The Elf's Royal Match (Book 4 The Wolves of Winter Valley)

Chapter 11 - Promises And Pleas

Colt POV

Natasha rose, skirted her desk, and took my hands. “I have no intention of turning you over to your father, Colt. This pack accepts all regardless of species, race, religion, sexuality, or gender identity. We abhor bigotry and hatred. Your father’s disregard for you and your gender identity is quite clear in that email and I will not assist him in his mission to force you to live a lie. You’re safe in Winter Valley.”

“I didn’t mean to bring this trouble here,” I said.

“You brought yourself to a place where you would be accepted. It’s your father who is bringing trouble,” she stated firmly, then released my hands and returned to her seat. “Colton, with your permission, I’d like to speak to the rest of pack leadership and later the pack about making you a member. This means that your past identity and birth gender will have to be revealed, but I assure you there will be no judgment here.”

“I would be honored to be a member of your pack, but I haven’t told Sinead…”

“I GOT IN!!!” Isabella’s sister, Jovana, shrieked as she burst through the door, then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me and Elder Yuri. “Oh, man. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you had a meeting scheduled,” she said as she started to back out of the room.

Natasha grinned. “It’s alright, Jo. This isn’t official pack business. Now, tell me what’s got you so excited?”

“I got into the accelerated nursing program at NYU,” Jo explained, a bright smile lighting up her face.

“Jo, that’s wonderful! When do you start?”

The question dimmed her smile a bit. “Registration is in two weeks. Someone dropped out at the last minute. Is that alright?”

“Of course, it’s alright! Make sure you bring me the paperwork, so I can send payment for your tuition and books,” Natasha told her as she made a note on her blotter.

“Oh, no, Nat… I couldn’t let you…” Jo stammered and was silenced by a stern look from her Alpha.

“Are you not a member of this pack?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jo ducked her head.

Natasha leaned back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest. “Are you not employed by the pack hospital?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, as an employee of the hospital, you are entitled to a few perks. One of those perks is having the opportunity to expand your education. You’re also a member of my family, Jovana, and I take care of my own. Understood?”

Jo’s smile returned. “Yes, ma’am.”

Natasha returned her smile and stood. “Come give me a hug and go start your preparations.”

Jo did as she was told, then practically skipped out of the office.

All three of us watched her leave with matching grins on our faces. When the door closed at her back, we resumed our positions. Natasha sighed; her smile having turned wistful. For a moment, she said nothing, then she picked up the conversation where we left off.

“In light of your father’s email, you may want to consider telling Sinead sooner rather than later,” she said. Her expression, sobering. “She won’t turn from you, Colt. If that’s what is holding you back. She holds the will of the Gods and Goddesses sacred. They chose you for her. She will not question it.”

“I wish that were all it was, Alpha, but there is much more to it, and that’s all I will say on that. However, I agree that Sinead must be told, and I don’t want her to hear it from anyone other than me.” I slowly got to my feet. “As a matter of fact, if you don’t need anything else, I think I’d like to take care of that now.”

“Oh! You’ll have to wait on that. She’s not in Winter Valley.” My face must have given away my confusion because she continued and said, “I made her take three days off. She channeled me last night to let me know she was going to spend them getting back to her roots in the mountains.”

I frowned. “Oh. Well, I guess I’ll let you know when I’ve talked to her.”

“Sounds good,” Natasha said with a smile. “I’m looking forward to initiating you into the pack.”

“Thank you, Alpha.” I gave her and Elder Yuri a brief nod then left her office.

Getting back to her roots?

What did that even mean? I wondered to myself as I made my way through the packhouse and out the front door. It shouldn’t bother me. Sinead was a grown woman. She was unclaimed and free to live her life how she saw fit. But it did bother me, dammit. Didn’t she know that I would worry about her until she returned? No, I hadn’t claimed her, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t care. She could have at least let me know she was leaving. Kai’s growl rumbled in my head.

Don’t start. I warned.

There is nothing to start. I am aware that this is my doing. It was me who blurted out that she was our mate in front of the pack warriors and who pushed her to confess her sins publicly.

We both played a part, Kai. I ignited their speculation by kissing her, you simply confirmed it. The rest… Well, I can’t claim that I wouldn’t have done the same in your position.

So, will you wait for her return to tell her about us?

That was the plan initially, but now, I’m thinking it would be best to tell her well away from the rest of the pack, in case she reacts negatively.

We’re going after her?

We’re going after her.

Kai let loose a celebratory roar, making me chuckle as I mounted my Harley.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After packing my satchel with a spare change of clothes, I called Natasha from my cell and notified her of my intentions. Not surprisingly, she enthusiastically permitted me to leave the territory, warning me to take my invitation with me so that I could find my way back. I thanked her profusely because I hadn’t even thought about that. This journey was going to be risky enough without getting stuck out there.

The bunkhouse was quiet, with only Cressida and Dorit lounging in the sitting area giggling over some reality show. Neither acknowledged me when I passed on my way out the door, and I couldn’t have been happier. Cressida must have told Dorit about our exchange the day of the mudslide, and she likely concluded that she, too, fell under the meaningless woman category where I was concerned.

A grin tugged at my lips. While I was sorry that I’d had to be so mean about it, I was not sorry about the results. I had long grown weary of their constant flirting and not-so-subtle invitations for s*x. The truth was, not one of them did a thing for me. Sure they were attractive, and I’m sure any number of unmated males would be thrilled to be the object of their attention, but I wasn’t one of them. Neither held a candle to my mate. She was the only woman I wanted, and if all went well, I’d be able to claim her tonight. Well, claim her in the only way that I was able. Excitement overflowed inside me as I walked into the trees, stripped, and surrendered control to Kai.

I had no idea how far into the mountains Sinead had traveled. She didn’t leave specifics with anyone before she left, only that she planned to be gone for the entire three days. We didn’t have as much as a direction to go in, so we were literally flying blind. I needed to rely on my sense of smell and the mate connection to locate her. However, since I hadn’t claimed her, there was a good chance that neither would be strong enough for me to pick up from the air. But I had to try. Sinead needed to hear my secret from me, and if my father was aware of my general location, it was only a matter of time before word spread that one of the new recruits was a transgender man.

Kai flew in circles, just inches above the canopy, keeping one eye on the sky around us to ensure that we weren’t seen by human eyes while I focused on the ground below. The broader Kai’s circle grew, the more nervous I became about being so far from pack land. My father’s men could be anywhere. They could be scouting the area, waiting for any sign of me. It probably would have been wiser to wait for Sinead to come home, but I couldn’t guarantee that the story wouldn’t leak before she returned. I also couldn’t be sure that I would be the first person she saw if it did. So, I took the risk without regret and with Kai’s very enthusiastic support. It was the least I could do, after all, we were part of the reason she’d needed this little excursion into the mountains.

My thoughts and fears kept me so distracted that I nearly missed the faint smell of bananas underneath the pine.

Kai, take us down here.

As we made our descent, that sweet banana scent grew stronger. My excitement over seeing Sinead warred with my apprehension about telling her my true identity. I didn’t want to tell her. Natasha said that it wouldn’t make a difference to Sinead, but I couldn’t allow myself to believe her. I’d been down this road many times since the beginning of my transition. I let my guard down because I thought my partner would want me anyway. They didn’t. Not one single person I’d entrusted with my secret could see past the fact that I was born female. Every last one of them raged at me for “lying” to them, then left me broken and alone. Of course, this situation was different than the others. Sinead was my fated mate. The Gods had chosen her for me, so the odds were in my favor, but it still wasn’t a guarantee that she’d accept me.

I initiated the shift back to human form the moment Kai’s paws touched the earth and quickly got dressed.

There is a pod in the tree just ahead.

I looked where Kai directed and immediately spotted the earthen structure several feet up in a red pine, barely concealed by the boughs. Beneath it, a thick vine was wrapped around the trunk, forming a cleverly engineered staircase leading up to and coiling in front of the pod’s entrance. It was simple but brilliant, and I was impressed.

Fear weighed my feet down as I approached the small shelter, but I forced myself to continue. There was no time for cowardice. The choice to reveal my secret was no longer mine to make. My father had seen to that, and he would continue to expose it until everyone in the supernatural community knew that Colton Nagy used to be Princess Faiza Yasser, until like-minded creatures assisted in my capture.

I paused only briefly at the base of the staircase, then proceeded to climb in slow, carefully measured steps in case the vine was only strong enough to hold Sinead. It was much sturdier than it looked, and I made it to the entrance without feeling the slightest wobble.

After taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I lifted my hand to knock on the pod’s outer wall and was taken aback by the sound of singing coming from inside. The language was one I’d never heard before, but the tone and flow of the words warned me as to my mate’s activities while hunkered down in her little hut. I pushed aside the mat of wide leaves covering the entrance and stepped inside. There she was, my mate, the image of elven elegance and beauty, dancing in drunken circles around a glowing orb to the sound of her own voice with her eyes closed. Her long, golden blonde hair hung free of all intricate weaving and swung back and forth as she swayed without a care in the world. I had never seen her so relaxed…so…at peace, and it was breathtaking. It was an image of her that I would carry with me always.

“Why are you here?” she asked suddenly, startling me.

I swallowed, watching as she opened red-rimmed eyes and turned to face me. The glow from the small, levitating ball of light shimmered on the damp streaks left on her cheeks by falling tears. A detail that I, somehow, had missed. “We need to talk, Sinead,” I said, my voice barely carrying over the space between us.

Her body stiffened. “Finally, going to reject me, are you?” she accused, swaying slightly before leaning against the hardened mud that formed the walls.

“No. But you may reject me when you hear what I have to say.”

She snorted. “You still don’t get it, do you?” her words slurred together. “I am never going to reject you.” She crossed the room and jabbed a finger in my chest. “You are everything I ever wanted and more, Colton Nagy, and I’m not letting you go, not voluntarily.” Her chin quivered slightly, but she suppressed it quickly. “So, if you want to be free of me, you’re going to have to reject me. However, before you do….”

Either I misread her intentions or purposely blocked them out because I didn’t even try to evade her when she launched herself at me. The impact forced me to stumble backward as she wrapped her legs around my waist and fastened her lips to mine. My body reacted instantly, but the taste and smell of the whiskey she’d ingested helped me keep a level head. She was drunk and not thinking clearly, but still, I lacked the strength to pull away. Not even when she tugged my shirt off and flung it to the floor. It wasn’t until she lowered herself to her feet and reached for the button of my jeans that I found the will to stop her. Gently, I held her away from me and forced her to look into my eyes.

“Sinead, my love, you’re drunk. Now, is not the time for this,” I reasoned.

She reached up and cupped my face. “You want me. I know you do. You’ve shown me.” Her voice hitched as she spoke.

“I swear before the Gods and Goddesses that I’ve never wanted anyone more, but I want you sober and fully aware of what is happening…” I said, shifting my hands from her arms to her face, then added, “…and with who.”

Her eyes darkened as her body grew tense. “I am sober enough to know that I want you, that I have wanted you from the moment I set eyes on you! Now, take me! Make me yours or leave me the hell alone!” Regret filled her eyes the moment the words passed her lips, draining every ounce of anger. Sinead slumped into me, linked her arms around my neck, and sobbed into my shoulder. “Please, Colt…please love me.”

Before I had a chance to respond to her heartrending plea, her body went lax. She'd passed out. Scooping her into my arms, I carried her to the sleeping mat, lay her down, then curled myself around her. I thanked the Gods and Goddesses for granting me the opportunity to sleep with my mate in my arms. If Sinead rejected me in the morning, I’d have this moment to look back on for the rest of my days.