Ann and Adam stood side by side on the balcony, waving down to the crowds that had gathered below. The noise from the crowd was almost deafening. It almost seemed as though they were fighting with one another over whose voice could shout the loudest and reach the newly crowned Alpha Queen's ears first. Adam chuckled softly. "All this is for you, my Queen." He murmured as he took her hand and brought her fingers to his lips, kissing it gently. Ann giggled lightly, her nerves getting the better of her as loud cheers echoed through the air. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for their excitement and the more than warm welcome, but I've done nothing to prove myself to them yet." She replied with a worried smile. "Is that really what you think?" Adam murmured quietly, "Ann, take a step back and think about it for a second. These past few months have thrown so much at you and the accusations and lies that were thrown in your direction put you under intense public scrutiny. Yet,
The hum of chatter faded as soon as the Steward announced their arrival and every person in attendance stood and turned to watch the newly instated royal couple with interest. Ann took a deep breath to steady her nerves as unobtrusively as she could. She forced a demure smile on her face as she and Adam made their way toward their seats and tried desperately to ignore the countless judgemental eyes now focused solely on her. The Royal Table sat at the far back of the room, elevated slightly above the others on a beautifully sculpted dais. Two ornate chairs, crafted in Silver and decorated expertly with reliefs of the Moon Goddess and her first children sculpted into the metalwork, sat central to the table, flanked on either side by additional chairs for the most senior of the Royal Enclave. As Ann and Adam passed the many faces of the wide array of dignitaries assembled in the banquet hall, they held their heads high as the surrounding shifters bowed their heads or bared their
Ann and Adam followed the senior Elder in front of them, with the Enclave guard contained on all sides by the Royal guard as they made their way to one of the private rooms available. "I'm terribly sorry for this outrageous intrusion, my Queen. He should have been stopped by the guards before he ever got this far..." The senior Elder grumbled. He had briefly introduced himself as Bartholomew, one of the Senior Elders that oversaw the Enclave, before offering to escort them to a private room to receive whatever news it was that the man had brought. "It's not a problem, Bartholomew. If it is as important as I think it may be, then the sooner we hear what he has to say, the better."Bartholomew turned to look at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes, and she didn't miss the curious look that Adam gave her either."Do you know what he's here for, my Queen?" Bartholomew asked as casually as possible, but there was a definite hint of suspicion in his tone.Ann smiled lightly and s
"The 12th Garrison?" Adam asked, his expression one of deep thought, "How were you alerted to the convoy's demise?" "Generally we track the progress from the 11th garrison at the receiving end through the Ravine with spotters from our garrison. We hadn't heard from the spotters for longer than was normal, and had begun to mobilize a search party." Greyson explained calmly, "They were about to leave when a group of Aurochs, that we know are used for transport there, entered the bottom of the valley in a panicked state."Adam nodded thoughtfully as Greyson explained, scrutinizing his face subtly and checking for any trace of dishonesty."As soon as the lookout at the Garrison reported it, we mobilized a force to intercept and conduct reconnaissance in the area. We knew that it meant nothing good as there was no trace of the guards or the convoy that they were supposed to be attached to, so support was requested from the 11th Garrison as well.""Did they call the wyverns in to help?" Bar
The air positively hummed as her aura rippled through the room and the people within dropped to their knees in front of her, including those that had done no wrong. Ann felt a pang of guilt but did her best to brush it away. It was less than ideal, but if it was spoken of outside of this room, then it would be widely known that Ann was no pushover, and would happily act before the Elders got a chance to do so.Perhaps Maeve was right and more direct action was necessary. Her father had been a weak ruler in later years and perhaps he had allowed them a little too much freedom in dictating how things were run.The Enclave was an ancient institution that protected the Kingdom from tyrant rulers. They were never meant to make the decisions for the Kings and Queens, merely to ensure that justice was upheld and that the Royal line did not abuse its power to the detriment of the general population.Ann calmed her raging fury and did her best to speak calmly. Though her tone was laced w
Ann and Adam made their way back to their quarters under the escort of the Royal guards and once inside, Ann gratefully closed the door behind her.It was glaringly obvious that they wouldn't be able to return to the palace anytime soon, so Adam set about making arrangements to have some of their personal effects sent over whilst Ann got herself changed out of the ceremonial attire and into something a little more comfortable.She wasn't sure that leggings and an oversized T-shirt were what constituted acceptable attire for a reigning Alpha Queen, but she was past caring at this point. She just wanted to be comfortable and free of distractions so that she could think clearly.She settled herself on the edge of the bed and sent a quick message to Mimi, requesting a few items of clothing that she knew she was lacking for official functions, diplomatic liaisons, and possibly for the meetings within the Enclave too. If at all possible she would much rather reserve the impractical gowns fo
The next morning with the haze of sleep still sitting over her, Ann had briefly forgotten the events of the night before as she stretched languidly under the cloud-like duvet that enveloped her completely.As the reality of her situation intruded rudely on her blissfully unaware state, she groaned and threw the covers off, before carefully extracting herself from under Adam's arm that had been lazily thrown across her stomach."Leaving me so soon?" Adam murmured, his voice still thick with sleep."There's too much waiting for us, my Alpha." Ann chuckled as his eyes opened wide suddenly and darkened as he gazed at her half-naked form perched on the edge of the bed."There's always time to squeeze in a little..." Adam protested playfully as he lunged to catch hold of her and pull her back into the bed, but Ann cut him off with a laugh."Little? Adam, you know as well as I do that there's nothing little about you, or the time that we spend wrapped around each other." She laughed as she qu
Coral guided them to the dining hall under the escort of the royal guard and as they entered the hall, everyone that had been seated stood instantly and bowed their heads in their direction."I'm not gonna lie, I kind of miss having a quiet breakfast without the audience already," Ann murmured to Adam, who chuckled in response.Ann motioned for them to sit as she took her seat and the breakfast dishes were brought out."Goddess, is it going to be like this every time we eat?" Ann frowned as she watched plate after plate of dishes being unloaded onto the table in front of them."I mean, at least we know you'll never be short of choice." Adam chuckled.The seating arrangements were the same at the Royal Table as they had been the night before and Ann found herself seated next to Bartholomew once more.She had already spotted Greyson and a few other faces she didn't recognize seated at one of the tables closest to theirs. Judging by their similarity in dress, she assumed they were p
As their convoy of cars and moving vans rolled up the driveway, Ann's stomach twisted uncomfortably as her anxiety set in. Regardless of what her babies were doing to her insides, the effects that her heightened emotions were having on her far eclipsed any discomfort that her pups were causing. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm the anxiety that knotted her insides and made her heart ache painfully. As far as she knew, her father was still living within the palace and she still wasn't sure that she could forgive him for everything that she had been put through because of his choices. In the worst-case scenario, she could always extend the palace to encompass two main living areas so that she wouldn't have to deal with tolerating his presence. She didn't even want to think about how she would explain to her children that they couldn't ever meet the incredible woman that her mother was because her father had an affair, broke the mating bond, and allowed his mistress and
"Right, I think that's the last of them," Adam grinned as he jogged through the huge doors of the Enclave's entrance hall to where Ann was pacing restlessly and Bartholomew was watching with mild amusement. "Finally," Ann sighed as she rubbed her belly with a grimace, "At this point, all I want to do is get my home back to what it used to be." Adam leaned forward and planted a kiss on Ann's forehead. "Are they making things difficult for you?" He asked gently, rubbing her back. Ann reached for his hand with a scowl and placed it palm down on top of her belly and grimaced as another flurry of movement rippled under her skin and Adam blinked in surprise. "Are they fighting in there?!" He asked in shock. "With two stubborn Alpha's for parents, I wouldn't put it past them." Bartholomew chuckled as he made his way over to them, smiling kindly. Ann lifted her gaze and her face softened as she looked at the kindly face of the old man that had been there for them through so muc
When Coral had returned with the Omega that worked as a nanny to the nobles, the baby boy was handed over to her and she waddled off happily, cooing at the baby in her arms as it gurgled happily back up at her. Coral began to work through updating the schedule for Ann as she dictated, adding additional notes that she shared with Allen's device. He would see to their schedule tomorrow as he had several days worth of reports to hear from Adam as to what had happened within the businesses and the Dark Moon Pack while he was away. Lexi made her way back to her room with both Allen and Greyson following behind her. She paused outside her door and turned to them both with a smile. "Sorry to disappoint boys, but I don't feel like getting frisky right now. Quite honestly, I just want to soak all of this crap off me." They nodded at her as she looked at them thoughtfully. "We really should sit down and have a discussion about how this is going to work between us all, you know." she
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that." Ann said a little breathlessly as she looked between Lexi, Allen and Greyson. Adam shared the same concerned expression as she did at the revelations that Eromaug would clearly stop at nothing to get his hands on Lexi. "You're absolutely sure that your father is willing to ally himself with us?" Ann asked as the baby in her arms began to stir and protest at the noise and unfamiliar surroundings it had found itself in. Lexi snorted loudly. "Of course he is. How could he not when his daughter is your right hand woman?" She winked. "We should put it to the council first." Adam said somberly as Lexi groaned loudly. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled at the opportunity," She muttered sarcastically as Ann laughed. "I think we should get hold of Bartholomew so that he can help us find a way to ‘tell' the council of our alliance, rather than ask for their permission." Ann mused thoughtfully, "He's pretty knowledgeable about who supports us,
Ann and Adam stood on the front steps of the Enclave, eagerly waiting for the return of both of their Beta's. Adam chuckled as Ann fidgeted with her hands and struggled to stand still, her gaze fixed on the curve of the driveway. "They'll be here soon, don't worry." He soothed, wrapping his arm around her as she nibbled on her bottom lip. "What if something happened though?" She worried as she rubbed her little bump in an act of self soothing. Adam's eyes glazed over slightly as he linked with Allen and then grinned down at his anxious wife. "Allen said stop worrying, it's not good for the baby. They'll be here in seconds." "But…" As promised, the front end of the transport pulled around the corner of the driveway and Ann let out a sigh of relief. "See, my Queen? Nothing to worry about." Adam chuckled as he watched them pull to a stop in front of them. As soon as the door opened and Lexi's head emerged, Ann broke away from Adam and bolted down the steps towards her.
Lexi knew that she was still conscious, but the pressure that engulfed her head, and the rigidity of her body teamed with the almost distant voices of protest from Allen and Greyson let her know that she had no control over what was happening right now. The initial black curtain that had descended was suddenly filled with hundreds upon hundreds of memories from her childhood, all played out in glorious technicolor and accompanied by sounds and smells that made her heart ache with familiarity and her breath catch in her chest. There was no way that she could catch each and every memory at once, but she could see it clearly. The bond that both she and Eromaug had shared at an early stage was filled with love and an intensity that she had known only with Allen and Greyson. By the time the images had begun to fade in her mind's eye and her vision returned, she was overwhelmed with emotions. As she sat there trembling, clasping her hands together tightly so that she wouldn't cry wit
Lord Brarthroroz guided Lexi over to one of the chairs around the table and gestured towards the flap of the tent. "Make sure no one enters for the time being, Steve." He said with an air of resignation to his voice as he took a seat next to his daughter. Steve nodded expressionlessly as he moved to the open flap, released the material to close it and ducked through to stand outside. "You two should sit as well," Lord Brathroroz advised as he gestured to the seats across from Lexi, "This isn't easy for me to talk about." He continued with a grunt. Greyson and Allen moved to comply and took their seats next to each other, both of them focused on Lexi. Lord Brarthroroz sighed as he turned back to his daughter and cupped her face fondly. "Before I start, I want you to understand that before your mother and I had you, neither of us realized just how deeply we could love and the desire to protect you from harm eclipsed everything else in our lives completely." He said gently a
It hadn't taken their force long to clear the halls and clean up the bodies that were left behind. The losses had been minimal on their part and considering the forces that they had thought they would be up against, their plans had meant that they had been far better equipped than the coven itself. The Coven had left very few prisoners alive, and the ones that were still breathing were in pretty bad shape. Lexi and the other healers and medics had done what they could but there was no growing back limbs…no matter how proficient of a shifter you were. Lord Brarthroroz had stationed huge numbers of his daemons within the winding passageways and caverns that the coven had previously inhabited and returned to the surface with his portalmancer Steve at his side. He strode angrily across the makeshift camp to the command tent and paused at the entrance, glancing across at the medical tent where Lexi had been working. Currently, she was cleaning her hands off as her mates watched
She stood and with one last look at the lifeless body below her, turned her attention to the chaos at the other side of the room. Narcissa had no problems keeping the attacks of the wolves at bay and Lexi could feel the emotions of the past few minutes bubbling wildly inside of her as she stormed towards her, her eyes blazing furiously. Her father was still making little headway against Eromaug, but she wasn't concerned about his survival, he was more than capable of taking care of himself against his bastard of a brother. Narcissa on the other hand…she had a lot to fucking answer for. Lexi strode through the fighters battling the twisted Daemons that had emerged from the shadows, throwing her magick lazily towards the monstrosities as she passed, a sneer curling at her lips as the shifters watched her in terrified awe. It wasn't long until Narcissa noticed her approach and her face split into a sneer that matched Lexi's as she swept her arm in front of her, knocking the ma