The mating ceremony was yet another fairytale moment, with the castle’s grand ballroom fully decked out for the event. Duvalle was stunning in a couture gown by famed designer Serenity Rose, who is a close personal friend of the new princess. Embracing the cultures of her mates, the gown was a vibrant red with embroidered silver details and fur embellishments perfect for Avondale’s chilly winters. During the ceremony, Queen Raina gave her blessing by crowning her new daughter-in-law with a silver and sapphire antique that belonged to the queen's grandmother. The moment was met with tumultuous applause and many happy tears from the new mates and their guests.
Pack Stepanov intends to celebrate their union with a "staycation" to allow Duvalle time to settle into her new home and duties. The polycule plans to maintain a home in the United States, with their primary residence remaining at the Avondalian castle. Duvalle is excited about her new home, expressing no trepidation about the change in her lifestyle.
"I love this place and its people," she said of the arrangement. "I'm honored to serve them and live among them. This is where I want to raise our children. This is where we'll have our happily ever after."
Fans of Duvalle’s music needn’t despair, however. Though the popstar-turned-princess is planning to stop touring and decrease her performance schedule, her mating doesn’t signal retirement from her music career. Utilizing the brand-new recording studio Pack Stepanov built for her as a mating gift, Duvalle is working on a holiday album inspired by their love story.Christmas Miraclewill hit streaming next November…
Epilogue: Heat Honeymoon
Destiny
The celebration lasted for three days. With family and friends having come from all over the world, the newly expanded Pack Stepanov wanted to make the most of their visit. It was an opportunity for Destiny’s guests to learn more about her new home, and for all four families to get to know each other better.
They had a blast. Destiny loved seeing her alphas around their relatives, loved finding bits and pieces of each of them in their family members, and, most of all, loved watching her own family and friends fall in love with her mates. Destiny could rest easier knowing that everyone who cared about her would leave confident in her decision and secure in the knowledge that she was safe and happy.
Two weeks after the mating ceremony, Destiny’s heat arrived.
They’d planned for it, deciding to forego a traditional honeymoon in favor of a staycation in their new nest. Heralphas hadn’t even seen it yet, since Destiny forbade them from entering until it was completely finished and ready for her heat. Alphas might be more dominant, but omegas ruled the nest, so the men of the pack hadn’t dared sneak so much as a peek. Sasha and Mina had once again worked their magic, helping Destiny get everything just the way she wanted it in record time.
Speaking of Sasha and Mina, they had their own surprise to share. After Damon left to return to the U.S., with a generous severance package and promises to visit, Destiny had expected Sasha to resign next. Instead, Sasha had insisted that she would be delighted to stay in Avondale and be a princess’s assistant. When Destiny pressed her on it, Sasha’s light brown skin had turned pink.
“As much as I love you, Des, it’s not just for you,” she’d admitted shyly. “I’m sort of seeing someone. It’s new, obviously, but I want to see where it goes.”
Destiny had fussed at Sasha for meddling in her love life while simultaneously keeping her own a secret, then demanded details. It turned out that spending so much time with Mina had had unintended consequences. The two had soon realized they had more than work in common, and now they were an item. Destiny couldn’t have been happier for her friend—and for herself at having the amazing luck of keeping her trusted assistant at her side in this new phase of her life.
That new phase had started beautifully. Once all the mating ceremony guests were gone, and the holidays were over, Pack Stepanov had more time to focus on mated life. Though they’d opted to keep Destiny’s penthouse apartment as their home in the U.S., she’d still had more than just her wardrobe sent to Avondale. Hunter had been insistent that she make the packhouse feel like home, so they’d worked together to integrate some of her art and furniture into the décor.
Still, the space that she’d spent the most time and effort on was the nest. Destiny had been surprised to find that the upper level of the packhouse held a lot more than the game room. One entire side of the second floor was devoted to an enormous bedroom, luxurious ensuite bathroom, and huge closet. The remainder of the space was dedicated to a much smaller adjoining bedroom.
Some omegas liked to have a nest separate from their bedroom, but Destiny knew immediately that she wanted the smaller room to be a nursery. She could already envision filling it with little versions of Hunter, Greyson, and Alexander. They’d be adorable and they’d give their daddies a run for their money. The thought made her smile.
With that decided, Destiny moved on to her nest. As the centerpiece of the room, she selected a massive cypress four poster bed, complete with foot-tall, padded side panels that could be raised to give it a more enclosed feel. Leaning into the ice princess vibe, she’d chosen heavy ivory bed curtains with silver embellishments, along with a matching canopy, sheets, and pillows. Then she literally and figuratively softened the whole look with lots of pillows in deep greens and blues, a fluffy silver comforter, and a navy cable-knit throw blanket.
Outside the nest, the walls were painted a deep blue and filled with artwork in the same overall color scheme, most of it with a musical motif. The room also featured a huge corner fireplace with a live edge magnolia mantle, surrounded by a loveseat and soft armchairs. An opposite corner held floor-to-ceiling live edge floating bookshelves next to a cozy window seat. Destiny’s favorite guitar rested on a handcrafted stand designed to look like a silver birch tree. The space felt like pack—woodsy and wintry, earthy and elegant.
The four of them had been sleeping in a cuddle puddle in one of the guys’ rooms each night, but when she felt her heatapproaching, Destiny decided it was time to show her alphas the nest. She’d been running a slight fever and had begun to lose her appetite. They were finishing up a gory horror movie when the first cramp hit her.
“You okay, Kitten?” Hunter asked, brow furrowed in concern.
Destiny hadn’t made a sound, but Hunter rarely missed much, especially now that he could feel her through their bond. She was still getting used to being so connected. It could be strange, but it also made communication and intimacy a lot easier.
“I think I’d like to lie down,” Destiny replied, climbing to her feet. “And you’re all coming with me.”
Alexander waggled his eyebrows. “Don’t mind if I do. Is it my turn to host?”
Hunter and Greyson stretched and stood, moving toward Xander’s room. Destiny shook her head, stopping them in their tracks. That was another thing she was getting used to—the way they orbited her. She’d seen it in other packs, including her own parents. The alphas were strong leaders, but the omegas held all the power. In good relationships, the omega was the heart of the pack. Destiny had become that for Pack Stepanov. It made her chest warm with pride.
“Actually, it’s my turn,” Destiny said, smirking and planting a hand on her hip. “And if you hate my nest, you better figure out how to hide that emotion real quick, because I love it.”
Greyson smiled and pulled her into his arms. “We already love it. Our omega built a nest for us because she feels safe and loved. It’s perfect.”
Destiny melted as he gave her a long, slow kiss. She pulled away on wobbly legs. “Come on. We can do more of that in the nest.”
She could feel their excitement as her alphas followed her up the stairs. She hung back as they entered the bedroom, oddly anxious about their reactions. It was just her omega instincts,fearful of their disapproval. This was the place where she would sleep, weather her heats, and nurse their babies. It would feel like a rejection if they didn’t like it.
A moment later, Destiny was whisked into the room, Alexander twirling her merrily with that boyish twinkle in his sapphire eyes. Hunter was running a hand over the mantlepiece with a small smile on his face, while Greyson was examining the bookshelves with the same appreciative expression. Destiny could feel their love humming through the bond.
They liked it. They were happy. She’d made them happy.
