Queen's Awakening

Not So Peaceful Homecoming

Nikki's POV

Jeff is driving us home. Nicole rests on my shoulder. She has fallen into a restless sleep. I can't wait to get her home where I'm hoping she can get some much needed sleep for real. Sirona sits beside us her eyes are closed. She's not asleep she's thinking. I can tell her mind is busy, but she's keeping her thoughts to herself. I'm sure the hundred and something year old Lady has a lot of secrets. I cover my thoughts like Nicole has taught me and continue my musing. One of them is what happened to one of Nicole's babies. I could tell she was lying to me during our brief conversation on Christmas Eve. I sigh. Maybe I shouldn't dig. It might just bring up more heartbreak for Nicole.

"I'll tell you two of my secrets." Sirona chuckles and grins.

"What would they be?" I smirk at her.

"I helped my twelve year old daughter during her labor. Nicole is my daughter's first born. Henry couldn't handle his first child to be a runt, so he told a lie. My daughter went along in hopes of keeping Nicole safe. I was angry it took away her first born status, but she fought and became an alpha anyway." She smiles smugly.

"What's the other?" I encourage.

"Henry only has one child. The rest are either Adan's or Ciel's. Adan claims her as his now. No one will argue with an Ulric. She's not the petulant child who once betrayed her sister. She has grown up and is as gentle us the rest of her mother's children." She pauses and seems to thinking over her memories. She signs. "Nicole is the only one of my grandchildren who didn't inherit the Galena family trait of grey eyes. She has her other grandmother's eyes. She was from another line of healers. Their trait was the honey glow. She does bare the Galena birth mark it's a white patch that looks like a crescent moon. I'm sure you have intimate knowledge of it." She winks, I blush a little. "Nicole is the combination of two healer lines in one person." She goes quiet and is once again back to her own hidden thoughts.

Pulling into our community it's not the calm we expected two females are ferociously fighting. Nicole is immediately wide awake and out of the truck with us.

"Nicolette," she cries out.

Jeff snags one while I get the other.

"Calm," Jeff uses the alpha voice. They go limp in our arms. Before I know it I'm holding a very naked woman.

Carol comes running with robes. She hands one to each woman.

"I'm sorry Jeff. It happened so fast." She apologizes to her mate.

"It's ok Carol you can't always see everything coming." He answers softly. "Now what is going on?" He demands of the two women."

"It's bad enough I have to raise the children of a damn breeder. I shouldn't have to put up with her baby sister sniffing around my mate." The woman near Jeff hisses.

"I wasn't Mama. I wouldn't, not a mated man." She swears as she leans against her mother Colene. I finally get a good look at Nicolette and her glowing eyes the color of honey. Was it a slip of the tongue or was Sirona letting me know what happened to one of Nicole's lost babies. She said all her granddaughters had grey eyes, except Nicole.
"I wouldn't, you know I wouldn't." She addresses Nicole.

"I know you wouldn't baby sister." Nicole answers.

Damn it what should I do with the secret I now know. I don't get to think on it much with the other woman's next words.

"I guess she's just like her older sister who will hump anything in sight the only difference is one is council sanctioned. Of course all the women in your family are promiscuous aren't they. You're no Queen, you're just a breeder whore. I'll try to raise your daughters better."