Nic’s heartbeat was thumping furiously in his chest as he stared at the gray-haired alpha male who stood in front of him and Marlin. The male’s legs were spread, his feet planted, his eyes narrowed on the two of them as he blocked their path.

They had been en route to the dining hall for the post-crowning celebration dinner when they were confronted out of the blue.

“Prince Marlin,” the snooty asshole started. “We never received word that you took a mate. When I inquired earlier today, the Seekers in attendance stated that you never found your fated mate in the one and only Presentation Ceremony they held for you. I take it that they wouldn’t lie to a member of the Royal Council?”

Marlin lifted his chin and looked down his nose at that Royal Council member. “They did not lie. And a second one was unneeded.”

Marlin’s deep, growly voice sent lightening through Nic. Even though the current situation was disturbing, his commanding voice tended to turn him on. Especially when he turned his alpha attitude on full force.

“I understand that your colony has not had a reigning king, so maybe the documentation of your mating was lost in the shuffle. However, I’m certain that we should have received some word of this omega you have claimed as your own.”

“We were waiting for my eldest brother to be crowned. I’m sure the paperwork will be sent shortly once he settles in to his new position as ruler of this colony.”

The older alpha leaned in ever so slightly to sniff discreetly. Most likely to see if the two of them were truly bonded and their scents mingled. Nic’s head jerked back at the motion and Marlin released a low growl.

“You overstep yourself, sir,” Marlin barked.

“Untrue. I have every right to question you on your choice.” His dark brown eyes dropped to Nic’s extended belly. “Especially since it looks and smells like the omega is already with pup.”

“He is.”

“Then I expect that you’ve had your official Bonding Ceremony and we were inadvertently excluded? Your omega has been branded appropriately?”

Nic’s heartbeat rose into his throat, his pulse attempted to escape his neck, as Marlin’s arm tightened possessively around his waist.

“We’ve bonded, yes. Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for the Council, it happened so quickly we didn’t have time to request a representative to witness the ceremony. And we’ve delayed the branding due to my omega being with pup.”

The council member’s eyes once again landed on Nic’s stomach and he had the urge to cover it with his hands to protect his unborn son. “Marlin,” he whispered.

His alpha’s arm around his waist squeezed reassuringly. “He’ll be branded at the appropriate time. And just when that appropriate time will be, I’ll leave that decision to my king.”

The representative pursed his lips as he regarded them. “And his bloodline? I know not of this male.”

“I assure you that the omega Dominic of the North comes from an appropriate bloodline from right here in our own colony. Baron...” Marlin cleared his throat roughly.

Nic spoke up. “Baron Argus of the North was my sire. Unfortunately, he died a tragic death before my whelp and then my pater perished while in the whelping pool bringing me into the world. I’ve been an orphan and was lucky that a pupless family was kind enough to take me in.”

“Why haven’t the Seekers ever presented you to any royals? As a son of a baron, you should have been among the pool of eligible omegas.”

Shit. “Until my alpha and I crossed paths, everyone forgot I was born to a baron.”

Marlin stared down at him in stunned silence. Nic wasn’t sure why. Maybe his alpha was surprised at how the lies could slip so smoothly from his tongue.

However, his alpha’s expression made him a bit worried. Was that not the story Kai made up? Did he get it wrong? Was his pregnancy brain messing everything up for the two of them?

“I have to admit, I don’t know every royal at the lower levels. So because of that, I will insist on seeing his—”

“Pedigree?” Nic asked with a sneer.

“Lineage,” the Council member finished.

“There you are, brother! I was beginning to get worried.”

Relief washed over Nic as he watched Kai approaching with long strides, his eyes narrowed on the male that was detaining him and Marlin.

Marlin dipped his head. “I’m sorry for the delay, my king. This representative had some questions for me in regard to my fated mate.”

Kai drew himself up to his full height and stepped closer. “He did. Ah... Conway, Duke of Oceania, am I correct?” When the duke nodded, Kai asked Marlin, “Why is that?”

“I’m not sure. He’s stating that he never heard of Dominic’s lineage before.”

“Well... Surely all of the lower level royals aren’t well known to such busy Selkies as yourself, Duke, is that not true?”

The duke eyeballed Kai, and Nic could see the worry quickly cross the Council member’s face. “I try to stay on top of all of the royal lineage.”

“Impossible. With all of our colonies and, luckily, with all of the new pups being born, there’s no way to keep on top without proper documentation.”

“Speaking of documentation...” The duke turned his full attention to Kai. “I’m requesting an inspection of his recorded bloodlines, Your Highness. And as a representative of the Royal Council, I have every right to do so.”

Kai studied the male for a moment, just long enough for the Council member to look visibly uncomfortable, then he asked, “Are you asking or demanding?”

Nic’s attention landed on Rian heading quickly in their direction with Del in tow. Nic met Del’s gaze and slightly shook his head. Nic was not the only omega claimed by one of the princes without what the Council considered “appropriate” bloodlines.

Del came from the working class and was probably considered to be just as forbidden as a royal mate as a hybrid was.

Unfortunate, but true.

Even so, Rian plowed forward, ignoring the silent warning Nic sent. His face was dark as he joined them, with Del looking a bit nervous as he clung to his alpha’s side.

“What’s this about?” Rian asked in his most regal tone.

Kai flipped out a hand. “Even though today is a special day for me, the Duke of Oceania is requesting to review Dominic’s lineage.”

Rian’s eyes widened for a split second before he quickly hid his surprise. His face got even darker as he turned to address the duke. “You mean the bloodlines like the ones that are fudged when royals swap out omegas and betas among the colonies? Those bloodlines? Ones that cannot be verified because so many seem to be altered?”

A look crossed the duke’s face. “What are you talking about?” His expression wasn’t because of surprise. No.

Marlin spoke up, his face as dark as his older brother’s. “Don’t act like you don’t know what Prince Adrian is speaking of. We have found omega and beta sons of our late father in other colonies. They were traded. Like livestock, I might add. As I’m sure some of the omegas and betas in our own colony were. We could have unwanted sons of royalty among our own working class.”

“Nonsense,” the duke blustered.

Kai inhaled a sharp, audible breath. “It’s not nonsense and I won’t be a part of that. None of my lines will ever be traded like cattle. Nor will they be thrown out to sea solely due to their gender.”

The Council member’s head snapped up. “You are a newly crowned king, Your Highness. You might want to not make waves.”

Kai crossed his arms behind his back and leaned forward on his toes toward the duke. “I will not throw a pup away because they are deemed the incorrect gender to be considered royalty.”

“Omegas and betas cannot rule. They cannot hold a title,” the duke exclaimed, his jowls jostling.

Kai shrugged. “Then they simply won’t. It doesn’t mean they can’t live with their family. Be loved by their family. Feel wanted. I would never not want a son that comes from my fated mate whether he’s alpha-born or not.”

The duke made a small noise of disgust. “Perhaps we’ve made a mistake in crowning you as ruler of the Northern Colony.”

A muscle ticked in Kai’s jaw as he growled, “I am the king now. I am the ruler of this colony and I can rule this colony as I see fit.”

“Only to an extent, Your Highness. You’re still bound by Selkie laws. If you decide not to follow those laws, then we have the power to remove your colony from under the Council’s rule and you would have to survive on your own. That means, no Seekers. No taking of mates from other colonies. You and your residents would be banished from every other Selkie colony around the world. You would be forcing your colony to be self-sufficient. New blood would never be introduced. Your citizen’s bloodlines would eventually become incestuous and, eventually, you would most likely all perish. Is that what you desire?”

Nic hoped Kai would shrug and say, “Whatever,” but he didn’t.

“I will do what I need to do to keep all of my citizens, no matter what class or gender, safe and happy. If the Council has a problem with that, then I will have a problem with them. We are a prosperous and wealthy colony, Duke. It would be a shame if we needed to become independent of the Council’s rule. While it might hurt us, it would definitely hurt you. I’ve been officially king for about ninety minutes, sir, so I would request that you give me a chance to actually rule my colony before you make any hasty decisions.”

The duke dipped his head. “I’ll agree with that, as I’m sure the other Council members would. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to inspect the omega Dominic of the North’s paperwork. I realize it’s an inconvenient time, but I’ll be leaving right after we break bread.”

Nic’s gaze had been ping-ponging back and forth between the duke and Kai. Now he waited on pins and needles for Kai’s response. Nic did his best not to pump his fist in the air when it finally came.

“Their bonding ceremony has been recorded as required by the Royal Council. If you’d like to see the papers, I can have my beta assistant take you to the library where they’re kept. However, if I am forced to do this now, you will be leaving before we break bread and will be forbidden to ever return, am I clear?”

The duke dipped his head once more, his brown eyes frigid and his jaw tight. “As clear as crystal, Your Highness. I will defer this to another time that’s more appropriate.” He bowed deeply and while he was down there, Nic wished he could demand the old fart to lick his shoes. “I beg your forgiveness, Your Royal Highness.”

Nic swore Kai smothered a smirk. “You’ve been forgiven. Please join our other guests in the dining hall as the celebratory meal is about to be served.”

The Council member hesitated for only a moment, his gaze landing on Nic, then Del, before he walked away stiffly.

They all stood quietly until the duke was out of earshot.

“Was your father really a baron?” Marlin asked.

“He was a mongrel of the lowest kind. He got my mother pregnant and abandoned her. If he held any title of nobility, my mother never said. Though, I doubt she would have cared. She foolishly loved a male who couldn’t give two shits about her.” Nic stared at his alpha. “Honestly, does it matter if he was royalty or not?”

Kai interrupted. “It does not, Nic. Marlin loves you no matter whose loins you came from. Isn’t that right, brother?”

“Of course.”

“Then there’s no discussion to be had in that regard. Aegir created the appropriate documents months ago for both Del and Nic. Any time the Council feels the need to question us on our mates, we’ll be covered. Problem solved. Now, please, let’s go eat so we can get this bloody day over with. I haven’t been king very long and I’m already regretting it.”

“You did well,” Marlin told Kai with a grin.

“I was impressed,” Nic added. “Very kingly.”

“Thank you for protecting our mates,” Rian said, clapping Kai on the back.

“You would do the same, Rian.” Kai’s gaze swept them all before saying, “We are family, we must remain true. And Caol will be leaving once again in a few days to keep searching for any more brothers to bring them home where they belong.”

“Will you allow Beck to accompany him this time?” Rian asked as they all turned and headed toward the dining hall.

“I’m tempted to keep him here. The two of them worry me.”

“I think it’s harmless,” Del said.

“Right, why deny it if they have a connection?” Nic said as Marlin escorted him down the hallway with an arm possessively over his shoulders.

“He’s a beta. We test the Council with choosing omegas not presented by the Seekers. There’s no way to hide what Beck is. Whether he likes it or not, Caol needs to find his omega and needs, by law, to produce sons. As much as I’d love to pull our colony from under the Council’s thumb, I fear the duke is correct. We might eventually all perish without the introduction of new blood.”

“There are always the hybrids that shift, Kai,” Nic reminded him. “Hybrids like me.”

Kai paused and so did everyone else. “That’s an option, but I’d prefer not to go that direction if we can avoid it. While I won’t deny an alpha whose true fated mate is a hybrid and vice versa, I don’t want to encourage it. If the Council finds out, we could very well become banished by the rest of our race.”

Nic’s hand dropped to his rounded belly. “Because diluting the Selkie race is not acceptable.”

Kai’s blue eyes fell on him. “It is not. I’m sorry, Nic. You know that’s just the way it is. My only hope is that your sons will find Selkie fated mates and continue to strengthen our lines. If they mate with other hybrids, there could come a time where our race no longer shifts. Or, worse, becomes infertile and we cease to exist.”

“For my sons or grandsons to not be able to shift could be tragic,” Marlin murmured.

Nic looked up at his alpha in surprise. “Do you worry our son won’t be able to shift? If so, this is the first I’m hearing of it.”

“Our son will be three-quarters pure, so I hope that won’t be an issue. But if any of our sons choose a hybrid...”

“What’s more important?” Del asked softly. “Shifting or finding one’s true love?”

Rian answered it before anyone else. “Both, my omega. Shifting is part of our life. Being a Selkie is important to all of us, it’s who we are. But finding our true fated mate is equally important. To feel whole we need both.”

Everyone became silent as they considered Rian’s words, then as one continued to move down the hall.

Nic leaned back, slowing Marlin down to let the others get ahead of them. He whispered, “I worried about surviving the whelp, but now I worry that if our son isn’t an alpha and also can’t shift, he could become an outcast.”

Marlin dropped his arm from Nic’s shoulders and turned to face him. His sapphire blue eyes searched Nic’s face and landed on his lips. Nic licked them and smiled. “Are you trying to distract me from my concerns?”

“I look forward to you using those lips later. But, seriously, I hear your concerns, my omega. You have nothing to worry about. Kai is now king and I’m your mate. Our son will be loved no matter who or what he is.”

“It’s not us or your family that I worry about, Marlin. My mother hid who and what I was for a good reason.”

“And I’m sorry she had to do that. Once things settle into place, I’ll speak to Kai about what we can do as Selkies to make hybrids more accepted among our race. I can’t promise you quick results, but we could start something to bring us all together. And if we do it successfully, then maybe other colonies will be willing to do the same. It’s a thought.”

“And a good one. I love you, Marlin. I know I tell you that a lot, but I don’t think I can tell you enough. I thought I loved Kai and while I did in a way, now that I have you, I realize that love just wasn’t the same. My love for you is deep and pure and these last few months have proven that you and I are truly fated mates. I find myself thanking the sea gods every damn day that you showed up at my door.”

Marlin’s smile was soft, and his eyes were warm as he looked at Nic. “I know I’ve told you this time and time again, but now’s a perfect reminder... I’m so grateful that you opened that door and let me not only into your little cabin in the woods, but your life and your heart. I cannot be happier with who the fates chose for me.”

“Now, if I wasn’t so hungry, I’d drag my alpha back to our wing and take advantage of him. But our pup is starving and letting that fact be known by kicking me in my ribs. So once we eat, maybe we can sneak away once again.”

“That sounds like the perfect dessert,” Marlin agreed with a chuckle, his blue eyes flashing like sapphires.

Nic grabbed his alpha’s hand and tugged him toward the dining hall. “How fast can you eat?”

Marlin’s roar of laughter echoed down the hallway.