“Did Grey tell you about the time at academy when a group of us dragged him along to a haunted house?” Xander asked, grinning when Grey’s eyes went wide, and Hunter snorted a laugh. “We’d barely gotten into the queue when–”
“No! Absolutely not! We are not telling embarrassing stories,” Grey interrupted, covering Destiny’s ears and leading her to the couch. “We are cuddling and watching movies and that’s the end of it.”
After a chaotic few minutes of laughter, yelling, and playful roughhousing, everyone collapsed on the huge sectional sofa. Grey and Hunter took spots on either side of Destiny. Then, to Xander’s surprise, Aly and Ivan hopped onto the chaise end of the sofa, mewing and purring when Destiny arranged a blanket for them. He shook his head in disbelief as they kneaded the blanket with their little paws, before lying down and curling up together.
Well, he wouldn’t be the odd man out in this cozy little tableau. He plopped down on Hunter’s other side. Despite Hunter’s protests, Xander grabbed a pillow and laid his head in Hunter’s lap, stretching out and propping his legs on the arm of the couch.
“Clearly Greyson isn’t the only snuggle bunny in the pack,” Destiny mused, giving Xander a genuine smile. “I knew I should’ve made you cuddle him on the scary parts.”
“We’ll split shifts,” Xander said with a wink. “You cover Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and I’ll handle Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We’ll make Hunt do Sundays.”
Hunter scowled. “I only cuddle after sex.”
“Then I guess Grey’s putting out on Sundays.” Xander grinned, feeling a surge of triumph when Destiny giggled.
“Do I get no say in the matter?” Grey protested, pulling Destiny against his side and draping a blanket over them. “I’ve only agreed to cuddling Star. You blokes aren’t nearly as soft. And you certainly don’t smell as delicious.”
Destiny laughed again, the sound warming Xander’s chest. Hunter grabbed the remote and settled more comfortably, running his fingers through Xander’s hair absently as he scrolledtheir streaming catalog. Xander relaxed, enjoying the touch and the wonderful combination of all their scents intermingling.
“What are you going to do when I go home?” Destiny asked teasingly. “If you have residual nightmares, I won’t be here to comfort you.”
Xander stiffened. Hunter’s hand stopped moving in his hair. A torrent of emotions pulsed through the pack bond. They didn’t have to speak to know that no one in Pack Stepanov was pleased with the thought of Destiny leaving.
“I suppose that means you can’t leave,” Grey said after a beat, mimicking Destiny’s playful tone despite the distress Xander could feel through the bond. “I shall askSanta Clausfor more snow.”
The mood lightened again and stayed that way as they watched movies—Xander and Destiny excitedly pointing out their favorite parts and finding more and more common ground. They snacked and snuggled and somehow the hours passed in a blur of pleasant nothings unlike anything Xander had ever experienced. It was easy and right and wonderful.
It was at the simplest moment that he realized it. Hunter had taken his hand from Xander’s hair and wrapped it around Destiny’s shoulders. She’d gradually moved close enough that her thigh pressed against the crown of Xander’s head. Grey had mirrored Xander’s position, placing his head in Destiny’s lap.
Then Destiny casually placed a hand on each of their heads and began running her nails through their hair and Xanderknew. He just knew. Perhaps he’d known it all along.
Destiny Duvalle was their mate.
It was then that all of their cellphones began ringing.
Chapter twelve
Destiny
Destiny Duvalle A Royal Pain: Prince Alexander Calls Pop Princess ‘Stuck Up Clout Chaser’
It seems international popstar Destiny Duvalle isn’t much impressed by royalty. The famous omega visited Avondale yesterday to perform for the monarchy, and one member of the royal family is clearly not a fan. Prince Alexander, heir to the throne and leader of Pack Stepanov, apparently had a nighttime run-in with Duvalle that ended with hard feelings on both sides. The prince wasallegedly overheard describing Duvalle as shallow and unintelligent, a ‘stuck up clout chaser’ whose music is only suitable for rabid teenagers.
Sources close to the crown say Duvalle arrived at the castle during the early hours of yesterday morning. Her arrival coincided with Pack Stepanov’s return to the castle after a night of partying. Apparently, the prince wasn’t ready for the fun to end, and didn’t return immediately to his chambers. Prince Alexander was heard saying he “must’ve insulted her looks last night” as an explanation for an apparent snubbing from the famous omega, indicating that they’d indeed met during the night.
Prince Alexander’s unsavory exploits are well-documented, so his lack of clarity regarding how he might’ve offended Duvalle isn’t surprising. The prince visited several nightclubs prior to his encounter with Duvalle, where other guests claim he was visibly inebriated and “probably high on something.”
Duvalle, no stranger to wild parties herself, is also no stranger to relationships with royals. Two years ago,Celeb Webreported that the popstar had rejected a proposal from Prince Ammar, heir to the throne of Medora. When we reached out to Prince Ammar, he responded that he had no comment on the matter.
However, when asked if he would agree with Prince Alexander’s description of Duvalle, Prince Ammar said, “I have the highest respect for Prince Alexander and I believe he is a very good judge of character, particularly in this case.”
How had such a good day gone so suddenly and drastically downhill? Destiny couldn’t believe how nice it’d been watching movies and snuggling with Pack Stepanov. It had felt so easy and normal—a feeling Destiny wasn’t used to, and one she was surprised to realize she deeply craved. She’d relaxed and let her guard down for once.
And that had been her mistake.
Stupid, shallow, stuck-up cloutchaser. That’s what Prince Alexander thought of her, apparently. And that bastard Prince Ammar! The nerve! Destiny thought they’d parted on good terms but obviously his fragile male ego hadn’t taken the rejection well, even though he’d pretended he understood. This is why she didn’t fuck with alphas outside of her heats. They were assholes. It was programmed into their DNA.
“It’s really awful timing to have a tiff with a foreign monarch,” her mother was saying. “With the inauguration gig almost secured, you’re under more scrutiny than usual and the White House won’t want to be connected to a fresh scandal.”
