Shadow Revealed (The Enlightened Species Book Two) by Wendy S. Hales Page B

Symbiosis of Species Council, would be represented in their true forms. Hereditary representing humans, Elven and Hulven representing the Volaticus, and many members of the Aquaties, who resided primary in water, and the Tellus, who preferred to live underground.
    The ulterior motive, Enlil was sure, though Jess and Nin refused to admit it, was a way to get the Hulven females in a room with Elven males and see if any of them were bloodmates. Elven female births had significantly plummeted since true bloodmating had become an anomaly in the last five hundred years, though some of the elder mated Elven like Sargon and Ninlil were still examples.
    Then Shane had met Jess. Not only were they one of the few, possibly only, modern-day bloodmates, they were the first known to have happened between a Hulven and an Elven. Their mating had summarily improved the hopes of the entire Volaticus species.
    The SOSC embodied the desire of all four intelligent species to live a symbiotic existence. They all worked for the common good of the people and planet. However, since humanity had yet to enlighten, proxy currently represented them in the council.
    The success of the raid was being attributed to the coalition and cohesion of all three enlightened species. Unfortunately, there were also casualties, including Sam and Sarafina’s sister Sofia. This event was also honoring the victims—scratch that, the survivors, the rescuers, and the fallen brethren.
    Most of the details had already been worked out. They would be having the bash at the pacific human integration-training course. The location was much like the one in Mesa that Shane was commandant over, which sat directly behind their property and home. The training facilities were created to prepare the Elven youth to go into the world of the humans, safely. Most youth would initially start in the Elven-run International Red Cross, the Peace Corp, or some other form of public service function. Jerika was a Mesa police officer.
    For the upcoming ball, Jess, Nin and the other organizers had elected to use the training facility that Nin’s son (and Shane’s mentor) Gilgamesh was commandant over. With the number of people coming, the fact that Gilgamesh’s facility, euphemistically referred to as Meshy Hell, was an unmapped island in the Pacific Ocean between the coasts of Hawaii and Mexico ensured that the attendees would be able to be in true form without risk of human discovery.
    Jess and many of the other organizers would be leaving for the island in a few days. They would spend the week before the actually event at Gil’s to make sure the event went off without a hitch. Enlil suspected that this girls’ night was an excuse to get out and cut loose after months of trying to organize what had originally been thought of as an impossible task because of its scale.
    “As much as I would love to participate in your ... girls’ night, I have some things that require my attention with the SOSC. Hopefully, I will be able to clear my desk in time to at least help with the final preparations at Gil’s before the actual event,” Nin said, her voice a naturally soothing, calming cadence. The current humanity representative with the SOSC for the Americas, Nin had been a huge contributor to Jess’s planning, and she was also tremendously busy taking care of human interests in all SOSC meetings and projects. She had the added task of aiding the heredity survivors who had elected to settle within her jurisdiction. Most had chosen to live here in Mesa or in Montana, where Sam’s sister Sarafina and her Elven son Nathan had a community. A few others were now in the Seattle area as well.
    “Oh, you’ll be there to help, Nin, don’t make me come get you,” Jess teased. “So if you didn’t come to ppaarrtaay with us, what are you doing here? Don’t tell me Sargon needed a wife escort for Shane’s poker game.”
    “A whole room full of super hearing powers, and not one of you hear me