Mated by Chance

She's Back

 I couldn't become an emotional mess over this news. It was typical...to be expected. What else to add into a this mess of a love story? Sometimes you have to fight hard...harder than you've ever fought, risk the things you care for the most, give it all away in order to really appreciate what you have and how much you should always love...hard. I swallowed any fear I had, I would defeat Lucina. I would make sure my baby, my son- was safe and okay. 

"You look pretty." I smiled and turned to Roman and smiled. He was striding toward me, his legs looking like stilts effortlessly floating through the room whereas I would've taken fifty. His hands could find me in blind race. His finger tips danced over my skin, making me feel like a thousand pins and needles were covering my body in desire. I loved the way he made me feel. 

Electric 

"Thank you." I whispered out not trusting my lusty voice not to give me away. He smirked nonetheless. I couldn't hide a thing from him. 

"Tomorrow is the day." I swelled. My gloomy mood was suddenly replaced by the glee that surrounded this bond and love. Tomorrow was the day. I smiled up at him. 

"Not getting cold feet are you?" I teased. It was a joke however, after his revelation at Orisol, before we went through the portal I felt an immense self of discomfort. I understood his fear of course, but...fear makes people transform into their worst selves...into the version of themselves that they cannot explain, not even to the people most close to them.

 I was determined to make sure Roman knew I was his equal. I will always protect our child along side him, from any and every attack that comes our way. Even if I am pregnant with his heir and cannot be their physically. 

"Of course not." he planted a kiss on my lips. His kisses still had a way of making the insides of my cheeks flood with blood and warmth. "I can't wait for you to be my wife." I beamed. It was exactly the answer I wanted. I thanked the mate bond for easing any trust issues this relationship could have. Whenever Roman looked at me, I can feel the strength and volume of his love for me. I know his truths, I know his weaknesses, his weak moments and blind spots. I know his triggers...I know how he loves and how he loves to be loved. 

I love every moment of him. He is my breath of fresh air. 

Our wedding was tomorrow. We secretly moved up the date and ceremony for a private event. We wanted to make sure we were married before the baby arrived and before Lucina could try to throw a wrench in our grand day. We decided on a surprise ball to celebrate our union. We're going to have all of our people, in their best clothes and attire, surrounded by love and warmth before this huge wave of war. I wanted them to feel a calm before the storm, and to feel united with us. This union affects them. 

"I heard you practicing something with Cynn earlier." I nodded. 

She was teaching me spells and enchantments. I wanted to be able to protect the men and now, women who were going to be fighting on behalf of the pack while we stayed to protect the children and elderly. I wanted to put up a fight, however Roman and his defense team decided to have a B Team, full of equally trained fighters incase anything in battle goes wrong. Thankfully, we have magic on our side, which meant...we could teleport. 

"She was helping me learn to open portals. I was thinking of a way to minimize the bloodshed." He furrowed his brow bur urged me to continue. "What if, there was a way to send an entire pack through a portal to no where." He smiled. 

"Is that possible?" 

I walked across the room and waved him over as I pulled out my basket of findings. "There was a coven, a long time ago, so long ago most people and mystics, declare it a folk tale. It's called the legend of Zah and Ri. Some call it the original tale of two wolves." 

I opened the tattered, leather book that had just appeared in the library. Legend says it finds those who need it most, I first thought it was planted by the witch who appeared in front of me, but until I know...I'll never know. 

"Long ago, there were two brothers...Zah and Ri. Zah was the older, arrogant and mouthy brother. He was the Alpha to be. Ri was his younger by a few short minutes, making them twins. Unlike his brother, Ri was kind. Ri was shy. He never wanted to be seen. He was overly loved by his parents. Over the years, Zah began to grow jealous of Ri, but the more Zah hated Ri...this more his twin tried to love him. Over the years Zah grew further away from Ri, further away from his kindness and love and it turned him cold and black. Over time, Ri continued to be kind and nice. He became Alpha when Zah left."

I turned the page slowly. I looked and the morbidly graphic image displayed in the book, "Zah returned home, envious...he destroyed his home in fire. He hoped to show his family his power, so they would love him for being Zah as they love Ri for being Ri."

I swallowed. "He killed them...accidentally. They died in the ruins of his own causing. By the time the last flame went out, he vowed to kill Ri, who he could not find since he had arrived...by the time the last flame went out. Zah fell the ground. He was unable to move as the blood in his body was turned to stone and the ground beneath him began to change. The world surrounding him that once burned was now restored to its beauty, his parents to their health and Ri to them all. He said, "Brother, I have fed you nothing but love, nothing but kindness yet you still take from me. Feeding hate to the air around you. I have let you be your own demise but today brother, you pay." 

"Ri had travelled to a land far away to retrieve help from a powerful witch. She followed him back home, with previous knowledge of Zah and his terror. She preformed a spell with transported Zah to a land with only himself. Where he can harm no one, but the one who deserves it. Himself." 

I looked to him. "Do you think...it could be true?" 

He smiled. "You said it yourself...the book finds who needs it most." He swiped my hair out of my face and smiled at me. "I believe in you." 

~

 I spent the rest of the night tending to the baby and going through spell books and grimoires trying to find anything that could help us in the upcoming fight and anything that could help me to increase my powers in such short notice. I went to bed, alone to not see Roman the day before the wedding but I still felt protected knowing my little Alpha Prince was inside me making sure I was okay. 

I was getting my makeup done when I felt a piece of my heart reconnect with my body and soul. I was staring in the mirror, watching the makeup artist Rachel hired to come in and make me beautiful for this day, as she worked, when I noticed the door opening in the background. I didn't expect the surprise awaiting me. 

Her skin was glowing and filling with life after so long of looking pale and lifeless. She was brown again, absorbing the light in the room as if it were her own stagelight. Her hair was slicked back in a bun, and her eyes instantly found mine. Her face transformed into a beautiful smile and I gleamed. My dream had come true. 

I stood, startling Mia, the makeup artist. I didn't care. Before I knew it I was taking her into my arms, enveloping her with my love, never wanting to release her. 

"Mom?" I cried into her. 

She was back.