Chapter 21
Merrick's POV
After lying in bed for hours, pleasuring each other to the point of ecstasy we all finally settled snuggling into one another, breathing in each other scents. My body still trembled from the earlier activities and I could feel Phillip reach across Ella and rest his hand on my hip, making sure to pull us both close. I felt complete. We all did, and at that moment, I realized that having both of them as my mates was the best thing that ever happened to me. I lay awake for a while listening to my mates snore slightly chuckling to myself. I roll over to see Philip and Ella peacefully resting behind me. I feel my stomach growl and decide to head down to the kitchen seeing as we skipped dinner. I do my best to sneak out of the bed without waking my mates as I pull on some pajama pants, I make my way to the kitchen.
The halls are dimly lit and by the look of it, it's still pretty early in the morning. When I finally reach the fridge my stomach is growling angrily at me to fill it with anything. Mrs. Green was the type of caretaker to always have something ready and the door for me in case I was hungry so it was no surprise to find a neatly packed sandwich and the door of the fridge. My mouth waters as I unwrap it and take the first few bites. Once my stomach had settled down I closed the fridge door and walk into the small breakfast nook on the east side of the kitchen. Looking out at the gardens I noticed the moon is full and I feel the pull from my lycan to go enjoy the evening. As if I already hadn't done so... I finished my sandwich and head out to the patio. The evening air was crisp as the wind blew and swirled around me. I took a deep breath inhaling the scents from the garden. My lycan pleaded with me to be let out and I laughed before shifting.
As soon as I was fully shifted my lycan took off running through the flowers and trees that surrounded Greenvine. He howled in excitement as he race through the trees up to the Cliff at the front of the property. I could tell he was happy, not only had we found our mates but we were finally happy. He sat on the Cliff for a while looking over into the ocean and up at the moon before I felt the familiar pull of my mates looking for me. "Ok, it's time to head back", I tell him and he happily starts to trot back towards the house. It wasn't until the middle of the forested area I realized something was off... the familiar smell of lavender and vanilla permeated the air. At first, I thought Ella and Phillip had come to join me but that quickly changed when I noticed a woman in a hooded robe, kneeling in front of me. My wolf did not seem alarmed, instead, he watched her as she picked the blue flowers at the base of an old oak tree. Shifting Back, I go to confront the strange woman who is trespassing on my land.
"Who are you and what are you doing here? This is private property and you should not be here!", I say in a stern voice. Without even looking up she laughs, "Oh Merrick, you don't have to use your alpha voice with me. I am not trespassing the earth is my realm and I may go it's freely as I would like." she said. "Excuse me? Perhaps you didn't hear what I said... You need to leave or I will have you removed!" With that, she stopped picking flowers and stand removing her hood. "You!", I said shocked, right in front of me stood the Moon goddess. "Why...why are you here?" I feel myself stumble over my words. She was actually here, on my land in front of my face. There was no denying what I was seeing even my lycan sensed her." Forget-me-nots" she smiled showing me the small pile she had gathered. "I am here to tell you that you have made the right choice. I know it was not an easy one for you but it has set you on the right course. You must protect them at all cost, Merrick." She saunters over to me her hand cupping my cheek. "You have a bigger part to play in this war and your mates will help you, trust them and you will fulfill your destiny. Also, I have brought you a gift. She places a small box in my hand before vanishing before my eyes. I could still feel her hand on my cheek when I look down at the small box she had left.
"Merrick?!!" I can hear Ella and Phillip calling for me and I sense their fear when I don't call back. I run back to the manor in human form, coming through the trees to find Ella and Phillip in a panic. They rush over nuzzling their heads under my chin after they see me save. "I'm fine, just went for a run." I smile caressing their backs in an effort to comfort them. Their bodies on my skin felt so good and I felt myself relax at their touch. "I had another encounter with the moon goddess," I tell them and Ella jumps at my words. "What? Just now?" she looks around for the goddess. "Before you found me, she gave me this" I extend my hand showing the small box to them. It was wooden and had moon phases on the sides. The last quarter is shaded in unlike the others. Ella examines the box but can't seem to get it open. She beckons us to follow her as she walks back to the Manor. I feel Phillip's hand slide into mine on our way back and for the first time it doesn't bother me in fact it makes me feel whole.
By the time we reached the manor, the sun is already starting to come up and I can see servants stirring through the windows. Ella wastes no time once inside the sitting room trying to open the box. Phillip and I giggle to each other watching her try to open the box and she seems to struggle. "Here let me try", Phillip offers but she shoots him a quick "no" with her eyes. "She must get the stubbornness from her father," he tells me and smiles at her when she gives him that "bite me" look. After 30 mins Ella has seem to give up and just in time when Mrs. Green starts to set plates on the table. "Here you go, your graces. I made all your favorites. We were all worried when you didn't come down for dinner... You will need all your strength for today," she smiles patting my shoulder.
After breakfast, I found Miriam and asked her to get our stuff ready as Phillip set up our travel with the pilot. I wondered to myself now that he was my mate if it was right for me to still treat him as my guard. While Ella held the title of Duchess, Phillip was still my guard. I felt guilty relying on him to do the duty he had been charged. He was my mate too, after all, I wanted to do was take care of him but while I was at court, I couldn't make the king suspicious. Miriam had brought down our things I know scurrying away for her next task when Ella stopped her at the door. "Miriam, please make sure to pack a bag for Phillip he'll be joining us and I want to make sure he looks his best." Miriam looks a little shocked but nod her head and treads back up the stairs to complete the task she was given. I see Ella still struggling with the tiny box the goddess had given me and I walk over placing my arm around her waist. "Can't seem to figure it out, huh?" I asked giving her a slight smile. She looks up at me with her doe eyes and lets out of sigh "I will get it open eventually", She says. I have to say her determination was admirable and I knew if anyone could get it open it would be Ella. When the jet arrives we make our way to the runway on the far side of the property Ella and Phillip on my heels. Once settled in we tell Everm to head for the palace.
"I think we need to talk about what we're going to tell people when they see us all together", Philip says breaking the silence. "I know this is all new to us but in everyone else's eyes, I am still your guard and Ella is your wife. I think we should try our best to keep our relationship quiet while we're in the Kingdom. You know better than most of us Merrick, how much the king despises change or anything unfamiliar and I don't want anything to happen to either of you." He reaches out and grabs both of our hands. I can feel the love pour out of him and into me. Looking at Ella I can tell she feels the same. She leans forward and kisses him softly on the lips then turns, and does the same for me. "I agree, the king can't know about this, not yet at least. I don't want I love to be a secret but the moon goddess instructed me to keep you safe and if anyone outside of our home found out it would definitely put a target on our backs" I sigh looking at my mates. Both of them must be the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen. I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone, tapping on the camera icon. "Just for me, so I can keep you close", I say snapping a picture of the beautiful beings that enraptured my soul.
Before long the familiar buildings of the capital appeared outside my window and the busy streets of Kern came into view as we descended. From the cockpit we heard Everm shout "landing in 5 mins, Your Grace", and I felt the palms of my hands get sweaty. If one thing was certain, I hated seeing my uncle. He had a way of getting under my skin just like my father. His arrogance and inability to progress past the old ways were obvious when we landed behind the castle. A large group of nobles waited for us as we exited the plane, excited to welcome the new Duchess.