18. Chapter 18
Chapter eighteen
Destiny
O ver the next few days, Pack Stepanov continued to show Destiny what her life could look like, if she chose it. If she was brave and reckless and ready to truly live for herself, to live at her own pace with the men who’d confirmed what she already knew: it was time for the next chapter of her life to begin.
Destiny wasn’t sad when the weather report made it clear she’d be spending Christmas in Avondale. As the festival events tapered off, there was more downtime in her schedule, and she spent all of it with Pack Stepanov. She assisted Hunter in the kitchen, asking him about his childhood and telling him about her teenage years on the road. She bickered with Alexander, him challenging her to every game from cutthroat pool to Clue , her handing him his ass more often than not. She snuggled with Greyson, sometimes writing or doodling, sometimes playing her guitar as he read to her from books on political strategy and philosophy or collections of poetry.
Most of the staff were given Christmas Eve and day off, while the family and their guests spent the time together in a casual manner. Destiny ordered Sasha and Damon to take the day off, especially since she’d accepted the queen’s invitation to join the family celebration. It was strange and wonderful to be in the kings’ and queen’s private wing, joining the small group in their luxuriously cozy living room. Destiny grew surprisingly comfortable as everyone stuffed themselves with sweets, played cards and boisterous party games, and generally made a bunch of noise.
Destiny laughed until her stomach ached over an incredibly competitive game of white elephant. The queen had challenged everyone to find something weird, awful, or completely mundane to wrap for the game. Destiny had chosen a stress ball some marketing swag company had tried to sell her. She’d passed—it was weird having her face on something people were supposed to crush when they were upset—but she’d kept the sample they’d given her. Alexander zeroed in on Destiny’s gift, cheating and schmoozing to get it. He made a big show of unwrapping it and showing it off, to lots of laughter and applause from the rest of the group.
Destiny marveled at the way she seamlessly slotted into the family circle, everyone accepting her as if she were an old friend. She chatted easily with the queen, who looked like a regular mom in leggings and an oversized sweater, her flaxen hair in a messy bun. The kings lounged in sweatpants and slippers, keeping up a steady stream of dad jokes that made their children groan. The princess and her best friend wore matching reindeer onesies and acted like regular teenagers, posting pictures on their social media and whispering their adolescent secrets.
And Pack Stepanov was always nearby, casually draping an arm around her shoulders or placing a hand on her knee, making sure she ate, and including her in the conversation. When her mom video called, the alphas insisted Destiny answer and then proceeded to have an hour-long conversation, passing Destiny’s phone around to the rest of the family. Just as extra as ever, her mom made sure to probe Pack Stepanov about their “intentions with her daughter” and even Destiny’s embarrassment had a sweetness to it because a part of her was proud that everyone could see their chemistry.
She wanted people to know Pack Stepanov was hers.
After family time wound down, it seemed natural that Destiny would spend the rest of the evening with Pack Stepanov. After a quick detour to her room, she was back in the packhouse, sitting on the floor in front of the fire, strumming idly on her guitar. Hunter sat in a nearby armchair, staring into the flames as he sipped a glass of baijiu, Aly asleep in his lap. Ivan stretched out beside Destiny on the hearth, watching the guitar strings vibrate with great interest.
“Don’t even think about it you rotten bugger,” Greyson warned the cat, setting a cup of chamomile tea beside Destiny before settling into another armchair with his own cup. “Keep your claws away from the lady’s guitar.”
Destiny scratched Ivan’s chin before taking a sip of her tea. “This little angel wouldn’t dream of hurting my guitar, would you sweet boy?”
Ivan blinked slowly at her, obviously unwilling to make any promises. Destiny shifted her guitar a little farther out of his reach.
“I wouldn’t leave him alone with it if I were you.” Alexander advised from the couch, where he lounged while scrolling on his tablet. “He can’t be trusted.”
“I wouldn’t leave it with you either,” Destiny countered, strumming a few more chords. “You’re every bit as likely to cause trouble.”
“More likely,” Hunter corrected.
Alexander sighed heavily. “You know it’s treasonous to slander your prince.”
“Someone has to tell you the truth,” Destiny replied. “That’s what friends are for.”
The prince snorted. “Truth is subjective. Art is more honest. Play us a song, Frosty. I want to hear your pretty voice.”
Destiny rolled her eyes, even as her fingers began to pick out the melody of an old song. It’d been in her head when she woke up that morning, and she’d caught herself humming it throughout the day. Closing her eyes, she searched her memory for the lyrics.
“ Picture me upon your knee,
With tea for two and two for tea,
Just me for you,
And you for me alone.
Nobody near us,
To see us or hear us.
No friends or relations,
On weekend vacations.
We won't have it known, dear,
That we own a telephone, dear.
Day will break and I'm gonna wake,
And start to bake a sugar cake,
For you to take,
For all the boys to see.
We will raise a family.
A boy for you, and a girl for me.
Can't you see?
How happy we will be? ”
Destiny opened her eyes to find all the men of Pack Stepanov watching her raptly. The tenderness of their expressions stole her breath, and she trailed off, suddenly unable to find her voice. The air around them felt charged with electricity.
“We can see it, Star,” Greyson said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “Love, we can see it so clearly it hurts. We’ll be so happy together. And we’ll give you as many babies as you want. We want nothing more than to raise a family with you.”
Destiny blinked against tears, struggling to wrangle her emotions. Alexander rose from the couch, coming to sit near her on the hearth, leaning against Hunter’s armchair for support. Hunter dropped a hand to Xander’s head, gently stroking his hair. With Greyson in the chair on her other side, Destiny was surrounded by them, soothed by the scent of pack. Her pack.
“This is happening too fast,” she whispered, her heart pounding in disagreement. “We hardly know each other.”
Alexander leaned toward her. His eyes were almost navy in the flickering firelight. “We won’t rush you. We’ll court you for as long as you want. We’ll spend years learning your favorite foods and how you feel about the Oxford comma and whether you need white noise to sleep and if you like surprises. It will be our absolute pleasure to find out every mundane and wonderful detail about you. But even without knowing all that, we know you. We see you, Destiny. And we want you for always.”
Destiny drew in a sharp breath. There was something wild and momentous and profound growing in her chest. It felt a little like fear, but mostly like hope.
“We want you. And we’ll do whatever it takes to prove that to you,” Hunter added solemnly, his shrewd hazel eyes searching her face. “But I think you already know it’s true. We’re yours, Kitten.”
Greyson nodded. “We want you. More than we’ve ever wanted anything. We’ll wait, Star. For weeks or months or years. But I hope it’s not years because I don’t want to live another day of my life without you. You’re my North Star.”
“This is ridiculous,” Destiny said, more to herself than to Pack Stepanov. Her eyes welled with tears she tried to blink away. Logically, this conversation made no sense, and neither did the intensity of her feelings for them, or the certainty she felt in her bones. She’d never done anything like this before. She’d never felt anything like this before.
“It is ridiculous,” Prince Alexander agreed. “It’s ridiculous how perfectly you fit into our lives. It’s ridiculous how easy it is to talk to you, and how much we enjoy your company. It’s ridiculous how I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the moment we met, and how much I want to make you laugh or roll your eyes or give me that sassy little smirk of yours. It’s ridiculous how badly I want you. All of you—body, mind, and soul. It’s ridiculous how it took an ice princess to melt my heart, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just want you.”
Destiny let the tears fall. She was tired of fighting her emotions, tired of questioning her instincts. If she truly released the fear of her parents’ disappointment or how the media would respond, what would her decision be?
“I want you too,” Destiny whispered. She met each of their gazes in turn, saw the hope and happiness and hunger in their eyes. Her voice was stronger when she spoke again. “I want all of you.”
Her guitar was plucked from her hands and then Alexander was lifting her to her feet, kissing away anything else she might’ve said. Greyson pressed against her back, sandwiching her between them. The moment the prince pulled away, Greyson angled her chin, taking her mouth almost languidly, the slow heat of the kiss going straight to her core. Hunter was there when Greyson released her, claiming her mouth in a hard, urgent kiss that made her stomach clench and slick drench her panties.
When they let her up for air, Destiny’s legs felt like gelatin, and her brain was fuzzy. The air was thick with their combined scents. The smell was so wonderful that Destiny’s eyes filled again. This was so right .
“How do we do this?” she asked, trying to force her thoughts in a practical direction. She was glad that her heat was still weeks away. She knew she was making this decision while clearheaded, rather than in a hormonal haze. “I don’t want a long courtship or a media circus. I’d like to have a mating ceremony, but only a small one. Alexander is right. Time won’t change my choice. I’m yours.”
Destiny practically melted from her alphas’ approving purrs. She could feel their happiness. When had the bonds between them began to form? That persistent tug toward them had been more than mere attraction.
“We’re yours, Kitten,” Hunter said again. “I told you we were going to make sure you knew it.”
Greyson kissed her neck, and she shivered against him. She could feel the hard press of his growing erection, making it increasingly difficult for her to stick to practicalities. But there was so much to discuss. She needed to focus.
“Stop worrying,” Greyson admonished her, his lips against her ear. Destiny’s core clenched again, another gush of slick flooding her panties. “I have a plan I think you’ll like. We can discuss it tomorrow, between family time, Christmas movies, and fucking you on every surface in the packhouse.”
Destiny whined, eliciting three growls. She was losing this battle, but it felt like winning. She needed to let go and enjoy the moment. They wanted her. They were hers. This was happening.
“Remember what I said we’d do to you?” Hunter asked, leaning so close their lips nearly touched. “I described to you exactly how this was going to go. Tell me.”
Destiny pressed her thighs together, trying to soothe her throbbing clit. “You said you were going to take turns licking me, then fill all my holes.”
“Bloody hell,” Greyson groaned, his cock jerking against her ass.
“That’s right,” Hunter growled in approval. “So, I need you to make an important decision right now.”
Destiny fought another whine. She wanted them now. Needed them. She needed their scents and tongues and hands on her.
“I know some omegas prefer to wait until their heats to mate. If you want that, we need to know now,” Hunter said. “We’ll have the urge to claim you, so we need to go in with clear agreement on how far this goes.”
Destiny’s sex-addled brain cleared for a moment, touched by Hunter’s thoughtfulness. Of course, he’d make sure she was in charge of the pace. They all would. She could trust them to respect her boundaries.
“I want to go all the way,” Destiny replied without hesitation. “Let’s make it official. It feels right. Everything is perfect.”
“Christmas miracle,” Alexander murmured, his sapphire eyes alight with joy.
Hunter’s eyes darkened, his demeanor changing instantly to something more predatory, as if she’d unleashed him with her words. “Xander will take you to prep. Strictly business, Pet, so don’t get any ideas. Make it quick.”
Destiny swallowed hard, her body humming with the weight of his command. She followed Xander through his bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom, barely noticing the rich dark blues and vibrant golds of his surprisingly tidy space. Heeding Hunter’s warning to behave himself, he showed her everything she needed without any of his usual shenanigans.
It’d been a while since anyone had fucked her ass, but she knew how to prepare. It wasn’t long before she returned to the main room. It was empty, but Hunter’s bedroom door was open, and she could hear low voices coming from inside.
This was it. This was the moment her life changed forever. If she walked into that room, she would emerge mated. She’d be the future queen of Avondale.
Destiny paused. In all her pondering and perseverating, she’d never really thought about becoming queen. She wanted a life that was slower, quieter, and realer. Could she have that as royalty?
Destiny thought over the past few days, and how she’d seen Queen Raina and her kings governing Avondale. They obviously had plenty of responsibilities, of which she’d only seen a fraction, but they’d never seemed bothered or stressed. Between the five of them, everything seemed to get done and their people were happy. They carried the weight together.
Just like Destiny would with Pack Stepanov. They could do this together. With Hunter’s shrewdness, Greyson’s strategic thinking, Alexander’s charming altruism, and her interpersonal skills, they could be a strong team. They would be a strong team.
Destiny exhaled, peace and certainty settling over her. Her alphas were waiting for her. She walked into Hunter’s room.
His magnolia and patchouli scent permeated the air, and somehow matched perfectly with the décor. It was all dark wood and deep greens, with tasteful art pieces that celebrated both his southern American roots and Chinese heritage. It was warm and understated and so very him.
But Destiny didn’t have much time to focus on Hunter’s room, because a much more interesting sight awaited her. Alexander, Greyson, and Hunter stood at the foot of Hunter’s bed.
Completely naked.