Read with BonusRead with Bonus

7-Lucas

~Octavius~

"Daddy!" Lucas jumps into my arms, and I toss him into the air to hear his laughter. Val stayed at the castle with Hazel while I ran to get our son from my brother's house.

"Hey, Buddy! Did you have fun with Uncle Ash and Aunt Carlie?" He nodded enthusiastically.

"We made cookies!" He rubs his little tummy.

"Where are my cookies?" Lucas wiggles out of my arms and runs into the kitchen; Carlie follows him.

"So, a second mate?" Ash asks quietly.

"Hazel is so innocent and sweet. She and Val are already hitting it off as if they've been best friends forever, and she loves kids. I'm nervous about them meeting, but I know he will love her as much as we do." Hazel fits us like a glove, so there is no doubt in my mind Lucas will love her too.

"How will you explain it to him? Will he see her as a second mother?" Ash looks slightly concerned because this is not typically the Lycan way.

"He's only three, so it'll be a simple explanation. As he ages, he will form a proper understanding and it'll be normal for him. I'm thankful we found her while he is young." Ash nods in agreement.

"We're happy for you. If she's anything like Val, you're going to have your hands full." He jokes, but we both know it's the truth. I love Val with my entire heart, but she is crazy sometimes. Especially when she's hungry or horny.

"Time will tell. I do know she is brave like Val is." Lucas rushes back into the room with a big smile.

"Daddy's cookies and Mommy's cookies." He holds up one bag for me to take, "I hold Mommy's."

"Are you ready to go home? Mommy and Daddy want you to meet someone very special when we get there." I pick him back up and we say our goodbyes to Carlie and Ash as we leave their house. They had the option to stay in the east wing of the castle, but they wanted to have their own cozy home. At least they live nearby.

"A friend?" He asks.

"Yes, she is a friend. Her name is Hazel." He repeats her name and stays quiet for a minute.

"Can I have ice cream?" He's already on to the next subject.

"After lunch." He makes his grumpy face as I strap him into his car seat because he doesn't want to wait on the dessert. At least he isn't having a tantrum.

As soon as we arrive home, Lucas is ready to bust out of his seat. His eagerness to meet our new 'friend' is almost too much for his little body to handle. I remove the straps and he scrambles out of the car. He runs as fast as he can to the house and doesn't stop until we see Val and Hazel in the great hall. For someone with short legs, he sure goes fast.

"Mommy! I have cookies for you!" He hands her the baggie and looks at Hazel. "That's my friend?"

"Yes, she is our friend. She lives with us now." Val explained.

Lucas walks to Hazel and whispers, "Can you get me ice cream?" He tried his best to be quiet, so Val and I pretended we didn't hear him. We hide the smiles on our faces.

"We're about to eat some really yummy food in a minute. Do you like pizza?" Val must have told her pizza is his favorite.

"I love pizza!" He licks his lips. For a three year old, Lucas has an outgoing personality.

"Let's go eat some pizza, then we can ask your parents if you can have ice cream. Okay?" I can already tell Hazel was born to work with children. Surely, she will want to have kids of her own too. It is unfortunate that Val goes into heat only twice a year, and I happen to be away for work every time. I never make it back in time to conceive another with her. Hazel is still capable of conceiving at any time as a human, but once she transitions she will be like Val. I don't understand why The Fates make it this way, but maybe it is for the best. It is more common for Lycans to conceive multiple babies at a time than it is for humans, so if female Lycans could be impregnated as frequently there would probably be a major over population. Humans are not allowed to have more than two kids as it is. It is the only territory that controls the number of children allowed. I wonder how much Hazel knows about the darkness that looms within the walls of Mortal Grounds.

An hour, and four ice cream cones later, we take Lucas outside to play on his personal playground. For once, Val and I are able to sit back and relax because Hazel keeps Lucas occupied as they climb around and play tag. We develop faster than humans, so it was a surprise when she learned how fast Lucas could run. She thought she could get away with jogging, but he tagged her without any effort.

Hazel is it, so she's chasing after Lucas now. "How long do you think Hazel can run like this?" Val asks.

"I have no idea. I'm just glad everything is falling into place. The Fates knew what they were doing when they made her for us." I take Val's hand and give it a kiss.

"She will make a great mother one day. She told me she wants to have a big family." I feel so much relief to hear this. I can already imagine Hazel with a pregnant belly.

"Did she happen to mention how soon she wanted to start trying?" Seeing her play with Lucas does something to me. I know it makes Val feel the same way.

"She definitely wants to wait until after she has transitioned. She would like to be marked soon, so tomorrow I will begin planning her crowning ceremony. I want the planning to be finished before she awakens in her new body." I am glad she is ready to change so soon. Our parents will be pleased when they meet her tomorrow morning.

"Good. When are we marking her?" It seems like Hazel is in a hurry to become one of us.

"She requested that we mark her tonight." Val seems to be unsure of Hazel's request.

"You do not think we should mark her this soon?" On one hand, I do think tonight would be too soon because she has yet to meet our parents. However, my father and mother would happily wait until she is transitioned before meeting her. Val's parents are not as patient as mine, though.

"I just feel kind of sad for her. Hazel has spent her entire life in a place where she does not belong, and now she is here. I am grateful she feels at home with us, but she is so eager to change. She won't miss her humanity at all. Shouldn't she want to embrace the last of it?" Val wears her emotion on her face. Thankfully, Hazel isn't paying attention.

"I think we should be happy for her. She's finally content with her home with two people who love and care for her properly. Maybe she is embracing her humanity today, but she doesn't want to waste any time. There is no point in waiting to mark her anyway. As a queen, she must do things in a timely manner so that she can serve her people." Val has a lot of preparing to do for the ceremony, and Hazel will need proper training.

"You're right. I am happy for her, and I'm excited to announce her role as queen. I'm sure the entire territory has heard about our little surprise mate by now. We shouldn't leave them waiting." I guess the decision has been made.

"Tonight, Hazel will fulfill her first duty to our territory- becoming one of us." Val and I take this moment to enjoy Hazel's laughter as she finally catches Lucas. Once the transition starts, she will be unresponsive until her body is capable of waking.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter