by Alice Shaw
“My mate is very pleased about this.” I laughed.
“It’s my pleasure,” she said.
Holger and Gorbins both walked out of their respective rooms. Gorbins’ three hairs were slicked back, and his green skin was radiating. “Damn, Gorbs! You’re looking pretty suave today,” I said.
Gorbins cleared his throat and said, “I always look suave. Don’t play.”
Holger chuckled. “Gorbins, what am I going to do without you in my life?”
“You think I’m leaving, huh? I’m just getting started with you!” His upper lip twitched. He pounced on Holger’s back. Holger frowned.
“Come! We have a feast prepared for you in the castle. Our sorceress has asked to give this to you.” Rhiannon held out four small, golden capsules. All of us popped the pill.
“I don’t feel anything,” Holger muttered.
But within seconds, wings popped out of our shoulders. A strange sensation overcame my body. I could fly!
“Whoa!” Ryan exclaimed. “This is crazy! Look at me! I’m the world’s first pregnant flying bear!”
“Be careful!” I called out, feeling my wings take me into the air.
Holger zoomed past everyone else, flying at an uncontrollable speed. “HELP!” he screamed. He started to spin in circles. “I’m going to be sick!”
“Holger, come on! Quit playing around!” I flew forward and stabilized him. His face looked paler than ever.
“Ugh. Thanks, man,” he muttered.
“Right this way!” Rhiannon flew elegantly toward the castle gates.
The landing was a bit of a doozy, but we all managed to do fairly well. Ryan showed off and did a flip, before landing on his feet. “Dang, that was fun!”
The fae soldiers opened the castle doors for us, as the trumpeters touted their horns. “Hear ye, hear ye! The queen and her guests have arrived!
“Yes, well done. Enough of that. Let’s eat, already,” Rhiannon said.
We floated past the foyer and entered the grand room. The room was made of smooth marble. Candles were placed all around the walls and tables. Statues were artistically carved below the large stained glass windows.
“Holy crap,” Holger whispered.
“Meh. I’ve seen better,” Gorbins said.
In the center was the most extended table I had ever seen. Fae of all kinds were gathered, talking amongst themselves. The nobility sat, patiently staring at the endless amounts of turkey legs, glazed ham, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, grapes, apples, freshly baked pies, chocolate cakes, donut holes, fried chicken, corn on the cob, and so much more.
Ryan’s eyes were wide open. His tongue hung out of the side of his mouth, drooling. “Big bear, are you excited or what?” I asked, full of excitement myself.
He is trapped in a daze of desire. “I have never seen so much beauty in my entire life,” he whispered. “Need. Food. Now.”
Holger seemed to be lost in the same daze himself. He slowly walked toward the table, hands outstretched in front of him. “Food. Good.”
“What is wrong with these mortals?” Gorbins sighed and hopped toward his seat.
A small, fair-skinned fairy, Jules angrily sighed when she saw Gorbins’ presence at the table. “Who let him in here?”
Other fairies argued amongst themselves. Another fairy said, “Yeah, didn’t he leave us for outer realms?”
Rhiannon pounded her dainty fist against the table. “Enough gossip. Gorbins has reported to me for years, so he has played his cards well. He doesn’t live the virtuous lives that we do, but that is his choice and sacrifice. It would do us well to show him a little respect.”
The room quieted down. Our party still couldn’t stop staring at the delicious food. The queen continued. “These are our guests for the day. One is bearing a singular child, as you can see.”
“Wonderful,” someone whispered.
“So beautiful,” Another fairy said.
Ryan blushed and telepathically communicated to me: Am I that big already?
Before I could compliment my mate, he went back to staring at the food.
The queen then pointed toward me. “His alpha mate, Tristan has already been tormented enough by the fate sisters and their annoying plans. He has been sent to alternate realities, endured the soul suckers that wander them, and even laid down his life for his friends.”
Their claps filled the grand room. I heard Ryan’s voice inside my head: Can we eat already?
“The darkness was spreading into our beautiful forests, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. When I see my people point at Gorbins and scream with venomous slander, it breaks my heart. The fae are supposed to be a wise and generous group of people. What has happened to us?” she asked.
Jules stood up and bowed. Tears were in her eyes. “My queen. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize. Please forgive me.”
“That’s the thing. Forgiveness is a powerful idea. And we all deserve forgiveness, don’t we? Does Gorbins not deserve forgiveness too? Or is he too green for all of you?” The queen stood silent, waiting for an answer, but no one dared to speak.
“Of course, we must ask ourselves where this darkness even came from,” she said.
“Perhaps the goddesses?” A brave fairy asked.
The queen shook her head. “No. The darkness does not come from one thing or being. I have been watching our heroes for quite some time now. I have also been studying the dark shades of evil that inhabited our neighboring lands. I have concluded that it comes from us. All of us.”
The table gasped with shock. One fairy couldn’t believe her ears. “Us? I’m sorry, my queen. But we are a just land. It sure didn’t come from here. Talk to the dwarves. Talk to the dragons in their dungeons. They are surely the ones responsible, not us.”
The queen listened intently, but she didn’t hold the same views. “All life is holy. Yes, we believe that here. It’s one of our mottos, isn’t it? Though, there always seems to be more to a good slogan. All life is unique and special, but we all need to be kept in check! Otherwise, our righteousness will get the best of us. It will fade into a gloom.”
Another fairy stood up. “Are you saying that too much light can turn into darkness?”
Ryan stopped looking at the food. I could tell he was getting annoyed. He stood up, holding his big belly in his hands. Everyone stopped bickering to gaze at him. “Were you there, in the darkness?” Ryan asked.
Rhiannon smiled and waited for the fairy to respond. She slowly lowered her head in shame. “No. I was not, but that’s beside the point!”
“Tristan knows. Gorbins knows. Holger surely knows. Your queen witnessed our battle. The shadows lurk in our minds. There is no use in blaming one another. Instead, we must rally and fight with love. We must be sure of ourselves. We have to love who we are, no matter what we’ve done in the past. You all hate Gorbins because he left your home. I understand that that is against your unspoken guidelines here. Still, he has made a conscious effort to help our friends and us. He has helped your queen too. You should find your heart. Clutch that feeling of goodness. And forgive him. Love him so that you can love yourselves.”
The room was utterly silent. My mate sat down. Rhiannon giggled to herself. “Now, can we freakin’ eat already? I’m a starving, pregnant bear. I demand cake!”
His speech had somehow woken a lot of the fairies up. Within seconds, the room was clapping in agreement. “We will make a conscious effort to do better!” The queen announced. “Let’s feast!”
The whole gang eagerly chewed their food. It wasn’t long before we were all begging for seconds. With so much good food and wine in our bellies, it felt like we were on top of the world.
We stayed in that castle until nightfall. One by one, we became acquainted with the fairies. They told us stories of the ancient battles that went on in and around their lands. We learned more about the dwarves that got kicked out for their greediness, the dragon shifters that lost their mates, and their hope.
We heard the tales of the elves and their nobility, beyond the blue lakes in the north.
As the red sun was setting, we told them about our home. Frisky Pines, as simple as it seemed, was beautiful. It was full of life, possibility, and all of my friends were there. I hadn’t had a real family in some time, but they were as close as they could get to being one. I was more than excited to bring Ryan there.
Hours later, we floated down to our rooms. The queen hugged us all individually. Holger seemed like he didn’t want to let go. It was a bittersweet goodbye.
“You have all inspired me,” she said. “I’m at a loss for words.”
“So am I,” I whispered. “I’m glad to be going home. These quests have taken a lot out of me, and I know my pregnant omega feels the same way. I’m going to miss this place the most. It’s so beautiful here. You have treated us with such respect.”
Ryan smiled. “Yass, queen. Seriously. You have been the best host in the world. Slay until the end of time.”
“Omega, you slay. You’re about to have a special baby boy. Teach him to love and to accept.”
“I will,” Ryan said.
Holger had tears coming down his face. He started to sniffle pretty loudly. “I don’t want to leave! I have to go back to the stinkin’ fire station. It’s not fair!”
The queen laughed. “Holger, you’re a hero! You get to save lives.”
“Yeah, I guess,” he muttered.
Gorbins patted his back. “I’ll keep ya company, I will!”
“At least I have Gorbins,” Holger said.
I couldn’t hold back my laughter, and neither could the queen. After she stopped snickering, she hugged Holger. “If you aren’t happy, you need to do what you love. Set yourself free.”
He blushed and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Well, I’ve always wanted to open up my own fishing supply store.”
Ryan smiled. “That’s right, chief. You go every morning, right?”
“For the past ten years,” he said. “I reckon I’ll give it a shot. I might as well!”
The evening is starry and majestic. As we said our goodbyes, I shook Gorbins’ hand. “Well, old pal. I guess this is goodbye.”
“I’m sorry to have put you through so much,” he said, solemnly. “But everything happens for a reason.”
“I know. There are a lot that goes on in the outer regions of the world. And that’s not accounting for the goddesses’ meddling either,” I said.
We embraced for the first time. Then, I watched him walk up the trail. “Where’s he going?” Ryan asked.
“He doesn’t have a home,” I said. This was the first time it dawned on me.
“Well, I hope he can find one someday,” Ryan said. He turned around and opened the door to our home.
I looked back, one more time. The little green man walked into the darkness. “Me too,” I whispered.
Chapter 11
Ryan
“Wake up, big bear. We’re in Frisky Pines.” Tristan’s soft fingers grazed down my shoulders. Goosebumps formed on my flesh. I smiled and opened my eyes, seeing me handsome mate’s excitement.
“I must have slept the whole here.” I yawned and stretched my arms around Tristan’s toned body.
“You did, baby. Twenty-three whole hours!” he exclaimed.
I looked out the window and the beautiful, modern city. “Whoa, they have a monorail here?”
“They have everything,” he said. “But mostly, they have friends and family. You think you’d want to move here?”
“Well, we can keep my cabin down south. We can visit Holger in the winters. I’ve always wanted to live in the city,” I said. “I say we give it a try. The weather seems beautiful.”
“You’re going to love it!” he exclaimed.
His friends were sweet enough to pick us up in a big van, outside of the airport. Crawling in like a beached whale was not fun. I felt embarrassed, but the party was so welcoming that it didn’t even matter.
Jackson laughed and rubbed my shoulder. “I remember how bad my freaking back hurt all the time. Is he massaging you regularly? If not, you better make him!”
“You don’t do it enough,” I said to Tristan.
Logan laughed. “Oh, man. You have to give the backrubs. Don’t skimp on the massages.”
“Alright, alright! I’ll give more backrubs,” Tristan said.
You know you’ve been amazing to me. I’m just playing around with your friends, Tristan.
He squeezed my hand and smiled. He knew and didn’t seem to mind one bit.
Jonas relaxes in the very back seat with his wise-looking alpha wolf, Freddie. “You’re excited though, right?” he asked.
I nod my head with vigor. “We are beyond excited, actually,” I said.
“Yeah, I would be too,” Logan said. “One kid. Jeez. Sounds like a breeze.”
“Hey, at least you don’t have three to worry about. Samuel is always teleporting away from us. Things start to get crazy when they’re around two years old,” Jonas said.
I kept glancing out the window and looking at every shop that we passed by. There’s a cute little pastry shop on the corner, a café across the street, and a quaint little park! I imagined pushing our boy on the swing in that park.
Frisky Pines was the kind of place you imagine in a dream. It’s everything you’d want as a parent. To be honest, I was ready just to stay here.
“Have you been getting any contractions?” Freddie asked.
Jonas chuckled. “Freddie, those don’t come until it’s time.” The wolf blushes.
“Well, a lot has been going on. I feel like I haven’t had much time to think about it,” I said.
Tristan leaned over the front seat excitedly. “You guys don’t understand. I know I told you all about it on the phone, but my mate is a freakin’ warrior. He saved my life. Seriously, he killed a giant snake with a baby bump and everything,” he said.
I squeezed my omega’s hand. I couldn’t even believe all of that happened. The weirdest part was that at the moment, it all felt normal. I had to act.
“It was the least I could do,” I joked.
The van came to a stop at the light, and I felt my belly harden. I exhaled, feeling a little out of breath. I checked my pulse at the neck like I always do when I get anxiety. Of course, I couldn’t get a reading. I wasn’t a doctor. Something felt a little off.
“Big bear, are you alright?” Tristan asked. He held my hand gently and looked at me with worry in his eyes.
“Yeah. I think I’m okay. Just cramps, probably,” I said.
But as soon as I said it, the pains increased in strength. My belly felt hard and tight. Everyone in the van was looking at me with apprehension. Logan was the first to break the silence. “We have to get him to Dr. Phillip,” he said.
“A doctor?” I asked. “No. I think I have some time before the baby comes.”
Jackson rubbed my shoulder more. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll just go and see, okay? It’s better to be safe than sorry, as they say.”
My mind started to race. A million thoughts entered into my head per second. My heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird’s. “Tristan, I’m worried. Is everything going to be okay?”
“Everything is going to be fine,” Tristan said.
I could tell that he had no clue. There was no time to read any books on the subject. We just jumped into this. Our emotions got the best of us, and the quest took precedence.
Logan turned the van around as fast as he could. Judging by the speed in which he was driving, I could tell something was wrong. Tristan didn’t want me to worry. I could tell that he just wanted to ease the pain, but I couldn’t come back from the darkness.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the codex. He placed it in my palm and squeezed. “Remember everything we went through?” I nodded, tearing up. “Everything is going to be fine. We were meant to be parents.”
The pressure just kept building. It started to hurt in a way that I ne
ver anticipated. Everything felt sort of… clogged.
“This isn’t good,” I whispered. “Are we close?”
Logan peeled around the corner. “One more block! Don’t worry, Ryan. We’re going to get you the best damn care Frisky Pines has to offer,” he said.
I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing to ease the pain. None of the crap I read about childbirth was helping me. I knew that something terrible was going on. All of my worst fears had somehow manifested into reality.
“We’re here!” Tristan shouted.
My alpha ran inside and grabbed a wheelchair. He swung it near the van and secured me in. I was trying my best to hold back from screaming. The situation was dire.
“Doctor Philip!” Logan screamed. “We need doctor Phillip now.”
The man at the receptionist area took one look at me and jumped out of his seat. “Shit. Give me one second. I’ll find him,” he said.
Tristan was pacing the room erratically, which wasn’t helping the situation at all. All of his alpha tendencies were starting to come out. “Is he coming or what?” he asked Logan.
Logan looked anxiously through the receptionist window. He nodded when he saw the doctor running. “There he is!”
The doctor burst through the door and grabbed my wheelchair. “Come, come! Tell me what you’re feeling,” he said while pushing me through the hall.
Tristan followed while the others waited in the room. I groaned with pain, but managed to tell him everything. “It just came out of nowhere,” I said.
“Is it a pressure? Or is it a pain? Both?” he asked.
“Both. I don’t know if these are the contractions, but it sure feels like it. It feels like something is stuck,” I said.
The doctor’s face looked anxious. Tristan was on the verge of causing a major scene. “Nurse!” the doctor yelled. “I need some assistance!”
We moved into a white room. I couldn’t stop staring at the ceiling. I just kept hoping and praying that everything was going to be alright. I couldn’t lose my baby. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to cope.