As soon as Trixie pulled in front of the packhouse, Alpha Fiona burst out of the front door and stalked towards them. Her usual stoneface expression was replaced by annoyance and worry. Trixie smiled, unbothered by Alpha Fiona’s expression, as she ushered everyone towards the packhouse.
“Trixie, are you determined to give me a heart attack? You are too close to giving birth to be driving a golf cart. Let alone out of bed,” Alpha Fiona yelled at her.
Trixie dismissed her comment and walked towards the packhouse steps. “I didn’t go too far. Besides, you know I want to give birth in nature. I’m not going to the pack’s hospital.”
Alpha Fiona pulled Trixie into a hug. “Trixie, we’ve talked about this. I want you to be-”
“Oh, you should have seen Zira’s face,” Trixie interrupted, pulling out of the hug and moving over to Zira. “It was priceless.”
Alpha Fiona regarded Zira and her new friends. She was never one to hide her emotions and at this moment she looked guarded. “Zira.”
“Alpha Fiona. I see Trixie is still running you ragged.”
“She’s like a puppy and an extreme cardio workout all wrapped into one," Alpha Fiona grimaced before Trixie gave her a quick kiss. A ghost of a smile played on Alpha Fiona’s lips.
"You know I see that as a compliment," Trixie smiled as Alpha Fiona helped her up and walked up the steps.
"And who’s your company,” Alpha Fiona asked, giving Clary and the twins a once over before turning back to Zira.
“Right. These are my…friends from the Lunar Pride Pack. They are white wolves. Clary, Malachi, and Ezekiel.”
Trixie gasped. “Wow, they just keep finding you. First that handsome empath, now a whole pack! You're like the White Wolf Magnet," Trixie laughed. Despite the current situation Zira was in, she couldn't help but smile at Trixie's comment. Her energy was infectious.
"Oh, this is so exciting," Trixie continued, "Percy must’ve been thrilled. Where is he? I’ve always enjoyed his company.”
“You enjoyed how much you flirted with him,” Alpha Fiona grumbled as they walked into the packhouse. Everyone followed them into the living room and took a seat that was available. Clary made sure to sit across from Zira in case she did something unusual.
Trixie only smiled at Alpha Fiona's comment. “It’s called being friendly, dear. Watch and learn,” Trixie said, turning her attention to Ezekiel. “Hello handsome,” she said as her wings fluttered about, catching Ezekiel’s attention, “how you doin’?”
“Trixie,” Alpha Fiona warned as she watched Ezekiel blush at Trixie’s come-on. The display of her wings fluttering about and catching the light from outside was a bit mesmerizing.
“Pretty,” Ezekiel gushed before Clary hit him on the shoulders. “Sorry, I’ve never met a fairy with wings like yours. Or a fairy at all. Only in books.”
Trixie laughed. “Well, technically, I’m part fairy and pixie, which is rare since both species hate each other. So, you won’t meet many fairies with pixie wings.”
“They’re cool,” Ezekiel remarked, reaching out as if to touch them.
Clary rolled her eyes and pulled his hand away, wrapping her arm around his arm. “Sorry, he might not be marked but he is mine. I thought pixies and faeries were smaller."
Trixie smiled as if she was thinking of a fond memory. “Well, both are true. We are naturally smaller, no more than six inches in true form but we can change our size if we want. Not many do. As for their hatred, it is still present and fueled many bloody battles between the two. My father was a fairy and met my mother during a battle. It was said they moved around each other like it was a dance. They fought until their battle cries turned into sounds of pleasure. Tragically, my father was killed by another pixie and my mother killed that pixie before holding my father until he died. Then she found she was pregnant with me,” Trixie laughed. “Truly the best love story, well aside from Zira and James. Are you going to visit him while you’re here?”
“No,” Zira said quickly, causing Trixie and Alpha Fiona to give her a suspicious look before looking at each other.
No matter rain or shine, every time Zira visited, she went to James’ grave. When she first started her journey, the second time with Percy, and the third time on her way back to the Black Moon Pack. Clary caught the looks on their faces before looking at Zira.
“Strange,” Alpha Fiona said. “You always visit his grave. Is everything OK?”
“Of course,” Zira laughed, ignoring Clary’s stares. “I’m just a bit short on time.”
“Yes,” Clary said. “We are on a mission…"
"Again," Alpha Fiona questioned.
"Can't seem to get it out of my system," Zira said with a strained smile.
“I’m starting to wonder if you ever stay home,” Trixie giggled. “What does your mate have to say about this? If this mate exists since we’ve never met him. You are mated, right?”
Trixie's bombardment of questions had Zira fidgeting in her seat. Just the thought of Isaiah made her chest hurt.
Zira shifted in her seat with a nervous smile. “Well, um…”
“Zira,” Fiona and Trixie said, shaking their heads.
“It’s complicated,” Zira said defensively.
“Does he even know you’re-”
“He knows I’m here,” Zira said quickly, trying not to give anything up. Though speaking of him made things worse.
“Does he now,” Trixie asked with a suspicious look, “because if it was me, you wouldn’t leave my bed for months just to make up for lost time.”
“Ha,” Fiona laughed, looking at Trixie as if she had said the craziest thing. “Woman, you can’t even stay in bed to give birth. Let alone trying to keep another there.”
Trixie narrowed her eyes at her before crossing her arms and turning her nose at Fiona. “I am not giving birth on a bed or anything else for that matter, unless it’s of the earth. It’s un-pixie-like, otherwise.”
“The headboard and the bed frame are made from some kind of tree. Shouldn’t that be good enough,” Fiona pleaded with Trixie.
“No,” Trixie said with a stomp of her foot. “I’m not giving birth in a bed and that’s final.”
An awkward silence filled the room like a cold sweat. Clary was the first to break the ice.
"So, we’re in a bit of a rush. We came here seeking your help, Trixie,” Clary said, trying to get the conversation moving.
“Oh me,” Trixie’s eyes shone at the sound of someone needing her. “Well, of course, I would do anything for Zira. What can I help with?”
Clary laid the book on the table for Zira to open. She flipped through the pages until she found the page Clary wanted to translate. Zira knew Clary was going to notice a page missing but she wasn’t going to say anything unless Clary did. Trixie looked over the words and furrowed her eyebrows.
“This is indeed pixie language,” Trixie said, shaking her head, “but it’s far too old for me to translate. I could pick out words here and there, but they might not make much sense. We could ask my mother for help.” Zira groaned out loud and Trixie couldn’t help but laugh.
“Come on, Trixie,” Zira pleaded. “Do we really have to?”
“I’m sure she’s gotten over whatever you did by now, Zira. Come, let’s find her together.”
With assistance from Alpha Fiona, Trixie got to her feet and pulled Zira along with her outside. As soon as Zira stepped off the porch she was lassoed and pulled at least ten feet off the ground.
"Let me go," Zira growled as the pixie soldiers swirled around her, tightening the rope.
"Now why would we do that, Murderer?"
The voice sent a chill down Zira's body. At least twenty pixies floated below her, including the worst of them all. Queen Bloom of the Pixies.
Zira struggled against the lasso wrapped around her body as the little pixie soldiers laughed and swirled around her. Nina growled inside her mind. She silently prayed for at least one of them to get close enough so she could bite them. Zira looked down below at Queen Bloom, who was staring at her daughter with an uninterested look.
“What the heck, Mother? She has done nothing wrong here,” Trixie said with her hands on her hips. She didn’t at all look as menacing as her mother.
“Hmph,” Queen Bloom simply said, looking at one of her assistants who nodded and stepped forward.
“The Queen says Zira is not of your pack. She is the destroyer.”
“It wasn’t my fault-” The lasso tightened enough to stop Zira from talking.
“Member or not, Mother, she is an honored guest and will not be treated like a prisoner here,” Trixie said with a serious face. “Let her go.”
The silence between them seemed to grow bigger by the second. Zira had never seen anyone talk to Queen Bloom like this. Then again, she'd never seen Trixie look this serious before either. She watched Clary and the twins stepped off to the side, watching everything with curiosity. It was probably because they never traveled outside their pack. This was golden entertainment for them. Queen Bloom looked at Trixie as if she was considering this.
“She burned my pixies, Tri,” Queen Bloom finally spoke with a mixture of playfulness and ice.
“You killed pixies,” Clary asked with widened eyes and looked at Zira like she was the monster at the moment.