Page 84 of Twisted Mates

“May we present the next king and queen of the Crescent pack: Xander and Alexia Slade. May their reign be long and prosperous,” announces the Shifter Assembly elder. He lifts his arms above his head, his black and gold robe fanning out like wings at his sides.

The whole pack bursts into applause, my parents the loudest among them. The cheers reach up to the hand painted, arched ceilings, and I swear the banners bearing the pack crest sway from the noise.

Xander and I rise from our thrones, and with careful steps move to the edge of the dais. The train of my white lace dress drags behind me, threatening to pull me to the ground. My mate notices my struggle and lifts the long fabric, arranging it so it flows down the steps. I glance down at him as he gazes up at me.My king bowed before my feet. It is only a second but it’s enough to make my cheeks redden.

Moving to my side, he takes my hand and whispers, “You’re the most beautiful queen this pack has ever seen.”

“Thank you. You’re by far the sexiest king with the best tattoos,” I whisper back.

He shakes his head as the elder continues, “Please, everyone disperse to the grand ballroom at this time where we will continue the evening with drinks, dinner, and dancing.”

We watch as everyone does as they are told, some in wolf form and some human, but all show a sign of reverence. We nod at my parents and Kai, asking them to stay behind. Once we enter the ballroom, the drinks will be endless, and most will want a chance to at least pay their respects. We wanted a moment alone with those we care about the most. We haven’t seen Kai since Carrington’s trial and sentencing for her crimes—exile on pain of death.

Making our way down from the dais, my parents meet us at the bottom of the stairs, my mom wrapping us both in a hug. “Oh, Alexia, you look so beautiful,” she says, wiping tears away from her cheeks.

“What about me?” Xander teases, pretending to fuss with his lapel. “I pulled out my nice suit for this.”

“You’re very handsome too, son,” my dad sarcastically says, holding out his hand for Xander to shake. They do, but my father pulls him into a hug before opening his arm to me. I step into his embrace.

“Thank y’all for being so understanding about everything,” I say, swallowing over the lump in my throat.

“Understanding?” my mom says, looking up at Xander and back at me. “This man is yourmate.It may have been a bit of a shock for us at first but of course all we want is for you to be happy, sweetheart.”

I nod and hug them both again before promising to see them at dinner. As they’re walking away, Kai and Sophie appear at our sides.

“Oh my god, Sophie!” I squeal, holding out my arms for a hug. She immediately returns my affection and Kai rolls his eyes.

“Thanks for the warm welcome, sis,” he jokes.

“Sorry, but I can’t help it, this is so exciting,” I say, reaching over and squeezing his shoulder. “I’m happy to see you too.”

“This is kind of wild, isn’t it?” Sophie says, leaning in toward me as Kai and Xander slip into conversation.

“It is. Did you—knowabout shifters before all of this?” I ask.

Sophie shakes her head. “No, and I don’t think I would’ve believed it if I hadn’t felt the strange but insanely strong connection with Kai the day you came to clean your office out.”

“We haveso muchcatching up to do,” I say, and she nods.

“Soon.”

We look over at Kai and Xander, who have just broken out of a hug that looks like it got a little bit emotional. After everything that happened, Kai learned the whole truth and his eyes were opened to his father’s evil. The two have found common ground, and perhaps it is shared trauma, but I have faith that their relationship will continue flourishing into the unbreakable bond that only brothers can share.

“Thank you for allowing Sophie to be here, even with the outdated laws still in place,” Kai says.

Xander pulls me to his side with his arm around my shoulders. “The days of those laws are numbered. Our first line of business is to break the decree that kept humans away. If a shifter is blessed with the gift of love, they should be able to celebrate it freely within our kingdom.”

“Let’s not go too public with our existence. We don’t want the scared humans at our door with pitchforks,” I say, bumping my hip into his.

“I have a wise queen, which is good since the last thing I wanted was to wear this thing.” He straightens the golden crown on his head. Xander looks to Kai and cocks an eyebrow, saying, “I could work on a new decree that allows the second-to-be mated shifter in the royal family to become king.”

Kai’s laughter echoes through the empty throne room. It’s good to see that the boy I admired as a young girl is still alive and well. “I’ll pass. Sophie and I have a ton of normal things we want to do. And let’s face it; my life has never been normal.”

I can’t deny Kai that. Xander was able to run away when he was eighteen and start a life separate from the pack. Shifters may have known who he was, but he wasn’t under the constant stress that his younger brother experienced. Clayton had always been grooming Kai to take the throne. Now those shackles are broken, and he is free to live a happy life.

“We’ve got this, Kai,” I say, placing my hands on his shoulders and giving him a peck on the cheek. “Now take Sophie out to the ballroom and we’ll be there shortly.”

“Okay,” he says with a sideways glance at Xander. “Be good.”

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