Vindicator

Chapter 77

Karma lead Chance into the battle where the King and Queen were fighting on the front lines. It was the first time that the entire Royal family was on the battlefield, and the first time that friend and foe alike laid eyes on the luminescent Alessia. The shift in morale was palpable on both sides, with the Royal pack and their allies making quick gains on the battlefield.

After chasing off the remaining enemies, causing them to retreat in an effort of regrouping, the Royal pack returned to their encampment to treat their wounded and rest for the next attack.

This time, it was Chance who lead Karma, holding her hand as he entered the tent where his parents were waiting. After the flap on the tent closed, the lighting inside revealed a weary-looking King and Queen. Regardless of their exhaustion, though, they both smiled to see the two before them.

"Karma, I must admit...When I saw you on the battlefield with my son, I nearly killed you before I saw him shift" the Queen said, shaking her head with a chuckle. Looking to her son, she asked "how did you contact Xander?"

Squeezing Karma's hand, Chance grinned broadly at his mother. "Our mate found him, and convinced him that he needed to come back" he said simply.

"You mean Karma? You truly are a blessing, my girl" the King said with a laugh. "Never would I have imagined that you could return Xander to Chance...You just continue to amaze us!"

"Not just that, father...There is so much to explain. She is not just my chosen mate...That is why Xander returned" he said, looking at Karma with an adoring smile. "She is my pre-destined mate. The future mother of my child, and my Queen" he said, staring into her eyes with sheer adoration.

"What?" Both the King and Queen asked in unison, clearly confused.

"What about Theo?" Aless asked, frowning.

"The Moon Goddess gave Karma and Theo the same mating conditions as an identical pair of twins...And because I met Theo before I met Karma, the bond was formed between us. Once that bond was broken, though, the bond was free to be created with Karma" Chance explained.

The King and Queen exchanged a glance, both frowning. Turning back to Karma, there were flames blazing in the Queen's eyes. "And how long did you know he was your mate, Karma?" She asked, enunciating every word perfectly and with a measured tone as she tried to contain her temper.

"The Moon Goddess did not reveal the truth to me until after Theo was kidnapped, your majesty" she answered honestly.

"And you never thought to mention this until now...Why?" The Queen demanded, gritting her teeth as her overprotective mother instincts tried to take over.

The King pulled the Queen into an embrace in an effort to calm her, while also being able to hold her back if need be. While he was also upset to learn that Karma had hidden the truth from them, he recognized that Chance had marked her and claimed her as his mate. This meant that if it came to blows, Chance would likely fight them to protect her, which was the last thing any of them wanted.

"Chance was fully devoted to his bond with Theo...Why would be believe me if I told him the truth? For all he could have guessed, I was on Theo's side to try to get him to accept the rejection. And once the bond was broken, Xander left before he could confirm the truth...It seemed too little, too late to admit it by then, because there was once more no way to prove it. I had to find Xander before I could tell Chance that we were mates" Karma explained with her head held high, meeting the Queen's icy stare; she still believed in her choices along the way.

Chance stepped between Karma and his mother, giving his mother a disapproving look. "I think that given the strange circumstances we were in, she made the most appropriate decisions for the situations she found herself faced with, mother. I hope you can see that, and agree...What matters now is that we are mated, and here to help the Royal pack win the war" he declared.

The Queen had to admit that Karma had dealt with some difficult scenarios, and so for her son's sake, Aless decided to let go of her grudge. After all, the woman was now her future successor, and the mother to her future grandson; a grandson she did not expect to have. Thinking of this, all of her negativity went out the window, and a smile appeared on her face.

Seeing that his mate had calmed down, Reggie placed a kiss on her temple and smiled. "Well, I think that the difference the both of your presence made here today was palpable...The enemies were terrified, and their morale dropped; meanwhile, our troops were bolstered by the might of their Prince and their blessed future Queen...And while I cannot say for certain what the future holds, nor how long this war will drag on, what I do know is that the surest way to see an early victory..." he paused, looking at Aless for confirmation.

The Queen recognized what her mate was thinking, and nodded her head with a smile. Seeing that she agreed, the King broke into a wide grin as he looked back to his son. "Is to hand the crown over to the next generation. We will strengthen the pack now that their Prince has found his mate, and the two can lead the werewolves as one!"

Despite her hesitance to become Queen, Karma recognized the truth in the King's plan. By adding not just Chance's strength to the Royal pack, but her own too, they were giving the monarchy its best chance at survival.

And so, with little pomp or circumstance, King Reggie and Queen Aless oversaw the ceremony in their tent right then and there. With Karma's acceptance, the two handed over control of the Royal pack, and their titles.

Standing before the former King and Queen, hand in hand, were the newly crowned King Chance and Queen Karma.