The Heartborn Mate

by D. Brumbley

  It’s all on me now. His mind opened up to her without restraint. I hoped he would live. That he would understand the reasons why I had to take his place the way I did. The way he did before his father died. I had hoped they would both live, that I could ask for their advice, use their experience, their support…Nick still wouldn’t cry, but his head was spinning in circles that he couldn’t control. But they’re gone, and I killed them. They’re gone, Aura’s gone…and it’s my…I did…

  Zara moved to kneel down in front of him, and she put her hands on his knees waiting for his eyes to look at hers. When they did, she finally responded to his grief. You can do this. You’re not alone, even though they’re gone. Everything they taught you was to prepare you for this. Everyone out there supports you, and loves you. They wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. Slowly she got up and then took one of his hands in both of hers. You’re not alone.

  Nick didn’t pull his hand away, but he didn’t meet her eyes either. I’m glad for that much.

  She placed her hand on top of his for a moment and then squeezed his gently before she stood up again. I won’t leave you unless you want me to.

  He was hurting in every way he knew was possible in that moment, and so her words only made him more suspicious of her. Almost out of instinct, he opened the connection between them to look into her own thoughts, still unable to believe that she was telling the truth about her newfound commitment to his people in general and to him in specific. But when he looked there, he felt only sincerity in what she said. She had no interest in leaving him at that moment, and it was a comfort in a way that he wouldn’t have believed possible before he looked. Then stay.

  Zara knew that there was a limit to how close he would let her get, and so she only dared to lean in and give him a quick hug. The need to comfort him, anyone, in grief, was too great to ignore.

  He did allow that much, holding on for a moment longer than he normally would have before his flailing sense of decorum came back to him and he let her go. But he did take her hand again when she offered it. Many of the pack members will be grieving together for them both. You should be among them. Maybe their sharing with each other will help ease the hurt of feeling my parents’ deaths. He met her violet eyes finally, letting her feel his genuine concern for her well-being, not just as a friend of his pack, but as someone who was there for him when no one else was. I’m going to stay here until the funeral ceremony.

  Zara nodded and squeezed his hand gently once more before she pulled away to do as he asked. I’ll come back later. I promise. Zara went to be among the people, since she knew it would help her as he mentioned that it would. She would also be able to help him if she wasn’t so distracted by the echoes of his parents’ deaths. He needed her, after all.

  It was an hour of silence there with his parents before there was any sort of disturbance, and then it was Aura coming through the doors even though the guards were trying to hold her back and prevent her from getting in to see him. “Nick?”

  “Let her in.” He moved a hand and actually pushed the door open so that she could come through. Nick didn’t look at her as she came in, continuing to stare at the bed.

  Aura came up closer to him, but then she started to cry as soon as she saw his mother’s form dead next to his father’s. She hated his father, but his mother was a good Alpha female. She was a quiet supporter of her husband, but she had also been very kind, when she wanted to be. “I came as soon as I heard…”

  He didn’t move to comfort her, he just stayed where he was, staring at the bed but not even seeing it anymore. “She asked me to kill her. I never expected that. I should have. But I didn’t. I never thought I would…Him, yes. I thought about that. But not her.”

  She shook her head slowly. “They were one of the most intimately bound pairs I’ve ever seen.” She couldn’t help but reach out and touch the side of his arm for just a moment. “I’m so sorry, Nick.”

  He didn’t move at the touch and didn’t look up at her, but she knew him well enough to know that the stillness was just because his mind was moving too fast for him to spare any thought or movement. His eyes were almost spinning with the turmoil of emotions in him. “They were like we would have been.” He finally said very softly, without blinking or looking away from the bed.

  Aura cried harder, especially at the thought of the puppies inside of her. They could be Nick’s. A part of her wanted to tell him, and a big part of her still wanted to be with him, but that ship had sailed. He didn’t want her. He couldn’t even look at her without being disgusted with her, and no part of her could blame him. “I’m sorry I ruined it.”

  “I fought him for you, I took the claim and title from him. For you.” There was no anger in the softness of his tone, only an almost-nostalgia, as if he was reflecting on something from a hundred years away instead of just the few weeks it had been since the fight that had made him the Alpha of the pack. “And I would do it again. I can’t bring myself to feel sorry for something that I wouldn’t change even if I had the chance.”

  Her fingers gripped his arm a little tighter as hot tears ran down her face. “I know you don’t need me anymore, in fact, it would probably be better for you if I was gone, but I’m here to help. Whatever you need.”

  He took in a deep breath to calm himself before he spoke. “The delegations from the other packs set against the Council will be arriving soon. If you would keep your eyes on their people while they’re here, I would value your opinion on them. As always.”

  Finally she let go but her fingers caressed his arm a little before she pulled away completely and nodded. “Certainly. I’ll do that.” It was her turn to take a deep breath and she spoke quietly, as though she could barely say what she wanted to say to Nick. “Please don’t trust her, Nick. All the things she took from me, the way she…she’s not good, Nick. She’s using your goodness against you.”

  “Trusting isn’t something I’m likely to do again any time in the near future, Aura.” This time the response was quick and without hesitation, and his fingers balled up into a loose fist as he said it. He didn’t trust anyone, and Aura was a huge reason why.

  “I know you don’t believe me when I say it, but I don’t want you to get hurt.” She looked around as the metal beneath him trembled. “I’ll go after her myself if she hurts you.” Aura grabbed his hand and squeezed it once more before guards came in to let him know another pack had arrived.

  He wasn’t sure how to respond to Aura, and he was glad at the moment that Aura wasn’t a Heartborn, to be able to read his thoughts, since they were more sarcastic than he really wanted to be toward her or anyone else at the moment. Nick took his time getting out of the house, composing himself as well as he could before he actually split open the metal door of the house and stepped out to meet his visitors.

  Most of the wolves in the group waiting for him in front of their main gate were standing in their human form, which was a peculiarity among Earthborn, he knew. Physically, Earthborn were the strongest of all wolves. Ironborn and Stoneborn followed close behind them, but nothing could challenge an Earthborn’s strength. Added to that was the fact that most of the men looked like they had auditioned for the role of Thor and most of the women, tall blonde bombshells that they were, looked like they were daring every Ironborn to please, pretty please underestimate them and try something.

  There was a man and woman standing at the forefront of the group who were obviously stronger than all the others, and they nodded to Nick as he came out, since they recognized him.

  Nick spoke first. “Master Osvald, Lady Janna, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

  “No need to apologize, Nickel. We were told the news as soon as we got here. Our condolences for your mother’s death.” Janna responded with the tiniest speck of pity in her expression.

  “Her death was her choice. But you’re not here to talk about choosing death. We’re here to talk about choosing life.” Nick responded boldly, since he refused to dwell on hi
s pain.

  “No need to try and be pretty about it, Nickel.” Osvald said sympathetically as he took a few steps closer. “We’re not here to be pretty. We’re here to get shit done.”

  “From what we read in the message,” Janna spoke next, since she wasn’t as forward as her mate, but only just a little less so, “we’re interested in your proposal. We’re tired of being ignored by the Council.” They were a pack that were purely Earthborn, but they weren’t stuck on generations and purity. All a wolf needed to be welcomed by them was a pair of brown eyes and a dirty disposition. Turned or ten generations pure. It didn’t matter to them. That was the problem that the Council had with their pack, and so any time they were attacked by other Earthborn packs, more selective ones, they were left completely on their own. It had made them stronger, but they weren’t fans of being a target. “We came out here to learn more.”

  “If you’ve looked around at all since you got here, then you already know everything there is to know.” He gestured around them at the mass of Ironborn gathered behind him and at his sides. They were all accustomed to living on high alert, waiting for any possibility of an attack from the Council, and so everyone was armed at all times. They were an imposing sight. “We’ve stood against the Council once to get back one of our own.” He hoped, with a part of him, that Aura was still close enough to hear him call her that. “But to stand against them for good, whether it’s us or anyone else, we could do with some friends.”

  Since everyone was paying close attention to the Earthborn pack, they didn’t really notice Zara work her way through. She stood at a distance from Nick but not far enough away that he couldn’t see her expressions and hear her words easily enough. “I am a former servant of the Council. I know what we would need to take them down, and we certainly need you.”

  Janna was uncomfortable with seeing a Heartborn in their midst, but everyone was, at first. She enjoyed hearing that they might have the upper hand. They desperately wanted to destroy some Council forces, and anything that could help make that destruction even more devastating was something she was a fan of. She looked over at Nickel, though, with a raised eyebrow. “Do you trust this Heartborn?”

  He looked over at Zara, then back at Janna. “Her vows were once to the Council. Now they are to me. Her kind is as much looked down on by the Council as our pack or yours.”

  Janna looked a little more convinced with Nick’s approval, but then she looked at the Heartborn again. “How likely do you think it is that we will succeed? You said you know the Council’s forces.”

  Zara looked around and then back at the Earthborn pack. “Well, it’s certainly much more likely with you here. There are also two Stoneborn packs coming this way, as well as a Forestborn. It will take a lot of organization, but the Council has made some enemies that they ought not to have overlooked.”

  “We intend to reach the full spectrum of our people.” Nick said quietly, as he stepped up closer to the two in front of him. He didn’t want Council spies to hear that particular intention, but if they did, so be it. “As even the Council never has. There are a lot more where we came from. But we all have to be together to pull this off.”

  Janna looked back at her mate and then looked over at Nick again. “What makes this plan any different than what the Council set up so long ago? Trading one Council for another doesn’t sound appealing.”

  “You mean besides the fact that we don’t have a stick the size of Denmark shoved up our collective asses?” Nick snarked right back.

  Osvald actually grinned at that, and started chuckling as he folded his arms. “I think we’re going to be friends, young master Nickel.”

  “I hope so, master Osvald.”

  “We don’t want to become like the Council.” Janna said seriously. She had to be one of the few in the pack that thought things through. It was how they survived. “But perhaps we need more time to think.”

  “Take whatever time you think you need.” Nick said just as seriously back to her. “What I want to create here is a court of Alphas that can work together as equals, no matter what color our eyes are.”

  “And the Turned?”

  “If they shift on the Fulness and run on four legs like the rest of us, then there’s no reason they shouldn’t be protected under the same laws as the rest of us.”

  Janna gave a nod of approval and just as she looked back at her mate, Zara spoke up again. “The Fulness is near. Perhaps we should all enjoy a Fulness and then reconvene afterwards?”

  Osvald’s eyes flicked distrustfully over at Zara for a moment, then back at Nick. “She might be a turncoat, but she’s sensible enough. The day after the Fulness, we’ll talk again.” He looked back at the house behind Nick for a moment. “When will your mother’s funeral be?”

  “Tomorrow. Before the moon rises on the first night. You are welcome to attend, though I doubt our funerals are much like yours.”

  “Funerals do not need to be the same for all to mourn the loss of a strong wolf.” Janna said with a look of sympathy. “We would like to come to show our support.”

  Nick nodded and put out a hand toward Osvald. “A pleasant Fulness to you then, and we’ll talk again afterward.”

  A few of the Iron Guard members moved up closer to him instinctively when he put his hand out. It was a common saying among wolves to never shake hands with an Earthborn. There was always a chance the wolf who did so wouldn’t have a hand left afterwards, they were just that strong.

  Osvald grinned at the offered hand, and shook it more or less gently for one of his kind, only leaving Nick’s hand nominally bruised afterwards. “Do you know what they’re calling you around the rest of Europe, young master Nickel?”

  Nick shrugged nonchalantly without breaking eye contact. “I have a pretty good imagination for insults, but I haven’t heard anything in specific, no.”

  Osvald grinned again, and released Nick’s hand. “They call you the Iron Prince.”

  Janna remained close, and only when her mate was speaking did she smile as well. “Seems you might have actually deserved the name.”

  Nick looked over at her and then around at his people standing nearby, almost all of whom were smiling at the name. “I’m better with swords than I am with crowns. I’ve never found them to be of much use.”

  “No?” Janna said as she looked around. “Looks like you have plenty of material to make one, though.”

  “I’m not worried about the crown right now. At the moment I’m more worried about the bullets and the knives. When there’s peace again, we can worry about crowns.”

  They nodded and took a few steps backwards. “After the Fulness, we’ll speak again.” Janna promised, sounding more and more convinced with each passing moment.

  It wasn’t long until they disappeared completely, leaving the Ironborn pack and their newest additions. It was then that Zara approached him with a smile. “That went well, don’t you think?”

  “We knew the Earthborn outliers would come easily. They’re as pissed on and generally pissed off as we are, most of the time.” He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me about the other three Alphas coming in?”

  “I only just found out a little while ago.” She moved closer to him, but she didn’t touch him, since she didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable. You didn’t need your mind weighed down by the thought of all that while you spoke with the Swedes. They needed to see the confident and controlled wolf that I know you are when you’re not overwhelmed.

  When will they be here? He was annoyed with the fact that he hadn’t been told, but there was nothing to be done about it, so he just moved past it.

  They said to expect them not too long after the Fulness.

  We’ll expect them, then. He sighed and looked back at the faces of his people all around them, all of whom were whispering among themselves. As he looked at them, many of them bowed toward him, some of them knelt, as whispers of ‘Iron Prince’ went around the pack like wildfire. He cou
ld hear it moving even faster through their thoughts by way of Zara’s link to him, and it spun his head even worse than it had after the events of the day so far.

  VII

  Aura was always up early in the morning in recent days, and especially with the Fulness starting that evening, she felt even more anxious than ever. Just feeling the pull of the tiny lives inside of her toward the power of the moon was enough to keep her moving in her sleep and give her insomnia for hours at a time.

  Ziem hadn’t exactly moved in with her since his declaration, but he might as well have. He had everything at her house that mattered, with the exception of some clothes that he didn’t really care for out in a tent. Obviously living in an actual house made of metal was better for him than living in a tent, so she couldn’t blame him for being happy to ‘move’ in with her.

  She also liked the fact that there was someone sleeping next to her on the bed, even though they hadn’t been intimate. She was so conflicted about so much else in her life that she couldn’t convince herself to say yes to that just yet.

  A few rays of sun were bursting through the cracks in the window, and she turned onto her side to look over at Ziem. Aura reached out slowly and ran her fingers across his forehead to brush his hair away from his face, then smiled gently as she watched him sleep. She was learning things about him one day at a time, the hundred intimate details of a person she always wondered about when they were young but never had the opportunity to experience about him before his exile. He could sleep through just about anything, even her thrashing about, which was nice. He was good for her, and she knew that she had feelings for him that had lasted throughout the years. She wanted to make a good life with him.

  Part of the reason why he’d been able to sleep through just about everything around him, including her thrashing, was that he hadn’t slept on a proper metal bed in quite some time. He had to keep up at least the appearance of being human during his exile. It was a strange relationship that they were starting to build, mostly because Ziem was so free in talking about the human girls he’d been with fairly often while he was away from the pack, while the one thing the two of them never spoke about was Aura’s own romantic history. Ziem hadn’t had a real relationship with any of the human women, and so he felt safe talking about them as though they didn’t matter. They weren’t wolves, and so none of them, he made sure to remind her, could compare with her.