“Shifters don’t conceive easily?” I ask, and Layla shakes her head.
“No. It took all of us almost twenty years to get pregnant with our three, and we haven’t had any since.”
“Supernaturals have long lives, so I think it’s a way of keeping the balance. All supernatural races are the same. We were lucky to have Archie so soon,” Gracelin explains.
“But General Bryson and Sable have three children who are closer in age. There’s less than ten years between Hunter and the twins.”
Mia smiles and nods, but there’s an air of sadness to the smile. “Yes. Dragons have it a little easier. Dragon females lay eggs, unlike a normal shifter pregnancy, and they will incubate the eggs for a period of time. The children are born dragons but shift quickly, and they don’t shift again before the age of mythical maturity. It keeps them from becoming menaces. Not all eggs are fertile though. Sable was incredibly lucky, but more often than not, it’s heartbreaking for the dragon parents because the eggs never show any sign of life.”
“What about bond group relationships with multiple mates? Will the female have a child for each mate?” Of course I’m curious given my new mate status, not that I’ve shared it with them yet. Gracelin smirks before quickly smothering it so her parents don’t get suspicious.
“Ah, bond groups are a little different. For groups like ours, where there is one male and multiple females?—”
“Which is very uncommon compared to multiple male groups,” Evie interrupts Layla, who narrows her eyes at her. She winces and apologizes, gesturing for her to carry on.
“As I was saying, bond groups like ours only require the male to inseminate the female once, whereas other bond groups need all parties to participate in the insemination process to achieve a pregnancy.”
“Let me get this right… I supposedly have six mates, and all of them need to participate if I want to have children?”
“Yes, all males need to make a deposit at the bank, so to speak, if you want to have a child.” Mia struggles to contain her laughter as she confirms what they said. I feel my cheeks heat as I blush furiously at the thought.
Mia thankfully changes the subject before this becomes more uncomfortable than it is. “But having six mates is unheard of. I checked the historical records, and there has never been a ruler with so many. I’m not sure what it means, to be honest, and whether or not we should be worried about why the goddess deemed it right for you to have so many.”
There’s a pregnant pause as I see everyone mull over the implication in their minds. My own nerves cause butterflies to flutter in my stomach, but I ignore them for now. I have so much to learn.
I desperately try to come up with something else to talk about that doesn’t revolve around me fucking all six of my mates at the same time. “I know shifters can’t interbreed with humans, but what about interbreeding between kingdoms? Is that a thing?” I ask, voicing another question that has been nagging at me.
Everyone turns to Lucas. I get the feeling that I might have just asked a sensitive question. He sighs, and I can’t help but feel a little guilty.
“Officially, no. Or as far as the humans are aware, there is no intermixing of the supernatural races, because that would lead to even more turmoil between us. Though wildly discouraged, there is intermixing between the species, but most individuals who end up pregnant from an interspecies relationship or choose to marry someone from another race end up being ostracized by their family, so there was a need to create a sanctuary for them to live and thrive without being persecuted. There is an unofficial fifth kingdom that exists for these outcasts. They are not ruled over by a goddess, and they are led by a royal family that has familial succession.”
“What species are the children born from such unions?” I ask, unable to contain my curiosity despite not knowing if that’s a polite way to ask this question.
“Most of them will take after one parent, but sometimes the more powerful traits from both parents will come through as well,” Mia explains. “It’s one of the main reasons they were shunned. Jealousy is a powerful motivator, and some of the crossbreeds are very powerful.”
“Chaos Kingdom likes to pretend the rest of us don’t exist. They are a kingdom of misfits who are happy to remain in their own little world. Their kingdom isn’t on any official maps, but if you look at a map of the kingdoms, all of them are linked by the Mysola Desert. It’s always been no-man’s-land because nothing survives there—or that’s what humans have been taught. In actuality, that’s where the Chaos Kingdom is, and only the outer rim is desert to discourage visitors. All of the other kingdoms touch its borders, and there are ways for people to come and go, but they are known to very few. It discourages people from being tempted to visit. Works for both our population and theirs.”
“Despite the fact that most of them are rejected and disowned by their families, the outcast kingdom is actually treated as a fun vacation destination because it’s dedicated to indulging in your greatest desires and vices. It’s kind of hypocritical to be honest, but it’s how they make money. They have an amazing beach resort town, as well as a sinful central city with any kind of entertainment your heart could desire. If you want to party and have a good time, Trisa is the place to do it. The shifter nation has a floor of rooms in one of the hotels where it sends its bond group to… well… bond,” Gracelin says, sounding excited. “It’s where I became pregnant with Archie after a wild weekend with Adam. There’s something about that place that lets all your troubles float away. It’s awesome, and most of the younger generation doesn’t abide by that interspecies breeding crap. Who cares who you love?”
I rub a hand across my face, my brain hurting from all the information I absorbed today. My gaze goes to my friend, and Violet looks as uneasy as I feel about this conversation—she won’t meet my eyes. I will have to corner her sometime later and ask her for her input. I can see she isn’t going to say anything for now.
“What is our relationship like with that kingdom?” I ask cautiously, not sure I can handle any more bombshells.
Layla waves a hand. “It’s fine. We leave them be, and they leave us be. We do trade with them. The Chaos Kingdom is also a veritable goldmine for precious gems, and allowing them to control them keeps them out of trouble. Plus, I’m sure they’ve gathered enough blackmail material to make even the most aggressive person tame. We have a good relationship with the new king. His grandfather was an asshole though.”
“Could the outcasts be the source of the ferals and also be responsible for Archie’s kidnapping?” I ask, grasping for straws since we really don’t have any good leads.
“No, I don’t think so. They know that if we choose to invade, their odds aren’t good,” Lucas replies, but he rubs his chin thoughtfully. “I could probably reach out to my contact and ask him to check it out though.”
“By contact, do you mean…” Before Layla can finish her question, there’s a knock at the door, and one of the palace staff members wheels in a cart filled with coffee, tea, and a variety of snacks. Although breakfast wasn’t all that long ago, my stomach rumbles at the sight of the pastry-laden gift from the kitchen. I must take a moment to pop in and talk to the kitchen staff and ask them if I can use it occasionally. Baking has always been a stress reliever for me, and I don’t see my stress levels reducing anytime soon.
ChapterSix
Colbie
Once we’ve all partaken in the tasty offerings, I get the conversation back on track. As interesting as supernatural procreation is, I have more pressing issues at the moment.
“Okay, let’s get back to the topic of the council. If you two don’t want the roles, then would you care to make a suggestion?” I inquire, sure Lucas will let me know if he has any luck with the outcast kingdom.
