Chapter Two
Seth
“You know how it has to be.” My father came up behind me and laid a hand on my shoulder. “Seth, you’ve had a chance to sow your wild oats, to live as you pleased, but the time for youthful indiscretions has passed.”
I looked over the porch railing at the lands stretching before me.
Unicorn herds were rare, and we were one of two in the region.
Our shimmer had been here for well over a hundred years, and in that time, we’d expanded our reach nearly to the nearby human town.
Prime lands that humans had attempted to encroach on, time and again, so far, thank the Goddess, with no success.
Only through careful management of resources had we held onto them, and I’d been training to continue that legacy my whole life.
Youthful indiscretions aside.
As if I’d ever indulged in any such thing.
How could I have when I’d known who my mate was since I could remember.
Fated, true…all the things. Unfortunately, none of those factors played into my role.
An alpha unicorn, at least one whose destiny matched mine, was obligated to mate and produce heirs.
And that was not something another alpha was likely to be helpful with.
“Father, I am ready to step into your shoes, but how does it look if I give up what I love for what you consider suitable? What kind of strength does that show if I cannot be true to myself?”
He came to stand next to me, resting his hands on the gleaming white rail.
Everything about the alpha house and, for the most part, the entire holding was neat, clean, and well-maintained.
We were not arguing about my abilities to keep it like this.
I’d been Father’s shadow since I could walk.
Training for the moment when he’d step away.
I liked to think I understood the job, what was required, and I would gladly do it.
If it didn’t mean leaving my love behind.
Indy and I had spoken many times over the years about what we’d do when we reached this point.
I hadn’t even wanted to go to college, preferring to work on the land at my father’s side.
But if I hadn’t been continuing my education, the pressure would have come down sooner.
“Son, your sacrifice will be recognized. We’ve all had to give up things for the shimmer.”
Yes, but a fated mate?
“I just…it feels wrong. If Fate grants us such a gift, who are we to say no? To throw it back in her face? I don’t know why I can’t name one of Kierry’s children as my heir.”
My father’s expression couldn’t have shown more shock and horror had I suggested a human enter the royal line. “You know why we can’t do that. The writings are clear. Your sister’s children do not qualify. If you do not mate an omega and bear an heir, the leadership will pass out of our lineage.
“And nobody wants that.”
No, he was right. Nobody did want that because the next in line was a narcissist who would make the entire shimmer’s life hell. “I understand.”
“Then I can make the arrangements, and your mating will be at the full moon.”
Not yet. “I am going for a walk in the forest. I will be back soon.”
He didn’t reply, and I left the porch and walked to the tree line before stripping and leaving my clothes on a low branch.
Every time I thought about losing Indy, I was lost and sometimes only shifting would help.
Or at least change my focus for a little because my unicorn loved Indy and always would.
Closing my eyes, I went deep inside and summoned my unicorn.
He was always there, but unlike what I’d heard about other beasts, required an engraved invitation to do what he wanted to do anyway.
The shift was best described as prancing, front hooves first, muzzle, body then rear legs and tail, like emerging from another dimension.
Maybe it was. I never quite understood from where my beast came.
But the moment he fully arrived, everything changed.
My very blood fizzed in my veins as my unicorn reared and leapt.
No matter what else was going on, flying through the forest with him helped.
Often it did more than that, but tonight, I’d settle for easing my grief.
We tore off through the woodlands, the cool breeze and waving branches brushing our flanks.
These lands were home and I owed them every bit of my devotion.
But as I let the unicorn guide our travels, I still couldn’t get past all the reasons why going along with the plan was an awful idea.
Not only would it break my heart to end things with Indy, what would I be bringing to the omega?
A relationship with the knowledge that my fated mate was someone else?
Would it be fair to someone to ask them to be my mate, bear my young, and care more for someone else? It just didn’t work in my mind.
As I headed for the perimeter to do a security circuit, I tried to imagine what my life would be like without the bright spot that was Indy. Everyone said when you met your fated mate, you’d know and never be the same. And that was true.
We’d been friends since we were colts, before we were old enough to understand what a mate even was. Maybe we could go back to that. We’d always be changed by one another, but friendship was better than nothing, wasn’t it?
We pounded on around the east side of our lands and toward the northern border while I tried to make friendship be enough.
Pictured getting together for family and joint shimmer activities.
With our kids. And our omegas. Swimming and hunting, shifting…
and being completely fine with the new order.
It could work, and that way, we could still see one another.
It would be good for the shimmers, too. Getting together and seeing their leaders with such a good working relationship.
Keep telling yourself that. My unicorn rarely gave an opinion.
We don’t have a choice.
There is always a choice. His tone dripped with derision. Shimmer rules are not Fate’s.
No, you’re probably right. But we are held to them anyway.
He went silent then, conveying his feelings without more words. Unicorns were always independent, making it a challenge to have them as a beast.
But I wouldn’t trade him for anything. Any more than I would be willing to trade Indy for a random omega whose only recommendation was his ability to fulfill a rule. No…not fair to any of us, including the omega.