"Hello? Andrew?" Miranda asked once the call connected.
"Hey, Miranda. How is your night going?" I asked, uncertain on what to talk about.
"It's been good. How did your important meeting go?" Curiosity laced Miranda's voice.
"It was long, but good. Apparently Werewolves are very sociable creatures." I said, chuckling at the end.
"You met with Werewolves? Really? That's awesome! Why did you meet with them?" Miranda asked, hesitant about how I would answer.
"That's actually part of what I wanted to talk to you about." I said, a bit of a serious edge had crept into my voice.
"Oh? What's up?" She asked, perplexed.
"I don't know if you saw the broadcast Council meeting, but if we're going to be a couple, I want to be honest. Truthfully, I'm a Dual Shifter King for both the Dragons and Ayakashi. This summer, I plan to reclaim the thrones." I said, uncertain about how Miranda would take the news.
"I vaguely remember seeing that. Does this have anything to do with the upcoming war with the Hunter's Association?" Miranda's voice took on a somber tone.
"It does. If my Uncle, King Bartholomew, wants to win it, then he'll need the support of the Dragons and Ayakashi. In order for that to happen, I'll need to be on the thrones. Then I'll be expected to fight as well. However, while I'm staying in this Pack, I plan to ask for support from the Werewolves as well." I said, explaining the situation.
"Oh." Miranda said quietly.
"Are you still sure you want to be with me? After all, I still have a reputation as the school's 'residential badboy.'" I said just as quietly.
"I don't care what people say at school. To be honest, I don't understand why I feel so drawn to you. It feels like something is constantly trying to pull me towards you." Miranda said, conviction was now in her voice.
"I actually talked to one of my godfathers about this, because I felt the same after talking to you in the hall. He said that it might be a mate bond trying to form, but that our age could affect it." I said, explaining what Nigel had told me.
"What do you mean by a mate bond?" She asked, not knowing what the term meant.
"A mate is a fated partner for a Shifter. Think of it like a soulmate." I tried to explain.
"Okay. Out of curiosity, how many mates would you have?" Miranda said, now understanding the term.
"Honestly? Two, but that's because I have two Beasts. Their logic is that there isn't a single mate that could handle both of them." I said, not knowing how Miranda would handle that bit of news. After a quiet 'Oh', she was called to dinner by her parents. We said our goodnights and I told her that I would text her more tomorrow. When she ended the call, I turned out my bedside lamp and then went to bed. The next day after breakfast, I asked a Pack member where Alpha Jeremy's office was. They showed it to me and, after getting permission to enter, I walked in to talk to him. What I wasn't expecting was that Jacob and Amber were there as well.
"Andrew, what can I do for you?" Alpha Jeremy asked when he saw me.
"I was wondering if I could talk to you about something important." This was my honest reply to Alpha's question.
"Please, sit down. Jacob and Amber are shadowing me today to learn how to properly run a Pack. Is it okay if they sit in on our conversation?" Alpha Jeremy asked as he gestured to an empty seat in front of his desk.
"That'll be okay. As you know, my Uncle is getting ready for war with the HA. I plan on reclaiming the Dragon and Ayakashi thrones this summer, so that their forces can also be used." At this point, I paused and took a breath before continuing. "You can tell me no, but I was wondering if we could have support from the Werewolves as well. I know that you have contact with the other Alphas, so I was wondering if you'd spread the question to anyone who'd listen."
"Alpha Jeremy was quiet for a few minutes before he spoke. "I understand where you're coming from. The Hunter's Association is a threat to every Shifter. Blackstone Pack will stand with you, but I can't say the same for the other Alphas. I will email them to set up a video conference to discuss this with them. After that, I will let you know what they decide." Alpha Jeremy said in a serious tone.
"Thank you, Alpha Jeremy. The support is greatly appreciated, and I look forward to the decision from the others." I said, bowing my head in gratitude and respect to the man in front of me.
"Of course, Andrew. No need to thank me for helping with a universal threat. Is there anything else that you wanted to talk about?" The Alpha responded. When I said that there was nothing else, I got up on the crutches and left. I walked around the Pack and visited a few shops before a familiar voice reached my ears.
"I see that the King of Two is here on the promised visit." Lady Esmeralda said in her usual smooth voice.
"Yes, ma'am. What can I do for you?" I asked the Pack Oracle politely.
"Nothing, but I wanted to remind you of something. 'A fight for life is near at hand. Destined for great or destined to fail, find your footing to stand tall.' Two great events are coming and you need to be prepared. Reclaiming the thrones and the war will be detrimental to things to come." After the Oracle spoke, she left the ice cream shop that I had stopped at.
I knew that reclaiming the thrones would bring two species that didn't like each other together. Because I was the King of both species, they would have to get along, and they would become stronger because of it. That would unsettle the Dark Witches and Vampires that craved the blood of a Shifter. And the Dragons and Ayakashi would naturally become stronger once their rightful Kings were sitting on the thrones again.
The war was also a major event for another reason besides to eliminate the HA. It would cause Humans, Dragons, Ayakashi, and possibly Werewolves to fight together against a common enemy. Most Shifters don't get along well with others, so both of these events are huge for the Shifter community.
After Lady Esmeralda left, I finished my bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream before leaving as well. Alpha Jeremy should have sent out the email for the conference by now, so hopefully there will be an answer before we leave tomorrow. I continued walking around the shops until it was almost dinner time, then I started making my way back to the Pack House. As I was walking, Jacob drove up to me.
"Hey, man. Would you like a ride?" Jacob asked after he rolled the passenger side window down.
"Thanks. I would appreciate that. My leg is starting to throb again." I said as I opened the passenger door. Once I was buckled, we drove back to the Pack House.
"Were you serious about what you and dad talked about?" Jacob asked without taking his eyes off the road.
"Yes, I was very serious. The Hunter's Association is a threat to every Shifter. If we want to win this war, then we'll need everyone working together to accomplish it." I answered honestly. After I answered his question, Jacob drove the rest of the way in silence.
"Can we even accomplish what we're saying?" I asked my Beasts in a defeated voice.
"We can do anything we want. Just stay firm." Magnis rumbled as an answer.
"Strength is power and power is strength. Once we're on the thrones, we'll have both. Then it won't be an issue to accomplish what we want." Nightmare responded. Sighing, I set my mind to be ready by summer vacation. To be ready to reclaim the thrones, fight those who would oppose it, and to fight in a war.