The Sovereign Heir (Book 1)
Chapter 34 The Unexpected

“See, there was nothing to be worried about. Your parents are accepting of our union. We all had a great time. I’m sure my mother will be just as accepting.” That’s right, I haven’t even met his parents yet. “Speaking of parents, when will I meet yours?” Nolan tucks his bottom lip in his mouth before he answers my question, “My mother will love you; my father is a different story. I say we wait to introduce you to my parents after our hand fasting.”

We walk down into the foyer of the palace, “I have something I wanted to ask you a while ago. The billboard in 2018, did you purposely pose for it? I mean your family has kept what you and your brother looked like a secret since birth. I thought it rather strange you would display yourself on a billboard.”

That wasn’t supposed to happen. I guess I need to explain. “I was never supposed to be the model, we had another one that was going to debut my fashion line, something happened, and she was puking to death the morning of the shoot. We had no one else and I was the only one present who could pose and fit the clothes. Later we found out the model was pregnant and not coming off of a drinking binge. It was completely accidental, plus no one had any idea who I was.”

Nolan pauses before continuing, “Don’t take this the wrong way but I dreamt about you before the billboard was up. I didn’t think you were a real person, just a figment of my imagination. That was until I seen you on a billboard, fate has a funny way of tying loose ends together.” I hugged him so tight after his confession, he is right, fate had a hand in this. ”It truly does, I had no idea you dreamt about me too.” Nolan pauses, “Wait you dreamed about me also? When did it start? Wait, let’s talk more after I put on a show for the pups.” I watch him leave for the pack house, until he is out of sight.

I headed to the gym to meet up with my mother for a little exercise, Alexus is sleeping in. I'm glad it would just be us; I wouldn’t have to pretend to be weaker than what I was. I wonder if superman found it just as frustrating as I did with keeping up false pretenses. Telling Nolan everything would be a relief from this burden.

“Sweetheart, I want to ask, was sex ‘okay’ with Nolan? I mean was it more than you could handle?” I couldn’t believe she asked that, all I could do was eyeball her with my mouth open. “Mom! Really?” Here comes the scientist talking.

“Honey, it is a natural biological and scientific occurrence.” I roll my eyes as I did dead lifts, “If you must know, I could handle it, very well in fact. Speaking of which, pineapple juice mom!” My mother laughs hysterically, “You’ve figured out me and your dad’s little secret, huh.” Such nasty parents I have, “Not such a secret if Nicole knows about it, in fact all the women in the legion know!”

My mother wouldn’t stop laughing. “You are going to tell him everything today, right?” Duh woman, not like I have a choice. The elders expect him in the realm with me soon. “Yes mother, I am going to tell him and show him.”

Yana phases through the gym door, purring and wraps herself around my leg. Yana communicated just like we did and let me know she really liked Nolan. This was her way of saying hurry up so I can move in to the mansion with you.

“In due time, Yana, he will know everything today and I’ll break him in to you being a special cat, umm a griffon sometimes.” My answer must have been suitable for her as she orbed out. We finished up our work out and I decided to run up to the lake and back to kill some time before my mate headed back to the palace. I made it to the back of the palace, exiting through the garden.

I took advantage of being alone, hitting higher speeds than I used with the pack run. Circling around the lake, I took in the serene ambient noise of the surrounding forest. I began doing yoga, suddenly I was put on high alert. Several individuals were within a two mile radius of my location closing in on me.

These invaders were cloaked with magic, magic that did not get past my senses. If I wasn’t so wrapped up in my own mind, I would have picked up on them sooner. They were closing in fast, I used my third eye, leaping me forward to anticipate the entry points. Two hundred yards and I didn’t flinch from my position. An arrow came from my back and another from my right. Catching the arrow to my right, I spin kicked the arrow aimed at my back, reversing its trajectory, returning it to the sender.

With the arrow still in my right hand, I shifted it making it into a metal tipped club. Ten charging in. I crippled the knees of three, following up with snapping their spines in two. My fangs elongated; my claws extended as I let out a growl that echoed off the trees. I unnerved them, causing them to panic.

I entered their minds, “If its death you want, then it is death you will have.” I slashed them across the face, mid sections, severing hands and legs as I went. Twelve more came rushing in from the tree line, with the smell of blood heavy in the air around me. It sent me into a state of eerie calm.

My gauntlet responded by generating a Katana Ninjato blade. I stood completely still with my eyes closed as I heard them withdraw their own weapons. The air shifted, tipping off at the first to come in for the attack. I parried, giving a remise before thrusting my blade straight through the neck. One after another I lunged, severed, skewered my way until none were left standing. I sent out a massive link: “Enemies breached the southern borders, twenty two dead at the lake, lock down protocol . Legion members be on the ready!”

I crouched down looking at what was left of my would be assailants, I sensed Ashton coming up behind me. Without turning I said, ”You shouldn’t be here, it isn’t safe, even for an Alpha wolf. I linked everyone; we are going into lockdown. They had help getting onto the territory.” Ashton stood quiet, I couldn’t pick up on his thoughts, which was strange, it was like he was masking them. “Of course they did, princess. I clearly underestimated you; I should have sent more.” Before I responded, I sent a link to my godparents and my parents informing them Ashton was the one to let them in. I had to keep him talking until everyone arrived in the next five minutes.

“What did you just say?” Ashton came closer to me, I pushed into his mind harder than I ever had done before, causing his nose to bleed. “You trifling bitch of a wolf, you worked with our common enemy, you betrayed us all. This entire time I would have thought it would come from the Lycans. Here it is that it’s you, a mutt with a sick obsession. News flash, I’ve completed the mating process with my TRUE mate. You wasted your time chasing me and brought shame to your pack.”

“Oh Laina, after you and your fuckboy brother ruined my initial plans, an opportunity dropped in my lap I just couldn’t refuse. In the end it was all about you. Your Lycan will be dead, along with your parents, my parents, the elders, the council and especially that brother of yours!” He has gone ape shit insane; I need to know how he blocked me out of hearing his thoughts.

“We both know you aren’t that bright, who helped you and how did you block me out of your thoughts, how did you go unseen this entire time?” Ashton put his finger to is lip, contemplating giving me an answer. Anything to keep this degenerate talking at this point, “Since you won’t be accessible to anyone much longer I might as well tell you. A sun stone manipulated by a warlock with dark magic. I ingest just enough to keep your nosey ass out of my head and your magic; as for who is helping me, well there are other parties with a personal interest in you and your mate.”

Ashton has truly lost his mind, sun stone exposure over time mutates the average supe body internally, you’re just a monster like the orcs but worse.

“You’re insane Ashton, you are mated to Donna. Which I replace fitting, you two deserve each other, you’re both pathetic and weak!” I definitely pushed some buttons; he was turning red in the face. “I’d watch how you talk to me, Elaina or I’m going to have to punish you. Donna is of no significance. There is nothing she can do about it once everything is all said and done.” I’m going to have to kill him, may my godparents one day forgive me. “I’m going to fucking kill you, Ashton before you get the chance!”

I orbed out to his left clothes lining him, sending Ashton back twenty feet. As he got up I gave him an upper cut then mule kicking him in the sternum. I wanted him to hurt and hurt badly for what he had done, his death would not be quick but a slow painful one.

Ashton rolled over on his stomach, slowly inching away with something hidden under his shirt. I grabbed Ashton by his hair bending him back to look into my eyes. He was laughing ,“You bitch, I’m going to fuck you six ways to Sunday before you know it”.

I had enough listening to this maniac talk, “Why, so I can be just as unsatisfied like everyone else you’ve slept with? You’ll never touch me!” I landed three punches across his face before letting his hair go. A link came in from Bryant and my parents. Rogues came in from the North and they were headed my way. As I was distracted for a mere second, Ashton sprayed some type of liquid in my face.

My vision was hazy and doubling, my balance was off, and my head was spinning. “I’m sure you are wondering what that was, Laina. Let me clue you in, it has been no secret to me that you are nearly impervious. The only thing to take you down is something very rare, almost impossible to replace, the ash of the Persea. That’s right princess I have access to the remains of the sacred tree of origin, the price for this you wonder? Your blood, your bone marrow.

“It won’t hold you for long, but long enough to render you as weak as a human for now.”

The cocky asshole was right; however humans have done phenomenal things against all odds. With every ounce of my soul I grabbed Ashton, taking him down with a suflex. Pain eradiated from my back, shaking it off I rolled over getting on top of him hitting pressure point after pressure point. Ashton was down for now, taking these few seconds to catch a breath.

Ashton recovered more quickly than I anticipated, taking me down in a choke slam.

“Looks like I’m going to have to punish you now!” The words of my aunt were so clear, ”A natural witch is limitless!” My mind became calm as I connected with the world around me. Dark clouds came in, the speed of the wind picked up and the ground began to shake. Roots shot up from the ground subduing him.

“One thing you never learned about me, Ashton, is that my training came from other places outside the realm, places you think would be beneath your pedigree. You might have suppressed my supernatural abilities, but never the natural witch in me.”

My eyes clouded over, bringing lightning strikes inches from Ashton. In his fright he powered through the roots, only to be pummeled with an assault of rocks. Ashton tackled me to the ground, trying choke my wind pipe as I locked my legs securing his arms at painful angles. A surge of water from the lake engulfed him. I could faintly hear the others approaching as I struggled to keep my eyes open.

Ashton broke out of his watery prison, back handing me. The metallic taste of my blood invaded my mouth. I was going to make sure he paid for that. Headbutting Ashton caused a gush of blood to leave his nose followed up with a throat punch. Taking advantage of my new found momentum I kicked him across both shins, dropping him.

A quick flash came across my already distorted vision with the sound of bare knuckles pounding into flesh. “No! we need him alive!” I yelled. Before I fell flat on my face, I felt my mate cradle me in his arms. ”Persea, he used Persea. Tell my parents…Tell”, my thoughts were incoherent.

“If I can’t have her, neither will you!” The sound of a gun cocking brought me out of my daze, “Noooo!”, sending the last bit of energy I had out to the elements, roots emerged knocking the gun out of Ashton’s hand. Nolan shifted instantly, breaking Ashton’s jaw, with teeth flying in the air. I collapsed on my back, hearing shouts and murmurs above me. I felt myself being lifted up.

I don’t know how long I was in and out of consciousness. I gave the occasional low audible answer. My mother’s voice was faint but clear, ”Are you sure she said Persea? That hasn’t existed since the days of Elijah. The remnants have never been found, it was always assumed the current Tree of Life took root from its destruction, swallowing whatever remained whole.” My mate was in the room talking to my mother, ”That is exactly what she said and made sure I would tell you. Why hasn’t she woken up yet?”

My father chimed in, “That we don’t know. Her vitals are stable, her blood work appears to be normal under the circumstances. Technically nothing is wrong with her. Nolan get something to eat or take a nap. She will be pissed if she thinks we allowed you to wear yourself thin holding a vigil for her.” I could sense my mate leaving reluctantly.

“He hasn’t left her side nonstop. Nolan wants to take her home, but I think its best they remain here until she wakes completely. Titus, her cells are metabolizing the ash, I can’t make out what is happening to her cell structure. It’s like they are partially encapsulated, the elder’s refuse to tell me anything. They will only speak to Elaina and Nolan.”

My mother was frustrated and anxious as my father tried to console her, “Lilah, he might be exactly what she needs right now. We are merely in the way at this point. Let’s bring them to her real room. A little familiarity might help.”