Chapter 9 #2
I decide on a light-pink, tea-length dress that I know looks great with my skin tone and hair.
With little more than a thought, I'm fully clothed, including white strappy heels that make me feel taller than I am.
I close my eyes and imagine my hair in an intricate updo with braids that tame my curls.
"That's definitely a helpful trick," Kael says with a smirk.
"Yes, it really is. Unfortunately, it can't be used around others. Only Saint can know about my being half-fae. It could be dangerous. That's why my parents kept me hidden. In the wrong hands, my magic could be abused."
He wraps me up in his arms. "You're safe here with me. No one will ever harm a hair on your beautiful head."
Warmth fills me at his words. I love that he's already so protective of me. It makes me happy to know that he'll always be by my side now that we've found each other.
Kael steps away toward his closet, then pauses and closes his eyes.
I can't hold back my giggle at the deep lines of concentration on his face.
I feel the tingles of magic being used seconds before Kael's body is covered in clothes.
Dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and black boots.
I'm guessing this is his go-to outfit of choice since it's nearly the same as his previous one.
"Time to go meet the pack, my mate."
I blow out a breath and straighten my spine. "I'm ready."
After a bit of fussing, Kael magnanimously allows me to walk to the dining room on my own two feet.
I think it's adorable how upset he gets that I'm not in his arms. Instead, he's got my hand in a death grip like he thinks I'll disappear if he's not touching me.
I won't tell him, but I love that he doesn't want me out of his reach.
I've heard about this from my parents; newly mated Alphas are obsessive with their Omega mates for days, sometimes weeks, after the first mating.
A powerful, dominant Alpha, even more so.
I'm assuming the king of all wolves will fall into that category.
Again, not complaining. I don't want to be away from him any more than he wants to be away from me.
We make our way to the dining room, and the moment we cross the threshold, the entire room falls silent.
Which is saying a lot, considering there must be over two hundred wolves in the room.
I move closer to Kael, wondering if it's too late to back out now that I've seen just how many people I'll be introduced to.
Kael doesn't stop until we reach what I assume is the head table, since only Saint and a handful of others are seated there, along with what could be a small throne placed at the end, accompanied by an empty chair to the left.
I'm practically shaking from nerves by the time Kael stands in front of the room with me proudly beside him, his arm around my shoulders. A wave of calm comes through our bond. I take a deep breath as I try to relax.
"Good evening!" Kael says, addressing the room. "I have an announcement that brings me great joy. I want to introduce you to my Goddess-given mate, Seraphina."
Immediately, the room is filled with whispers of surprise until Kael quiets them down with a simple gesture of his hand.
"I know you have questions, and I promise we will answer them all.
Seraphina recently fled from her pack because her parents were attacked and killed.
" Gasps fill the room, followed by more whispers.
"I can assure you that there is no danger to our pack and that the attack is going to be thoroughly investigated. We will make sure justice is served."
There's a brief applause before Kael continues. "I hope that you will all welcome Seraphina as one of our own. We will have more announcements soon of her coronation as our queen."
"Is she an Omega?" someone shouts from the crowd.
Kael's eyes narrow, and his grip around me tightens.
It's okay. Remember, they couldn't properly scent me before, I say through our bond.
"Yes, Seraphina is an Omega. My Omega," he adds with a growl for emphasis.
Saint and a couple of the people at our table chuckle at his show of possession.
Not that I mind because I can sense dozens upon dozens of Alphas in the room, and it's making my Omega nervous, which in turn is making my anxiety worse.
I'm made even more anxious when Kael takes a step away and holds his hands out so that I'm no longer able to cower at his side.
"Please welcome my Goddess-given mate and your future queen!" Kael's voice booms through the room before wolves of all ages stand and cheer while clapping.
It's both heartwarming and terrifying to know that so many people are welcoming me to their pack without even knowing me.
I'm filled with relief when Kael leads me toward the empty seats at the table.
While I can hear people talking about me being the king's mate, they aren't openly staring at me anymore.
I move to sit in the empty chair by Kael's, but before my butt can hit the seat, I'm lifted off my feet and sat on Kael's lap. There's a round of awws from the dining room that makes me blush.
"Kael! You're making a scene," I whisper-yell.
"Don't care, and it's Daddy to you."
I blush even brighter when I hear Saint and the others at our table snickering. I huff and cross my arms over my chest. I'm not really angry, but embarrassed and hating the added attention.
Two plates are set in front of Kael. One has a delicious-smelling pasta dish, and the other has an obscenely big steak and a baked potato with all the fixings. Kael thanks the beautiful wolf that smells like an Omega who brought our food. She smiles happily at me.
"Thank you," I murmur to her, even though Kael already thanked her.
"You're welcome, Your Majesties," she says with a little bow.
I return her smile, trying not to hyperventilate at being part of the honorific.
I knew that being with Kael would make me queen, but having a random wolf address me as such has filled me with a whole new wave of worry.
Sensing my stress, Kael kisses my mate mark, which causes a different kind of distraction. I elbow him and he laughs.
"Sera, I'd like you to meet the Alphas who help me rule the pack and keep the peace within the kingdom. To your left is Sean, the third in command and an excellent advisor. Beside him is his lovely mate, Anne."
I'm a little surprised when I realize that while Sean is an Alpha, his mate is a Beta. The upper tier of my old pack would never settle for anything less than an Omega mate or concubine. I try to hide my shock, but obviously not well enough.
Sean smiles at me kindly. "I know it might seem odd for an Alpha to mate with a Beta, but the heart wants what it wants.
You'll find a lot of Alpha and Beta pairings across the kingdom.
With so few Omegas, a lot of Alphas have chosen their mates.
You'll even find Alpha males with Alpha females.
Now those are some interesting matches," he says with a laugh that brings a smile to my face.
"After Anne, there's Petra. She's been standing in as the Luna while we've waited for me to find my mate.
She helps the females of the pack and addresses any issues that may arise for the women and children.
There's more to the role, but you'll learn about that later, as a lot of the duties are those of the queen. "
"Your Highness, I look forward to working with you during this transition. I know it seems overwhelming, but I'll be right there with you as you learn."
"Thank you, I appreciate that. This is all very new to me."
Kael kisses my temple. "No need to worry, love. You'll be great, and you can always keep Petra as an advisor. You won't have to do everything alone. Currently, Anne assists Petra with her duties. We won't throw you to the wolves," Kael says, causing everyone at the table to laugh.
He introduces two more Alpha advisors, Travis and Leo, and Alberta, who is a Beta and runs the palace's day-to-day operations.
"Please let me know if there's anything you'd like to change in the palace, and I'll ensure it's done to your satisfaction.
We can start interviewing prospective ladies to be your personal maids.
They will help with dressing, hair, makeup, personal shopping, and whatever else you might need," Alberta says, obviously excited by the prospect of finally having a queen in the palace.
"I won't be needing a personal maid. I appreciate the gesture, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with that."
Kael chuckles because he knows that my magic does all those things for me. I elbow him again, causing him to growl a warning for my ears only.
"You're just asking for a spanking."
I don't deny it because just the threat has my panties soaked.
Dinner is pleasant. Anne makes Sean switch seats so she can chat with me while we eat.
I try not to let the fact that Kael is feeding me embarrass me, which is made easier by the fact that no one seems to care or think there's anything weird about it.
I really like Anne and the others. Petra seems like a lovely woman, and I look forward to working with her.
Alberta leaves as soon as she finishes eating, but I think it's more that she's a workaholic than that she's being rude.
Once dessert has been served, I'm completely over my social anxiety.
Several Alphas and their Omegas come to introduce themselves.
I'm surprised by every new happy couple that approaches.
The Omegas are full of smiles and excited to meet me; several have even invited me to a brunch that a group of Omegas hosts monthly.
I'm a little stunned but agree to come because I've never had any friends, let alone Omega ones. It's an exciting prospect.
When an unattached Omega approaches us and introduces herself, I'm officially overwhelmed and getting upset.
This pack is so different from the one I was raised in, and I can't handle it.
Before I can have a full-on breakdown, Kael excuses us and carries me out of the room.
Saint follows and closes the door to the masculine office behind him.
"What's wrong?" Kael growls, probably thinking someone offended me in some way.
I do my best to hold back my tears, but it doesn't work; they fall anyway.
"Love, if you don't tell me what's wrong, my wolf is going to go on a rampage."
"Same," Saint says.
Kael's eyes flash dangerously at him.
"I can't help it. My wolf is intuned to hers, and I can feel how upset she is," Saint defends.
I nuzzle Kael and remind him through our link that Saint is my protector; therefore, he can feel when I have extreme emotions, especially negative ones. Thankfully, it calms his wolf so that he doesn't rip Saint apart, which is precisely what his wolf wants to do.
"Tell us what's wrong."
"Everyone here is so happy," I say sadly.
Both Saint and Kael look at me like I'm a little crazy.
"There are single Omegas just walking around and living their lives," I clarify.
"They are waiting for their Goddess-given mates. Of course, they can take a chosen mate, and some have because Goddess-given mates are so rare. They are free to do as they wish."
"It's so different than where I was raised. Omegas aren't given a choice at all. Most are enslaved as soon as they mature. The Alphas, especially the leadership, take them from their families and force them to be mates or part of the head Alpha's harem."
"What the fuck," Saint growls.
"The only reason I didn't have the same fate is because my mother masked my designation. Without our magic, I would have been enslaved too."
Kael and Saint share a dangerous look, and I know right away that they will not let this go. I'm all for my old pack being forced to change. It's an awful place for everyone except the Alphas.
They ask me several questions about the pack and where it's located. I explain about the wall, and they are shocked by that, as well as by many other things I say. Not that I can blame them after seeing how this pack is run.
"Everything they are doing goes against the laws of the kingdom. I would never allow such a thing," Kael says.
"I know, Daddy. It's not your fault. You can't change something you aren't aware of."
We talk for a while longer until I'm emotionally and mentally exhausted.
I'm practically falling asleep in Kael's lap while they continue to talk about what steps they need to change what's happening in my old pack.
All of it sounds violent, but necessary.
The Alphas of my old pack will never sit idly by while someone comes in and tries to take control.
I must fall asleep because the next thing I know, I'm lying on top of Kael in bed. I snuggle as close as possible and drift off to sleep, safe in his arms.