Acceptance

Chapter 45

Pyrus's POV

God I wanted to roll over so fucking badly, but I couldn't because of my knee. Drake snuggled into my chest, completely exhausted after spending most of the day getting tested to ensure there wasn't any infections. Guilt ate at me that I couldn't do anything to save him. It was Alice and Qin who teleported here to come save us while Shelton and Nathaniel stayed at the castle to protect Cindy. I feel so useless when it comes to protecting my mates.

During the Demon apocalypse I was just the driver. I didn't rescue a bus load of kids. I didn't keep that bus load of kids calm. I just growled occasionally at the idiot wolf in the back seat and maneuvered around the chaos. At the mountain I didn't realize just how hungry my mates were, or how depressed Alice was. Hell I can't even feed any of them right now because I'm injured. A forever busted up knee cap that will hurt from time to time.

I felt a kiss on my chest, stopping my thoughts. I looked down and saw Drake looking at me. "What's wrong my treasure," he asked me. "I feel so useless," I told him. "I haven't been able to do a single thing to protect any of you." I closed my eyes as I tried to fight back the tears. "I had no choice but to just watch as you started to fall. I couldn't even get up to try and catch you. I thought in that moment that it was over."

I felt kisses on my cheeks, his lips kissing away the tears that had started to fall. "Pyrus you shouldn't feel useless. You are always there to make us smile when things look bleak. You are always the first to offer us comfort when we're having a hard day. In this castle without insulation, you keep us warm. I know things may seem bad now, but we will pull through this," he told me. I sighed and looked at him, "I wish I had your confidence right now." "I understand your guilt Pyrus. I felt it every time Alice was hurt, wishing I had been able to do something," He told me. "We all carry that guilt. You can't let it eat you my treasure. We need you. It's your smile that gives us hope. Shelton and Nathaniel can't smile when things get hard. They're always too busy trying to find a way to make things better. Cindy's hormones are all over the place right now. Alice is usually trying to play the hero. And Qin hasn't been himself since the passing of his brothers. While I'm usually busy trying to make sure everyone eats and sleeps. Your smile reminds us, that those good moments do exist." He smiled softly, "It was you who got us to realize that Alice was in a deep depression at the mountain. It's been you who has gotten Cindy's sour moods to become sweet once more. It's usually you to initiate a moment of fun no matter what is going on. Remember when Nathaniel's parents first learned of his mating to us and how he was nothing but anger and growls?" I nodded as my reply, remembering that point in time very well. "It was you who got him to smile again," Drake told me.

He then began to list other moments that made me realize, he was right. Pur babes all have areas they excel in, mine was smiling when things got tough. I sighed softly, "I can't do much right now though, until my knee is healed." Drake smiled softly," I know how you feel." This royally sucked.

Alice then came in with her bag that carried her spell books and notebooks. She has been cramming for her exams to become eligible to take over her coven. In a few months she we will go before the other coven leaders and be tested on her skills. She struggles every now and then, but she's made great progress. She offered us a smile. "How did your lessons go," Drake asked her. "Not really great. My grandmother got on to me for not having a familiar like she instructed me last week. I've just been so busy with my royal lessons, my magic lessons, my training, and my dance lessons that I forgot," She explained with a sigh. "How does a witch get a familiar," I asked her out of curiousity. "Well most witches looking for a quick and easy solution tend to go to a pet store and pick one out. However, since I'm going to be a coven leader I'm not allowed to do it the easy way. Instead I have to set up a circle and summon one. When you summon one, it can give you any kind of creature. My grandmother's familiar is a beautiful doe while Lady Tora from the Blue Falls coven has a bearded dragon lizard. There was once a coven leader who had a phoenix appear when she did the summoning so who knows what would appear if I did it." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

She then gave us a small smile, "So how are the two of you?" "Pissed off I'm stuck in bed," I told her. "At least I have this sexy dragon to keep me company." I wiggled my eyebrows at Drake as I smiled. He chuckled and shook his head. "I can honestly say the company is nice, but being stuck in bed while not having sex is rather annoying," Drake told her. She laughed and shook her head, "Just a little longer boys." Drake and I growled. "Call us that one more time girly, we'll make sure you never mistake us as boys again," Drake warned her. She gave us a smirk, "See you boys later, I have somethings I need to do, and I can't be late." She then left the room with a sway to her hips.

Being injured sucked.

Shelton's POV

I sighed as I looked over the paperwork. Since I had to start working from the castle work has only become even more complicated. All of us are having to deal with the struggles of it to be honest. Alice has had to teleport to the house many times with our electronics to charge them all so we could actually get some work done. For Christmas she got each of us these amazing battery backups that are charged by the sun so she doesn't have to pack all of them up just to go back to the house to charge them.

There was a soft knock on the door before Alice stuck her head in. I smiled as she came in. I rolled the chair back so she could come and straddle my lap. "How was your lessons with your grandmother," I asked her. "She yelled at me for not having my familiar yet and refuses to continue them until I have one," She told me. "I'm going to wait till the full moon when my magic is at it's purest before summoning it." I nodded and placed my hands on her hips. "How are your other lessons going," I asked her. She sighed, "They're so boring. And to be honest, Qin's mother truly does not like me and I can tell she sees me as a lost cause."

I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "You're not a lost cause." She smiled softly, "I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks that. I'm trying really hard to understand it all but I didn't grow up with these lessons all of you did so it's like shes trying to shove a lifetime of lessons and knowledge down my throat. The coronation is coming up and I honestly don't feel ready for it, but I know eventually I will be." "Alice, you don't have to take those lessons if you don't want to," I told her. She works so hard that I worry sometimes.

"I want to make sure I dont embarrass all of you," She said, her eyes looking down at my chest. I cupped her cheek, "You can never embarrass us." She sighed, "I know I forgave Cindy for saying those things a while back, but I just keep thinking about them. Like Pyrus, I'm hot headed and I'm quick to snap at someone. Like those women in the mall. They didn't have to say much before I snapped. I truly don't want to embarrass any of you." I tilted her head up so I could kiss her lips, "We love you for who you are Alice. There is no way you can embarrass us." She sighed, "If you say so." I kissed her again, "I know so."

She then tilted her head as she looked at me, "When's the last time you've fed?" She must've seen the answer in my eyes because she then pulled me in for another kiss. I groaned, giving in. I began trailing kisses down her neck and she moaned while tilting her head to the side. I went to take off her shirt when I got the sense we were being watched. She must have felt it too because she tensed up.

"Right corner of the room," She whispered before nipping my ear lobe, trying to make it seem we didn't see it. I moved my head to kiss the other side of her neck so I could see it. It was like a shadow but it was completely out of place. It was like a blob just sitting in the corner, hoping we wouldn't notice it. It couldn't have been there long.

"What do we do," I whispered in her ear. "We just wait for Qin," she said before kissing my neck. It was truly hard to enjoy the pleasure she gave me while it watched. Soon a stream of fire was entering the room, quacking ensnaring the thing. Qin came in a second later. Alice and I stood to go over to it. "Its a Shadow Leech. They're usually summoned to spy and gather information," Alice informed us. "Only fire magic works on them when it comes to capturing them."

"I just wonder who summoned it," Qin asked as he tightened the fire snare around it. It hissed and growled, trying to get free. Suddenly it turned into a puff of smoke, going back to its summoner. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "They're harmless, so whoever summoned it, only wanted information," Qin assured me. "We'll tell everyone to be on guard for them."

He then gave Alice and I a smirk, "Have fun you two." He knew with his injury I wouldn't let him join in, but I will make it up to him. He left the room as I pulled Alice to me. "Now where were we," I asked her.