Healing, Hugs, and Hunts

~~~~~~~~~~~
The Pits: Day 19

“He is fantastic,” Harry exclaimed.

“Yeah, he is,” Chelan agreed.

“Merrow really are the most vicious fighters I have ever seen,” Sirius stated.

Harry had come to The Pits with his Merrow Suite as well as Sirius, Frank, and Alice. He was finally getting to see Tempest fight. And he was delivering on his promise to put on a show.

The fight had already been going on for around twenty minutes now and Tempest was dominating even if he was bleeding from multiple wounds. His opponent realized he was being toyed with about ten minutes ago and had gotten angry which made him sloppy.

“The thing that gets me, is that he is playing with his opponent. What kind of damage could he do if he was serious?” Frank added.

“So, much,” Glynn answered. “He isn’t a member of Crimson Tide because he is pretty.”

“He is also one of only two members that are not pure Merrow. It has given him quite the bragging rights,” Marin insisted.

“Uncle Al has sent him to guard me every time he has sent someone. That should tell you something if nothing else does,” Harry spoke up. “Oh, I think he is through playing.”

Tempest was, in fact, through playing. He swung his trident around and then his face smoothed out from the grin he had sported through the entire fight. He rolled his shoulders and dropped into a ready position.

The entire atmosphere in the ring shifted and the air felt charged just before two strikes of lightning hit the ground on either side of the Gheyo he was facing.

“He actually looks angry,” Harry pointed out. “I wonder what the other guy said to him.”

“You’re right, he does look angry,” Glynn stated.

“Well, that particular King has the ability to piss anyone off with just a few words honestly,” Caspian stated.

Then it clicked in Harry’s head why the other Merrow had seemed familiar. He was the same Merrow King that had threatened to reveal secrets about Caspian if he didn’t insist they were a package deal to bond with Harry.

“I would be you my favorite dagger that he either insulted Harry or Caspian,” Glynn responded.

“Is he someone you have had trouble with?” Alice asked them as she looked at him closer.

“Yeah, he and Caspian used to be an item. But the parted ways when Caspian learned some things about him. When he found out that Caspian was being courted by our circle he tried to threaten and bully his way into getting courted as well,” Harry explained.

“Oh, so a piece of shit for sure,” Sirius stated.

“For sure,” Chelan agreed. “But Tempest seems to have put him in his place quite nicely.”

And he certainly had done just that. The fight ended with Tempest pressing a foot into his neck and the trident in his hand pierced all the way through his leg. He was completely pinned to the ground.

“Lovely vicious King,” Harry purred. “Take me down there to see him please, Ace. Caspian come along so that you can heal him up.”

“Yes, Kitten,” Glynn said with a chuckle. He grasped Harry’s hand and walked with him down to the arena. Caspian followed close behind. Tempest was just stepping out of the ring when they reached him.

“Hello, Princeling,” Tempest said with a grin. “Did I impress?”

“Absolutely, it was even nicer to watch because of who your opponent was,” Harry told him. Tempest scowled and looked like he wanted to go back in the ring another round for a moment.

“What did he say to make you so angry?” Glynn asked curiously.

“He got angry when he realized he was losing and decided to try and distract me by insulting Caspian and Harry. I won’t repeat the things that he said because they were vulgar and down right disgusting. Just know that should I catch him outside of the ring talking like that again I will hurt him irreparably,” Tempest stated with a bit of a growl that made Harry shiver in pleasure at the fierceness in it.

“Let my Princess tend to your wounds,” Harry said with a smile. Tempest nodded and let Caspian heal him up. Then Harry stepped close and gave a Heartcry. Which Tempest responded to before Harry pulled him down into a fierce kiss.

Tempest pulled out a gift box that he handed to Harry with a grin.

“Been carrying this around with me. I know how chaotic and unpredictable things can be around you sometimes and I wanted to be prepared,” Tempest explained.

“Oh, these are beautiful, Tempest,” Harry exclaimed as he pulled the set of bracelets out of the box. They were bangles with different designs on them. But the prettiest bracelet was the one in the center that was made of pearls and shells.

“I handpicked each of those pearls and shells,” Tempest informed him with pride.

“They are absolutely gorgeous. I love them,” Harry insisted. “Thank you.”

“Only the best for you, Princeling,” Tempest said with a wink. Harry blushed a little and then slipped the bracelets on. He hugged Tempest tightly and reveled in the feeling of having him close.

“Are you busy for the rest of the day?” Glynn asked the King.

“No, I am not,” Tempest stated with a smile. “I do take a day off every now and again.”

“Will you spend the rest of your day with us?” Harry asked him hopefully.

Tempest had been a hard one to pin down for the most part. He was always busy whenever they happened to run into him.

“I am happy to spend the rest of my day with you and yours,” Tempest told him.

“Great. We plan to spend a little more time here. My dad, Sirius, has a fight in bit and I am excited to watch him,” Harry informed him. The four of them headed back to the stands.

“So, this is your last Gheyo. The Missing King,” Sirius said with a grin. Harry nodded and plopped down in Chelan’s lap.

“Yep, isn’t he gorgeous,” Harry answered.

“All of your bonded are quite attractive,” Sirius said with a laugh. Harry smiled happily.

“Yeah, they are,” Harry agreed.

“Well, why don’t you tell us a little about you,” Frank asked.

“Of course,” Tempest agreed.

Harry sat contently in his Queen’s arms and listened to Tempest talk to his parents while they watched the fights. It was a good day and a little over an hour later, Sirius and Frank headed down to the Arena.

“This is exciting,” Harry said as he leaned forward. “This is the first time he has been in the arena right?”

“Yeah, Frank has been really running him through his paces since we have been here. Sirius has been begging to get in the ring, but Frank wanted to make sure he was ready,” Alice answered.

“He has been training with a few of ours as well,” Glynn added.

“All of us have. Your circle has been really helpful in making sure all of us are performing to the best of our abilities,” Alice responded.

“It’s time,” Harry said excitedly as Sirius entered the ring with another Princess.

Their group watched the fight with rapt attention. It was a bit more nerve wracking than Harry had thought it would be. Apparently, it was different watching one of his parents fight than it was to watch his bonded fight.

Sirius was a good fighter and he held his own for a good bit. But the other Princess got a good hit in that knocked Sirius off his game. It was down hill from there and Harry got progressively more worried as the fight went on.

He gave a distressed chir and attempted to bolt when Sirius was slashed and pinned down. But Chelan had been prepared and tightened his arms around his distressed Submissive.

“Hush, Kitten. He is alright,” Chelan assured him. Harry just continued to watch as the fight ended and Sirius lost. Glynn made a noise and Caspian stood when Alice did to head down to the arena.

“Sit tight, let them tend to him and then he will be back up here for you to fret over,” Marin insisted.

Harry reluctantly nodded and then turned so that he could bury his face in Chelan’s neck. He made an inquisitive noise and his Queen rumbled back so he bit into his neck and fed to sooth himself.

“Here comes your dad,” Tempest told him quietly. Harry closed the bite in Chelan’s neck and made a happy noise when Sirius simply lifted him out of the Queen’s arms and settled with him in his lap. Harry snuggled close and Sirius nuzzled his head.

“Were you worried, Pup?” Sirius asked with a chuckle.

“Yeah, I don’t think I like watching you fight as much as I like watching my Gheyo. That was unsettling,” Harry admitted.

“Next time, I will not go down so easily,” Sirius promised.

“That was good for your first official fight,” Glynn insisted. “You will get better the more you fight.”

“Oh, I intend to get better,” Sirius assured them. “I think I need a few more sparring sessions with your Gheyo, Little One.”

“They will be happy to do it,” Harry responded. “I am a bit hungry, is it time to meet up with the others for lunch?”

Harry was going to be having lunch with his family today. Draco, Neville, Luna, and their parents. They apparently had news to share, and Harry was excited to find out what the news was.

“Actually, it is,” Alice said after checking the time. “Let’s get going so that we aren’t late.”

The group of them left The Pits and headed for the food court. Harry saw Draco standing with Neville, Lucius, and Sol.

“Hey guys,” Harry said and hug Neville and Lucius before grasping Draco’s hand and standing with him while they waited for the rest of their family to show up.

Once they were all there, Sol and Harry’s Merrow spread out to keep an eye on them and yet still give them privacy. They ate lunch and caught up on what everyone had been up to. It was truly the first time they were alone as a family all together.

“So, we have news,” Lily stated with a smile.

“What kind of news?” Draco asked her.

“Well, we are growing our family by one more,” James responded.

“Like a new bonded?” Neville asked.

“No,” Luna answered with a grin. “Babies. Mum is pregnant. Aren’t you?”

“Yes, Luna-girl I am,” Lily said excitedly.

“Luna said babies,” Harry pointed out. “As in, more than one?”

“Yes, twins,” she confirmed. Lily grinned and rubbed her flat stomach.

“Who sired them?” Neville asked.

“Me!” Sirius said proudly. “And Lucius is their third.”

“That’s great. This is so exciting,” Harry stated.

“Congratulations, I didn’t know you wanted more,” Draco added.

“Well, we talked about it and decided that we were ready. We have four children, but we haven’t actually had the opportunity to raise any of you,” James pointed out.

“I didn’t even think of that. It must be so weird to have four babies and then to have four adult children,” Neville agreed.

“So, how long until we can find out boys, girls, or one of each?” Harry asked.

“I was about twelve weeks along with each of you when we found out. I don’t know if there is a spell or test that could find out sooner here on Nevarah,” Lily responded.

“We can ask, Quinn. He will know for sure. Or even Surajini,” Harry offered.

“That would be nice. Thank you, Harry,” Lucius answered.

They had desert and talked about what fun it would be to have new babies running around. Harry was pretty excited about and could tell from the look on Draco’s face that maybe his twin was a little more than excited.

Where Harry wasn’t quite interested in having kids just yet, he knew his twin was. Harry and Draco had talked about it after he had first inherited. Harry was planning to just be a cool uncle for awhile before he started having any of his own.

“Wanna hang out in the Merrow section for a bit?” Harry asked his twin.

“Yeah, that sounds like fun. Maybe you can show me the underwater market area. I haven’t been able to visit it yet,” Draco agreed.

“Oh, it is so fun. They have the prettiest things for sale down there. You know if you wanted to go you could have just said something. I would have been happy to go with you,” Harry told him.

“You have been so busy and having a great time running around everywhere, I just didn’t want to disrupt your Hunt,” Draco answered.

“Drake, you know better than that. I will never be too busy for you. It wouldn’t have disrupted my Hunt. Family comes first,” Harry insisted. “Next time, say something.”

“Yeah, ok,” Draco said with a smile.

“Promise?” Harry asked.

“Promise,” Draco agreed. “Now, let’s go. I am excited.”

So, Draco, Harry, and his bonded ported over to the Merrow section and spent a few hours there exploring together above and below the water. It was a lot of fun and Harry needed to make sure that from now on he spent more time with his brother like this.

He really needed to take the initiative to spend more time with all of his siblings like this. Harry wanted to make sure that he didn’t forget how important time with his family was. He spent so much time not having one that he never wanted them to feel unappreciated.

When they got home that evening. Harry and Draco spent a bit of time in their nesting room together. Afterward, Harry found his lovely Beta and curled up with him. He asked Theo to read to him from their book for a bit until dinner.

“Hey there,” Bryn called from the doorway of the office Theo and Harry had been relaxing in.

“Hey, Bryn,” Harry said to his newest Pareya.

“It’s time for dinner, are the two of you ready to come down?” He asked them.

“Yeah, Theo was just about to start a new chapter. So, this was a great place to stop,” Harry responded.

Theo and Harry headed to the dining room with Bryn and Harry was pulled down into Magnus’ lap between Bryn and Donovan.

It was a really good day and Harry was pretty sure that he wanted to spend the day at home tomorrow doing nothing but relaxing with his bonded. Well, besides the few hours of training they were having each day.

He slept happily between his Alpha and Beta that night.

~~~~~~~~~~
Day 22: Harry, Theo, Aither, and Ariki

“Ariki,” Theo greeted his friend with a smile and a hug.

“Hey, Theo,” Ariki responded happily. “Harry, it is so good to see you again.”

“Hi, Ariki,” Harry said with a happy chirp. “It is good to see you again as well. This is Aither one of my Princess’.”

“Nice to meet you,” Aither responded.

“You as well,” Ariki answered. “So, I have a table reserved from us in the Canyon. You are going to like it here. There is a show today.”

“Wonderful,” Harry agreed. “Lead the way. I haven’t been here yet.”

“You are going to love it,” Theo insisted. “Ilsa used to bring us here when we were younger.”

Harry and the others headed down into a large canyon. The feel of the Earth magic in the area was really nice, steady, and calm. Just like Theo always felt to Harry. The came up to a restaurant that was built into the side of the canyon and were lead to a table that was out on the ledge overlooking a stage of sorts.

Theo and Aither sat on one side of the table and talked quietly together about the shows and other things so that Harry and Theo could have time to talk to just each other.

“So, tell me a bit more about you,” Harry said once they were settled, and their food had arrived.

“Well, I am a flight instructor. I am twenty years old, and I am sincerely hoping that this date goes really well,” Ariki answered with a smile and a wink.

“Yeah, me too,” Harry responded. “I could use some instructions on how to fly a bit better than I do currently. Draco is so good at it, and I am just not.”

“That is no problem at all. I would be more than happy to work with you on flying. From what I hear though, you are far more deadly with both feet on the ground,” Ariki praised.

“I am ok,” Harry answered with a blush. “According to my Gheyo, I am fast and have good instincts, but I am far from ready to really fight anyone officially that isn’t a fabrine.”

“You have only been training with your suites for what, a few months at the most?” Ariki asked him. Harry nodded. “Then you are still really new to all of this, and you have plenty of time to train and get better. My mother has bragged about you enough for me to know that you are going to be spectacular.”

“Ilsa brags about me?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, she does. She loves you as if you were her own,” Ariki confirmed.

“I love her too,” Harry said with a happy sigh. “She is wonderful.”

“This place is great. I am surprised that my other bonded haven’t brought me here yet,” Harry said as the show below them started. It was really nice to watch the way the Earth Dragel manipulated their element.

“It isn’t as popular as The Dive during the Hunt. It is usually just Earth types that come here,” Ariki informed him.

“Shame. It’s nice here,” Harry responded.

The two of them talked for a bit longer about other things and drew Theo and Aither into the conversation as well. Harry had a great time and when it was time to part ways he was a bit sad. But he now knew that he definitely wanted Ariki for his circle.

“I would like to court you, Harry. Are you considering any other Betas?” Ariki asked him when they exited the canyon.

“No, I wanted to see how things went with you first,” Harry answered honestly.

“Can I ask that you consider agreeing to let me court you properly before we exchange any marks? And that you don’t date any others in the mean time?” Ariki asked him seriously.

“Of course, I am happy to agree to that,” Harry told him. “You can take as long as you like to court me the exact way that you want to. I will not accept or set up any more dates with other Betas. I am happy to go at your pace.”

“Wonderful, thank you Harry,” Ariki said gratefully. “May I hug you?”

“You absolutely can,” Harry consented.

Ariki grinned and pulled Harry into a really nice hug. He really liked how steady and calm his Earth types always felt. It was one of the first things that had drawn him to Theo back when he was fifteen and his life was chaos.

They parted ways with a promise to meet up again soon. Harry was quite happy and content. He had completed his bond with Tempest yesterday and now he had confirmation that Ariki wanted to bond with him as well. His instincts were settled and thrumming happily.

“Where to now, Princess?” Theo asked him. Harry snuggled up to his Beta and nuzzled his neck.

“Why don’t we message our bonded and see who isn’t busy. They can join us in our box in the Colosseum and watch a few of the shows that are going on today?” Harry asked him.

“That sounds lovely, Princess. I will send out the message now,” Theo answered.

After he sent out the message, the three of them headed for their box and got comfortable. It was barely twenty minutes later when a few of their other bonded started to trickle in. Harry sat down between Ethan and Mistral.

He loved his fussy Pareya, and he really didn’t spend enough time with them. But that was going to change now. He wasn’t Hunting anymore. He didn’t feel the need or compulsion to seek more bonded. He felt whole and completely relaxed for the first time in probably his entire life.

Harry had every intention of enjoying the rest of the Hunt in a very relaxed way. Watching shows and his bonded fight. Surajini was going to throw them a bonding ceremony in about five or six weeks and then when the Hunt was over and things in Nevarah settled down they would start training to become a Military circle.

“You are awfully deep in thought,” Mistral pointed out. Harry nuzzled the Storm Pareya.

“Yeah, a bit,” Harry agreed.

“Anything we can do to help?” Ethan asked him. Harry linked their fingers together.

“No, there isn’t anything wrong. I was just thinking about how settled I feel. I feel really good about our lives, where they are and where they are heading,” Harry told them.

“That’s good, Love. You have no idea how happy that makes a Pareya feel to hear something like that,” Ethan said with a smile.

“I’m not going to be Hunting anymore,” Harry informed them. “I plan to just enjoy the rest of the Hunt now doing things exactly like this. Spending time with all of you.”

“I for one am very happy to hear that,” Bryn called out. “Spending more time with you is absolutely a plus.”

There were sounds of agreement all around the box from his other bonded. He smiled and nearly purred from all of the feelings of happiness he was getting from his bonded. It was a really nice feeling.

~~~~~~~~~
Day 24: Merrow Island

“I am so excited,” Harry said as he nearly bounced in place.

“Me too,” Draco agreed. “I wonder what surprise our bonded have in store for us today.”

“Both of you are going to love it,” Fred said as he wrapped his arms around Draco.

“That’s for sure,” George stated after nuzzling Draco and kissing his cheek.

“Tell us what it is,” Harry begged. The twins laughed.

“Nope,” they said together.

“So, mean,” Draco and Harry responded.

“Do you know how funny the four of you sound when you do that?” Bill asked as he wrapped his arms around Harry.

“I like it,” Harry responded and was happy to let his Alpha nuzzle him.

“I think it is adorable,” Xander called out. There were noised of agreement from other bonded around the room. Harry’s and Draco’s.

“Are we ready to go?” Sol asked when she poked her head in the room.

“Yeah, you have the coordinates right?” Bill asked her. She nodded.

“The four of us are going last right?” Sol asked for confirmation.

“Yep, right after the last four get here,” Bill responded.

“Who is coming?” Draco and Harry asked their Alphas.

“Luna, Neville, Frank, and Keanu, your sisters new Alpha,” Bill informed them.

“So, the surprise is not just for us is it?” Draco deduced. “It is for all four of us. That’s why you all are making sure that we arrive at the same time.

“So smart, Love,” Sol said and kissed Draco. “Now, the two of you need to join the others in the transportation room.”

Fred and George kissed Draco as well as Sol before waving at Harry and heading out of the room. Harry relaxed back against Bill while they waited for everyone to do what they needed to do. Ten minutes later, Keanu, Frank, Neville, and Luna showed up.

“Give it another twenty minutes and then we can portal over,” Frank told the others.

“Portal over to where?” Harry asked casually. Draco laughed when Frank chuckled.

“Won’t be that easy, little Troublemaker,” Frank told his son who gave him a fake pout before they all busted out laughing.

“Good try, Harry,” Draco told him. Harry shrugged and grinned at his twin.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” Harry responded.

Twenty minutes later, they gathered in the transportation room. Harry and his siblings were turned to face the person they transported with so that they could not see where they were when they arrived.

Harry grew even more excited when his feet landed in sand. He could hear the water lapping against the shore somewhere nearby and feel the warmth of the sun on his skin. Wherever they were it was outdoors near the water.

“You can look now,” He heard Lucius call out.

The four of them turned around to see that they were on a very large island. It was surrounded on all sides with some of the prettiest water Harry had ever seen. There were tables set up with food and drinks, canopies set up for shade, hammocks hanging in some of the trees, and games set up.

“Are we having a party?” Luna asked excitedly. Their entire family was there. But it wasn’t just their parental circle. It was the Evansons as well as Alcandor and his two bonded. This was going to be so fun.

“How long do we get to spend together?” Harry asked as he was hugged by Alcandor.

“The entire day. No distractions from the courts or anyone else. That is why we are here on this Island. Exactly like you asked for,” his Uncle told him with a grin.

“You guys planned this because of the bet I lost?” Harry asked suddenly feeling very overwhelmed by the shear amount of love he felt from that one action.

“Of course, we did. It was obviously something that you truly wanted but didn’t think you could have. That is why you figured if it was a bet that you won that I couldn’t deny you. You don’t have to resort to bets to get what you want, Nephew,” Alcandor insisted.

Harry smiled up at him and barely kept himself form tearing up.

“Thanks, Uncle Al,” Harry said sincerely with as much feelings as he could. “Today is going to be amazing.”

He took off and let Draco, Neville, and the twins pull him into a game. They spent the entire day on this Island completely separate from everyone else and everything else. No messages were answered, and no one had to leave for any emergencies.

Games were played, food was enjoyed, stories were told, and bonds were strengthened. There was lots of cuddling with family and getting to know each other so much better than they did before.

Harry, Draco, Luna, and Neville talked about how they were going to see if they could bully their families into doing something like this regularly. Like once a month or so. They felt like it was really important for all of them who really hadn’t grown up with the best home lives. They wanted to make sure that their new little siblings grew up surrounded by this type of environment.

~~~~~~~~~~
One Year Later

"So, tell me how things have been," Maury asked him. Harry smiled at his mentor and snuggled closer to him.

"Things have been amazing," Harry answered him.

"The twins, Pollux and Castor are a few months old now. It is a Black family tradition to name your kids after stars or constellations they were named after the twin stars in the Gemini Constellation. They are beautiful and so tiny. I didn't know how tiny babies really were," Harry told him.

"They are pretty small," Maury agreed with a chuckle. "Still not ready to have any of your own yet?"

"No," Harry answered with a chuckle. "I am perfectly happy right now and feel no urges to have any children just yet. My circle and are going to be declared an official military circle in a few months. We have been training really hard. Bill, and my Aces finally agreed to let me fight in The Pits."

"Oh?" Maury said with surprise. "And when are you going to do that? I don't want to miss it."

"Next month," Harry answered with a grin. He handed Maury a piece of paper with the details on it. "I knew you wouldn't want to miss it."

"Thanks, Loveling," Maury responded as he tucked the paper in his pocket. "Ian and Jauren will probably come as well. They have been asking about you."

"I bet they have. I write them all the time, but it just takes so long for our letters to get back and forth since they are always off-realm," Harry insisted. "How are you enjoying running around with the Cunninghams?"

"I really enjoy it; it is nice to function within a military circle again," Maury admitted. "Mariana and I have been friends for a long time and being around each other is easy."

"That's good, Oret. You seem a lot happier being with them has been good for you," Harry insisted. Maury blushed.

"Yeah, it has," Maury agreed. "Thank you for insisting on it. Ian and Jauren seem so much less careful around me now as well."

"Well yeah, you are their dad, and you went to sleep for a decade because you couldn't deal with the loss of your circle. They were worried and stressed. They are happy that you are happy," Harry pointed out.

"I know," Maury said with a smile. "Now, what else has been going on with you?"

"Draco, is expecting. I am going to get my first niece or nephew in about seven months," Harry stated with pride.

"That's great news. I know he has been trying," Maury responded. "Is he going to carry the baby?"

"For now," Harry responded. "He doesn't know how he will feel later but for now he wants to. Viktor is the Sire and his Queen; Tanwen is their third."

"You know I hear about all of these babies, and I can't help but be a bit upset that you nor Ian and Jauren will give me grandbabies," Maury said with an exaggerated sigh.

"I am not saying I will never have children, Oret. I am only saying I am not ready yet. I want our circle to have the opportunity to be a military circle for a bit before we toss children into the mix," Harry pointed out.

"I am only picking at you, Love. Do things in your own time. You are a smart young man with plans that work for you and your circle," Maury soothed him.

"I know, Oret," Harry assured him with a smile. He checked the time and stood up. "I gotta get going. We will spend more time together when your training is done. I miss you."

"Where are you off to?" Maury asked when he hugged Harry.

"Draco and I are going with Uncle Al to a meeting. They are discussing the Earth problem," Harry responded.

"Well, if they do approve of the extermination idea, make sure the Cunninghams are on the list of circles to go," Maury grinned. Harry laughed.

"Jascha and Mariana are going to be there," Harry informed him. "Well, I will see you later. You can come to the house for dinner and hanging out in about a week."

"Sounds good, Harry. Have fun," Maury told him.

Harry hugged his Oret again before leaving the restaurant and porting straight to the Royal compound. Hadrian was waiting for him in the transportation room.

~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Kitten," The Shadow Ace greeted him. Harry grinned up at him and barely kept himself from squealing when he was thrown over his shoulder. "Did you enjoy your visit with Maury?"

"It was nice to catch up. We stay so busy with our training that it is hard to make time these days," Harry said. He reached up and pinched Hadrian on the rear that was currently his only view. Hadrian chuckled and smacked Harry on the bottom.

"Behave, Kitten," The Ace warned. Harry just laughed and held on while he walked.

"Well, that isn't exactly Royal behavior," Ebony said with a voice full of humor. Harry heard chuckles around the room. Hadrian sat him on his feet and swatted his butt when he walked away to greet his uncle.

"Yeah, well we all know I won't actually sit on a throne," Harry pointed out. Alcandor chuckled.

"My court is still hounding me about children thanks to your father," Alcandor pointed out. "They even suggested that he bond with another Merrow just for the sole purpose of an heir. I think they might be giving up on me."

"That's because they are worried that one of us will end up polluting your Merrow throne with our Fire bonded," Harry teased.

"Truer words have never been spoken," Alec added. He pulled Harry into his arms and kissed him nearly breathless. "Missed you, Trouble."

"Missed you too, Alec," Harry nuzzled into the Merrow's chest.

"You saw him this morning," Alcandor said with a scoff. "Sappy little Shrimps."

"He is just jealous no one misses him like that," Alec teased. Harry nodded and then was happy to sit down with Alec to wait for the rest of the Royals to arrive.

One by one everyone slowly tricked in until they were all there. Perry sat down next to Harry so that he was pressed between them.

"Everyone is here now," Jascha announced.

"Good, then let's get started," Raspen stated. "The scouts that we sent to Earth recently just returned yesterday."

"Is it bad?" Ebony asked.

"Yeah," Raspen answered honestly. "We have identified the race that is helping the Torvak on Earth."

"It's the Vampires, isn't it?" Dawn asked. They had been suspecting it since they hadn't shown during the last Hunt.

"Yeah, it's the Vampires," Raspen confirmed.

"Ok, so we know what race is working with them now, what about the Torvak themselves?" Alcandor asked.

"There is a lot more of them than we thought there was," Raspen admitted. "Let's talk about options."

"I have a suggestion," Harry spoke up. Raspen nodded for him to continue. "I had a discussion with Riven about eight months ago about all of this. We came up with an idea that he has been working on ever since. Riven as well as my other Mages have created a spell that when preformed inside a realm, like say Earth, will render an entire species infertile."

"Are you telling us that your Mages have created a way for us to curse the entire race of Torvak on Earth all at once so that they can no longer bear children?" Ebony asked him.

"Yes," Harry answered. "My suggestion is that we send a handful of Mages and a few Gheyo to Earth, capture a Torvak so that the spell will be specific to their race, and then leave. And by leave, I mean quarantine Earth. No travel to or from there. Don't answer any distress signals, don't make exceptions for any reason, completely shut down all travel between our realm and Earth."

"That might actually be the best solution I have heard in months," Raspen said with a grin. "It minimizes the risk to our people and our Realm by avoiding war."

"Exactly. And if it makes people feel better, give the quarantine a time limit. How about shut it all down completely for about a century or two Earth time. That should give it enough time for the Torvak to die off. Then send a scouting team down to check everything out," Alcandor pointed out.

"Great job, Love," Laurant praised his son. Harry blushed and smiled. It was always nice to be praised for good things.

"Did your bonded help you come up with that?" Dawn asked him with a wink.

"Of course, they did," Harry answered quickly. "One of our exercises for our training was to come up with a solution to a problem that didn't involve fighting. This was a current hot topic, so this was what we decided to brainstorm about."

"Beautifully done, I believe it is very clear that you chose a great circle to train with," Raspen complimented.

"My Aces got together and picked them. I agree that it was a perfect choice for us," Harry agreed. "Their very first lessons were that not everything has to be settled with a fight. That choosing not to fight benefits us more than our enemy."

"A lesson that you have clearly taken to heart," Laurent responded. "Your other parents will be very happy to hear that."

Harry chucked along with a few others in the room. They spent the next few hours talking through a few other options before they decided to go with Harry's idea. They picked six Mages including Riven and Logi as well as the Cunningham circle to accompany them. They would leave in two weeks so that they had plenty of time to prepare.

Harry cuddled with his Alpha and Rheyo that night and thought about how much his life had changed since just before his fifteenth birthday. He had gone from an abused, unwanted, malnourished little boy to someone who was loved and surrounded by family. His life was really good, and he couldn't imagine what would have become of him if Albus Dumbledore had gotten what he wanted.

Life was good. It was better than he had ever dared to dream when he was locked up in his cupboard every night. He snuggled into Bill's chest and was happy to feel Caelus press closer to him from behind. He fell asleep with a smile on his face and all of his bonds thrumming happily in the back of his mind.

THE END