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As of tonight, she was in the hands of her soon-to-be husband, and the choices would be his. And, if or when a choice was ever her own, she would need to think of him and his kingdom. Oftheirkingdom.
She did her best to focus on the journey ahead. It would do no good to reminisce. Life would be different, but different didn’t need to be awful or scary. She was brave. She would be strong. She had to be.
She took a deep breath and returned to where her mother and sisters waited outside her door. The tears could not be stopped as the women embraced each other. There were no words.
Though her world felt like it was being torn apart, it wasn’t like they were never going to see each other again. After all, it wasn’t a permanent goodbye. Only anuntil the next time.
Addisyn, Madison, and Taryn would soon be headed home with their husbands-to-be. Mother, of course, would be staying here. Lexi would be leaving with a strange and stoic man, with whom she had only spoken a few words, to live with him in his palace.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Addisyn’s face was wrinkled in concern. She had the tendency to worry. Lexi smiled in response.
“I’ll be fine. I’m younger than you, not weaker.”
Lexi stuck her tongue out at her sister. Addisyn smiled uncertainly, looking at the other ladies. Her other sisters echoed the look, but her mother stared at the floor. Mother was uncharacteristically silent.
Lexi knew the sisters were not confident in her ability to be mated with an alpha like Xander. They thought he was going to be too much for her. She’d show them. She was just as strong as any of them.
“Promise to check in tomorrow morning?” her mother practically whispered.
“Yeah, so we know you’re still alive,” Madison added with a wink. Taryn and Lexi both playfully smacked Madison, sending the sisters into giggles.
“I will be fine,” Lexi reassured, meeting each of the women’s eyes in turn. The women again embraced each other, switching from one pair of arms to another. The tears were forgotten. The fear and pain of leaving one another were still fresh.
It wasn’t a matter of weakness. Lexi recalled the many years of training the girls had gone through as children. The girls had all spent time sparring and running obstacle courses.
Each daughter was schooled to be a warrior and to defend themselves in a world of shifters. It wouldn’t be easy, especially if the opponent decided to shift, but the girls were ready to face the world. Their father had insisted upon it, and their training had been sound.
They were now equipped to do what they must. But no amount of training could have prepared them for the parting of ways.
“Hey,” Lexi sniffed, pushing out of her sisters’ hugs, “do you remember when we used to play ‘bad shifters’ during training?”
Addisyn stifled a laugh before stepping back into her outlandish and overexaggerated villain pose. Taryn stepped forward like a knight in shining armor.
“I’ll protect you, Princess!” Taryn thrust her imaginary sword into Addisyn, and Addisyn feigned falling to the wall. Madison ran over to her with exaggeration.
“How could you?” She pretended to cry over her twin’s body.
Addisyn came back to life and lunged at Taryn. They were soon all laughing so hard that they were crying in a good way.
When the women finally pulled themselves together, they walked Lexi downstairs to where Xander and father waited. Xander’s jaw was still set, but his eyes looked softer. She wondered if his insistence on her immediate move was more for himself than for anyone else.
The two men’s heads had been together in conversation, but they both lapsed into silence as the women came down the stairs. Her father looked very emotional, with good reason. Xander looked more relaxed than he had all evening.
She fell into her father’s arms, and he wrapped himself around his little girl. “No matter what happens, you are loved and safe here. Please take care of yourself, baby girl.”
“Thank you, father.” She sniffed back her remaining tears.
When she stepped back, her parents moved to stand together. She turned to her sisters. Their husbands-to-be had materialized out of seemingly nowhere, standing protectively near their respective bride. Every member of her family was standing vigil as she took this next step.
After she had taken in the love in each of her family member’s eyes, she turned to Xander. She didn’t see love, but she saw safety. It would have to do for now. Love could be earned later.
He offered her his arm. With a final glance over her shoulder, she walked out of the only home she had ever known. Her bravery did not fail her at this moment. She had a duty to her station as a princess and soon-to-be queen.
Deep breaths. You’re fine.Xander helped her into the car before walking around to his own side.
“Thank you.” It was a nice gesture, she thought.
She wrapped her fingers around the obsidian wolf charm he had given her. It was warm from her body heat, and that offered her some comfort.
