The Sovereign Heir (Book 1)

“Let me get this straight, Elaina, my mate, is just like Elijah. As in Elijah the forefather of all super naturals!”

“I think your mate is hanging on the cliff of a mental breakdown.” I glared at my brother, “Shut it, Bryant. Give him time to digest it all.” I take my mate’s hand into mine, giving it a squeeze, “Babe, look at me, just breathe through it. I know it is a lot to take in. My grandmother speaks up, “Young Prince, understand Elaina did not have a choice in this. It was out of our control. Trust me when I say we all wanted a different life for her.”

We answer all of his questions to the best of our ability. One thing is certain, it gave Nolan great comfort knowing he wasn’t crazy all those times I would pop back in from missions. The hardest thing it took him to grasp was my eventual immortality. None of us had an answer for him, but we knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when and how.

“Nolan, bro, if it’s any consolation, Elaina could have easily killed you earlier with little to no effort. She has learned exactly how much force to use and when to pull out all the stops.”

It is starting to dawn on him what my brother just said. I could see the kaleidoscope of his thoughts. “Trust me, babe, I wasn’t trying to hurt you..much, just trying to get your attention and I won’t lie, I was a bit peeved with you for treating me like an invalid. I am sorry for my overreacting. You will never have to worry about me ever truly hurting you.” Nolan let out a shaky breath, “Laina, I deserved it, well most of it. I should have never tried to stop you. I’m sure if you hadn’t, I would have never believed you.”

After our deep dialogue with my mate, he was not in a place to drive us back to the mansion. I had his guards go ahead of us; I knew he would rather be alone with just me on the ride home. “One last question for the night, after your birthday, we only have forty five years until you’ll have to face Allister and put him down permanently?”

I blew out a breath, “Yes, technically and that’s a rough estimate. It could be sooner or slightly later. I have to be completely immortal before that happens. Unlike my relatives, they can live an eternity so long as they do not sustain any fatal injuries. For me, it will be the total opposite. A perk is you are my mate, what’s mine is yours, literally.”

Nolan has one more lingering question he was afraid to ask, so I answered it for him. “My vampire genes can sustain me with blood if circumstances call for it, the weaker the source the less effective it is. This is why vampires only feed from each other, specifically their mates or unmated volunteers to maintain the species population.”

We had gotten to the mansion late in the afternoon, we were both mentally exhausted. Nolan sent word to Ms. Brown we would be staying upstairs this evening for dinner. Nolan told me on the ride home Alexus came clean with being mated to Maddox. He gave her his blessing; it would be his father that would throw a monkey wrench in their plans.

I think I could persuade him to let them be. I had to promise to not put on a show like I did back at my parents’ house. Nolan swears it would give his father a heart attack, he might be right. I don’t think King Alder’s pro masculine ego could handle it. My mate began playing with my hair, causing my eyes to slowly close.

I woke up to the moon beaming into the room, Nolan is watching television with the volume down to almost mute. “Hey, there sleepy head. We have a guest.” What was he talking about? Guest? What guest? “Huh”. Yana bounds on the bed, rubbing between us. She was so determined to be where I was.

“You never told me Yana was more than a cat.” Oops, totally left that part out of my big reveal. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know how it slipped my mind.” Yana curls up on Nolan. “She did keep me company while you slept those three days. I had no idea she could teleport. I sent Charles out to get some essentials in case she wants to stay longer. Does she always look like a cat? I have to ask after everything I know so far.”

He was in for a rude awakening, “Yana is my familiar, she is definitely more than a cat. She doesn’t always look like a cat. You’d have to see it to believe it. Yana will be here indefinitely, she wanted me to tell you about her last weekend so she could move in.”

Nolan looks so confused, “Oh, yeah she talks but not with her mouth. Hey, I think since the moon is mostly full we should go for a run together, let out some pent up energy.” Yana orbs out heading downstairs to get her grub on, leaving us alone. Nolan turns off the television, leaning in and kisses my forehead. “Let’s go for a run then, Princess.”

Did Someone Say Shift

We took my Tahoe out to the more rugged areas of Nolan’s vast property since I have all wheel drive. “Stop here, Love, the guards know to stay out of sight so you can shift in privacy.” I park my truck, took off my flip flops, tossing them into the back seat. We get out and both undress. I crack my knuckles and roll my shoulders; this would be the first time anyone outside my immediate circle saw me shift in any form.

I am a bit nervous doing this in front of him, which was ridiculous, he has seen me naked up close a personal at that. “Okay, Nolan, here I go.” The shift is instant, I am over a two feet taller with jet black fur with gold tips. I look over at Nolan who just finished shifting to a sandy blonde colored Lycan. “You’re so beautiful, even like this. Hella intimidating, but still beautiful.” He was making me bashful. “Thank you, babe, ready when you are.”

Nolan and I are flying through the woods a lightning speed, he is able to keep up with me better than I anticipated. I didn’t go full throttle like I know I can. I leap into a tree looking out at the forest, Nolan joins me enjoying the scenery. I caught the scent of a deer running off in another direction.

“My love, want to make a wager that I can catch it first.” Like my mate could out run me, “You’re on, but no killing. We aren’t hungry, a soft catch and release, deal?”

Nolan agreed not to kill the deer if he caught it. I catch up to it, cutting the stag off cornering it between a boulder, it freezes in place, then approaches me dipping his head to me. I rub between its antlers and down his back.

Nolan approaches stunned the stag allowed me to touch it in Lycan form. “You lost the bet, babe, what do I win?” Not sure if Lycan’s could smirk but this one certainly was. “Whatever you want, Love.” He shouldn’t have said that; he has no idea what I have brewing in my head. “How do you feel about a few lessons in a pocket dimension of my own creation?” Nolan now looks nervous, wondering what I’ve cooked up. “Trust me, it will be fun, you’ll love it.” We run back to the truck, shift back and dress.

Yana is waiting for us at the garage door, she wants to know if she could explore the area with permission. “Of course you can, you’re free to go wherever you want, Nolan wouldn’t mind.” Nolan links me, ”Yana is asking me for permission to leave?” How could I put this, so he understands.

“She is a familiar and they live by a certain code, this is not only my home but yours. The property is originally yours, as my mate it is courtesy to ask permission not only from me but also of the mate once the marking is complete. It is a witchy thing; she wants permission to explore the property.”

I shrug hoping I answered his question instead of creating more. Yana orbs out; I could see her running off into the tree line through the garage. I told her not to kill anything unless she was absolutely hungry, didn’t need her bringing back any carcasses as gifts tonight.

Back in our room we shower together, and while I have him in a good mood I might as well bring it up now. “I need to interrogate Ashton, before you object hear me out. No one will be able to crack whatever spell or influence his mind is under but me. I will be able to detect any traps hidden in his psyche.”

Nolan is fuming with me, trying so very hard to not blow up. “I really don’t want you around that piece of shit wolf, he could have raped you and killed you!” In truth he could have, but from what I gathered, they needed me alive for their plan to work. Even with my gifts neutralized, I would have ripped his balls off.

“None of the witches will be able to break through, it is a spell using a sun stone. That is something no one is familiar with outside of theory and myth. I personally have intimate history with sun stones.”

Nolan rolls his eyes at me, “Of course you would. To change the subject slightly, what is it you plan on training me on tomorrow?” He isn’t going to win this one, I will get in Ashton’s head with or without his consent. I pray he doesn’t piss his pants, but here goes, “Do you own a pair of goggles?” He raises his eyebrows before answering me, “Yes… why do I suddenly feel like a guinea pig.” In a way he is going to be, but in a good way. “You’ll be fine, Yana will be coming too.”