16. CHAPTER 16
The week has been flying by so fast. I can’t quite believe that in less than two days, I’ll be getting married to Garren, and we’ll be crowned as the new King and Queen. It’s all so surreal.
While many girls have grown up dreaming about marrying a prince and living a fairytale, all I wanted was to have my own pack. I worked hard to become who I was, to rise through the ranks, and to make a name for myself apart from the good military reputation that generations of my family have already established.
“You’ll do well,” Garren’s mother tells me right after she insists that I call her Fallon, which is quite an adjustment in itself because she was always Queen Grey for me. “While I was born as a princess and taught from a very young age how to move through elite circles, I was a third child, and you know what that means.”
“You were never expected to rule,” I say, and she nods, filling my cup to the brim with freshly brewed tea.
“The firstborn officially continues the family line while the rest are free to marry within the nobility,” Fallon tells me, and though I’m familiar with all of that, it hits differently coming from her. “While I suspected that I’d marry a prince instead of a duke or whatnot, I could never in my wildest dreams have predicted that it’d be a firstborn son.”
“How was your growing up and schooling any different than your brother’s?” I ask, then furrow my brows. “Please forgive me, but it was your brother who was the firstborn, wasn’t he?”
“Quite right,” Fallon confirms. “Frankwell did inherit the Farrell throne, although now his son sits on it. I’m sure you heard a lot about Frank’s younger son Felix.”
“I did,” I whisper, unsure what else to say. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Fallon sets her teacup down and gives me a small smile. “That’s very kind of you, but I’m afraid I didn’t know him very well.”
“How come?” I wonder, sorting through my memory for any mention of the Farrells and Greys having a feud before the whole disaster with Felix.
“It might not look so from the outside, but the kingdoms are terribly fragile,” Fallon explains, speaking more freely ever since the servants have left us alone in the tearoom. “If you talk too much with one, the others accuse you of conspiring against them. If you don’t talk enough, then you’re accused of being a recluse and unfit to lead. It’s a hard balance to keep, and I won’t lie to you, Alyssa, but this life can be quite isolating, so it’s very important that you and Garren are there for each other. Your partner, your spouse, your fated mate. They’re the only person you can truly count on and trust. Lean on him when things get tough. Don’t hold it inside you. Talk to him.”
While I’ve already come to that realization on my own, it’s still very humbling to hear it from her.
“Don’t worry, dear,” Fallon says, giving me a warm smile when she notices my body tensing as I begin to feel overwhelmed by the weight of the world that I’m voluntarily becoming a part of. “Times are changing. What worked for me, won’t work for you. I can already see that things are becoming better. The fact that Garren is marrying you tells a lot about what awaits us. You’ll never walk alone.”
“No wolf left behind,” I mutter under my breath when strangely enough my family’s motto comes to mind.
Fallon’s keen wolf hearing had no problem catching it. “Quite right.”
Our conversation turns more jovial and lighter as we discuss the final wedding details. She even asks me about my personal goals and hopes for the future, and when I struggle to come up with an answer that would befit my future royal status, she encourages me to later spend some time thinking about it.
“There’s nothing worse than a monarch who doesn’t know what they want,” Fallon tells me. “Find what you’re passionate about and fight for it. If that’s being an Alpha, then figure out a way to make it work. Remember, as a queen, you are the one that makes the rules.”
“What did you do?” I ask, hoping that she won’t take offense from me not paying closer attention to her actions as a queen.
“I made sure that the parks in New York thrived and prospered,” she replies, her brown eyes shining with pride. “As an Earth wielder, I thought it best to give a special kind of extra attention to what I’m good at. The greenhouses that you saw behind the manor, I’m growing food that we send to families who can’t afford to feed their children. It’s not much, and it was never picked up by any major newspapers, but it’s what I’m passionate about.”
“Your husband is a leader, but you’re the caregiver behind the scenes that makes it all possible,” I say, looking at her with open admiration in my naive eyes.
“Behind every great man is a strong woman,” Fallon quotes with a wink.
“Thank you for taking your time to explain to me the ins and outs of life as a monarch,” I tell her, hoping that she’ll see just how much I appreciate not only her help but also her support.
“I am the one that should be thanking you,” Fallon says, and I raise my brow in surprise. “When Gael stripped Garren of his titles and sent him to the military camp, I thought for sure that it’d be the end of my boy.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, there were a few times when I wanted to kill him myself,” I say with a dry chuckle, remembering his first day at the camp.
“You would probably be right to do it,” Fallon replies, a hint of amusement shining in her eyes. “He was an addict and an alcoholic with endless means to indulge in his vices. He was arrogant and disrespectful, especially to his brothers.”
“King Gavin,” I say with a nod of understanding. Even I’ve heard the rumors of the chasm of hate that stretched between the two brothers.
“Their relationship was by far the worst,” Fallon agrees. “My sons are strong wolves each in their own right, but that part is easy because it’s genetics. When you have kids of your own, you’ll see that power doesn’t matter. All you’ll want is for them to be kind people. You won’t measure their achievements by the skills that they master but by the good things that they do.”
“I never thought about it that way,” I admit. “In my family, we were strongly encouraged to work our way up as soon as possible. My mother always told us that she gave birth to leaders, not followers.”
“In that case, she must be very proud because you’re going to reach the status of the ultimate leader,” Fallon muses, giving me a small smile. “Same as the kids shouldn’t pay for the mistakes of their parents, they also shouldn’t be used by their parents to live their lives vicariously. You are your own person. Your decisions are your own. You’d do well to remember that when you’re a queen and the whole world wants to manipulate you into doing their bidding.”
“I’ll do my best,” I promise her, and follow her lead as she gets up.
Fallon takes my hands in hers, giving me a comforting squeeze. “You’re a fresh breeze of air that our world needs. You and Garren are the new generation who will bring changes that will rock this world. I’m sure that this will prove to be the best thing that’s happened to all of us. I’m going to give you one last piece of advice before I let you get back to Garren.”
“Please,” I say, mentally making note of every piece of wisdom she has offered me so far.
“Don’t forget where you came from,” Fallon tells me. “Embrace it and wear it proudly.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, swallowing the ball of emotion that’s threatening to come out at the kindness of her words. Fallon might not be Grey by blood, but she’s definitely the best of the Greys, and that says a lot, considering that I’m mated and deeply in love with Garren.
Fallon and I say our goodbyes, and I thank her yet again for her help with the wedding. Since the whole thing is rather last minute, my family won’t arrive until the ceremony, so it means a lot to have her in my corner.
When I enter our suite, Garren grabs me from behind and sweeps me off my feet. I scream with delight and laugh. Ever since we’ve given ourselves permission to be together, there’s always been a smile on my face when he’s around.
“I’ve missed you,” Garren tells me. “I thought you finished your tea like an hour ago. Where have you been?”
As he holds me in his arms, I look into his beautiful dark eyes right as my cheeks begin to burn a bit.
“I might’ve gotten turned around once or twice,” I admit, not wanting to go into details about just how much effort it took to find the room.
Garren chuckles and shakes his head. “Let me guess, you were too proud to ask for directions.”
“How can I be expected to rule if I seem incapable of navigating my own home?” I counter, then cuddle up closer to him when he takes us to the sofa and sits down with me in his lap.
“What’s wrong, Alyssa?” he asks with a gentle tone, and when I meet his eyes, they’re creased with worry. “Are you unhappy?”
“No, it’s not that,” I say quickly, not wanting him to think it had anything to do with him or the life that we’re planning to build together.
“Then what is it?” he asks, his soft fingers caressing my cheek. “You can talk to me.”
Tell him, my wolf urges me. If you don’t get it out now, it will grow like fungus, which is stupid because while your concerns are valid, they’re also silly.
How can you be both nice and dismissive at the same time?I wonder, unable to keep myself from admiring her ability.
It’s a special skill,my wolf says, sounding both smug and proud.
I climb out of Garren’s lap and sit next to him, preparing myself to have a serious conversation. Fallon was right when she told me to lean on him. I just hope that he’ll come through and have nice, supportive things to say, otherwise, opening myself up to him next time might not come as easy.
“I’m worried,” I say at last, and to my relief, he doesn’t say anything but just gently takes my hands into his as he carefully pays attention to what I have to say. “I’m worried that I will be an embarrassment. I’m worried that everyone will make fun of me. I’m worried that I won’t be accepted, therefore, I’ll be responsible for all your hardships as a ruler. I just know that somehow, I’ll singlehandedly make it impossible for you to reign. I’m worried about what will happen to the Dark Hunters if I can’t do both jobs. Should I make Blaine an Alpha?”
“I’m worried, too,” Garren admits, making my brows raise in surprise at his confession. He should be giving me an encouraging speech instead of confirming my worst fears and telling me just how much I’d probably suck. “I’m worried that I’ve been an intoxicated manwhore for too long and now my own people won’t find it in them to follow my lead. I’m worried that I’ve disrespected too many kings and insulted their daughters by offering to impale them with my Claw.”
“Your Claw?” I ask, tilting my head to the side as this one word piques my interest.
Garren leans back onto the sofa, his head resting against the top of it as he avoids my eye contact and looks at the ceiling instead. When he doesn’t reply, I slightly nudge him in the ribs, and he lets out an exasperated groan.
“It’s my cock’s name, okay?” he admits, the words coming out in a quick burst. “I was young, stupid, and so damn full of myself that I didn’t even realize just how pathetic and cringy it was. Please don’t hold it against me.”
“Only if you agree to claw me later,” I tease, unable to suppress the amused giggle that escapes me.
Garren groans again, the sound one of utter embarrassment. “You’re the worst, you know that?”
“It’s better you find that out now because once we’re married, it will be too late,” I tell him, and though my mood is getting lighter, there are still some things that concern me. I follow his lead and bury the right side of my face into the sofa, before making a quiet admission of my own. “I don’t even know how to wear heels, for fuck’s sake. What if I trip while walking down the altar and fall on my ass in front of everyone? And by everyone, I mean all the guests and the royal television crews. I’ll become a fucking meme for generations of wolves to make fun of. It would surely be the worst thing that happened in the Grey family’s history.”
“Actually, the worst thing was when my too-many-times-to-count great-grandfather killed his own brother in a fight over a dispute about who has gotten a bigger piece of chocolate,” Garren says, sounding serious. “In his defense, chocolate was quite a rare commodity back then.”
“That’s exactly the point I’m trying to make,” I say. When he gives me a confused look, I explain, “The chocolate scandal happened centuries ago, and yet, you still remember it enough to bring it up. The thing that worked in your ancestor’s favor is that no one took a picture of him, no one made a video of that moment, and no one made a meme that would be shared and sent through thousands upon thousands of phones if not even millions.”
“Well, when you put it that way...” Garren allows and trails off, a ghost of a smile on his face.
“I’m serious,” I tell him, my voice quiet since I’ve dragged out all my insecurities for him to see.
“I know you are,” he replies, all hints of amusement gone from his tone and his eyes. “That’s exactly why you’ll make a great queen. You care enough to worry about these little things. You worry because you want to be good. You worry because you want to make a difference. You worry because you care, and you care because your big heart is kind. You’ll be a great queen, Alyssa. If I didn’t believe that we’d be good for our people, I would abdicate without a second thought. I promise you that.”
You should take him at his word, my wolf tells me, believing everything he’d said. If you need any more assurances, just remember that the rest of his family has accepted and welcomed you with open arms.
Except for Grayden, I counter. Maybe he sees something that the rest don’t.
That piece of shit has a stick so high up his ass that he couldn’t bow even if he wanted to, my wolf growls, not fond of Garren’s brother either. We should keep an eye on him just in case he tries something.
“We’ll do well, won’t we?” I ask, needing to hear him say it one more time.
“We will,” he assures me with a smile that turns mischievous. “Come here.”
He gestures for me to climb onto his lap, which I happily oblige, straddling him. I lean forward, pressing my forehead against his. We stay like this for the longest moment, reveling in each other’s strength and love.
“I have an idea,” Garren says, breaking the silence with his low voice.
His waking member between my thighs is a clue enough for me to know what he’s talking about, but I still want him to say it.
“Oh?” I ask, the corners of my mouth tugging up.
“I think it’s about time I make an official introduction between you and the Claw,” he whispers, his voice guttural and full of the desire churning deep inside him.
“What’s the appropriate salute?” I ask, playing along. “Should I shake or kiss the Claw?”
Garren groans and stands up with me in his lap. His strong hands hold me up, pulling me close to him as my legs wrap around his waist. Our hot breaths tingle, our foreheads still pressing against one another.
“I’ll give you five seconds to get naked or I’m going to tear your clothes off you with no way of saving them,” Garren growls, his voice heavy with lust.
As soon as he sets me down and puts some distance between us, I undress myself as quickly as I possibly can. He does the same, our thirsty eyes drinking each other in.
When I’m done, I walk into his waiting arms and press my mouth against his, initiating a deep kiss that burns with unmatched passion. His hands are like hungry wolves, devouring every last inch of my flesh as he further deepens the kiss. My own hands enjoy the feel of his soft skin and strong muscles beneath them, my nails gently raking across his back, careful not to leave any marks just yet.
I break the kiss and move onto his neck before nibbling on his ear lobe. His scent of arousal is enough to drive me mad, making my body and my heart respond to him with a feverish wanting.
My loving teases are answered by his deep growl as he forcefully massages my body with his strong hands, kneading my ass and breasts as if it was his first time touching them. Every time with him is like a first, the experience and the sensation burning just as brightly and hot as the time before.
My heart fills with warmth and love when he wordlessly confirms yet again just how much he wants me. His hand sweeps up my back and into my hair, pulling the elastic out to release my fine, light brown hair from the confines of my neat ponytail. My long strands fall freely, the ends brushing against his hand and the top of my ass.
My heart’s going crazy, pounding so fast and hard that I’m afraid it will burst. I want to be one with him. I want to feel him now and forever.
His breath is warm on my neck as his lips caress my skin; the corners of his mouth lift up into a smile. My arms close tightly around his neck as he puts his arms around me and lifts me from the floor, my legs wrapping around his waist.
With a burning lust and desire in his eyes, he moves us so fast that my back is against the smooth wall next to the window before I know it. While we’re not openly on display, if someone takes a closer look from the side, it will be quite obvious to them what we’re up to.
Garren’s hard cock is wedged between his stomach and my soaked pussy. When he lets out a guttural groan, I realize that my hips have been moving on their own accord, rubbing me against his thick member.
With his upper body, he’s pinning mine against the wall. He pulls his head back and locks his eyes on mine. There’s so much love and devotion shining in his dark ones that I’m already melting. Good thing that he’s holding me up because my knees get wobbly just by looking at his handsome features and toned muscles.
Before I realize what he’s doing, his hand guides his cock to my pussy, and with a hard thrust of his hips, his erection sinks deep into me. As he begins to pump in and out of me, he presses his lips against mine again and sucks my bottom lip between his, and then the upper.
He’s burying himself into me with the desperation and thirst of someone who hasn’t tasted a drop of water for days. I’m loving the way his cock feels inside me, the way the length of his shaft fills me up, and the way he makes grunting sounds that are a mix of effort and pleasure.
My lips swell up from the force of his kisses. My tongue seeks out his just as the electric jolts warn me of the beginning of an orgasm. My lower muscles start to contract around his cock, my lower lips trailing kisses along the length of his long and thick erection.
My lungs burst, surprising even me as I let out a series of powerful moans, thanks to the pure pleasure that he’s giving me. I lean my head back against the wall, not caring that my breasts bounce up and down in the rhythm of his banging.
I’m still in the middle of a climax when Garren joins me. His cock shoots a significant hot load deep inside my pussy, warming up my insides. It’s an exquisite feeling that I can’t get enough of. His finish extends my fading orgasm with a renewed burst of energy.
Garren still has me pinned against the wall as he thrusts his hips back and forth again and again. He doesn’t slow down until he empties himself. He keeps going until his cock stops throbbing and pulsating, extending and milking the final bouts of pleasure for both of us.
My body draws him in, my pussy giving him one final hug, and then we stop as if we freeze in the moment. He only moves to press kisses to my cheeks, my nose, my eyelids, my forehead, and ultimately, my lips.
After he’s done, he gently sets me down and pulls his cock out of me. I’m still a bit breathless and weak in the knees when he moves closer and whispers, “I hope you enjoyed spending time with my Claw.”