Page 47 of Magic & Secrets (Twisted Magic #1)
MT. ELYSIUM PROVED to be a welcoming home. With the help of his packmates, Roque and I renovated the cabin into something better suited for a family. We had barely finished when we found ourselves the parents of four younglings. His packmates quickly went to work expanding the cabin.
Motherhood felt alien to me. I never expected it. Once I learned I was carrying offspring, I had little time to adjust. I suspected I’d have more than one after my sister’s delivery, yet I remained in denial. Roque and I struggled for several days to choose names for our curious, cuddly younglings.
The two boys—Lupin and Aciano—and two girls—Bryony and Camellia—were named after flowers. Roque insisted on honoring me for carrying and delivering our litter. Though he fought the reality of our mate bond for too long for my taste, once he gave in, he became a loving, protective mate.
Roque also proved to be a wonderful parent. He loved to shift into various animals and wait for the youngling to mimic him.
The foursome grew fast and healthy. By two years old, they could wield a sword and bow. Capable of shifting after birth, they took longer to brandish Solme Divige’s magic, much like I had first struggled.
Of the two boys, Aciano was the jokester, loving to play and always wearing a smile.
He rarely spent time in human form. Like his brother, Lupin preferred to spend his days as various beasts.
My second male had the heart of a tracker.
Lupin could follow the faintest scent over long distances.
No matter how much Roque tested our son, Lupin never failed to find his prey.
Of the girls, Camellia enjoyed studying the history of the Territories and its inhabitants. Her knowledge was as much of a weapon as her magic. Bryony was the natural leader, always first to rush toward danger, the quickest to stand up for someone in need, and the last to back down.
Roque and I never forgot our younglings were more than weapons. We’d both had our childhoods stolen by cruel overseers.
In contrast, our offspring were offered time to play and explore. Every evening, we cuddled up in front of the ingleside and told stories.
Despite our deep love for our offspring, Roque and I worried Solme Divige would use my womb to supply herself with an endless batch of future warriors. By the time our younglings were five, we had accepted that no more would be created.
Roque and I learned much about ourselves and each other over those years. His life had once been solitary. Now, he was never alone! Roque didn’t complain, instead craving the closeness once stolen from him.
On a summer day, we walked through the woods with our offspring. I held Roque’s hand and smiled up at my mate. The younglings ran around us, shifting into various beasts.
Earlier, all four had shifted into dragons and flown over the mountain.
I rode Roque, watching over them. We saw my sisters, their mates, and their offspring in the sky.
After rumors spread through the Territories about dragons living on the mountain, Lavinia’s inhabitants began calling Mt.
Elysium by the name Dragon Mountain. Fear and joy spread through the Territories over the return of such powerful creatures to the world.
In an ideal world, we could remain here quietly like the Bane Shifters had for a century. Unfortunately, rather than disappear, evil only changed forms.
This was why we brought our offspring to a location formerly forbidden to them. At the final resting place of the doomed Jaala Elven Tribe, the Elves’ flesh had merged with the surrounding trees, leaving their screaming faces frozen in the bark.
My younglings wept at the sight of such horror. Though Roque and I comforted them, we didn’t hurry to end our visit.
“The Jaala Elven Tribe refused to acquiesce to the Murade, and none of them survived their obstinance,” I explained while sitting on the ground with Roque and holding our younglings against us.
“The Murade refused to find a peaceful compromise, so they destroyed their ability to claim this mountain.”
“Do you understand why we brought you here?” Roque asked the younglings.
Their four little heads shook in unison. I stroked the males’ shaggy hair and the females’ braids. Cuddling them closer, I kissed each of their heads and glanced at Roque.
“War is coming to the Territories,” Roque told them.
“One day, you might be fighting to protect your kind. This horror,” he said and gestured at the deformed trees, “happens when your heart lacks mercy, and your mind refuses wisdom. While there will be times when you can’t back down, every act comes with a consequence. ”
The younglings looked around them, facing the suffering from many centuries ago. I never wanted my offspring to face danger. I’d die a million times to keep them from suffering. I knew Roque felt no differently. If we could choose our future, we’d embrace a quiet life on the mountain.
Yet, only the strongest could triumph over the evil festering in the Territories. Though forged by different factions, the Bane Shifters and New Armgard were created to bring order. Our offspring were bound to do the same.
Returning home, I set aside my fears for the future. I closed my eyes and breathed in the comforting scents of my mate and younglings. I considered Solme Divige’s words when she showed me Roque after the Haven Junction slaughter. She insisted I should embrace my destiny.
Opening my eyes, I found my destiny watching me while wearing a loving smile on his handsome face. With Roque at my side, I trusted I would be strong enough for whatever future fate brought before us.
THE END