32. Royal Visit

“T? T you need to wake up!”

“What’s wrong?” My conditioning from my time on the battlefield had somewhat worn off in my time with Axel. He had never woken me so urgently. Automatically, I rose from the bed.

“Get up! Dress nicely. Your mother is here!”

My body jolted to a stop and I sat heavily. “What?”

“The portal guard has just informed me your mother and her retinue have just entered Sweetwater. They want to go over the research, meet with Jasper, and see us. We’ve got ten minutes to get to the science center.”

I stayed frozen for a minute, then dashed to the closet. Upon finding one of my finer tunics, I looked for the one made for Axel and threw it to him. “Change your clothes, please.”

My mate looked down at his round stomach stretching the fabric of his t-shirt. “Uh, I don’t think that will fit.”

“There’s magic woven into it. It’s fae silk, so it will stretch.”

Axel looked at the garment appreciatively. “Huh. Why don’t we have more of this material?”

“Because it is insanely expensive. The material is reserved for royalty.”

He looked horrified. “Why’d you waste it on me?”

“You, dear one, are Prince Consort whether the parliament accepts it or not. They will eventually see the error of their ways. Right now, it is important for you to look the part. So get dressed.”

Dressing in my outfit and more formal boots, I quickly combed my hair and braided a few sections. Axel joined me, making quick work of my hair so I looked ready to see the queen.

Rather than walk, or shift, Axel had taken to using the golf carts to get around. This was usually because he had some sort of paperwork with him that was easier to carry this way. Much of the administration of the omega compound was now his job. The omega, Georgia, who had been running the place wanted to take a step back, or rather just focus on the rehabilitation of the struggling omegas. She would work on her therapist’s license and help them that way.

We took the cart to the science center, where there were a few carriages waiting for our arrival.

The fan fair which came with being royalty was terribly boring. I made the best of the situation for Axel who was struggling with his nerves. He was also cold. I wanted to get him inside where it was warmer. He was too pregnant to be on his feet for so long.

ívarr welcomed everyone into the science center and into a hastily organized meeting room. Mismatched chairs were set out in rows facing a long table at which I sat with my mother, Axel, ívarr, Teagan, the Alpha Pair and Aldrin. James stood to the side ready to see to the refreshments on offer.

I caught Axel frowning at James. “What is wrong, dear one?” I asked in an undertone.

“He shouldn’t be serving just because he is an omega. He did a lot of the research and he’s stepping in for Hiroshi while he’s on maternity leave,” Axel hissed.

The pack had convinced Hiroshi to take more time off now that he had three young babies of his own, plus little Maddox to look after. His discovery was the one which had led us here. I looked around the room. “Hiroshi is probably relieved not to be here right now. You know James wants to be able to get you a drink if needed.”

James’s omega instincts were strong. Coupled with being a trained nurse, he had a nurturing side a mile wide. He had already fussed over Axel’s seat, insisting he get a more comfortable one.

Aldrin smiled, suggesting he could hear us discussing his mate.

ívarr stood and began an outline of the situation as we knew it: The Luna was the same goddess as ours. Shifters had started as elves but when Abrocaelum was formed, The Luna changed their appearance to look human so they could hide while the elves who could not shift left them behind.

We are also far too interbred for comfort. Any subsequent generation of elf would likely be beset with severe genetic disorders. The goddess had done us a favor by preventing any more children being born.

Many of the elves present looked distinctly uncomfortable during this talk. Some looked angry. They were the ones I kept my eyes on.

My friend continued his talk, stating the only way out of the fertility crisis was to breed with other species since this would lead to greater genetic diversity. He argued that one species would dominate over the other, so any children born would be full elf, or full whatever other species.

Mating with other species was something we could do, outside of shifters since they could only have young with other shifters, but had never attempted in living memory. At least the elves in Abrocaelum had not. The elves who had come to settle in the human world would not communicate with us. It was likely they had more genetic diversity and were completely divorced from us at this point. Did they even worship the goddess?

ívarr also mentioned he believed it would only work with other species if there was at least a partial soul-bond. His cheeks flushed when he talked about this, something Axel also noticed.

I shared a look with my mate when Jasper interrupted, Dakota at his side looking worried. Axel jolted. Neither of us had seen them arrive.

Jasper took on the tone which said the goddess was speaking through him. The air in the room was heavy with her presence.

“A soul-bond for the witches, the fae, the humans, all the races but the shifters. To have a child with one of my shifters, you will need to recover your animal soul. I will not repeat myself.”

We could all feel her anger. Then the voice switched to my mother.

“You know me as your goddess, yet my name is Luna.”

Mother smiled, though it was not her smile, it belonged to the goddess. It was wide, threatening. She saw those gathered who doubted her.

“I have always been The Luna of which the shifters speak. They have repented their past, shown growth and courage. They are ready to have their alpha females returned to them. This current generation will have no beta infertility except where chosen. They are ready to reclaim their fertile past.”

She then looked at Aldrin. “You are so close to the key, so I give you this boon.” Her smile for him was patient, loving. “Tether them not to one alpha but their Alpha. Let the betas who are destined to be alphas take the bite of the pack. Then they can change their chosen omegas. However, this comes with a price. The alpha will never be able to leave their pack. So let them choose well.”

“Thank you, so much! We appreciate this gift and the work you have done through this pack,” Aldrin spoke with the reverence our goddess deserved.

Her smile was radiant. “Kade set you on this path, he asked for me when it was time to start my plan. He and Blake were destined to bring change.” The goddess looked directly at Axel’s protruding stomach. “The princess is next.”

With that, she left. The air in the room lightened. Jasper shakily took a seat, James rushing to his side as ívarr took care of our queen.

I only had eyes for my mate. “No pressure, right?” Axel quipped.

Many of the queen’s retinue decided to return to Abrocaelum, too overwhelmed with all the information of the day to possibly consider new revelations.

After refreshments and the arrival of our Alpha Pair, we sat down to truly discuss everything.

ívarr took my mother through the results of the genetic testing. Proving, though he did not need to, he was telling the truth. We were all cousins, some closer than others, but there was only a tiny percentage of us who could procreate without issues. Too slim a margin for our goddess. We needed the genetic diversity shifters, and other species offered.

“How do we go about creating a soul-bond?” Mother asked.

“I can only say mine with Axel came accidentally out of a deep love for him.”

“So only romantic love?” Blake asked.

“No,” Jasper said. He was on Dakota’s lap, drinking carefully from a cup. “Platonic love will do. A deep appreciation for a person or family. Meditating on it will help.” He sipped again. “Sorry, I’m getting flashes. It’s love that’s the key but a soul-bond does not have to be romantic.”

Blake looked relieved. “There are plenty of the elves here who have not found their mate yet, and they fit into families.”

“You’re thinking of Cryabell, aren’t you?”

The Alpha smiled at his mate. “I’d love for her to bond with us, or for her bond with the kids to be enough.”

“I should like to have an animal soul,” Mother said, suddenly surprising us all. “I will meditate on my growing love and appreciation for this pack who have saved my kind. On my son-in-law who is giving us an heir we can be proud of. Goddess willing, this should give me feathers. I would like to fly.”

Jasper was nodding, tears running down his face. “I’m sorry, I’m very emotional today. The Luna speaking through me… it’s a lot.”

Mother patted his hand kindly. “I understand since I, too, feel raw, from her voice.”

“Yes! That’s it exactly.”

They shared a look of mutual understanding. It was then that I could see us as one species as we once were. No wonder the goddess had sent us here. We were the same.

“So how do we do this bite thing? Because as much as I love the pack, I don’t want Blake biting all the alphas.”

We laughed, as Kade intended.

“It must be something in the protein which stimulates a heat in an omega. Maybe it is designed to trigger the change. If we take samples from you Alpha Blake…” Aldrin began.

“Aldrin, between us all, I’m just Blake. If you need samples, I’ll give hundreds if it helps my people.”

ívarr spoke next. “With magic, from the witches, I believe we could boost the effects of the protein into triggering the change. This could be administered in the form of a potion, I think.”

“Yes, great thinking, my friend. Michaella could help you with that if you would like.” Aldrin smiled at ívarr.

“I wanted to discuss my relationship with Michaella, Your Majesty,” ívarr said, addressing his queen. “I would like permission to marry her and complete a soul-bond.” He looked earnestly at her, his eyes slipping over to me. “She is unlike anyone I have ever met. Michaella challenges me to be better but also gives me the… freedom to be myself. She makes me feel so loved. I just hope I do the same for her.”

“She adores you, my friend,” I could not help but say.

“Yeah, she does,” Axel agreed.

Aldrin and James just nodded while Teagan grinned.

“Oh, ívarr, you do not require my permission, yet you have it anyway.” She sat close enough to reach for his hands, taking them in hers. “Congratulations. I just wish your mother was still with us.”

“Thank you, I wish that too.”

“A wedding!” Teagan clapped her hands with delight.

A smile played about ívarr’s mouth, though he kept his head down, hands still clasping my mother’s.

“Two weddings. Teárlach and Axel will have to confirm their union the elven way. Not until after our princess is here,” Mother said primly.

Axel raised his eyebrows at me. “Did your mother propose to me for you?” Mother’s face colored, she slipped a hand free to cover her mouth.

“I think she did.”