Page 71 of His Impossible Elf Mate
There was a twinkle in the elder shifter’s milky eyes, which suggested that reward was closer than we could guess.
Fallout
Teárlach
We left Janet’s cabin after a couple of glasses of perfect sweet tea. I had never had the drink before and it was a new favorite. I would have to ask Candace or her sister, Melody, for the recipe so I could keep some in our refrigerator.
“If it is not too much trouble, I would like to join the pack officially now that we are mated. Blake also deserves to know our happy news as soon as possible.”
“So you aren’t just putting off telling Ívarr and Teagan?” Axel teased.
“Well, that also. I think it is prudent to be tied to the pack before heading to Abrocaelum.”
“Okay. I think you should ask Ívarr, Teagan and Hakeem to come with us. They started this journey with you, it feels important for them to continue it.”
Axel’s face was thoughtful as we walked towards the mansion. Blake would be in his office, since it was barely lunchtime. I planned to make this a quick visit, though with Axel’s brother-in-law near, that was unlikely. As long as they fed us, I would be happy. I hadnot realized how much food it took to feed a shifter until I was one myself.
Meat, you need more protein, my owl lectured.
He was a good companion. He and Axel’s wolf got on so well. The time they had played together was a favorite memory for him. He appreciated my magic and the life I was building with my mate. It soothed him that our bonding was unbreakable because he had hated the idea, though he had stayed silent, seeing the action as necessary.
“I will ask my friends to come with us. It is past time that the parliament sees what we are doing here.”
“Can I come with you? To Abrocaelum, I mean.” Chase asked. He was subdued after our conversation with Janet. His heart was softer in some ways than Axel’s and the idea of losing the elder shifter weighed heavily on him. He wanted to explain to Blake so the pack was prepared for her loss as well as they could be.
The mansion was busy with many shifters shouting out their congratulations as we passed. I made note of the ones who only gave a perfunctory greeting. They were to be watched. My owl approved of this plan.
“Congratulations, Axel. I hope I get to change next,” Dalton said as he came to meet us, a fixed, almost fake smile on his face.
Dalton would not go on my list, for I knew his pain. He had set his sights on Axel, which was understandable, my mate was attractive andprincipled, he made a good mate. Now he was stuck seeing Axel with a mate who was not him, and Axel was an omega, which Dalton desperately wanted to be himself.
Axel pulled his assistant in for a hug, clearly feeling his pain as his own. “I hope so, too.”
We eventually made it to Blake’s office, where Kade and the babies were waiting for us. Preparations were underway for their first birthday. At first, I thought the office had been decorated for them and not us. The little ones were adorable as they chased balloons around the floor.
Pop!
Felix began to cry as one burst in his face. He settled as soon as Axel picked him up and cuddled him close. Kade smiled, as happy as I was that Axel would let those instincts out now.
“Alpha Blake, I would like to officially join the Sweetwater pack.”
Blake studied me. “No calling me Alpha Blake all the time, only when it’s necessary. We’re brothers now, okay?”
“I can do that.”
“Then welcome to the Sweetwater pack.”
My new Alpha made quick work of the vow and we celebrated our mating with our family over lunch provided by Winter from the kitchen. The beta had even made Axel’s favorite cake, a red velvet towering monstrosity, that Kade had to wrestle Greyson away from. The alpha pup loved it almost as much as his omega uncle did.
We left and headed towards the science center where Ívarr, Teagan and Hakeem were gathered.
“Are you ready to go?” Teagan asked.
I looked at my mate. He was nervous. Chase, beside him, also looked anxious over what we were about to face.
“About as ready as we can be. They will not like what we have to tell them. Janet confirmed I am just the first to have an animal soul.”
Hakeem’s eyes widened, then he smiled. “I would love to change forms. My work with the shifters of Abrocaelum would be much easier.”
