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“Those colors agree with you,” I say to Gavin to break the silence when he doesn’t say anything and just stands at the door, staring at me.
“Oh, umm, thank you,” Gavin says and glances down at his uniform as if he’s forgotten what he’s wearing. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you look like a true king, Garren.”
Am I going crazy or was that a compliment? My wolf asks, and I’m not exactly sure if he’s making a joke or not.
“Thank you,” I tell him, then turn around to properly look at him. “I didn’t expect to see you before the coronation. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s perfect,” Gavin replies with an easy smile, his massive and muscular body relaxing. “I’ve actually come to ask you for a favor.”
“Oh?” I ask, my brows raised in surprise.
“I didn’t want to do this in front of everyone because it’s a private matter, and I didn’t want you to feel pressured into answering against your wishes,” Gavin says, talking way too much for someone who’s trying to look relaxed.
He’s nervous, my wolf comments, pointing out the obvious as always.
“Do you want to sit down?” I ask, gesturing at the small sofa that the abbey provided me with for this occasion. The royal events will drag on long before I’ll be asked to make an official appearance.
“Thanks,” Gavin says and sits down, buying himself a moment to gather his thoughts. “As you well know, Leia is pregnant.”
“Oh, yes,” I confirm with a smile. “You did mention something about finally sharing the gender of your little heir.”
Gavin looks me in the eyes, his shining with pure joy and happiness. My heart constricts with regret for losing so much time bickering and arguing when we could be a team. At least now, we have an opportunity to start anew and build two united kingdoms.
“It’s a boy,” Gavin announces quietly, keeping his voice low enough just for me to hear in case there's anyone on the other side of the door.
“Congratulations!” I exclaim and stand up, then pull him into a brotherly hug when he follows my lead.
“Thank you,” he says again, grinning from ear to ear. “Actually, that’s where that favor comes in.”
“I’m listening,” I assure him and though we pull away from the embrace, we don’t sit back down.
“Leia and I were talking and we’re hoping that you and Alyssa would agree to be little Lyon’s godparents,” Gavin whispers, and though his face is glowing with happiness, his eyes are shining with barely veiled worry.
Speak, my wolf howls when I’m too stunned to reply.
I shake my head and blink my surprise away. The corners of my mouth curl up into a wide smile as my brother has invited me to be a part of his momentous and joyful occasion.
“It would be my absolute honor,” I tell him, meaning every word of it. “I can’t wait to tell Alyssa.”
“Thank you, Garren,” Gavin says and clasps my bicep. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally have a brother. You should be proud of the person you’ve become. I’m sorry that I couldn’t see your potential. I’m sorry that I made it harder on you, instead of helping you to get there.”
“Don’t be,” I say with a slight shake of my head. “Looking back now, I consider myself lucky that I didn’t get my ass handed to me more often. I was a douchebag.”
“Yeah, you really were,” Gavin agrees with a chuckle. He pats my arm again, then takes a step back toward the door. “I should go now. You’ll do great, Brother.”
“Thank you,” I say and clear my throat to cover the emotion in my voice.
I’ve always been jealous of Gavin. He was allowed to do it all and he seemed to have it all. Only now, I see that he had to work very hard to get somewhere in life. I hadn’t realized just how much he had to give up to be able to marry Leia. I’m glad that it worked out well for him. He deserves the best, and it’s about time that I stop standing in his way.
It takes another half an hour of waiting after Gavin leaves. In that time, the abbey finally fills up, and I’m being summoned in front of the altar to attend my own coronation.
The ascension process has been in the works for what seems like forever, and today is its last day. After the coronation, I am officially the Grey King, and while my father agreed to stay on as an occasional advisor, he made it clear that he wanted to catch up on the lost time with my mother.
I exit the abbey through the back door, then sit in the royal car to be driven to the front where I’ll enter. It’s all about making an entrance worthy of a king.
Our secret service has made it their mission to keep humans away from the abbey and its neighboring blocks. This historic occasion is meant for wolves only, and to be reported only by our official channels.
The moment that the car stops in front of the abbey and the chauffeur opens the door for me, the trumpets sound to announce my arrival. With my head held high and my eyes locked forward, I walk into my future.
