Twisted Time by Zach Collins Read Free Book Online Page A

the middle ages anymore.”
    “Regardless, you are our only girl, your mother has dreamed of this day since you were born. She wants to do the female thing with you, you know…” Her father almost pleaded.
    Her father, the retired King of the Wizard Stratum , who could scare the crap out of most Wizards with one of his hard looks, was afraid of her mother. Well, she wasn’t and she would not be bullied.
    “Nails, hair, and all that shit. I know, her scrapbook is being dusted off—right?" Sasha snarled.
    The scrapbook. Her mother brought it out every so often to add things to it, or show Sasha exactly what her claiming ceremony was going to look like. She even had the seating arrangement done and if people died or left, she changed it so it was always up to date. It kinda creeped her out, it was her mother’s one weakness. The otherwise strong, determined, and well-behaved Queen never acted like this—only with Sasha.
    “When is the show down?” Sasha said and squared her shoulders; it was time to take her stand once and for all. She would not go down without a fight, and her mother was just going to have to understand.
    “Half an hour,” her father said with resignation in his voice, he was going to have to be the mediator once again for one of their blow-ups.
    “Fine,” Sasha said and went back to her desk and began to gather her papers for later. After she dealt with this, she was going to have a long talk with her brother. She was ready for it. Only glancing up a few times as the men in her family watched her warily. When she was done, she turned to them and paused.
    “Ready?” her father said and looked to the door.
    She felt a bubble of panic rise, and she nodded. “Yep, cover for me,” Sasha said and ran for the window and waved her hand, exposing the exit for the magic she placed on it. With a quick flick of her wrist, the window opened and she jumped out.
    “Shit, she is running!” Logan yelled and went to chase after his sister, but she turned, waved, and sealed the window back up, slamming it in his face.
    “I am not telling mom that.” Blake stood.
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Killian and Zade sat at the table with the scrapbook opened in front of them and looked at Bria wide-eyed. What the hell had they started ? they wondered as they listened and nodded.
    “Do we make suggestions?” Zade whispered in his ear.
    “Pretty sure we are supposed to sit here and shut up. Although there is some kind of hope, she said something about tasting; the cooks are whipping up samples of something. We could at least get some good food out of this,” Killian whispered.
    “Maybe we should make an excuse and leave,” Zade whispered back.
    “Right, you do it, I will sit and watch,” Killian laughed. “I am a King and have diplomacy, but this is not something in my expertise. Shit, we are talking mom here,” Killian said.
    They had already talked about their families and pasts. Zade had four brothers, all Shifter Warriors, and all here. Killian had liked all of them when they came over to watch a game on the television. It had been fun, although the brothers warned him about their mother, a single female tiger whose mate died in an attack. She was very protective and sometimes a bit obsessive. Having all her boys here and not being able to know if they were okay was probably driving her nuts.
    However, before they closed the portal, Sage, one of Zade’s brothers, had gone back with a few Warriors to make sure the Shifter Stratum was defended and to make sure they told their mother they were fine. She was also informed about Zade finding his mates. Whew, at least that announcement had been taken out of their hands.
    Since Killian had no brothers, sisters, or parents, he was on his own, had been for a long time. Both men agreed they would move slowly, wanting to get to know each other while they were forced to wait for Sasha, that didn’t mean they had not kissed or given each other some release. They just