29. Celebration

Death was a natural part of life. As an elf who had lived far too many years as a soldier, I had seen countless people fall. Never had a death touched me as much as Janet’s had.

Each of the shifters and even my mother had said their whispered goodbyes before leaving the cabin. All lost in our own grief and feelings.

There was so much to process. All the revelations the goddess—The Luna—had shared weighed heavily on me. Though she had explained she had hidden the truth to protect her beloved shifters, I still could not understand how we had missed that they were one and the same.

Having forgotten our goddess’s true name finally made sense to me. Instead of renaming herself, she had just let it slip out of memory. Rather than tell a lie, she omitted that part of herself, likely suffering in the process as we forgot her.

We left Aldrin and James to attend to Janet while Blake went to the mansion with his family to begin the preparations for the funeral. Janet had wanted a party, a true celebration of life and love, not something depressing. So that was what the pack would give her.

Chase went with them, picking up little Elliotte while her brothers shifted and raced along the pathways between the omega compound and the main house.

Since Jasper was still stunned at the revelations and his new ability, Dakota took him home. He wasn’t in the right mind to be teaching at the school, and Blake knew Dakota wouldn’t settle at his desk to do any work while his mate was upset.

All of us had to process what had happened in our own time.

Axel and I remained in the carriage with my mother until it got to the portal, where we said our goodbyes.

“Take care of him, Teárlach. Do not let his grief overshadow what should be a joyous occasion for him. What you have created, your child, is a miracle. Celebrate it,” Mother urged before she let me leave the carriage.

“Everything okay?” Axel asked as I joined him by the portal.

“Mother just wanted to remind me to focus on the good things of today. Not our sadness.”

“The queen is very wise. Janet would be telling us off right now, moping instead of rejoicing.” Axel turned and walked the path towards our little house.

“So I would like to take my mate home, make love to him again,” I said, catching up with him to take his hand. “Then I think we should shift. I’ve heard it’s very important for shifters to spend time as their alters to maintain a healthy pregnancy.”

Axel’s pace picked up, he let go of me to charge ahead. “In that case…” He laughed as I chased after him.

We didn’t make it to our bedroom. As soon as Axel entered the house, he stripped off. I hurried to close the door so no one else but me could see the long, lean lines of his body. He had little body hair before his transformation to omega, now he had even less. His hips had widened some, curves softening to prepare for carrying our baby.

He was a wonder to me. I could hardly believe he was all mine.

My clothes joined his in a trail towards our bedroom. Even after all these months, a whole year together, I’d never get enough of him.

I caught him in the short hallway next to our bedroom and took his mouth in a fierce kiss. He jumped into my arms, locking his legs around my waist, rubbing his hard cock against my stomach.

His hands went into my hair, keeping my mouth on his until he broke away to gasp, “right here. I want you to fuck me right here.”

Cupping his ass, I slid my cock over his crease and leaking hole. His slick was enough of a reason to love him being an omega now. The head caught on his rim and he moaned. I pushed inside his tight heat on a groan. I’d had him already today, but it was never enough.

I set a fast pace, desperate for all his sounds of pleasure and almost out of my mind with how he was making me feel. Each thrust into Axel was heavenly. He had truly been made for me.

Pictures on the walls rattled and threatened to fall. I paused. One could hurt Axel, hurt our baby.

Still inside him, I turned us and walked the short distance to our bed, grateful for our small house. I laid him on the bed and covered my body with his.

Kissing and stroking his body, I rocked into him, showing him with my body just how much I loved him. I whispered words against his lips, my mark on his throat, his chest, telling him just how much I adored him.

Axel was my world, and with the miracle he was growing inside him, that world was expanding, making room for that little life. Our daughter.

My thrusts picked up as Axel neared his peak. We came together and lay entwined on the blanket for a long time afterwards.

“Nap as our alters? My wolf would love to curl around your owl.”

“I would love that too.”

Clean up was easy with magic involved. Soon I was in my feathered form, Axel’s wolf surrounding me. His fur was soft and my owl couldn’t resist grooming him with our beak. The wolf settled quickly, letting sleep fall over them as we continued our work.

Thank you,I whispered to a goddess I was sure was watching.

“Congratulations!” people called out as we walked by. Since he was still officially Second, the pack treated him as such. There would be an announcement during the funeral about Chase taking over.

“I’d forgotten there are no secrets in this pack.”

Axel laughed. “None. I dunno how Hiroshi, Roan, Tate, and Asher kept everything quiet for as long as they did.” He inclined his head towards the group. A pregnant Hiroshi was being waited on by his family. They had found him a comfortable seat to rest in while the babies played in the grass, the light from the bonfire lighting their precious faces.

Per Janet’s wishes, all the children of the pack were present. Everyone was wearing their brightest colors. I was in green, Axel in blue. I’d requested a tunic be made to compliment his eyes. The creator had put his wolf on there along with symbols representing royalty, which he was now, not that he knew it. We would have that conversation later. Much later. I didn’t want to add to his stress.

We gathered in small groups, keeping the gathering informal, also to Janet’s wishes. Tables were laden with food, games were at the ready, for after the pyre was lit, everyone was trying to be upbeat. I caught lots of sad smiles which turned genuine when they spoke to Axel.

“Jason and Eva made it. Blake hoped they would.” At my look of confusion, Axel clarified. “They were the Alpha Pair of the bear sleuth before it rejoined the pack. They knew Janet for years.”

“I am glad they could attend.”

A signal went up as we reached our space near the front, telling all in attendance their Alpha was ready to speak.

“Thank you all for coming today. We are here to celebrate two lives. One just beginning and one ended. Axel has confirmed he is pregnant with his mate’s child. Congratulations to my brothers on this new life!”

Blake waited for the cheers to die down.

“Unfortunately, this means Axel is stepping down as Second and Chase will be replacing him. Axel will assist Chase with the role, as Chase did for him.”

There was some grumbling in the crowd. I caught plenty wondering why he was stepping down and more complaining he was still in a supportive role and not an omega role, whatever that was. The omegas, and plenty of betas, particularly the female ones, understood that being an omega was not a weakness. Bearing children was not for the weak. Omegas were the strongest of us all.

Unfortunately, plenty of the alphas and alpha leaning betas did not understand this. They thought their physical strength made them superior.

“Settle down.” Blake’s voice was a deep rumble which carried, magically amplified by the witch at his side. “Poppy is here to light the pyre. It will burn only for a few minutes. Once the ash is cooled, we will spread it through the woods where Janet liked to roam in her bear form.”

Kade took center stage. “I met Janet at a really difficult time in my life. Thanks to her, I found myself, my home, my family. She helped me find love and set Dakota on the path to become my dad, not just my best friend. With her guidance, many of us have found the other part of ourselves in our mates. We’ve found our joy and made our dreams come true.

“We didn’t just love her because she was the voice of The Luna. Though her prophecies always came true, it was always her love we went to her for. She loved her pack dearly. Each and every one of us. Her light was so bright, the world seems dimmer today. It was an honor to be there in her last hour, to let her know just how loved she was in return. Thank you, Janet, for your love and kindness. Thank you, The Luna, for the gift of our beloved pack mate. May she watch over us with your blessing.”

“With your blessing.” All the assembled shifters echoed the prayer.

Poppy took her turn at the front. “I’m grateful I had the chance to get to know Janet before she passed. She always had words of kindness to share. She never met a stranger, that one!” Laughter broke out. “Janet eased my fears at one of the darkest times of my life. Her heart was of the purest gold. She will be missed.”

“My turn,” I whispered before I pressed a kiss to Axel’s head and took my place next to Blake.

“In her last moments, Janet revealed just how close shifters and elves are. We share the same goddess. We were you before we forgot the gift given to us by The Luna. I was grateful to get to know Janet, however briefly. She will be missed. Now we will honor Janet and The Luna by freeing her spirit, letting her return to The Luna’s side.”

At my last words, Poppy said the spell to light the pyre. It flashed with many colors, magic fueling it, burning hotter than any natural fire could.

We watched it burn in awed silence until I heard a child’s voice. “Papa! I see her. Look!”

Sure enough, behind the fire, her figure illuminated by the moon, was Janet, standing tall, whole, young, her bear next to her. Beside Janet on the other side, less bright but just as welcome, was The Luna, still as otherworldly as she had been in my dream.

Janet waved, a huge smile on her face as she and the fire winked out.

The party continued on well into the night. Those with young children left when the little ones started falling asleep in the grass.

Most of the partygoers were in high spirits after our ghostly visit. They believed The Luna’s appearance was a good omen for the pack. The council were going to regret the divisions when word got out.

“I ate too much,” Axel complained as we walked home.

“Nonsense.”

“Then why do I feel nauseous?”

“Because you are pregnant, dear one. I also think the run through the woods after you had eaten a third hotdog was a bad idea.”

“Yes, you said.” Axel rolled his eyes, then laid a hand over his belly. His steps paused. “Will you still love me if I puke?”

“Even if it hits my boots. You know I like these boots.”

“Good.” Axel doubled over and threw up in a bush. I rubbed his back soothingly as he purged his stomach. “Yuck.”

“Better?”

He straightened and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, grimacing. “Is it bad I feel hungry again?”

“Not at all. Why don’t we get you inside, get you a glass of water, then you can decide if you want me to head back for a slice of the red velvet cake I saw you eyeing?”

“That sounds amazing. I’ll apologize to our neighbor tomorrow.”

I waved a hand, using the soil to cover the mess. “No need, all fixed.”

His smile warmed my heart. Such a little thing pleased him so much. Axel was so easy to be around.

We weren’t far from the house, so it took only a few minutes to get Axel settled on the sofa. He drank the glass of water obediently. I already knew I was going back for the cake. His wistful expression when we had been offered some to take home should have been a reminder to always take his favorite cake. It was foolish to leave without it.

“There’s a message on your phone.” Axel handed it to me. “You’re never going to get the hang of these things, are you?”

“I’m old, Axel.”

“Uh-huh. Teagan manages just fine. Aren’t you the same age?”

“Thereabouts.” I opened the message. “It was Mother sending her apologies for missing the funeral. She would have liked to attend, but parliament is in unrest over the revelations.”

“Will everything be okay?”

“It’s going to be a long road. We will get there.” Maybe it was wrong of me to be so dismissive, yet I struggled to have the mental energy for people who refused to believe the truth. My focus was on my mate and child. They were my priority.

“Now, you rest. I’ll be back with the cake soon.”

I kissed the tip of his nose before heading back to the gathering. Everywhere I went, people said hello and congratulations. It had only been a short time since I gained my shifter side, yet I felt more comfortable with shifters than I ever had with my own people.

Perhaps it was my royal duties which created a barrier, but here, in Sweetwater, they treated me just the same as everyone else. I was just Teárlach, or better yet, Axel’s mate.

“Cake?” Winter asked when I approached the table where he was packing away the leftovers.

“How did you know?”

“Listen, I’ve worked for those boys for years. I know better than to not leave Axel a slice of his red velvet cake. I only made it for him. Oh, and Greyson. That kid would eat it all day if we let him!”

“Thank you, Winter.”

“You’re welcome. I’m so happy for you and Axel. A mate and a kid wasn’t for me. I think I’m more like Chase than Axel, but I’m glad he got that. You’ve made him so… content, I guess. It’s good for him. You’re good for him.”

“I… I appreciate that. Axel… he’s such a gift. My life is so much fuller with him beside me.”

“Best get home to him with that cake.” Winter grinned knowingly.

“Yes, thank you for saving him some.”

“There’s a slice for each of you.”

My footsteps were light on my way home. It had been an emotional few days, yet I held hope in my heart because I knew Axel, and our baby, were goddess blessed.

“Dear one?” Axel didn’t move when I returned. I rounded the sofa to find him fast asleep, his chest rising and falling with his even breathing. Setting the cake down, I lifted him into my arms and took my exhausted mate to bed.