15. Chapter 15
Chapter fifteen
Greyson
G reyson thought they’d all been joking about the whole Christmas miracle thing at first, but now he was a firm believer. He didn’t know if he should thank the skeleton Father Christmas, the snow gods, or some other deity, but he would gladly prostrate himself before whatever entity was responsible for their current good fortune.
This holiday season was unfolding in a way he couldn’t have possibly imagined, and far better than he could’ve hoped. First, Genesis had appeared, and Greyson finally got the chance to reconnect with the sister he’d missed so much. They were rebuilding their relationship, getting to know one another again, and figuring out how to be family in more than name only. They’d texted daily since Genesis left, and though they’d mostly talked about the mundanities of their daily lives, it was precious to Greyson.
And then there was Destiny.
What could he have possibly done to deserve her? To have two amazing women come into his home, his family? Greyson was never letting either of them go again.
He felt positively buoyant after the press conference. Xander had been brilliant with the press and, more importantly, with their omega. He’d been the best version of himself during their movie day, and Destiny had been able to relax and let down her walls. Every smile, every casual touch, and every lingering gaze had strengthened the sense of rightness Greyson had felt since she arrived.
Even with that disastrous article throwing a spanner in the works, they’d still come up aces. Greyson could feel the bond between the four of them growing. The way her siren eyes held theirs during the media’s interrogation made it clear that Destiny felt it too.
“How’d I do?” Xander asked in a low voice. Pack Stepanov stood clustered together after the press conference, watching Destiny leave the room with the rest of the royal family. “I think I handled the reporters pretty well, but I worry I might’ve given them something new to write about.”
Greyson clapped him on the shoulder, his chest warm with pride. “You were brilliant, mate! Funny, charming, and in control of the situation. You found the perfect balance between humility and confidence.”
Hunter nodded, eyes scanning the room. Greyson knew it was instinctual, and that his packmate was completely attuned to their conversation, despite his apparent inattention. Hunter rarely missed anything. Of course he’d been the first to recognize Destiny for what she was.
“The press will start speculating about our relationship with Destiny, but that was inevitable. A little gossip won’t hurt anyone.” Hunter shrugged nonchalantly despite the excitement Greyson could feel thrumming through the pack bond. “The truth will come out soon enough.”
“I have an idea about getting ahead of it, but we can talk about that later,” Greyson said, thinking back over the plan he’d been formulating since the Celeb Web post published. It was a pretty brilliant plan, but first they needed to ensure the day went smoothly. “For now, let’s keep our focus on making sure she falls in love with Avondale.”
Greyson was buzzing with the energy and excitement of shared purpose. It was nice being all on the same page, focused on the same goal. Destiny.
Hunter nodded sharply. “How’s the rest of the day looking?”
“She’ll be headed to the children’s program next, then the luncheon. After that is the choir concert, a bit of down time, and finally the tree contest.” Greyson grinned, proud of his careful strategizing. “Destiny will be seated next to at least one of us during each event. Best of all, she’ll share our sleigh during the contest. It seems Natalya’s sleigh was full.”
Of course, Natalya’s sleigh had initially been earmarked for the princess, her best friend, and Destiny and Sasha, since each sleigh seated four. However, when Greyson had reviewed the plan and suggested a few alterations, it made more sense for Sasha and Mina to join the princess in the second sleigh, while the kings and queen were in a larger sleigh leading the procession, and for Pack Stepanov to bring up the rear. Both assistants had agreed it would help to be in the middle sleigh so they could keep an eye on everyone’s needs. Their smiles had hinted at other reasons for agreeing, but they’d kept those thoughts to themselves.
“Well done,” Xander replied with a wide grin. “You could be a criminal mastermind if you’d chosen the dark side instead of sticking with me.”
Greyson rolled his eyes. “You’ve led me into plenty of darkness, you prat. Now let’s follow Star out of it.”
Xander laughed, and it was a boisterous, contagious sound that warmed Greyson’s soul. He couldn’t remember the last time Xander had been so lighthearted. Actually, he couldn’t remember the last time they’d all been this lighthearted. Greyson had missed this over the last few years when they’d all been too caught up in the business of being royals.
“By all means, lead the way.” Xander bowed grandly and gestured toward the door.
Greyson rolled his eyes again as he led them into the corridor. He nearly collided with a flustered-looking Mina, who was walking swiftly, intently tapping on her tablet with her cell phone cradled between her ear and shoulder. He steadied her as the little beta squeaked in surprise, nearly dropping her phone.
“Prince Consort Greyson, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed, unceremoniously ending her call. “I apologize. I should pay attention to where I’m walking.”
Greyson studied her with concern. As chief advisor, he made a point of building positive relationships with the castle’s staff, and Mina was one of his favorites. She was smart, efficient, and unshakably cheerful even in stressful situations. Greyson could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen her ruffled, and there had definitely been occasions when she would’ve been justified in succumbing to the stress. He gave her a reassuring smile.
“You’re the only person I know who can navigate these halls blindfolded, while simultaneously running the place. What’s going on?” he asked gently.
Mina huffed out a deep breath, her shoulders drooping. “It’s fine. It’s just that the theatre troupe have had an accident and probably won’t make it before the families are scheduled to leave. There are two hundred extremely excited children sitting in the music room, jacked up on sweets, with nothing to do for the next hour, and I need to figure out how to entertain them.”
Mina laughed shakily. Greyson nodded sympathetically, his mind already racing to find a solution. This was a proper disaster.
“Don’t worry, Mina. We’ll take care of it.” Xander stepped forward and patted Mina’s shoulder. “This event is my pet project. I should pull my weight. Come on, gents. Let’s go entertain the children.”
Greyson exchanged an incredulous look with Hunter. Xander had always loved interacting with his people and was great with children, but he wasn’t usually one to volunteer for challenging tasks. It seemed their pack leader was truly determined to start fresh and be the leader they needed.
“Oh, Prince Alexander, I couldn’t ask you to do that–,” Mina began, but the prince held up an imperious hand to stop her.
“You’re not asking me, I am exercising my royal prerogative to do as I please, and you’re obeying a direct order.” Xander gave the beta his most winning smile, one Greyson had seen break many a heart. “Go take a breather. You’ve more than earned it.”
Mina bobbed a quick bow, relief written all over her face. “Thank you, your highness. I’ll be back in a tick.”
“Take your time,” Greyson ordered. Mina nodded and hurried away. Once she was out of earshot, Greyson turned back to the prince. “And just how the bloody hell are we going to entertain a load of hyper kiddos?”
Before Xander could reply, their conversation was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of children singing. Their voices drifted through the halls, sweet and clear. Greyson felt himself smiling, even before they reached the music room to find a beautiful surprise.
Destiny Duvalle was on the low stage, guitar strapped over her shoulder as she played and sang “Jingle Bells”. Greyson and his packmates watched raptly as she worked the crowd, encouraging the children to sing along. She guided them to take turns with the various verses, and to mimic simple movements. The children were clearly delighted, seemingly not at all disappointed by the change of program.
“I think I’m in love,” Xander whispered in an awed voice.
Greyson understood the sentiment. Their omega had stepped up when needed, and once again completely captivated her audience. The children’s unabashed joy was contagious, and the castle was practically bursting with good cheer. This was what Greyson loved about Christmas—these special moments when the world showed its softer, more hopeful side.
Pack Stepanov joined the rest of the royal family, who were seated on the front row, singing along with Destiny and the children. Queen Raina gave them a wide smile, her blue eyes sparkling just like Xander’s. Greyson saw her give her son a nudge and a knowing look toward the popstar.
“We had such a lovely breakfast. I knew I liked her, but now I’m completely smitten. And so are Avondale’s children, obviously,” the queen said, loud enough for them all to hear. “She volunteered without the slightest prompting or hesitation to save the day. She’s classy but not afraid to get her hands dirty. Much like me.”
Greyson smothered a smile. Queen Raina was about as subtle as a sledgehammer, but he loved her. He felt a rush of pride at her assessment of their omega, grateful to have her blessing. The queen was like a second mother to him, and her good opinion meant a lot. Greyson knew she would always give them honest, shrewd advice, and her obvious approval of their choice was validating. Not that he was surprised. How could anyone not love Destiny Duvalle?
After a few more songs, Xander moved toward the stage, gesturing for his packmates to follow. “Come on. We can’t let her have all the fun.”
Greyson followed, unsure what the prince had in mind, but eager to be nearer to Destiny, no matter the context. She smirked at them as they climbed on stage, that familiar sassy glint in her eyes sending his heart racing and cock twitching. She effortlessly quieted the children, then lifted an expectant eyebrow at them.
“Who wants to hear a Christmas story?” Xander boomed, to thunderous applause and a room full of eagerly raised hands. “Good! I’ll tell you one my babushka used to tell me. Prince Consorts Hunter and Greyson are going to help by showing you the movements so you can help me tell it.”
Greyson was distracted from his own dismay by the murderous expression on Hunter’s face. Xander grinned mischievously at them. Greyson knew Xander would pay for this later, the brat, and he would enjoy watching it.
With no other choice, Greyson and a very grumpy Hunter improvised silly moves as Xander told a story about Christmas spiders. They wriggled their fingers and made exaggerated faces as the spiders in the story watched a kind family decorate their house. Since the people were careful not to disturb their webs or harm the spiders, the spiders helped by spinning a web over the Christmas tree. Father Frost eventually turned the webs into silver and gold, apparently making spiders a part of Christmas tradition. Greyson had once heard a different version of the story, where the spider webbed the tree to help a poor old woman who couldn’t afford Christmas decorations, and the morning light turned the webs silver. Either way, Greyson found the idea of Christmas spiders as ridiculous as his packmates found most of his British colloquialisms.
Despite looking undoubtedly foolish, Greyson felt adequately compensated for his efforts by the smiles and warm looks they earned from Destiny. She added ambience to the story with the occasional chord or melody, and Xander matched her energy with his exuberant storytelling. They made a good team.
Of course they did. They were mates.
Greyson would make sure that this was only the first of many joyful holidays they’d spend together. He would spend his days making Destiny smile, the light of it guiding him to her, his North Star. His home.