Her Forever

Theon

At first light, Folen packed up his supplies while Evangeline slept; her skin coloring looked worse from the first time I saw her. Her breaths were shallow, and her skin was frigid. “I’ll get her down. We will leave the tent here; I would like for her to see the pack’s healer as soon as possible.” Folen’s eyes raked over Evangeline’s body. Her body was covered by many furs, but her body still shook.

“My mother is on her way; she will be able to heal her. It may take a while to stabilize her, but she would have no problem healing. Especially since it is Trinity’s mother.” Folen gave a grateful, soft smile, shoving the rest of his belongings into his bag.

“Let’s go, my little mate,” Evangeline’s eyes fluttered. Still, a moment after Folen settled her into his arms, Evangeline fell back asleep. If Trinity had ever been in such a state, I’m not sure what my wolf would do. Folen was a graceful elf; most of them were. They had much better handling when it came to resting the body and understanding the earth, the soil.

Folen’s hand touched the tree, branches from above circled him and his mate, the limbs grabbed hold of his waist only to gently put them on the ground. My wolf immediately growled at the thought of branches touching us. We were not keen on being in the trees; he merely had us jump the thirty feet down, landing on the balls of our feet.

“Show off,” Folen spoke, shuffling Evangelina in his arms. We began our walk through the wood; the sun just touched the top of the trees. “Wolves are meant for the ground, not speaking with the trees,” I stated jokingly.

The closer we approached the territory, the clearer my mind became. I was able to mind-link Thaddeus, who was still lying in bed with Trinity. Thaddeus didn’t say much, only to cut me off, telling me our parents and the rest of the warriors had arrived. Shrugging my shoulders in relief that we would soon be better protected, Folen spoke up.

“Your brother scared my daughter yesterday,” Folen’s eyes remained on the path. “I would have thought your mother would have taught him better.” His jaw clenched, holding his mate. My confusion was evident; I had no clue what he was talking about. Trinity wasn’t one to become scared so easily; she took care of the werebears like a champ, understood what we were in just twelve hours, and accepted us as well. How could she be scared?

“I don’t understand,” I spoke. “Trinity isn’t the type to get scared so easily,” Folen grunted, his stern face rubbed over Evangeline.

“Trinity was trembling; I know you both would never hurt her, but I will not stand by and watch her be scared of her mate. You need to talk to your brother. If she feels like her life is at risk, I won’t stand for my daughter to be mated to a monster.”

I was speechless. Was this the same Thaddeus we were talking about? Thaddeus loved Trinty so much that he kept that emotion hidden as not to frighten her away. “He barely spoke to her while she trembled, finally slinging her over his shoulder and walking away. I could do nothing, he was a prince, and it was not my place to take my daughter back. However, if I see her tremble in fear again, I won’t stand by.”

“I understand,” I spoke, confused. “I will speak to Thaddeus; this doesn’t sound like him at all. We have done nothing but doted on her the day we met.” My hand went through my dirty hair. What could have happened in just those few hours I was gone?

“I know he was angry she didn’t listen to him, escaping her room and looking for you, but it was for good intentions. She has warrior b***d in her, strong b***d. It will only get stronger as I am closer to her, around her race. As far as other powers she may or may not have, I’m not sure. I’m no supernatural geneticist.”

Trinity had been acting differently since defeating Liz. Her body was changing because of Thaddeus and I and her father being in the area. Her strength was more potent than that of a human, but she was still the same loving mate I’ve always had.

“I’ll be sure to get to the bottom of it,” I promised Folen.

Once we entered the central courtyard to the packhouse, the scene was filled with Bergarian warriors. The truck was back that I had left at the shop, being unloaded by many omegas, helping set up the make-shift homes for the entire pack. Men and women had brought their weapons, bringing them to the fire while many began to sharpen their blades. Swords, spears, and other rudimentary weapons from home may not be enough to stop the gas bombs we had encountered. Another thought occurred to me that the enemy may be expecting this; guns with silver bullets flashed through my mind.

Many warriors wouldn’t be able to withstand it. Alpha’s have a hard enough time with silver planted into their bodies.

“Theon!” I heard a squeal from behind me. It was all too familiar, and Duke perked his ears up, yipping.

“Mom,” I turned, her short stature causing her head to hit the middle of my chest.

“You have grown! Look at those muscles!” she poked at my biceps while I laughed. Dad was right behind her, pulling her back into his arms.

“Hmm, your muscles aren’t as weak as I thought,” he said in his gruff voice. I laughed, knowing that Dad had his own way of complimenting. He slapped his hand on my back and pulled me into a hug. “Congratulations on finding your mate,” he whispered. “The best gift you will ever receive.” I smiled, giving him another strong hug.

“I’m glad you are both here,” I looked to Folen, looking helpless with Trinity’s mother in his arms.

“This is Folen, Trinity’s biological father, along with Trinity’s mother, who we thought was dead. She had been captured and is barely hanging on,” my hand went to pick up Evangeline’s hand. The pulse was still weak, cold, and clammy.

Mom gasped, walking towards Foles. “It is nice to meet you; we have been trying to find the mysterious warrior of the Elf clan. You are famous; it wasn’t hard to find out who you are.”

Foles bowed his head. “Thank you, your highness. No, not many elf warriors around anymore. Not since the Dark War.” Mom sighed heavily; flashes of gore from the battlefield before I was born must have filled her memories.

“My daughter, Mia, had many witches hunt for you, but they all said you were not in the Bergarian realm; we had hoped you were still here. I’m glad the goddess has led us all together.” Mom smiled, brushing Evangeline’s hair away from her face. “Let’s get her to the pack infirmary….” Mom’s breath hitched.

“She is poisoned.”

Mom’s gift, given by the goddess Charis when she was just a baby, had helped calm my father’s brutal temper but also evolved into healing flesh wounds. Mom’s aura alone could help tame the harshest of beasts. When a witch helped enhance her powers, Mom’s power broke into a powerful healing ability that should not have progressed until she was at least a thousand years old. Old royal werewolves were known for their minor magic abilities, but it was rare for mom to be so young.

“It will take some time to get rid of the toxin; we must hurry. Her pulse is weak.” Folen nodded while Mom took the lead. Dad pulled her into one last k**s before she brushed his cheek.

“Take care of the pack, babe. I’ll be in the clinic; I won’t leave without telling you.” Dad sighed, kissing Mom’s palm. They had an unspoken agreement, one in which mom gave up most of her freedom and always let Dad know where she was.

He almost lost her in the Dark War; the rampage he brought upon the battlefield was written in the history books as the most mighty battle almost won by one wolf.

“Where is your brother?” Dad spoke harshly. “There is a disturbance on the northern end of the territory. Bears are roaming the area, and we don’t know if they are rogue or friends from the neighboring territory.”

“With Trinity,” I spoke until harsh footsteps came up behind us.

“Thaddeus,” I bid hello. His hair was disheveled, dirty from yesterday tracking Trinity into the woods. His body language was a slump, not the usual shoulders back with pride.

“Dad,” he gave him a hug, a few pats on the back. “Glad you are here.” Dad hummed in agreement.

“I’m taking a squadron up to the northern part of the territory. Tend to your mate.” Thaddeus shook his head.

“No, I’m coming with you. I need to run.” Dad looked Thaddeus up and down, nodding his head while he went to the rest of the warriors to give a briefing.

“Trinity is in bed sleeping. You tend to her for a while.” Thaddeus stomped off, visibly upset.

What the hell? He never left Trinity and would spend every moment by her side, given a chance. My fists tightened, eyes narrowed. Something was really wrong; I felt it pulling in my chest. I raced up the stairs, ignoring all the “welcome backs.” Once I stood outside the double doors to our suite, I heard sobs on the other side.

Pushing the door open harshly, Trinity is on her knees, sitting on the bed. Tears were running down her face, weeping uncontrollably. “Baby, what is wrong?” I ran to her, engulfing her in my arms.

“Theon?” she questioned, her lashes full of tears; I pet her head. Her legs were dirty, her feet scratched up, and a mess. What the hell? Did Thaddeus not take care of her last night? I held onto her tightly while her fists pulled at my shirt.

“I’m so happy you are back; I was so worried.” I shushed her, rocking her slowly.

“I’m here now; everything is fine. Did you not think I would come back?” She shook her head.

“You must think so little of me,” I chuckled, pushing the tears away from her face with the pad of my thumb. “It would take a lot to keep me from you. Actually, nothing would keep me from you.” Her head tilted back, I kissed her wet face. Each tear that fell, I kissed the salty drops away.

“I wanted to be helpful; I didn’t like that Thaddeus couldn’t mind-link you. You were gone, and I was so afraid.” I shouldn’t laugh, I shouldn’t find it all so amusing, but I did. My little warrior cared about me so much she defied her other mate to come to find me. It was flattering and let me know she cared.

“I’m here now, so no more crying,” I ordered. Trinity shook her head again.

“Thaddeus is angry with me,” she sobbed. My shirt was a wet mess, but I held on to her, not letting her go. “He hasn’t spoken to me, I tried to talk to him, but he stomped out of the door. I tried to say I was sorry.”

Thaddeus was a prick.

“Babe, Thaddeus isn’t much of a talker. He’s like our Dad; he likes to ball things up inside and not talk. It isn’t an excuse, but that is what he does. Thaddeus doesn’t want to say anything he would regret.” Trinity’s tight grip loosened on my shirt.

“I need to you something, but I need Thaddeus here too,” I tilted my head in puzzled. Trinity’s eyes were puffy, red, and her poor little lips were swollen from biting them too hard.

“Anything for you, my mate.” I picked her up, carrying her outside. Not caring if anyone saw my strong mate cry. Hell, she should have cried more in the past few days learning about our ways. I’m an Alpha, and I would have cried too.

Thaddeus had his back to us; Trinity wiggled down and pulled on the back of his shirt. “Can we talk,” she whispered. Thaddeus stared down at Trinity; her l*p wobbled. Pulling her back to my chest, I wrapped my arms around her waiting for Thaddeus to agree.

“I’m busy; we are leaving for the north, bears are circling the area. We can talk when I come back.” Trinity’s tear ran down her face again. Gods, why is he being a prick?

“Please, Thaddeus. Just five minutes,” she begged.

“No, I’ll be back.” Thaddeus didn’t bother to take off his clothes, he began to shift, but it wasn’t his usual shift. He shifted larger into a two-legged creature. His arms were long, along with his claws. The bastard could half shift now, and I was jealous as f**k.

“No way!” I yelled excitedly. Dad ran over, the biggest grin I had seen on him in a long time.

“That’s it! Damn, and I missed it!” Trinity’s head went straight for my chest, fisting her hands into my shirt. Her body trembled as Thaddeus’ beast roared. There were cheers, but Trinty moved her hands over her ears. Is this why she was so afraid yesterday? Folen explicitly said she was fearful, and now she holds onto me for dear life.

Thaddeus must not have explained.

Thaddeus took off into the woods, many wolves following behind. I pulled Trinity from my chest, but her face continued to be buried, shaking her head violently. “Baby, it’s alright,” pulled her away. Kissing her forehead, her cheeks, and finally her lips. She calmed, feeling the sparks, the warmth under our skin touches.

“What is wrong, little warrior?”

“I made him that way,” she sniffed. “He’s so mad at me he turned into that,” she pointed to the woods. Confused, I looked at her and the woods she pointed to. Did she think he was so angry he shifted into a monster?

“You know that is normal, right?” Trinity’s brows furrowed. “Royal werewolves can half shift, shifting into a tall wolf that walks on hind legs like that. Thaddeus and I haven’t been able to do the half form yet, but he did yesterday. He was worried for you, and he shifted. It is a big deal that he could do at a young age. You didn’t cause him to turn into a monster. Sure, he was angry because you didn’t listen, but it helped him transform to a new higher power.” She sighed, still trembling.

“My Dad can do it; my grandfather can do it. It’s normal for us; I’m sorry he didn’t explain that to you.” My finger swiped away another tear. Do you feel a little better now? Thaddeus was being prick; not talking to you was the worst thing, but he did have good intentions, just like you did when you went to look for me. Thaddeus didn’t want to say anything he would regret.” Trinity nodded; I pulled her into another hug. Squeezing me back, she relaxed.

Damn, we all need therapy.

“Now, what did you want to talk to Thaddeus and me about?” Trinity gave a heavy sigh, not letting her arms leave my waist.

“I wanted to tell you both at the same time,” she muttered. I chuckled, kissing her forehead.

“Well, he’s being a bit of a fucktard, isn’t he?” Trinity giggled. Gods, I wanted to hear more. “How about you tell me since he wouldn’t listen to you?” I wanted to know what she was thinking, what she wanted to tell us both. Was she ready to officially accept us?

“It’s just that there isn’t a perfect way to say it.” My heart stopped. f**k, she wasn’t going to reject us now, was she? My grip tightened around her.

“Tell me what you are thinking, babe,” whispered in her ear.

“That I love you, I love you both so much. Sorry, it took so long in werewolf time to tell you. But I love you both with all my heart and I couldn’t imagine my life being complete without you in it. Even if Thaddeus can be hard to talk to sometimes,” she chuckled.

I picked her up by her waist, spinning her around. Squealing in the air, other wolves looked on and laughed, knowing our PDA wasn’t anything to be shy about. “And I love you, Trinity,” yelled for the pack to hear. I kissed her on her lips. While she let me into her sweet mouth, I mind-linked Thaddeus.

“I won the challenge,” I taunted.

“The f**k you talking about?” Thaddeus growled back at me.

“If you weren’t being a d**k and waited for five minutes, she would have told you she loved you.”

“I’m coming back,” his voice grew soft.

My mouth was still on Trinity; her tears had dried, her soft k****s ignited a fire. Tongues were intertwined while I held her by the base of her back and neck. A gentle tapping on my shoulder caught my attention; Thaddeus was standing in the nude out of breath, watching us intently.

Thaddeus’ head was down, his hand held out for Trinity. Her hand didn’t hesitate; she slipped it right into hers. “I’m sorry,” Thaddeus’ voice cracked.

Hell hath frozen over. He said sorry.

“I don’t have a way with words. I was scared if I spoke, I would hurt you.” Shaking his head, Trinity opened her arms, wrapping her arms around his torso.

“Don’t shut me out, yell at me, talk to me. I thought I made you turn into a monster.” Thaddeus’ eyes widened.

“You thought?” Thaddeus fumbled over his words.

“Yeah, you d**k, she thought you were so mad you turned into a different species. She was so damn upset. She was crying when you left her in the bed too. You have to pay attention.” Thaddeus’ face became red, his arms immediately pulled Trinity up. His nose was buried in her hair.

“I’m so sorry, little warrior.”

“I love you, Thaddeus,” she whispered in his ear. Swearing, I saw his eyes glisten; I came up behind Trinity, kissing her neck. We all stood in the middle of the courtyard, passing Trinity to one another as we kissed her lovingly. Our opened mouth k****s trailed down her shoulders, where we would mark her. Our hands roamed her body. We were in our own little world, trying to give Trinity the love she deserved.

“As much as I like a good mating out in the open, you are my sons, and I can’t watch that,” Dad’s voice was severe through the link.

Thaddeus and I both looked up. Thaddeus had a raging boner, and several warriors were sitting on a log, eating popcorn and hotdogs from the dining hall. Like it was a damn movie theater.

“Three gold coins Thaddeus does her in the a*s when he marks her.” The other wolf snorted.

“We all know Theon would take the p***y. You got a bet on something better. I say Trinity ends up taking them both in her p***y.”

Trinity gasped, burying her head in my chest. “Can we go somewhere more private?” She whispered. Her cheeks were as bright as her hair. Scoping her up, we ran to the packhouse to mate with our other half.