Chapter 59
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Hunter stood there, looking at Lumi curiously. How? How was his sister a different type of werewolf when his whole family were regular werewolves?
Reiya shifted back into her human self. She could see Hunter was studying her. What does he know that I don’t? Everyone always knew things about her that she didn’t.
He knows what kind of wolf I am. His wolf is pretty quick.
And what kind of wolf are we? Reiya asked, feeling in the dark about herself.
“How are you a dire werewolf?” Hunter asked.
Wait. A dire werewolf. You are a dire werewolf? How is that? Dire werewolves are extinct. They have all been so interbred with regular werewolves that there is no longer a difference.
The Moon Goddess saved me from the past. She saved me especially for you. You were gifted with a dire werewolf. Unheard of, but not impossible for the Moon Goddess. Lumi sat down in Reiya’s mind. I told you I was special.
“I guess this is just another surprise from the Moon Goddess.” Reiya shrugged. There was no other explanation. Except now she felt a bit separated from her family. She was still related to them, right?
Of course you’re still related. Your wolf is just the form of a dire wolf.
It doesn’t change any of the other stuff.
Just that we are above a regular werewolf.
The reason there is even a need for the Werewolf King is because the dire wolves are no more.
They were the ones who used to rule over the regular werewolves.
Their time has passed, which is why a new ruler would eventually emerge for the werewolves. Your brother.
Reiya just shrugged. Whatever. At this point, she’d had so many life surprises, what was one more? Lee was her mate, Xander was her soul twin, and her wolf was a dire wolf. She would just roll with it.
“In either case, it looks like I’m not under your werewolf jurisdiction.” Reiya giggled and shook her head.
“I guess it all makes sense. Can’t have the fairy queen be beholden to me.” Hunter grinned.
“Is Chelsie your chosen mate, or is she a fated one?” Chasen asked, looking at Brody.
Brody looked at him, confused. “Chosen.”
“Why did I get a fated mate? That’s weird. Not that I’m complaining.” Chasen looked at the ground, deep in thought.
“Jin is your fated mate? Like the werewolves have?” Brody asked in shock.
“Yes, we both heard the mate call. Which is weird, since neither of our kinds have fated mates.”
Lumi scoffed in Reiya’s head. Clueless.
Reiya smiled. Her wolf could be rude sometimes. Yeah, kind of how I was clueless about you being a dire wolf. Guess if someone doesn’t tell you, it’s hard to just know.
Lumi felt a bit guilty hearing that and pawed at the ground in Reiya’s mind. Sorry. You’re right. There’s no way for them to understand.
So you know then?
Yes, I do.
“Lumi knows why you have a fated mate,” Reiya said as she waited for Lumi to continue. She looked at Hunter.
“Hunter, did you want Chasen and Jin to get together?” Reiya smirked at her brother.
“Of course I did. I was afraid Chasen was going to blow it. You know how stubborn he is.” Hunter smiled and raised a questioning eyebrow to Reiya. Where was this going?
“Chasen, when you first met Jin, how did you feel?” Reiya asked as she started putting the pieces Lumi asked for together.
“At first, I was cautious of her. And then I started picking up that she had something bad happen to her before. She always hid behind a smile. Then I started feeling for her, but I held it off. The small affection I had toward her began to grow and intensify until finally I heard my animal call her mate. It was similar with her. She felt comfortable with me and attracted to me. Then suddenly she felt the mate connection and heard it as well.”
“Well, well, well.” Reiya smiled as Lumi filled her in.
Lee and Xander had now inched closer to Reiya, and everyone was all ears waiting to hear what she knew.
“A lot of different species have fated mates. But years ago, the alpha dire wolf was able to create a mate connection. This connection could only be formed when there were natural feelings of attraction present. Hunter, as the Werewolf King, has a similar gift. You knew that Chasen wouldn’t accept Jin on his own, but you knew he liked her.
You created the fated mate connection between the two of them.
Basically, you willed it to happen, and it just developed differently.
” Reiya giggled a bit. It was for the best, since Chasen was so stubborn.
And he already liked Jin, or else it wouldn’t work.
Hunter stood there, pondering for a second. “So, I can create it among different species, then?” He looked at Freja. “What about in the case of our daughter? Could we create a fated mate link with the vampire prince?”
“They would both have to develop feelings for each other first. And the connection isn’t right away.
It takes a different amount of time for each person.
You can’t force it. It can only happen if the two start to have feelings for one another that go beyond friendship.
” Reiya relayed Lumi’s explanation. “Is it possible?
Yes. But it would first depend on the two of them.
By that time, you should understand the power better.
And instead of subconsciously willing it, you would know how to actually will it.
“However,” Reiya said quietly. “If either of them meets their fated mate first, then you won’t be able to create a new connection.”
Hunter and Freja felt a bit better hearing this.
If they could get their future daughter and the vampire prince to develop feelings for one another, then they could pair them up as mates.
They had to hope that the kids wouldn’t meet their fated mates first and would develop feelings for each other.
It was at least a chance that they could secure happiness for them. But a lot would have to go right.
“So anyway.” Reiya looked between Hunter and Freja. “How shocked were you when you found out you two were mates?”
“Um … given the fact that your brother force-marked me, I would say I was very shocked.” Freja smirked over at Hunter, who winced.
“You WHAT?!” Reiya looked at Hunter in complete shock. “How could you?”
“I didn’t mean to. Blaze did it. He took control. I wasn’t prepared for how strong he would be to fight off, what with my new powers.” He looked at Freja sadly, frowning. “You know I didn’t mean for it to be that way.”
Freja giggled and looked at Reiya. “Despite how I was first marked, it was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You accepted me immediately, Reiya. You saved my physical life. And your brother … he rescued me entirely. I have a life worth living now. He is my happiness.”
Hunter walked over to Freja and wrapped his arms around her.
Hearing how she felt was touching. Just hearing how happy she was now meant the world to him.
“I love you, Freja.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Thanks for sending her my way, sis. However, she can no longer dedicate her life to you. I’m sure you understand. ”
Reiya nodded with a small smile. “I’m happy for the both of you.”
“Hey, Hunter force-marking Freja is kind of what Levi did to you,” Xander said, and several dark sets of eyes landed on Levi.
Levi chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. “Thanks for that, Xander.”
“You forced yourself on my baby sister?” Chasen said with a low growl. “And where were you?” He turned and glared at Brody.
“Eating,” Brody said with a shrug and a crooked grin.
“Hunter, relax.” Freja elbowed him in the side. “Let’s not be hypocrites.”
Reiya giggled and hugged Lee. “I wouldn’t say he forced his mark on me. I just didn’t know he was marking me. But I wasn’t an unwilling participant.”
“La la la, that’s my sister, la la la,” Hunter said, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Ha! That’s nothing. I ended up walking in on Brody and Chelsie! I was ready to burn a hole in my eyes,” Reiya said, and Brody’s face heated up red.
Chasen laughed. “You went in his room without knocking?”
Reiya smirked. “Try the kitchen, and on the table.”
“Brody, you aren’t a bear, you’re a dog!” Chasen chuckled and slapped his brother’s back.
“Yeah, that’s a mental image that no one needs,” Hunter said, grinning at Reiya. “Except you have it, and I bet talking about it makes you remember again.”
“Hunter! STOP!” Reiya reached out and shoved Hunter as he caught her wrist playfully. The two started laughing, and he roughed up her hair some.
“Feels like old times.” Hunter smiled at Reiya.
“It’s hard to believe how much life has changed for all of us since we had to separate.” Reiya looked at her brother. She had missed him and Chasen so much. It was great being back in the Black Ice Pack. But it wasn’t her home anymore.
“To the next chapter in our adult lives.” Hunter nodded at Reiya knowingly.
She would always be his sweet sister, but their paths were headed in different directions.
At least they would always be able to see each other and visit, but it wouldn’t be like it was.
They grew up together, part of the same pack.
And now they would be ruling very different kingdoms. Now more than ever, he realized their time living together was officially over.
Reiya and Brody would always stay together, and he and Chasen would always be together.
But it would never be the four of them again.
And while the moment had some bitter stings, there was also excitement in this new stage in life, specifically new families and the next generation.
Chasen and Brody were going to be fathers.
And one day, he and Reiya would also be parents.
Plus, he had Freja now. The other half of his soul.
As much as he missed the times when all four of his siblings lived together, he wouldn’t trade having Freja for that.
He looked at Levi, who had a loving arm around his sister.
Levi looked at Reiya like she was the most precious gem he had ever seen.
It was probably the same way he looked at Freja, the way Brody looked at Chelsie, and the way Chasen looked at Jin.
Each one of them had found their life partners.
“So, are you going to feed me or am I going to have to raid the kitchen myself?” Brody said with a large smile on his face.
“It depends. Are you going to keep your naked flesh off the dining table?” Chasen teased and Brody rolled his eyes.
“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” Brody smirked.
“Please don’t try it.” Hunter shook his head, laughing.
“We should definitely grill out today,” Adam said, looking toward the pavilion at the back of the pack house.
“I’m feeling hungry again, too. I’m all for grilling out.” Chasen then turned and looked at Hunter.
Hunter chuckled. “Winston and Adam, go and man the grills. Let’s have a cookout.
” He then looked at Xander and Levi. “I’d like to talk with the two of you.
It would be nice to get to know you both better.
” Hunter took a couple steps closer to Levi and Xander, shaking Levi’s hand, then extending his hand to Xander.
Xander hesitated for a moment, then slowly took Hunter’s hand. He looked at Hunter as if he was waiting for something that never happened. “Well, I guess Hunter is immune to me, too.”
“Immune to you?” Hunter raised his eyebrows and smiled.
“Xander, give it up. You were meant to be part of our family. It’s obvious.
So your parlor tricks are not going to affect us.
” Reiya turned and looked at Hunter. “Usually, people can’t be really close to Xander or touch him without being burned.
But so far, no one in our family is affected by him.
I’m beginning to think the whole burning aura thing is a joke. ” Reiya winked at Xander, who chuckled.
“You’re awfully brave with that deity of yours keeping you tucked in his side.” Xander grinned as he provoked her.
“Are you saying you could do something about it even if he wasn’t here?” Reiya batted her eyelashes at Xander as she looked at him in innocence.
“It doesn’t matter, though, does it? I am here.” Levi’s eyes flashed at the amber eyes. He tilted his head and did a half shrug, all but daring him to continue.
“You know, Levi, Brody and I were talking the other day. We’re curious … exactly how strong are you? Sure, you can take me one-on-one. But how many can you fight off at once?” Xander glanced over at Brody, who already had a playful smile on his face.
“We don’t want to embarrass him, Xander. After all, he has his reputation to think about.” Brody egged the situation on as Levi’s eyes began to shine with humor.
“Who would be the ones getting embarrassed? That’s the real question.” Levi looked at the two and leaned back on his heels confidently.
“You boys will look for any reason to spar, won’t you? I just told Brody and Chasen no, and now you three are trying to.” Reiya pouted as she stepped away from Lee.
“You three? I’m thinking it’s you five. Chasen and I won’t be getting left out of a sparring match.” Hunter grinned, intrigued and ready to flex his muscles. If it was against Levi, he wouldn’t have to worry about holding back.
“Ugh, you guys. This shouldn’t be some macho, male testosterone, chest-bumping match.” Reiya looked over at Freja. “What do you think?”
Freja shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve seen Chasen and Hunter fighting. I mean, they really could use the practice.”
Reiya held her hand up over her mouth and giggled. Hunter let out a dark chuckle, while Brody and Xander snickered. “My queen, it sounds like you’re doubting my competence.”
“Oh? It only sounds like I was? Hmm, I guess I need to work on my speech delivery.”
Hunter held Freja captive in his arms and leaned toward her face.
His lips hovered over hers as his hot breath fanned against them.
“Maybe I’ll have to show you my competence, then.
” He smiled against her lips and kissed her softly.
He couldn’t help it. Everything she did drove him crazy. Even her teasing.
Damn, I love her so much.