Court of the Shifter 3 Chapter 3

I couldn’t believe I was really getting married, but I’d handled weirder situations before, so I wasn’t too worried about what was going to happen today. Still, it was normal to have a level of anxiety before a big day, and my nerves were on edge with excitement.

It would be a day to remember, that was for sure. 

“Here we go, Eli,” I said to myself in the mirror. I stared at myself for a while, and I couldn’t tell if I was amping myself up or calming myself down.

Either way.

The shifter servants had brought in a mannequin for my wedding outfit, and I glanced at it out of the corner of my eye. The doublet was black, shiny leather, and the pants were a matching material, but the jacket is what really caught the eye. The jacket had broad shoulders, and it almost looked like jackets from the eighties with shoulder pads. Ribbons in the shifter royal colors stretched from shoulder to hip, and an ornamental, but empty, sword scabbard hung from the waistband. 

The jewel encrusted scabbard drew the eye, and I analyzed it closely. A ruby was situated near the tip, but then a row of sapphires ran up the length, and another ruby decorated the top. Gold filigree connected the gems with intricate designs and twirls, but the whole thing looked ornamental more so than useful. 

I wondered briefly why it was empty, but I was sure that question would be answered before the end of the day. 

“Master Eli?” a servant called through the door as he knocked. 

“Come in,” I called back.

The servant bowed as he entered the room, and I recognized him as the same guy from the morning with Calantha when we were summoned to the throne room. 

“Oh, it’s you.” I smiled. “What can I do for you?”

“I was sent to inform you that it is time to prepare for the ceremony,” the servant said. “My name is Bertram, and it would be my pleasure to assist you in any capacity you require.”

“Sure.” I shrugged one shoulder. “I’m not really sure what kind of help I would need, but you’re welcome to hang out while I get ready.”

“Very good, Master Eli,” Bertram said, and he inclined his head in a respectful manner. “May I run the bath?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s a good idea,” I chuckled. “I wouldn’t want to smell bad at my wedding, now would I?”

“No, sir,” Bertram replied, but then he made his way into the bathroom without another word. 

I wasn’t used to being waited on hand and foot, but it wouldn’t be hard to get accustomed to. Maybe being a part of the shifter royal family would come with some perks that could help my mission in the long run, or at the very least, make my time in this world a little more enjoyable.

Once the bath was prepared, I pulled off my pajama clothes and lowered myself into the massive claw foot tub. The water was the perfect temperature, and I leaned my head back against the rim with a contented sigh. 

“Bertram,” I called out, and an instant later, the servant stuck his head back in the bathroom. “How long can I soak?”

“We must be ready for the ceremony in two hours, sir,” Bertram replied with a knowing smile twisting his lips. “You have plenty of time. I made sure of it.”

“You’re a good man,” I sighed, and I settled even lower into the warm water. “Holler at me when it’s time to get out?”

“Holler, sir?” The shifter servant tilted his head to the side in confusion. 

“Tell me,” I explained with a smirk. “Sorry, Earth lingo.”

“Very good, sir.” Bertram nodded. “I will summon you when it is time to get dressed.”

“Thank you, Bertram!” I called at his departing back, but then I settled in to enjoy my soak. 

I couldn’t help thinking about the upcoming wedding ceremony and what all would be expected of me, and I realized I’d never been to a wedding before. I didn’t know the first thing about what to expect, but I was sure everything would be well in order, and they would instruct me when I arrived. 

While I never expected to get married to a black panther shifter woman, I’d also never expected to be summoned to this magical world in the first place, so what was one more surprise? 

I wondered if Willow was having similar thoughts.

The shifter princess had known this would be a possibility before she’d ever even met me, and I wondered if she’d had misgivings before “mating” with me. It had to feel weird to have your destiny out of your own control, but the raven-haired beauty handled it with grace. 

Just like she handled everything.

Was I in love with Willow?

While I was highly attracted to her, and the strength of our connection couldn’t be questioned, we’d never exchanged those words before. It would be a little awkward for our wedding to be the first time, but I knew I would say it before the end of the day. 

“Sir?” Bertram returned a short while later and pulled me out of my thoughts. “It is time.”

“Alright,” I sighed with only minimal reluctance. 

The shifter servant held out a clean, dry towel as I stood up out of the tub, and he led the way back to my bed chamber once I was dried off. Then we began the process of dressing me in my formal attire, but a short while later, I stood in front of the mirror admiring the finished product. 

My hair was slicked back with some oil Bertram provided me with, and my stubble had been shaved clean. The crisp lines of the jacket accentuated my form, and I had to admit, I cleaned up good. 

“Eli?” Calantha’s voice echoed through the door as another knock sounded against the portal. 

“Come on in!” I called out. 

The beautiful vampiress slid inside the threshold wearing a pale blue deep cut dress and closed the door behind her, but she paused near the doorway as she gave me a solid look over. 

“You look great,” she said in a slightly surprised voice. “That jacket really highlights your shoulders.”

“Thanks,” I chuckled, and I wiggled my shoulders playfully. “I rather like it myself.”

Calantha strutted across the room to me, and she adjusted the jacket around my neck as her crimson eyes scanned me up and down. Desire and lust filled her gaze, and my body immediately reacted. 

The beautiful vampiress could certainly cause a rise from me.

“So, how are you feeling about this whole wedding situation now that it’s about to happen?” Calantha arched an eyebrow, and for a brief moment, I was reminded of her mother’s timeless beauty. The vampiress certainly had good genes. “Are you nervous at all?”

“No one has explained the ceremony to me yet,” I said. “But other than that, I’m feeling okay. I talked to Willow, and we can figure this whole marriage thing out and how it ties into the prophecy… Especially with you being okay with it… Everything seems to be fine. Right?”

“I sense a tad bit of nervousness in your voice,” the vampiress chuckled. “I suppose that’s to be expected before a wedding, though. Even ones planned far in advance usually give the bride and groom the jitters.”

“My only concern is how your parents will react,” I admitted. “I know they had similar intentions as Willow’s parents…”

“They were hoping we would get together, yes,” Calantha said. “But they believe in the prophecy so completely that nothing will convince them that it won’t happen exactly as it’s supposed to. Even a marriage to another woman won’t stand in the way of their faith.”

“You didn’t seem too happy to be forced into a relationship with me,” I pointed out. 

“It was frustrating at times to be expected to mate with some fabled savior just because of my position at birth, but now…” Calantha shrugged and stepped away from me. “I feel like I have a little bit more faith that things will work out okay in the end.”

 “Why is that?” I asked, and I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around her waist from behind. 

“Because I got to know you better,” Calantha explained, and she flashed me a fanged smile over her shoulder. “You’re not at all what I was expecting of the fabled Ulvant, Eli. You’re… something else entirely.”

“Oh, really?” I laughed. “What exactly does that mean?”

“I’m not exactly sure yet,” Calantha admitted with a shrug. “But once I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

“We’ll figure it out together,” I said, and then I could resist the urge no longer. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her waist, but Calantha merely laid her head back against my shoulder. 

“Yes, we will,” she agreed in a soft voice.

I leaned down and brushed my lips against hers, and the heat wave washed over me like a waterfall of flames. The heat lingered long after we parted lips, and I gazed down into her crimson eyes for a long silent moment. The difference in the way she looked at me still blew my mind, and I wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. 

“Thank you for coming by before I did this thing,” I said as my lips twisted into a smirk. “It’s a lot less stressful with you on my side than it was before.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about my attitude,” Calantha said, and her eyebrows knitted together in concern. “I didn’t want to believe in you, but you proved yourself to me more than once, so what other options did I have?”

“Would you say I shifted your perspective?” I waggled my eyebrows playfully.

“Very funny.” Calantha rolled her eyes. 

“Ah, there she is!” I squeezed her tightly. “Just don’t go changing your whole personality because you like me now.”

“I don’t think that’s even possible,” Calantha snorted. 

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and a troop of servants entered the room with a rolling tray covered in silver platters piled high with a breakfast buffet. Bertram strutted into the room at the tail of the procession, and he scanned me up and down as soon as he entered my bedchamber. 

“You look very dashing, Master Eli,” Bertram said. “I was coming to assist you into your attire, but it appears you can handle yourself just fine without me.”

“Sorry?” I couldn’t tell if the shifter servant was disappointed or teasing. 

“No apologies necessary, sir.” Bertram waved a dismissive hand. “I’ve also brought your breakfast. Will Mistress Mithari be joining you for the morning meal?”

“Yes,” Calantha said with a nod of her head.

“Very good, ma’am,” Bertram said. “I’ll set two places at the table. Please, have a seat.”

Calantha and I sat at the small table situated in front of the large window overlooking the city, and the servants rushed around us serving the meal. My plate was piled high with all my favorite breakfast items, and my mouth watered as it was placed in front of me. Bacon, sausage, fried eggs, and biscuits covered in gravy was the only thing I could see, and I dug in eagerly as Calantha watched on with amusement. 

“What?” I asked as I swiped the back of my hand across my mouth. “Is something on my face?”

“You certainly eat with gusto,” Calantha observed with a delicately arched brow. She picked at her own plate with noble grace, and she gingerly placed her fork between her teeth before wrapping her lips around it. 

It was equal parts seductive and entertaining.

“It’s good food,” I said around another mouthful, and Calantha laughed. The sound was music to my ears, and I vowed to make it happen as much as possible. 

Once we were done eating, Bertram informed us that it was time to go to the throne room for the first part of the wedding ceremony, and I wondered how extensive the ceremonies were. I didn’t know the first thing about shifter weddings, but it looked like I was going to find out first hand. 

Calantha tucked her hand into my elbow, lifted one eyebrow, and gestured for me to lead the way. 

“Right this way, sir,” Bertram said, and the servants all filed out of my bed chambers into the corridor beyond.

We followed behind them, and all of us made our way through the shifter castle to the throne room. As we drew closer to our destination, I noticed more and more people in the hallways. They were all shifters, and many of them had various animal elements about their person. I noticed more than one pair of cat ears among the finely dressed people, and I wondered if they were nobles. They all stared at me and Calantha with open awe, and they watched us pass like we were on a parade. 

I could tell they were more interested in me than the vampiress, but she didn’t pay them much attention as we followed Bertram to the throne room. Calantha kept her crimson eyes locked on the path ahead, and her footsteps were set at an even pace. She was used to this level of attention, though, so it didn’t surprise me that she took it in stride. I kept my chin lifted at a proud angle, and I mimicked her haughty demeanor as I set my pace to match hers.

Bertram and the other servants led us to the throne room, but the shifter servant paused outside the closed double doors. He turned to scan me and Calantha over for any flaws in our appearance, picked some lint from my shoulder, and then nodded in approval. 

“Mistress Mithari is to wait here for the bride,” the shifter servant explained. “Master Eli, you are to enter and make your way to the dais.” 

“Alright,” I said, and I patted Calantha’s hand before she pulled it away from my elbow. 

Then the servants pulled open one of the doors to the throne room, and I slid inside. The chamber was packed with people with all sorts of animal embellishments, and it almost looked like they were fashion statements. I saw tons of leopards and other big cats, and I wondered if they were related to the royal family at all, but there were also plenty of wolves, spotted hyenas, and other canine forms. In between were lots of other shifter people from monkeys to moose and everything in between. 

It was like a zoo of hybrids had escaped, put on fancy clothes, and gathered together for a wedding.

Then my eyes leapt to the throne dais, and I spotted the king and queen of the shifter realm standing in all their glory. 

King Frejit Lunaverre was wearing a burgundy jacket embellished with golden thread sewn in intricate swirls all over the fabric, and he wore his fancy two handed jewel encrusted sword at his waist. Queen Liliana stood at his side in a dazzling dress of light blue silk that shimmered in the morning light streaming in through the windows behind the throne. She was lit up from behind like an angel descending from heaven, and her long golden hair was plaited down her back in an intricate weave. The queen wore a fur cape made of the finest white mink, and jewelry glittered on every inch of exposed skin. 

I looked plain in comparison, but I didn’t mind. 

I stood out in my own way without having to resort to fancy dress, but it was nice to wear something that resembled a tuxedo to my first wedding ever. I swallowed hard as I closed the space between the royal couple and myself, but then I lowered myself into a bow once I was within speaking distance. 

“Elijah Shepherd,” the king said in a loud, clear voice. “With what intent do you approach the throne?”

I licked my lips as I thought about the best way to respond. This was obviously some kind of formality, but I wasn’t sure what the appropriate response was. 

I might as well just be blunt.

“I come here to marry your daughter,” I said in an equally loud and clear voice. “Willow Lunaverre.”

“My daughter is heir to the throne of Shyfeterran,” the king declared. “Do you intend to wed the entire kingdom?”

I picked up on the nature of this call and response tradition, and I cleared my throat before I responded loudly. 

“Yes.”

“Do you intend to put the needs of the people above your own?” the king asked.

“Yes,” I said, but I mostly spoke in the crowd’s direction since I could tell this was for their benefit. 

“Do you accept responsibility for the kingdom?” my future father-in-law continued. 

“I do.” I grinned.

“Kneel before me,” King Frejit instructed. 

I knelt at the foot of the dais where he stood, and I bowed my head. 

Was I going to be knighted or something?

“I, Frejit Lunaverre, King of all Shyfeterran, name thee, Elijah Shepherd, Prince of Shyfeterran.” I felt the tip of a sword touch my shoulders and the nape of my neck as the king spoke.

Oh, shit.

I was a prince?

“Rise, Prince Elijah,” the king commanded. “And accept the weight of leadership.”

When I rose back up, the king was handing me a sword by the blade. It was equally jewel encrusted as the one at his waist, but the metal shone in the light streaming in through the windows. The blade looked sharp and well made, but I didn’t know a lot about metal smithing, so I’d have to get a professional opinion on the actual quality of it. 

I accepted the weapon, and I nodded in thanks. I didn’t know what else to say, and there didn’t seem to be any words to express what this meant to me. It was an incredible feeling to have a title like prince, and my mind was reeling through the new possibilities. 

Would I be expected to be king someday?

Or would Willow take the throne?

I was still learning about the shifter politics and culture, but I knew the shifter princess was the only heir to the throne, and I was about to marry her. Logically, that meant I might be king eventually, but of course, I was in no hurry. It was more than enough for me to be both a prince and the fabled Ulvant of prophecy. 

“Now, Prince Elijah,” the king continued in the same ceremonial manner. “You may stand beside me and accept my daughter’s hand in marriage.”

I fully understood the purpose of making me a prince. Willow needed to marry someone of her own political standing, otherwise it would be disgraceful or lower their power. This way, the big cats maintained control over the throne, ensured a line of heirs, and also provided a male figurehead for people to rally behind. 

Clever.

I stood where the king instructed, and I slowly slid the blade into the empty scabbard attached to my waist. The weapon fit perfectly, and one more mystery was solved. Then I clasped my hands behind my back, and I shot the king an expectant glance. 

King Frejit and Queen Liliana turned their gaze toward the double doors at the entrance to the throne room, and I followed their eyes with my own until I noticed the portal slowly opening. 

Then Calantha slowly strutted into the room, and the vampiress clutched a basket of flower petals in white knuckled fists. Her face was serene and unreadable, but her lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile when our eyes met across the distance. 

A faint murmur broke out among the gathered crowd, and I saw more than one shifter narrow their eyes at Cal, but she paid them no mind.

The vampiress walked down the aisle between the throngs of nobles crowding the throne room, and she carefully sprinkled the flower petals onto the ground at her feet. Her pace was purposeful but dramatic, and I had to internally applaud her sense of theatrics. She knew her way around a formal ceremony, that much was obvious. 

Calantha marched up to the dais with her chin held high, and she stood beside me on a lower step, but then her own gaze leapt to the double doors in an expectant manner. 

Willow was coming.

My breath caught in my throat as I realized my bride was approaching, and soon we would be joined together as man and wife. It had been a wild ride to get here, but I wondered what other adventures lay ahead.

Then the shifter princess appeared in the open doorway, and everyone gasped when they saw her dazzling outfit. I’d never seen so much white fur in all my life, and it clung to her chest in a strapless gown that flowed behind her for several feet. Two small girls held up the end corners of the train, and I could see white furry ears sticking out from their dark heads of hair. 

Suddenly, Willow’s emerald eyes met mine, and time froze.

The nervousness in her gaze was obvious, but so were her feelings for me. I felt her adoration, and the cool water sensation washed over me. She was beautiful, and I realized I was in love with her. 

Willow marched slowly forward with the assistance of the two small girls, but she paused every few steps to wave into the crowd. Echoes of “beautiful” and “lovely” were heard throughout the room, and everyone applauded when she finally stopped below the dais. 

“Prince Elijah,” the king said. “Please take my daughter’s hand.”

I stepped down to the place right beside my bride, and I took her hands in my own as I gazed deeply into her emerald green eyes. 

“You’re so beautiful.” I couldn’t help but smile as I whispered to Willow under my breath. 

Her eyes twinkled with delight, and some of the tension left her slender, bare shoulders, but I had to fight off the sudden urge to kiss her exposed flesh.

“Willow Lunaverre,” the queen said as she stepped forward with a proudly lifted chin. “What intentions bring you before the throne?”

“I intend to marry this man,” Willow said in a loud clear voice, but she sounded a lot more prepared for the question than I had been.

“You are heir to the throne of Shyfeterran,” the queen said. “Do you intend to put the needs of your people before your marriage?”

“The people of Shyfeterran always come first,” Willow declared with gusto.

Queen Liliana gave her daughter a pleased smile before she returned to her spot on the dais steps. 

I supposed that was the right answer. 

Then the king came forward, and he produced a long strand of rope that looked well worn and ancient. It was thick like the twine used to secure sails on huge vessels, and the strands were worn smooth from excessive use. 

“This rope has bound together every hand to enter the rite of marriage within Ordrya,” the king announced as he held the strand tautly above his head. “Today, it binds Princess Willow Lunaverre, heir to the Shyfeterran throne, and Prince Elijah Shepherd, the Ulvant of prophecy, together with the intention of providing a long line of heirs. This rope shall never break or unwind, but it will bend and stretch with the changing fortunes of time. Any marriage bound by the Knot of Ordrya is protected by Jarvarld himself.”

King Frejit stepped forward, and Willow automatically lifted our clasped hands high into the air. The king wrapped the well worn strand of rope around our fists and tied a ceremonial knot on the top, and then Willow and I showed the finished product off to the watching crowd. 

It was official.

We were married.

The king and queen led the procession away from the throne, and Willow tugged on our joined hands to signal for me to follow them. Calantha brought up the rear, and then the rest of the nobles in the audience chamber followed behind her in an orderly fashion. 

We all filed out of the throne room and down the corridor, but then the king led us out of the castle to the courtyard beyond. Waiting in the driveway was open air carriages hitched to all white horses. The king, queen and Willow walked toward the one in front, and I had no choice but to follow along, but I noticed Calantha climbed into the carriage directly behind ours. 

Once all the nobles had climbed into their own carriages, the driver’s flicked their reins, and the horses walked sedately forward. I faced the king and queen with Willow by my side, and we pulled away from the castle toward the city gates. 

The procession entered the heart of the city, and we went to the big cat district first. The air was warm and dry, and the plant life growing in between the buildings reminded me of the African savannah. People crowded the sides of the road, and judging from their dirty clothes and tired faces, they were the commoners of the city. The royal family all lifted their hands to wave, so I followed suit, and the crowd cheered as we passed them by. 

Then we entered the bears’ icy section of the city, and I shivered in the thin layers of clothing while eyeballing Willow’s thick fur train that bundled at her feet. It would certainly make a nice blanket, so I reached down and pulled it around us. 

My new bride laughed, and her parents shot her a questioning glance, but she merely shook her head and continued to wave to the crowd. 

After the icy terrain of the bears’ domain, we entered the sticky and hot jungle where the birds held power, but I breathed a sigh of relief when we transitioned to the highlands of the canine species. The reptiles’ desert section came next, and we ended in the mountainous region where all the hooved animals reigned supreme. 

It was nice to get a tour of the entire city, and the maps of Ordrya came to life before my eyes. 

Everywhere we went, we encountered large crowds of people, and I could smell a few other races among the multitude of shifters. There were more than a few Nulmancers, a couple fairies, and some other smells I couldn’t identify. 

Then the parade circled around to come to a halt where we began: the courtyard in front of the castle. 

“Congratulations to the happy couple,” Queen Liliana said as the carriage screeched to a halt. “May you face many years hand in hand.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Willow said in a soft voice. 

“The fun’s not over yet,” the king warned. “You’ll want to stick around for the gifts.”

“Gifts?” I arched an eyebrow.

“It is customary for each member of the Court of Representatives to present a gift to the royal couple on their wedding day,” Willow explained. “They’ll be a formality more than anything, something to represent the unity of the entire kingdom.”

“Oh.” I shrugged. “I’m down for some ceremonial gifts.”

We stood on the steps of the palace as the different members of the Court of Representatives came before us with their gifts, and they laid their offerings at our feet as they introduced themselves. 

“Greetings to the newlyweds, and best wishes for a happy future,” the first representative said, and the anaconda shifter stepped forward while his split tongue flicked out between his lips. He wore a green suit with a silver tie, and his black hair was slicked back with some kind of grease. His vertical pupiled eyes were unreadable when he met my gaze, and my curiosity ramped up to a hundred. “I am Sylvester Simillion, Reptile Representative. I present you with snake oil, worth its weight in gold, and imbued with special fragrances meant to soothe and calm.”

I bowed my head as the snake-man laid his gift at our feet, but the next representative was already talking by the time Sylvester slithered away. 

“I’m Captain Casper Holt,” the gruff wolf shifter said. He wore military garb and carried himself like a soldier, but his long, scraggly gray beard showed how long it had been since he’d seen combat. “On behalf of the Canine Pack, it is my honor to present you with this dagger. The blade is a singular fang from an ancient wolf shifter king, and the handle is carved from the finest ivory.”

“Thank you,” I said with a dip of my head. 

“Congratulations to the happy couple,” the ancient woman who approached next said. She had long, braided gray hair and the kindest blue eyes. Her colorful outfit and feathery way of moving plus her scent identified her as a bird shifter, but it wasn’t until she spread her massive peacock tail that I was able to identify the species. “I, Olivia Octavian, and the Bird Clan present you with these feather fans made of collections from every noble bred bird in our region.”

“She’s a duchess,” Willow whispered in my ear. “She has a manor outside the city.”

Next up was a large man I recognized from my first time in the throne room. The polar bear shifter was obese, to put it nicely, but he laid cloaks made of obvious quality furs at our feet. His white hair matched his long white beard that hung past his rotund belly, and the tendrils swung with each heavy step he took. 

“I am Lord Urman Usidax,” the polar bear man said. “It is my honor to gift the newlyweds with warm cloaks to shield you against the winds of time.”

Then a leopard woman in military garb approached with a stiff back and square shoulders, and she bowed from the waist before placing a war horn carved from a rhinoceros horn at our feet. 

I eyed her auburn locks and amber eyes, and a feeling of familiarity filled the air around her. 

“Eli, this is my cousin, General Jornei Hazelmoon,” Willow said. “I took on her surname to disguise my identity.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” I said. 

The last representative to approach was a slow moving fully shifted four legged moose man. A servant in forest green livery walked beside him with the gift in tow, and I eyed the crystal decanter full of dark liquid curiously as it was placed on the steps at our feet. 

“Lord Gruxian Phallan presents the newlyweds with the liquor of the mountains, to warm your bellies during the cold winter months.” The servant and the Representative both bowed their heads before they took their place in line with the others. 

Then everyone looked at me expectantly, and Willow squeezed my hand encouragingly. 

“This is where you say something,” she muttered out of the corner of her mouth without ever dropping the smile she had plastered on her face. 

King Frejit suddenly stepped forward and cleared his throat, so I was saved from having to make an impromptu speech. 

“Today has been an eventful and important day,” the king announced. “The union of these two individuals into one marks a momentous occasion for the entire kingdom. Prince Elijah is granted the full power of the throne and is to be given free reign of the city.”

A cheer erupted from the gathered crowd, and the Court of Representatives all applauded. Everyone seemed happy about the wedding, but I didn’t think anyone would show any outward disagreement. The bickering would happen behind closed doors, and handshakes would be exchanged in secret. 

The crowd began to disperse after the king’s announcement, so I supposed the ceremony was over, and I followed the royal family inside the castle. I assumed servants would move the gifts we were given to our chambers, and I wondered briefly if I would be sharing my space with Willow from here on out.

I spared one last glance over my shoulder at Calantha, but she merely met my gaze with a smile and waved goodbye. 

Willow tugged me toward a corridor as her parents headed back to the throne room, and with the rope binding our hands, I had no choice but to follow her. Once we were out of eyesight of her parents, Willow spun and kissed me passionately. The kiss deepened and lengthened until my entire body responded, but I pulled away and took a deep, steadying breath. 

“I love you, Willow Lunaverre.” I stared deep into her emerald green eyes as the words poured out of me. “I think I’ve been falling for you since the moment we met, but I knew for sure after your parents announced the wedding. I didn’t have any fear or doubts about marrying you, and--”

Willow cut off my words with her lips, and we kissed again until my eyes slid closed to fully enjoy the moment. 

We were officially man, er, Ulvant and wife.

Willow and I spent the rest of the day making love in every corner of my bedchambers, and I got to know her body even better than I did before. The bed was soon damp with sweat and love juices, and I came inside Willow’s willing body multiple times before we both collapsed in sheer exhaustion.

The next morning dawned bright and early, but I rolled away from the light to snuggle up closer to Willow. She was my wife now, and I could spend as many mornings as I wanted to with her, but this one was special. This was our first morning as husband and wife. 

Willow scooted closer against me and sighed contentedly in her sleep, and I dozed back off for a while.

She was perfect in my eyes, and she fit perfectly into my arms. 

A knock sounded on the door some time later, and then I heard Calantha’s voice through the portal. 

“Are you two just going to sleep and fuck all day or do you want to find out some information on these mysterious talismans?” The vampiress knocked again. “Come on, sleepy shifter heads, time to wake up.”

“We’re coming!” Willow said without opening her eyes.

“We are?” I chuckled. “We’re both still naked.”

I tickled my fingers across her nude back to emphasize my words. 

“It won’t take us long to get dressed,” Willow said, and she slid off the bed to strut across the room with her naked ass jiggling. 

“Fuck, you’re hot,” I said with an awed shake of my head. “Am I really your husband?”

“My one and only.” Willow grinned. “But I probably won’t be your only wife.”

“What makes you say that?” I arched one eyebrow as I followed her out of bed and toward the wardrobe. 

“Besides Calantha and the prophecy mentioning multiple mates?” Willow laughed. “What other evidence do you need?”

“You have a point,” I allowed. “Are you okay with that?”

“Hmm… Am I okay with you fulfilling the prophecy, healing the rift between the realms, and saving the world…” Willow tapped a thoughtful, but mocking, finger against her chin. “I wonder…”

“Very funny.” I smirked. “I take it you’re cool with it, so I’ll drop it, and we can focus on more important things than my multiple mates.”

A short while later, we were both dressed and had joined Calantha in the hallway. We made our way to the library, but after the impressive spread of knowledge owned by the vampires, I was a little disappointed by the shifters’ library. Rough hewn lumber made up the shelves lined with books, but the room was half the size of the vampires’. 

We approached the front desk where an ancient looking old man huddled over a manuscript spread across the desk, and we asked him to show us to the books on the prophecy and the Ulvant first, but then we inquired about volumes regarding the talismans.

The ancient librarian man, who smelled of canine but I couldn’t place which kind, gave a tired sigh before he once more pushed his papers to the side and met our gaze.

“There is only one book on talismans in our collection,” the librarian explained. “And it is currently checked out.”

“By who?” I asked. 

“I am not giving out privileged information,” the librarian gasped, and he placed a hand over his heart like my request nearly killed him. 

“This is Prince Eli,” Willow interjected. “He carries the full power of the crown, so there is no such thing as privileged information.”

“My apologies, Your Majesties,” the librarian said, but his voice didn’t match his words. “The book you seek was checked out by one Luxe Ursidax.”

“I know that name…” I was trying to place it, but it was just on the tip of my tongue. 

“She’s the daughter of the Bear Representative,” Willow explained. “You met him yesterday.”

“Oh.” I frowned. “Is that bad?”

“No,” Willow said. “She’ll probably give it to us if we ask.”

“Alright,” I said. “Let’s go bear hunting.”

“Yeah, maybe don’t say stuff like that,” Willow teased. 

“You really think she will help us?” Calantha crossed her arms over her chest. 

“She’ll obey,” Willow said, and she marched toward the door of the library with an air of determination. 

It was time to go talk to a bear. 

There were a few words I never thought I’d say before.

My life was… Interesting, to say the least.