#fated au

I was swept up in a warmth that had started at my belly and wrapped around me.  My heart lurched as I got one final glance at Jake and the twins before a glow took over my vision.

“Close your eyes, sweet mate,” Nick cooed, his arm wrapping firmly around my waist, “and hold onto me…this will only take a moment.”

I leaned into him, my face nuzzling into his neck.  My inner wolf inhaled his scent, looking for comfort while this foreign new thing began happening.  My arms wrapped loosely around him as it felt like I was floating.  The warmth ended at the tips of my fingers and felt like it receded back into my stomach. 

“You can open your eyes now, sweet mate.”

I hadn’t realized just how firmly I’d clung to him until my blue green eyes met his own steely ones.  We were only inches apart.  I took a step back, putting some distance between the two of us, only to have his firm arms wrap around me once more.  I stutter-stepped back into him.

“Wh-“

“We’re on the mountain, Jennifer,” he pointed out, his other hand gesturing around us.  My eyes followed his hand, stopping shy of where he was pointing.  Instead of looking over the mountain edge, which were in my peripherals, my eyes were glued to him.  My breath hitched at how he appeared now that we were out of court.  His brow furrowed as he gave me a pointed look, “is something wrong?”

“Y-you just-you look so d-different.”

He smiled, his white teeth glittering against his coal-streaked face. 

“This is what I normally look like, mate.  I’m wearing fire nymph armor so that I can be prepared at all times,” he replied, as though it were a silly statement.  He took a few steps back and I drew a shaky breath as I stared down his toned frame.  I looked away from him, a blush rising on my cheeks, “does this look displease you?”

“I-I’ve never-never seen a man…” I answered, stuttering through my reply.  He gently lifted my chin, forcing me to look him in his eyes, “I-I…”

“You’ve never seen a man like this?”

“Y-you are very bare, Nick!”  I replied, continuing to try to look away.  His forefinger and thumb locked my chin in an angle towards him as I shook my head.  My throat felt dry, and I couldn’t find the words to tell him that I’d never done anything, nor would I feel comfortable too, especially with how he was looking right now. 

“Open your eyes and look at me.”

I hadn’t even realized that I’d closed them. 

My cheeks felt hot as I opened my eyes, and they trailed from his own gaze, down his toned form.  My breathing felt light and ragged as my eyes dragged down his broad shoulders and firm chest, which was bare save for the coal dust.  His muscular chest curved down into a tapered waist with a v-line, and I felt ashamed as I whimpered, and my thighs instinctively clenched. 

He was barely covered by a hard looking piece of fabric, which had a shingled, shiny effect and ended between his mid-thigh and knees.  He let go of my chin and my eyes once more went to the ground, for fear if I stared at him too long, I’d feel more than just wanting to touch him.

Sure, he may have been a nymph, and I may have only been surrounded by women beforehand, but from the moment I saw him in the court, I knew that there was a pull; that he was my mate.  My true mate. 

“Why are you so ashamed to look at me, mate?”

I whimpered again, feeling more vulnerable by the second, “I-I’m not ashamed of you…fire nymph.”

“You can address me by my name or by my title,” he said in a soft, but firm tone, “I know how you shifters adore calling one another by title…”

My inner wolf purred at the suggestion, but I gave a small cough in an attempt to cover it, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Are you sure…my sweet little alpha mate?” My eyes shot to his, and he smirked seeing how I was attempting to hold back a responsive chirp, “you don’t ever have to hold back with me, Jennifer.  I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

“I-I…”

But I didn’t continue. 

I couldn’t. 

But I didn’t have to.  He seemed to understand what I wanted to say before I did, and he pulled me into his chest.  My inner wolf purred, feeling perfectly safe and content with everything that was going on.  I melted into him without any hesitation, my own arms locking around his firm frame.

“My king…”

I jumped away from Nick, my body feeling like it was shocked by ten thousand volts.  Nick frowned, and looked at an equally as built nymph who had a surprised look on his face, “What did you need?”

“I-Is that a daughter of Rogers?”

I looked between the bewildered expression of the younger nymph, back to Nick who had a serious face. 

“She is,” he said slowly, his arm finding my waist as he pulled me towards him, “and while it is not Chantel, I shall think that the nation of the fire nymphs is finding a queen worthy of its domain.  This is my true mate, Jennifer…and she will be your queen.”

I took a step closer towards Nick, feeling like he was going to be some sort of security blanket, while the younger nymph glared at me.  His jaw tightened and he merely nodded.

“As you wish, my king.”

“Make the announcement,” he said firmly, before looking to me, “is it alright that I have my guard announce our impending marriage, mate?”

I nodded, my heart in my throat as I clung to him like a scared pup.  My voice barely registered as my own as I whispered out, “i-it’s fine, mate.”

Nick stood, me tightly tucked into his side as he explained to what appeared like a round table of nymphs deep within one of the caverns of the mountain. 

“She is not the one that you-“

“ENOUGH!” he roared, angry at how they’d been coming after him, “Jennifer is my mate.  And she will be your future queen.  I don’t care about what’s going on with the outsiders.  Your qualms are your own.  The oath that Rogers took is being fulfilled as we speak.  Two other daughters have been promised to both Lance and Jefferson.  Within the year the three of us shall finally have our promised queens.  We are at peace.”

The same general from this afternoon put his arm around another fire nymphs’ waist.  Her tail whipped behind her angrily, “and what of my mate’s heartache?  Has her troubles been for nothing?”

“They’re holding my children as-“

“They’re with their fathers, Ember,” Nick growled, shooting her a glare.  Then he turned towards the guard, “Kemp, I suggest you keep your mate in line.  She has no standing here and should hold her tongue, before I claim it for myself.”

A few of the men chuckled, and her tail snapped in the direction of her mate.  Ember shot her mate a glare and he cleared his throat, “You’re failing on your promise to your people, my king.  You promised an outcome that was different than thi-”

“And what would you have me do?” Nick angrily scolded, glaring between the two nymphs, “she has bore your hatchlings.  She has mated and marked you.  She killed my sister for such honor when you were already claimed and I allowed it to happen because that is traditon.  You want me to topple the peace and ruin our secret lives from the humans because of your whore?  I will do no such thing.  I will not topple our kingdom because of her inadequacies.”

“I AM NO WHORE!” Ember proclaimed, shooting the king of the fire nymphs a deathly look.  Her eyes lit up an angry golden color and her skin started glowing.

“If you wish to settle this the old fashioned way be my guest,” Nick seethed.  He let go of me, and I noticed a warmth resonating from him.  His eyes went from the steely greys I’d known in the few short hours to glowing red irises, “I’ll end you once and for all.  Then King Jake and Ari of the mortal kingdom will have no issues in raising their children.”

“Nick…please,” I whimpered, pushing myself between the two nymphs.  While I hadn’t been a fan of the things I’d heard about Ember, I didn’t want him to start fighting with her over me.  He and the guard had been going back and forth for the better part of an hour, and it had finally come to a head.  But it was not something I was going to let just happen.  He instantly calmed down, his warmth, and the color of his eyes simmering, until they were back to normal, “n-not tonight…”

“Let the wolf fight for you.  She may be your future queen, but she cannot take your place, my king,” Ember growled, glaring at me, “you think it fair to have her picking your battles now?”

“You will not speak down on your future queen in such a fashion,” he seethed, instantly becoming fired up again.  Only this time, he didn’t calm down when I pressed myself against him.  His warmth didn’t burn me, much to my surprise though.  Instead, he pushed me behind himself, as if to protect me, “all of you are to leave my war room.  Think about your choices.  If you are so against your future queen and my rule, then you may challenge me during the festival…until then, hold your tongues, or I will not hesitate to end you.”

The nymphs quickly evacuated the room, not daring to spare a second glance to Nick.  It wasn’t until the heavy rock door closed that his heat receded. 

And with that, he fell to his knees. 

My eyes widened in shock, and I dropped to my knees as well to see if I could help him.  It was like all of his energy drained from him the second that the door closed.

“N-Nick…Nick…talk to me.”

“I-just…just need a second,” he coughed.  I fell back onto my ass as I stared at the nymph, watching him at a weak point in his life.  My hear ached for my mate, but it felt like there was nothing I could do to help him, “p-don’t don’t look at me, Jennifer…not like this, mate.”

My inner wolf whimpered, crying against the confines of my mind.  I wanted nothing more than to let her come out and allow her to nuzzle him; to comfort him.

“Wh-what’s going on?” He coughed for a minute more.  I reached over and it felt like he was cool to the touch, “Nick?”

He must have heard the worry in my voice.  His eyes locked on mine and there was a sorrowful look there, “this is what happens to a nymph who is losing his power…”

My heart plummeted to my chest, “l-losing his power?”

“I want you to meet someone…someone very important to me, Jennifer,” he whispered softly, his hand reaching out to stroke my cheek, “you’ll understand once you know…because you too, understand what true sacrifice is.”

Chapter 2

“Well, well, well…” a voice greeted as Jake came into the large dining hall.  A look of worry crossed his features as Ransom sat, a stern look on his face  Meanwhile, a fire nymph next to him.  He leaned back; his broad, bare chest and firm jaw covered in a small amount of coal dust.  Jake’s guard went up as he bit his lip, “you must be the one that started a fuss with my guard’s mate.  Is this one Jake?”

Ransom’s jaw tensed, “he is.  And he’s my mate and husband, Nick…”

“Shame,” he chuckled, his tongue laving over his bottom lip.  Ransom found himself getting jealous at how Nick eyed up his husband, like he was a prime piece of meat.  He reached out and took a long drink from the glass in front of him before turning his attention back to Ransom, “but as I’ve said before he came in…this isn’t something I can ignore, Drysdale…not that it has the attention of my kingdom as well as the others.”

“The others?”

Nick smiled, his attention turning back towards the wolf.  He leaned back again, his broad chest exposed to the wolf.  Jake felt an involuntary response in himself as he eyed the nymph’s taut form.  He mindlessly caressed his frame, fingers trailing over the ridges of his muscles.  Ransom’s jaw tightened as he knew the nymph was using his wiles to tease Jake, “tell me, wolf…how much do you know about what your father has done to this world?”

“My dad is dead…and has nothing to do with this…”

“Oh contraire…” Nick laughed, “do you know why each of your mothers ran off with the girls and left you boys to fend for yourselves?  Aside from the obviousness that your father has certain…younger tastes.”

Jake paled, “Y-you know about my sisters?”

“The hidden daughters of Rogers…” he mused softly, swirling the drink around in his glass, “nearly all of us know of them…your father, he used women like currency…but I’m sure you’ve found that out through Ember, Autumn, and Rain…well he would have used your sisters as well.  And he’d already promised them to a few of us.”

Jake’s breath caught in his throat as he thought of how the nymphs had been ‘promised’ to him and his brothers when he passed.  And a knot formed in his stomach as he thought about what he might have promised for his sisters. 

“There they are…the wheels are turning in your brain, aren’t they?” Nick asked with a smirk, “your father promised your sisters to the kings of the nymphs.  I was promised Chantal…Lance, the king of the water nymphs was promised Sarah…and Jefferson the king of the wood nymphs was promised a dragon…I believe her name is AnnMarie…”

“T-they aren’t yours,” Jake stuttered, suddenly feeling protective of his sisters, “They-they’re under the protection of Ransom’s mother…isn’t that right, Ran?  They live within the walls of her kingdom and they belong to nobody.”

“Well, that’s where we come to an impasse,” Nick sighed, a smirk crossing his lips, “I know that the girls are protected by Queen Linda and under her kingdom…and up until now, Jefferson, Lance, and myself have let it go.  Our own kingdoms have been upset by our choices to not bring a queen in to rule by our sides, but we felt it best to just let peace remain in the realm…keep our existences minimally known to the human world instead of waging a war over women that we really have no binding feelings towards…”

“But?” Jake asked nervously, looking between his husband and the fire nymph king. 

“My people are becoming restless,” Nick admitted, his arms crossing over his chest, “my guard is threatening my leadership because of this nymph…because of…Ember.  I’m sure you know by now, but she’s a thorn in both of our side’s it seems.”

“Well…what are you suggesting?” Ransom asked,  “I’m open to suggestions…short of returning our pups to her…”

He smirked, “it’s not as simple anymore as just the pups, Ransom,” Nick shrugged, standing to leave, “I simply came to warn you, Ransom…because of our past.  Because of what the both of us used to mean to each other.  We need more than just a resolution of a child being returned to its mother…”

“Excuse me?” Jake asked, his brow furrowing, “y-your past?”

“Oh…Ransom hasn’t told you?” Nick smirked.  His attention turned towards the other man, “you haven’t told him about me, Ran?  Well now I’m just offended.”

“It was a long time ago, Nick.”

“Ransom and I were lovers…a long time ago,” he teased, a smirk playing on his lips, “I left him when Joseph promised me Chantal…left him a bit jaded and cynical I suppose.  As you know we aren’t mates…but…Ransom doesn’t play well with others when it concerns sharing.”

“You can leave now, Nick.”

Nick offered another teasing smirk at Ransom before turning to Jake, “I’ll let you find the resolution…young pup…but just know that Jefferson, Lance, and myself have grown wary of this game…and we have little patience left.  So I’d advise you to think of a solution quickly.”