Chapter 31 ~ That’s My Girl

Aaron’s POV ~

We were up at the crack of dawn.. the troops had geared up and moved into the clearing. We decided to open the portal in the clearing on the western side of the pack. Should we need to retreat.. and are being pursued, we didn’t want the enemy too close to the pack house. Shaelin had been with her ladies.. getting the bunkers ready for all our noncombatants. She even had bunkers ready for our Elves.

After that.. she packed lunches and had them sent to the clearing because “Our men do not fight on empty stomachs!” She then geared up.. and damnit! She looked so cute in her new armor.. her katana and poinards strapped to her body. My favorite part though.. is the armor flares around her baby bump. She doesn’t look pregnant.. unless you know what you’re looking at!

We are standing on site… waiting for Nimue to answer the call. She picked up… breathless .. and chuckling “Sorry… getting my ducks in a row here! Two minutes.. set our stopwatch… Now!” And both their phones lot up with the countdown timer showing over their faces.

Everyone counted down the last five seconds and as soon as the shimmer started.. and DullenDirk was in view.. the portal stabilized and we began charging through. Before an alarm was even raised.. we had three hundred warriors through.. with Andrew on the other side.. and more charging through.

Shaelin and I fought side by side.. Artemis would not leave her side, anyway. A blood Elf jumped her from behind and bit into her shoulder. She stabbed him right through the eye…muttering Fucker! Evan ran to her other side to make sure that doesn’t happen again. We fought our way towards the castle..

We had gained enough ground, I could see Andrew’s warriors at the other side of the square. Malcolm was still on two feet.. standing back to back with his Luna.. and they fought so synchronously.. it looked like dancing! Every Light Elf we came upon almost immediately surrendered.. the dark Elves could tell they were losing.

I heard a loud roar and spun to see the Blood Elf King bearing down an Shaelin. She spotted him and grinned an evil little grin.. waving her fingers in a bring it motion.. and he was so pissed he charged without direction. She yanked her katana and sliced in a wide arc. Decapitated him before he even reached her.

He fell dead on the ground.. and every blood elf left, dropped their weapons.. followed by the Dark Elves. Shay smiled at me and said “To the castle!?” I grinned back and said “After you, my Queen!” We interlocked our fingers and met her family in front of the castle. Andrew says “Shall we knock?” And Nimue said “Nope” and blasted the door open with a fireball.

We marched inside to find Hildegard dead on the floor. What the hell? Shaelin looked her over and said “Strangled! Like my mother! Go figure!” She stood up and yelled “Ohhh Callan! Come out, come out, wherever you are!” I laughed and said “Think that will work?”

Nimue said “There are three places they are going to be.. The safe room in the office.. the secret passageway off the kitchen.. or the bunkers. We split up?” I agree and send Evan with Andrew and his Beta.. to check the secret passage. We are going to the office safe room.. and Malcolm is going with Nimue to check the bunker.

Reaching the office, Shaelin shuttered and turned into my arms. “Baby? You’re shaking. Take a minute.. I know this room brings bad memories.. you want to wait outside, while I check?” She shakes her head “No! I will face it! I have to.. It’s how I will heal!”

We walked in and she went to the bookcase… she closed her eyes and whispered “He’s here.. I feel his thoughts! Galbhor isn’t with him, though.” I shrugged and whispered back “Then, the others will find him. Let’s just focus on getting Callan out, for now!”

She searches the bookcase and found the lever.. pulling it, the shelf swung to one side and we stood looking at a steel door. She grinned… and lengthened a claw.. poking her finger. A drop of blood hit the lock and it worked its way through the tumblers… opening the door.. I pulled her behind me, in case this asshole charges.

He didn’t come out, at all. I spoke “Callan, it’s over! The Elves surrendered to their Queen. You need to surrender.. or you will die!” Then he charged out the door. His eyes were solid red.. indicating he had been practicing blood magic. He snarled at Shaelin and ran for her. I grabbed him by the throat and shoved him into the wall.

I growled “That is my Mate! She carries my heir! You dare to think I would let you near her!?” All the while, squeezing his throat tighter and tighter. Shay touched my arm and said “I want his execution to be public. On the day of the coronation and Tremaine’s ascension to Lord Corellan!

I dropped him to the floor, letting him catch his breath. I yanked him up and slammed him into the hallway. I dragged him down to the first floor and we waited for the other two groups. Malcolm threw Galbhor to the floor next to Callan.

I asked “Why’d you murder your second wife, Callan? You are such a pathetic waste of skin! Two mothers, Callan! You took the lives of the mothers of your own children. Your own flesh and blood! Why?” Galbhor listened to me.. and his face lost all his color. He asked “Father?” Callan snarled “Shut up, boy! Can’t you tell he’s lying!? They must have killed her when they broke in!”

Shaelin laughed “Yeah.. Galbhor! That’s what happened.. because, oh you know.. your father couldn’t be bothered with getting her to the safe room where he was hiding! You bastard! You choked her to death! Just like my mom! You are a despicable beast and you will die for your crimes!”

Evan and Gavin took them both to the dungeons and locked them in the same cell he had once kept Shaelin in. Poetic justice! Tremaine came in and he was told about his mother. He shrugged “It’s a shame he killed her.. but she was never a mother to me. Galbhor was the golden child.. I was just the extra.”

We walked out and addressed the crowd.. Shaelin stepped on the stage and walked to the podium “DullenDirk! I am your rightful Queen! And I say No More! No more conspiring to take things that do not belong to us! No More Blood magic! That will be forbidden in this realm. The new Corellan is not like the old one! Tremaine?”

She stepped back and let Tremaine speak “There will be many changes coming! Shaelin’s coronation will be the same day as my ascension to Lord Corellan! The new Blood Elf King will be crowned the day after. Yes.. I will be there! You will see my face a lot! So get used to it! I will be opening trade and commerce with earth’s realm. There is much we can learn. You will be permitted to travel to their realm.. on petition and with permission! There will only ever be two portals to the earth’s realm. One in my Castle on the Hill.. and one in DullenDirk castle! Every traveler will have to issue petition a minimum of two weeks before their travel date!”

Shaelin stepped back up saying “I will be your Queen.. but I will be appointing a prince regent to run the Kingdom. My place is with my mate! I will reserve the right to make decisions and I will be here twice a month for personal meetings!”

My heart swelled with pride! She wanted to stay with our pack! And she let them know right from the start! That’s My Girl!