Chapter 54
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Freja smiled up at Hunter. She could feel his tension in his arms. “Calm yourself. Don’t be getting ready to start a war without knowing anything.
” She giggled as he gave her a guilty grin.
She was right. The very idea of them wanting Freja had his alpha blood raging.
His killer instinct started to surface, ready to eradicate any threat to his mate.
Just then, the great room doors opened, and a man walked in. “The King and Queen wish to speak to the King and Queen of the Werewolves, privately.”
Jester furrowed his brows. “Now wait a minute …”
“Alone,” the man repeated, interrupting Jester.
“It’s okay, Jester. We’ll speak with them privately,” Hunter said with a slight nod.
“Hunter.” Chasen growled. He did not want them leaving his sight. He needed to be close so he could protect them.
“It’ll be okay, Chase. Besides, Freja and I are not exactly pushovers.” Hunter winked at his brother. “Wait here for us.”
Chasen scowled and balled his fists together tightly. He felt Jin’s gentle hand rub his back. He looked into her eyes and she nodded to him.
“We will be right here and ready, in case they need us,” Jin said in a soft tone.
Chasen growled and looked up at Hunter. “If they even make your hair fall out of place, I’m destroying everything.”
Hunter chuckled. “Wouldn’t expect any less.” He and Freja walked through the doors, their fingers linked. As soon as they entered, the doors closed behind them.
“This way,” the same man said. He led them through the throne room and to another set of doors to the side, opening them but not walking through. “They’re waiting for you in here.”
Hunter and Freja glanced at each other and walked into the next room. The room was much smaller. The walls were white stone, and there was an open balcony extending off of it. Sitting at a small circular table were Alaric and Willa, who looked up and gestured for Hunter and Freja to take a seat.
“Please, just act normal with us. We all have the same standing, and I think we can be good friends in the future. Pending the treaty agreement, of course,” Alaric said with a glint in his eyes.
He watched Freja and Hunter sit down, and then reached out to take Willa’s hand.
“We have come to an agreement on how to make this work.”
“What do you mean ‘make this work’?” Hunter asked, confused.
“You’re young and inexperienced. A treaty alone between two powerful races won’t be enough to withstand the passage of time. We need to solidify it.” Alaric’s gaze turned back to Freja. “We need to seal this agreement with something more permanent. Like a child.”
Hunter growled as his eyes narrowed on Alaric. “I’d be very careful with your next words, or we are going to have a problem.”
Willa and Alaric then laughed heartily. Willa raised her hand over her mouth as she continued to giggle. “He isn’t always an eloquent speaker. He says things in a confusing way. He isn’t talking about impregnating your mate. Like hell I’d allow him to do that.”
“Sorry about that. No, I’m talking about something else.” Alaric made sure this time he held Hunter’s gaze. “I’m talking about uniting our families through blood. A permanent truce. One that will withstand through the ages. You see …”
“We have a young son. We were blessed with our one and only child. We can’t ever have another … he is all we have. And it took us a lifetime to even have him. With the help of some fairy magic, we now have a three year old son,” Willa said, looking at Hunter.
“Wait. Which fairy? This is the first I’ve heard about this.” Hunter never heard his mother mention helping out the vampires, and surely something of this magnitude would take the fairy queen.
“Your grandmother was the one to help us. All the more reason to harbor no ill will against you. You’re probably wondering why I’m explaining all of this.
” Willa watched the two nod their heads and she smiled.
“It’s because I want you to understand how precious he is to us.
Because of what our demand is for the treaty. ”
“It’s simple. The treaty will be on the terms that your firstborn daughter is to be betrothed to our son. She will be his future mate,” Alaric finally said.
Hunter and Freja both widened their eyes.
“What if we don’t have a daughter?” Hunter wanted to know if there would be another stipulation attached.
“The treaty will be on the contingency that you have a daughter, and that she is mated to our son. If you don’t have a daughter, we will have to revisit and find another means for a treaty then.
” Alaric interlocked his hands together and rested them on the table as he stared back at Hunter and Freja.
“But what about her fated mate?” Freja bit her bottom lip. She would be denying her daughter of whoever fate had chosen for her. It would be like denying herself of Hunter.
“We would also be denying our son his fated mate. So, you see … we’re both sacrificing for the good of all our kind,” Willa said softly.
This is why their story about their son was so important. Because he was their treasure, and they were willing to do this to him.
“What if they refuse? What if your son or my daughter refuses?” Hunter’s stormy eyes met the King of the Vampires’ gaze.
“But would they? Would they refuse their father, their King? They might not like it, but they have a duty. Being royalty means they have obligations because of the role they’ve been given.
” Alaric could see Freja’s sad eyes. Willa also felt the same way at first. “It’s the only way to solidify our treaty,” he said, more gently.
“What if they meet their fated mate? Are they to refuse them?” Freja looked at Willa. She could see the woman’s eyes watering at that thought.
“It’s a choice they will have to make. They will have to choose between a fated mate or their obligations to their kind.
In the event they choose their fated mate or refuse this arrangement, then the treaty will be off.
We can make an agreement, but in my experience, it will not last. That is why this is important.
” Alaric could see the silver eyes deep in thought. “What’s on your mind?”
Hunter’s gaze fixed on Alaric. “I understand how this strengthens the treaty and solidifies it. However … I thought you had a pureblood issue. Are you sure you want your son to be with a quadbrid? And how do I know … if I have a daughter, how do I know she’ll be treated well here?”
Alaric smiled and nodded in understanding.
“The thing is, Freja’s blood is special.
It is desired among our kind. She has the original bloodline in her veins.
It didn’t weaken. We want that bloodline in the royal family.
It will strengthen the next generation. A child between a daughter of yours and our son …
it is a blood match made in heaven. Your daughter would be loved and treated well. She would be precious to us.”
“And since I can’t have any more children, she would be like my own daughter.
” Willa sighed. “I know it hurts to think about us deciding their future. But it isn’t just their future, Freja.
It’s the werewolves' future. It’s the vampires’ future.
Our territories are close together. How long before something happens and a war rises between our kinds?
Linking ourselves this way makes us family, and family understands and protects one another.
Family will also be there during the demon war. ”
And there it was. The vampires would join in on their side in the demon war only if this treaty was made.
They would have to sign away their firstborn daughter to be mated to a vampire, the future Vampire King.
Hunter turned to Freja, who was looking down at her hands.
This was big. Everything that weighed on this decision was significant.
We might not even have a daughter, Hunter mindlinked to Freja.
Then we’re back to no treaty again.
So you want to keep trying until we have a girl? Hunter smirked inwardly as he tried to lighten the mood.
Freja smiled and glanced up to meet his silver eyes.
What do you think, Freja?
I feel like I’m gambling my daughter’s happiness away in exchange for the unity of our kinds.
And while I feel guilty for that, I feel that it would be selfish not to.
This is for everyone. All the werewolves.
All the vampires. This affects the demon war as well.
Freja sighed. I don’t think there’s any other choice but to accept.
They’re doing the same thing to their own son.
Hunter smiled and nodded. If we have a daughter, this will be her destiny, just like the demon war is mine. It will be up to her to accept it. And if she rejects it, we’ll have to come up with something else.
For the future of our kinds, we’re all sacrificing something important. We’re sacrificing their fated mates and happiness. Freja smiled and nodded to Hunter, signaling him to agree to the terms. Both couples were agreeing to seal the treaty with an unbreakable bond. A union of blood.
“If we have a daughter, she will be betrothed to your son. And with this union, we will unite our kinds forever.” Hunter reached out and clasped Alaric’s hand.
“An unbreakable bond. Our two children will unite our kinds and seal it with a child of their own. Forever mixing our royal bloodlines.” Alaric nodded and shook Hunter's hand.
“I hope they forgive us.” Willa met with Freja’s green eyes, who nodded along with her.
“I think they’ll understand that this was the only way to ensure a peace that transcends through the ages.
And while they may hate us at first … I hope one day they’ll develop their own unique love and bond through their shared situation.
” Freja smiled. It was obvious that this was a big decision for all of them, which showed just how important this treaty was.
“Our daughter will be raised with us until she’s twenty. Then she will move here to unite our kind.” Hunter wasn’t going to send her any younger than that.
Alaric and Willa both nodded in agreement. “And you will always be welcome to come and visit. She will also have the freedom to visit you … with several guards, of course. She will be well guarded and protected.”
“So, I guess this is just a verbal agreement, and the official one will be sealed once our children … are mated.” Freja watched as Alaric nodded.
“Well, I guess we’re in agreement then.” Hunter then stood up from his chair, along with Alaric.
“We will also be assisting during the war against the demons as a show of good faith toward the uniting of our kinds.” Alaric held his hand out and helped Willa up. “I have to say … this is probably one of the greatest things I’ve ever accomplished for my kind.”
Hunter nodded his head. “Same. Now, to end this demon war so we can finally have some peace.”
“And start making babies,” Willa winked with a smile.
“My thoughts exactly.” Hunter beamed, looking at Freja. ”I bet Chasen is chomping at the bit.” He wrapped his arm around her.
“You don’t have to hurry off. You’re welcome to stay,” Alaric offered, but Hunter shook his head.
“I’ve already been passing my duties to my beta for far too long. I need to get back to my pack. But thank you. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”
Alaric and Willa led Hunter and Freja back to the great room where they had left the others. They’d come to an agreement. The vampires and werewolves were now allies. And the price … the price was their children. An alliance of this magnitude couldn’t just happen, not without a price to be paid.
Hunter’s arm tightened around Freja. They’d just made one of the toughest decisions together as a couple.
For the greater good, they did what was necessary.
And while a union should be a happy occasion, this was one that had both couples feeling the bitter sting.
Their children would bear the weight of this burden.
This was now their destiny, and their sacrifice.
There was still one more thought on Hunter’s mind as they approached the doors to the next room, and that was how to come up with another treaty if they never had a daughter.
It was something the two couples would have to hash out if that time came.
For now, they’d gotten the vampires to join them in the demon war.
This was a big win. The pieces were getting stacked in their favor.
And he couldn’t wait to put that chapter behind them.