Chapter 23

SAMANTHA

I answered the knock at my suite door and pulled it open to find Cassie. Her usual beaming smile was a little lopsided, and she was holding a coffee in each hand.

“Hey, Alpha,” she said uneasily. “You sounded pretty tired on the phone. I figured you could use this.” She held one of the coffees a little closer.

I accepted it and took a swig. And it wasn’t just my voice she was reacting to. A glance in the mirror told me that I looked as bad as I felt.

“Tough night?” she asked cautiously, allowing me through the door and into the hallway.

I slid my hand over my eyes and face. “You could say that… Emerick proposed to me.”

I didn’t have to see or hear anything to know Cassie’s mouth was about as wide open as she could make it.

“He…? How…? What did you say?”

I shrugged. “I said no. I mean, it’s not like I don’t like him. I do… a lot. Since this all started, he’s done little else but look after me.”

Turning my eyes to Cassie, I took her hand with my free one. “Honestly, if it hadn’t been for you and Em, I don’t think I would have survived these first few days.”

I remembered the feel of his fingers… the taste of his lips…

“But marriage? Mating? Dedicating my life to him when we barely know each other? Sometimes it feels like he’s a teenage boy.”

I could tell Cassie was keeping quiet for a moment, picking her timing.

She led me downstairs, out of the front of the pack house, and up to the tree line on the other side of the road.

We followed the well-worn footpath through a space in the trees and under the canopy.

“Come this way,” Cassie nodded toward the thick woods. “There’s a road that leads from the pack house to the Alpha’s Residence, but through the woods, it’s faster on foot.”

The rustle of the light wind through the thick leaves and the chirping of the birds was like a siren’s song to my soul.

As we meandered along the secluded trail, my racing thoughts slowed ever so slightly.

My companion seemed to realize this. “You’re right, Emerick is moving too fast. But…”

I looked at her. She wore an exaggerated frown. I could already tell that I was about to get a lesson in one of the differences between werewolves and humans. More so, that I wasn’t going to like it.

“…he’s not…totally wrong. You said it yourself, you’ve already had one proposition from another alpha.”

“Alpha-to-be,” I corrected. “The guy was asking for his son. What is this? The Middle Ages?”

Cassie laughed lightly. “The thing is, he won’t be the last.” She took a deep breath. “You remember I’m planning your alpha ceremony, right?”

“Right.”

“So, an alpha ceremony is, officially, an event celebrated by packs all over a region, sometimes the country.

“The idea is that alphas everywhere welcome the newest member to their ranks, size them up, begin forming a working relationship, et cetera.

“And so, it’s tradition for the pack naming a new alpha to invite alphas from other packs to attend. Only, most of the time, other alphas don’t bother to attend.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Why not?”

Cassie pulled her phone out. “It’s the twenty-first century. Why travel across the globe for a boring event with people you don’t know when you can just send your congrats over a five-minute call?”

I studied her sheepish face. “I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming on.”

“Buuut so far, most of the alphas from other packs we invited, purely out of courtesy, have RSVP’d that they are, in fact, coming.”

My stomach dropped. Nothing good could come from multiple alpha males attending my ceremony; I was sure of it.

~At best, they’ll want to size me up to determine how strong or weak of a leader I am. At worst, they are going to try their own luck at mating with me.~

Cassie let out something between a laugh and a scoff. “Heck, even the king is planning to attend.”

Time seemed to slow around me.

Not even the smells of the forest or the sunbeams piercing through the leaves, their long rays bouncing off the particles of dirt in the air, were enough to halt the anxiety that seeped into my veins.

“King Ivar is coming?” I tried to swallow, but my throat seemed to catch itself.

I’d read about the king in the archives, although I hadn’t been able to wrap my mind around much of it.

He had been crowned over a thousand years ago. Unless every king was named Ivar for some odd, werewolf-y reason, he seemed to be practically immortal.

In all the chaos since becoming an alpha, I hadn’t found the right time to sit someone down to ask about the specifics.

Truthfully, it hadn’t seemed all that pressing. As far as I’d been able to glean from what I’d read over the last week, King Ivar was a bit of an enigma.

He was immensely powerful, maintained order, and coordinated relationships between werewolves and other species, including humans, but individual pack matters were left to the alpha in charge.

“Huh,” I said, feigning nonchalance, “I thought it was all but unheard of for the king to appear at a private pack affair like an alpha ceremony?”

“Yeah,” Cassie pursed her lips, “it ~is~ a little strange. Usually, he declines. I suppose he would feel obligated to attend every alpha ceremony if he attended one.”

“Right…”

We walked in silence for several yards before I caught Cassie studying me from the corner of my eye.

“Sam?” she asked gently. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” I lied. “Just nervous about being the center of attention, I guess.”

Cassie tilted her head thoughtfully. “I will rescind their invitations immediately.”

I laughed despite myself. “No, Cassie, that’s okay. I don’t want to come off as scared or rude. Let them come.”

She let out a heavy sigh. “Good. I mean, I can cancel the other alphas, but the king? No way.” She put her hand on my forearm and squeezed. “Anyway, do you see what I’m getting at with all this?”

I forced a tight smile as we resumed along the path. “Me being a she-wolf is causing quite the stir, and everyone wants to come and get a good look at me.”

~And when they see I’m not mated, the single ones will, quite literally, circle like hungry wolves.~

“I’m sorry,” Cassie grimaced. “Werewolves hate the stereotype that we behave like animals, but sometimes, our menfolk can act like wild beasts.”

I looked at her and chuckled. “Menfolk?”

Cassie laughed. “Men-folk!”

Emerging from the forest, we stepped onto the stony road and followed the last few meters to a large, wrought iron gate with the letters ~RC~ emblazoned on it.

They opened automatically, and we made our way down the tree-lined, gravel driveway. At the end of it was an enormous mansion.

It was the Alpha’s Residence.

And it was stunning.

Unlike the cabin-style homes I’d seen so far, this was a classic brick building with large colonial pillars at the front.

It was two stories high, and I could only imagine the number of bedrooms and entertainment spaces it contained.

The entire front was adorned with a large porch, where I envisioned placing rocking chairs for leisurely coffee-infused mornings.

The designer in me was itching to see the inside.

“Wow,” I breathed out.

Cassie glanced at me. “Pretty, isn’t it?”

“That’s an understatement.”

As we reached the two parked cars out front, the door opened, and out stepped Serena Redding, her red hair catching the sunlight, her bright green eyes glistening.

“Good morning, Alpha Paulson,” she said cheerfully. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

“Good morning, Serena.” I covered my mouth with my hand and felt my cheeks grow warm. “Luna!” I bowed my head slightly. “I’m sorry, I should have called you Luna. Please, call me Sam.”

She waved away my concern. “I’m the former luna these days. And actually, I wanted to ask you to forgive me.”

“What for?”

“Well, I’m your father’s sister-in-law; technically, your aunt. I’ve met you on a few occasions now, but we’ve never acknowledged that we’re, well, family.”

My heart warmed slightly. When I’d first heard about the treatment my father received from the Redding family, I assumed most of them would treat me much the same way.

But aside from Emilia, the opposite had been true. It gave me a glimmer of hope for Luke’s impending arrival.

“Granted, most of our meetings have been formal affairs,” Serena continued. “And I’ve been wanting to give you space these last few days while you process everything. I didn’t want to overwhelm you.

“But I think I could have been a little more welcoming than I have been.”

I shrugged. “It’s okay. I understand the family situation is…complicated.”

“Still”—she wrinkled her nose—“I heard you were moving in today, so I thought you’d want someone to show you around. Besides, I needed to clear out most of the sentimental things from my… Christian…”

I felt so guilty. While I was getting excited about moving into a new house, this poor woman was probably struggling with the idea of a stranger moving into her and her late son’s former home.

“Samantha, don’t look at me like that,” Serena said, noticing my expression. “We knew you would move in here the moment you became alpha. As you should. You’re not stepping on anyone’s toes.

“I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. It’s all still a bit fresh.” Her eyes were misty, but her voice was steady and strong.

Serena exuded such a calming energy that I was sure people felt naturally drawn to her. I looked forward to having her in my inner circle, even if we hadn’t had the chance to bond quite yet.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I told her. “This must be very difficult for you, especially on top of losing your son. As a mother, I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through, Serena.”

“Thank you.” She looked relieved. “But I think you’ve been going through quite a bit yourself, and I could have reached out sooner too. Can we agree it’s time we get to know one another better?”

“Absolutely,” I replied with a smile.

We shared an awkward hug, and I felt Serena looking over my shoulder.

“Lovely to see you, Cassie. Is Emerick not with you both? The rumor mill is hard at work. I’ve heard you two have become quite close.”

Cassie’s eyes darted from Serena to me and back again. “Emerick and Alpha Paulson…”

“I needed some space this morning,” I finished for her. “We’re moving a little too fast, although I’m coming to understand that I’m partly to blame for that.”

Cassie frowned. “I didn’t mean to say—”

“I know, I know. But my being a female alpha is part of why Emerick feels so territorial over me. I should have been more cognizant of that before throwing myself into a relationship so quickly.”

Serena nodded knowingly. “Say no more. I think we are all well aware of how…~protective our men can be~.”

Cassie snorted. “Protective is a nice way to put it.”

Serena grinned at her before turning toward the mansion. “Let’s take a look around. But if you feel comfortable talking about it a bit later, I’m here for you.”

I nodded gratefully and considered the prospect. After all, she knew Emerick better than most people. Perhaps she might have some insight into what he might be thinking.

As she stepped forward, Cassie held me back.

“Hey,” she said softly, “I didn’t mean to overstep about Emerick.”

“No, it’s fine. Really.” I shook my head. “We’re in a weird place. I just don’t want our relationship to overshadow my unveiling to the pack. They need to know I’m committed to them and my role.”

“I understand. I’m sure going through so much change in such a short period has been really difficult.”

“It has. And I’ve been lonely, so I leaned hard into his support. Now that I’m finding my feet, I’m trying to slow things down—and I think that scares him.”

Cassie nodded. “Well, if it’s meant to be, it will be. At least, that’s my motto.”

“Easy for the psychic to say,” I joked.

“Oh, don’t buy into that too much.” She laughed.

~Didn’t deny it though.~

Serena led us up to the grand entryway, and we entered into a massive foyer. Warm wood floors stretched out in all directions, and a large curved staircase formed the room’s centerpiece.

We continued through a sitting room, a dining room, and finally, into the kitchen.

It was enormous and state-of-the-art. Custom cabinetry lined the walls, and double islands allowed me to imagine the gatherings to come. I could already picture Luke and me preparing meals together.

We moved on to a large family room where I decided I’d place most of my living room furniture. I imagined our family photos filling the built-in shelves.

Despite the mansion’s size, every room felt warm and inviting. I could sense the love that had been shared within its walls. It eased some of the sadness I felt about leaving my own home.

Up the back staircase—apparently, a house of such size needed two—Serena showed me to the bedrooms.

“Over here is the master room,” Serena pointed. “Sarah redid the bathroom and closet a couple of years ago. I think she did a wonderful job. Of course, you’re welcome to change anything you like.”

I rounded the corner to find a stunning bathroom with white marble floors, a large freestanding tub, and a walk-in shower fit for a king.

Beyond the tub was a closet with custom mahogany built-ins. The space was so large it could have served as a second bedroom.

Many of my clients over the years would have killed for a bathroom half as nice, and they didn’t skimp on expenses.

“Oh, Serena, this is gorgeous. She had excellent taste.”

“I agree,” she said with a sad smile. “I’ll let you explore the other bedrooms on your own if you don’t mind. I haven’t been back in Christian’s childhood room, and I’m not sure I’m ready just yet.”

“No, of course,” I said quickly. “Thank you so much for the tour. Can I meet you downstairs in a bit?”

She nodded gently and then left the room.

I stood in the massive bedroom, feeling the sunlight on my face from the windows that offered a perfect view of the distant mountains.

My home with Travis had been large by any standard, but this was an actual mansion. Taking on such a huge project on my own felt exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.

“Mom?”

The shout was faint, muted, but…familiar?

“Luke?” I whispered. “Luke?!” I jumped to my feet. Out the window in front of me, I looked down over the front drive.

There was a new car there—my dad’s truck.

“Luke!” I ran out of the room and down the hall. From the top of the staircase, I could see light pouring into the foyer from the open door.

Standing in the middle of the entryway, my son sent a beaming smile up at me.

I ran so fast down the stairs that I narrowly avoided tripping several times before jumping and throwing my arms around the boy who was my whole world.

He chuckled. “H-hey, Mom! Wow, I missed you too.”

“You’re here!” I leaned back and took his face in my hands. “Luke, I’ve missed you so much.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“Love you more, Lukey. To the moon and back.”