Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
ASHER
I t’s only been a week since everything unraveled and then somehow came back together. There have been waves of discord within the pack, as I expected. While they all gathered without hesitation for Grayson, the next day, the whispers began.
At least this time, they’re not about my mate.
I know we can handle whatever comes our way and that it will take time for the kingdom to settle, but that’s thankfully something we have plenty of now.
Though I do still wonder about Aurora. I’m grateful for Isla to have her parents back—seeing my mate’s bright smile again isn’t something that can be replaced—but I don’t like not knowing when the goddess might be back.
She’s up to something and us being part of that in any way puts Lunara as a whole at risk. Whatever god she’s plotting to piss off, I know there’s a chance we could be collateral.
Still, that was a risk I had to take.
Not only for my mate, but for me as well .
Grayson had been like a father to me growing up. Isla and Estee wouldn’t have been the only ones to grieve his loss for years to come. Not only that, but Florence was also my mother’s best friend. This was a gift I wanted to give her as well.
Something that has been helpful every day since.
While my mother hasn’t left her room since being brought to it after Gideon had been killed, she’s at least begun to speak again and that is all thanks to Flo. Isla’s mother has spent every minute she’s not with her girls with my mother, helping to heal the fragmented pieces of her heart.
I’m not sure she’ll ever be whole again, but I do hope that a day will come when she won’t blame herself for not seeing what had become of her mate.
I find my mate standing in our closet, wearing a silver gown and adjusting the crown atop her head. The sight makes me grin from ear to ear. “Is my queen ready?”
Her shoulders relax and she turns, smiling back at me. “I believe she is. How about my king?”
Grabbing her hand, I pull her flush against my chest, mindful not let her dress get snagged on my suit. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”
The pack has accepted Isla as their queen, but today is the ceremony that will officially bind her to them and them to her. She’ll be able to communicate with them as I do and will formally become the Queen of Polaris, a crowned member of the Lunara monarchy.
The ceremony typically draws the attention of the other kings and queens of the islands, but only two of the three have shown. King Theo being the only other alpha not to show. A fact that surprises me, given his new role within the monarchy and something that I’ll be following up on soon, but not today.
I take Isla’s hand in mine and lead her out of our room. Noen and Declan are waiting for us when we exit our suite and bow for their queen as we pass.
“Seriously?” Isla groans. “I thought we talked about this.”
“We must follow protocol, Your Majesty,” Declan teases, ignoring my mate’s earlier wishes.
Isla glares at them, then me. “When I’m officially queen, I’m changing protocol.”
Kissing the side of her head, I grin. “Whatever you want, love.” My stare meets Noen’s, causing me to release Isla. “Will you give me a moment?”
She glances between the two of us and smiles warmly. “Take your time.”
Declan offers her a hand, which she easily takes, even though he’s been driving her crazy all day with his apologizing, then subsequent jokes about trying to kill her. Something that is much too soon to consider funny, but I also know humor is how Declan copes.
Once they’re around the corner, I face Noen. “I received your transfer request today.”
He holds my gaze and nods. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you first, but I didn’t want you to talk me out of it.”
We’ve spoken every day since he was set free from the holding cell, and I’ve apologized each time. Still, I’ve known he wasn’t okay, but Isla insisted that I give him space.
Noen clasps my shoulder. “This has nothing to do with you thinking I might have killed your mate, Asher. You’re still one of my closest friends and I hope you’ll remain that way, but seeing you and Isla back together… I want that.”
I raise a brow, stepping back, but he continues before I can say anything.
“Not Isla.” His face pinches. “Gods, definitely not her. I want my mate. She’s out there somewhere and I’m going to find her. I know there’s a chance to do that by staying put, but my wolf is restless. We need this.”
That, I can understand.
“I have no intentions of denying the transfer,” I tell him sincerely. “I just hope you never forget that you’ll always have a home here with us, and if you ever need anything, I better be the first person that you call on.”
The smile finally returns to his face. “Thanks, Ash. For everything, even for holding back when I knew you wanted to kill me. There was always a part of me that wondered if you’d ever truly forgiven me, but even if you didn’t realize it, the moment you didn’t immediately tear me to shreds that night, I knew there was a fighting chance and that I’d been right these five centuries.”
I tilt my head. “Right about what?”
“That the gods were right.” His eyes get brighter. “You were meant to be king and you’re the perfect mate for Isla—you always have been. I’m just sorry I couldn’t see that before she was taken from us.”
“It’s all in the past,” I promise him. “Today, we’re moving forward, as we should have done years ago.”
“I like the sound of that.” He glances back down the hallway. “I think your queen is waiting eagerly for you.”
My gaze follows his to see a flash of Isla’s silver dress. Of course she didn’t go far.
“Let’s go,” I tell Noen as we walk to catch up .
My mate leans against the wall, whistling casually. “Oh. Hi.”
I grab her by the waist and growl against her neck, letting my teeth lightly scrape over her skin. “Oh. Hi.”
Noen goes on ahead with Declan and I unashamedly pin my queen against the wall. “Eavesdropping is very unqueenly,” I tell her, holding her stare.
She keeps her chin up and grins. “Try to take this crown from my head and see what happens.”
“I wouldn’t dare.” I steal a kiss then wink at her. “You’re mine first and foremost, but just as I was born to be king, you were born to be my queen. Tonight is just formality.”
Isla grips the lapels of my suit coat, bringing me closer. “We’re going to do this together, and nothing will ever stand in our way again. It’s me and you, forever and always, my love.”
“Nothing has ever sounded more perfect.”