The Viking's Mate Hunt

CHAPTER 100

Strange, and it was; it rubbed my ego seeing the Viking Alpha now all of a sudden begging for me to throw him a bone. No, that is not the right word, but it felt like it. But all in all, they started showing up for one reason, and one reason only, to make sure their pack, their future Alpha, would be promised to my little daughter.

I know your mother equally understood and was horrified by their behavior. They all acted like you were a rare piece of meat or rock like you would have no say in your future. It is not that this was uncommon behavior; it is just the first time I experienced it up close. I realized how wrong it was in so many ways. So, eventually, after conferring with your mother and my closest men, I even evolved the elders; I started turning all offers down. I suggested a mateing ball or gathering on equal ground when she was old enough so she could meet them all and decide for herself. Some understood others were outright furious that we could toss away such an opportunity, and some understood but didn't like the idea at all. It came to a point we started getting threats, direct and indirect. The bear shifters began showing up near our border, making it obvious they were there, keeping an eye on our guards. We started getting messages, informing of Thralls running over to speak it out, and others wrote on small pieces of leather. The cat colonies copied the bear's attitude and crept closer to our mountain; no matter where one would go, there would be a cat in one of the threes nearby, watching your every move. It became exhausting and made me doubt my decision several times. My people got anxious, the Kids were scared, and all in all, it was not a good situation. Everything just waited to blow up one way or the other, and we needed to grasp the problem at hand. So, I called for the dragons.

Why the dragons? They were the only ones that had not stepped over our borders to try to buy your hand, trade you as a mate for their sons or threaten us in any way. And for as long as I can remember, the dragons had a reputation for avoiding chosen mates. I thought it had to be our best chance or the only way out of this mess and to keep you safe. Not long after this was leaked out in the pack, new stories about them started to spread like fire on dry grass-breeding dungeons, using females as science objects, treating them as nothing but birthing machines. I have no idea how they started or where they came from, and I knew better than to rely on rumors. But I also realized how little I knew about this Royal species.

Some rumors were written off as just that, and others suddenly became a reality. I never knew they studied females, inside and outside, to try solving the curse that way. Figure out if there was anything in their anatomy or genes that caused the problem of birthing girls and so on, but by then, it was too late. They sent a golden scale decorated with their seal on one side and their acceptance of the invite on the other. Three days they would arrive in three days.

We broke into a frantic wave of people. Fear for what was to come, but also preparing to receive the only Royalty we had on this planet, well, you know, this was before that glitter throwing, spoiled daddies-boy announced himself as King of the fay.

We prepared to greet the king and his family, but we also took extra measures to protect ourselves, especially my mate and children. We created a new path and safehouse, had ships ready on the other side of the mountain, and we even managed to dig out a safety tunnel right beneath it. It was hectic, to say the least! We had only three days!

When they arrived, it felt like we were all watching the same dream! Three massive creatures floated in the air above us. They had huge wings, long tails, and that classic dragon head; only one of them had spike likes growths alongside his chin, jaw, and, I guess, where the ears were supposed to be. When they landed, the ground shook beneath our feet, so much so that several children hid behind their parents or started sobbing. I've never seen living beings as big as they were, one deep green, one almost grey, and the smaller one had all the blue shades you could find combined on the clear sky and open waters.

The second shock was when they shifted; they shrank and shifted to their human form, already dressed! I've never seen any shifters do that! We all stand in our birthday suits when we shift back! After that, the meeting went better than I expected. Even if he brought his son, he did not suggest I give my daughter to him. Instead, he understood my predicament and why I was scared for my daughter's future. Your mother did not join in this meeting, not that she wasn't asked, but she just didn't want to. She wanted to stay out of it, to keep her distance between the dragons and her children with the other females.

That night changed my view of the dragons, and I felt like I got a new friend. Not only did he understand the problems I faced and why I had suggested what I did. He offered to let you stay with them when you turned 15. The dragon's castle was high above the sky; no wolves or werebears could reach it without being invited or high classed magic. Your mother and I would, of course, get a way to visit you as we wished when we wished. He told me it would be an honor for them to school Errithia's first-born female in decades. His mate was over the moon excited to meet the little girl.

His son joined the meeting only to teach his father skills, to learn how to enter a meeting as an equal, learning how to take his father's place with time. I wanted to accept the offer immediately, but I made sure to make it clear that I had to talk to my mate first. Something he accepted, and after that, most of the business affairs were over with. The mood changed, and we all ate food, drank sweet mead, and laughed together. I had to admit, and I needed a night like that. For this one night, it felt like I was no longer carrying the planet on my shoulders. Slowly breaking my bones, my back, energy, and my will to continue struggling in the darkness.

Slowly the sun climbed down behind the mountains, leaving us with the glittering stars and cold moon. The anxious and tense feeling covering the pack had changed. It was now filled with laughter and a sense of relief, even if nobody but us knew about this possible deal. My pack members, friends, and family heard our laughter and joyful voice spreading around and chasing away all fear and doubt. They could also feel my mood and feelings had changed.

I learned so much about dragons. Did you know they have their first shift when they are 30? That blue dragon that was a little smaller in beast size? Yeah, when he shifted to his human form, a little boy stood there. I would have guessed only about six years old, but no, he was 32 years old!

At least in Dragon years. Apparently, they age very differently from us, and I was told that as a shifter or human, he was equal to a 7, almost 8-year-old boy. I still don't remember the details, but I do remember how fascinating. Found it! Anyway, he grew tired of our company and slipped away at one point. But it was no problem, and he could reach his father with something very similar to our mind link, and I knew my pack. Nobody here would ever dream about harming a child, no matter what beast he was.

For a long time, the evening went by more like a feast than an important meeting that could change my and my pack's life for the better in the future. Ruckus reached our ears first, then screaming, shouting, and running. Both of us jumped up in panic and stared at the door waiting for it to burst open. The sound and level of utter chaos rapidly came closer, but the seconds moved like cold sirup as we watched the door.

The dragon boy and several other children came rushing in, shouting and screaming about monsters and bears. But eventually, it turned out to be a false alarm. We were not under attack, either by bears or monsters. But for some reason, a massive herd of wild boars ran straight through our village. Creating chaos and the again scaring the kids to the point that nothing was left blocking the imagination and adrenalin pumped through their bodies.

Lydia helped me gather the kids; Lydia was the female I talked about earlier. Your mother's best friend, my old friends' mate, that night, she was a saint. Handles scared kids, and frantic moms led the cleaning up as the animals made quite a mess. Without her, that night would have been a nightmare even before the nightmare itself started.

It took me almost an hour to realize, though, that your mother was not anywhere to be seen. Eventually, I found Tew scared and cold, but besides that, he was fine. But he claimed his little sister had been playing with the dragon, the out of nowhere, my mate came running towards them screaming and cussing at the boy. Making both him and you cry; after that, you were both gone. First, my entire body froze as I pictured both of you tramped to death and torn apart by these gruesome creatures. Their tusks are deadly, and their weight and hooves are as murderous as any cold-blooded hunter in these woods.

The boy backed up Tew's story, embarrassed after being yelled at. But still, he could not tell us why or what they did wrong. All clues ended there; all tracks ended there. I never saw my mate again, never saw you, my little daughter, again.

I've been speaking like it was impossible to take a break like I was scared it would ruin the story or make me forget important parts, and now, all that was left was my raging heart filling my ears with the high pressure of my pulse and breathing from the other side of the table. She broke the silence first, and with an arched brow my eyes darted to the dragon king that did his best to look somehow sorry,

"Wait a minute! You can shift back, fully clothed? What the heck Seb?"