noun ~ the power or right to give orders or make decisions

NOVA

The 'tearoom' was similar to our garden room. A large glass table seated eight wicker chairs, each decorated with a cream pillow and ribboned back. The moment we entered the room and chose a seat, servers scuttled into the room and placed down tea kettles. My nose curled, wishing I took the name of the room literally.

"Excuse me." Pheonix muttered.

A woman paused, her body tense as she turned to face Phoenix. I watched with a frown, wondering why he was cornering her.

"Yes, Alpha?" She bowed her head.

"My mate cannot stomach tea. Do you think you could bring her some warm cordial?"

"Y-yes, Alpha." She glimpsed at me. "Any flavour?"

My lips parted with an answer, but Phoenix beat me to it.

"Fruity. Blackcurrant or summer fruits." He stated. "Please."

Her eyes widened, unable to limit her eye contact as she stared at him. As if realising what she was doing, she dipped her head and scurried from the room.

"Still scaring the maids, Phoenix?" Alexandar teased.

Phoenix turned to face the fable, his shoulders rolling with a shrug. "It is hard to fight a reputation."

"Yes, but that reputation protects you." Alexandar points out. "It is a thick armour."

"It isn't a way to befriend somebody." My mate shakes his head.

"People are going to see through the cracks in your amour, Phoenix." He stated. "Perhaps that is a reason you are having issues."

My mate's jaw tightened, his fingers flexing around Belle's chunky little leg. I knew he wouldn't hurt the babies, but Alexandar was agitating him. Despite Phoenix's calm, quiet nature, he always drew the line at insulting and blaming people for actions out of their control.

"I will soon put anyone who questions me into their place." My mate stated. "You would be one of those people to remember that, Alexandar."

The king tensed, his jaw flexing at my mate's threat. They held eye contact for a few seconds before Alexandar dipped his gaze to his mug. He picked it up, diffusing the tension as he took a sip.

Phoenix lost some of his tense posture, but I couldn't help fixating on the way Alexandar gave up the dominance trait so soon. I was certain that the realisation the king just submitted to him was why Phoenix was still tense. Now he was agitated for a whole other reason.

The king shouldn't give up so easily. Even I knew that. Heck, even glancing at Kelsey by the door, I could tell she knew that, too. James was at the other end of the room, facing the window, but I heard him shift his weight, clearing his throat softly.

The server from before entered then, a warm glass of blackcurrant in her grasp. She placed it before me with a gentle bow, and I thanked her kindly. It was enough to diffuse the tension, and I gently bounced Freddy on my knee as I took a sip of my drink.

It was an odd taste, but pregnant me loved it. Phoenix was way too attentive and knew practically everything about me. Every twitch of my nose, curl of my lip or crease of a frown, he knew what it meant.

Theia cleared her throat. "Shall we move on?"

"I think that's a good idea." I agreed.

I knew it was time for me to feed the twins, their faces curled up with anger. Now they were on solids they didn't need milk so much, which was oddly a blessing for my pumping skills. Today, however, it was going to be straight from the tap. I could tandem feed easily, but I felt awkward in front of the damn royal family with my boob out, and covered myself as I fed Freddy.

Theia watched me organise myself with mild interest, pouring herself another hot tea.

I vaguely listened as Phoenix walked Alexandar through the basic outline of what we have been dealing with. He listened intently to the various demands and threats, and the countermeasures Phoenix put in place. We have not given up land nor supplies, but helped to aid them with their insecurities and give them better access to more sustainable living.

Our reasons for power was not because of my blood. My blood had nothing to do with it. They just didn't like it. They didn't like the fact Phoenix had a 'weapon'.

Have they met me? Like actually met me?

Do I look intimidating to you?

No. Exactly.

Unless you're Charlie.

He thinks I am the she-devil. Especially pregnant.

My heart lurched with the loss, and I shake my head as though it would help clear the darker images from my mind.

I glanced at Theia as she spoke; her face was more emotionally open than Alexandar's today.

I think the king realised he messed up by submitting to Phoenix.

"Have any more come in since they found out you are expecting?"

"Nobody outside the pack knows." Phoenix shook his head.

"And there have been no further threats?"

"None recently." He explained. "The last threat we had was from the Valborga pack. And that is out of my hands."

"How is the stand-in alpha coping?"

"She's doing great." Phoenix fought back a smirk. "Handling it like an alpha should."

"And your beta?" Theia wondered. "Have you heard from Charlie?"

"We haven't." Phoenix muttered, glancing at me. "I feel Nova would know if anything went wrong."

Theia looked at me too, and my jaw tensed under her gaze. "I'm sure she would too."

"I have spoken to him in his dreams." I muttered. "He didn't know it was me."

"You did?" She grinned. "No wonder people are intimidated. You really are coming into your power."

"It's been a slow process." I shrugged.

"The last I spoke to either of you, you were disappearing." She joked.

"That hasn't happened in a while." I mused. "Was definitely an odd experience."

"What are we going to do about all of this?" Alexandar sighed. "It won't stop. The smaller alphas are always going to want more."

"I can understand their want for the blood." Theia interjected, catching her mate's attention. "If one of their pack members were dying, it would heal them."

"So can witches." Phoenix narrowed his eyes. "Why don't you ask your friends to offer their help?"

Theia pursed her lips. "You cannot speak badly of us. You know what we are like."

"Then you cannot expect my mate to be... fucking milked like a cow for blood to give to these parasites like a monthly subscription." He snapped back, baring teeth. "She is a person before she is her blood."

Theia didn't care for his brash change of attitude, rather quirking an eyebrow and leaning back in her seat. She just wanted to rile him up, and it worked. Phoenix was protective of me naturally, but all the damn babies really woke that part of him as much as it did me.

My hands curled around Freddy more, realising he had finished feeding and was just holding me. I pried him off, covering myself before sitting him on my knee. Bouncing him gently, I soothingly rubbed his back. He yawned, his ever-changing eyes drifting to Theia.

"It's fine, Phoenix." I murmured. "They can't take it from me."

"They could." Alexandar frowned. "If they staged something large enough to leave you defenceless. You cannot shift pregnant, Nova."

"Then they don't need to know I am pregnant, Alexandar." I narrowed my eyes.

The guard behind him tensed, and I was aware of my own guards sucking in sharp breaths as I called him by name so harshly. The bond flared with attention, Phoenix's awareness a caress over my shoulders.

The king blinked, staring at me with an odd expression. He didn't react badly, merely dropping his head with a soft nod of agreement.

"It will not leave this room." He agreed.

"Thank you." I stated.

A lump had formed in my throat, and Phoenix seemed to recognise my sudden anxiety. He gawped at me, his mind forcing its way into my own. He wouldn't find anything, because I wasn't entirely sure where the strange on-edge feeling came from myself.

"You sure you don't want to be king and queen?" Alexandar joked.

The pair of us practically rolled our eyes at the same old joke, and I caught even Theia shaking her head with a soft smile.

"Don't beat yourself up."

"Nova, I can barely stand up against my cousin and I will willingly roll over whatever you say because of who you are," He explained with a soft laugh. "Not exactly king material."

"Kings don't have to be strong in every way." I shook my head.

"But they do." He sighed. "Strong, brave, intelligent, bold, head-steady... I... I cannot fight, Nova. Not like Phoenix can."

"It's not about fighting. You are smart and wise. You have grown up in this castle, as it was your destined role as an adult wolf." I told him. "I may be a lycan, but I do not want any of the power that comes with it. It is...stuck with me."

"You would rid yourself of your gift?" Theia frowned.

"It would save me and my family a lot of problems." I nodded. "My blood is wanted for its potency, my bite for its ability to change humans, even my damn womb has a fifty percent chance of producing a lycan child."

Freddy's hand was settled on my chest, scratching it softly. It was something I often found him doing when he noticed I was upset, and I sighed, reaching up to take it. I pulled it to my lips, holding eye contact as I kissed the back of his fingers. He blinked at me, tiny eyebrows unfurling.

He scowls like his damn father.

"I'm sorry, baby." I murmured.

Calm. There was no need to let it get to me when I was perfectly safe.

"He feels your anger," Theia states, tension diffused once more. "Do you think he is gifted?"

"It is a possibility." I sighed, dropping my shoulders. "He looks like me and is smaller than his sister. He's quieter and calmer, too."

"All lycan traits." Theia agreed. "His eyes are changing to green."

"I know." I whispered, running my thumb over his eyelids.

He blinked, murmuring a soft noise of complaint. With his fingers still gripping mine, he yanked it away from his face. My lips quirked with humour, poking him in the stomach. But then his baby complaints turned into something else, and before I had a moment to prepare the room for it, it came.

His face scrunched up, a pouty frown turning his cheeks red. And then came the vibrating, disgusting feeling of thunder from his bottom. I flushed, pulling him from sitting and lying him over my thigh. I didn't want to have to change his damn clothes because of a blowout.

"I... Uh... I think we need to use the restroom."

"You can just change him here, if you like." Theia cocked her head.

"Honestly, the smell will linger." I winced. "The solid food journey is an interesting one."

She laughed softly. "Okay, will you be taking Phoenix?"

"He's a big boy. He'll be fine alone." I joked, rising from my chair. "Is she-

"She's clean." My frowny mate shook his head. "We shall swap when you come back."

I nodded, stepping away from the table. James was right behind me, as was Kelsey, and I blinked at the two of them in surprise.

"I only need one of you." I told them. "Right?"

"Correct." Kelsey nodded, grabbing the changing bag. "I shall take you, Luna."

James scowled at her as she gently pulled me from the room. One of Alexandar's guards also followed us, showing us the nearest accessible bathroom. After Kelsey confirmed it was clean and good to go, she let me inside. After checking that I was okay, I waved her off with a sarcastic yes.

Changing Freddy was easier said than done. Calm on the outside, but once that boy was naked, he wriggled like a worm. Bath times were super fun now. With so much water going overboard, I get tempted to turn the entire room into a pool.

But alas, after a few moments of wrestle the squid, he was clean and dressed. I huffed, leaning back on my ankles.

There wasn't a changing table in here, so the floor had made do. But now I had to get up. With a baby.

I groaned, moving to grasp the closed toilet seat. Prying myself up, I sat myself on the top of it with a sigh. Freddy watched me with wide eyes, his feet kicking out with glee.

May as well pee while I'm here...

As I relieved myself, I pulled out my phone from the change back. It lit up to a wonderful surprise text from Pollux and I eagerly clicked open.

Nova.

Hope youre well. Everything out here is great. Life is odd. Please, dont worry if you dont heart from me for a while.

My wolf and i need nature. Everythings fine though.

I just need a break. My mind is crazy right now.

Its complicated, but i know youll understand. Nobody else does.

Dont worry about me! At all. Normality isnt me. Getting away is doing me good. Eventually things will be normal for me again. Responses will be slow.

It was an odd text. Not only was it multi-lined and lacking common punctuation, I didn't like the premise. Also, Pollux never usually spoke in short sentences. He liked lengthy paragraphs that took time to think out. And that was if he even texted at all. He was a caller.

Whatever happened with Clover really upset him, didn't it?

I sighed, keeping my response short. He was right; I did understand. The only person he ever cared for intimately was somebody that he couldn't have.

I hoped he found his mate. Or at least a companion. He needed someone like that to bounce from. Pollux may say he is the lone wolf, but he wasn't. He wasn't a hardened warrior or lost rogue that had nowhere to go. All his life he had Raven growing up and then when he did eventually venture off alone, I soon came into the picture.

I just hoped this small break away from everything didn't take long, because I didn't like the idea of him being AWOL for so long.

My stomach tightened with agreement. He won't be gone for long.