being moody. What did you find?"

She gives Connor a glance before coming to sit beside me. "Nothing major, just some mentions of you. It seems like you are something the Sun and Moon goddess wanted to be created."

"How so?" Lily opens the book and hands it to me, pointing at something.

"Technically, the Sun Goddess isn't strong enough to create a creature. She exerts too much of her energy controlling the sun. Her creations are a gift, from her sister, Lunae. Lunae gives her sister the power to create a creature in her own image. I'm guessing that she's only given her enough to create the tigress, but not enough to fully recreate her sister. I mean, you have to think. The sun gives everything energy, life. It makes all that we see possible. Nothing could exist without the sun."

I shut the book and look up at her. "So Solis has to store up power, but how? And how long would it take for her to create a creature so powerful, it rivals even her?"

Lily picks up the book, settling it in her lap. She takes a few seconds, adjusting it, so basically stalling. "Well," She glances at me, "What if she already has?"

"Then why aren't there more records? More knowledge? Surely if she's already made her all powerful creature, then the world would have found out about her." I look at her, confused, waiting for an answer.

She looks at me, not responding.

I shake my head at her. "No. No, you aren't gonna sit here and say that I'm this... this super creature. I can't take care of myself. There's no way I can do what Solis does. I'm not, that." I flail my arms around and Connor pulls me into his side.

"Sh, just calm down. Let her explain." His voice calms me down and I take a deep breath.

When I finally feel calm again, I open my eyes and nod at her. Lily waits for a second, before beginning her justification. "You're a full blooded Alpha, even on your mother's side. Even your parents knew you weren't normal. They told Connor you weren't normal, and they even understood the circumstances of your mating. I'll get back to that in a moment, but moving on. In the journal Hunter gave you, his grandmother was only ever able to heal herself. You not only healed your mother, but reversed a curse that even a witch said was impossible to remove. Plus, look at your hair. You said that, and I quote, "No other Tigress has had hair this white." Now explain that, along with the unnatural change in its color. In one day, it went from blonde that looked brown when wet to, never could be mistaken for brown, even if you dumped a tub of water over your head. That's some supernatural magic right there, and you know it. Now, onto all of this here. There is literally a hall, built for the Tigress. Notice how no one says "a tigress" but The Tigress. That's means that only one is the true tigress. You're the only one that has ever even known that this wing exists. Tell me that this isn't fate." I stare at her in shock for a moment. I've never heard her speak with so much conviction, and quite possibly the only time I've ever heard her raise her voice above indoor levels. "Please don't be stubborn about this and actually think about it. If you actually are her greatest creation, then your fate is more important than anyone alive right now." Lily stands, taking the book with her. "I'm going to leave you two be, but please, think about this. We all want you to make the right choice." She leaves the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Connor is still holding me to him, his hand rubbing up and down my arm. We're silent for a while and I find it calming to just listen to his breathing and his heart beat. I don't know how long we sit like that, but I sigh once I've thought enough. "What are you thinking about right now?" He asks me, his voice a welcome change.

I let out another sigh, tilting my head up to the ceiling. "How much I really need to run right now."

Connor nods, squeezing my arm a bit. "I know. I feel the need too, but it's still too early." He looks to me. "We should go eat. There's bound to be food, and I know you're probably starving." As if on queue, my stomach growls, loud and obnoxious, like it may eat me if not fed.

I nod, looking at him. "Food sounds good right now." He bites his lip, restraining himself. I know he's having a hard time. I'm in heat, however in hell that happened, and he has an unsatisfied urge. I could wait for food, but he quickly stands, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"Let's go get you something to eat." He holds out his hand and I take it.

This trip is turning into a mess, and I don't know why.

A/N

I'm just playing a little catch up, I've been sick, yay me. Still sick, more yays.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy these three chapters :) I actually had the first two written on time, but in my sickness, forgot to post them, so here ya go!

THREE BRAND NEW CHAPTERS!!!

As always, your overly excited writer,

Renegade Druid