Chapter 19
Kimmie
None of my alphas were happy when I walked back the L-word after my heat. It’s not that I didn’t feel it. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t make any big decisions when my body was going haywire. I wanted to make sure I could say it and mean it when I wasn’t a slave to hormones.
But now, six months later, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I love them. All of them. They are each perfect and essential in their own way.
“Stop fidgeting,” Suze orders, adjusting my ceremonial collar for the hundredth time. “You’re going to mess up all my hard work.”
The collar, platinum and sapphires, catches the light from the chandelier.
If someone had told me six months ago I’d be getting ready for my mating ceremony in the Stanton mansion’s grand ballroom, I’d have laughed in their face.
But here I am, surrounded by luxury while knowing my restaurant is running smoothly under the capable management of my increased staff.
“Your mother’s here,” Suze adds. “She’s already made three comments about the flower arrangements and tried to reorganize the seating chart.”
I laugh. Mom was skeptical when I first told her about the change in my designation and my relationship with the Stantons. But watching four powerful alphas trip over themselves to court her daughter had won her over. The way they’d helped me expand the restaurant’s hours and staff helped too.
“And my alphas’ families?” I try to keep my voice casual, but Suze sees right through me.
“All here. Though I still can’t keep straight who’s who with so many of them.”
“Only Gabriel is a blood Stanton,” I explain. “The others joined his pack years ago.”
A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts. “Five minutes,” Dr. Hilliard calls through the wood. She’s officiating the ceremony. She was thrilled to do it, and it seemed fitting since she was there at the start of this whole journey.
My stomach flutters in anticipation. In five minutes, I’ll walk down the grand staircase to meet my alphas. In five minutes, I’ll formally accept four mating bites that will bind us together forever.
“Ready?” Suze asks softly.
I check my reflection one last time. The dress is simple and elegant—ivory silk that flows down to my feet in soft layers.
My usually wild hair is swept up, leaving my neck bare for the collar they’ll present to me.
I look…different. Not from the omega presentation, but from the happiness radiating from inside me.
“Ready.”
The ballroom takes my breath away. White flowers, lush greenery and twinkling lights create a magical atmosphere among the gilded mirrors and marble columns. The ceremonial table holds four goblets, one for each alpha.
But it’s the people who make my heart swell.
In the front row, my mother is already dabbing at her eyes.
The extended Stanton pack’s family fills several rows—Gabriel’s family, but also Elliot’s parents who beam with pride, Leo’s sister who’s become like my own, even some of Tanner’s old fighting mentors.
They’ve all welcomed me with genuine warmth.
And my alphas…God, my alphas.
They stand waiting for me, each devastating in their own way.
Tanner’s massive frame is contained in a perfectly tailored tux, his fighter’s grace evident even standing still.
Elliot’s curls are tamed, his green eyes intense behind his glasses.
Leo practically vibrates with artistic energy, like he’s already planning to capture this moment in sculpture.
Gabriel radiates quiet authority, his dark eyes fixed on me with pure devotion.
Dr. Hilliard begins the ceremony, but I barely hear the words. I’m too busy drinking in the sight of my soon-to-be mates, remembering how we got here.
“The pack will now present their mating gifts,” Dr. Hilliard says.
Each alpha steps forward in turn. I almost cry when Tanner gives me an antique pearl bracelet that belonged to his birth mother—the only thing he has of his early life.
Elliot’s gift is a delicate platinum watch he designed himself, with five interlocking rings representing our joined lives.
Leo presents a gold locket with a miniature painting inside, showing all five of us the way his artist’s heart sees us—bound together by joy.
Gabriel’s gift is a family crest pendant, symbolizing my place in both the pack and the larger Stanton family.
“Do you accept these tokens and the alphas who offer them?” Dr. Hilliard asks.
“I do.” My voice rings clear and strong.
“And do you, alphas of the Stanton pack, accept this omega as your mate? Do you swear to protect, provide for, and cherish her and her children all the days of your lives?”
Their “We do” echoes in perfect harmony.
“Then let the mating begin.”
They take turns marking me, each bite precise and perfect in its own way. Four mating bonds snap into place in my mind, four distinct connections humming with love and promise.
“I now present the newly mated Stanton pack,” Dr. Hilliard announces at the end of it, and the audience bursts into applause.
Later, after the celebration, after toasts and dancing, after everyone has gone home, I stand on the mansion’s moonlit balcony surrounded by my alphas.
“Happy?” The question comes in stereo, making me laugh as I lean back into their embrace.
“More than I ever thought possible.” The mating marks on my neck ache pleasantly as Tanner nuzzles one side of my neck while Leo’s lips trace the other. Elliot’s fingers thread through mine as Gabriel leans in and brushes a tender kiss against my lips.
Six months ago, I was a beta fighting to keep my independence. Now I’m an omega with four devoted alphas who’ve shown me having it all isn’t about giving things up—it’s about having the right partners to share it with.
“I love you,” I tell them, when Gabriel lifts his head. “All of you.”
“No backsies this time?” Tanner asks against my skin. I can feel him smile.
“This time it’s forever,” I agree.
Four marks. Zero regrets. And not a single backsie in sight.
The End…