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“Can you imagine the reactions when the two of us walk out as your entourage? The press are going to cream themselves over this.”
“I know,” Antonio croons. “I can’t wait. I knew keeping in touch was a good idea. Aren’t you glad I made us that group chat?”
“You mean the one where you keep sending us selfies of you and your lover on the beach while Maddie has been working on softening up the queen and I’ve been just plain working?”
He laughs. “That’s the one, but Maddie hasn’t been working on softening up the queen. It’s already done. You know I heard things have been going better with her and the king as well?”
“It’s true,” I murmur without moving my lips as the makeup artist smears a natural pink shade of lipstick on them. “She’s even on neutral terms with Yua now, and with me. Things are still shaky, but I think she’s finally starting to come around.”
“Blot.” The makeup artist hands over a Kleenex and I take it, carefully pressing it to my lips before dropping it in the bin beside me.
“She must really be giving some thought to everything they said at the Ceremony, huh?” Casey smiles gently. “Speaking of, how’s your mother? She introduced herself to me while you lot went off to wow the world with the strength of your love.”
“Oh, I met her too,” Antonio squeals. “She’s amazing. Nobody cared about my declaration after the ruckus you caused, but she did. You were giving interviews, and I was giving her details about.”
I jerk my head toward him, but the hair stylist jerks it right back. “What details?”
“Nothing much,” he says mischievously. “Just that you spent the entire Trials sneaking off with the Royal Pack, so we all knew you were destined for each other.”
I roll my eyes at him. “It wasn’t that bad.”
Casey groans. “It totally was. How is your Mum, by the way? She mentioned Kaspian had gotten her on a new medication that was working well for her?”
“It’s workingsowell.”
It’s now become public knowledge that my mother has Cervus, and while neither of the artists show so much as a modicum of surprise over the revelation, they also don’t stop me from gushing or looking at my friends this time. Both of them pause for a moment to let me speak instead. “She’s improving daily, but Kaz got her into the Woods Cervus Clinic in the States. She’s starting treatment there as an inpatient the day after tomorrow. They’re only sticking around for the Ceremony, and as soon as it’s over, they’re leaving.”
My heart twists at the thought that I won’t be going with them, but my Alphas and I are taking off after our Ceremony ourselves. We’re in desperate need of some real time alone after the media feeding frenzy we’ve been caught in the center of since the Trials ended.
After we get back from a few weeks of travel, we’ll be heading over to America to visit them. “My brother is super excited. It’s the cutest thing. He keeps talking about all the sights he wants to see, but he doesn’t realize how far apart they are. It’ll be the first time any of us has ever been on a plane.”
Casey chuckles. “It’s hard being that small. How are your parents feeling about the treatment program?”
“They’re excited. Optimistic. They haven’t wanted to talk about it too much, though. I think they’ve been afraid of detracting from today if they go on and on about it, and they keep ignoring me when I tell them not to worry about it.”
“Your mother’s little girl found love,” Antonio croons. “Of course, your Bonding Ceremony is the only thing she can talk about. She’s only been dreaming about this day since you were born.”
“Is your father going to escort you to do the traditional handoff?” Casey asks.
I nod. “The queen about had a meltdown about one of her gardeners playing such an important role in the RP’s ceremony, but they insisted.”
“No surprise there,” he says, then he suddenly squints at my makeup artist. “It may be a bit late, but you did sign an NDA, correct?”
She sets down the light mist she just sprayed me with and then smiles. “We did, but we wouldn’t say anything anyway. I was Team Maddie all the way.”
“Same here,” my hair stylist says, and my heart warms even if it is still really weird to hear people I’ve never met talking about rooting for me.
“Thank you,” I say softly. “Am I done?”
They both nod as Mary walks into my chambers with my dress in its protective covering. Tears well in her eyes when she sees me. “Gorgeous, honey. Simply gorgeous. Great job on letting the freckles show, Mara. His Royal Highness demanded it.”
She winks before she shoos everyone out so I can get dressed. Casey and Antonio head back to their own chambers to do the same. Before I know it, the time has come. Today is the day I bond with the royal pack.
Part of me still can’t believe it, but the massive crowd of people waiting in the gardens proves it’s real. The Ceremony has been set up in the Rose Garden where Kaz and I first opened up to each other—and where he told me I could never win.Oh, how far we’ve come.
There’s a beautiful gazebo where all three of my Alphas are waiting. Nerves and excitement simmer in my gut as I walk toward my dad. He’s waiting just around the corner, and as my dress swishes around my ankles, my red sequined pumps peeking out from underneath the hem with every step I take, I drag in a deep breath.
Somewhere, faint music is playing and I hold on to the sound of it, trying to drown out all my warring thoughts. Don’t think about the cameras. Don’t worry about tripping. Just walk.
