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THIRTY-FIVE
—
M A D D I E
Outside in thehall once again, music filters out from the ballroom. A ripple of anxiety runs through me as I look at myself in what I’m coming to think of asmymirror. I’m not wearing much makeup today, only a smudge of eyeliner and a coat of mascara.
I look more like myself than I have for any of the events we’ve been waiting for out here before. Mary even let me wear pumps this time.No heel at all!
Antonio and Casey aren’t dressed up either. We’re supposed to be, but after we brought Casey into the loop and laid out Kaz’s plan for her and Antonio, the other Omegas and I decided together that we wanted to look like ourselves today. This is who we are, and the Final Ceremony is being broadcast live.
It’s our last chance—or theirs, rather—to present themselves to the world. If all goes according to plan, I’ll have a whole life’s worth of chances in the limelight, but it seemed important to us all to be exactly who we are for the world to see.
For a month now, we’ve been their primary entertainment. We’ve followed everyone else’s rules, and we’ve done it with a smile on our faces. Today, we’re making a stand.
The Royal Pack and I are making a more dramatic one, but Casey and Antonio wanted to be part of it in their own way. Antonio plans on asking Francis to bond with him formally once my Alphas and I have made our spectacle, and it turns out that sweet Casey has a pack back home in Ontario she wants to belong to.
As soon as I started explaining my relationship with the RP to her, she burst into tears. At first, I thought she was hurt. She wasn’t. It was relief. When her sobs eventually subsided, she broke down and told me she never wanted to be selected and that she’s been terrified of being chosen.
I can’t quite believe how perfectly this has all worked out, with all three of us getting the happy endings we were after all along. I smile at the thought, and Antonio comes up behind me just like he did the night of the ball, resting his chin on my shoulder as he holds me tight.
“You’re beautiful,” he says again, returning my smile in the mirror. “Positively glowing. Although, if I’d spent the past few days being repeatedly knotted by three gorgeous Alphas, I suppose I would’ve been glowing too.”
“Stop it.” I blush, reaching behind me to swat his side. “We’re going to be called in at any moment, and I’m not going on live TV with a face as red as a firetruck.”
Casey giggles at our sides, shaking her head as she glances between us. “I wish I’d have gotten to know you two sooner. I thought keeping to myself was for the best, but you guys aren’t so bad.”
Antonio sticks his tongue out at her. “Not so bad? We’re magnificent. Marvelous. Darling and her pack are going to come visit me in Barcelona when Francis and I have our ceremony. You should come. Bring your pack, too. It’ll be fun. We could catch up and say mean things about all the Omegas who made you feel like you had to keep to yourself.”
“I’d like that,” she says softly just as the announcer cries out from inside.
“For the last time during these Mating Trials, please help me welcome Antonio Ramirez!”
Casey pulls back her shoulders and takes his hand when he offers it to her. “We’re really doing this, huh?”
“We are,” he says confidently, taking my hand too before tucking mine around one elbow and Casey’s around the other. “Let’s do this. I have a Bonding Ceremony of my own to plan, and I don’t want to wait any longer than I’ve already had to.”
“It’s been a month,” I say as we walk together toward the doors. “It’s not that long.”
“So says you,” he says, sassy as ever even as the doors open and we walk in together despite the fact that he should be making his entrance alone. “You have a whole palace to help you plan your Bonding Ceremony. I don’t have the same manpower. So chop-chop.”
The crowd murmurs as we pass between them, heads bending together as they speculate about what’s going on. Queen Catherine is on her throne again, and she’s clearly struggling to keep her expression neutral. More so when her gaze meets mine and her eyes narrow.
I’m not supposed to be here anymore. Rumors of my departure have been greatly exaggerated.
I won’t even begin to deny the satisfied little thrill that runs through me as she tries to mask her surprise. King Edward seems much more pleased to see me, releasing the queen’s hand and settling back on his throne with a small smile on his face, like he knows what’s about to happen and can’t wait for the show.
The Royal Pack are up on the dais as always, looking smug, proud, and loving—and really freaking hot in their tailored black suits. Kaspian is flanked by Tai on his left and Wolf on his right, and I know it was planned this way so that Wolf would be standing next to the announcer.
He’s thrown off as well, but he improvises, grinning as he hastens to introduce the two of us also. “Joining Mr. Ramirez, of course, is Ms. Maddison Darling and Ms. Casey Sinclair.”
As they watch us move toward the dais, Wolf turns to the announcer and takes the mic from him before he can say anything else. Lord Wolfgang Von Damme charms the gathered crowd and all those watching from home with a dazzling smile before he brings the mic to his lips.
“Maddison Darling, could you come up here, please?” he says, his blue eyes sparkling as they lock on mine and he beckons me to them.
Antonio releases my arm, he and Casey staying at the bottom of the staircase, taking the proverbial front-row seats for what’s about to happen. I ascend the stairs carefully, more comfortable in my pumps than even the kitten heels, but still supremely aware that I’ve fallen over while barefoot before.
A lack of heels does not, in my case, guarantee a graceful, incident-free ascent. From the corner of my eye, I see the queen starting to rise but Wolf must see it too, because he doesn’t wait for me to make it all the way to them before he makes the announcement.
