by Connor Crowe
“You may leave,” Markus waved him off. Arric got up and took his leave as well, leaving only the pack leader, my two mates, and me.
As soon as the door clicked closed, he gave us a knowing, mischievous look. No longer the serious, professional pack alpha, he grinned at us like a friend in on a dirty secret.
“Something tells me that exploring that city and finding the Key wasn’t all you were up to.” He tilted his head toward our hands, hidden under the table but intertwined nonetheless.
A weight I didn’t know I’d been carrying lifted off my shoulders at his comment. All this time I’d feared what he would think about the three-mate situation. If he would be supportive. That was the first step, after all. If he gave us his blessing, the acceptance of the pack would come that much easier. I let out a breath as warmth and gratitude swelled in my heart.
My mates squeezed my hands under the table. I wanted to remember the gratitude of this moment. The full acceptance not only of me, but of my mates.
When I responded, I did so with a wink. “Something tells me you’re right.”
26
Hugo
Man, I didn’t realize how much I needed a good night of sleep. It wasn’t perfect of course—what was—but wrapped in the arms of my men in an actual bed? I’d take it.
After our briefing in the library, we joined the rest of the pack. As expected, everyone wanted to hear the story of the grand adventure. Everyone wanted to shake our hands. It was nice to finally be home again. A hot meal, a hot shower, and seeing my chosen family warmed me up from the inside out. Even the children, with their faces full of innocent joy, celebrated our arrival.
For one evening, at least, we were home. Things felt almost normal again.
I knew—unfortunately—that they were not.
The flooding of Nox Bay still left many villagers displaced, and many of the pack members had taken to sleeping in large communal quarters while houses were rebuilt. James, Tristan, and I planned to sleep there, in fact. In a surprising gesture, Markus stopped us right before bed and offered his and Felix’s quarters. Bless him, it was an unnecessary courtesy, but I couldn’t argue with the comfort the private room provided.
The bed wasn’t quite big enough for the three of us, but we made it work. We just got very close and cozy. Not that I minded.
I woke up bright and early, before even the sun crested the sky. Usually I was the one out of the three of us to sleep in, but what could I say? My nerves were a little high. I crawled out of bed as easily as I could, but untangling myself from two omegas was no simple feat. Somehow, they managed to stay asleep the whole time.
When I threw my clothes on and looked back over at the bed, they were wrapped in one another’s arms, snoring quietly.
I couldn’t help but smile at that sight. Sometimes it was still hard to believe that this was all real. That I actually had two mates that loved me for everything I was. That I’d gone on such an adventure and lived to tell the tale. In just a few hours, our lives could change forever.
My stomach clenched, and this time it wasn’t from hunger. I hadn’t forgotten last night’s briefing, nor the witch’s plans to activate the prototype this morning. There was so much that could go wrong, but if it went right…
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. I paced back and forth. Fidgeted with my clothes. Fixed my hair about six too many times. Anxious, jittery energy buzzed through my body, but it wasn’t the same as the burns.
Just nervous. That was all. Just nervous.
I walked over to the window and peered out into the village. The first rays of sun began to illuminate the landscape. The golden light of pre-dawn belied the tension in the air, that was for sure.
I remembered the effects of errant elemental energy more than most. I’d finally gotten my shifts under control. I thought, for once, I could have a moment of peace.
Guess not.
Now there was yet another new threat. If things went awry again, I could lose it in front of everyone. I could hurt my mates...
Mates and child, the thought came from somewhere deep inside me.
I froze at the idea. Child? Since when was that part of our lives? I glanced over at James and Tristan, still blissfully asleep while I worried about the dangers of the day.
My two omegas. My heart swelled as I looked at them cuddled up together. They were everything that I didn’t know I needed, and now I couldn’t imagine life without them. I would do anything for them, I realized. Whatever it took, to make sure they were happy and safe.
I remembered all too well Tristan’s emotional confession about his fertility. But that didn’t mean that James was barren, too. In fact, I’d knotted inside James the first night we had sex. Knotting didn’t automatically mean he was pregnant, though. And James hadn’t been acting any different or smelling any different. I would have noticed.
With a sigh, I turned back to the window. It was just wishful thinking. And besides, there would be plenty of time for that once things were safe again.
A knock at the door shook me from my thoughts. Right. We needed to get going. As much as I didn’t want to wake my sleeping beauties, we had a meeting to attend.
I nudged them as gently as I could, pulling away the blanket and rubbing their shoulders to try and rouse them.
“Wha?” James mumbled sleepily. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Is that supposed to be a frog pit…?”
Okay, that was super adorable. “James,” I whispered. “Honey, we’ve got to get up.”
“Why?” Tristan moaned. He did his best to pull the quilt back over him, but I yanked it away.
“We’ve got to go meet the rest of the pack,” I told them. I fetched their clothes from the table near the door where we’d laid them. “Remember that demo that Felix and the witch planned?”
James ran a hand through his messy hair and blinked up at me through half-open eyes. “That’s this morning?” He yawned. “She really doesn’t like to wait, does she?”
I know. I wish we could sleep in too.
“I know we’re all nervous, but we have to trust Felix and Markus. They wouldn’t let anything bad happen to us.” I said it as much for my own sake as theirs. “If they truly thought it was dangerous, they wouldn’t let her go through with it.”
Tristan nodded silently, pushing his way upright and taking the outstretched outfit.
“Believe me?” I added when neither of them responded. I leaned forward and hugged them both, letting their warmth and life soothe and calm the tension in my soul.
“Yes,” James said at last.
“Believe you,” Tristan muttered, still locked in our embrace.
“Good,” I said with a sigh of relief. “Now, let’s get dressed. We’re running late as it is.”
We joined the rest of the village out at the courtyard, a large open space reserved for pack-wide gatherings and festivals. Lorsa, Markus, and Felix were there already, as were many of the other pack members.
“I didn’t realize there was gonna be an audience,” James muttered to me.
“Me neither,” I said. “Just go with it.”
A large platform dominated the middle of the courtyard. It raised about knee high above the rest of the crowd and a pedestal sat atop it. Around the platform someone had carved strange lines and glyphs into the earth. That someone, I assumed, was Lorsa.
I didn’t like the look of them, to be honest. The arcane sigils sent chills down my spine, and I could just about taste the magic in the air.
Thankfully, my dragon and phoenix forms were quiet, at least for the moment. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the trio in the middle of the square. Lorsa, Felix, and Markus reached into a box and pulled out something wrapped in dark blue fabric. It was round and about as large as my head, but I couldn’t tell much else through the wrappings.
They carefully handled it like a precious gem, moving it over to the pedestal and placing it on a divot so that it didn’t roll away.
I realized with
no small amusement that whatever that was, it likely would be a precious gem if this worked out.
That thought was interrupted by Markus addressing the crowd. He stepped forward on the platform and spread his arms to encompass everyone.
“Good morning, people of Nox Bay. Thank you all for joining us so early today. What you are about to see has never been attempted before. But make no mistake—if we succeed, it will usher in a new age of prosperity and peace. And I say that not only for our pack, but for all packs. Do you stand with us?”
The villagers erupted in a mixture of cheers and applause. I looked across at the sea of faces. Some of them I knew, some of them I didn’t. But they looked up to Markus, Felix, and Lorsa with such gleaming, hopeful eyes.
I hadn’t seen such faith in a long time. Despite the danger and uncertainty, they actually believed.
“How about that,” I muttered and shook my head. Maybe that was something I could do a little bit better at, too.
“Lady Lorsa has been kind enough to lend us her services in our time of need.” Markus continued to speak, projecting his voice so that everyone could hear. “I know this has been a difficult year for all of us. There have been many trials and many changes. But also many new additions to our pack family.” He eyed the row of fathers in the front row, watching with their children in their arms.
“I want you to know that each of you is important here. Each of you is essential, just as a chain with a broken link cannot hold. It is because of our commitment and our willingness to come together that we have weathered every obstacle thrown in our way.” He took a breath and paused for effect. “And we will weather this one too.”
The crowd rumbled again with comments and scattered applause. They watched, just as I did, for his next move.
“Many of you have met my mate, Felix. When he first arrived on our pack lands, he sought to steal our treasures. He knew little about our people, and less about the sacred relic he swore to retrieve. It was...” He paused, giving his mate a knowing smile. “A learning experience. For all of us.”
“I captured Felix and held him prisoner. After all, he was the intruder. I could have had him executed right then and there. But something about him stuck out to me, ever since our first meeting. I didn’t know it then, but we were fated mates.”
Markus now waved a hand across the crowd, looking in turn at the fathers up front, and then to our triad in the back. “Similar stories have played out through the last year. Newcomers and longtime villagers alike have found peace, family, love, and belonging. In this time, we have become the first shifter pack to take in a human as one of our own. And you know what? The world didn’t end. In fact, we have expanded our knowledge and perspective with each new person we bring in. Our pack now boasts not only wolves, but foxes, gryphons, dragons, phoenixes, and even a witch.”
Wow. I guess I hadn’t realized just how diverse the pack had become.
We’d become a pack of misfits. A hodge-podge melting pot for all those that didn’t fit in, didn’t belong, or didn’t have a home.
I’d spent most of my life among the dragon clans, trying to hide who I really was. But here? I didn’t have to hide any more. And that was the best feeling in the world.
“It is my honor to present my mate Felix, and our newest member, Lady Lorsa Hanu. They’ve been working long and hard to bring this together, so give them your full attention!”
The crowd hushed and looked on as Markus stepped out of the way, giving Felix and Lorsa the floor. I held my breath, waiting.
Here we go.
“Welcome, villagers of Nox Bay!” Felix greeted us. “And thank you to my wonderful mate Markus for such a glowing introduction.” He stepped forward in front of the podium, spreading his arms wide as Markus had done.
“As you know, there are four main elements in this world: water, fire, earth, and air. Long ago, our ancestors forged four relics that controlled and balanced these powers throughout the world. They called them the Keys of Life.”
“One of those Keys resided right here in our very pack. It was called the Eye of the Ocean, or the Key of Water, more simply. Not so long ago, I had a job to complete. My employer sent me here to your land to steal the Key. I didn’t know what I was getting into at the time, and I didn’t know who I’d meet. Little did I know, Markus would steal my heart instead.” Felix smiled with the fond memory, then continued.
“We fought against those who wanted it for themselves. We fought against those who sought to profit and exploit the Keys and their power. In that battle, the Eye of the Ocean was destroyed. Many of you remember that day. But it was not the first obstacle we faced, nor was it the last.”
“When we realized the power these Keys held,” Felix continued, his voice rising toward a crescendo. “We knew we had a duty to protect them. They could not fall to the same fate and the same folly.”
Felix sighed and looked over the crowd once more. His shoulders slumped. “Unfortunately, the more we tried to help, the more we ended up getting in the way. We traveled to new lands, met new people, and had all kinds of adventures. But one by one, the Keys fell to destruction, and there was nothing we could do about it.”
The crowd muttered uneasily, and I saw a couple of people nodding with solemn faces. I remembered my own pain and chaos when I couldn’t control my shifts or my flame. I remembered the terror.
“This continued on until we had only one Key left, and it lay cloistered away in one of the most mysterious places in our world—Ataraxis, the mythical flying city of the gryphon lords.”
More gasps and gossips fluttered through the villagers.
“The Flying City...?”
“Thought it was a fairy tale...”
“I heard they eat their young...”
Felix waited a moment for the chatter to die down. His eyes fixed on us, all the way at the back of the crowd. “Three of our brave pack members traveled to this land.” He gave us a nod of recognition. “They faced life-threatening dangers to keep the final Key out of the wrong hands. And I’m happy to say, my friends, that they succeeded.”
Another cheer went up, this one louder and longer than the ones before. A cool, tingling sensation tickled over my skin all the way up to my scalp. Yeah, I realized. We had done that.
They were cheering for us.
The glow of gratitude and pride must have been contagious, because soon James and Tristan next to me were cheering along with the crowd, raising their hands to the sky.
I let all that excitement loose and yelped with relief. All the joy, all the sadness, and all the stress came out in one loud, long exultation.
We were here now. We had done it. We had survived.
“And now,” Felix bellowed over the noise, “for the main event!” With a flourish he whisked away the blue cloth on the podium, and there it sat.
A large, clear stone looked back at us. It was perfectly round with a golden inlay engraved around the widest part. If I squinted, I could even see the same tiny sigils scratched into the crystal. Even from back here, the rush of magic was evident. It flowed over us like warm honey, draping the entire village in its thrall. The crowd quieted down and stared on in stunned silence.
I couldn’t look away, even if I wanted to.
“Those elemental energies have not been lost, my friends.” Felix’s voice still carried strong and clear. “Only untethered, floating and wild all around us.” He paused for a moment and then lay a hand on the orb.
“What if we could contain them once more? What if we could build our own Key—a Master Key—that could help everyone?”
I expected more shouts of celebration or even confusion. But the courtyard stood dead silent, every member of the audience enraptured and waiting for Felix’s next word.
“That is what we have to share with you here today!” Felix announced with triumph. “The prototype of our final Key—the Key of Life!”
Chills ran down my spine while gooseflesh pebbled up all over my skin. Even the name
was enough to inspire awe and fear. What had they done? And what possessed them to think they could control it all? I watched, frozen in place. It was too late to do anything now. The chips would fall, and fate would have her way.
A quiet, male voice from the front of the crowd spoke up, barely audible over the din. “How does it work, though?”
Finally, someone asking the right questions. I couldn’t see who it was, but I thanked them in my head.
“Lorsa, you want to take this one?” Felix stepped back and let the witch come forward for the first time.
Lorsa wore a deep red cloak that covered most of her face. A few tendrils of gray hair hung free, but she looked every bit the mysterious witch everyone talked about. As she stepped forward to address the audience, she pushed the hood backward and let it fall across her shoulders, revealing her face to the village for the first time.
Lines of age and stress creased her face, but her eyes remained perceptive as ever. Even from this distance I saw the glint of power in those depths. To be honest, it unnerved me a little. The large red cloak draped across her shoulders and swooped almost all the way to the ground, stopping right at ankle length. Simple black boots gave way to roughspun pants and a plain white blouse completed the look.
The golden amulet I remembered from the library briefing still hung around her neck, a smooth white stone catching the early rays of sun. She appraised the crowd silently, her eyes tracking every person and every movement, it seemed like. After a long, thoughtful pause, she spoke.
“As there are four elements, we will need four volunteers for our demonstration. One to represent each of the elements.”
I gulped, instantly shooting surprised looks at my mates.
“No one told me there was gonna be audience participation,” James whispered, clenching my hand in his own. “What if something happens?”
“We’ll be fine,” I breathed. I squeezed his hand back, not daring to tell him the truth—I was just as scared as he was.
“Arric has kindly offered to be the force of water, since it was your pack that originally held the Eye of the Ocean.” The pack’s military commander stepped up to the stage. He appeared calm enough, but that did little to inspire confidence.
