The Alpha King (8 page)

He hoped he and Tal never had to experience anything like that. He could remember how brokenhearted his parents looked after having to bury nine of their children, Blaze's four littermates and Buck's five, how they had mourned for them and how his mother had sat in darkness for an entire year. He never wanted to see Tal that sad. He could only hope that every cub that they gave birth to survived.

"My children," he breathed again, his mouth open and his eyes wide with shock and awe at the very idea.

"Our children," Tal said and pouted.

"Yes, our children. Yours and mine. Ones that we make together. Not through a surrogate or technology. Our children. This is amazing!" Blaze exclaimed and picked up Tal, still stiff with shock, into his arms and twirled him around in excitement before realizing that his mate may even be pregnant at that very moment and put him down swiftly.

"You're not angry or freaked out I didn't tell you before we mated?" Tal questioned, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Noticing his mate's consternation, Blaze leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. How could he tell Tal he'd just given him the greatest gift on earth?

"No, baby. I'm ecstatic," Blaze assured, "What man doesn't want his wife, his partner, his mate, to give him children?" Blaze grinned widely and then chuckled. "I am at this very moment, even luckier than I was yesterday when I found you."

"A wife? Did you just call me your wife?" Tal asked.

Blaze winced. They were going to argue over Blaze's use of the word 'wife'. He got ready to prepare his apologies when a firm, but almost hesitant knock sounded on the door. Blaze hastened a still naked Tal to the bed before climbing in after him. He jerked up the covers and bid the person on the other side of the door to enter, knowing who would be there by the scent and hoping nothing urgent required him to leave his mate.

CHAPTER SIX

The door opened to reveal a slim, blond, and tanned young man. He looked like the perfect image of one of those human surfers who had existed centuries before on Earth. The young man's hesitation by the door had Blaze smiling. He considered Percy the perfect assistant. His presence instilled peace and he always acted so respectful and almost shy of others. Well… everyone other than Buck. Percy's usually peaceable wolf only exhibited any type of angry reaction when Buck showed up.

"Y-your Majesty? Would you like me to bring anything for you and, um, the queen?" he stammered out the question, blushing furiously when Tal raised an eyebrow in Blaze's direction.

"Queen?" Tal questioned, with barely concealed annoyance.

Blaze cleared his throat nervously at the look in his mate's eyes. He might be the Alpha and king of Tumaro, but his wolf did not want to upset his mate. He had a feeling it would be unavoidable this time.

Looking both embarrassed and resigned, Blaze answered his mate's question. "You see, love, I am king," he hedged, trying to stall and ignoring Percy who still stood in the doorway, observing them with unconcealed curiosity. "I am the first king to have a male mate in quite some time and the mate of the king is always called the queen, so—"

"So I'm the fucking queen? Seriously? As if being Vermithian wasn't enough of a hang-up for me?" Tal huffed in exasperation. "Now I'm a fucking queen? Blaze you better be glad you're hung like a horse and fuck like a dream because I'll tell you what, between the whole possibly being pregnant, my sister still missing, you being a fucking Alpha and king, and now finding out that I'm considered the fucking Alpha Queen, this mating thing has been a bust from the start! I'm being reminded of why I was so against this whole union thing from the beginning."

Blaze cringed and wondered what he could possibly do or say to make his rather angry partner a little happier and he tried to think quickly, because he didn't know Tal well, but from his rant, Blaze wouldn't put it past the other man to take off running. He didn't want to upset Tal further but the younger man's words had gotten him to thinking.

Unable to stop himself, surprising considering he usually exercized the Alpha King steely control at will, Blaze blurted, "Why did you agree to the mating?"

Tal turned to stare at him and Blaze swallowed audibly.

"What?" he asked.

Tal's surprise came through their mating link. His question had caught Tal off guard and he felt bad, but he also knew they needed to discuss the abrupt change.

"Why did you decide to allow me to claim you?" he repeated.

Tal shrugged a shoulder. "Because you were hot and growling and your muscles made me drool?"

Disappointment squeezed Blaze's chest and he nodded, Percy forgotten at the door. He didn't do emotions, not really. The last time he'd cried had been after Buck's attack over ten years ago, but he suddenly wanted to whine in sorrow. Determined not to sob like a girl in front of his mate and assistant, Blaze huffed out a long, slow breath.

"Blaze, I'm joking," Tal grabbed onto Blaze's forearm.

Blaze turned to look at his lover and raised an eyebrow.

Tal snorted in part annoyance and part embarrassment. "I said yes to our mating because my sister is missing, I almost died, and I was born to be with you. Life is too short, Blaze, way too short and if Fate, or the One, or whatever deity you worship saw fit to make me worthy of you and you worthy of me, then who am I to protest? I love my sister but she doesn't always get me. You will, because we are created for each other. No one else in this world will care for me, protect me, want me, need me, or understand me as much as you and vice versa." Tal smiled sweetly and Blaze felt his heart swell. "You are perfect for me Blaze, who else would get excited about mating a Vermithian but someone who was supposed to mate one? I thought about running away but I got this pain in my chest and I couldn't breathe and I realize that leaving you meant leaving a part of myself and I just couldn't do it. That's why I agreed to mate with you, because I didn't want to leave a part of myself behind and feel incomplete for the rest of my life."

Blaze nodded again. He could understand Tal's words and his hand shook at the feeling behind them. Without Tal, he would be incomplete, just a shell of a man until he died and he didn't want that for himself either. He didn't want that for anyone. Even if Tal had tried to run away, Blaze would have just found him and brought him back. He wouldn't live without his soul ever again. He would be whole and complete, with his mate by his side, ruling over Tumaro together. As one fated pair. The Alpha King and his Vermithian male Alpha Queen.

"Thank you," he responded, before kissing Tal on the forehead. He looked up when he heard Percy's gasp and quirked an eyebrow.

* * * *

"You're Vermithian?" Percy breathed out in wonder. "That is so awesome! Can you heal and stuff too?"

Percy had always been fascinated by Vermithians. He didn't know if the knowledge that even the men could get pregnant—and he'd always dreamed of giving his mate children—or if the fact they could heal and commune with animals and nature intrigued him more. Growing up, he had always been the student writing papers on the history and current state of affairs for Vermithians. He'd always thought maybe his mate would be Vermithian and that would explain his fascination… but he'd been wrong. He gave himself a mental shake and shoved away all thoughts of his fated half… that bastard.

Tal laughed and Percy had a feeling his expression of childish delight was quite evident on his face.

"I guess." Tal shrugged. "I know I heal really fast, but I've never had to heal anyone else."

Percy stepped forward excitedly, forgetting palace protocol, and his eyes widened when he realized he finally had the opportunity to question a real-life Vermitian. He had to make sure he didn't do anything to annoy Tal, not just because of the Alpha Queen status and being Blaze's mate, but also because he smelled Buck walking up the hallway and he needed to be as far away as possible before he got there.

"Isn't it true all Vermithians can be impregnated? Male and female?" he asked inquisitively.

Percy watched Tal swallow nervously and slide closer to Blaze but he nodded his head. Percy had scared the Vermithian and opened his mouth to apologize, but stopped when Tal breathed a sigh of relief when Blaze's arm slid around his waist.

"Stop pestering my mate, Percy. We're newly mated, he's recovering from being newly claimed, he's still worried about his sister, and he may even now be pregnant with my child. He doesn't need to deal with your questions, too," Blaze growled protectively.

Percy took a fearful step back, knowing Blaze could be harsh and extremely violent when angered and while he had never taken his rage out on Percy, he still got scared whenever his Alpha got angry.

Tal placed his slim hand on Blaze's chest and stroked him lightly when he saw the fear on Percy's face. "Down boy, don't growl at him, he's just curious about his new… queen, that's all. And perfectly understandable too," he stated and Blaze calmed immediately.

"You're right, my dear. Will you forgive me, Percy? I find myself being very protective of my sweet little mate," Blaze apologized.

Percy blinked, stupefied. He had known Blaze and his brother, Buck, for years and had never heard Blaze apologize, not even when he slammed open a door into a servant's face. He'd merely growled and told the servant to watch where they were fucking going next time. Percy opened his mouth to reply when his entire body heated up as if it were on fire, his cock hardened, and his eyes slid shut when he smelled fresh wood, melted chocolate, and a deep musky scent that made his mouth water. The greatest smell ever, and he instantly knew Buck, the Beta Prince… his unclaimed and unacknowledged mate… had walked up behind him.

"Hey, Percy, how's it hanging?" Buck asked.

His deep velvety voice wrapped around him and hardened his cock further. Percy hated how Buck always pretended as if everything was fine between them. He hated how Buck seemed to have no problem with them not being mated. Most of all, he hated the fact he still craved the bigger man. If Buck so much as crooked his finger at him, Percy's wolf would wag his tail and rush towards the other man. After all this time, the excuses, the false starts to their claiming, the kisses that always ended abruptly, the lies, the arguments and worst of all, the hurtful words thrown at him by Buck, Percy hated knowing he still loved the other man. Gods, he'd grown sick of loving Buck.

Biting off a terse reply, he bowed towards Buck, "Hello, Your Highness, all is well. Is there anything I can get for you? I'm heading to the kitchens to have my own breakfast, but I can bring something back, if you so require?" Percy used his most formal voice.

* * * *

Watching the tension-filled conversation from the bed, Blaze decided to test the mental link he shared with his mate.

"Don't freak out on me, but are you noticing the tension between my brother and Percy?"
he asked.

Tal stiffened slightly and turned wide eyes towards him.
"Holy shit! Are you talking to me in my mind?"

Blaze winced when the shouted words reverberated in his head.

Blaze grinned and chuckled softly through their link before answering.
"Yes, it's another of those mating a Tumaron wolf perks."

"Maybe you can sit down and share all of these 'perks' with me someday soon."
Tal raised an eyebrow in Blaze's direction.
"As far as your brother and Percy go…"
Tal glanced back at the two men who seemed to be having a very silent, very heated discussion.
"It's obvious they're mates like us and that they're both hopelessly in love with the other, but something is holding your brother back from claiming his fated half. I wish I knew what."

Blaze nodded. He completely agreed.
"Perhaps we could look into it? I want my brother to be happy and I'm afraid that will never happen as long as he's denying Percy. And he's making my assistant miserable at the same time, which is not a good idea. I need Percy at his best and I need Buck's head to be in the right place, neither of which will happen if they continue in this fashion. Besides, my brother is always sad and angry and Percy is always brokenhearted. It puts me in a very awkward position. I feel torn between my brother and my assistant, who is also my ward. I want them to be mated so this will stop happening. We'll definitely have to look into it. There's more to their story than what we know."

* * * *

"Why so formal, Percy?" Buck asked, his voice low and frustrated.

"You are royalty and I am a servant, as you so kindly reminded me last night, how else am I supposed to speak to you if not formally… Your Highness," Percy pointed out, a slight thrill going through him when he heard Buck's frustrated growl.

It served him right. Buck wanted him. And Buck knew they were fated to be together. They had been hours away from becoming mates, over a decade before, in truth when Buck suddenly changed his mind. Percy had grown tired of trying to get the Beta Prince to tell him, what had made him change his mind. He wouldn't to do it anymore. Buck could growl, and sound upset, and feel rejected. He'd made the situation. He'd just have to deal with it. Percy wouldn't sit and wait for some crumb of affection from the other man, tired of waiting for Buck to pull his head out of his ass and finally claim him. He was done and Buck would just have to deal with it.