Alpha Reeves smiles again and nods. “Which is a level of arrogance I can't understand, even from my own daughter. You three are goddess-blessed. We all saw it years ago. It's just sad that you've all been so stupid and too stubborn to accept it.”
“I accepted it, thank you,” Genie says, and he smirks.
“You'll find that men are slower to come to these types of conclusions, unfortunately.”
Drew rubs at the back of his neck. “So you're just waiting on them to get here?”
“They should be here within an hour or so. You three have impeccable timing.”
“Drew,” Luna Barrett calls from the door as she opens it. “Bring them inside so I can feed them. Alpha Reeves has this handled. Come on while it's hot.”
My stomach growls as the scent of cooking food filters from the house. Yeah. Inside is the place to be. I pull Genie behind me and march straight to the front door, nodding at Alpha Reeves as I pass him. Cross follows a little slower but we end up seated around Genie's mom's table to eat one of the best meals I've ever had. I don't know how she managed it, but there is a casserole dish of cold spaghetti sitting beside a platter of bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapenos. My favorite comfort food and Cross's, right here on this table.
“Eat, Parker,” Genie's mom orders. “I don't know if you've always been this skinny, but I'm making it a personal mission to try to put some weight on you.”
“Good luck,” Cross says, putting a couple stuffed jalapenos onto the plate in front of Genie. “His mom and mine have been trying for years. He can eat, though. No problem there.” He laughs and starts piling more food onto Genie's plate.
“How long has Alpha Reeves been here?” Genie asks.
“Just a couple of days,” her mom answers. “He called to give us a heads up we didn't need and then got on a flight to beat her here. He wants this to be a lesson learning experience for her. We've had many discussions about how ready our heirs may or may not be to take things over. He isn't nearly as confident in his daughter as we are of ours. And Drew was always going to be a wonderful alpha.” She reaches over to pat his shoulder. “Even if he had to learn a few lessons of his own to get there.”
Alpha Reeves was right. We're still eating when the alarm sounds that Bella has arrived. We do what he asked us to do. We stay inside the house, but we don't hide that we're watching from the windows. It's kind of anticlimactic, but we're all relieved just the same. We may not run from fights like this, but none of us wanted it. And it's very satisfying to watch him issue the command that puts Bella and most of the rest of the people who followed her here onto their knees. Jonathan doesn't have to kneel to Alpha Reeves's command, but he does anyway. He knows he's not meant to rule a pack. He never should have come here. This will be a black mark against all of them for the rest of their lives; Bella's only saving grace is that she's an alpha's heir. Even that might not save her if she doesn't learn from this.
***
~One Month Later ~
The moon is full and silver above us. Every member of our conjoined pack has gathered in the same clearing we've used for mating ceremonies for generations upon generations. The only difference between now and the first time we were here is that Cross and I are standing next to each other instead of across. We're face to face with Cross's grinning and crying younger brother.
“Pull yourself together, Robbie,” Cross hisses, but he's smiling.
“I can't believe the Elders agreed to this,” I say. “Again.”
“You three are a phenomenon.” Robbie, smiles wider. “Phenomenon's get special treatment.”
The gathered crowd in the clearing slowly comes to a hush as Genie's scent floats to us sweetly on the breeze. I itch with the need to turn and look at her and Cross reaches over to touch my hand. “Almost.”
Pure, unfiltered joy rushes to us from every wolf in the clearing as the sound of Genie's footsteps come closer. Danner's voice cuts through the clearing, loud and full.
"Drew Cross, future Alpha of the Cross-Barrett Pack, Parker Merritt turn and greet your mate."
Robbie nods, wiping his eyes and smiling even harder. “Turn around,” he whispers.
Cross and I turn in unison. There she is. Wearing a white dress similar to the one she wore the first time we were in this clearing together. She tried to wear the first dress, but the growing swell of her abdomen wouldn't allow it. I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life. Cross's grip on my hand is bruising but I can feel his happiness. His foot lifts to go to her and I tighten my grip on him. “You have to wait,” I whisper.
Time stands still as she closes the distance between us. Her bottom lip is swollen and red from being gnawed on with her nerves but she's so perfect.
“Eugenia Barrett, do you accept this bond?”
She smiles at us in turn and reaches her hand toward us, her palm raised to the moon. “I accept.”
“Drew, Parker. Do you accept this bond?”
“Yes,” we say together as we enclose her hand between ours.
Cheers and howls erupt in the clearing.
“Turn and face your pack.
