Into The Woods (mxm)

Twenty Five

      "What about Adela? Princess Adela. Very fitting for royalty, no?" I suggest.

     "I like it," Greyson says. "Adela..."

     "So we have a definite name for her?" Rumi asks.

      "Yes. Princess Adela." The pup-Adela- kicks at my hand that lays upon my belly. I giggle, rubbing at the tiny foot pressed up against my womb. "I think she likes her name."

"It is settled, then," Rumi says. "Princess Adela."

"I cannot wait to meet her," Greyson says, placing his hand over mine.

"We have an eternity to get to know her," I reply.

"False eternity," Rumi says. "Werewolves may have immortality but most of us die of illness and in times of war many are killed. Nobody lives forever. Eventually, all things come to an end."

"I never understood how it worked. Why do some people look really old when we are younger but different when we are all grown up?" Greyson asks.

"It is so children do not know they can be immortal. Children can be reckless if they know that they have a chance of living forever. They would do dangerous activities that could get them killed if they are not careful. They are more susceptible to death because they do not know right from wrong. They cannot make a good decision yet. So we wait until they are older to tell them. It is when we see people for who they really are. That is why Rumi saw his father as an old man with grey hair. His mind and the inner wolf would not allow him to see the real thing so he would not think that people never age and live forever," I explain.

"I feel like I learn something new every day when I am with you two. My father never taught me anything. I saw him very rarely and when I did he would take me to do fun things. Now that I look back, he refrained from telling me anything personal about himself of the kingdom. I do not think he trusted me ever with anything."

"Let's not talk about him now," I say. All of a sudden I double over when I get a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I felt sickly and trapped. I needed to get up.

"I think I am going to go for a walk. Alone, please. I just need to stretch my legs."

My mates sit up, on high alert both looking as if they would jump to their feet and follow me wherever I went.

"I will be fine. Stay here and I will be back in about an hour or two. And if I get held up somewhere I will link you. Okay?"

Rumi takes a deep breath. "Okay," he says.

Greyson nods as well, laying back onto the pillows.

"Thank you."

I stand and make my way out of our bedchamber.

I walk down the long hallway, finding myself in front of the bedchamber I had set up for Tabari and Akio when they first arrived at the palace. I knock softly, knowing that Collin would be with them.

Sure enough, Collin answers the door. He smiles when he sees me. Collin and I had gotten increasingly closer as the months passed. I was happy that I was able to call him my friend.