Queen's Awakening

Bitches

Nikki's POV

Our bedroom arrangements have changed. Tom says our Queen needs protected. I just know I need to protect my mates and cubs. So we are back in what Courtney calls our communal bed and she's not happy. I glance at Nicole. Her bed has been brought in for her and our cubs. She lays contentedly feeding her cubs as a wolf.

"Good night beautiful." I smile at her.

She sticks her tongue out at me. I don't think I've see a wolf do that before. I chuckle. I guess she's still mad at the restrictions we put on her earlier to keep her quietly in bed. She's strong it had taken me, Jason, and Tom to make it stick. She's slowly healing. She had refused healing help from her daughter who had tired herself healing the cat shifter's mortal wounds and baby Tom's broken ribs. It had horrified everyone to see the burns Shamus had left on Nicole. She told her daughter they were only surface she would heal.

The council had come and questioned Nicole about Chasen. She explained how the other hunters were in the dark about who she was. How they had wanted our daughters and Chasen had wanted our son to raise. That really confused me. Why would he want to raise a child of a people he hates. She told us he was going to kill her. Then he stopped and left. Jason was sure there was a little more to that part of the story, but he didn't want to force her to relive anymore than she had to.

I don't know why he spared Nicole. It hasn't changed the fact that I still want to kill him.

After Nicole's Intel and the hunters capitulating when they saw our large numbers at their gate. Our warriors have fallen back now in hopes of negotiating a new treaty agreement.

I sigh and listen for our older cubs in their nursery. They are sound asleep. Mine and Nicole's older kids have desided that they will be on guard duty with Chasen wanting a cub to raise. Decker has taken the first night.

I slide into bed beside Court. She growls in annoyance. She's not happy to be sharing a bed with Yennefer. I'm sorry about that but where the men of the pack sleep their mates are there too. Jason and Tom were not going to allow Nicole, Yennefer or Courtney out of their sight since our family has been targeted by hunters. I close my eyes to try to get some sleep. I'm wanted by the council at the stand off at the hunter's compound tomorrow. Before I completely dose off I feel Tom climb onto the foot of the bed as a wolf and settle down to sleep. I'm gonna have to figure out how he stays wolf in his sleep. I think before I surrender to sleep.

I'm woken by growls. It's Court and Yen. They are wolves. They snap and snarl over me. All I'm getting from their minds is Yen had cuddled to close to me. Court had started it. Yen had submitted. Then she fought back out of fear. I try to keep them separated. Court nips Yen. Yen snaps back. Then they explode in fury. I push them apart. They are biting and scratching me as often as they get each other. The more I try to intervene the more pissed they get. Then my mind clicks.

"Stop." I demand with the voice. They roll to their backs in submission and whimper. They slowly shift back to human. I kiss Courtney then Yennefer. "No more fights." I whisper. Tom pushes his way between the women and sprawls dividing them by his huge bulk. I hear him mentally chastise them gently before begining to lightly snore. Jason reclaims Yen carefully she has wounds. I pull Courtney to the edge of the bed and away from Tom. She's naked now and I figured she would get embarrassed.

I make eye contact with Nicole. Her eyes glow menacingly. I get the point quick. She will defend her little sister from unprovoked attacks. Yennefer had tried to submit. Courtney kept attacking. Nicole is furious. I push mentally for her to sleep. She pushes back before she submits. I get that point too. She requires love and respect nothing less.

Jason's POV

Nicole has insisted that she be taken to the standoff. None of us are happy. The council and the pack Alphas backed her up. It's now common knowledge who she is. She doesn't make much of it. She's just a healer and if things go bad they will need as many as possible. Yennefer goes to keep the mixed army of shifters in communication. Courtney and Nicole's mother Colene are staying behind to watch the the cubs. Sons of alphas are being left behind especially if their married that includes Nikki's boys to guard the woman who are priceless to us. None are happy. Some of the Elders remain behind to safe guard our knowledge and history. If there's a battle we don't want to lose all our youth and women all at once. Not all the packs are here but enough to cause a good dent in our population. I groan when Nicole was taken all I wanted to do was fight. Now all I want is peace to watch our cubs to grow up. There are so many that will be born in the spring including a new pair of grandbabies for me and Nicole.

I don't think Nikki has thought about being the mate of the Queen rising and what it means. Tom has and he frequently reminds me. Nikki and I are her generals when she takes command. I'm not a leader anymore and I don't think Nikki will want that kind of power either. We will have no choice if a war breaks out. She's gaining strength. It took all three of us to keep her in bed yesterday. She's getting more possessive of her men that means Tom too. If you're not Yennefer or Courtney you better not get to friendly. She's keeping us close. All the father's of her children are here at her command. she brought on the heat of every woman near her after we battled Damon's pack. It was instinct even if fathers died there would still be a next generation. It had almost ended in disaster. Females in heat will fight at any provocation it was lucky the men knew their mates well and separated them. Sigh she's not even awakened completely.

Tom's POV

I ride in the back of the truck keeping look out. Nikki and Jason had grumbled a lot bringing Nicole and Yennefer. I disagreed with them. They belong in camp with the pack Warriors. The two sisters work well together. I had seen them in action during the fight with Damon's rogue pack. They saw shit coming and warned. They saved lives. Nicole was able to heal from a distance with help from her sister. I saw wolves and hounds that should have been mortally wounded continue to fight. It was sad we lost the boy. He just died to quickly for Nicole to help him. But without them it would have been much worse. I held Poor Nicole when she cried for the boy. Nikki and Jason had been to busy running a pack to notice those tears. I didn't mind stepping in. I love the woman.

Nicole's POV

My men surround me once I'm outside of the truck. It frightens me the idea of my mates being my shield. We make it to the cover of the trees. I find Lance seated by a tent. There are a few set up for the Elders. The rest are wolves.

"Have you heard anything from the hunters?" I ask.

"Not since they made it clear they don't wish to fight, My Queen." He answers.

"Please Elder call me Nicole." I object.

"Nicole you are our Queen nothing will change that fact." He says softly. "General Lykaon and General Rafe it's good to finally see you both. We need you two."

I watch Nikki take a slight step back. Tom gives him a push forward. Damn it Nikki had no warning. I glare at Tom who was supposed to speak with him. I had been to busy dealing with my sister's upset this morning. I wish Courtney could control her emotions till this is over. We need each other's strength. I sigh deeply. There is someone else I need for strength. I glance at Nikki and Jason they nod their heads telling me they consent. I approach Tom and reach for him. He looks confused at first then he smiles shyly. He lifts me gently. I move aside his shirt and claim him with a bite beside that of another mark. I know I can't take her place in his heart but I know he has room enough for me. Looking into his eyes I know I've made the right choice. He claims me gently, then he kisses me sweetly. I grin. I will give the big brute time before I ask him to claim my sister too. He puts me down so he can hug his new bothers. To a man who was the last of his line family means everything.

I stand quietly waiting for the excitement to settle down. Others have noticed and have come to congratulate. Being so public it would normally had been followed by a pack howl, but the place is wrong. The hunters might take our joyous howl for a war cry.

One of the boys Tom brought home when Sophie and Ella were rescued brushes by me. I get a whiff of something familiar yet it also has its own scent. I look into the boy's green eyes and smile. I've been to intimate with his father not to recognize the scent of one of his children.