Page 11

Rue

Less than a season lost. That’s not so bad. We can make up for it. Vaegon won’t remember the separation. Once he’s back with his true mother, that pretending bitch will disappear from his memory.

And I’ll make sure she never goes anywhere near him again.

I don’t want to think about her right now. I’ve eaten and washed up. I’m ready to see my son.

As soon as I step outside the hut, the seer mutters some elvish words. A moment later, we’re in an unfamiliar part of the forest. I spin around, expecting to see Vaegon and Allina, but there’s no one else here. Just the seer and me in a long, narrow clearing surrounded by thick trees. The sky is clear above us, and the grass is lush beneath our feet.

“There,” the seer tells me, pointing to a small tree at the edge of the clearing. I notice a faint distortion in the air, an almost invisible shimmer.

“Go through there, and you’ll find your son. But return quickly, no more than a day. That is crucial.”

I’d like to know what happens if I’m not back in time and how it could possibly take more than a day. But the seer vanishes before I get a chance to ask. I look around, feeling uneasy in this open space alone. Why wouldn’t she come with me? Why does everything have to be so damn mysterious with the elves?

It doesn’t matter. Vaegon is waiting for me.

I hurry over to the shimmer. I pause before stepping in, imagining the moment I take Vaegon in my arms. My stomach drops at the thought of him crying for that vile elf because he doesn’t remember me. I wonder if he cried for me like that when he first left.

My heart aches from missing him and from wondering what he’s been through all this time. But I have to swallow my fear if I want to find him. What matters is bringing him back where he belongs and showing him how loved and safe he is with me. I hold onto that thought as I take a deep breath and step into the shimmer.

I feel a bit dizzy as I stumble out into whatever’s waiting on the other side. I close my eyes until it settles, then brave a look around. I’m not sure what I expected from another realm, but I thought it’d be a lot different than this. It’s a forest, just like Faerie, only the colors are all wrong. The trees have green leaves and muddy-brown trunks instead of the vibrant purples and blues I’m used to. And I feel no essence of the dryads within them. The only other plants I recognize are the calantars. They’re not right either, growing haphazardly around the base of the giant tree before me, not in neat lines along the paths like they should be.

It’s warm here despite being the coldest season. Just like in the elven territory. How sheltered I’ve been, never straying from my pack’s camp. I feel like I’ve gotten a glimpse of how exciting Faerie will be after the queen has been removed from it.

But Vaegon isn’t here. No one’s around except whatever creatures are buzzing past my ears and squawking in the trees. I look around, trying to decide which way to go. Before I can choose, I scent them–shifters.

I’ve been hiding from my pack for so long that my first instinct is to flee. To jump back through the shimmer to safety. But my son is here, and my longing for him outweighs my fear. I close my eyes and take a few shaky steps forward. If these shifters are anything like the ones in my realm, they’ve already noticed me and will soon show themselves.

They do. Almost immediately, two large Alphas emerge from the trees, fangs bared, and bodies tensed. I sense an Alpha wolf creeping up behind me, too. They’ll relax when they see that I’m a harmless Omega and learn why I’m here. I’d imagine they know about my son if the seer sent me.

“Who are you?” the smaller Alpha demands, keeping his distance as he sniffs the air. Instead of answering, I admire the black drawings on his arms as I wait for him to place my designation.

“An Omega?” he asks as my scent finally reaches him. He approaches confidently now, dropping his eyes to my neck.

“I’m mated,” I say quickly, cutting off any thought of claiming me.

Why the fuck didn’t the seer send an escort with me?

A larger, calmer Alpha with dark brown skin and a thick, black beard steps closer to have a look for himself. “I see no mark. Is it hidden?”

“My mate is a fae,” I explain. “We cannot mate-mark each other.”

Maybe Durin isn’t technically my mate, but the heart makes the bond, not the mark. Hopefully, my claim will be enough to deter these Alphas and move this along.

They exchange a glance before the first one turns and walks away. “Come on,” he says.

I follow him through the forest until it abruptly ends, spitting us out into a vast open space stretching as far as I can see. Fruits and vegetables grow in neat rows on either side of a large hut with a sharply angled roof. At the front of the hut, a wide path of small rocks leads out to a hard, stone-like path that disappears into the distance.

When we step out of the cover of the trees, a strong heat blazes across my skin. I glance down at my arms, but they don’t seem to be injured. I look at the Alphas, but they seem unaffected. When I turn my eyes up to the sky, a hot, blinding light pierces right through my skull.

“What the fuck?” I shout, covering my eyes with my hands. I blink a few times and look at the ground to make sure I still have my sight, then squint back up to get a better look.

The pain is just as bad. And now, my head is throbbing.

“Just like Paren,” the bearded Alpha chuckles.

“Who’s Paren?” I ask, unamused. “And what’s wrong with your sun?”

“Nothing is wrong with it,” the other Alpha replies. “It’s just more badass than the one you have in Faerie. I assume that’s where you’re from.”

“It is. And where are you from?” I ask, looking around.

He grunts and swings open a wooden door, leading me inside. I step into a kitchen area much larger than the one in the elven hut. There’s a water basin against one wall, though it’s set into the table instead of sitting on top. Cabinets line two of the walls, and there’s a cooking stand but no fireplace. A small table and chairs sit in the center, and there are two doorways leading to other rooms, but no doors.

“Sit,” the painted Alpha tells me. “I’m Samuel. That’s Jessen.”

I nod and take a chair, reminding myself to be patient and polite. They don’t seem to want to hurt me, and I have no idea how to find Vaegon on my own. Maybe they’ve been expecting me. They seemed to know where I’m from.

“Drink?” Samuel asks, opening a cabinet and pulling out a glass.

I shake my head, too nervous to put anything more in my stomach. “No, thank you.”

He shrugs and takes the glass for himself, gulping down the water. The other Alpha holds up a strange box to his ear and begins speaking into it. “Prime, someone came through.”

Is he using magic to talk to someone who isn’t here? Do shifters have extra magic in this realm, or is that box enchanted?

“It’s an Omega from Faerie.” He pauses, then looks at me. “I’m not sure. Probably just fell through like Paren.”

Who is this Paren they keep talking about? The elf who came with Vaegon is named Allina, and she wouldn’t have just fallen through.

“Why have you come here?” Jessen asks me.

“I’m here for my son,” I reply, starting to worry that they may not have been expecting me after all.

“And who might your son be?” he asks.

“He came with an elf. His name is Vaegon. He’s a pup.”

My stomach drops when the two Alphas exchange a loaded look.

“Prime,” the Alpha with the box says. “She says she’s here for Vaegon. She claims to be his mother.”

“I am his mother,” I growl, threatened by his doubt. This wasn’t supposed to be difficult. I should have been able to walk through, get Vaegon, and return home. Why is this happening?

They both stare at me wide-eyed until the one with the box says, “Yes, Prime. We’ll wait.”

He slips the box into the pocket of his strange leathers and turns to me. “Vaegon is coming,” he says carefully. “It will take about an hour.”

My chest loosens, and I take a deep breath. “Thank you,” I tell him, regretting my outburst. I can feel my hands begin to tremble, knowing that Vaegon is on his way. In an hour, I’ll be back in Faerie, reuniting Durin with his son.

“I’ll go join Reese outside in case any more come through,” Jessen tells Samuel. He walks out the door, letting it swing shut behind him.

“More what?” I ask. “More shifters? Why would more come through?”

The remaining Alpha looks at me curiously but doesn’t respond. I grit my teeth and decide not to ask again.

As we wait, I catch him stealing glances at me. Do I seem odd to him? Our clothing is different, but I don’t think we, as shifters, look that dissimilar. This hut is the strange thing. There are bright lights in the roof that glow without candles or calantars. Cool air blows out of a slatted hole in the floor. I stare through the doorways, wondering what other strange things are in the rest of the hut.

It feels like centuries before I hear a rumbling sound coming from outside. I jump to my feet, fighting the urge to run blindly through the rooms, looking for my son.

Samuel, who had been leaning against the wall, suddenly blocks the doorway. I clasp my hands together and force a smile, hoping Vaegon will recognize me as soon as he sees me.

Heavy footsteps fill the next room. Did they bring a small army for Vaegon’s safety? Or are they more threatened by me than they let on? I wish Durin was here. In my rush to get Vaegon back, I didn’t consider my own safety. I’m kind of regretting it now.

The seer wouldn’t send me into danger, though. She believes Vaegon is meant to save the realm. He’s here. I just need to stay calm until I can get us back through that gateway.

Samuel bares his throat to someone and then heads back outside. Seconds later, a massive Alpha steps in the room. His eyes are a stunning gold, and his hair light brown hair falls in clean waves to his shoulders. His face is stern behind his short beard but carries a warmth that puts me a bit more at ease. When he sees me, he doesn’t even glance at my neck. I wonder if he’s been Vaegon’s guardian.

I bare my throat in gratitude for whatever role he’s played in keeping my son safe. He dips his head in acknowledgment and moves further into the room to let someone else in. I expect it to be Allina and my son, but instead, it’s a tiny Omega with golden hair and big, green eyes. She’s stunning, but it’s her confidence and enthusiasm that catches me off guard.

She’s not afraid to see a stranger sitting here–she grins at me. And she’s not at all affected by the other Alpha in the room. She doesn’t even submit to him. She looks almost excited to be here.

I glance at her neck and see multiple marks. She has mates. At least two. The idea of multiple Alpha mates makes me queasy, but she looks so happy. They must treat her very well.

She steps closer, looking at me kindly. “Her eyes,” she says. “Do you see them, Lucas?”

The golden-eyed Alpha hums thoughtfully in response. The Omega darts out of the room and returns seconds later with a tall, curly-haired Beta in tow.

“Look,” she whispers, tilting her head toward me. “Look at her eyes.”

The Beta leans forward to peer at me as well. “I see it, but… she’s so young,” he says, wrinkling his brow.

“Time passes differently there, remember?” the Omega says.

A second, new Alpha steps into the room. He’s broad and imposing, like any Alpha, but his aura is very different. His dark eyes stand out sharply against his short, pale hair and skin, just like everyone I’ve seen in the elven camp. I try to look past him for Allina, wondering if he’s the elves’ link to this realm. But his wide frame is blocking the doorway.

“I think she may be telling the truth,” he says, studying my face.

“Why wouldn’t I be telling the truth?” I challenge, locking my stare with the dark pits of his creepy eyes. “Where is my son?”

The four of them exchange looks before the Omega shuffles over to the doorway they came through. “Please,” she says softly, reaching for someone on the other side. “Please, just come see. You can bark if you need to.”

A bronze arm with long, slender fingers takes her hand and pulls her out of the room. Something about the arm plants a seed of dread in my chest. It takes root and burrows deeper the longer the silence stretches on. Tremors run through my body as the realization sinks in.

Still, my mind fights to resist the truth looming just outside that doorway.

The Omega reappears, gripping the arm of a tall, handsome Alpha. One with pointed ears and bright blue hair. His eyes are as blue as Durin’s, but their shape is unmistakably mine.

They even hold the anger and bitterness I’ve carried with me for so long.

My chest feels like it’s ripping open. My heart spills onto the floor at my feet. I double over in agony, struggling to find a breath. That fully mature mixed-fae Alpha shifter is my son. He’s Vaegon. A mother knows her young, and despite the frantic protests of my mind, my soul is certain that it’s him.

I close my eyes, recalling the Omega’s words. Time passes differently there .

Hot tears carve paths of sorrow down my cheeks. It fits. It all makes sense now. The weight of what the elves have actually taken from me crashes down on my back.

“No…” I whisper, clutching at the cavern in my chest.

My legs give way, and I fall back onto the chair behind me. I wish I could sink deeper, back to the dark nothingness I’ve been hiding in for months. But this pain is even more unbearable than the one I was trying to escape from. Before, I had hope of getting my pup back. Now, I see that he’s truly gone for good.

Soft fingers gently pry my hands away from my chest. Through my tears, I see the lovely Omega kneeling in front of me. Her own tears race down her cheeks, highlighting the pretty speckles that run across them.

“I’m Jade,” she says quietly, squeezing my hands. “I’m one of Vaegon’s mates.”

One of them? I glance around, wondering if the others are here. I see that the Beta is clearly one of them. He’s clutching Vaegon’s hand tightly, looking up at him with enough love to bring me one brief moment of comfort.

I rip my eyes away from Vaegon’s suspicious stare and squeeze them shut. Durin is waiting for me. I need to keep it together so I can get back to him. I can still have a life with him despite this loss, but I have to survive the pain long enough to get home.

“Are you Vaegon’s birth mother?” the huge Alpha, Lucas, asks. His tone is gentle, but his Alpha bark is woven carefully into the words.

“Yes,” I reply numbly. “Or at least… I was,” I mutter. I try to stifle the sobs rising in my chest, but one slips out as I finish. “For three days before they ripped him from my arms.”

I pull my hands from the Omega’s grip and wrap my arms around my stomach. My fangs unsheathe, and a quiet whimper escapes my lips as every painful emotion I’m capable of grapple each other for control.

I don’t know what to do. Should I even bother asking him to come back with me to help Faerie?

My mind buzzes. The room is spinning. I can’t even think of another alternative but to stand up and walk back to the portal to sink into my depression again.

That plan quickly dies when Allina appears in the corner of the room. The Alphas growl and instinctively move to shield the rest of us from her. They seem to feel some kind of animosity toward her.

Good. I hope they maul her to death. But not before I get a chance at her.

“You!” I shout, springing from the chair. I push through the giant bodies blocking my path until I can see her face. “You did this! You stole him from me.”

The Alphas don’t stop me from approaching her. When I’m close enough, I grab her by the hair and yank her down to my level. Allina doesn’t defend herself. She just stares at me with that infuriatingly blank mask the elves like to wear.

“I should rip a hole in your throat right now,” I growl, baring my fangs to show how serious I am. “The only reason I’m not killing you yet is because I need to make sure I can get back to Durin.”

She wisely doesn’t pull away or utter any spells. Instead, she blinks at me and gives a single nod. I grip her tightly for a moment before releasing her with a sharp jerk.

“My youngling... Is she well?” she dares to ask me.

“Why wouldn’t she be?” I snap, clenching my hands into fists to keep my claws out of her face. “It’s been less than a season! She’s merely months old and has been cared for by your kind. What could possibly have happened to her?”

Allina’s jaw tightens. “You’re angry,” she says, with a trace of bitterness in her voice. “You felt sorrow for a short time while separated from your youngling. But I’ve endured that emptiness for nearly three decades. You’re not the only one who has sacrificed for our realm’s future.”

My rage is enough to stir my Omega from whatever pit she’s been hiding in. She springs to life, clamoring against my chest, desperate to rip Allina apart.

“How dare you compare your suffering to mine?” I hiss. “Your pup will forget that you were gone and quickly come to know you again. Your kind lives for centuries. You’ll have a long, full life with your daughter. You missed nothing!”

My Omega continues to pound against her cage, but my heart is hardening to protect itself from the truth.

“I lost all of my pup’s youth,” I growl. “I missed his first words and when he presented as an Alpha. I missed his first fight, his first shift, taking his mates. You spent a long time missing your pup, but you get to return to her and live out the life that was paused for you. Your suffering is over. Mine has just begun. You might as well have killed me because you stole my chance to be a mother to him at all.”

I feel myself deflate. My fangs retract, and I drag myself back to the chair. A familiar numbness settles comfortably over me again. But a flash of blue light draws my gaze up from the floor. Vaegon has Allina pinned against the wall, staring her down while sparks of his father’s magic crackle around them.

“Who the fuck are you?” he growls, his face inches from hers.

His strength makes me so proud, but the fact that he doesn’t know who Allina is ignites my rage again.

I rise slowly from the chair, my body tense with restrained fury. I take a deliberate step closer, my voice low and even as I ask, “Why doesn’t he know you, Allina?”

Her gaze flicks to me for a moment before returning to the angry Alpha in front of her. “I’m Allina,” she says, answering him instead of me. “I was tasked with bringing you here from Faerie while your magic grew.”

“That doesn’t explain why he has no idea who you are,” I say, gritting my teeth.

“No, it doesn’t,” Lucas says, standing beside me. Vaegon pulls his magic back and steps away, letting him take over.

“I was instructed to find a pack that would protect and raise him,” she says.

“Then why didn’t you?” Lucas barks. “Why did you force him to wander around at such a young age and find it for himself? That’s how our pack found him, you know. Wandering through the forest, scared and alone.”

The thought of a little Vaegon lost and crying for his fake mother infuriates me. I know where the gateway is. Allina’s not needed anymore. Fuck whatever magic she has. It won’t be enough.

I lunge at Allina, going straight for the throat.

But the Beta steps in from behind and gently holds me back. Allina takes the opportunity and rushes to explain herself.

“I was with him the entire time. Under a concealment spell. I couldn’t choose the pack for him. He needed to imprint. It was up to him to find his way.”

“Imprint?” the fair Alpha asks, uncrossing his arms and stepping forward, clearly intrigued.

But my anger comes before his curiosity. “You couldn’t be bothered to stay with him?” I shout, struggling not to shove the Beta off and spill the elf’s blood onto the floor. “Or at least explain to him what happened once he’d settled in with the pack? You want credit for your years of longing when he spent that entire time thinking his family abandoned him?”

“The seer forbade it,” she says evenly. “She said interfering would change the outcome.”

“Fucking convenient,” I snap.

“Where have you been all this time?” The Omega, Jade, asks her. “Why did no one ever see you?”

“I’ve been hidden,” Allina says. “Living in the woods and watching over Vaegon from afar. I used my concealment magic to check on him often.”

“What does your seer want with my magic?” Vaegon demands. “And why do you find it acceptable for her to manipulate you and everyone else to get it?”

Allina looks at me instead of answering him. Vaegon and Lucas turn to me, too, making me seem like the villain here. It makes me want to kill Allina even more.

I take a breath and focus on my son instead of my hatred for Allina. “Your magic came from your father,” I say. “I don’t like it, but I think I understand now why the elves sent you here.”

I rub both hands down my face. It’s shameful how naive I was to think I’d actually get my pup back.

Jade steps closer and takes my hand, guiding me back onto the chair. “Please explain it to us.”

I sit and stare at the wall across the room. If I look at Vaegon, I might break down. If I look at Allina, I may actually go through with killing her.

“Faerie is ruled by a soulless queen and her equally heartless nobles. She craves power and despises all species that are not fae like her.”

“Just like Paren said,” Jade murmurs.

I ignore her comment and continue. “Durin, Vaegon’s father, killed a noble to avenge a Beta shifter’s death. He was captured and forced to become a noble himself.”

I glance over at Vaegon in time to see his expression darken. I hurry to defend Durin in case he misinterpreted my words. “He never hurt anyone innocent. He’s been using that position to plot against her.”

Vaegon’s eyes lose a bit of their heat, so I continue. “The queen found out that Durin has the unique ability to grow magic, something he didn’t realize about himself.”

I continue, sharing everything I know about the queen’s failing magic–the sacrifices, the mixed fae shifters, and the alchemist. I explain how she shared her power with Durin in hopes of growing it without his knowledge. The shifters listen intently, and the fair one asks a lot of questions that I do my best to answer. I don’t mention Durin’s role as consort. They don’t need that information right now, and I doubt Durin would want me to share it.

“I don’t see what any of that has to do with me,” Vaegon says, sounding bored.

I can only imagine how it feels to know nothing about your past or where you came from. He’s probably dying to know. It might be uncomfortable for him to hear how Durin and I met and how he came to be, so I’ll stick to why he ended up in this realm.

With a lot of effort, I meet his eyes and speak to him instead of the wall.

“The queen found out about you and demanded Durin bring you to her. We think she wanted to use you to grow more power for herself. We hid among the elves, and Durin shared some of his amplified magic with you for your own protection. But the elves took you away,” I say, glaring at Allina. “They brought you here to grow your magic so you’d be able to help Faerie much sooner.”

“Help Faerie how?” the Beta asks, though I suspect they’ve all figured it out already.

I give him a grim smile and turn back to Vaegon. “The seer claims you’re the key to saving the realm. She says your destiny is to stand with your father and take down the queen.”

I can’t keep his gaze. I have to look away. If my son is anything like me, he won’t give a fuck about fate’s plans, so he won’t be coming home with me.

“My destiny was to meet my mates and build a life with them here,” he says, unfazed.

His response confirms my fear, but it makes me surprisingly proud.

I glance back up just in time to see him lift the Omega into his arms and fill his nose with her scent. Then, he grips the Beta’s hair and smiles down at him. “Faerie’s fight is not my fight.”

He’s right. He’s found happiness here. He has two loving mates, and these other Alphas seem to be very protective of him. This is his family. Why should he leave them?

“No,” I say, getting to my feet. “It’s not your fight. Not if you don’t want it to be.” I turn and head for the door that leads outside.

“Wait!” Allina calls after me. “You can’t just walk away and let all of your suffering be in vain.”

I scoff over my shoulder at her. “You want me to plead your case, but you took everything from Durin and me. We only have each other now. I’m going back to be with him.”

She tries again, this time appealing to Vaegon. “You don’t want an entire realm for your mate-group? A place where your pack and every shifter hiding here can live freely? No humans to worry about? No Beta cough?”

Vaegon glares at her with the anger I just traded for apathy. I don’t know why the elves thought sending a stranger to convince him would work. I think fate just wanted to watch me suffer through this on top of everything else.

Every part of me longs for Durin. I’m not needed here, so I open the door and step out to find my way back to him.

“What’s your name?” Jade asks, stopping me.

I sigh but turn to face her, considering what joy she’s clearly brought to Vaegon’s life. “It’s Rue. Thank you for loving him.” I glance at the Alphas and give the Beta a small smile. “All of you.”

As I walk away, I’m halted again as Lucas’s rumbling voice cuts through the air.

“So, are we going to Faerie?”

I’m shocked to find everyone looking at Jade for an answer. Who is this little Omega that Alphas look to for permission? What is this world to put an Omega in charge of Alphas? Durin and I should have come here all along. I don’t know what humans are, but they can’t be worse than nobles.

The tension slips from Vaegon’s face. He smiles down at her, and my breath catches in my throat. It’s the same smile Durin gave me after I woke up from my heat.

Did Durin love me even then?

Nothing matters now except getting back to him. Vaegon is safe, loved, and happy. It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t the one to provide that. I can’t change the past, and even if I could, Vaegon might not have ended up so happy.

The pain of losing him will likely never fade, but I have Durin to love unconditionally and pour my soul into. I’m not ruined because I lost my son. I’m just needed elsewhere.

The seer can put her hand in whatever she wants in Faerie. Vaegon is safe from her here. If he wants to stay, that’s what he’ll do. Fate will just have to find another way to save our home.

I smile at my son and his family, ready to walk away content instead of hollow. Vaegon hugs his mates closer and looks over at the Alphas.

“If we go, we all go,” he says. “I won’t risk losing time with any of you.”

He meets my eye, and I wonder if it’s his way of recognizing my suffering. He may never see me as a mother, but he at least seems to feel empathy for me.

“We’ll need to speak to the others,” the fair one says.

“The seer told me to be back before a day’s time, so I’m leaving right now,” I say, glancing back in the direction I came from. “If you decide to come, it should probably be soon. You know where the gateway is. I’m sure the elves will have someone waiting for you.”

I turn my back on them and start off toward the woods, this time, without looking back. My place is in my realm, in my time, and with my mate.