CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

"Woah there, girl." I pulled back on Misa's reins, smirking at Bastion, who was already waiting for us beside the pool of the oasis with his hands on his hips. "Don't know why you bother riding a horse when you could go much faster than that with your own paws."

"Or feet," Rory chimed in, leaning casually against a palm tree, his charming smile stirring my insides.

I rolled my eyes, patting Misa's neck before hopping from the saddle. "It's about admiring the animal, my kings." I sauntered up to Rory as Bastion dove gracefully beneath the falls. "Aren't you going to swim?" I asked, tugging on his buttons.

He sighed, gently caressing my shoulders down to my arm and landing on my hips. "Mm, maybe later. I have training in a few minutes with my dad. He's going to give me some pointers for when you show up."

"So you just came to sneak a peek?" I teased, pulling him in for a small and tender kiss.

"Maybe." He grinned against my lips. "I can help you undress if you wish, my Queen."

It had been just over a month since I met my two loves, and each day was better than the last. We hadn't heard a peep out of Alpha Lawson, and it had Anthony on edge, but there wasn't anything we could do about that. In our mission to strive for peace, we couldn't exactly attack first. We would have to wait for him to make the first move, which Luna claimed would be only a matter of time.

While we waited for him to move, we trained. The first couple of weeks were used to hone in on my werewolf abilities, mastering quick transformations and my claw and bite attacks. The next two were reserved for my vampire strengths, which was proving to be much more challenging. Vampires had a unique form of attack that centered on their speed and intellect. Their physical strength meant nothing if they couldn't close in on their opponent. I had to properly analyze my enemy's intent, then counter it with grace and finesse. It wasn't so hard with the wolves, since they tended to rush into battles with their raw aggression, but when up against Rory or Anthony, I fell short. They were wicked smart and obnoxiously clever. I tried not to use wolf abilities against them during those two weeks. They said it would be a crutch. But now that we were focusing on combining the two, I was stronger than anyone they put me up against. The wolves couldn't keep up with me, and the vampires had a weakness to my howl. It was hard for them to detect where I was moving when they couldn't use their enhanced hearing for risk of busted eardrums.

That led to our training sessions consisting of me against my two Kings and the General. Rory and Bastion would often train together to come up with effective strategies to take me down, which amused me to no end. I never thought of myself as a particularly strong or intimidating person. I was 5'4, 130 pounds. Standing beside the bulky Bastion or toned Rory, I looked like a sack of potatoes. I wasn't even an angry person, so when I fought, I usually did so with a hint of a smile or concern. It didn't matter, though, since I had yet to face a true enemy to my crown.

Our time in Paradise had proven fruitful in many ways. Stragglers from around the world had shown up at our gate to serve. We had so many new additions that we started building apartment housing on Palace grounds to host them all. Though they were still under construction, they were supposed to be up and functioning within the next month or so. It helped to have so many extra hands to work on them. Our kingdom was growing strong, with me at its head.

I was scheduled to give my first real speech to the bulk of our men and women tonight, and I was absolutely terrified. As a homeschooled only child, I had never taken any type of speech or communication class that had required me to speak in front of a group, much less six hundred people. I attempted to practice it with Rory, but he was so damn distracting that I ended up rehearsing with Brett instead. Apparently, his dad used to rehearse his Alpha speeches for him all the time, so he gave me great feedback. Anthony offered to give me the day off of training so I could prepare, but I refused. I needed the distraction before my nerves completely wrecked me. I had felt like I was going to puke all day anyway, though, so Bas recommended a swim.

The oasis water was so naturally soothing. It was like a dulled-down version of vampire blood with its healing effects. Pretty soon, it would be too cold out to go skinny dipping outdoors, and I wanted to take advantage while I still could. I allowed Rory to help me out of my training gear, yoga pants and a tank top, before joining my mate in the water. He swam to me, shaking droplets from his hair.

"Feeling good for tonight?" He asked, pulling me deeper in by the wrist until we were floating beside the fountain.

I groaned. "Don't even remind me. We're here to help me forget about it, remember?"

He chuckled, his dimples making me blush. "No, we were here so you could relax. Come." Then, he dove under the surface, and I followed. It always amazed how clear the water was, even from underneath. He swam fluidly, the occasional air bubbles being released from his mouth and nose as he propelled himself under the falls. He finally popped out on the other side, me following suit with a heavy gasp for air. There was a stunning little outcropping in the rock face where one could sit, surrounded only by the sound of trickling water echoing around them. I loved it there. Bastion lifted me to sit on the cool stone, swimming between my legs and using the shelf to hold himself up with his forearms. I pushed his drenched hair from his forehead, making him smile up at me.

After a long pause, I spoke. "Do you ever feel like the gods made a mistake? Or like maybe they overestimated your abilities?" I mused.

He snorted. "Only every day. Do I look like a King to you?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but he moved his finger to stifle it. "I know what you're going to say, but hear me out first. All my life, I thought that I knew my destiny. And I can promise you one thing, it wasn't this. I didn't even believe I had a mate out there. I thought I'd be forced to fuck around but live alone for the rest of my life." I flinched at his phrasing. "But, for some crazy reason, it didn't work that way. I lost my mom, but I gained my love. Along with my love came a crown and a whole shitload of responsibility."

I fingered the seal on his left shoulder tentatively. "Do you ever regret it? You know, the baggage that came along with me?"

He placed his large hand over mine. "No. Hell no." He met my eyes before continuing. "The point is, I'm not great at leading or speaking in general. I have a short temper and can be a little childish sometimes, or so I've been told. I'm no cookie-cutter King, and I've done nothing to earn my position. But I know that I was put here for a reason. And whatever reason that is, I'll do my damndest to succeed in it. It doesn't matter if we deserve to hold the power. We have a purpose, Aria. Every chapter of our lives brings us one step closer to peace. I know it's terrifying and unknown, but you aren't alone, baby. You have us." He shrugged, as if embarrassed by his own sentiment. The reflection of the water danced against his hazel eyes, trapping me in their charm.

"I love you. Also, I do think you look like a King," I rushed out before he could stop me.

He growled playfully back at me. "You're pushing it now, Queen."

I giggled as his hands reached out to grab me, threatening to pull me in. "No, Bastion. Stop!" I squealed, my laughter echoing around us. He suddenly stopped, disappearing under the foam of the cascades. "Bastion?" I leaned forward, trying to spot him from the safety of my perch, but it was too late. His hand emerged, gripping firmly onto my ankle and pulling me in with a large and graceless splash.

After a moment of continued submersion, I opened my eyes. Bastion's hair was flowing freely with the current, his tan skin contrasting with the lightly tinted water. He caressed my cheeks with his thumbs before welcoming me in for a kiss. The bubbles of our released breath tickled our lashes, and we stayed that way until we needed to resurface for air. I came up with a gasp, swimming towards the shore and sprawling on the smooth rock bed like a beached whale. I turned to my left when I heard splashing and shamelessly drank in the sight of Bastion's naked body glistening as he stepped onto dry land. He chuckled at my obvious gawking, opening up the wicker basket we used to keep extra towels and clothes. He wrapped one around his waist and brought me another, sitting on the grass beside me to shake out his ears.

"Ready to kick my ass again?" He asked, trying to hide his annoyance.

"Always." I winked.