As soon as we woke up the next day, Lilith was shouting through our Mental Link for us to come downstairs for breakfast. We all missed each other terribly, and I was just as eager.So, I got ready for the warm, tropical climate and quickly took the elevator down, carrying our excited little kids. I was more than happy to finally be home, in my own house.The trip had been great, but nothing compared to being home with the people who truly matter and love us. I was proud of my kids, proud of myself, and proud of everything.When we reached the first floor, the kids let loose and ran to the dining room. I followed them quickly but stopped in my tracks at the door when I saw the huge banner decorating the entire large hall.“WELCOME BACK, ALPHA JADEN AND LUNA MALIA.”I stood there, completely stunned. Had they prepared a surprise for us? For our return? I teared up, utterly amazed. My throat tightened for a moment.Then I took a deep breath and walked into the dining room, following the k
One Month Later…“Enjoy yourself!” Jaden murmured. “The kids and I are really going to miss you.”“It’s only going to be a few hours,” I murmured, laughing.“Even so, any moment away from you is torture.” He pulled me in and gave me a kiss.I pulled away from him, smoothing his shoulders. “Let me go, or I’m going to end up staying here because of that face.” I lightly pinched his cheek.I was heading out for a girls’ day in the heart of the pack. Lilith, Maggie — Toby’s wife — Julie, Katalina, and I had planned to meet up before we left to enjoy our favorite coffee one last time.At least I was happy knowing that I didn’t have to leave them behind; instead, we were all starting a new life together. Katalina and Damon were finally engaged. Maggie was going to join Toby, who was now the royal head of security. Lilith, as the wife of my Gamma, was coming with us — and even if she didn’t want to, she had no choice. I wasn’t going to leave her behind.I got into my car and gave the driver
We were surrounded by boxes and suitcases, the typical chaos of moving. The sun was already setting, painting the sky with shades of orange and pink, as Jaden and I rummaged through closets and shelves looking for the last items to pack."I never realized how much stuff we accumulated over the years," Jaden commented, holding a box full of mementos.I looked at him and laughed, unwrapping a small picture frame. "Look at this," I said, showing him a photo of us at a Halloween party two years ago. "Do you remember this day? It was the first time we dressed up together."Jaden looked at the photo and smiled. "Of course, I remember. You were dressed as Bella, and I was Edward. I'm still annoyed you humiliated me like that.""Hey!" I laughed. "I didn't do anything." I rolled my eyes. "Bella doesn't end up with the dog; she ends up with the vampire.""Minus points for Bella. Who wouldn't prefer a hottie like me?" He sighed, shaking his head."Well, she wouldn't." I shrugged. "And if you wer
I was standing in front of the house where Serena and Dandara were living. I was nervous too; it had been a while since the last time I saw my little girl, who by now was five years old—she had celebrated her birthday during my honeymoon.I tried calling, but the phones weren't answered, and I preferred to believe that she hadn't seen the message rather than thinking she was ignoring me. I knocked twice on the door and took a deep breath, waiting for a response that came a few seconds later from Serena.When she opened the door, her eyebrows arched in surprise, and she twisted her mouth, sighing before crossing her arms in front of her body. "Your Majesties," she said, making a brief bow."Serena, hi!" I said, trying to smile. "We came to see Dandara."She let out a slightly bitter laugh."I'm afraid that's not possible," she murmured."Why?" I frowned."Dandara has afternoon classes now," she pointed out. "She asked for it, and I agreed. I'm afraid you won't be able to see her before
I was always actively involved in everything about Jaden and the pack. He always let me know everything that was going on, and I think, deep down, his decision not to let me know that he was giving money to his sister-in-law and niece — who was actually like a daughter to us — was purely accidental. The information was superfluous, and he overlooked it. And apparently, Damon was there too, so both of them knew how manipulative she could be. Did she use the same tactics she used with my ex-husband, Joshua? I'm burning inside to ask for all the details, but I still don't have the courage. I run my fingers over Jaden's and keep my eyes on him, feeling my cheeks burning. "Ask," he ordered. "Oh, I..." I stammered. "Ask already," he said again. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" I finally asked. "I didn't want to burden you with it, love. You have so many worries, and it wasn't any trouble to help..." He slid his fingers down to meet mine and brought them to his lips, kissing
Two days later, we were finally on the grounds of our new pack. The final preparations had been made, and we were just minutes away from being crowned. It felt strange. I wasn’t prepared for this moment. I had been raised in such a different way, and now I realized how much the moon goddess had taken care of us—how much she had blessed us. “It’s time, Your Majesty,” one of the maids said, opening the door to my private room. Jaden was in another room with Damon and Bruno. I knew he was as nervous as I was, though he would never show it. I looked at my children and kissed their foreheads. They were so precious. They were with their trusted nannies, so I felt at ease. “You mean everything to me,” I whispered, more to myself than to them. All of this is for you, I thought. The nannies smiled at me, assuring me that our little ones would be in good hands. Feeling confident, I left the room, following the long corridors that led to the grand hall. My heart was pounding fast. My body
Everything had been so beautiful and perfect, just as I had imagined it would be. I was proud of myself and of Jaden, proud of the path we had managed to forge."Attention!" I heard the man shout as the enormous, heavy palace doors creaked open. "Salute the Supreme King and Queen.""LONG LIVE!" they shouted in unison as Jaden and I approached the balcony, smiling and waving.Jaden raised his hand for silence, and it didn’t take long for the crowd to quiet down.“It is well known that we are new here. That we are new to this, but fortunately, we are blessed by the gracious goddess, and she will help us to walk our paths in the best possible way,” he paused. “Thank you for being here in this new phase, and I hope you will support us and welcome us with open arms. We hope to lead our people, our nation, to greatness.”I smiled softly, letting out a quiet laugh. I looked at him — Jaden was so wonderful. He was born to be a king. He shines like one. His eyes are like beacons that illuminate
When I opened my eyes, I sat up in bed, noticing the empty space beside me, and let out a loud, tired sigh. Last night’s party had been so much fun, but I was exhausted from wearing high heels all night.“Jaden?” I called out.No response. I grunted and flopped back onto the bed, glancing over at my bedside table. A small white note was neatly stuck to the lamp. I reached over and grabbed it, quickly reading through the message.“Good morning, love. I’m in my office with Damon. Rest up.”I smiled as I rolled around in bed for a bit before finally getting up, ready to start the day. As I stood up, I began exploring the new room that Jaden and I would be sharing. Well, the new Alpha’s room, since I knew I had a room of my own somewhere.The Alpha’s room was massive, with dark wood furniture and gold accents. The heavy curtains kept the sunlight softened, giving the room a cozy feel. I walked over to the window and opened the curtains, letting the light flood the space. Outside, the roya