Birthright

Chapter four - Spread the butter - Jackson PoV

“What can I get you two handsome devils?” Ivy, one of the Fae healer’s daughters, called out with a mischievous grin as she placed freshly cooked fried eggs onto the bain-marie tray. The tables were covered with every kind of breakfast imaginable freshly baked croissants, warm muffins, golden pancakes, and stacks of waffles drizzled with honey. There were trays of cooked breakfast too, eggs, bacon, sausages, and roasted tomatoes alongside bowls of porridge and granola for those who preferred something lighter.

In the dining hall, every meal was like this. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there was always a spread that reminded us how far we’d come. We had nothing when we first arrived. But with hard work, determination, and a little help from Aunt Theo’s magic, we built something extraordinary. What started as a handful of survivors had become a thriving, fully functioning town with shops, farms, school and training centre. We ran the kitchen on a rota, everyone in the pack took turns helping out. It kept us connected, a reminder that no one here stood above anyone else. We all pulled our weight around the town.

“How about you between two pieces of bread..oh and chuck in some eggs and bacon, maybe a little hot sauce, yano to spice it up?” Lex teased, a smug grin spreading across his face. Lex and Ivy had been hooking up for the past 3 months.

Ivy smirked looking over to a table near by, brushing a strand of her long blonde hair—silver in the sunlight, behind her pointed ear. Her pale, creamy skin glowed in the morning light, and she stood about 5’6, graceful even in the chaos of the dining hall. She was training to become a healer like her parents, learning to harness the delicate magic of the Fae that had run through her family for generations.

“Oi, watch that foul mouth of yours, my father is over there” then she whispered “but I’m sure I can make that kind of sandwich later, I’ll let you spread the butter and choose the filling” tossing Lex a playful wink.

“Oh baby, I’ll spread that butter, then you can lick the knife” Lex says in a low tone in Ivy’s ear. My stomach twisted. Goddess, was this their flirting? Because if it was, I was definitely cringing.

I couldn’t help but envy their relationship. Since my Lycan came to me at thirteen, my life had been nothing but training, physically and mentally, helping out with the pack, learning from Aunt Theo and the Elders, preparing for a future I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Social life was almost nonexistent. I got Friday nights off to hang out with friends, sometimes Saturday if I wasn’t down for kitchen duty, but even then, a part of me was always restless, always thinking about the next lesson, the next fight, the next test of control.

“So, it’s Friday what do you guys fancy doing tonight?” Ivy asked, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Shelly, Dean, and Layla are up for hanging out at the lake.”

Shelly had just turned eighteen, I know she secretly hoped I was her mate but I didn’t see her that way. Dean and Layla, Lex’s sister were nineteen. Luckily for Dean and Layla, they were mates. Around here, most people chose their mates, and very few were fated. Many lost their fates in the war or never got a chance to find them like Aunt Theo. I couldn’t help but wonder if I had a fated mate somewhere in this realm, another, or maybe not at all.

“Yeah, that sounds good. Grab a few Moonlight beers let’s make it a party,” Lex said, shaking me out of my thoughts with a grin. I forced a smile, trying to shove the question of mates to the back of my mind.

We finished up eating just as Harry, one of the Elders, hurried to our table. His usually calm face was flushed, and his breathing came in short bursts. Had he run here? The guy was nearly four hundred years old.

Mystical creatures and supernaturals weren’t immortal, but our lifespans stretched far beyond that of humans we could live for centuries if luck and battle spared us. Vampires, though, were different. They didn’t age. They didn’t die.. unless someone made sure they did. Me being half Lycan, half Vampire. No one really knew what that meant for my lifespan, or what would happen when both halves fully awakened.

“Whoa there, Elder Harry what’s got your knickers in such a twist?” Lex called out.

“Don’t forget who you’re talking to, young pup,” Harry shot back, his tone half stern, half amused.

“Jackson,” he said, turning to me, “your aunt and the other Elders need to see you at the hall. We have.. something to share with you.”

“Must be important to have you nearly kill yourself running here,” I teased, grinning. “Seriously, when was the last time you trained? You might want to get back to it.”

Harry snorted. “The youth of today, no respect.”

“And the Elders of today, no sense of humor,” I said, laughing. “Come on, Harry, let’s get you back to the hall. I can give you a piggyback if you like.”

“Why, you cheeky pup! I can walk just fine!” he huffed, though I caught the corner of his mouth twitch in a smile.

“See you later, Lex. Ivy, delicious breakfast, as always,” I said over my shoulder, following Harry out of the dining hall.