noun ~ a state of extreme physical or mental fatigue

PHOENIX

My mate had been gone a while, but the bond reassured me she was fine. When my beta came down the stairs, he seemed better. He had disappeared with sunken eyes and a soft demeanour, but the moment he bounced down the bottom step, I knew Charlie was back.

I raised my eyebrows at him as he walked across the room. My arms were slung across the back of the sofa, my leg crossed over my knee as I relaxed into the cushions. Pollux was still beside me, the side of his knee brushing mine.

"Everything okay up there?" I wondered, raising an eyebrow.

Charlie caught my gaze, his jaw ticking as he nodded. "Yep. All good."

I hummed, watching him as he lowered himself into the same seat as before. Pollux shifted up, his shoulder bumping my arm. I moved it automatically, patting his shoulder before letting it fall back into my lap.

"You really let him go in with her alone." Leo mused.

I chuckled, eyeing the sour face of my beta. "She would bite his head off."

"I dunno, she is a lot more mellow." Charlie shrugged.

"Oh, you just wait." I muttered. "The pregnant hormones have gone and left a wake of post-natal ones. She's either crying, snappy or tired."

"So both of you are affected, then?" Charlie teased.

I scowled at him, a growl rumbling in my chest. "Har-har."

"Just saying, I told Nova she needed to wash her hair. You need to shave."

My fingers ghosted over my beard, and I frowned. "What's wrong with the fluff?"

"You haven't shaved and cut your hair since, like... last month." He cocked his head.

I shrugged. "I barely have time. This is the first time I've sat and had a conversation with someone."

I noticed the way Leo nodded from across the room and how Molly's lips down-turned. They got it; they knew what I meant.

"You have Nova. Sometimes Pollux."

"I love Nova dearly; I love the twins dearly." Muttering, I pursed my lips. "I could not be without them... But it has cooped us up in this house for weeks since she was on bedrest, and... we are clashing. It has been a breeze, but the exhaustion is kicking in now."

"Yet you said you wanted eight." Charlie mused, trying to diffuse the tension.

I smiled softly. "I still would. We just need a break from each other now and then, and we are fine."

"Maybe you need to get back to work." Leo suggested.

I shook my head, despite Charlie's enthusiastic nod of agreement. "I am not leaving them. It's not even been a week."

"We can take them off your hands for a while," Molly piped up, bouncing the baby on her knee.

Unease settled in my stomach. I didn't want someone else to have my pups. I felt my eyes narrow and Molly shifted under my gaze, dropping her eyes. Leo's hand rested on her shoulder, a warning growl in his throat. I levelled my gaze with him, my wolf bristling.

It was two fathers, two mates, against each other.

"Okay, enough braying." Pollux interrupted and Leo dropped his gaze. "I think Molly was merely suggesting to help watch the twins whilst you at least shower and shave. Maybe go for a walk."

I sobered at his words, my wolf eyeing him with curiosity. He saw Pollux as his brother and took his words to heart. I backed down, a firm rumble as my last word.

"Enough sword battles." Charlie tutted and I couldn't help but smirk. "Perhaps a walk and a bath will do you both good."

"It would be nice to go for a run." I admitted, and my wolf preened.

"When was the last time you were in fur? When was the last time Nova was?"

I let out a low whistle. "The morning before the twins were born for me... But for Nova... Before everything happened."

"That's a long time for a wolf to be cooped up." Charlie cocked his head.

"Yes, but Celimene was subdued. She went into a coma-like sense and was barely there unless Nova was in danger or overly agitated." I shook my head. "She is... scared to shift."

"Why?" Molly wondered.

This time, I did not force her to drop her gaze and instead met her blue eyes head on. "She is scared Celimene won't let her back."

"Oh, she will." She snorted. "My wolf went absolutely berserk when I could shift. Completely blocked me out of my head for like three hours. Leo had to chase me down with Reya in his arms. As soon as she saw her, I came back."

I cocked my head, studying the larger baby with interest. If what Molly was saying was true, then I could see it being the same for Nova. Celimene was a loving wolf. Despite her ability to be snooty, she would do anything for Nova. Giving up all her life energy to help Nova carry the twins to term must at least prove that.

I lifted my eyes to the part of the house I knew Nova was. The bond had dulled, but so did the thoughts that swarmed in her mind. She had drifted off to sleep, the three steady heartbeats alerting me that so had the twins. A happy feeling of adoration rose in my chest and I rubbed at my sternum to diffuse it.

Searching her mind, I was glad she was comfortable enough to leave it open for me. But my eyebrows furrowed when I found the remnants of anxiety and fear in the corner of her mind. I dived deeper, hoping to seek it out, only to rear back when I did.

She had a vision.

That's what the shaking was.

My eyes levelled with Pollux, who was sitting with his lips pursed. Since we had shared blood, I could understand him through feelings, and I knew he felt what I did when his posture changed.

Glancing at my watch, I thought of a good excuse to basically kick everyone out of my house. They had been here for around two hours now, so food would be a wonderful distraction.

"I wonder what they're cooking for lunch today." I spoke aloud.

I successfully caught the attention of my beta, whose eyes widened when he realised the time.

"No wonder my stomach is growling! It's past one already!"

"Yeah, I am rather hungry too..." I agreed.

"Let's all go for lunch. Come on guys, I'm hungry." Charlie whined, forcing the others to stand.

They all seemed to roll their eyes, rising from their seats with murmurs of agreement. I walked them to the same door they entered, thanking them for coming. Molly was about to leave last, but she hesitated beside me. I looked down at her and she swallowed as my shadow cast over her. Tentatively, she settled her hand on my forearm.

"Honestly, if you just want an hour or two, there is someone who is not busy. Me, Leo, Sean, even Nova's parents, none of us will mind."

My jaw tensed, my wolf unhappy with the idea of ever needing to rely on someone. But I chewed his emotions away, forced them down my throat in acceptance. The she-wolf was being kind, and despite his arrogance, he needed to understand that. I was slowly coming to terms with my emotions. It was about time the damn beast accepted that.

"Thank you." I murmured, and her hand slid from my skin. "See you all again soon."

"Yeah! Yeah! Tomorrow! Bye!" Charlie called, running away from my house.

I watched them disappear around the side of the garden, following the stone path up the slight incline. I could hear Charlie as he ran, complaining the others were too slow before he left them behind. Chuckling softly, I went back inside and locked the door.

I was exhausted.

Spinning around, it did not surprise me to find Pollux still sat on my sofa. He was perched on the edge, knees together, with hands folded on top. He tied his hair back into a bun today and left me a clear view of the intense scrutiny. He had really tapped into his power lately, and I became uneasy whenever I felt something strong.

"Nova had a vision." He cocked his head.

"It seems so." I muttered, sitting on the sofa opposite him.

A heavy sigh left me, as I allowed myself to fully relax. My head fell to the back of the cushions, running my hand down my face in defeat. My eyes burned with exhaustion, my mind aching slightly from the stress.

"Did you see what it was about?" He wondered.

"Just flashes of blood and fog." I frowned, sinking further into the cushions. "She was trying to hide it from me."

"She felt it when she touched Calida." He muttered. "I felt the sudden shift in her mood."

"It was fast." I agreed. "She was fine and then suddenly she was shaking. Is it even possible to have an entire vision in such a short time?"

Pollux shrugged. "I don't know. I am... uneducated in seer things."

"You grew up with one as a guardian." I lifted my head to quirk an eyebrow at him. "Was nothing ever suggested?"

"Gaia was very private about her gift." He shook his head. "She only told me what I needed to know. She was very into the whole fate and destiny thing."

"Yet she tried to kill my mate." I grunted.

"Something changed." Pollux shook his head. "I was meant to die too, or at least become a shell of myself and I didn't. Whatever happened when I was seventeen changed her perspective and lifted my curse because I was safe."

"Some stupid curse controlled everything she taught you, every moment of your life." I sighed. "I was raised to believe that..."

My words drifted away as unease settled in my chest. I didn't enjoy talking about my past, especially my parents. It brought up things I didn't like to remember, and trying to battle with those emotions was hard.

"Go on..." Pollux urged. "It's just me."

I chewed on my cheek before forcing myself forward. Taking a familiar pose to him, I parted my knees and stared at the space between my feet.

"My mother was friendly with witches. They always told me I had a bright future. That I was destined for something great." I explained cautiously. "I always thought it was being alpha... But now I am unsure."

"Your mother knew a witch?"

"Best friends." I nodded.

"What was her name?"

I hesitated, my fingers unconsciously wrapping around the ring on my finger. 

"Selma." I began. "She and my mother were close. They had grown up together in the castle."

"So... she was a royal witch?"

I shrugged, twirling the ring around my finger. "I guess so."

"Is it cursed?"

"I... don't know." I admitted. "I never questioned her."

"I can have Gaia look at it."

I shook my head. "I don't take it off. It never leaves my sight."

"Because it's cursed.... Or..."

"No, she told me if I had it, I would be okay." I licked my lips. "She said if I had this ring, I had to have hope."

Pollux's expression softened. "Like... Nova hope?"

I smirked at him, laughing softly. "Perhaps that is what she meant all along."

"Witches speak in riddles." He nodded. "It could mean many things."

"That is true." I hummed, spinning it on my finger.

The gold glinted back at me. It was a simple gold band with a flat head. Within the square, flat head was an embossed tree. With strong routes and half of its branches on show, it was full of life.

"Think about it." Pollux murmured. "I can ask Gaia if she knows of a witch with that name, and if she does, we can go from there."

"Okay." I agreed. "I need to contact Aldren."

"What for?"

"Nova's visions." I met his gaze. "How is she having them so quickly? Why only through touch?"

"I thought she was practising on channelling them?" He wondered.

"She was." I nodded. "She has been too tired to practise the past month. She just avoids touching old stuff."

"Calida isn't old." He snorted.

I hummed, my mind swirling with thoughts. "But Calida is a mystery human with a mysterious past."

My protectiveness flared as the thoughts ran rampant in my mind.

If Calida was going to be a threat to my mate and children, nothing would stop me from removing that threat. My wolf agreed, a taste for vengeance despite nothing having happened. I hoped it didn't come to that because I really did not want to have to become that wolf again. But if anyone dare harm my mate or my pups, blood will spill.

Question of the Day:
I don't drink coffee, or tea, but what's your go to coffee order if you go out?