by Erin R Flynn
“Good morning, Lady Seraphine,” Alok greeted me with a deep nod as I entered the kitchen. “Please, sit, there is juice smoothie and your favorite iced latte on the table.”
“Um, thanks,” I muttered, feeling awkward even as I glanced around. “The house is coming together great. It’s amazing how much you’ve updated and changed given it’s only been a month and a half since you closed on it.”
“Thank you. We’ve worked very hard to make it a home now that we can finally have one and some peace away from court. We owe it all to you and—”
“Alok, please, you guys don’t have to keep saying something every time you see me. You’ve all thanked me enough. It wasn’t a big deal, and you’re all more than worth it given all you’ve done.”
“It is a big deal, so please start allowing people to repay you your kindness. Just as you don’t like feeling as if you’re accepting favors or charity or bothering people, neither do others, and that is how many feel around you while you are suffering and practically killing yourself for all of us,” Alok shot back, his eyes going wide as he realized it was a bit of a ranting lecture. “I apologize.”
“No, actually, thanks, that, um, helps me see things from the other side in a way no one’s explained to me,” I confessed, reaching for my smoothie. “Everyone always just says ‘let me help you,’ and it makes me feel weak, stupid like I can’t even handle life.”
“You practically raised yourself and became an adult too young,” he said in a gentler tone. “This is what family does, and you have built your own—albeit weird and hodgepodge—family.” He set down two full plates in front of me. “Whole wheat blueberry pancakes with ground flax seed, turkey sausage, low-sodium bacon, and a three egg omelet with cheese, tomatoes, smoked ham, and sautéed onions.”
“Wow, that’s quite a breakfast,” I chuckled nervously as I took it all in. I was about to say he shouldn’t have and I wasn’t used to eating like this, but my stomach grumbled loudly as if saying to shut up and accept the kindness.
So a miracle happened and I did.
“The boys have asked for culinary classes to be added to their studies,” Dain informed me after accepting two plates from Alok and thanking him. “It upsets them that you are in the state you are, and in their eyes, it started when you rescued them.” I frowned and cut into my pancakes, and he sighed. “Milady, let them. They are teenagers and well able to make basics and do chores.”
“They have chores,” I argued. “Leo is in charge of all the shopping and organizes trips and budgets even with damn coupons. Alvin does all the cleaning, including laundry, besides vacuuming and dusting, which Cory handles. Ben and Tommy do the yard, bushes, all of that headache I can’t even imagine. And Jared makes lunches, does all the dishes, and handles a lot.”
“Yes, and they love all of their chores. Have they ever once slacked off or neglected their tasks?”
“No.” I chewed my food then corrected my statement. “Ben did for a bit when he got hurt falling on those damn stones I made Hagan and Reagan finally take out, but that was an injury.” I studied Dain as I finished off my pancakes and turkey sausage. “What are you trying to tell me?”
“First, did you enjoy both items?” Alok asked, nodding to my empty plate.
I smiled at him and changed plates. “Yeah, they were really good. Flax seed normally is peculiar, and sometimes turkey stuff leaves a weird aftertaste, but I loved this. Why?”
“We’re making meal plans based on what you like to eat besides too much fast food,” he muttered, jotting something down in a notebook I hadn’t noticed. “I, among other roles, was one of the chefs at court and worked with most of the restaurants our queen owns, so this I will handle.”
“But you didn’t like that job?” I checked, reading between the lines.
“No, not particularly. I like to cook now and again, and I would like to learn to use a smoker as you have, but day in and day out takes the fun out of a good hobby. I look forward to teaching your adopted brothers though, as they have mentioned doing better by your diet many times.”
“That’s what you’re trying to tell me,” I pushed Dain, bringing the conversation back around. “The chores we’ve given them they’re thriving at, enjoying, and they want to help more, and it would be good for them?”
“Yes. They are doing well in their studies according to Brutus, very diligent in their lessons and homework, but they would like electives, is I believe the correct term. Jared asked for cooking classes, yelling at Reagan he was supposed to learn as he promised, and Leo and Tommy have echoed the sentiment.”
“What do the others want?” I inquired as I drank down my smoothie. “What is in this? It’s delicious!”
“Passion fruit, strawberries, mango, and pineapple along with acai and protein powder,” Alok answered, writing more down. “Made with soy milk, as that will help cleanse your body, and with the extra testosterone your wolf has, there is no concern about overdoing soy with you to raise your estrogen levels.”
“You lost me on that last part, but I will accept it and thank you,” I replied after a few more slurps. Then I looked back to Dain, clearly telling him to spit it out.
“Alvin and Ben have both taken an interest in the greenhouse and would like to get more involved, while Cory has a passion for computers now that he’s had some instruction and seems he has already surpassed Brutus’s knowledge level. The dedication to his studies, especially in reading, Brutus believes is due to his love of computers because in the months of tutoring, Cory now reads almost to his appropriate level.”
“The greenhouse is fun,” I agreed before diving into my omelet and bacon.
When the deals had been made with Laila about our club being the exclusive seller of fairy nectar in the region, we’d made a deal that I and the pack would give fairies needing homes protection that would set up some sort of production in the area. What I hadn’t realized was that meant they wanted to be right by us… So they’d bought the mansion just on the other side of our faux woods.
Essentially they were my next door neighbors, and another group had purchased a huge mansion right on the lake front a few blocks away. Much more of this and paranormals might take over that whole neighborhood in Highland Park. Then again, that would make the area safer for us, so maybe that wasn’t a bad idea.
And they’d also brought some jobs to the pack and shifters in the area by buying three different properties, two for growing use. One they’d built from scratch, a huge, completely top-of-the-line, cutting edge greenhouse, and another they’d converted a warehouse with huge towers of vertical hydroponic beds and lights. They’d turned them into a co-op of sorts, which had gone over well.
The “of sorts” was because the main function was to grow the secret, special, and rare ingredients for the fairy nectar brewing and bottling plant. That was the third property they’d converted in Vernon Hills that really came with everything they needed, even a small store front for when they were ready. But to also make nice with the established paranormal groups in the area, Laila was smart and had offered a buy-in option.
I had actually bought in three times, once for the pack, once for the club, and once just for all the others in my life that weren’t pack but, well, mine. And what that meant was we didn’t get profits or anything, but fruit and veggies. We had a few rows in the greenhouse that were ours, so there was a long row with what the pack had agreed on, one for our household, and one for what Simone thought best for the club.
Also a bunch of trays, almost a whole tower really, in the warehouse used for growing.
But if we wanted to trade, we could. So the fairies were focused on passion fruit, as that was the main ingredient for fairy nectar, along with several other fruits, and we could trade cucumbers from our plants if we wanted for some fruit. Which we did. The buy-in and co-op part was their knowledgeable fairies oversaw it all, worked it, paid for the facilities and utilities, and used their magic, as apparently that myth of plants loving fairie
s wasn’t a myth.
In return, those of us who bought-in put in time. Since it had started, we’d gone every Sunday with the boys and worked our tails off. Others from the pack went on Saturdays or when they could after work. Some handled guard duty for all the properties, as there were a lot of valuable goods there given the magic involved. Plus, it was simply safer given the hostility towards paranormals a lot of times.
So far, it was all going great, and multiple groups had gotten involved, everyone generous with time or sharing extras, and really it was a smart idea to bridge some gaps between species, as we all ate so much and were sensitive to foods. I normally bought antibiotic free or organic whenever I could, but after I’d become a wolf, I’d messed up once, completely not paying attention, and gotten other meat, and not only had it upset my stomach, it had smelled expired.
Live and learn and never do that again.
Even the boys could smell anything that had pesticides on it and wouldn’t go near it. Which was good, but also bad, as organic was expensive. So the greenhouse and growing beds in the warehouse were really smart. We got all kinds of lettuces, herbs, and goodies from it with easy work to help. Simone was thrilled, as her panthers got more, and the reviews for her places were even rising.
And the output had just started really. It had only been producing for about a month since it took a while to set up and get things growing no matter how fast the work had been done. Of course, that wasn’t how plants normally grew, which really showed how amazing fairies were.
I also understood why Laila had jumped right on the project when I heard that hunters went after fairies for their magic—some of it myth like the rabbits—and they hadn’t had time to get as established as the vampires after the big reveal. Shifters had scrambled, but they all lived in groups. Fairies weren’t like that, most doing what they could to be as far away from their royals or nobles as possible, as they were dangerous.
Hunters were simply more dangerous and psychos too. So that was the growing desire to organize and protect themselves better. Laila confessed it wasn’t a very popular idea with some of the hard ass and older nobles, which was part of why her uncle had done nothing when he was regent. But now that she’d taken over, she couldn’t stomach families being hunted and nowhere for them to turn if the nobles were jackasses.
It gave me hope that the fairies would prosper under her and she would be a good ruler if she got the help and allies she needed. Especially given how many countries hunted paranormals on sight or basically looked the other way from what was done to them.
“How is the bid going for the townhomes Laila wanted to buy?” I asked, glancing between the three of them when tension filled the air. “No go? What’s the problem? I thought the owners were looking to sell?”
“Not to one of us and potentially ruin Highland Park and their high land values,” Dain confessed. I shot him a look that I should have been told this sooner. “Milady, you’ve had enough on your plate.”
“I realize that, but I also know how to delegate, so don’t treat me like I can’t handle anything,” I snapped, setting my empty glass down a bit too hard. “This is why I have trouble asking for help or accepting it because most times people make it seem like only I need it or am failing. I have fully trained agents now. They’re all field ready and can handle something this simple.” I saw the confused and somewhat disbelieving looks between them. “We have before.”
“Truly?” Tasar checked.
I gave them the rundown of what had happened when Nina Jezebel had had problems renting her space. We’d had a few such problems since, along with multiple harassment issues, not to mention a serious corruption scandal in the Rockford Police that had been targeting female shifters to give them favors so they didn’t send them off to the council.
One, they couldn’t do it, and two, I’d almost gutted them all after getting reports on how far it had gone.
“Go by my office, as you’re Laila’s representative on this, and file a report,” I told Tasar. He nodded, looking lighter and at ease. “Part of my stress is no one tells me what is going on and I get dragged in when it’s a big deal. Start telling me things when it’s not gotten there, and there’s normally a pretty basic solution I can coordinate because of my job. It’s not favors or giving you special treatment. That falls under my job.”
“Thank you, Lady Seraphine. I will make sure to handle matters that way going forward and communicate that to others as well.”
I decided since we had the time to chat to bring up something I’d been wondering. “Why do you call me Lady Seraphine when I’m Alpha to the shifters, but the vampires call me Mistress, and yet Dain calls me Milady? I feel like there are reasons I’m missing.”
“You are,” Dain confirmed, waving me to finish eating as he explained. “Vampires are just vampires unless they hit the level of a master vampire—mistress for females, but to be honest, there’s not as many—and then they can have vampires under them. You know about the metaphysics on that, so I won’t get into it. Then comes their directors for regions and council members. That is their hierarchy.”
“Right, but I’ve had vampires refer to me as Alpha or Chief Thomas.”
“Yes, but they didn’t know you had vampires of your own. Once they do, if they call you Mistress, they are acknowledging you as equivalent to a master vampire, and thus, someone they would have to answer to.” He held up a hand when I went to open my mouth. “Keep your job separate. This is greetings and status.”
I gave a slight nod and kept eating, the food so good I couldn’t not eat it even if my life was chaotic and my heart hurt after the night before.
“When they greet you as Alpha, they either don’t know, know and don’t believe, or basically are saying they won’t listen to a wolf or that you haven’t proved yourself to them yet, thus, not worthy of being allies or equal to them.”
Alok took over when I gave Dain a blank look. “In other words, be leery of vampires who call you Alpha in personal settings, as you don’t know what rules they might play by. As you might with chiefs from other offices.”
I digested that and waved them to continue, Dain biting back a smirk as I did.
“Now, fairies do not have elected positions, ones from power, or dominance matches. We are a nobility system with royals. You as a leader of another species we recognize your status and elevate you to that of a noble, calling you Lady Seraphine, as you do not have an actual nobility title.”
“That’s why you were all different with Alena in Vegas,” I surmised. “She’s basically our queen, as all other Alphas bow to her power and linage.”
“Yes,” Dain agreed. “Which we realize did not go over well with your councilwoman, but our queen and the elders are deciding how to handle such situations going forward, as it was an unprecedented meeting and alliance. One you should be very proud of facilitating, as our royals have always kept their distance.”
I shrugged. “Times change, and sometimes you guys make things more difficult than they need to be, especially with all this secrecy. I get that was the way before, but the world knows. Adapt or die.”
“We agree with that and our queen, which is why we are working so hard to facilitate these new ventures,” Tasar interjected. “Your wolves have been very helpful in that. So have the panthers.” They shared another look. “We do foresee a potential problem with the vampires as you put Vlad’s expanding on hold, and now you are with your new alliances.”
“I’m not though…” I trailed off, realizing it might not be true, but it could seem that way given Vlad had hidden behind others for his businesses in the past. “I would suggest that Laila send Vlad a case of bottles for his personal use when the factory starts the first run this week. From her to him, maybe praising that he was key in making Chicago safe enough to bring in hunted fairies and income to the city. She’s not his competition, and she wants to expand.”
The townhouses she wanted to buy were for refugee fairies. It might not be fair, bu
t paranormals had a much easier time getting citizenship in the US than humans. It was one of the deals made when species had come out as real. The fairies had been one of the loudest lobbyists on that and getting our hospitals. I think they’d won a few good points when the government had realized all of Vegas was owned by paranormals. They had to make gobs of money off that place.
Oh, and several sports teams were owned by shifters. A few movie studios… In other words, lots of jobs and money. Yes, yes, it was unfair that mattered in politics, but given how often paranormals got the shaft on any deal, it didn’t bother me.
Basically any paranormal from another country would be granted a six month visa, and the rules were simple to keep it. One, they had to have a citizen sponsor who was a paranormal. Two, they had to have a job waiting for them and keep employment. And three, they had to keep out of trouble. The first six months they couldn’t even drive, but if they got their visa renewed for another six months, then they could, and much more than a speeding ticket and the visa would be revoked.
After living in the US for a full year and being good, upstanding guests, they could take the citizenship test and get their papers. So much easier than what I’d heard it was for humans, but also the chance to easily get thrown out if complaints were filed against them that were crap.
Which was why a lot didn’t come and draw attention to themselves instead of hiding and blending. But we were trying to change that, as my office was the office for complaints to be filed at, and now that everyone was trained, we’d handle the bullshit.
“I will advise our queen on that,” Dain said, bringing me back to the conversation. “And to finish what we were discussing, I call you Milady as I pledged myself to you as those of the underclass may do to nobles when they agree to serve them for life. It’s not something any maid might do but more…” He trailed off and glanced between Alok and Tasar.
“Only the most dedicated do it,” Alok explained. “Families who have served noble bloodlines for generations and take the duties seriously. Guardians and right hands. It’s not something done lightly.”