Kane
After the meeting with the royal council adjourns, I leave the war room and go outside for some fresh air. Embry comes with me, keeping an arm around my waist. Her touch comforting and an anchor in the chaos of my thoughts.
When we reach the rose gardens, I let out a deep sigh and run a hand over my face. The heavy pressure of having to make a decision I don’t enjoy closes around me. Embry doesn’t let me go and rests her chin on my shoulder. Her emerald gaze doesn’t judge.
“What are you thinking?” she asks.
“I’m thinking I’m about to ask my brother to give up his freedom again,” I reply. “This time for years. His son won’t be old enough to rule till he’s at least twenty–one. That’s decades of Lex’s life he’ll be trapped in Scarlett Thunder.”
“He’ll be the regent, not a prisoner this time. He’ll be in charge.”
Between Two Kings
+25 BONUS
“He’ll be in charge of a kingdom that views him and our entire kingdom ast the enemy. Bad blood won’t disappear overnight.”
“Lex can help ease the tensions. His child will be of both kingdoms,” I point out: “Like how our son is helping bridge the gap between our species.”
The shifter Alphas have a new respect for Kane after they fought with us in battle. They have a new respect for me as another Alpha and I’m proud that I’m able to have better relationships with the other packs. Bernard’s legacy will not haunt me. I am making my own name and my own destiny.
“I hate to ask him but it will be ultimately Lex’s choice.” Kane turns and cups my face in his hands, his blue eyes staring deeply into mine. “What would I do without you?”
“Keep putting questionable people on your royal council like Clark?”
He winces. “I thought Clark would have some good advice. He does have some wisdom that’s been useful in the past.”
I snort. “Maybe before I was born. Has he had a good idea in the last decade?”
Kane laughs. “I suppose not.”
The bright smile remains on his face. The stress from him melts away and he kisses me. I return the kiss, enjoying this moment of peace. We’ve been so busy dealing with the aftermath of a war that we haven’t had that much time to be together.
I’ve missed him. I’ve missed us.
He pulls away from the kiss and rests his forehead against mine. My eyes remain closed and I breathe in his masculine scent and the fresh garden air.
“I love you,” he whispers softly like a secret. “None of this would matter without you.”
Jsmile and open my eyes. “You’ve changed my life, you know? From the first
moment I saw you, I knew that nothing in my life would be the same.”
Between Two Kings
+25 BONUS
His eyebrows furrow. “Aside from you offering to be my personal feeder?”
I snort. “Before that.”
“Of course.”
“This year has been the most hectic and wonderful year of my life,” I continue. “I became a feeder, I fell in love with you, then I became an Alpha.”
“You got pregnant and gave birth to your child,” he adds. “We fought and won a war. This year has felt more like a decade.”
“That’s true.‘
What a life.
He cups my jaw in his hands and asks, “Will you finally marry me, Emory Moonraker?”
Kane has asked me to marry him before. I held off because it wasn’t the right time then. In this moment I know with everything in me that my path forward will always be by his side. The rightness of it is overwhelming.
I refuse to cry so I swallow my tears.
And much to his relief, I answer, “I would love to marry you, Kane Alexander. As soon as possible.”
+25 BONUS
The Quiet After
Kane
Despite Emory’s urging that we get married as soon as possible, I want to do this right. I only plan on getting married once and I’m not going to have a rushed wedding. I’ve been asking her to marry me for months and I want us to have the wedding of her dreams. Besides, planning a wedding is less. stressful than preparing for a war.
A smaller more intimate wedding would have been ideal for us but we both understood that our union is a declaration. After centuries of bad blood, a vampire king is marrying a shifter Alpha. This is going to ruffle feathers and we are going to face everyone opposing us being together head on. We’ve fought a literal war to be together and we know that there will always be people that think our love is an abomination.
That morning as I’m getting ready for the wedding. I feel calmer than I’ve ever been. There’s a sense of rightness to this day that any cold feet aren’t going to ruin. I’m changing into my clothes for the wedding when Lex enters my suite. He walks taller and with more purpose these days.
My little brother who has always felt lost and looking for purpose has risen to do his duty. When I spoke with him about marrying Opal and becoming regent of Scarlett Thunder, he accepted it with grim resolution. Lex knows what I asked him to give up to ensure peace between the two kingdoms and I am grateful and guilty that he agreed so easily. I feel like a terrible brother for having to put him in that position.
“How are you doing?” he asks.
I struggle with my tie. “I’m good. How have you been?”
“Opal is about to pop any day now so I’m just trying to wrapped my head around being a Dad when the baby is finally here.”
“You’ll adapt faster than you think.”
He nods. “I suppose so though I don’t think I’ll adapt as fast as you.”
“Why not?”
+25 BONUS
“You were born to be a dad. You’ve been wanting to take care of everyone. even before you were king.”
“I was raised to be that way.”
“You took to it naturally.” He pauses before admitting, “Unlike me.”
I stop and look at him, really look at him. There’s an agitation there that’s new. It’s not from restlessness but from the pressure of being responsible for so many lives. The first few years adjusting to being a king is not easy. especially when you have the responsibility of rebuilding after a war.
I
“How are they treating you over there?” I ask, “Are you they treating you badly?”
“No, but they don’t trust me. They won’t say it to my face but the nobles can’t stand that I’m the regent and they have to fawn over me now. And Opal
He grimaces.
I remember the quick wedding between my brother and Opal after the royal council insisted on it. It was a small quick affair in the throne room of Castle Blackmoor with I and a few other people as witnesses. Opal was still red- eyed and grieving her brother and father as she was forced to say her vows. Lex hadn’t looked enthusiastic either but had gone through the whole thing without complaint.
Lex hasn’t spoken about his marriage but I doubt it’s a happy one. The guilt I feel intensifies.
“I’m sorry, brother,” I tell him. “I wish you could have married for love or at least to someone you could like.”
“Opal is not that bad,” he tries to assure him unconvincingly. “Maybe after the pregnancy hormones aren’t making her so moody, she’ll lighten up and throw less things.”
I doubt that. I almost married Opal after all and I know what she’s like.
2/7
I put an arm on his shoulder. “Perhaps after your son takes the throne, we could arrange for a divorce.”
He snorts. “Royals don’t divorce.
“We don’t marry shifters either but here I am.”
Lex snorts. “Enough about me. This your big day.”
He picks up the blazer off the chair and helps me into it and declares, “Let’s get you hitched.”
We leave my suite and make our way to the ballroom where dozens of guests are waiting. Most of the vampire royals have come. We didn’t bother inviting King Matthias and King Myenas as I have no desire to bother with diplomacy with them for a long time. All of the shifter Alphas showed up and I nod to them as I make my way to the aisle.
Rainer is there to stand beside me as my best man. Willow is standing on the other side as Emory’s maid–of–honor. The dress she’s wearing has an empire waist, effectively hiding the swell of her growing belly. We found out recently she and Rainer are expecting a girl.
This year has been fruitful when it comes to babies. All our children will be
around the same age
I glance over the crowd and see Queen Olga, Uncle Cyrus, and a few of the other royal vampires. Some decide not to show as they still can’t accept that my bride is not a vampire. I’m going to remember who didn’t show up. The insult to my future wife is not something I can just swallow
The ballroom has been fully decorated in white and gold, opting for elegance over opulence. The pianist starts playing music as Emory appears. in the doorway of the ballroom. She’s dressed in a tasteful wedding gown, deciding on a long train over a large poofy skirt. Her shoulders are bare and the sleeves are long and reach her elbows.
Embroidery of white leaves and flowers decorate the bodice down the skirt. Emory wanted a reminder of the forests where she grew up, a reminder of who and what she is. Her long red hair has been styled in loose waves,
+25 BONUS
The Quiet After
contrasting against her grown. The tiara she’s wearing is modest compared to the crowns the other women are wearing. The golden metal work looks like vines wrapped around emeralds.
She looks beautiful and I can’t take my eyes off her. Her emerald eyes catch my gaze and she smiles brightly. Her face lights up and I know this is the woman I’m meant to be with. All these years I’ve just been waiting for her to walk into my life.
Rainier looks closer to whisper in my ear, “You’re a lucky man.”
I smile, agreeing wholeheartedly.
Lola is a flower girl and she’s tossing white petals down the aisle. Helen and Coit are escorting Emory down the aisle. Helen wearing a simple sleeveless green gown. Coit is in a suit that he doesn’t look that comfortable in.
It takes time but they finally reach the aisle and hand Emory over to me. Helen kisses Emory’s cheek and Coit nods at me before they leave to take their seats. Helen takes Michael from Nettie and places my son in her lap. Michael is wearing his own version of a suit but made to be more
comfortable. He squirms in his grandmother’s lap, already bored with the events of the day.
Emory continues to smile as I take her hand and we face the officiant. We only have eyes for each other as we recite our vows. It has taken us a long time to get here and all of it has been worth it. I feel like the luckiest man in the world.
