SWNOVELS Chapter Twenty-Five
I got a few mottled responses of okay. Clearly there was a chance they wouldn't like it, but were going to tough through it.
"Top floor Romania and Russia. Romania will have the left wing, Russia to the north. Under them, British, Serbian and Irish Packs, British will have the right wing Ireland to the north."
The rep from Brittan stood to protest, until he heard Kai step up behind me, glaring him down. Like a skittish pup he sat in his seat.
"First floor will be Hungary to the right and America-Ponca Pack will have the first floor, north. Prince Malakai and I will be staying with them. King Oran will be taking his wing. Any issues between packs will be handled by the Alphas of the packs involved. If you feel that you cannot come to an agreement alone, you will then address Prince Malakai and myself for aide. If we feel the need to involve our King we will make that decision. Any questions?"
A hand went up on my left, it was Scott.
"Yes?"
"Where will Prince Luca and Lady Sarah be?"
I sighed, here we go. "I will speak with you privately about that. Any others?"
The rep from Serbia stood and bowed respectfully. "You're Highness?"
"Milos."
"Thank you for assisting us in settling this dispute. Serbia is proud to serve you in your great battle. I will advise my alpha upon his arrival. When should we expect our packs?"
"Tell your packs to arrive within the next 5 days. We want them settled and comfortable before the mating ceremony," Kai spoke from behind me. "Dismissed."
All of the reps left to call their Alphas. I hugged Kai, knowing Scott was still there to deal with.
You've got this Luna. He won't have a choice but to respect your command.
He's not going to be happy. Be prepared for that.
My uncle hasn't been happy since I told him who Sarah's mate was.
He doesn't like my brother?
No it's not that. He knows what it means for the people. He knows the evil is coming.
Oh...
Sure enough when I turned around, Scott was waiting on the other side of the table.
Luca you better leave. Go help Sarah calm down, she was upset when we got back.
"Scott, Luca and Sarah are staying in the main Palace."
I watched as his face turned red and he boosted up with anger.
"WHAT!!!!!" He bellowed. "You think that I'M about to agree to this. She is MY daughter."
"SHE IS A MATED WOMAN SCOTT!" I shot back. "If you think you can control her you're wrong. She is free to make her own choices and has been since the day you made her come to the states. She may be your daughter, but she is her own person. She's staying here and that's final. It was her decision and I am backing her on it."
He stormed out of the hall, no doubt on his way to go yell at his daughter through a locked door. I fell back into Kai who rubbed my back.
"I swear that boy is as stubborn as his mother," Oran chuckled.
I hadn't realized he was still there and was immediately horrified. "I'm so sorry you saw that my King."
Oran was now full on laughing. It took me a moment to realize he was proud of me. "Young Princess, let me just say, that was the best I have seen you. I have yet to find someone aside from me that can put that man in his place, twice. You are no doubt an Alpha in your own right. Wolf or not, you will be a great Queen for them."
With that he gave me a gentle squeeze and headed off to his chambers. What Scott didn't know was that Sarah and Luca already had completed the second half of the mating ceremony, not that I was supposed to know, but I had caught the marks left behind, somehow, by my brother's bite. I had cornered her about it in the shoe shop today.
"What?" Kai said surprised. We had just entered our room. I hadn’t realized that I had opened my thoughts to him or that he was listening. "When did that happen? Who ordered it?"
"You weren't meant to know until after our ceremony. Please don't be upset. The Council of Elders ordered it the day we arrived. Oran did it in private, Emilia and Don stood as witnesses. They've all been silenced til our Ceremony."
He looked upset. "I know why we couldn't do it."
"Why?"
"We aren't mated ourselves. That’s why the plan was always us first. So we could stand with them."
"What about them standing with us?"
"That wouldn't have mattered. I'm an Alpha. I can have my Beta there."
LEAH!!! Luca's voice screamed in my mind. I dropped to my knees from the pain he was in.
"Leah? What is it?"
"Luca, something's wrong. We need to go to the spell room."
Malakai picked me up and carried me to the room. We got there using his wolf speed. When we walked in Sarah was on the couch, it looked like she was sleeping, but I knew better.
"She just passed out, but she's still breathing. Leah what's wrong with her?"
I touched my brother's shoulder calming him. "I'll find out, just sit and relax. Please."
Emilia, Don and Scott walked in then. My aunt nodded to me. I nodded back and took a deep breath. Kneeling next to her I placed one hand on her head and the other on her heart. Instantly our spirits were transferred to the Great Mother's spirit realm.
"Daughters, welcome." She smiled at us. "Please come and walk with me."
"Why are we here? What is this place?" Sarah asked.
Meara smiled. "This is my realm. It is what the earth looked like when I lived on it. Leah, thank you for bringing her."
"Of course, but before we get to her, may I ask something."
"The answer to your question is yes. You are my child. While your earthly mother gave birth to you I created you in my image. You have as much power as me because you are mine directly. But yes you also belong to your father. Though he doesn't know that I am the reason you exist as so. I saw long before your birth that my sister was coming. Shortly after I left your mother once you and Luca were born, Aideen began to wedge her way in. Fighting all the protective walls I placed around her to protect you both."
"So the term doppelgänger isn't exactly correct?"
She smiled, "Yes and no. In the terms meant by people now a days yes, but if you were to have existed in my time, you would just have been my daughter."
"Oh," I paused taking that in. "So why is Sarah here?"
We stopped as a little girl ran after a wolf pup a little smaller than her. My eyes locked on the little girls face. She looked like Luca did. Her eyes were an iridescent blue, and her hair was curly like mine but a darker brown like Sarah's. The pup had fur much like Kai and bright green eyes. I spun around to Meara a big smile on my face.
"OHMYGOSH NO!" I couldn’t hide my excitement. "Sarah!!!!"
"Great Mother, I can't be. The war is coming, how will I fight? How will I protect the people?"
"This is the path for you. It will not be easy. But you have a great and powerful healer with you." Meara spoke. Then she kissed both our foreheads, blessing us.
I opened my eyes with a big smile on my face. "She's fine." I stood up backing up from her. I knew she was just lying there with her eyes closed refusing to face Luca and her father.
"Sarah, baby, open your eyes."
Reluctantly she peeked them open and sat up. She was pale but I knew she wouldn't be sick. Not just yet. Tomorrow was another story. I sat across the room with a giant smirk on my face. She glared at me.
"Leah, clearly you know, why don’t you tell us what's going on?" Scott asked.
"I think I'll let Sarah handle this one."
Everyone turned to her and Luca. He had clearly been told judging by the somber look on his face. I was almost sure he was going to pass out.
"Daddy, I need you to promise to not get upset and I need you not to kill Luca."
"Why would I want to?"
"Well first of all, we are mated. The Elder Council made us do that a while ago."
"Certainly can't blame either of you for that. Sweetie what is it."
"I'm pregnant, apparently."
Emilia looked at her shocked. "The Great Mother's doing no doubt."
"Auntie, stop." I defended.
She looked at me and noticed that something in me had changed too. "What did she tell you child."
"That is a conversation I need to have with papa and Luca first."
Kai took my hand and lead me out, "Congrats you two. Luca let me know if she needs anything."
He nodded and gave me a sad smile. "Thanks sis."
When we were back in our room, Kai pulled me close and rubbed my back. "Emilia will come around. She just doesn't understand the Mother's plan. I still think it hurts her that she could never have any of her own."
"I know, I feel for her."
"What did the Mother have to say to you? From the way you put Emilia in her place it sounded serious. You don't have to tell me though."
"You're my mate, it's different." I sighed, "She told me that I'm her daughter."
"We are all her children."
I shook my head, "No Malakai. She made me. She was with my father when I was conceived, not my mother. She just used my mother as a vessel. I'm her Daughter. Luca is her son. She recreated her children. We're the only ones powerful enough to stop Aideen. That is why I look like Meara."
"Are you certain Leah," Malakai asked.
"As certain as I am that I love you. She told me herself."
"That's a lot to take in. How are you feeling?"
I flopped back on the couch. "Overwhelmed, stunned, enlightened. I understand why my father said all he did about my mother. It all made sense the way she said it."
I opened my mind to him then and let him into the memory. It only took him a second to realize how serious I was. He kissed my forehead. "My Luna."
When we pulled apart I noticed him trying to hide the sadness in his eyes.
"What is it?" I begged.
"I'm worried about you, about Sarah, what if all this just brings us more sadness. What if something happens to the pups?"
"Pup, only one of them had wolf abilities."
He looked at me confused. "That's impossible, the wolf gene is always a given."
"Maybe the Great Mother is bending that, seems as both her children are mated to wolves. Maybe our children wont both be wolves."
"Or maybe, the wolf pup wasn't Sarah's. The Mother never confirmed twins and that pup was smaller."
I looked down at my own stomach. "But we aren't mated yet?"
"Our ceremony isn't that far away though; and we agreed we weren't really going to wait. Is that still true?"
"Of course! But one of us is supposed to have twins. So it doesn't make any sense." I sighed very frustrated. "Let me take another look at it."
Luca burst in. "Not alone you don't especially after what Sarah just saw."
"What do you mean?"
"She's having TWINS! Leah are you positive?"
I silently shook my head.