MasukI watched Lucas carry Sutton off kicking and screaming. Her claws and canines extended as she tried to attack Alpha Anders again. Her eyes practically glowing orange as Nova tried to force her way through. I’d never seen her act like that before. It was terrifying and inspiring all at the same time. Seeing Hannah like that was hard enough, but at least I had a good idea why she was in that condition. I couldn’t say the same about Sutton.My father kept an arm around me, possessively or protectively I couldn’t tell. Probably both seeing as the man who basically kidnapped and brainwashed his other daughter was only feet away. Even if he was dragging himself off the ground. Jaden was hovering over him just as Gamma Max and other security came running over.Anders spat blood on the ground as he got to his feet. “Crazy bitch,” he muttered under his breath.Jaden advanced on him. “Shut your mouth, Anders,” he growled menacingly. “You can walk out of here on your own or we’ll carry you out.
We ran a path around the packhouse grounds before returning to the gardens. It was by far the best run of my life. I almost wasn’t able to regain control from Rhonen with the euphoric state he was in. But we had guests waiting to congratulate us and a celebration to continue. We shifted back as we returned, our pack members following suit.We were instantly bombarded by people vying for our attention. Before they could overwhelm us, the crowd quieted down. Parting as King Osric approached, a look of pride on his face. Extending his hand, Sutton took them, returning the warm smile.“Congratulations, my dear,” King Osric told her. “I have no doubts you will prove to the world what a credit to your pack you are.”“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Sutton replied.“Alpha Lucas, I hope you know how lucky you are,” the king commented.“I’ve never doubted it,” I replied, resting a possessive hand on the small of Sutton’s back.Prince Raphe stepped up to greet her next, followed by Princess Nomi prai
Raising my hand between us, Lucas led me out of the tent to the stage stairs. My heart was beating in my ears and I was holding my breath. Fearing I would have a panic attack if I looked in anyone’s eyes, I focused on the space above the crowd. Only looking away to ascend the stairs and take my place center stage.‘You’re ready, Sutton,’ Nova assured me, coming to the forefront of my mind.We had rehearsed this a dozen times. I knew every word and every action that was needed, even if they felt fuzzy at the moment. I could barely hear Lucas speaking to the crowd over the sound of my heart still pounding in my ears. But it was okay. I knew what to do.‘Turn, Sutton,’ Nova urged.I moved to face Lucas. As our eyes met, my heartbeat calmed slightly and my mind started to clear. Nobody had ever looked at me like Lucas did. Nobody had ever seen me the same way Lucas did. And he did see me. He saw me better than I saw myself most days. And standing her now, the adoring look in his eyes told
She was indescribable. There were no words adequate enough to depict the creature I saw before me. The distance between us was closed in an instant and I was pouring my adoration and utter worship into the kiss I was bestowing on her. And I still felt like I was failing to express how I felt.Her musical laughter broke through my haze of blind devotion and I somehow managed to pull away from her.“I guess that means you approve,” she laughed.A growl escaped, echoing Rhonen’s and my incredulity that she could entertain any other reaction than she just inspired. I could never disapprove of her. I could never be disappointed by the grace and humbleness that she exuded. I could never get tired of getting lost in those beautiful eyes of hers. The icy blue that reflected her strength and resolve and the warm amber that echoed her love and acceptance.“Keep looking me like that and we can forget the ceremony,” Sutton teased, effectively bringing back to the real world a little.The corner o
I stood in front of the mirror and took a few slow, deep breaths. My hair and makeup were professionally done and my gown fit like a dream. I was the picture of perfection. So much so that I was having a hard time recognizing myself.We had moved downstairs to a receiving room on the first floor to get ready. That way I didn’t have to all the way through the packhouse. We were minutes away from the ceremony. They would be escorting everyone into the gardens any minute now. And my nerves were fully set in. Big time.I felt my heartrate increase and my forehead get clammy as I thought about all the eyes that were going to be on me. I thought about the magnitude of what I was about to commit to and how I could ever live up to the expectations. My hands started to shake and I even felt like I was losing contact with Nova.“Hey,” Helene said next to me, turning me to face her. She looked me in the eye with the sweet, genuine smile that had gotten me through so many hard times before. She t
Two days went by surprisingly fast. I suppose that does happen when you don’t stop moving. And I don’t think I did. Everything had gone pretty smoothly. Princess Nomi even ended up being more of a help than I had expected. But then, she had practice in giving orders. Still, she wasn’t discourteous or anything. In fact, the pack members seemed to be fascinated to have a member of the royal family so involved with the event.As helpful as she had been, she was also a bit much at times. She had been pushing more and more for me and Helene to open up more in an attempt to “get to know us better.” This just wasn’t the time for all that. Even if it was, I still wasn’t sure how close I intended to get to my newfound aunt. It didn’t help her case when she kept bringing up Hannah. Helene finally shut that topic down thoroughly last night, so it would hopefully be the last time our wayward sibling was brought up.Still, I wasn’t sure I was prepared to handle Princess Nomi today. I wanted to foc







