Rise of the Underdogs: Jasper

Royal Recognition

Heels on hardwood caught my attention, and I turned my head only slightly to look out of the corner of my eye. Pearl was walking quickly, her hands wringing as she approached anxiously.

“Luna Queen Clara Dane of the Shadow Storm pack, formerly Mistress of Justice, Clara Wilkes of the Starlight coven,” Pearl’s voice held a reverence as she dropped into a curtsey. “I wasn’t expecting your arrival so soon.”

The blond woman accompanying the Alpha King advanced, her gesture dismissing any attempt at explanation. “The issue is not with how long it took for you to contact us. It’s the children. Had you returned to the White Rose court for the quarterly Solitary Witch meeting, you would not have been here to receive them. Though your presence was missed, that’s how I knew I needed to join Henry on the trip north.”

“Then Her Majesty is not angry with me?” Pearl’s question trembled between hope and fear, both emotions evident in her voice and manner. Overwhelmed, she collapsed to the floor and released a shaky breath. “I thought for sure she would call for me to be dragged there. Boundary Keepers like me are almost as rare as adult Omen Readers.”

The Luna Queen offered a warm, reassuring smile. With a graceful gesture, she extended both hands and gently helped Pearl rise to her feet. Clara’s touch was both steadying and kind, conveying acceptance and support in the midst of Pearl’s anxiety.

“Not at all. In fact, when I explained to her that you had crossed paths with pups seeking haven, she was concerned—not for your safety,” Clara assured her, her gentle tone immediately soothing Pearl’s anxiety. The compassion in Clara’s voice left no room for doubt; Pearl’s unique position as a Boundary Keeper was not only understood but also respected. “Her concern is for the children. Henry and I will continue to care for them from here, but you must report to Queen Danielle. She will want a complete account of everything you and your magic encountered during the time the children stayed under your roof.”

Relief coursed through Pearl’s body, reflecting in her eyes as she visibly relaxed. “Thank the Gods. This path was necessary, Luna Queen. I know you’re only just stepping into the role, but it is now your station. However, this also means you had to vacate the Alliance seat you beheld for a decade.”

Clara laughed, “Darling, no. I’m the prosecutor in Henry’s jurisdiction, his Mate, and now, through bond and blood, his Luna Queen. All-mother of every pack in the Canadian shield. My stepson couldn’t come, as he was told to guard the pack lands back home. As for the Alliance seat? I’ve never held it. I abdicated twenty years ago to chase my dreams of a law degree. The seat fell to young Mistress Elizabeth Hargrove the Second, who is, coincidentally, Mated to one of the Warriors of Shadow Storm.”

Henry stepped forward, his posture radiating regal authority and an imposing presence. He allowed his gaze to sweep steadily over each of my siblings, pausing briefly on each face before turning his attention back to me. Without uttering a word, Henry moved with methodical precision—his every step deliberate and controlled. He wove his way between us, taking the time to touch and scent each of us in turn, ensuring that none were overlooked.

Stopping at River, he leaned in closer until he paled significantly. “It can’t be! Clara, me love, come hither. This one’s scent is neither livin’ nor tis it dead. More of an in-between, sure.”

Henry stepped back, Luna Clara joined him with a purposeful air. She raised her hand, her voice carrying a steady rhythm as she recited an incantation. The atmosphere grew tense as concern briefly crossed Clara’s features, uncertainty evident in her furrowed brow.

After a moment, clarity overcame her hesitation. Clara’s expression softened, and she spoke with quiet conviction. Her tone held memories of the lost, of rumours communicated in hushed tones in shadowy corners. It held notes of cataloguing, of acceptance, and of the pain of loss for a valued female Werewolf. As a woman, Witch, wife, Mate, and Queen, Clara cried silent tears of mourning for our destroyed home.

There was something about her presence that immediately inspired my loyalty and made me want to obey her without reservation. I know it may sound surprising, but I’m simply being truthful. The way she grieved for someone outside her own kind, with such genuine courtesy and respect, proved to me that she truly deserved the crown and all the responsibilities that came with it. Though she was not a Werewolf herself, her bond as the King’s Mate elevated her status, placing her on equal footing with him in every way.

“Another prophesy fulfilled,” she finally announced, her words marking a pivotal discovery. “Times are changing, Henry. The reawakening of rare wolves is happening, and this was just the first wave.”

Her declaration hung in the air, underscoring the significance of River’s presence and hinting at the unfolding era that lay ahead for their pack.

Pearl stepped forward, her face pale. “This is why I had no choice but to assist them when they arrived. The Polar Bear shifters who were here left at dawn, and I was about to call on you, but everything went sideways for some reason. The houses power core bent to the power of one, and I don’t even know which sibling did it.”

Alpha Henry looked at her, his dark brown eyes holding no contempt, but clear curiosity. “How long ‘ave they been ‘ere?”

“Two days this evening, Your Highness,” Pearl replied, dropping to a quick, but elegant curtsey. “A female with Alpha blood. A wolf with twinned crescent moons back-to-back. Twins that act as mirrors to each other and as sword and shield for their sister. One whose unique attention deficit brings out his innate curiosity about how things work and paths unfound. And the eldest… oh he’s the one who guards them all. According to Guilliam Diggory, his wolf has a small blue star behind it's left ear.”

That stopped all movement in the room. The guards paled, dropping to one knee. The Luna Queen gasped with recognition.

The man named Phil grinned stupidly, winking at Henry with easy calm. Like he already understood the true mission and wouldn’t be dissuaded. A moment of trust flickered between them, making me realize that Phillip wasn’t just someone Henry worked with. He was a Beta. The right hand of the King, and advisor in all matters of the pack.

But it was Henry’s reaction that made me think twice about everything. “Aye, the Lord of the North. The guidin’ light of the Alpha. Born te purpose, ye were. You lot’ll serve me pack well.”

River blinked, “Wait, you’re taking us to Shadow Storm?”

“Aye,” Henry murmured. “To be protected and guided into adulthood. Aurilla was lost, aye, but her line remains true to the blood of our kin and her teachin’s. Gather your things, then. Must be off soon. Can’t be too sure Colt and Neil didn’t burn me packhouse down in me absence.”

“Henry!” Clara exclaimed, and I glanced at her in confusion. “He’s not himself, darling. Leave the poor boy alone to learn life’s lessons on his own.”

“He’s a slacker,” Henry scoffed.

“He lost his mother as a boy and you lost yourself as well. Don’t you dare harm his psyche when you were no better up until a month ago,” she snapped, the full effect of her Luna command pulsing through the room.

The King paled, his face taking on a child-like guilt as if he was caught sneaking snacks he wasn’t supposed to have. “Clara, love…”

“I’m not putting up with it, Henry,” Clara’s words were clipped, angry, but not unloving. “Neil’s been suffering in silence, making his way through emotions most men bury so deep they never look back. You were nothing but a dark, brooding mess trying to hold it together when we met. He’s been led astray, yes, but he is not fully lost. Not yet.”

“What’ll ye have me do, then?” He asked, his love for her noticeable.

Beneath it all, I was amazed. Not by her vehemence, but by her passionate defense of a child not her own.

“Many stepparents don’t treat their partner’s child so… cautiously,” I commented quietly.

The Queen whirled, her eyes locking onto mine with vicious complexity. “Pardon?”

“T’was statement of curious fact, me lovely. Pay him no mind,” Henry pleaded quietly.

Rather than doing as she was asked, she snarled. Magic settled in the air, thick and pressurized before she moved back into perfected calm that wrapped every other person in a maternal warmth.

“I apologize, my Queen,” I said quickly. “But most things you consider common are not so to me and my family. We are… were secluded to the point that not even cell phones existed in our pack. please understand that we were taught to survive by the old ways, not the new. There’s a lot we don’t know, but we are willing to learn as we go.”

Her golden brow arched over one green eye. “Dually noted, Lord Stone. Your statement, however, was a disgraceful slap in the face to both me and my worldly beliefs. I don’t care for common tropes because I know that all children, regardless of origin, require safety, security, and sanctuary until they reach adulthood. The Alpha Prince has suffered much since he turned eight, and the pack lost their original Luna. Neil may not be mine, but he is the Prince, and that holds weight.”

“I will endeavour to embody those facts as we grow, Your Highness,” I answered, dropping to one knee in ritual submission.