A L M I R A

Chapter 29
Almira Davenport

All of our jaws dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry, you mean to tell me you're mates with my sister?" I exclaimed, looking at the both of them.

"Mira, please don't freak out! I was going to tell you!" Lauren reasoned, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"When?" I crossed my arms, looking at her.

"Whenever I got comfortable enough and thought it was the right time. I never meant for you to figure out the way you did, I swear," She pleaded, looking at me with sorrow in her eyes.

I sighed. "Next time, just be more honest with me, alright?"

She smiled. "Alright."

Calix coughed, directing the attention back onto him. "Meeting dismissed."

We all walked out and Ambrielle walked up to me. "When do you want to go do that spell of yours?"

"Why not now?" I suggested. The sooner the better, right?

She nodded and we went to the library. I grabbed a spell book and set it down on the table, opening it. A golden paper slid out and I smiled, shaking my head. Really hidden, Abelia.

I read over the spell before taking Ambrielle's hand. I repeated the spell and blew out the five candles. My legs suddenly felt weak, as if I was about to collapse. The floor was spinning and my vision blurred before I blacked out.

I woke up moments later on the couch. "Ambrielle, you alright?"

"Yeah. I think we both blacked out," She enunciated. What about you? Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

I lied. I felt horrible. I basically just sentenced five people to death. So, no, I'm not alright.

"Ashli was looking for you earlier. She wanted to pay you a visit, but Calix told her you were busy," Ambrielle said, standing up and dusting off her dress.

"I'll go look for her."

I stood up, brushed myself off, and walked out. I made my way down the long hallways that were dimly lit with candles and stopped in front of Ashli's door. I hesitated before knocking.

"Ashli?" I called out. "It's me, Almira. Ambrielle and Calix told me you wanted to see me?"

The door swung open and Ashli pulled me inside, closing it. I looked at her confused before she sat on the bet. "Don't take this personally, but I've noticed you don't exactly have many friends around the castle. Maybe a guard or two here and my mother, but none of your own age. So, I want to invite you to a girl's day out!"

I looked at her for a moment before nodding. "I guess. I'd have to ask Calix."

Ashli rolled her eyes and shook her head. "He's your mate, not your dad. You don't see me going to Ryker to ask if I can socialize and try to live a remotely normal life in a not-so-normal life. You need some backbone," She remarked.

She was right. This entire time, Calix has been making decisions for me. He's been telling me where to go, what to do, how to do things, hell, he has me doing paperwork! "You're right. Just let me know a time and day and I'll be happy to join you guys."

Ashli smiled and clapped her hands together. "Great! You'll love Estelle. She's Ryker's sister, but she's an absolute doll!"

"I'll take your word for it. Look, I'll be around later, but we're meeting a potential ally later and Calix wants me present for that. So, I'll see you later," I dismissed, walking out. I walked down the stairs to see Calix waiting for me.

"How much longer?" Lauren asked, eying Calix.

"Any moment now," He briefly responded. Calix stuck him arm out and glanced at me.

"What do you want me to do with it?" I lightly laughed, looking at his confused face.

"Lady Raiya is one that has high expectations. Just act like we don't sleep with a pillow wall, okay?" Calix pleaded, looking at me.

Cole laughed. "You sleep with a pillow wall?"

I glared at him. "Oh shut up. Not all of us sleep with each other the first week of finding out we're mates!"

Lauren snickered while Cole huffed. "We're playing this game? Alright. I bet you two haven't even kissed yet!"

Lauren cut in. "What about when she had no humanity coming back from hell?"

"Okay, fine, a conscious kiss," Cole corrected.

I rolled my eyes. "Why you--"

"You have quite the children in high position, Calix," A lady called out. I turned to her and a gasp escaped my lips. She was mesmerizing. The lady had softly curled ginger hair that laid delicately on her shoulders. Her eyes were black with specks of gold. Her aura radiated lycan, an old one at that.

Calix cleared his throat and fixed his collar. "Lady Raiya, good to see you again."

Raiya inspected me before adverting her attenion back to Calix. "And you didn't bother to tell me?"

"My apologies, M'lady, I assumed the rumors reached your kingdom since they reached Alastor and Wryler's," Calix apologized.

Raiya scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You and I both know those children have their heads low listening for anything to bring you down. Why else am I here? A tea party?"

"Why is she calling them children?" Lauren whispered to Cole.

"Has nobody told these poor girls about me?" Raiya questioned, looking at Calix and Cole with scolding eyes.

"It never crossed our minds," Cole defended, avoiding eye contact with her.

Raiya laughed and took Lauren and I from Calix and Cole. "Ladies, it's time we have a talk. Without the boys."

"What about the allian-" Cole began before being cut off.

"We'll come to the conference room when we're ready. Have you forgotten all the manners I've taught you?" Raiya snapped.

Calix and Cole looked at each other and then at Raiya like children. I stifled a laugh, not wanting to join the lecture circle. Raiya pulled us away from the boys and lead us to the library. Lauren and I sat down on one of the sofas near the fire place, Raiya sitting across from us.

"So, Lady Raiya, what's the story we've been missing out on?" Lauren asked, leaning in to hear the story.

"Ah, ah, ah! We have a few things to establish before I get to the details. Like for example, who is it I hear about sleeping with a pillow wall?" She began, eying my sister and me.

"That'd be me and Calix," I chortled.

Raiya turned to me. "Why is that?"

"He's not interested and at this point, neither am I," I answered, playing with my sleeves.

"That's a lie. I can tell you both want each other but something is holding you both back. You both have secrets, which they're not mine to tell. That doesn't explain the pillow fort." Raiya laid back and poured herself a drink, bringing the cup up to her lips.

"Closure I guess?" I didn't really know what to say. It all started when I got mad at him and put the pillow fort up. I guess I've never removed it.

"I believe you're mispronouncing 'pride', darling," Raiya affirmed. "Beautiful attempt, though. A for effort."

Lauren laughed. "You are so getting called out right now!"

Raiya turned to her, smirking. "You're turn."

"Oh, no," Lauren mumbled.

"You are very tense around Cole. Should you tell him or should I?" Raiya asked, looking at Lauren.

"Tell him what?" I interrogated, grinning. "Did somebody steal one of his favorite shirts or something?" I nudged Lauren and winked.

"I'm pregnant," Lauren confessed.

My jaw dropped. "You what? How did you know?" I turned to Raiya.

"Now to the details. You're looking at the oldest, and strongest, lycan known to be alive. I put that little lycan gene in your lovers, hence why they show me the respect that they do. I pretty much taught them how to be animals, the vampire part was all on their true parents' side, but you have me to thank for their wolf-like nature," Raiya shared with us.

"That's the big secret? You're old?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. "No offense, but I thought it'd be more intense then 'hey kids! I'm old and a lycan!'"

Raiya growled at me. "There's more to it, patient one," She sarcastically retorted.

"Then get to it," I shot back.

"Anyways, before I was so rudely interrupted," Raiya began, eying me from the side. "I'm also a queen of an entirely pure lycan kingdom. My husband has been deceased for quite some time, and I'm Ryker and Estelle's mother."

I sat back in realization. "Oh, I get it now!"

"Do you?" Raiya and Lauren both simultaneously said.

"You're a Queen, highly respected by Cole and Calix, you're a mom and mother-in-law to a couple royals here, and your husband is dead. You're here for Calix and Cole, which means the alliance will most likely be made and things will go smoothly. Correct me if I'm wrong," I explained, looking at Raiya with a smirk.

"You catch on quick," Raiya complimented.

"So I've been told, but thank you," I responded.

"Well, you have all the information you need to know. I do hope to be seeing more of you, Almira. As much fun as this little story telling time has been, we do have more pressing matters to see to. Come on, girls, let's not keep the boys waiting any longer."

~-~

As I sat in the garden with two guards behind me, I replayed the conference room's meeting back in my head. Raiya scolding the boys, Lauren and I laughing at them, and Raiya agreeing to do the alliance, all in one room in such a short amount of time.

After the meeting, Raiya was shown to her room and she went off to find Ashli and Ryker to catch up with them. I heard footsteps and turned around to see Calix. I mentally prepared myself for whatever was about to be said.

"Guards, dismiss us," Calix ordered, not paying a bit of attention to them.

"But, your majesty, you said-"

"Are you really going to make me repeat myself?" Calix glared, turning to look back at them.

Both guards quickly walked away and I sighed. "Someone seems to be in a good mood," I joked.

Calix shook his head and sat beside me, staring at the flowers and the large water fountain in front of us. "We should discuss the war, privately, considering it's majorly about you."

"Way to make a girl feel special," I commented. "What next? Victor gets my hand in marriage to rule over kingdoms?"

Calix growled and turned to face me. "How can you have so much faith and happiness through all of this?"

"Don't misinterpret my emotions, Calix. I'm scared to death of this war and the outcomes. However, something tells me to have faith, and so I do. I don't have my parents to confide in, but since I've been here, I've found a really good support system. I still have my sister, I have friends, and I have you," I gushed, looking back at him.

Calix looked at me for a moment before leaning back on his hands. "You're a real piece of work, aren't you?"

"I like to say I'm special," I replied, smiling.

Calix grinned and rolled his eyes. "Have you and Ambrielle done that spectacular spell you have up your sleeve yet?"

I nodded. "Yeah, we did it after the meeting. It took a lot out of us, but I'm alright."

"That's good. Follow me, there's something I want to show you," Calix said, standing up. He offered his hand out to me and I looked at it before sliding my small hand into his large one.

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