AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Caleb squeezed me before dropping his arm. I kept a hand on the benches as I made my way to them, not wanting to fall. Silverowl and Fox sat across from their parents, and there wasn’t an obvious open spot, so I hovered, standing, next to their benches that faced each other.
“You called?”
Kara tsked and Fox quickly scooted over, shoving Silverowl into the corner of the bench so there was room for me.
Trying to hide my smirk, I sat down beside Fox to face them.
“We were doing some digging and research after Silverowl reached out to us,” Katar said softly. “We have found only one recorded instance of a snake shifter in elven history.”
I perked up. “You did?”
“It is not a good account,” Kara said and shook her head. “The previous rulers were terrified of the hybrids.”
“Because we’re stronger than purebloods?” I asked.
Both of them, as well as Fox and Silverowl, tensed.
After a moment, Kara ran a hand down her face, rubbing her eyes that had crow’s feet now, betraying her age. “Yes. We don’t feel that way, but it’s terrifying to know there is a race that is stronger than you.”
“You mean like the humans felt when they discovered werewolves, mages, dragons, and elves existed?” I asked with an arched brow and crossed my arms.
“Hey! Don’t get sassy with us,” Fox said and poked my side. “We are allies here.”
Dropping my arms, I smiled. “Sorry, it’s been … rough for me lately.”
“She doesn’t have an elven name,” Silverowl said. “We would like to give her one.”
My eyes widened, and I glanced over my shoulder at Lily, talking animatedly with Ezio about something.
“An elven name?”
“Yes, we have all been talking, collaborating, to come up with a suitable name for her. Since you are adopting her, we want her to have all of the benefits of a child who would have been born to you,” Kara answered.
“Everything is happening so quickly,” I whispered. “It’s terrifying and amazing at the same time.”
Kara reached across and patted my hand. “I know, child. I know. We are here to support you in every aspect of your rule.”
“Can you send me the list of names?” I requested.
They all nodded.
“We are each sending one,” Silverowl said and smiled softly. “We couldn’t come to a consensus, so we thought it best to leave up to you as her adopted parent.”
“Does it still have to come from one of you as a pureblooded elf?” I asked, feeling slightly irritated at that.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Katar said. “We will work on some new legislature to change that, but in the meantime, you know we will assist you in whatever you need.”
Smiling, I said, “I really do appreciate how accepting and wonderful you all are. I’m so glad Caleb was able to grow up in a family as amazing as this.”
Fox suddenly hugged me, squeezing tight. “I wish we could erase all of your negative past, Rubyhare. If we could, we would.”
I patted his arm and let myself relax in his hold. “Thank you, Fox. That means a lot to me.”
“We’ve heard rumors that snake shifters need extra warmth,” Kara said. “You should look into winter clothing even in the warmer months for her.”
Nodding, I said, “Thank you. That’s good to know.”
“I’ll send you the snake research I did yesterday,” Silverowl said, and typed on his phone. “They have some unique needs that other shifters likely don’t share.”
