56. Aurora

CHAPTER 56

Aurora

December -

I exit Dimitri's room, and in the sitting room stand all my guys. I roll my eyes at them, then duck into my room. I shower quickly and dress in leggings and Dimitri's sweatshirt. Just before I leave my room, I can hear my father and Dimitri talking about what happened. My father sits there, giving him words of encouragement, and advises him to jerk off before he tries again. I stifle a laugh, picturing the look on Dimitri's face after my father says that. I can't help but shake my head at my father's logic. I turn and go out on my balcony and look around outside. On the terrace next to me stands Klaus, looking out over the frozen landscape.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I figure I'll break the ice.

"Just a bit homesick, princess." Klaus shrugs his shoulders, then turns to face me fully. He looks a lot like the guy that played the most recent version of Superman. Thick, broad shoulders, a strong jawline and thick, dark-brown almost black hair. He's now the leader of the German Lycan pack due to the death of his father at the Strigoi's claws. "A lot has changed in a short period of time, and it's a lot to adjust to," he says with a sigh before raising his eyes to meet mine. I don't take it as a challenge, so I don't push my Alpha power on him.

"Yeah, tell me about it..." I say as I rest my hand on my stomach for a moment. "Tell me about your pack, Klaus. What's your home like?" I lean on the marble railing, looking over at Klaus as he studies me. Snow is gently falling between us, giving the moment a very fairy tale feel.

Klaus smiles at me, then looks out over the frozen landscape, getting a dreamy look as he thinks about home. "I believe you would love it, my Queen. My family and pack are from the Swartzwald, otherwise known as the Black Forest. There are roe deer to hunt and plenty of wild boar. The forest seems to go on forever. I love being in the woods with my pack. You have to hunt with us before we attack the Strigoi." Klaus turns and looks at me with so much joy and excitement.

It makes my heart melt the way he's looking at me right now. My wolf softly makes her content sound in the back of my mind and gently says, " Mine? "

Her voice uttering those words makes me step back. I shake my head for a moment, and that movement causes Klaus to become concerned. He jumps the distance between our balconies to be at my side in an instant. He envelops me in his strong arms to support my weight. The boys all come charging in, feeling the change in me. All of them are concerned for my health and that of my pup.

Alaric swoops in and scoops me up. He carries me to the bed and lays me down. The royal physician checks me over and suspects my blood sugar must have dropped from getting sick this morning. Jayce grabs Klaus and they run out of the room to get me food and drinks. I shake my head and look at my father.

"Guys? Can I have a few moments alone with my father?" I look between Dominik, Alaric, and Dimitri, and they all nod slowly and reluctantly leave the room.

Nicodeamus comes to sit beside me on the bed and kisses my temple. "What is it, daughter? Are you not well? What do you need of me? Name it, and it's yours." My father gently rests his hand on my stomach, attempting to sense the baby. He smiles at what he's feeling, then looks to me, waiting for my response.

"I need your counsel more than anything, Father. My wolf asked me if Klaus was mine just before I got lightheaded. Is it possible that he's the mate I should have had before those assholes did what they did?" Nicodeamus comes to sit beside me, and I lean my head on my father's shoulder. I'm hungry, tired, and still aggravated at Sebastian's and Elena's betrayal.

Nicodeamus adjusts himself on the bed, then taps his fingertip on his chin, pondering my question. He gently kisses my forehead then begins to speak. "He's not a bad choice as a mate. I'm glad your wolf chose him over his brother. They did send a nice group to the original base, and I'm glad they were there with us during the attack on the road." My father hugs me the best he can, then gets up off the bed. "I'd better let all the boys in so they can see you. We shouldn't allow them to worry too much." Nicodeamus makes it to the door and turns to smile at me once more before letting the guys back in.

Jayce and Klaus have enough food to feed an army. I find out that everyone is staying with me to have brunch. Everyone finds a spot on my king-sized bed and begins to eat. I feel much better having all of the guys this close to me. Alaric apparently has something on his mind and clears his throat before beginning to speak.

"Not to ruin the calm atmosphere we have going on here, but we need to consider heading to the palace post-haste, to fully claim the throne. We have a large enough contingent of dragons to fly there in about two hours or less, as long as the winds are favorable. Aurora and Nicodeamus would be with me, if that's ok with you, sir?" Alaric bows his head to Nicodeamus as he steps back into the room. He knows that his offer could be taken as an insult because Nicodeamus is also a dragon.

Nicodeamus stands and moves to the same side of the bed as Alaric and places his hand on Alaric's shoulder. "I would be honored to be able to fly with you and my daughter." Alaric stands, and he and Nicodeamus embrace.

I'm guessing it had to be a big deal. How the fuck should I know? I'm sitting over here stuffing my face with all kinds of food, honestly not giving a fuck about too much. A knock sounds at my door, and the boys all go on high alert. I'm guessing their animals are even more protective now that I'm pregnant. I watch the door as Alaric goes to answer it. It's his mother, Katherine, come to visit.

"Arrangements are all made. We have enough dragons as well as flight cars for the troops to be carried in. We will be accompanied by our people as well as some of the Red and Black Dragons. Apparently, your father, Alaric, was not as liked as we were led to believe. After the display you and Aurora put on at the first wedding, you have gained a ton of supporters." Katherine moves past her son to come over to my side. I'm still leery as fuck when it comes to her, and to be honest, I really don't trust anyone outside of my core group. "Aurora, I had clothing specially made for you for the flight as well for your arrival at court." Katherine removes the large velvet pouch from under her cloak and offers it to me.

My eyes move to Klaus and he accepts the pouch and opens it for me. Within the pouch sits a beautiful crown cut from a single piece of ruby. I look it over, then lower my head to Klaus, who places it upon my head. Surprisingly, it is a perfect fit. I hear a gasp and look over to my father who looks like he's seen a ghost.

"What is it, father?" I shoot myself to the edge of the bed then move quickly to his side.

Nicodeamus kisses my temple and smiles as he gently removes the crown from my head. "This once belonged to the Blood Queen. She was your great-grandmother on my side. You want to talk about a woman who ruled by her talons and frost? That was her." Nicodeamus laughs a bit. "It's truly fitting that you now wear her crown; it will make a bold statement when we arrive at the palace. There's going to be a point you won't be able to shift, so we must make our point while you can." Nicodeamus gently places the crown back on my head, then kneels before me and kisses my stomach. "Never fear, little one, you will always be protected. Wait till you're old enough for story time. The stories we will tell you about your mother will impress you immensely." Nicodeamus kisses my stomach once more, then stands and kisses my forehead.

Katherine looks gobsmacked by the information she just witnessed and heard. "You're pregnant? When did this happen? Who is the father?" She looks frantically between all of the guys, and I just start laughing, one of those Joker laughs that are quite unnerving.

"Does it truly matter? I am queen; my blood runs through this baby's veins." I fully unleash my Alpha powers on the room. I am borderline in a rage over Katherine's line of questioning. My bonded mates do not bow or break under my power, and my father remains standing as well. Klaus resists much longer than Dimitri does, and poor Katherine hits the floor the minute I had to urge to subjugate her.

"My mates shall be referred to as Their Royal Highnesses from now on, Katherine. If I even think you are the slightest bit of a threat to what's mine… your head will go on my throne." I walk away from Katherine and sit next to my father. I am waiting for her to challenge my authority.

Alaric comes up behind me and wraps his thick arms around my body. His large hands rest on the small swell of my stomach. "Mother, you have gone too far this time. You need to respect Aurora's mates the same way you respect me. They are my brothers in arms, my bond mates. I am king, and so are they as far as Aurora and I are concerned." A rumbling growl from his dragon echoes in the room, showing his displeasure.

"If this is a problem, I will not allow you near our child. I say ‘our' because no matter who sires the children, they will all be ours at the end of the day." Alaric's words make me tear up as I look at the other males gathered. They each raise their fists over their hearts in a sign of solidarity. Alaric bows his head to each male in turn. "My love, please release everyone. We need to get going." I nod slightly and rein my power in.

Carefully, I turn in Alaric's arms and kiss him. In turn, he passes me off to Dominik, who kisses me passionately before passing me off to Jayce. Jayce is such a show-off, sweeping me into a dip and kissing me enthusiastically. I'm giggling when he finally stands me up and passes me off to Dimitri. I look up to the big guy, and he suddenly looks bashful. He knows he's not a bonded mate, but Alaric's mom doesn't. I grip his cheeks with both hands and pull him down to me for a nice, gentle, longing kiss. I feel his shaft harden between us, and I smile. Mission accomplished .

Dimitri reluctantly passes me off to Klaus. Klaus and I look shocked that we have ended up together. I watch his wolf's amber eyes flare to the surface, and I smile at his bold move. My beast isn't thrilled with the challenge, so she makes her presence known.

Without warning, my beast urges me to bite him. My canines elongate as I feel scales rippling up and down my arms and spine. I hear the guys as if I'm underwater. My vision blurs for a moment, then the next thing I know, I taste blood in my mouth. I struggle with my beast for control, and eventually, she backs down. I find myself with Klaus's shoulder in my mouth, my canines sunk deeply in his flesh. I'm almost to the point of panic when I feel the burning, stinging pain of him biting my shoulder in return. Klaus just so happened to bite me over Sebastian's original mark. The bond snaps into place, and the ghost of Sebastian is just about gone. I no longer feel him the way I use to. I release Klaus's shoulder and lick the wound clean, and he does the same to mine. The room is so silent you can hear a pin drop. What potentially could have been a dangerous situation has become a thing of beauty. Klaus's right-hand grips the back of my neck, and he presses his forehead to mine.

He whispers ever so softly, "I'm glad you never stopped looking for me, my angel." He kisses my nose before releasing me into my father's care.

Nicodeamus and I sit back and watch the guys hug it out and do their guy things. I just shake my head at their antics, and I look longingly at Dimitri. "Will he ever come around, Father?" My eyes turn to gaze up at my father, hoping for him to impart some great wisdom to me.

"In time, daughter. The big guy has been through so much. He will probably feel better back on his home turf, in Romania. I plan to seek out his clan, if any live, for him to have some form of closure." Nicodeamus kisses my forehead and ushers me through to my dressing room.