Chapter Forty-One #2
My grandmother smiled. “Of course she does. That’s why she sent me.
To help.” She turned and walked to my father.
“I’m happy to see you alive and well, my boy.
” She kissed the air near his cheek and then turned back to the guards.
“Your oaths protect you. But the Goddess does not protect the ones that turned their backs on her. Ich nin to shoha ali thi.” She waved her hand, and stars bloomed on some of their brows.
“New spell?” I raised an eyebrow. She nodded.
“Remember, it…it will always show you who you can trust. It shows who follows the Goddess’s path.” I walked over to kiss her, but I heard a gasp from the tree line.
“Mate.
I turned to see Toya sprinting full speed at us. “What did you just say?” I tried to see who she was talking about, but everyone was confused. There were too many men all crowded together.
She ran towards the group, and seemed to realize everyone was in silver manacles, and chained together. She stumbled to a stop next to Rowan, and she looked lost. “My mate…”
“Which one is he?” I looked to where my grandmother was, but, like always, she was already gone.
Toya shook her head. “I smelled him, but it seems like something is blocking it now.” She looked at me. “Is my mate a traitor?”
I puffed out my lips. “Well, let’s figure it out.” I turned back to the Elites. “Unshackle anyone with a star on their brow.”
All of Rowan’s guards started to move into the crowd. Chains dropped, but no one moved. Everyone was looking at me with confusion painted on their faces.
I looked at Rowan, and he chuckled before brushing a finger over my brow. “Seems like the Goddess wanted everyone to know who should be trusted.”
I raised an eyebrow and opened my mouth but Rowan’s own forehead started to glow. A hollow crescent moon carved itself on his forehead with straight lines that arced across towards his temples. “I guess so.” I poked his own mark before I turned to see my dad with his phone out. “Dad?”
“I need to send this to your mother.” He clicked the picture of Rowan and I with a smile. “Ignore me and address you men.” He nodded to the waiting guards.
I rolled my eyes before turning back to the group in front of me. “Anyone who was unchained, please come here, tell us your name, and who you were sworn to.” I turned to Toya and held out my hand. “Come here.” She made her way to my side and slid her hand into mine.
I’m nervous. Her words were a whisper in my mind.
I smiled. Don’t be. You deserve a good mate. The Moon Goddess knows that. I sent her my thoughts, and I felt her settle.
The first man approached, and I could feel his nerves. “You are?”
“Senith.” He dropped to his knee. “I was sworn to Thinius, and I haven’t taken a new oath.”
I looked over my shoulder at Rowan. “A new oath.”
“When the oath taker died, while the first oath can not be overridden, a new oath can be done. Their priorities shift, and the new oath takes precedence.”
I nodded once and turned back to the man. “Do you want to take a new oath, Senith?”
He looked up in surprise. “What?”
I crouched so I could look him in the eye. “Do you want to take a new oath?”
“I don’t…know.” His eyebrows furrowed. “No one ever asks us if we want to take a new oath.”
“Well, I will never force someone to take a new oath. You have options.”
“Not really.” Silas looked down. “Once they are removed from the pack structure, they can’t ever reenter it.
” Silas looked up, and I could see the regret in his eyes.
“They would be rankless wolves with immense power. An Alpha with no one who can control them because they don’t follow commands.
” I stood and wiped my hands together. I needed to check his words, so I decided to put them to the test.
I smirked as I unleashed my aura. It flowed out of me in a wave, and I felt it hit each wolf. “Bow.” Every person around me bowed at their waist. All except my father and Rowan, but I could see the strain on my dad’s face trying to resist the urge.
“Holy Goddess,” Ronnie called out. “I knew you were strong, lovebug, but I haven’t felt your full power since you were a kid.” He tried to look at my face. But the bow was interfering. “Can you pull it back?”
Silas grunted. “I was wrong.”
I pulled back my power with a snort. Everyone stood back up, while a few wiped sweat from their bow. Toya smirked and wrapped her arm around mine. “I don’t think having ranked wolves outside the power structure will matter with the King and Queen.”
I looked at my friend with a smirk. I turned back to the wolf on his knees.
“You have options, Senith. But you have to remember that you will be almost unranked in the royal pack. You will have to take orders like everyone else, as just another pack member. Or you can remain a guard and take the oath from someone.” I dropped back down to look him in the eye, but the man refused to unbow his head.
I lifted his chin with my pointer finger. “It will be your choice.”
“Y-.” He choked on the word, so he cleared his throat and tried again. “I want to take the oath from you.”
I nodded once. “Let us get through everyone, and I will figure out this oath thing, and we can do it later.” I stood and offered a hand. “Okay?”
He stared up at me for a second before his trembling hand reached for mine. “Of course, my Queen.” I jolted at his words, and I turned to Rowan, who was already smiling.
“Surprised?” His voice was full of mirth as I stared at him. I just nodded. “You are the Queen.”
My mouth flopped open, and I sat there like a fish out of water. “But I haven’t been sworn in yet.”
Rowan threw his head back and laughed. “I think we have had more important things to worry about than your coronation.” He leaned over and kissed me. “Let’s finish here, and then we can work on our next steps.”
I nodded and turned back to Senith. I pulled him to his feet and motioned for him to step to the side. I called up the next person and then the next, and they followed Senith’s decision. “Are you all sure?” I looked at the six men standing next to me now.
Senith smiled. “You said it was our choice, and yet you seem to be trying to talk us out of it.”
I felt heat rush to my cheeks. “Fine.” I turned back to the remaining men, and we got to the group of men under Silas. I was going to call Sequan up, but Toya’s father and mother walked out of the trees.
“I heard my daughter has found her mate.” Toya’s father walked over with a smile on his face. “Who is the lucky man?”
“Baba.” Toya let go of my arm and jogged over to her parents. “I thought you were with Tiven.”
Her dad smiled at her and patted her head. “And we were. But as soon as he heard your squeal down the mind-link, he sent us to find you.”
Her mother kissed her cheek. “Your brother is an Alpha, and is healing well. But this is important.” She turned to the men still in chains. “He’s…” Toya’s mother furrowed her brow. “Which one is he?”
Toya turned back to me with a plea on her face. I stepped away from the men and walked over to her side. “Alpha, Luna.” I bowed my head, but I heard a gasp, and arms wrapped around my shoulders.
“My Queen.” Toya’s mother wrapped me in a hug. “Please do not bow to us. We are unworthy.”
I pulled back with a grin. “You are Toya’s mother and father. You raised one of the people I love most in this world. That alone earns you my respect.” I stepped back and bowed again to them both. “Thank you for helping my pack when I couldn’t.”
My father walked over and patted Toya’s father’s shoulder. “My daughter, Amy Maclean. This is Alpha Roderick, and Luna Tova. Now you have officially been introduced.”
I stood up with a smile. “Thank you, Daddy.” I turned back to the men. “As for Toya’s mate, we haven’t found him in this mess yet. But you are welcome to stay and watch.” I held my hand out to Toya, and once she slid her hand into mine, we walked back to where we were before.
“Wait…before you continue. I feel like we need to explain these men to your friend.” Silas bowed his head towards Toya’s parents. “Alpha Lightstone. These men are all royal guards.” He nodded to the group. “Royal guards of the disbanded council.” He added with a wince.
Alpha Roderick nodded and turned to his daughter. “Do you understand what that means, Belly?”
I leaned over and whispered, “Belly?” I smirked as she nudged me.
“A nickname from childhood.” She nudged me again before turning to her dad and nodding.
“Tiven is the heir, Baba. And I have learned in these last few years that I do not enjoy the idea of leading.” She turned to me with a hopeful look.
“We have spent years growing as a pack together, Amy. And if I can, I would still like to follow you.”
“Urbi-”
“Agrees with me. She may be an Alpha, but she does not covet the role of Luna. Royal Guard suits her just fine. As long as she can guard you.” Toya grabbed my hand. “Say you accept me.”
I stared at her for a second to confirm she meant it. She started to tear up before I grabbed her forearm.
“It would be my honor to have you as a guard.” I pulled her in. “I only want to make sure this is what you truly want. Not because of a mate, or your feelings towards me, but something you truly want for yourself.” I pulled back and cupped her face.
“It is.” Toya nodded.
“Then let’s find your mate.” I turned us both to the group. “Silas, did you want to call up your men one at a time?” He gave me a curt nod.
“Ben.” He waved the first over. Just like the others, we went through the offer.
“Do you want to continue serving Silas?” Silas’s head snapped over to us.
I saw him open his mouth, but I held up my hand.
“I want everyone to have an option.” I turned to him.
“And I know you want men who want to serve you, not men who feel like they have to. That is the difference between life and death.” Silas closed his mouth and nodded. “You can make your own path, Ben.”