Page 31 of The Princess and the Pack

Ivy sighs, looking at her still-bickering siblings. “Is it foolish to say I’ll miss you?”

“Why would it be? I’ll be missing you as well.”

More pretty pink blooms upon her precious cheeks.

“I want to do very wicked things to you when you blush like that, omega,” I whisper, so only she can hear.

“What kind of things, alpha?” she returns, sultry and smirking.

“Be good today and I’ll show you when we’re alone.”

“I’malwaysgood,” she rasps.

Goddess. She is going to be the death of me. I’m blissfully untethered to sanity with each breath she takes. “That remains to be seen, little terror.”

“Ivy! Stop flirting with your pretty alpha and say goodbye,” one of the princesses—perhaps Daisy—calls. Who can say for certain when I can’t keep my eyes off my queen?

“Tonight then, husband.”

“Tonight, wife.”

Before taking my leave, I wish the Bancroft royals safe travels. I also give assurances to Hawthorn and Sage that Ivy, and their other two remaining siblings, will be in the best hands here at Castle Ancaire.

Those hands willnotbe my brother Callan’s; that’s for certain.

He will be dealt very strict instructions to stay far away from Princess Lily. If I thought him capable of being responsible with her feelings, I would take no issue with them carrying on. But I know my brother’s habits all too well. He’s quick to move on to new conquests with little regard for the mess he leaves behind. I’d rather avoid conflict with my mate’s family at all costs.

But for now, I must find Oran and Sloan. We have much to do to win our mate’s heart, and little time to accomplish it.

My petal is in a sour mood. If it weren’t for the slight bite to her normally sweet scent, the frown on her pretty face would tell me so.

In all my time spent observing her, I’ve never seen her look anything but utterly enchanted when walking through the gardens—and I’ve watched her often.

I know too much about my mate for having never met her. Like how she speaks to the staff when no one else is around: gracious and endlessly kind. I know she, like me, is as nosy as they come. But she isn’t as stealthy as she believes herself to be.

It may be unfair for me to pass judgment since I can smell her so vividly. She could never hide from me. Not for long anyway. Her apple cake scent—my favorite dessert—is far too delectable for me to miss.

Soon I’ll have her—savor her—lick her taste from my lips after sampling straight from the source. Show her exactly how good I can be for her. My packmates may have been raised in the ways of courtly decorum, but I can offer Ivy a glimpse into another part of her nature, something more primal and instinctual. A space where she can leave all responsibility behind and simply be an omega.

With me as our pack’s prime alpha, she will never have to worry about being provided for physically or emotionally.

Ivy is all I’ve wanted in my life. Others might believe some commoner like me should never delude myself into thinking I could win a royal’s heart. But how could I deny what Fate has so clearly bestowed upon me? Who am I to question Her?

Social hierarchy matters little when destiny is on my side.

For Ivy, I’ll do my damnedest day in and day out to prove myself worthy. She will see it, too. I have nothing but faith in my mate and her soft heart.

Oran may call me naïve for believing in this pack against all odds, and I feel for my packmate, I do. His father is a right bastard, and his mother’s unforgiving self-interest made for a very cold, unhappy home. But if he had grown up like I did, seeing the unconditional love between pack alphas and their omega mate, he would accept my surety.

Cillian, at least, understands what having a scent match means. After what happened to his mother by his own father’s ire, he would never turn his back on such a gift. I’ve told him time and again he doesn’t need to tread so lightly with the court on this matter. I may not be of noble birth but I know better than anyone what activities the nobility partake in under the cover of night.

It’s no secret they carry on with common folk—sharing omegas with us for their pleasure, some for love. A few have even formed secret packs of their own. This change Cillian hopes to make would bring to light much of what already goes on in the shadows.

Besides, he’s the bloody king. The sovereign. Before he ever ascended the throne, Cillian—with eyes like his mother’s and the same heart of gold—was adored by all his people. If anything, the common folk will only love him better for it. As for the nobles, some might kick up a fuss, but I think many will take to pack living easily.

The former king could have done the same. He was given the chance to save his wife from the ill fate of high-born omegas.

Queen Aoife was beloved. A great beauty—a common girl from Namara who unfortunately caught the former king’s attention. She was raised knowing she needed a pack to stay healthy, but Cillian’s father cared little about the needs of his bonded mate. We lost the queen to his selfishness, and as a result, his death was not mourned by many.

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