Fated to the Warrior Wolf (The Hunted Omegas #3)

59. Gael

FIFTY-NINE

Gael

M arciana’s face was the picture of surprised fury. “So you’re telling me that you’ve landed on my doorstep unannounced and on the run, with the entire IGC, ODL, and every werewolf pack in Europe after you? Got any other tidbits that might be pertinent to add?”

“The rumors are true,” Reed said, rapping twice on the desk with his knuckles. “The high alpha’s mate? She’s the real deal. An omega with fertility powers.”

All the color drained out of Marciana so quickly, I thought she might faint.

“Holy Goddess of the Moon. Are you sure? How do you know?”

“Do you know Jada of the Kodiak shifter sleuth?” Reed asked.

Marciana sank slowly into her austere wooden chair, nodding as she went. “I know of her. Her sister-in-law was killed in the purge, but she and I have never met in person.”

“Yes, well, she did a cleansing ceremony on all of us and then read some glowing runes on a riverbank that confirmed it. ”

“She performed a gift-reading ceremony? And you didn’t get your damn fool selves killed ?”

“The ODL might have shown up within a few hours and tried. But we got out of there before we were found out,” I interjected. “The point is, we’re sure. We’ve also had two of our females marked by the omega seal.”

Head priestess or no, Marciana swore like a sailor. It was impressive. I didn’t even know some of the terms she threw in there.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” She squinted accusingly at Reed. “Most people have forgotten, but inside these walls, we haven’t. The Maiden’s Enclave might be nothing more than overly prepared bodyguards for children in the present, but in the past, we were the oath-sworn protectors of omegas . We were nearly wiped off the planet right alongside our charges. Only three priestesses survived to come back and revive the traditional ways. Three. We used to be hundreds!”

“I know, and I’m sorry. But where else were we supposed to go?” I asked, regretting that I’d dropped a literal bomb on my sister and the maidens’ doorstep. “If you don’t want to honor the old ways, we’d understand. We’re not asking you to take up arms at our side. We’re only asking for temporary shelter while we work out our next move.”

“No, you fool. I couldn’t turn you away with an omega and two omega-marked females—I’m guessing one of them is your pregnant mate , Gael?” She pinned me with an accusing look.

“You guess correctly,” Kane answered for me. He sat with his arms crossed, not entirely convinced this was the best plan, but I’d insisted that we’d find safe harbor if we were honest with the priestesses who ran the enclave. I was one of the few people who still knew of their true mission, and I was certain I hadn’t led us astray.

“I will not be forsworn in my oath to the Goddess. For as long as I am a priestess of this enclave, you will have our protection. But the details we’ll need to work out tomorrow. For tonight, you have a bonding ceremony to prepare for.”

“Speaking of a bonding ceremony, it would be a great honor to have a priestess of the enclave oversee our bonding rites. If you’d be willing, it would mean a lot to me.”

Marciana nodded, expression grave. “You lot need all the help you can get. I’ll be happy to do the ceremony. Now get out of my office. I’ve got things to prepare.”

She stood and shooed us out like naughty children, even Kane, the high alpha of all wolf shifters. But men didn’t hold much sway in these walls, no matter their titles.

It felt like I’d been holding my breath as I stepped out of the office, door swinging softly shut behind me.

“Well, you were right. She didn’t throw us out on our asses,” Kane said, resting a hand on my shoulder. “I admit, I didn’t want to tell her, but perhaps our being forced to flee might turn into a positive if we can get some more allies on our side. I have a feeling we’re going to need them over the next few months.”

Reed snorted from his other side, but remained silent. What was there to say? We were going to need all the help we could get, with half the magical world hunting us.

Night fell like soft magic over the enclave. Night birds chirped in the trees, fireflies flitted in the air, and I swore I could almost taste some sort of power floating on the breeze. But perhaps it was woven into the maidens themselves.

They sang all around the enclave as sunset fell into velvet dark. A harmonious blend of feminine voices, ranging from the deeper tones up to those that could rival the lightest songbirds. They sang in an ancient language forgotten by most, but never within these walls. It was hauntingly lovely, and the thick perfume of flowers mounded in the clearing completed the beautiful scene.

I wore borrowed gray slacks and a snow-white button-up shirt, left halfway open as per tradition, my bare throat on display for my mate. I’d been freshly shaved by Reed, and one of the maidens had even given my overgrown hair a trim and style so it lay slicked back from my forehead.

Hopefully, Leigh recognizes me.

Nerves sang in my belly as I waited in the garden. They’d told me she was inside the little stone building at the front entrance of the garden, but thick drapes had been pulled over all the windows, so I couldn’t sneak any peeks at my mate ahead of time.

The rest of the men were all getting themselves ready and should be walking in to keep me company any minute, but the next face I saw wasn’t Kane, Reed, or Dirge.

It was my sister.

“Galyna,” I said with a nod. She smiled when she saw me, a soft smile I hadn’t seen since I was a boy.

“Well, look at you, all shined up like a new peseta.” She strode to my side and kissed me on the cheek. “She’ll be lucky to have you.”

“You look lovely too, sister. Very maiden -like.” I joked because their formal wear looked like something out of the fourteenth century, when the chastity rule was strictly enforced and breaking it could get you fed to the nearest gryphon. It was a loosely draping dress, shimmery white fabric with a blue shoulder sash that still identified them as the infamous warrior maidens of the enclave. If the butterfly sword on her back wouldn’t have done that.

Even in times of revelry, the maidens were always armed and ready to defend.

She smiled at the joke, the very same one I’d made to her the night she’d taken her vows to join the enclave, the first time I’d seen her dressed in the formal robes. Granted, back then, I’d been eight to her fourteen. She wore it differently now. She was no longer a young girl nervous to take vows. Now she’d grown into herself and was a powerful force to be reckoned with.

I’d never understood why she had to join the enclave, until now. Now that I had my own precious mate and omega daughter who needed defending. It was bittersweet, knowing how many women like my sister had died in the omega purge, defending their charges.

“I think the priestesses are going to assign your mate a pair of maidens as protection.”

I blinked, rocking back on my heels at the sudden change of topic.

“I wouldn’t bring it up now, but I need to know if you’d be uncomfortable if I was one of those two. Elodie wants to volunteer, and we’re usually partners. She’s already fallen in with the females of your pack, but you know that doesn’t come as easily to me. If you want another, I won’t be offended. Our childhood was complicated, and?—”

I reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her midsentence. She swallowed hard, unwilling to meet my eyes.

“Our father was not a nice man. He was more than willing to see you as second best, but I never saw you that way. You were my big sister, and that was all. I didn’t care that we had different mothers or that you weren’t a boy. I would be honored to have you at our side, if that’s something you want. Is it?”

When she met my eyes again, I couldn’t believe there were tears in hers. My big, strong warrior sister was crying?

I pulled her into a hug, shocked to realize that sometime since I’d last seen her, I’d outgrown her. She tucked under my chin now, when I used to fit easily under hers. It was strange, but I hugged her with all the enthusiasm my eight-year-old self had possessed. After a beat, she hugged me back equally hard.

“I would be honored to join your pack and defend your daughter,” she choked out, pulling back from my embrace so she could swipe at her eyes with the heels of her hands. “Now, it looks like your pack has arrived to keep you company, so I’m going to find a seat before all the good ones are gone.” She shot me a wink, and for a second, she was my big sister again.

“Those were happy tears, I hope,” Reed murmured as he walked up, trailed by Kane and Dirge. He looked like he’d stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine, and as usual, I wondered how he always looked so damn put together.

“Yes. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other.” I looked over at Kane and Dirge. “She said the priestesses are going to assign us a pair of maidens to protect Leigh and the baby.”

Kane nodded. “Priestess Marciana stopped me on the way over. She would typically assign six, two per omega or omega-marked female, but given the scrutiny we’re already under, the priestesses felt that the best course of action would be to assign only two, since they typically protect children these days. Given your status as a prince and Leigh’s pregnancy… it shouldn’t draw unnecessary scrutiny.”

I nodded. I didn’t like to use my family’s status for my own advantage, but in this case, if it protected our pack, I wouldn’t turn down the help. There was pride, and then there was stupidity.

The maidens’ song changed then, and we all turned toward the front of the garden. Dozens of maidens marched in, in two lines, scattering white flower petals over the garden path.

“They’re coming,” Dirge murmured with an anticipatory grin. “I’m going to take my seat.” He punched me on the shoulder hard enough to sting and then made his way to a bench near Galyna, as Reed and Kane took up their positions behind me.

It’s time .

Those nerves were back in full force, but also a longing to see Leigh so strong, I could barely keep still. I clasped my hands behind me, forcing myself into the rest stance I’d been trained to as a teen. The familiarity grounded me as the last of the maidens took their seats. The priestesses came next. There were five, each wearing a different-colored robe, with Marciana at the back in a navy so deep, it was nearly black under the twinkling lights.

She took her position at the top of the flower mound with a smile and a nod.

Shay came down the aisle first, wearing a lovely blue dress. She gave me a small wave before taking a seat next to Dirge on the bench. Next came Brielle in a shimmering gold gown, carrying a jar of fertility water with pink specks floating in it. She stood across from us behind the mound of white flowers. Olivia was next, wearing deep green and carrying the ceremonial lovelace perfume that acted as a potent aphrodisiac to shifters.

But I only had eyes for Leigh.

When she stepped into sight at the end of the path, her head was bowed, golden hair in a waterfall of curls cascading over one shoulder, dotted with crystals that shimmered under the lights. Her gown was blood red but mostly sheer, and her skin seemed to glow with life underneath. It draped low over her arms and dipped between her breasts, leaving her collarbones and neck completely free for my bite. The whole dress was like an homage to her beautiful bump as the material hugged and highlighted her every curve, her warm skin flashing underneath with every step.

She was the sun burning bright, and I was her moon, orbiting around her with unending devotion. But when she finally looked up and met my eyes, her smile nearly stopped my heart.