AN: Crossover chapter with "Perfidious" by ScarMorelli

The morning had been a giant clusterfuck.

To begin with, I found out that Nat had a mate. My baby sister, the purest soul out in the world, had the mating tattoo words written on the inner side of her wrist, but she wouldn't tell me what they said or whether she knew who her mate was.

I suspected that she did know because rather than looking excited at the prospect of finding out who it was, she seemed sad and closed off in the last two days. I hated seeing her like this- Nat was meant to be happy, to smile, and instead, I felt like her heart was breaking despite her attempts to hide what was really going on underneath. If I got my hands on the fucker who caused her this pain, I was going to crush his head with my bare hands.

Then, I got a call from Lucien telling me that Aiden, Riley and I had to go to that damn shifters gala in the US to try and lure Markolf out of hiding. Catching him was not the issue- I would gladly do so even on my own. What I was not thrilled about was the three of us being stuck together, on top of that, on a mission where none of us could walk off at any point. It's like the Moon Goddess had set out to make my life difficult. And that was before I even walked in on them.

Foolishly it hadn't even crossed my mind that Riley could be there. Sure, I knew that Aiden was all in on this whole mate business, but Riley was as uneasy about the whole thing as I was so I did not expect to find them chilling at his place after plenty of fucking. The two practically stank of sex, sweat and each other's scents.

Seeing Riley in nothing but Aiden's shirt drove me nuts. Not because it was Aiden's shirt but because I wanted her naked and writhing beneath me, having my ways with her and making her scream with pleasure. The moment that my eyes landed on her face, I was already hard and I had not even had the chance to take her all in. When I finally did- fuck, Aiden or no Aiden there, I was ready to bend her over the kitchen island and spread her legs open to fill her wet, pretty pussy with my dick. Kai was also not doing me any favours by rooting for the idea in my head.

I somehow managed to tap into every drop of strength that I had in my body in order to control myself and maintain a neutral look but it was so damn hard. Luckily, I was already pissed off about a number of things, so I focused on my anger to avoid thinking about Riley.

The meeting at the Blackwood packhouse later in the morning got wrapped quickly, fortunately. Lucien made it clear that our mission was to be low profile to avoid information getting into the wrong hands and Markolf getting warned. Only Callum and James had been informed about it aside from those of us who were at the meeting. We were to fly the following day to the States where Lucien's contact was going to help us out with everything we needed

First, I needed to sort out things with the pack. I was the Alpha now and I couldn't exactly pick up and go without making the necessary provisions for the pack's management in my absence. I had not yet appointed a Beta which made the whole thing even more complicated but I had Tom who I had recently appointed as Gamma or my third-in-command. He was a formidable warrior and I knew that I could rely on him to look after the pack for a few days.

Nat was who I was most concerned about though which was why I had asked Aiden to arrange a meeting with his contact in Talamaire. The kingdom of Talamaire was a hidden gem. Despite it being well-known in the supernatural community, only people with the knowledge of its exact location knew how to get there. The gryphon realm was valued for its beauty and the aid they provided to all of us.

As we sat in the Windcrest lounge, I couldn't help but wonder whether my idea made sense. Guess we were going to find out soon enough.

"Remind me again how you know this guy, Aiden?" I took another sip of my whisky while I was trying to get some more info ahead of our guests' arrival.

"Maddox is a gryphon shifter and heir apparent to Talamaire, so our families know each other very well as we are part of the nobility of the flying shifters' world. As kids, we used to spend time together during all the official meetings and we maintained our friendship over the years."

"Do you think I can trust him? Can we rely on him to keep her safe?" I knew that Aiden cared as much as I did and would not risk any harm coming to her.

"I do."

Suddenly tiny sparks of spirals appeared, winding around the starting point while moving farther and farther from the core. It looked like thousands of sparklers were lit at the same time, going in circles, and each loop made the space bigger. Once it reached the size of a door, two tall figures stepped through the portal.

Both men exuded power but my attention was brought to the one in front. He was tall, masculine and brooding. His presence snatched all the attention to him, his posture was balanced and restful. His face, as if carved from marble, expressionless but his eyes were raging a storm.

His companion was quite the opposite- his face was friendly with a smile that reached his eyes. He looked easy-going and more approachable.

Both of them were dressed casually, no one would peg them as shifter royalty. As soon as both stepped through, the portal zapped closed behind them leaving no evidence of it whatsoever.

"Why can't we travel like that?" I turned to ask Aiden, my neutral tone concealing how impressed I already was with Talamaire's future king.

"Maddox, it's good to see you, mate." Aiden took his hand to shake it and pulled him in for a friendly hug. "Let me introduce you to my best friend, Alpha Rafe Macalister from the Windcrest Pack."

I stretched my hand out to greet our guest. "King Maddox, it's a pleasure."

"Alpha Macalister, the pleasure is all mine. Please, call me Maddox. This is Tyrone Cabot, my right-hand man and best friend. So, what is the reason I was summoned here, if I may ask?"

"I guess Aiden has already explained to you the situation with the cambion." He nodded. "We have information on where and when he will be this week, Aiden and I will be travelling to the US to deal with him. My pack will be taken care of by my Gamma but I need to protect my sister. My family has..." I paused trying to decide how to describe our situation before I spoke again, " bad history with this cambion and I fear that he might target her again."

Aiden picked up from where I left off. "Natalia is like a sister to me, Maddox, and we know that Talamaire is well protected from the outside world so we would like to ask you to allow her to stay with your family there- under your protection- until the threat is over."

"I see. This is a rather precarious situation and if there is anything I can do to help, count me in. Natalia will be safe and sound within the borders of Talamaire, that I can you assure of."

"I need to know exactly how safe Talamaire is, Maddox." The guy seemed genuine enough but this was my sister we were talking about and I had to know everything.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, Alpha, but Talamaire is not only a gryphon kingdom. My mother is the current gryphon queen but my father was the Alpha Djinn. First of his kind and he possessed unmatched powers which he passed down to me. So, you see, not only Talamaire is inaccessible to people without their knowledge of the where but the how- it's basically impenetrable."

"And what if someone decides to try and harm her within Talamaire? She is a wolf shifter, after all - maybe you have a dislike for other kinds there?" I was being a prick but I need to push the boundaries to feel reassured about her safety there.

"Aiden, you didn't tell me this was the inquisition. But fine, I'll play along. Look, I know you're terrified for your sister's safety but I can guarantee you that she will be safe and welcome. It might be the gryphon kingdom but even us gryphons find our mates among other shifters. So no, we don't have a dislike for other kinds. Quite the contrary!"

"Fine, fine. You have me convinced. I have one more favour to ask for though. You said you are a djinn as well. Are you able to erase my sister's memories?"

He looked at me surprised. "Her memories?"

Aiden's expression was one of unease. "Rafe, you are not seriously thinking about wiping her memories?

"Not all of them, of course. I want her to forget what happened when she was kidnapped, up until she got back to the packhouse." I didn't want my sister to suffer, not if I could do something about it.

"I...Not exactly but I can help, although it won't be easy. I can alter some of her memories, or at least make her think certain things didn't happen if you know what I mean. But it's not a permanent solution and I would advise against it. However, she's your sister and you know what's best for her."

I nodded to show that I understood. "Just make her think that her walk with Riley Moreau went as planned and she had been in the packhouse all along until I went to see her two days ago."

Maddox lowered his head in acknowledgement.

"Well then, it looks like it's all settled. Can I get the two of you a drink?" Aiden asked our guests. "We rarely get a chance to see each other lately."

Tyrone's eyes sparkled in appreciation of Aiden's suggestion. "Excellent idea- besides, the Crown prince needs a distraction."

I saw Maddox's right hand follow Aiden out of the lounge towards the bar but Maddox stayed behind. He was staring at his phone and it is then that I noticed that he was acting rather anxious.

"Problems, Maddox?" I gave him a questioning look.

"Hmm...My ma-," he interrupted himself. "No, Rafe, just waiting for a call."

"Sorry to be nosy but you seem a bit too ill at ease to just be waiting for a call," I pressed. I didn't mean to interfere in his business but if something was bothering him, I wanted to know to be able to help him but also to avoid that someone had leverage over him that could be used to compromise Nat's safety there. "You look like someone who is worried and you don't seem like the guy to get worried easily. You can tell me- I am trusting you with my sister's life, so you can trust me with whatever is bothering you."

"Do you have a mate, Rafe? I mean, have you met her yet?"

My eyes widened in surprise. From all the things that he could have asked me, this was the last thing that I expected. "I... erm ... It's complicated."

"Well, let me uncomplicate it for you- don't take your mate for granted. I don't know what's your story but your mate and you are meant to be together. The Goddess has picked you for each other and she makes no mistakes. Take it from me, make sure you cherish her."

What was it with flying shifters and their blind fate in the Goddesses? It was like getting a lecture from Aiden all over again. But Maddox was hurting, I could feel it.

"Let's say that our situation is quite unorthodox and she is better off without me. What happened with your mate though?" I asked.

"It's fucking funny how people take it upon themselves to decide what's best for others. She's better off without you- according to you. What about what she wants? No one cares about that, right?" I didn't expect him to go off like that.

"She doesn't want me either."

"Oh, for crying out loud! Rafe, you look like a clever man. Do you really think it's that easy to ignore the mate bond? The harder you fight it, the stronger it gets. But continue behaving like an ass and see where that leads you. You should be happy your mate is around, so take this friendly advice- pull your head out of your ass and do what your heart is telling you, not your brain."

"Did you lose your mate, Maddox?" Asking the question alone made my heart tighten because for a split second I imagined losing Riley and I felt like everything in me shattered into a million small pieces.

"Did I lose my mate? No, I didn't. Perhaps I wasn't what she wanted, or she thought the same things as you. She decided this on her own. Imagine that- the future king of Talamaire unwanted by his destined one."

"I'm sorry, Maddox. Having a mate is a more complicated affair than what they tell us when we are growing up, no?" He looked at me and the despair in his eyes was clear- he might have been a mighty shifter but Maddox was lost, as far as his mate was concerned.

I saw Aiden and Tyrone make their way over with a whisky for each of us.

Maddox raised his glass to clink it with mine, giving me a poignant look. "Listen, I can't tell you what to do but it's fairly simple- either you want your mate, or you don't. Don't go around deciding what's best for her without discussing this with her. You think you know what you want now, but you can't fathom the real loss of a mate until you go through it."

We spent the next hour in each other's company, all of us bonding over various shifter issues and the fight against the cambion. Markolf might have planned to exterminate the shifter world but he probably didn't realise that his plan would make us unite against him.

The sun was starting to set when our guests decided to head back to Talamaire.

"We will be back to pick Natalia up tomorrow. I wish I could do more to help you out with this cambion- he is a threat to all shifters. It looks like you will have your work cut out for you. Perhaps, since I can't take part in your fight against him though, I can do something else to help- I can open a portal for wherever you need in the States, just say the word. Like that there would be less of a chance that your arrival will be detected."

I had to admit that I was not looking forward to getting stuck on a plane for hours, so Maddox's offer was appealing. Plus, he had a point- portaling there would ensure that our arrival would go undetected.

I looked at Aiden who nodded before I accepted the offer. "Thank you, Maddox- that would be appreciated. See you tomorrow," I waved them off and they stepped through the portal.

After informing Lucien of the latest on our travel arrangements and sending Aiden off, I spent the rest of the evening sorting out various points of order in preparation for our departure.

Most things were already settled with Tom but it was my conversation with Nat that I was unsure about. Standing there in her room, explaining that she would need to stay in Talamaire for a while, especially when I didn't know how long that was going to be, was not easy- I loved my sister and if I had a choice, I would have preferred to protect her myself. But it was not safe for her to stay in Scotland. If she stayed, she would also feel like a prisoner in our attempt to protect her. At least in Talamaire she could be free- more so than with the pack at the moment.

I was in awe though when I found her being nothing but understanding as to what was going to happen. She even told me that she knew I would fight better if I was not worried about her safety. That was my little sister alright- always caring about others first.

I was also relieved to hear that she was looking forward to Talamaire- she wanted to explore the kingdom that she had only ever heard about. Yet, it felt like there was more to that as well- like she wanted to run away from something. She didn't say anything and the traces of what I caught in her tone were so subtle that I had nearly missed them. Was it her mate that she wanted to hide from? I didn't get an answer to that though as Nat excused herself with needing to pack and rest, both things that I needed to do myself as well.

***

The clock in the lounge chimed, letting us know that it was 4 pm. The moment the last chime stopped, Riley and Lucien walked into the packhouse accompanied by Aiden. Goddess, she was absolutely stunning. She was smiling as she made her way through the lounge, probably laughing at another one of Aiden's jokes.

If you stop being a prick, you and her could also be like that, you idiot.

Ah, Kai had decided to make an appearance again.

Yeah, yeah, pretend all you want, Rafe but I am in your head all the time- I know what you really desire and that involves a certain Ms Moreau being ours. If you don't want to listen to Aiden and me, think about what the gryphon king told you.

I ignored him as I did not have time to indulge in debates with my wolf.

"Good to see that everyone is one time," I exclaimed as Lucien, Riley and Aiden got nearer.

"Well hello to you too, Rafe," Riley rolled her eyes at me. "Always the charmer."

Oh, I could charm her alright. If I set my mind on it, I would charm her to the point that she would be begging me to kiss her and touch her.

Goddess, you really are an idiot, I heard Kai groan as he also rolled his eyes.

"Maddox and Tyrone will be here shortly, as soon as they come back from dropping off Natalia," I explained, mainly to have a reason to ignore Kai. "The gala will take place in 2 days at a private estate in Pennsylvania, not too far from Harrisburg, so Maddox will open a portal for the apartment in Philadelphia where we will stay until the gala. Lucien's contact will help us with everything we need once we are there."

"Clear," Riley nodded.

Before I could say anything else, the now-familiar sparkling spirals appeared in the middle of the room. Maddox and Tyrone stepped into the lounge, taking a moment to look around and see who was there. The portal had opened right by Lucien and Riley, both of whom were looking impressed at the latest arrivals.

"Maddox. Ty. Allow me to introduce you to the Alpha of the Blackwood pack Lucien Moreau and his sister Riley."

Maddox moved with his head in an acknowledgement full of respect. "It's an absolute honour to meet you, Moreau siblings. My parents knew your mother and I have heard many wonderful things about her. Her death was a real loss for the modern shifter world."

"Thank you for the kind words, Your Highness," Riley replied as she curtsied in front of Maddox.

Ty moved closer to them as well. "Alpha Moreau, it's a pleasure. Miss Moreau, forgive me for being so candid but you're absolutely breathtaking."

Was he flirting with my mate? Well, mine and Aiden's mate, which was even more dangerous for this foolish gryphon. Aiden and I growled practically in unison, making it clear that he needed to back off.

Riley rolled her eyes at both of us. "Please ignore them- they are being rude and ridiculous."

Ridiculous, my arse- no one could dare flirt with my mate and then still walk after.

I heard Maddox chuckle close to me before he leaned in closer to whisper, "I see now what you meant by complicated. Unorthodox situation, I must admit, but what I told you yesterday still stands true, Rafe- cherish your mate while you can because you never when might be the last time you have her close to you."

He walked back to the middle of the room and turned to all of us. "Alright then, are you ready?"

With a flick of a finger, the portal slowly opened, Maddox's tattoos glowing a subtle hue of blue.

"Ready as we'll ever be," I said and the three of us walked through it.