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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.”
