The king sat up in his bed, watching the moon as his mate slept on. The day had been a hard one on them both. A new law had finally been passed and, as he had expected, it caused all the cretins it targeted to go on one last rampage...
"Help!!"
"Please stop!"
"Let them go!"
He heard hundreds of such screamed pleas as he and his royal guard descended on the city to wipe out the criminal organization known as East Sphere. Sex traffickers. Slavers and rapists of every size and species were rioting through the city trying to get one more bit of action, kidnap one more innocent. Sword and spell clashed throughout the city as the guard saved as many as they could, and they were succeeding in their endeavor. Having their king lead the charge only served to bolster their resolve and courage, and if he didn't need a sword they certainly could handle these villains with a blade in their hands!
The trouble began when the king followed a young wolf cub back to his mother. Even his bravery wavered as his fiery blood ran cold. There, standing over the broken form of the wolf's mother, was a monster from the past. The previous captain of the guard smiled cruelly at the king.
"Why, if it isn't the little bastard, pretending to be royalty!" That voice was get wrenching to hear again, even after all these years. "After I'm done with you, that little wolf hiding behind you will know what it felt like to be you the night I died."
"I'll make sure you're dead this time!" The king screamed, running at the wraith and letting loose a blast of flame that should have caused considerable pain. But the horse only cackled and brought up a hoof, kicking the king in the chest and sending him flying.
"You didn't kill me last time, little bastard, so what makes you think you can do it this time?"
"I'm.. I'm not..." The king started as he forced himself to his feet again, wings flaring wildly as fire dripped from the king's maw. "I'm not a little boy anymore, and you're not going to hurt anyone ever again!"
After that, the last thing he remembered was returning to the royal guards, carrying the sobbing wolfling and trying to soothe him. He was covered in the undead horse's blood and still managed to get the little one to calm down enough for exhaustion to catch up and put him to sleep. He remembered smiling at his lover when he returned to the castle and set the boy down next to him.
"An orphan?"
"Sadly, yes. I saved him from an old enemy of mine, but not before his mother saved him first. He told me she was the only reason he had managed to get away. Brave little guy didn't even try to hide, he just... plenty looking for help."
They had both held the little wolf and fallen asleep soon after, but the king had woke up and opened the curtains so moonlight could spill into the room. He remembered all the pain he'd endured, the despair that had caused him to try and kill himself, the night he'd nearly died and learned just how much he wanted to live.
"So much happened in a few days..." He whispered, shaking as he remembered those horrible moments. "How can I-"
"You'll be a good father." His mate said firmly, making the king jump. "You didn't have a father for so long, and then... Well, I know you'll do better. Especially now that our child," he explained, one hand on his stomach, "will now have an older brother."
"Our child..?" The king asked, stunned. "You're.. You're pregnant?"
"Congratulations, my ki-" He was cut off by the sudden hug and passionate kiss.
"I want to name him after my father."
"You're sure it's a boy?"
"I know it and I want him named after my father." His mate nodded, pulling the king down to the bed again so they could hold each other and they're newly adopted son.
"Vaelin would be proud of the king you've become, Amaris."
"I know." Amaris said quietly. "I've my best, and in the end that's all he wanted to teach me."
"Well, that and sex."
Amaris just shook his head, laughing, and fell asleep under the light of the full moon -a whole moon- once more.
