ALEXANDRIA

Losing Our Queen 1.3

Thomas' POV

Everyone had prepared for the day she would leave us because we all knew it was coming. I just expected her to have left after we made a plan for her to go. The night that our son had taken over the Alpha role, she decided on her own that she was leaving. I hate that she didn't give me the chance to say goodbye. But, knowing Shelby the way I do, I knew if she would have waited to say goodbye she wouldn't have been able to leave. I'll never forget this day until I have my wife back safe at home. It was the second day my heart shattered into a million pieces.

... Before The Wedding ...

"You look so handsome, son." Shelby was gushing over our son that had rushed to our room.

Shelby was a wonderful mom. Jenna, Jackie, Lily, and Elizabetha were all great moms. They always planned trips and taught the boys and Rosie things they couldn't learn in school. Shelby reminded me so much of my mother when I was a little boy. I wish my mom and dad were still alive to see Alex grow up and take his place as Alpha. I know my dad would have been proud, his family legacy carried on.

"Mom!" Alex grunted loudly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I glanced over to see him wiping her lipstick off his cheek. Shelby and Jenna giggled and locked arms. I was lost in the thought of my mother and father and hadn't realized Jenna and RJ had walked in. Alex went over to the mirror to check if there was any lipstick left on his face. I put my hand on his shoulder and patted it.

"You will miss it one day." I chuckled at Alex's face in the mirror.

"I'm becoming Alpha tonight, Dad." Alex grunted again with a huge toothy smile.

"An Alpha that every pack member and other packs know is a mama's boy." I chuckled again and he went out the room with RJ.

First was the wedding ceremony, then the change of power ceremony. The wedding was beautiful, exactly how Beth wanted it. All the ladies went all out. Now it was time to give my son his rights as the next Alpha. After the wedding, we moved the table with the ceremonial bowl and knife on it over to where they had just had their wedding vows. Two birds, one stone. I stepped up behind the table with Shelby by my side. Beth went to stand by Shelby and Alex came to my side. This is why the Alphas and Lunas of the other packs were here for more than the wedding.

"Do you, Theodore Alexander Knight and his wolf Kane, promise to support and protect this pack and each member with your life?" I watched his eyes as I saw Kane push forward to show he was here to take the vows as well. "Do you promise to show compassion and attention to each member no matter their age, rank, or abilities? To deal with other packs in a respectful way that is beneficial to this pack and their pack as well? To always conduct yourself as a member of this pack who is equal to everyone else? To uphold alliances and try to make more?"

"Till death, I will forever lay my life on the line for any and every person in this pack and in any other pack." Alex answered.

He put his hand beside mine over the bowl and I took the knife and went straight through both our hands. We squeezed them shut so the blood could drip into the bowl. James and RJ handed us hand towels.

"Us next." Shelby smiled at Beth as they stepped over to the bowl. "Do you, Bethany Ann Knight, promise to uphold all the vows of the Alpha and conduct yourself as such when he isn't present on pack territory? Do you agree to be the tender caregiver and mentor of the pack, the mother to everyone no matter their age, rank, or abilities? Are you ready to be the baddest kickass Luna ever? And give me lots of grandbabies?" Shelby giggled as Beth's face turned bright red.

"Till death, I will forever lay my life on the line for everyone in the pack, take care of and nurture them. Nobody can be as kickass at being Luna as you, but I am going to do my best. As for grandbabies ... absolutely." Beth giggled out the last of her response.

Shelby put her hand out over the bowl as Beth did the same. Shelby cut their hands as I did ours and then squeezed. Jenna and Rosie handed them their hand towels. Now it was time for them to drink the blood and have the power shift. Alex was first. As he drank I got a chill up my spine and felt inside me the title switch over. Alex had a golden glow all over his body. Next Beth took her drink from the cup and I saw Shelby smile when her shiver went through her body. Beth also got a golden glow over her body. I heard lots of whispers across the crowd of people.

"What in the world is happening?" I heard Jenna say to Shelby. "This isn't a normal change of power."

"Correct." We looked up to see Selene and Helios coming down the aisle as everyone stood and dropped to their knees.

"Grandma." Alex said with a huge smile.

"Hello, my little star." Selene opened her arms as he walked over.

"Mom? What is going on?" Shelby asked confused.

"Well ... I have come here to bestow a gift to my favorite grandson and granddaughter." She smiled as brightly as a full moon.

She walked up to stand in front of the table and turned to the crowd with Alex on one side and Beth on the other of her.

"It is from this moment forward that this will become the kingdom of my children. Alex will be King of all supernatural creatures and Beth will be your Queen. With what is about to come to our world, we must be united as one. No more pettiness about which species is better or which pack, clan, or coven. Alphas will remain Alphas, Supremes will remain Supremes, and Leaders will remain Leaders, but from now on we are to be as one under the Kingdom of Supernaturals. I will personally go around and spread the word. All your creators have agreed. If you have questions then seek out your goddess."

She hugged Alex and Beth, whispered something to them, and they were gone. Whispers filled the air as everyone was discussing what had just happened among themselves.

"Everyone." Alex announced. "Let's go to the reception and enjoy the night. My wife has worked hard on all of this. We will worry tomorrow, tonight, we party."

Everyone nodded and started to make their way to the building.

"Just because your grandma made you king don't mean I'm treating you any different." RJ said bumping Alex's arm.

"Wouldn't expect anything less from you." Alex laughed.

"They really are us made over." James bumped my arm.

"Don't curse our kids." Jenna laughed.

... After The Wedding ...

"Where is Shelby?" Jenna came up to me and quickly stood by me. "Alex is freaking out for some reason."

I looked at her and she was scanning the crowd. The party was huge, with supernaturals of all kinds. I looked at my watch with a shrug, not realizing how long it had actually been since she left the party.

"I think she went up to our room ... but that was a long time ago." I frowned at the realization.

"Don't worry. I'll go check on her." Jenna smiled, but I could still see the panic in her eyes and smell the fear creeping in.

I was now starting to get worried. I thought about her getting sick or a number of things that could have happened. It took Jenna a little while to get to our room. We were having the ceremony in the huge event building down on the shared land. All kinds of supernaturals were there and the place was covered with so many people.

'You might want to come up here ... NOW!' Jenna's voice rang out through the mind link.

I didn't think about anything and just ran out the door. I ran up to the house and noticed that James, Jackie, and Liam were running with me. Jenna must have linked us at the same time. We jetted up the stairs. Jenna was holding a piece of paper and tears were running down her face. James went over to wrap his arms around his wife. He took the note and handed it to me. I looked at it and couldn't believe my eyes. I just stood there. Too stunned to speak. Jackie came over and took the note from me. Liam wrapped his arm around my shoulders. My knees began to feel weak. I felt like I was about to hit the ground. I could feel Liam's grip tightening trying to give me some support. I backed up and sat on the bed.

"I'm sorry." Jackie began to read the note. "If I would have waited to say goodbye, it would never have happened. Jenna would definitely have talked me out of it. Jackie and Liam would have wanted to make a battle plan. And James ... well, James would have made jokes the whole time trying to diffuse the situation. I don't want to make this a sappy note. If I do, then I will wad it up and throw it away. I have talked about this with each and every one of you. I didn't want to leave the pack without a Luna. I didn't want to leave at all, to be completely honest. Thomas, I love you more than words could ever describe. I will end this and find my way back home to you. I love you with all my heart. Tell Alex I'm about to show him how to kick some real booty. Be prepared to go to war if you see me again. I'd rather you kill me than the visions come true."

"Are you serious?" Liam almost stuttered out because he was stunned as well.

"It says it plain as day." Jackie shook her head. She was always the calmest under any circumstances. It was eerie and kind of scary. "I can't go up against Shelby. If you take away the fact that she is our sister in one way or another ... we are powerless over her. Physically, we would all die. Did you see her last training session?"

She was right. Even if we got all the supernaturals together, we would lose so many lives before we even got close to taking her down. Shelby has always been a force to be reckoned with, but now ... there is no telling what they will show her to advance what she has already accomplished. If Shelby can't keep a piece of herself that tells her we aren't the enemy, then Apollo has already won and on top of all of that ... he just got his most powerful weapon.

"I bet she went out by the pond." James said, looking at Jackie.

They bolted out the door. They were two of the fastest. Liam went over and worked on trying to console Jenna. About 30 minutes later, James and Jackie came back.

"She was there ... with Apollo ... when we got to the pond." Jackie said with her head down trying to catch her breath.

"We were about to shift back into our human form and they disappeared with Shelby ... she was looking at us. She had a sorry, almost pitiful look on her face." James said, punching the wall. Tears were starting to roll down his cheeks.

"Hey! No use taking your anger out on the wall." Liam yelled at him. "What is done is done. Now we have to figure out a way to get her back or a way to not lose when she appears again."

"I'm guessing we should call in some help?" Jackie smiled at Liam.

"Exactly, and I know the perfect trio to help." Liam grinned.

Jenna, James, and I rolled our eyes. Jenna wiped her face, then went to James and wiped away his tears. We already knew who they were going to call. A few minutes later, the trio of trouble was in my bedroom. We all explained what had happened to them.

"I'm not exactly sure how to approach this. Zeus has sealed off the borders of Olympus. We were all banished." Athena looked worried, glancing between her brothers.

"I'm guessing we should talk with mother and the others?" Hephaestus said nervously, looking at his siblings.

"I know it doesn't sound like me ... but ... we should probably proceed with caution." Ares sadly said.

These three had become really close with Shelby over the years. They have become family to all of us.

"Agreed." I stood up, looking around the room at each person, making sure they understood me. "My wife's life is the most important thing. Nobody makes any rash decisions. Every thought anyone has about this gets run by all of us. We have to come up with two plans. How to save her and how to defeat her."

They all gave me a look of shock.

"We should go back to the party. I don't want anything to ruin it for Alex, Beth, or the boys." Jenna said sadly. "Shelby wouldn't have wanted anything to interrupt their night."

"She's right." James said, putting his arm around her waist. "We will tell the pack tomorrow. Let's go be happy for our kids taking their places. Starting tomorrow, we won't hold any titles and we can put all of our efforts into a strategy ... to save my sister."

Athena, Ares, and Hephaestus nodded in unison and disappeared. I watched everyone walk out the door. Liam stopped and turned to look at me.

"I'll be down in just a sec." I said with a sigh.

He gave me a sad smile and closed the door. I took a deep breath. This was such a Shelby thing to do. I love that crazy woman. I will get her back. I have faith that she will remember and come back. Our love is more than a little memory loss. I took another deep breath and headed back to the party. My son is gonna flip his lid.