Chapter 26: Chapter 24

Without a word, they followed Jack toward a small, rundown, shack. It was only one large room, with only a few chairs and a small table.

When the door slammed closed behind them, Ivory jumped and squeaked.

“What’s going on, Jack? I thought you were taking us to your father.” Adam snarled.

“And I will. But I won’t deliver spies to kill him. I don’t know you well enough for you to come in here, with people I cannot see, claiming you have some secret weapon to win the war. I won’t take that risk, Adam. I’m sorry.”

Go ahead, Ivory. Show him.

Ivory looked at Adam, making sure she heard him right. He nodded.

“Jack, this is my mate. And she needs your protection. She deserves your protection.”

“A lot of people deserve protection. What makes her so special?”

“Because you are my family, Jackie.” Ivory said, lowering her hood.

Richard followed her lead and lowered his as well.

“Ives?” Jack didn’t fall to his knees like the others had. Instead, he rubbed his eyes and stepped away. “How do I know this isn’t a trick? I told you last time I would give everything I had to have her back.”

“At the time I was still trying to decide if I could trust you with the love of my life. It wasn’t until after I left here that I discovered she was my mate. We need your help, Jack. Ava took an interest in my brothers and me. She came too close to finding Ivory. Twice now.”

Ivory stepped closer to cousin, pulling her long white hair out of the cloak and over her shoulder.

“Jackie, look at me, please?”

Jack turned slowly around and looked deep into her green eyes, pleading for her not to disappoint him.

“Your family stayed with us for a few days before my party. I was so excited to finally have a friend. The problem was… you didn’t want to hang out in the kitchen with me. Mark did though. He followed me everywhere. We came to an agreement. I would make you a peach pie and you would teach me how to climb the trees in the garden.”

Jack’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s really you? It’s not some kind of trick?”

Ivory laughed lightly and shook her head. “It’s really me.”

Jack threw his arms around her and swallowed her up into a hug, holding her for all he was worth.

“I tried to find you. I really did. Part of me has always believed you were still out there somewhere. But why didn’t you come to us sooner?”

“I was thirteen, Jack. I had just watched my parents murdered in front of me. I hit my head and fell into the ocean. I was scared. I didn’t know who I could trust. I needed time to piece it all together.” Ivory laughed. “And to convince this one to get his head out of his furry butt.”

Jack looked around the room again. He startled when he recognized Richard standing in the back.

He blinked back the water forming in his eyes and nodded once. “Come, we will go to my father. He hasn’t been the same since he came back from rescuing Richard and the others. Uncle Alex had confided in him at the party about his concerns with Dale and Ava. Yet we still left the next day. He blames himself. For everything.”

Adam helped Ivory tuck her hair away again and winked at her. Everything was going to be alright.

As a group, they quickly went through the crowds in the

market, keeping Ivory somewhat in the middle of them. Of course, Ivory kept getting distracted looking at everything.

Adam laughed and kept pulling her along. Brian eventually took up her other arm so they could keep moving. Jack looked back and saw them. He looked around, worried there was a threat he hadn’t noticed.

“I haven’t left the farm in three years, and you know how often I was allowed out of the castle before that. I want to explore, and they won’t let me!” She pouted. “The barbarians.”

Behave and I’ll show you a barbarian later.

Ooo, promise?

Adam barked out a laugh. His wolf right along with him. Promise, now move, all these people are making me nervous.

Fine, but I’m holding you to that.

How do you manage to sound so high and mighty even in your head?

How do you manage to still sound like a cranky old mutt, in yours?

Adam stopped walking and kissed her. “I love you.”

Ivory grinned ear to ear. “I love you, too. Now move it. I plan on collecting on that promise later.”

Jack looked at Brian, who was closest to him, with one raised eyebrow. “Do I want to ask?”

Brian shook his head. “Probably not. Trust me. I live with them. Its better now that the gross stuff only happens mentally.”

“But they’re in human form, how can they communicate?”

Brian shrugged. He knew but he didn’t want to discuss it right now. It would be too much effort and it had already been a long day. A long month really.

Not soon enough, they were standing outside the large manor on the edge of the city. Jack stopped in front of the guards blocking the front door.

“Close the door behind us, and do not let anyone in until my father and I personally say so. Understand?”

“Yes, my Lord.” They replied in unison.

The heavy doors closed with a bang, giving the brothers an ominous feeling. Adam looked around realizing his home was considered small to what his mate had been raised in. And yet, she’d been living with them all these years.

For the first time in his life, he felt ashamed of his little house.

Ivory felt Adam’s shame. Since she could only assume why, she took a guess.

The farmhouse felt more like a real home than the one I grew up in. The castle itself was always cold and lonely. The only time it felt like home was when I was with the people I loved. Our farmhouse always felt like home, even when you were all in the fields.

Adam pulled her close to his side, letting his love for her flood him so she would feel that too.

They walked through another set of really tall double doors, and then through a smaller set, into a large study room that resembled a library. Ivory stifled the laugh when she saw the look on Dean’s face. His jaw had dropped, and he couldn’t stop looking at all of the books.

“Father, we need to speak with you. It is of the utmost importance.” Jack drew her attention towards the group of males sitting at a large table.

The one seated at the head of the table stood up warily. “What is this, Jack? I don’t have time to deal with small issues today.”

Ivory studied her Uncle. He looked to have aged ten years in the last three. She could now understand Jack’s wariness at bringing them. And why he kept so much of his own activities from him.

“Trust me, father. This is well worth your time and will turn the tide of the war. It will, I believe, bring us peace at last.”

The Duke sat back down with a resigned sigh and waved for Jack to continue. Jack turned to Adam and his group and nodded.

Adam turned to Richard, who stepped forward and lowered his hood. This part had been planned and discussed on repeat over the last couple weeks… the best way to handle the first meeting.

“Andrew. You look like hell.”

Everyone gasped at his audacity. Except Jack and Ivory. They smiled. Sometimes in moments of high stress, you needed a bit of normalcy.

“Richard?” Andrew gaped at him for a long moment, then jumped up and embraced his old friend. “When we didn’t hear from you, I thought you were dead.”

“We’ve been trying to come for so long, but Ava had you well and truly blocked, old friend. We ran into this group of travelers in the forest, they knew a way in and were planning to visit you anyway. You’d be surprised how many supporters we actually have out there. We even have a small encampment hidden in the mountain. All of whom are ready to come to your aide. The pup and his mate though, they are what you really need.”

Richard stepped aside and gave Adam room to move in front of Ivory again. He would never be able to shed his overprotective skin.

Adam bowed his head slightly. “My Lord, before we begin, I need to know if you trust the males at that table with you.”

The males in question all scowled at him. The Duke just looked confused.

“They’ve been with me since before you were born, of course I trust them.”

“I apologize for any offense, but I must protect my mate at all costs. As you will as well when you hear our story.”

The Duke didn’t like being told that he had to do something. He frowned at the upstart pup and returned to his chair. The fact that Richard moved to stand near the pup’s mate did not go unnoticed by anyone at the table.

As previously agreed, Adam started in on the whole story, no detail forgotten. If anyone was going to need every bit, it would be the Duke.

“My name is Adam. When I was fifteen, my six brothers and I lost our father. He was the last parent we had. My youngest brother was five at the time. As I’m sure you can imagine it was not easy in the beginning. We inherited a lot of land that flourished every year. There were those who sought to trick us and take it away. All under the guise of helping. I shifted within days of my father’s death. My wolf came forth early to protect what was ours. A year later, my brothers were fishing on a pier over the ocean, while I stood guard in the trees nearby. The strangest thing happened that afternoon. A herd of dolphins came swimming up, pushing a pile of seaweed. It didn’t take long for them to notice that seaweed was in fact covering a small female pup. She was broken and bloodied but miraculously, still alive. We took her home. We cared for her until she was healed. My wolf recognized the need to protect her. As she grew we were the only ones who did not see her as a sister. When she shifted, we realized who she was to us. I debated many times over bringing her to you for safe keeping. But I couldn’t let her go. Ava has recently taken an interest in our family of males. If she had seen my mate, we never would have made it this far. Mother Nature has blessed us time and again. Now we are here, asking for your help. And in return, we will help you take the kingdom back.”

The Duke looked at the way the pups surrounded the hooded female. What’s more he saw the way Richard stayed near her. He knew of only one female that could call to others like this.

“You found her in the ocean, you say?” Andrew asked in a shaky voice, as he stood again, slower this time, and walked around the table, closing the distance.

“Yes.” Adam said.

The Duke waved for them to move, no one did. He huffed.

“Please. Show me your face. Tell me my mind hasn’t slipped completely.”

Ivory’s smile was hidden under her hood. She tapped Adam’s shoulder, and he took a hesitant step to the side.

This was the final step. After this, they would never have their quiet life back again. His Princess was going to be put back on her throne, and him with her.

He really missed the farm.

As her bodyguards moved. Ivory stepped forward.

The males at the table stood, finally interested, wanting to see who this was all about.

Ivory slowly lifted the hood and lowered it. She stayed looking at her feet for a beat longer, then slowly lifted her light green eyes to meet the familiar blue.

“Hello, Uncle. I’m sorry I’m late. I got a little lost in the woods.”

Andrew smirked through the tears. Remembering when she was late for dinner one night. She always called the castle gardens the woods.

“Ivory? My sweet, Ivory. Can it really be you?”

She nodded and started sobbing as the male who looked so much like her father wrapped her in a tight hug, one that felt so much like her father’s. How she missed both of them.

“Dang it! I’m sorry. I’m not usually such a crier.” Ivory stated as he released her. She reached toward Adam, and he handed her a small pocket cloth. She wiped her eyes. “You can blame him, it’s his fault I’m an emotional wreck these days.”

Her brothers and Richard laughed.

“I will only take partial credit, love. I wasn’t alone in it. I do believe I tried walking away many times.”

“Yeah but at least, I was still able to walk.” A wave of dizziness hit Ivory suddenly, all the walking was taking its final toll. Adam felt it through her and grabbed her arm to steady her.

“You need to sit. You’ve been on your feet too long.”

“What’s wrong? Is she sick?” Andrew asked, worried he was about to lose her again.

“Take a whiff, Andrew. She’s just fine.” Richard instructed with a grin.

As one, all the males started sniffing the air, even Jack.

“Gees, why didn’t I catch that earlier?” Jack reprimanded himself.

“Please, we all missed it for months.” Dean mumbled, still irked he hadn’t known something.

Richard shook his head. “It’s still early, the scent is light.”

“Jack, have Jeffery bring water and some snacks to the room. Ivory, come sit down. Tell me everything that happened.” The Duke commanded, feeling lighter than he had in years. He hadn’t lost them all after all.

Ivory winced and looked at Adam. She really didn’t feel like reliving it again.

“If you don’t mind, sir. I will tell you. I know the story well enough now and have seen images in her mind. I can tell you as well as she can.”

Andrew nodded. Unlike the others, he had a true mate, he knew of the links they shared.

Jeffery came in a few minutes later with the tray. Jack obviously hadn’t told him anything. He looked at Ivory swiftly, then froze and looked again. The tray was shaking by the time he set it down.

For the first time in his long career, he forgot his position for a moment. He kissed the top of her head. And whispered. “Welcome back, your highness. We’ve missed you.”

“You’ve missed my pastries.”

“That too.” He winked at her and then left with more pep in his step than there had been for years.

Adam filled Andrew in on what happened. Ivory tried not to listen. Gabe came closer and held her hand. She leaned her head on him. He was tall enough now that she could do that while sitting. He may still be skinnier than the others and not quite as tall, but he would still be taller than her someday.

Andrew was sitting back, thinking through what Adam said when Jack came back in, pulling two people with him.

“Jack! What is so important that you can’t act your age?” A female voice lectured him.

Ivory laughed lightly and stood up. Adam went to help her, but she waved him off.

“He’s just a little over excited, Aunt Jess.”

Jessica didn’t even freeze. She took everything in stride and kept walking until she was holding Ivory and kissing every inch of her face. She finally paused when she sniffed. She would be the first that caught the scent right away.

“You finally come home, and you have an extra surprise!” Jessica squealed and touched her belly. “Two months?”

Ivory laughed and nodded. “Yes.”

Mark stepped next to his mother, a small blush on his cheeks.

“Hello, Mark. My how big you’ve gotten. Come here.” She pulled him over and hugged him.

It only took a second before he had her wrapped even tighter.

“They said you were dead.”

“I almost was. But some other males found me and took care of me. Come on, come meet them. You are about the same age as the youngest.

Ivory introduced her blood family to her chosen family. Jessica held each male tight, kissing them on the cheeks, making them blush and squirm as she thanked them.

It was some time before things settled down again. Adam had moved Ivory to a sofa along the wall. Her brothers all sat on the floor next to them, or chairs nearby.

Fitz and Eric had already made friends with Mark and had been excused to go and play. Gabe stayed with Ivory.

“So, what’s the plan?” Brian piped up from the floor in front of Gabe.

“Well, that’s actually what you all interrupted. We are having difficulty getting people to our side. No one knows which way to turn. Ava has been crowned. I have not. She claims I killed my brother. I claim she killed her sister. There has been a lot of back and forth. The hardest part is that she is claiming to be the rightful Queen. They have witnesses that say they have seen her white wolf. People won’t fight against Mother Nature.”

“She’s not though. She’s not the white wolf.” Dean said.

“We don’t believe it either, pup. Unfortunately, we have no proof that says otherwise.”

“We do.” Adam told them. I know you’re tired, love. But it will be the easiest way to convince them all.

Ivory nodded.

“How do you have proof? No one is going to believe a farmer on the run.” One of the Duke’s counselors asked with a bit of attitude.

Ivory stood up. “Shut your trap and pay attention. I only shifted for the first time a few months ago, and I’ve never done this in front of others, so pardon me for my modesty. Adam, please?”

He followed her and held up her coat, blocking her from view as she stripped off her clothes. He then loosely tied the cloak around her shoulders.

“Alright, here we go.” Ivory said, closing her eyes.

Show these stuck-up old males who the real Queen is! Ivory told her wolf.

Faster than she had ever done before, Ivory shifted into her white wolf. They all gaped at her.

Well, everyone except her brothers. Brian was the only to have seen her wolf, but the rest knew what to expect.

Your turn, love. Let’s hit them with all we’ve got.

Your wish is my command, my Queen.

She watched Adam undress, feeling grateful that the only other female in the room was mated. A moment later, her mate was in his wolf form, shimmering purple for all to see. She walked up and rubbed her head against his.

Richard was the first to move. He stood up, crossed his arm over his chest, bowed at the waist, and then dropped to his knee. The guards he had brought with them to the city followed his lead.

One by one, the council members fell to their knees. Andrew walked up and kissed her nose before taking a knee.

Soon, the only ones still sitting were their brothers.

“Does this mean we have to start bowing to Adam now? Snow I can get on board with. But Adam…. eh, I don’t know.” Brian laughed from the floor.

Adam shifted back into his human form and pulled his pants back on.

“Laugh all you want now, just wait until you’re back on the farm. Guess who gets to clean up the mess Ava left behind and raise the pups.”

That erased the smile from Brian’s face really quickly. Dean and Charles laughed hard, even Gabe was giggling from the Couch.

Adam picked the cloak up from the ground and held it in front of Ivory. She pictured her human form and shifted back, not as fast, but still faster than before.

“Woah, head rush.” Ivory said as she picked up her clothes.

Yes, that’s why I tried to go slow. We will have to be extra careful because of the pup.

Right, good to know.

Ivory looked around for her aunt and noticed they were all still bowing.

“Sorry, my bad. In my defense, I didn’t actually get to finish my Princess lessons.” She threw the cloak around her and bowed her head back.

They can’t get up until you bow back.

Adam was confused but did as she said. As soon as he did, they were all up again.

“Don’t worry, Ivory. I’ll help you. And you will want to limit how often you shift. Soon, you will have to stop completely.” Jessica filled her in as she stood up.

Ivory quickly dressed again and sat back down.

There was a fury of excitement in the room. The males were all talking animatedly now. They kept pulling Adam from one spot to the next, going over various things with him.

Ivory leaned over to her aunt, who had sat down next to her. “They do realize I’m the born Princess right? Adam got promoted because of me.”

Jessica patted her leg. “The older they get the more stuck in their ways they are. It’s even worse because you are pregnant, and we are at war. If you don’t like it, speak up and put them in their place. Otherwise sit back and let them do the heavy lifting.”

Ivory grinned. She could do that. Gabe looked at her and leaned down so he could whisper in her ear.

“Call it payback for all the times he was overprotective. Let them drive him nuts.”

Ivory grinned. “I like how you think. I knew you were my favorite for a reason.”

You do realize I am still in the same room, right? I can still hear you.

Yeah. And? I’m still in the room and you all seem to have forgotten about me.

Adam sighed and came over, kneeling down in front of her.

That’s not what this is, and you know it. Why are you upset?

Ivory turned her head away stubbornly. Adam put a finger up and pulled it back.

I don’t know, alright. I always hated being the center of attention. And with this hair, and being a Princess, I was always the center of attention. I’m a mix of emotions right now, you know that better than anyone.

Adam pulled her forward and kissed her softly. I love you and I am here for you.

I know. Go, be the male in charge. These guys don’t have a clue about what’s going on out there.

Adam smirked and stepped away.

“You had a mental communication with your mate... with you both in human form.” Jessica stated the obvious.

“Yes. Comes in very handy with six pairs of ears running around the house. Especially this one here, he is very sneaky.” Ivory poked Gabe, making him giggle.

“How, though? We’ve only been able to do it in wolf form.”

“Yes, exactly. We figured out that if we called part of our wolf forward, we could do it. We’ve done it enough now, that we don’t need as much of them forward. At first, we had the whole eyes and fingers changing things going on, now... not so much. We are more mentally united with our wolves, pretty much all the time now.”

“You are so young though, both of you. How did you gain that kind of control?”

Ivory turned to see that the counsel had stopped and were now listening to them. She shrugged, embarrassed by the sudden shift in attention.

“You have to remember, Adam shifted at fifteen. Ivory has not yet turned seventeen. They both shifted early. They have strong wolves.”

“Yes, but that should make the wolves harder to tame.”

Ivory giggled at the conversations going on around her and they looked at her.

“Sorry, but Adam’s wolf is crankier than him and pretty set in his ways. He even tried to mark me before I shifted. I was pretty sure we were mates, but Adam…”

He shrugged, not caring. “I’m a farmer, she’s a Princess. You can see why I struggled with my feelings until she shifted. My wolf always knew though. It made him only that much more temperamental. She evens us both out. We played with our communication link a lot from the beginning. Practice, gentlemen, practice. Now, back to what we were discussing. Yes, having Ivory walk down the street of the main city, in wolf form, would get our point across quickly, but we have to keep in mind that shifting isn’t easy for her right now and she would be a fairly big target. Ava’s men are using fire arrows. I will not have my mate and unborn pup put in unnecessary danger just to make your life easier.” Adam pulled their attention back to what they were doing.

Okay, that was just plain hot, babe.

So was you making Richard and his soldiers bow just by lowering your hood, sweetheart.

Ivory blushed and Jessica patted her leg.

“I think I am going to have to practice that myself. It would make things so much easier.”

Ivory leaned over and whispered very softly in her aunt’s ear. “Images are especially helpful when you are trying to get your point across. Mix that with being in heat, he was the one not walking when it was over.”

“Shoot, you’re making me wish I was still young enough to go through that. Some of the best times I ever had.” Ivory giggled at her aunt. “I may still try that once in a while. I’m not too old to have a little fun.”

“Here, watch this.” Ivory carefully thought of exactly how she wanted him to keep his promise later.

Adam stopped talking mid-sentence. His mouth went dry and forgot what he was saying completely. When he heard the females giggling from across the room, he glared at his mate.

Not cool sweetheart, really not cool. I’m supposed to be making them see me, someone half their age, as an authority figure. You are not helping.

Yeah well. I am a pregnant, horny, emotional, mess over here. I need to have a little fun.

“Andrew, do you have a room ready that my mate can go rest in?”

The Duke looked back and forth between them for a moment. “Did she just tell you that?”

“Yes, and she is sharing her tricks with your mate, consider yourself warned. Females are evil.”

Andrew chuckled. “I knew that one already, how do think I ended up with two pups?”

“Now that she is learning how to implant thoughts and images into your mind at very inopportune moments, it will get worse.”

Andrew didn’t seem to understand, so Adam let it go. He’d learn soon enough.

The council decided to break for a few hours, the older generation thought a nap sounded divine.

Jeffery had already arranged for rooms to be made ready for all of them. It wouldn’t be safe for them to come in and out of the city every day.