Bear Protector - Bella Love-Wins Page 0,20

an extra dose of patience to her whenever she started that particular rant against the Chancellor. Her seventeen-year-old younger brother, Ryan, also had the gene. His eighteenth birthday was in less than a week, which meant that Ryan was included in this year’s cohort of Border Protection Unit trainees slated for transformation.

Kiera left the comment alone.

“So you’re really into him?” Reena asked.

“It’s too early to tell.”

Reena rolled her eyes. “Like hell it is.”

“And you are a beautiful girl who has not spent nearly enough time around men to keep from falling for the first one to come along.”

“You may have a point there, Kiera. You know why? I do not get out much, but when I do, I tend to fall for the first guy that comes along…and the second…and the third.” Reena grinned. “But don’t change the subject. I see it in your eyes, virgin-whore. You. Fancy. Him. Besides, I have seen Commander Oslo. He is gorgeous.” There was no arguing with that statement. Kiera’s cheeks warmed, and she stared outside again. “See?” Reena crowed. “I knew it! You must give him a try!”

“Oh, come on. We need to be realistic. That will never happen. The Chancellor will never let me out of his sight… I had five of his guards with me.”

“But they waited outside, did they not?”

“Yes, but—”

“But nothing. If you want him badly enough, you can make it happen.”

“Is this what you call slapping me out of it?”

“I never agreed to that part. You should live a little…if the Commander also wants you, which I am certain he does.”

“How would you know? Or are you clairvoyant now? You, my dear, are as bad an influence as Coco! Actually, have you seen her?”

Reena cocked her eyebrow. “No. I thought she went with you to the meeting?”

“She did, but Xander refused to let her stay. Can you believe it?”

“Absolutely.”

“What? Why?”

“I have my reasons.”

“I think Coco may be avoiding me because of something Xander said after she left,” Kiera admitted. “Tell me something. Do you know if there is any truth to the eight Chosen or their familiars…dying after they performed the annual shifter transformation spells?”

Reena stiffened up and took a step away from her for the first time since she saw her today. That told Kiera everything. “Oh my God! It is true. Is it? You have to tell me, Reena.”

She took a while to respond, but eventually caved. “Yes.”

Now that the truth was staring her in the face, Kiera was not sure she could handle it. Her hand flew up to cover her forehead “How is it that I was never told? Were you ordered not to tell me?”

Reena pursed her lips. “Not in so many words, no.”

“So… the last eight Chosen?”

“Eight years in a row,” she admitted with much hesitation.

“So Avalyn? Carol? Fiona? Lima too?” Reena nodded after each name was called. “Are you telling me they are not in the Chamber of the Sacred, serving in the Chancellor’s sequestered coven?”

“Well, yes. And no. The Chosen are on the other side, Kiera. He conjures them.”

A wave of nausea overcame her. The room felt like it was spinning, and her breathing quickened. Suddenly, her reality was unraveling with each new revelation. Some of the concepts she believed to be true at their most fundamental levels…were false?

“All the Chosen?” Kiera asked again, hoping for a different answer.

Her best friend shook her head slowly, placing an arm on her shoulder. “Yes, love. All of them…and their familiars.”

“Every witch who performed the shifter transformation spell…died?”

“Not every witch. The Chancellor is still alive…although that is semantics of sorts. He can’t really be called a Chosen, since he coined the term. Really, if we’re being precise, you are the tenth witch to perform the transformation spell. Minassus was first, and he has been selecting one Chosen per year, so you are the ninth Chosen, and so the eight Chosen witches before you…yes, they’re all dead. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“You are rambling, Reena. So he is the only one who survived? How on God’s green earth was I not told a thing about this before!”

“You were not supposed to find out. Minassus does not want the Chosen witches to know.”

“You could have told me.”

“It was not my place, dear.”

“Not your place?” Kiera shouted. “You are my best friend!”

“And I also answer to the Chancellor, albeit with some belligerence. Look at you. You’re shaking. We should get you inside.”

“No! Oh my God. Xander was right. Coco lied to me. The Chancellor did