“She is wolf, Callum, but your people accepted and loved her as human. They showed that when she was injured and they showed it in the short time they thought she passed yesterday by instantly shifting into widespread mourning,” Gregor explained to Callum and looked back at Sonia. His voice dipped low and there was deep, unmistakable emotion threading though it when he told her, “This was not easy. It wasn’t easy for Regan. For Mac. For your parents. For me and Yuri. We did not suffer as you did, Sonny, but we suffered. We hated it, every moment and, my dear, in comparison with our lives, yours has been short but, trust me, making you endure what you endured all of your short life felt like an eternity.”
Sonia felt her face get soft as she felt some of the anger sift out of the room but Callum wasn’t finished being livid.
“Now that you’ve explained that, can you explain why you didn’t tell me, at least, so perhaps, even if I couldn’t have talked to my mate about it, I would maybe have been able to do something, fucking anything, to make it easier on my wife?”
“It’s obvious,” Gregor returned.
“What’s obvious is, she’s my mate. I would accept her however she came to me. It’s the wolf way,” Callum fired back.
“Humans, as you know, are not wolves,” Gregor retorted.
“Please, do not try my patience further by telling me things I already know,” Callum warned, his tone deadly.
“You had to accept her as human, too, Callum,” Gregor told him. “Her frailties. The understanding of her life being short. Your love for her as human and demonstrated with such ferocity was essential. You went so far as to go against all your instincts as a werewolf and allow a vampire to feed from your mate in an effort to ease her pain. If you knew, this trial you had to best would not have been bested. Wolves, vampires, all immortals would understand you would love her however she came to you but humans needed that statement to be made and I’m sure we’ll all agree it was a compelling one.”
Sonia heard Callum draw a sharp, annoyed breath in through his nose.
He understood. He didn’t like it but he understood.
“All of it,” Regan put in and everyone looked to her but she was looking at Sonia, “was carefully planned from well before your parents died.” Her eyes moved to Lucien and Leah. “Once your situation… well, commenced, we put into action our plan.” She looked at her son. “As The Prophesies foretold, Lucien and Leah had to be mated then you and Sonia had to find each other.” Again, her eyes went to Sonia. “Wolf children, as you know, sweetheart, age far slower than humans do and part of giving you that injection was to force your aging process to accelerate to a human one so that you and Callum could find each other at the right time. If not, right now, by wolf age, you’d be just over seven human years old. Instead, you’re an adult female and thus could be mated to your king.”
“Now that I’m not taking the injection, is my aging going to slow again?” Sonia asked and Regan shook her head.
“No, you’re locked here, Sonny. Your development has stopped as it would naturally around this age as wolf. Unfortunately, however, you now must learn how to be wolf but,” she smiled, “not woman.”
This was true. Yesterday, her wedding day of all days had started out wonderful but it ended not all that fun. She didn’t remember “dying” (fortunately) but she did remember waking and transforming almost immediately to wolf. It scared her silly and more, her wolf instincts to find her mate taking over and making her new body not at her mind’s command, scared her more. It got worse when she found Callum and couldn’t communicate with him nor did she know how to turn back to human. It was pure luck and a huge amount of desire that made her able to do it.
Callum had told her that morning before they had their confrontation with the family that he’d work with her, teach her, they’d transform together and he’d take her out running.
She was looking forward to that.
She was also looking forward to being her age for eternity. That was far from a bad thing, never growing old, never getting wrinkled and gray but best of all, her husband not having to watch her do it.
“Why did she die?” Lucien asked and Sonia focused her attention on the vampire because she thought his was a very good question.
“She didn’t. Her human did,” Yuri stated.
“Explain that,” Lucien ordered and Yuri’s jaw got tight at the command.
Then he looked to Sonia. “You know, of course, that wolf DNA is dominant.”
She nodded.
Yuri went on, “That does not mean you don’t have your mother’s DNA as well. It’s latent and when the wolf DNA was suppressed, as explained, it came to the fore. Regan and Father have been titrating you off the medication now for weeks, the actual dose smaller and smaller even if the injection was the same amount, the rest was taken with vitamins and hormones that would not alter or harm you. You didn’t actually die since you cannot die as an immortal. However, your body did shut down to finalize the change.” He looked to Callum. “We also knew this would happen. It was explained by the physicians who created the injection, it was closely monitored and the ill-effects, which could have been worse, were calculated, controlled and monitored so they weren’t. Last, it was necessary, if difficult to witness and experience.”
“Difficult is not the word I’d use,” Callum gritted out and Sonia moved to him.
The instant she got close, he curled an arm around her shoulders and pulled her front deep into his side. She rested her hand on his stomach, wrapped her other arm around his back and pressed closer
“It was hideous, Callum, for all of us, not just you. Do you think it was easy keeping this from you? From Sonny?” Yuri asked.
“I would suspect it was easier keeping it from us than it was for us, living your lies,” Callum shot back and a muscle ticked in Yuri’s jaw, nonverbally acceding the point.
“It’s my understanding, Lassiter and Cherise Arlington were assassinated by the wolf rebellion,” Lucien stated at this point and a different feel came to the room, a feel Sonia decided was not good considering how tight Callum’s body became beside her. “Is that true?” he asked Gregor.
Again Gregor drew in breath before he admitted, “No. They were assassinated by vampires.”
“What?” Sonia breathed but no one answered her.
“My father,” Lucien clipped and Sonia felt her body jerk in surprise as her eyes shot to him.
She saw Leah’s face was knowing and angry and her eyes were also on her husband.
“Yes,” Gregor confirmed. “Etienne with a retinue of vampires and werewolves who disagreed with Lassiter’s efforts within the American Government to lay the groundwork for immortals and mortals to live peacefully with the knowledge of each other hunted Lassiter and Cherise and murdered them.”
Sonia’s heart squeezed.
“I do not believe this,” Lucien hissed and Sonia pressed closer to Callum because the vampire was angry, quietly but terrifyingly so.
“You know you mustn’t precipitate The Prophesies,” Gregor warned, to Sonia, confusingly. Then again, this entire turn of the conversation was confusing.
“Have the last lifemates been located?” Lucien returned.
“Not yet,” Gregor answered.
“I suggest you find them, Gregor. Talk to The Dominion,” his eyes cut to Callum, “you request an audience with the Oracles.”
“Done,” Callum grunted.
“This must play out as it’s intended to play out,” Regan hurriedly put in.
“Etienne,” Lucien stated then looked to Sonia and explained curtly, “my father,” he looked back to Regan, “harmed my mate, touched her, terrified her, sent her running from me and into what could have been danger or even death from her own fucking dreams. He murdered Sonia’s parents. And yet he runs free.” Finally, he looked to Gregor. “I have been patient, Gregor, as I promised I would be but I will warn you, my patience is running out.”
“Mine evaporated five minutes ago,” Callum
declared and Sonia pressed even closer to her mate.
“The Prophesies state that, once the second lifemates meet, the third will be fast on their heels,” Gregor explained.
“Let’s hope that’s true,” Callum replied.
“So far, they all have been true,” Gregor retorted.
The room fell silent on this not altogether (though some of it was) happy news.
Regan broke it by asking, “Now that this unpleasant business is over, can we have a lovely meal, celebrate the bride and groom and then get them on a plane so they can enjoy their honeymoon?”
“Yes,” Callum agreed but continued, “And about that.” He looked to Ryon. “The two weeks we planned just turned into two months.” His eyes swept Calder and Caleb as Sonia’s heart stopped squeezing so it could swell with happiness. A two month honeymoon was very good news. “Adjust your plans. Sonia and I won’t return until then.”
“And hopefully I’ll be pregnant when we return,” Sonia announced and Callum dipped his chin to look down at her.
“You won’t be pregnant,” he declared.
She looked up at him. “We’ll see.”
“We won’t see. You won’t be pregnant,” he repeated his declaration and Sonia’s swelling heart turned into swelling anger.
“Callum, you don’t get to be King Callum when we’re discussing starting a family and thus what you say just goes,” she snapped.
“Sonia, you don’t get to be Queen Sonia when we’re discussing starting a family and thus you being pretty, beloved and recently, for all intents and purposes, dead, does not mean what you say goes either.”
“Perhaps we can discuss this later, wolf,” she snapped.
“Oh, we’ll discuss it later,” he leaned down so he was nose-to-nose with her, “wolf.”
Her heart fluttered at her mate calling her wolf even if it did this while she was angry.
“Great, now can we eat?” Calder asked. “Or do we all have to stand around and watch you two bicker for the next half an hour?”
“Let’s eat. I’m starved. Sonia dying then suddenly coming back to life and morphing into wolf, freaking me out because I didn’t fucking know she was wolf, put me off my food last night,” Caleb stated as he started sauntering to the door. “Time to party and by that I mean, stuff ourselves and drink until we’re sick.”
Sonia forgot to be irritated mostly because she thought Caleb was hilarious.
“The town is feasting now and the fireworks are rescheduled to go off tonight. I know you’re keen to be away, Cal, but it might be nice if you and Sonia took some time to make an appearance before you board the plane,” Ryon suggested, getting close.
“Set that up,” Callum ordered, shifting and beginning to move Sonia toward the door.
Ryon nodded and moved away.
Sonia got close to her husband and requested, “Later, can you tell me what that last part was about, the part with Lucien and his father and Leah’s dreams killing her?”
“I will, little one, once I find out from Lucien what the parts I don’t know about were about,” Callum muttered irritably and Sonia suppressed a grin.
Regan got closer and, even with Sonia curled in Callum’s arm, she shoved hers through Sonia’s.
“Are you angry at me, sweetheart?” she asked Sonia softly.
“Of course not, Regan,” Sonia answered softly and felt Callum’s arm tense around her as Regan pressed closer. “All of that wasn’t easy, on any of us. But now it’s over.”
They moved toward the door, Regan smiled at Sonia then leaned partly across her, her eyes lifting up to her son. “Are you angry at me, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” Callum replied, Regan and Sonia tensed but Callum went on, “but I’ll get over it after fireworks and when I’m on a plane taking my bride on our honeymoon.”
Regan looked at Sonia and grinned.
Sonia grinned back.
Regan let Sonia go so she and Callum could walk through the door but Sonia turned back so she could aim her smile at Gregor.
She saw his eyes move to Callum’s back before they came again to her and he sighed.
Her smile got bigger.
Then she went with her groom to the dining room to feast with her family in celebration.
In other words, with abandon.
Like a wolf.
* * * * * *
Callum stood at the front door waiting for his bride to join him so he could take her into town, let their people see them healthy, happy and, for Sonia, alive and watch fireworks before he finally took her away to somewhere it would only be them for a good, long time.
He figured he had a wait since he could hear Sonia giggling with Leah, Kerry, Mabel, Mara, Callie, Regan and fucking Caleb and they were all doing it drunkenly.
Listening to their happiness and hilarity, he looked to his boots and grinned.
His wife was wolf and the sounds of her drunken cheerfulness, embracing all that she was, were far from unwelcome.
His head came up when he smelled vampire.
He watched as Gregor approached him and braced. He knew what was coming.
“We must talk,” Gregor said low when he got close.
“You’re correct,” Callum agreed. “Not now. When we return.”
“This will happen fast,” Gregor told him.
“My mate died yesterday regardless of the fact she didn’t. She’s wolf. We have not had but scant time alone. We’re taking it and we’re celebrating. When we return, we’ll talk. And when I return, you’ll show me The Prophesies,” Callum replied.
“Callum, we cannot –”
Callum leaned into the vampire. “You’ll show me The Prophesies,” he growled.
Gregor pulled in a deep breath before he nodded.
Then he stated, “She’s wolf and that explains her senses amongst other things but you know she has additional abilities.”
“Her affinity with wildlife, her dreams,” Callum confirmed.
“We must understand that,” Gregor stated.
“First, she and I will,” Callum told him.
“Callum, we’re preparing for war,” Gregor reminded him.
“I’m aware of that, far more than you since it’s myself and my mate who will be in the thick of it, Gregor. And any warrior knows, prior to war and after it, you savor the beauty of life so you always have close exactly what you’re fighting for.”
Gregor held his eyes then he inclined his head.
He turned and started to move away before he stopped and turned back.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“For what?” Callum asked.
Gregor stared into Callum’s eyes.
“Making her happy.”
Then, in a blink, the vampire was gone.
“Jesus,” Callum muttered to the space where Gregor disappeared.
He heard Sonia’s giggle.
His mood shifted and he grinned.
Then he bellowed, “Sonia! Wolf! Get your ass out here!”
“Patience, wolf!” he heard his bride bellow back and his grin turned into a wide, white smile.
* * * * *
The fire in the cabin’s grate roaring, Callum, flat on his back on the couch, heard the door to the bathroom open and his wife’s feet padding on the floors
His eyes caught her as she rounded the end of the couch and walked to him, hair in a towel, body encased in a short robe.
He moved only his hands to settle on her hips as she moved over him to settle astride him.
She leaned down, her face irritated, and she rested her forearms in his chest.
“Guess what,” she ordered.
“What?” he asked, fighting a grin, knowing from her disgruntled tone and the times they’d been through this before exactly what.
She lifted one hand away, jerked at the towel and her dark, wet hair tumbled around her face and shoulders. “Project So Much Bleach Marilyn Monroe Would Balk was a failure. Wolf hair is immune to peroxide,” she announced.
<
br /> His hands slid up her sides, drawing her closer as they did and his lips twitched. “Baby doll, this has now been proved five times.”
“You want me blonde,” she pointed out.
He did. He missed her golden hair. The mahogany was beautiful but he fell in love with a blonde.
“With time, I’ll get used to it,” he muttered.
“How much time, a century? Three?” she asked, still disgruntled.
“Maybe four,” he answered while fighting his grin.
She glared at him then her glare melted as her body melted into his and she whispered like she still couldn’t wrap her mind around it but it made her blissfully happy all the same, “Maybe four. I have four centuries with you and more.”
His arms circled her. “Yes, my little one, four centuries and more,” his arms gave her a squeeze, “and about the time we hit four, we’ll be ready to start a family.”
Her eyes flashed, the brown spiking out to obliterate the green.
Perfect. She was getting angry.
That meant a tussle.
Which meant that tussle would end phenomenally.
His arms got tighter.
Suddenly, the brown receded and her hand slid up to curl around the side of his neck.
“You brought me home for our honeymoon,” she said quietly and Callum felt his brows draw together.
“Sorry, baby doll?”
She vaguely threw out a hand. “This has always been home to me,” she explained. “My parent’s cabin, our cabin. Where I brought you when I first met you even though I didn’t know it was you. The only home, until you gave me the castle, that I ever knew. And you brought me here for our honeymoon.” She bent even closer, brushed her mouth to his and whispered against his lips. “Perfect.”
It was.
She was.
Everything was.
Apparently, they weren’t going to tussle, they were going to do something else and Callum found he was fine with that.
He was again wrong.
“Can we run?” she asked, her thumb sweeping the thick stubble on his jaw.
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