Moments before Lily came, Jensgar bit down on her neck, sending her skyrocketing into incomprehensible pleasure as she screamed her release. He removed his canines from her neck before pushing deep inside of her and groaning loudly. Instinct and desire had Lily sinking her teeth into his pectoral muscle, leaving her own mating mark.
With the first drop of blood, words began to swirl through her mind, voices raised in unison until everything else was blocked out. Her head swam seconds before everything went dark.
She woke in her mate’s strong arms. The sun had gone down and their bedroom was dark. Thanks to her shifter eyesight the lack of light meant nothing. She could see as well in the dark as the day. Actually, better. She tilted her head back and looked up into his worried eyes.
“How do you feel, mate?” he asked cautiously. “You’ve been asleep for hours.”
Lily catalogued her body. She felt fine. Not even sore, which she was certain she should have been. “I’m good, if not a bit confused. Last thing I remember was giving you my mating bite and then strange voices started echoing in my mind. Nothing after that.”
He pulled her even closer, if that were possible. “You scared the hell out of me when you passed out in my arms. I didn’t know what to do. If you hadn’t woken up soon I was going to get the doctor. What did the voices say, love?” The slight waver in his voice was evidence of concern.
She ran her fingers along his temples and down to his scruff. “Don’t worry, my love.” She smiled then tilted up to kiss his delicious lips. “The voices were like a hum in the background. I couldn’t make them out.” She threw her arm over his broad shoulder and hugged him tight, causing her to have a slight twinge in her neck. The moment her hand touched her healing bite mark she couldn’t help but roll on top of her mate to inspect her mating bite on his chest.
She traced her finger around the mark that declared them mated. Jensgar’s blood now flowed in her veins, as hers flowed in his. “You’re mine now.”
Jensgar smiled wide at her declaration. “I was already yours, but this makes it official. We are fully mated. Now no one can ever take you away from me.”
“I’d never leave you willingly, my love.” Lily couldn’t keep the growl from her voice, the thought of being separated alarming her wolf. Before she had a chance to calm her animal half, she noticed Jensgar’s left arm, or, more specifically, his large and intricate mating tattoo. She looked at her own arm, which was mostly bare, and her heart fell. There was a lone vine of ivy circling her forearm before ending at her elbow. Are the gods pissed I mated an alpha?
Jensgar watched her closely as she sorted through what this could possibly mean. A heartbeat later Lily found herself pressed against the mattress with her mate hovering over her.
“We are mated. The marks mean nothing. You are my everything, and I refuse to allow anyone or anything to get between us, even you. Don’t read more into this, please.”
Lily could see and feel how much he loved her. Although he was trying his best to not show his concern, she could see it and she knew she’d put it there. In that moment she decided to let it all go. Who cared if the gods approved? They’d already taken enough from her. She wouldn’t lose Jensgar as well.
Instantly feeling better, Lily broke out into a bright smile. “We’re mated.”
Slowly he shed his concern as he smiled back. “Yes, we are.”
“You mean everything to me as well, Jensgar. I love you and I’m sorry for my insecurities. What matters is how we feel about one another, and no amount of markings will ever change that.”
“Forever, my love,” Jensgar announced before kissing Lily softly on her forehead, both cheeks, the tip of her nose and her chin. He made her feel cherished and loved, but the kiss heated when he claimed her lips.
Markings, voices and worry over the gods soon fled as Jensgar lavished her with his love, leading her to more pleasurable pursuits well into the early morning hours.
Forever.
Chapter Eight
Loud banging on their front door woke the lovers bright and early the next morning. Jensgar imagined the king had grown tired of waiting and sent someone to collect them. In all honesty, until that moment he had forgotten the king was even in Black Ridge, but who could blame him with his mate by his side.
He tightened his arms around Lily’s body, her soft skin like silk against his own. They were lying in their usual position: his body wrapped protectively around hers. Lily stretched her arms out followed by her beautiful legs as he ran his hands up and down his mate’s lean body. His completed alpha tattoo covered his entire right arm with intricate details of places he’d never seen before, while his left had Lily’s white wolf standing dead center of his bicep, confirming what he’d already known: she was his destiny. The design surrounding his mating tattoo was bright and colorful, sure to draw a great deal of attention. The only thing missing was the portion of each mating tattoo that foretold of children. It crushed him that he couldn’t give that to Lily because he was an alpha.
“I guess it’s time to face the rest of the world.” Lily sighed, her voice rough with sleep. “Before they break down our door. Why didn’t they simply call one of our cell phones?”
“I hope they’re smart enough not to even try breaking it down.” Jensgar’s chest rumbled with laughter. “I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time and I’d hate to have to ruin that by throwing someone off of our front porch.”
Lily rolled over, her blue eyes sparkling in the morning sunlight that crept in between the curtains. “Good morning, mate. I love you.”
Jensgar’s heart beat a bit faster at hearing those words, and he hoped to hear them each and every morning for the rest of his life. “I love you so much, my beautiful mate. I feel like I could take on the world with you by my side.”
Lily’s joyful laughter made him smile even wider. “I don’t know about the world, but how about the front door?” Another series of knocks reverberated through the timbers of their home.
“On it,” he agreed before taking Lily’s lips in a soft kiss. He lifted the blankets and slid out from underneath before tucking them back around her. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.”
He reached out and grabbed a pair of shorts on his way to the front door. By the time he got there, whoever was waiting outside could be heard pacing across the porch, obviously running out of patience. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find his son, Marcus, about to walk down the porch steps.
“What are you doing here, son?”
Marcus spun around so quickly that he misstepped and began to tumble backward. Jensgar knew he’d never make it in time to grab his son, but out of instinct, he moved his body and reached forward as if to grab him, even though he was several feet away. What happened next had both he and his son stunned into silence.
“I see you’ve gained more than simply your completed alpha markings, mate,” Lily said as she came to stand beside him. Marcus remained frozen in midair. “You’re going to have to release him sooner or later.”
“Release him? I don’t even know how I did it in the first place. How am I supposed to know how to release him?” Jensgar asked. He noticed Lily had slipped into his shirt, which went down to her knees. She was adorable.
Marcus looked over his shoulder at the ground several feet below him and asked, “Dad, can you drop me over something a bit softer?”
“Be ready to land on your feet because I have no idea what I’m doing,” Jensgar warned. “Lily, how do I let him down?”
“Well, I would envision what I wanted to happen and focus on it. Over time, controlling it will become second nature to you,” Lily explained, and he heard a touch of sorrow in her voice.
It wasn’t enough for the gods to take his mate’s powers away, but now they were bestowing them upon him. It felt like they were intentionally rubbing Lily’s loss in her face. Jensgar was beginning to feel like a pawn in some sort of game between the gods, which was pissing him off.
> He did as she said and focused on Marcus, on him drifting to the ground slowly so that he could stand. Surprisingly, it worked. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe his mate, but he didn’t trust himself not to drop his son. Once Marcus was firmly back on the ground, Jensgar gathered Lily into his arms and held her tight.
“I’m sorry.”
Lily looked up at him. It felt like she was busy reading his thoughts before saying, “You have nothing to be sorry about. Any gifts given to you by Fenrir can be used to help others. You saved Marcus from a nasty fall where he could have been injured. Never be sorry about that.” Jensgar let a little of his anger go but he still wanted answers as to why the gods were doing this.
“That was unexpected,” Marcus said as he joined them. “But so cool, Dad.”
Jensgar couldn’t help but smile at his son as familiar brown eyes looked up at him in adoration. Marcus was one hundred and fifty-six years old, but at times Jensgar could see the boy he once was. Marcus, his sister, Amalia, and Jensgar had moved into the palace when his children were still young, after Jensgar’s first mate had died suddenly. He had already been a general in King Leonidas’s army for over eighty years and had spent a great deal of time at the palace. It was a place his children would be safe while he was away on missions for the king.
“I don’t know about cool, but I do agree it was unexpected.”
Marcus’s eyes grew wide and his smile grew even bigger. “You two finally mated. It’s about time. I’m so happy that you have each other. Congratulations.”
Jensgar ran his hand over the spot on his chest where Lily had given him her mating bite. It was already healed, and when he looked down at his mate’s neck, hers was healed as well. Only the raised edges remained.
Lily hugged Marcus, and Jensgar’s emotions surfaced as a single tear escaped down his cheek. She released Marcus and stepped back. “Thank you, my son,” he said before pulling his child into a fierce hug. “I am truly blessed.”
“We both are, love,” Lily assured. “My life is incomplete without you in it.”
When he let Marcus go, his son made a big production of stretching out his upper body. “Sometimes I forget how big you are now, old man. You could twist me into a pretzel.”
“I could have done that before I became an alpha, and never forget it, kid,” Jensgar joked. “What brings you to our home this early?” he asked while reaching for Lily’s hand.
Marcus’s smile disappeared. “The king wants a meeting with the two of you as soon as possible. He’s waiting in the main house.”
King Leonidas wasn’t a horrible leader or a bad person. In fact, Jensgar respected him as his sovereign and friend. The thing that had him concerned was what would happen now that he and Lily had mated. His alpha tattoo was complete and the fact that he had powers was sure to raise a few questions. Even though he didn’t know what all of these gifts were, Jensgar could feel parts of himself changing. He’d decided not to mention it to Lily quite yet. She’d been through enough.
“Tell the king we will be there shortly—we need to dress,” Lily replied before taking Marcus’s hand. “It’s going to be okay, no matter what happens.”
Marcus squeezed Lily’s hand and nodded in agreement, then turned to leave. Jensgar could feel his son’s worry and loved his mate for trying to ease some of it. “Well, I guess we should hurry. We don’t want to leave the king waiting too long considering I sort of took off on him yesterday.”
Lily tightened her grip on his hand and led him into the house, heading straight for the bathroom. “First I have to wash your back and you have to wash mine. While we’re at it we might as well do each other’s fronts.” Her eyes were shining as her wolf peeked out, ready for playtime.
Jensgar loved this idea more and more. “We can’t meet with the king until every part of our bodies are thoroughly washed. It would be rude.”
“Agreed.” Lily laughed before shutting the bathroom door, keeping the world out for a few more precious moments.
***
Lily felt the eyes of the other Black Ridge pack members on her and her mate. She’d chosen a boat-necked shirt that would highlight Jensgar’s mating bite. He had forgone a shirt altogether, choosing to wear jeans and his boots alone. It did something to her every time she saw her mate puff out his chest, showing off his new mating bite. That and Jensgar’s completed alpha markings were garnering their fair share of attention.
She knew Jensgar was stressed with all the changes his body had undergone, and the uncertainty of what King Leonidas had planned for them. That’s one of the reasons Lily had suggested the joint shower, to ease some of his worry. However, an even bigger part of her simply couldn’t keep her hands off her mate.
When they arrived at the pack house they both walked past the royal guards, many of whom Jensgar had led in the not-so-distant past. Each of them stood a bit straighter as her mate passed, tilting their heads to the side and baring their throats to him out of respect.
Lily could feel Jensgar’s pride and affection for the men he’d trained. It helped to confirm her suspicions even further that Jensgar had been an alpha since birth, but required a catalyst to free it. She had been that catalyst.
Lily had yet to mention the fact that she could feel her mate’s emotions, because at first it had been only a trickle, but for some reason that was quickly turning into a stream. When they returned home, she would have to tell him.
They walked through the front door and up the stairs to the kitchen. This main part of the house was for pack members who wished to be closer to their alpha and omega. The alpha family had a private wing in the house, with guards watching over that entrance. No one ever went there unless invited. Lily understood the need for family alone time. Aldric and Helena gave so much time, love and care to their pack that they could easily forget about themselves. A private retreat gave them what they needed.
Lily had always wanted her own pack to love, care for and help thrive into the future, but she wondered what use she would be without her gifts. She wasn’t second-guessing her mating. Jensgar was her mate and always had been. She would stand by his side through whatever was thrown at them. She simply had so much inside of her that she wanted to share with others, and it would have been a lot easier if she had her gifts.
They heard people talking in the conservatory and headed in that direction. Jensgar looked down at her often as if trying to judge her comfort level, and each time she smiled. Lily didn’t want to worry him with her insecurities. She may not be an omega any longer, but she was Lily, and she was damn well strong enough to handle whatever came next.
Sunlight filled the glassed conservatory as flowers reached toward the sky to bask in its warm glow. All talk ceased once they stepped over the threshold. King Leonidas, Aldric, Helena, Godric, Ceva, Lothar and two strangers, who stood when they entered, were gathered around a circular table covered in pastries and carafes of coffee. Thank the gods. Lily desperately needed a cup of that heavenly brew.
As if reading her mind, Jensgar led her to the two open seats beside Aldric and Helena before reaching for two cups and a carafe for themselves. Lily glanced around the table. Though the people gathered were guarded, they all looked happy to see her and Jensgar, including the strangers.
The king stood with his cup of coffee in hand and said, “Congratulations on your mating. May you have a long and loving life together.”
Everyone lifted their cups or glasses and toasted to their mating. Not a single frown in the entire bunch. Honestly, she’d been worried that somebody would disapprove of an alpha mating a powerless shifter, but perhaps her worries were unfounded.
Jensgar raised his cup and said, “Thank you, my king. We are excited to start our life together.”
“Yes, thank you,” Lily agreed as she toasted and downed a long gulp of hot coffee. If she had a vice it would be Jensgar, but a close second was coffee. She couldn’t help the small moan that escaped at the first taste of the roasted beans on her tongue.
“Feel better, mate?” he asked as he pulled her chair closer to his, making her smile in the process.
“Seriously, what would we do without coffee? Nothing, absolutely nothing. So respect the bean, my love,” Lily teased, for the moment forgetting they were in a room full of people. She blushed slightly when the king cleared his throat followed by Helena’s soft laughter.
Lily leaned into her mate’s side as she waited to hear what fate might be doling out to them next. “Love you,” she whispered, knowing that with wolf shifters’ exceptional hearing everyone had heard her declaration.
Jensgar wrapped his muscled arm around her and said, “Forever.”
Even with his assurance, Lily couldn’t help but worry about what the two strangers had to do with all of this.
King Leonidas set his cup down and opened one of the two thick file folders on the table in front of him before looking up at the two of them. “I am truly happy that the two of you have worked out your differences. I know it has been a difficult time for the both of you but we must move forward considering the continual threat of repeated ogre attacks on the packs.”
That sent a chill down Lily’s spine. Of course she and Jensgar could refuse whatever the king suggested, but out of respect neither would do so. She only hoped the pack wasn’t expecting an omega to be part of the package.
Before King Leonidas had a chance to continue, Jensgar stood and bared his throat to their king. “We have known each other a long time, sire. You have always been a fair and just leader for all wolf shifters and I have served you loyally and without question for hundreds of years. However, I will not allow anything remotely close to what happened yesterday to ever happen again.”
King Leonidas stood and for a moment, Lily was concerned that Jensgar had offended him. At least she did until the king let his true emotions show for a brief moment. Lily could see the guilt on his face before he bowed his head slightly to the both of them. She reached for Jensgar’s hand, needing the connection.
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