Alpha Alexander

Chapter Thirty-Seven

I was sitting in bed, flipping through wedding magazines with Sarah. Every couple of minutes, I would point at one dress and Sarah would shake her head. 

"Too much lace" or "Too long" or "Too conservative." 

I was choosing a dress for the coronation ceremony that was to take place in a month. Gerald was organizing everything, partly because it was his job, but mostly because he was the only werewolf on the continent who even remembered how the ceremony was performed. 

Chloe had been a frequent visitor, helping me with my pregnancy and telling me what to expect for the ceremony. Mom was my other constant companion, with her arms full of baby books from the 1990s that she had read herself when I was born. She even downloaded the Pinterest app and shared a board with Julie to plan my baby shower. They also had a board for my "wedding," which was going to take place at the same time as the coronation; while Gabriel was going to prove to the other Alphas of the continent that he was a capable king, he was also going to prove to me that he was a worthy life mate. Gerald somehow combined the two ceremonies, and Chloe was the event coordinator advisor for my mom and Julie. Thankfully, Chloe had no problem saying "No" to all the ridiculous things the pair of them found on Pinterest, citing how inappropriate something was for the ceremony or how it wouldn't be necessary.

Vance suddenly appeared in the doorway, his hardened eyes on me and his body tensed. "Alpha Rex requests to see you in his office."

Even with his intimidating demeanor, I baited him, "I thought your fetching days were over, Vance."

"My queen, please," he said tightly. "Let me escort you to his office."

I frowned, but didn't tease him further. I made eye contact with Sarah, who stood silently by my bedside. She shrugged slightly, indicating she didn't know why my mate would summon me so formally, or why he wouldn't come see me himself. 

The pack doctor had insisted I wasn't allowed to train or be on my feet for hours at a time. He said to avoid stress, which to Gabriel meant I was bedridden. Fortunately for him, I was already an experienced couch potato and didn't mind sitting in bed with Netflix and copious amounts of snacks. 

Also fortunately, Mom had an iron will and a mean glare and told Gabriel and the pack doctor that caging me inside the house wasn't going to help me or the baby. We compromised; I would rest often, but I also wouldn't stay hidden away in the pack house. I visited with other pack members on the compound and sometimes went into town to feel a semblance of normal—even though five enforcers followed me into every store . . . Except Victoria's Secret. Sarah shooed them away and they gladly stood outside for half an hour.

As I slid off the bed, Sarah fell into step beside me and we followed Vance down the stairs and to the double doors of Gabriel's office (or the "werewolf oval office," as Kellan likes to call it). I shared a puzzled look with Sarah at the sight of two men, dressed neatly in tight black suits, standing outside the office. Vance knocked sharply and waited for the faint, "Enter," before swinging open the doors.

I stepped inside, followed closely by both Vance and Sarah. I almost faltered at the sight of seven random strangers, all dressed similarly to the two men outside the door, all of them men; aged thirty-five or older, I estimated. I immediately moved toward my mate, the men parting to let me by. Gabriel stood as I came nearer to his desk. I instinctively stood to his left since Seth was on his right. Vance stood slightly behind me; Sarah, slightly beside and in front of me—my own personal protection detail.

"Gentlemen, I would like to formally introduce my mate, Phoebe Carmichael, Alpha Female of Luna Nova and Alpha Regina of North America," Gabriel said with a hint of pride in his deep voice.