Poor Maya wasn't having a lot of luck recently. Between losing her mate to a psychotic Alpha Tim, being raped by her mates murderer then miscarrying. Which also nearly killed her. You could say that it was amazing that she was able to leave the communal den and enter the rather unknown festival at all.
However when one of the obviously highly ranked werewolves suddenly focuses all his attention on her, I could see the poor wolf as she started to shake in terror and didn't blame her when she turned around and bolted.
But when Alpha Adam immediately started to chase after her, I knew that it wasn't going to end well for either of them if she was caught. Mainly because Maya had no idea why she was being chased in the first place.
So I very quickly recalled the conversation I'd had with Aurora about using the powers our dragon lineage gave us. In particular the royal command.
I felt the back of my throat slightly tense as energy filled it, ready to form the undeniable command.
"Alpha Adam, stop chasing her and get back here." My voice sounded musical and not threatening at all. It was even quite and shouldn't have been able to be heard over the noise of the festival. However the moment I gave the command, Alpha Adam stop in his tracks 100 meters away and came back to us.
The moment he got back to us he immediately verbally attacked me of course, as I'd stopped him going after his mate he'd been waiting so long for.
"Release me from whatever hold you have managed to put me under Eva, if you do not wish to die. You will not deny me my mate." His anger was so intense that there should have been steam coming out of his ears.
This also cause Grace and Detsy to move in front of me very defensively, however I had a simpler solution planned.
"Calm down." I commanded Alpha Adam in that same musical voice that couldn't be ignored. It wasn't surprising when two seconds later he had calmed.
"Ok how are you doing that?" Alpha Adam asked in a curious but now calm voice.
"Royal commands are very useful." I replied while shrugging to lessen how important that bit of information really was. "However most people aren't meant to know that I can use it yet so please don't say anything."
I hadn't forced his cooperation with the command and was very grateful when he simply nodded his head in agreeance of keeping my secret. I had however forgotten that Derrick and Saffron had no idea and where now staring at me with very wide eyes. Lucking Detsy and Grace were quietly talking to them and explaining.
"As for your mate Alpha Adam." I continued. "I know her personally and she's been through a lot in the last six months on top of being a natural wolf." I then gave him a very brief rundown on her recent history.
"So by chasing her like that it would have caused more harm than good. Please also remember that she has no idea how werewolf mates work. In a natural wolf pack the individuals choose their own mates based on rank and compatibility. The idea of soulmates is foreign to them." I informed the Alpha who was still listening calmly to me.
"Well in that case I apologize for threatening you and thank you for stopping me from making a big mistake with my mate. How would you suggest I approach her?" I was surprised to hear a genuine question from someone that was ready to murder just minutes ago. Royal commands truly are terrifying.
"Be calm, friendly and start by introducing yourself. Be sure to explain the differences between werewolf mating and natural wolf mating. Maya will be able to feel the mate pull but will have no idea what it means. So basically be patient with her." I tried to list off everything that I thought would help.
"She'll be hiding in the Shallow Waters communal pack den. If you want to wait at the area with all the seats for resting, just outside the pack area that's been sectioned off for them and is forbidden to enter. I'll go get her for you." I said as I walked away.
"That area's been forbidden to everyone including Alpha's unless you have actually business there for the evening princess. How are you going to get in without being caught?" The question from Alpha Adam was actually amusing.
"Quite simply, I grew up in that pack my dear Alpha. So I'm allowed in." I threw my answer over my shoulder before looking back to see the big powerful Alpha of the Bloodhound pack stopped dead in his tracks with his mouth hanging open.
Looking back, I managed to realize that Saffron and Derrick had taken Beverly and vanished when the discussion of how to approach Maya had started. I felt guilty that I hadn't even noticed the trio leave.
I left Grace and Detsy to explain my own history to Alpha Adam as I passed the tape that meant you needed to be part of the Shallow Waters pack to enter.
I was surprised to find so few wolves in the pack area, meaning that they were out and enjoying the festival. Although most of the pups would be at the child minding service by now.
I didn't take me long to walk to the human entrance of the communal den and enter, finding a total of five wolves inside.
"How are we this evening Luna Kate and ladies?" I greeted my former Luna and the remaining four formally, but pleasantly.
"We are fantastic thank you Eva." Luna Kate replies enthusiastically. "We've been out exploring the festival and just needed to rest for a few minutes, being pregnant can really drain your energy after all."
We all had a chuckle at that. "Well I'm glad you're enjoying the festival, although I must admit that I'm surprised that nearly the entirety of the Shallow Waters pack is attending." I admitted.
"You can thank the Roaring Hills pack members for that." Luna Kate replied. "Both the adults and pups came to us, spent time with us and were so friendly that many friendships were formed on our first day here. So when the werewolf asked their friends if they wanted to go to the festival with them, that included us apparently. It's quite heartwarming to watch I'll admit."
I nodded my agreement at Luna Kate. "I'm glad, however have you happened to have see Maya recently? She came back to the pack den after a little fright and I want to make sure she's alright."
"She's in one of the smaller dens that circle the communal den." One of the she wolves named Bec told me while using her nose to point out which one.
"Thank you very much Bec." I replied "I hope the five of you enjoy the rest of your evening."
I got a chorus of "We will, you to Eva." washed over me as I turned around to leave.
It didn't take much searching to locate Maya curled up in the corner of one of the small dens. The poor girl actually jumped in fright when I approached the entrance.
"Are you ok Maya?" I asked as I slipped inside the den and sat at the entrance. Luckily Maya had chosen one of the slightly larger dens to hide in so I wasn't bent in half trying to sit in it.
"Whatever I've done, please forgive me. I don't want to get kicked out of our new home." Maya replied really fast. She was clearly terrified.
"What in the world would make you say that?" I ask the poor wolf gently while I extend my hand to stroke her head in a gentle and reassuring manner.
"The way that high ranked werewolf looked at me, I know he was angry at me for some reason. I've never had anyone look at me that intensely before." Maya admitted.
I know it was a bad way to handle the situation but I couldn't help but laugh at how badly Maya had interpreted the interaction between her and Alpha Adam. She even managed to look a little hurt which made me stop laughing in guilt.
"Alpha Adam isn't angry with you in the slightest." I inform her. "In fact it's quite the opposite."
"Then why was he looking at me like he wanted to eat me?" Maya asked innocently, but I couldn't hold in my laughter at her choice of words.
"What do you know of the werewolf mating process?" I asked Maya, trying to become serious for her sake but failing.
"Something about a Moon Goddess picks their mates for them." Maya said. "Beyond that I don't really know anything."
"Well it's more like souls that are compatible call to each other and form a very strong mate bond." I explained. "In this case your soul and Alpha Adams called to each other. He was looking at you like that because you're his mate Maya."
Maya looked at me like I was high on laughing gas before replying. "I'm a wolf, not a werewolf. So how could I be mated to one?"
"The same way that many humans are mated to werewolves." I countered. "The Roaring Hills pack has a human Luna and the next in line to be Luna is human as well. It's not a rare thing for a werewolf to be mated to a non werewolf, nor is it looked down upon at all."
"So I'm not in trouble and won't be kicked out of our pack den?" Maya asked to confirm.
"No and no. In fact if someone tried to kick you out they would have to go through a very angry Alpha Adam. Werewolves are very protective of their mates after all." I confirmed. "Would you be willing to go and talk with him? I promise you that he won't chase you this time and he can explain how everything works and what it means far better than I can."
"Well seeing as he won't chase me I don't see why not." Maya joked. The tension had finally left her body and the two of us left the small den to make our way over to where Alpha Adam and my mates were seated.
Now that she wasn't terrified, Maya and Alpha Adam hit it off immediately. In fact, they got along so well that Grace, Detsy and I excused ourselves just five minutes after I returned. I was glad for Maya, she deserved something good to happen for her after all the horrible stuff she'd been through.
I was honestly surprised when Grace and Detsy both grabbed one of my hands and led me back to the pack house.
"It's only 11 pm." I complained. "The festival will still go on for hours." I really was having a good night and didn't want it to end.
"Oh don't worry." Detsy said with a smirk while still dragging me to the pack house. "Our night is far from over Eva."
Let's just say that I spent the rest of the night discovering why humans like to mate so much and I was not complaining at all.
...
To say we were groggy the next morning was an understatement. Detsy ended up waking us all up accidentally when she went to use the bathroom. It was about 10 am by this point so the three of us just spent the next couple of hours cuddling in bed. It was pure bliss.
However, as always, the time we could spend cuddling in bed came to an end and we had to get ready to face the day. Not that were in a hurry in the shower, warm running water has to be the best perk of being human in my opinion.
We arrived at the dining room at 12:30 pm, right in the middle of lunch. I was slightly amused to find most of the regular selections of food replaced with a heavily greezy, hangover curing, selection.
We took out plates and loaded them with bacon, hamburger patties that were still dripping fat and sausages that had cheese in them, although I had no idea what they were called.
We saw Beverly sitting by herself at a small table and went to join her. After a lot of questions we found that Beverly had played a couple more games with Saffron and Derrick before going to bed early. She was also waiting until Saffron got back from the hospital where she was getting her scans done this morning before heading home.
We gave her the good news about Alpha Adam and Maya to which she replied. "Of course others are finding their werewolf mates. I guess it just wasn't meant to be." She rolled her eyes while she said it to indicate that she wasn't being serious.
I was enjoying the light conversation until I heard something from the next table over that screamed danger in my head.
I turned around and asked them to repeat what they just said. The teenage werewolf happily obliged. "I was just saying that Justin here was as insane as Prince Rodney last night."
"What do you mean Prince Rodney is insane?" I asked as the sinking feeling in my gut got worse. I'd just realized the horrible truth about my uncle.
"Two years before his death sentence was carried out Prince Rodney went completely insane. No one knows why and he never recovered from it. I'm surprised you don't know this if you've grown up with werewolves. It's quite a joke really." The teenager said.
"Thank you for that." I replied before turning back around to face my own table. All three of it's other occupants immediately noticed that I'd gone as white as a sheet.
"Is everything ok Eva?" Detsy asked worriedly as she put the back of her hand on my forehead to check my temperature.
"I'm not sick I promise." I replied before turning to Grace. "I need you to get your parents to Alpha Leyton's study immediately, this really can't wait. I'm going to contact Alpha Leyton."
"What's this all about Eva?" Grace said with a worried look on her face.
"I'll explain it in detail when we're all in the study but in short, I just figured out why the wolves are stealing our pups." I said as I began searching for Alpha Leyton with the mind link so I could contact him.
The change in atmosphere was immediate as Grace contracted her parents and Detsy cleared away our half eaten meals. Beverly actually looked frightened at our sudden change in mood.
"Can you please come to your study Alpha Leyton, it's an emergency. Please bring Luna May as well." I say over the mink link once I'd actually managed to find him. Funnily enough he was still in bed with his wife. I still wanted to be in bed with my mates as well.
"We'll be there in five minutes." Alpha Leyton promised after hearing the urgency in my voice.
Grace had already finished contacting her parents so we bid goodbye to Beverly and made our way to the study.
When we arrived, King Tom and Queen Cynthia were already inside. Alpha Leyton and Luna May were only a minute or two behind us.
"So what is so urgent that we suddenly have to have a meeting on what is meant to be one of the only relaxing mornings I get as King." Tom complained.
My mates looked at me so I started. "Seven years ago the accidental deaths or disappearances of pups that have not yet shifted suddenly went up and hasn't gone back down since right? It's only gotten worse."
King Tom furrowed his brows as he looked at me. "How in the world would you know that Eva? But yes you are correct."
"Then we have a big problem on our hands King Tom. There is a living breathing dragon on earth." I tried to say with impact.
Everyone except Grace and Detsy laughed. My two mates suddenly went pale as they made the connection themselves.
"Dragons exist in the next dimension over, not this one Eva. There is no way to travel between them." King Tom tried to tell me, which only angered me.
"Then you'd better adjust your thinking Tom, because all those special powers that the Royals have is because they're part dragon. It's very possible to cross between the dimensions if you encounter a weak point between the walls. It's how werewolves came to be in the beginning actually." I was ranting now and I don't think King Tom quite believed me.
"Ok, for argument's sake. Let's say that there is a dragon on earth, what does that have to do with our pups being stolen?" King Tom asked.
"Quite simply, the wolf of Prince Rodney isn't dead. Two years before he was put to death the dragon tore the wolf from his soul and implanted it into a natural wolf. Both went insane from the experience and would never recover. Prince Rodney may now be dead, but there is an insane natural wolf running around calling himself Alpha Tim and destroying every pack he comes across." I patiently explain.
I could now tell that I had the attention of everyone in the room. "The scariest thing we know about dragons is that they can manipulate souls right?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. At least everyone here had a basic understanding of the creatures, even though they never thought they'd actually have to deal with one.
"Well they're stealing our pups and birthing so many natural wolf pups because Alpha Tim has somehow convinced the dragon to separate the wolf side of the unshifted werewolf, killing the human side in the process, and implanting it in the natural wolf. Which will also destroy the personality of the natural wolf. What would be left is an extremely strong wolf that wouldn't question orders or have a real personality of it's own." I paused to make sure everyone was following.
"In other words, they're building an army out of our children so Alpha Tim can claim what he seems to think is his crown. The same one that currently sits upon your head King Tom."