stranger to him at the moment, but something deep inside gripped his soul when it came to her, and there wasn’t anything on earth that he wouldn’t do to keep her safe and out of the hands of the den. No matter what, Jes would fight ferociously for Danika. She was worth his best, because she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Chapter 8
Chance stood with his pride in a large flower garden behind the house. Jes was standing on a square hunk of marble that looked like an altar of some kind. The nest had gathered – minus the children that they called fledglings – and waited to hear his announcement. Chance and his pride were standing just to Jes’ left and Danika was next to Chance, gripping his arm.
“Don’t be nervous, katja ,” Chance murmured into her ear.
“Can’t help it. Some of them look pissed already.”
True. “Doesn’t matter. Jes is their leader, and you’ll be their Queen when you mate him.”
“What about you?”
He nipped her ear with his teeth, and she shivered. “I’ll just spend all my days pleasuring the Queen.”
Ley cleared his throat loudly and gave Chance and Danika a stern look, and Chance bit back a laugh. The old buzzard was a softy and was thrilled with the prospect of royal babies crawling all over the house. And he adored Danika, who seemed to be charming everyone she met. Chance could definitely understand that, because he was thoroughly charmed himself.
Jes clapped his hands together once, and the crowd quieted, looking at him expectantly. He spoke with a loud, clear voice and told his people that he had mated a woman who he was going to share with Chance, and then he turned and gestured to the two of them. Chance lifted Danika up on the altar and joined them, so the nest could see them.
“Danika is the mate of my prophecy, my salvation on white wings. Through her, I am joining the nest with the white lion pride in a new alliance that will be mutually beneficial to both groups. For now, the lions will be staying in my home until permanent housing can be arranged within our community.”
An unhappy murmur wove through the crowd, but Chance didn’t think it was more than a few of the more than one hundred falcons. Jes put up his hand.
“Before we go any further, I need you to know this. I am your Prince. There are no laws for our people that say that I must mate with a falcon. If any of you take issue with my choice of mate or our alliance, then you may leave the nest or challenge me for leadership of this nest tonight. But I will remind all of you that challenges of leadership can – and often do – end in the death of the challenger.”
Chance thought that was a polite way of saying, Come against me and I’ll kill you , without actually saying it out loud. Chance was bigger than Jes – taller and more muscular – but Jes had an inner strength that most likely came from his royal bloodline and made him a male Chance wouldn’t want to tangle with in a to-the-death sort of way.
“Who would challenge me this night?” Jes said. The few murmurs quieted. “Speak freely now or hold your peace for the remainder of your days.”
Then he asked who would secede from the nest. Although Chance was certain that there were some who were not pleased that Jes had taken a non-falcon to mate, no one chose to leave. Perhaps they trusted him as their leader. Or perhaps they knew that within the community walls they were safe and they would be foolish to leave.
When several quiet minutes had passed, Jes’ brother Revere, his wings stretched behind his back, lifted his voice in a battle cry, and the entire nest fell to their knees. Chance knew then that no one would leave as the nest proclaimed its allegiance to Jes. Revere and Tonik turned and went to one knee, pressing their fists to their chests. “Long live the Princes and Princess!” they shouted and
Chapter 8
Chance stood with his pride in a large flower garden behind the house. Jes was standing on a square hunk of marble that looked like an altar of some kind. The nest had gathered – minus the children that they called fledglings – and waited to hear his announcement. Chance and his pride were standing just to Jes’ left and Danika was next to Chance, gripping his arm.
“Don’t be nervous, katja ,” Chance murmured into her ear.
“Can’t help it. Some of them look pissed already.”
True. “Doesn’t matter. Jes is their leader, and you’ll be their Queen when you mate him.”
“What about you?”
He nipped her ear with his teeth, and she shivered. “I’ll just spend all my days pleasuring the Queen.”
Ley cleared his throat loudly and gave Chance and Danika a stern look, and Chance bit back a laugh. The old buzzard was a softy and was thrilled with the prospect of royal babies crawling all over the house. And he adored Danika, who seemed to be charming everyone she met. Chance could definitely understand that, because he was thoroughly charmed himself.
Jes clapped his hands together once, and the crowd quieted, looking at him expectantly. He spoke with a loud, clear voice and told his people that he had mated a woman who he was going to share with Chance, and then he turned and gestured to the two of them. Chance lifted Danika up on the altar and joined them, so the nest could see them.
“Danika is the mate of my prophecy, my salvation on white wings. Through her, I am joining the nest with the white lion pride in a new alliance that will be mutually beneficial to both groups. For now, the lions will be staying in my home until permanent housing can be arranged within our community.”
An unhappy murmur wove through the crowd, but Chance didn’t think it was more than a few of the more than one hundred falcons. Jes put up his hand.
“Before we go any further, I need you to know this. I am your Prince. There are no laws for our people that say that I must mate with a falcon. If any of you take issue with my choice of mate or our alliance, then you may leave the nest or challenge me for leadership of this nest tonight. But I will remind all of you that challenges of leadership can – and often do – end in the death of the challenger.”
Chance thought that was a polite way of saying, Come against me and I’ll kill you , without actually saying it out loud. Chance was bigger than Jes – taller and more muscular – but Jes had an inner strength that most likely came from his royal bloodline and made him a male Chance wouldn’t want to tangle with in a to-the-death sort of way.
“Who would challenge me this night?” Jes said. The few murmurs quieted. “Speak freely now or hold your peace for the remainder of your days.”
Then he asked who would secede from the nest. Although Chance was certain that there were some who were not pleased that Jes had taken a non-falcon to mate, no one chose to leave. Perhaps they trusted him as their leader. Or perhaps they knew that within the community walls they were safe and they would be foolish to leave.
When several quiet minutes had passed, Jes’ brother Revere, his wings stretched behind his back, lifted his voice in a battle cry, and the entire nest fell to their knees. Chance knew then that no one would leave as the nest proclaimed its allegiance to Jes. Revere and Tonik turned and went to one knee, pressing their fists to their chests. “Long live the Princes and Princess!” they shouted and
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