The Forgotten Prince (Shifter Rebellion, 3) Read Free Page A

his own
subjects?
    “ He feared the power of
others,” Prince Agarri said lowly, finally finding his voice. “He
talked constantly of males who would come and overthrow his reign.
He was paranoid, talking of plots and drama in his court, but I was
too young to understand. He once said slavery of the people was the
only way to ensure safety. I thought him speaking rubbish,
blathering on like he was wont to do. Do you think he would really
go to that extreme?”
    “ Slavery of the people?”
Drayden scrubbed a hand over his face. “Our king would not do this
to his people.”
    “ My father pushed the
edges of sanity,” Prince Agarri said. “He frightened
me.”
    Drayden didn’t look swayed. He turned
to look at Khal. “If you know the future, then what are we to do?
Show me some kind of proof, something, anything to let me know the
way. I can’t go to our troops and tell them their king is their
enemy, not without something to show them.”
    Khal nodded. “The other needs to be
freed. I see him standing at the side of the king, but there are
moments he is alone, in the night, when the palace is sleeping. He
needs to be rescued by his fated triad. They need to claim him and
take away his anger.”
    “ Anger? Why is he so
angry?” Prince Agarri asked.
    Khal took a deep breath. “I think … I
think he is your twin. I think your father sent him away because he
was born deformed. While you were raised a prince, he was raised in
poverty. Only when his power was found was he of use to your
father. He hates you, Agarri, but if the triad can free him and
open his heart, he can learn to put away that anger and he can
learn to love you, too.”
    “ Hates me?” Prince Agarri
whispered. “How can someone I didn’t even know existed hate me? I
almost hope this isn’t true. I ache from the knowledge.”
    Drayden lifted one of Agarri’s hands
to his lips. “We don’t know it’s true, love, not yet. The supposed
oracle has yet to prove himself to me.”
    “ He has proven himself to
me,” one of Khal’s triad, Artim, stated firmly.
    “ And me,” Smythe, Khal’s
other lover claimed.
    Tyron gazed at his cousin. “Our mate
has done nothing yet to show him as dishonest. He helped your mate
and helped our triad heal. He is ours, and we are his. That in
itself should be enough to prove his worth as our fated
mate.”
    Drayden stared at Tyron before slowly
standing and walking closer to the oracle. He stared a moment
before bowing at the waist and taking Khal’s hand in his. “I am
honored to meet my cousin’s mate.”
    Khal bowed in return.
    Agarri watched as his hard warrior
showed him exactly why he loved him. Even when Drayden was
agitated, he could show great consideration and respect. He was
open-minded and fair, even in his stubbornness.
    He would make a fine
king.
    Agarri startled at the
thought.
    If the oracle was indeed right, then
they would have to bring down Agarri’s father to end the war.
Leaving him on the throne would only open their people to more
torture and the threat would hang in the air. Stugaati would have
to be imprisoned … or killed.
    Agarri shivered. Irylan took his hand
and squeezed it, giving Agarri all he needed.
    The thought of facing his father
frightened him. Agarri looked to Bayjin, who smiled down at him.
His triad lovers would be by his side, and give him strength in
their love. Agarri would face his father knowing his triad made him
stronger.
    Agarri chuckled at the thought of his
father witnessing him with a triad. Stugaati had eschewed the old
ways. Triads were no longer the tradition on Xhythria, but only in
the Kannom province, where his strong warriors had been exiled. His
father had feared the strength of the Kannomite warriors and
banished them. The fact that the warriors were still loyal to
Stugaati and their home world showed Agarri what kinds of males
they were.
    Their allegiance was awe
inspiring.
    Drayden would make a fine king.
And Irylan and Bayjin would make fine