HOW THE HELL ARE WE HERE? I don't know how to feel, I'll be honest. *Sighs because of nerves.* The finale, everyone. Or is it? *wink x 100*
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Peace had once been a strange concept to Alice. It was the depths of the oceans where hidden creatures lived. It was the stars and moons and thousands of galaxies. Or even the trees, birds or flowers... they were complex things. Strange in their making. And for her, peace had been among those complexities. All of her life there had been something that was missing; her mother, her father, a family, a home, sanity, happiness... Yet for the first time, Alice felt as if she was there in their quiet nest of joy and laughter, of love and hope, of peace.
Of course, a lot of her time was spent dealing with the lycans and wolves who were opposed to the idea of their unity, and of Alice becoming their Queen. Protests spread throughout America, particularly through the packs who were opposed to the royals, to begin with. She had travelled through each state pack, making contracts and promises of a better tomorrow. There were some who couldn't be persuaded, but the large majority were too afraid of what she was to argue back.
Since Colden's death and return, their relationship had been...fragile. The threat was gone and over and yet, there was a sword hanging between them, looming over their heads with questions that no one dared to ask.
Colden's back was turned to her and it infuriated her to no end. The white shirt clung to his back, sealing the layers of scars from the bare eye. His hands clenched and unclenched into fists and she could see the pulsing of his jaw. Frustration and against brushed off him in long strokes, teasing the connection that had formed between them. Their bond was like an invisible cord that had wrapped around Alice's very soul and intertwined her to Colden. Her mate, her other half, her equal. She had sensed the brewing storm in him for weeks.
At first, Alice had thought that it was the future of his pack that bothered him. After all, a pack needed an Alpha who was present both mentally and emotionally. But with her being crowned Queen and Colden being her mate, that made him her consort. She had contemplated giving up the title. In fact, it seemed like a perfect excuse to do so. The idea was quickly quenched by the council after they revealed that it would not be physically possible. The power was passed down through blood and blood only. To rid herself of her title as Queen, Alice would either need to die or bring an heir to the world, none of which she was keen to do quite yet.
She braced her hand against his shoulder blade, his body stilling underneath her touch. He relaxed within seconds, though the tension didn't leave his face. "Pumpkin," he murmured.
"You know, Tom had told me that when you were a little boy you pretended to be a Prince that rode on a wooden white horse," Alice's eyes scanned the side of his face. She sought out a flicker of emotion, an ounce of amusement that would let her know that he was there. Maybe it was the fact that he had died and come back, or maybe...
The corners of his mouth twitched up into a tentative smile. "Did he now?" He turned to face her, his eyes still heavy but at least he was smiling. "And did he mention the fact that he always wanted to play the princess?"
A grin spread across her face. "That he did not tell me."
The smile eased of his face his features once more hardened. He stepped closer to her, her chest brushing against the muscles of his stomach. His raven hair draped over his forehead, falling into his silver eyes.
"Tell me what's wrong," she breathed out, her resolve breaking. "Tell me what I can do to make it better."
Colden paused, his eyebrows scrunched," Alice_"
"If you're unhappy_"
"I'm not," his eyes softened, "you will always be my happy place."
"Then what?" She breathed out.
Colden's eyes flickered with waves of emotion, darkening and swirling into molten silver that could easily mesmerize her if she wasn't careful. His hand reached to the pocket of his trousers, trembling with nerves that she couldn't place. In his hand, a small velvet box rested.
Her heartbeat flickered, racing through to her core as he flicked the lid open and inside...
"I have thought for weeks on what I would say to you and it wasn't until a certain someone reminded me that love speaks no language. Love is a force more powerful than any other and no matter what I would say to you, none of it would show the true extent of my feelings. But..." he picked up a delicate diamond ring, the lights flickering off its reflection like starlight. "I hope that this will be a testament of my dedication both to you and your- our- kingdom."
Colden dropped on one knee, his silver eyes brewing with heat that made her heart race and throat burn. # This male was everything she had ever wanted, everything that she could ask for.
"Pumpkin, will you marry me?"
"Yes," the word trembled past her lips before she could process the meaning. Lust raced through to her core, "yes." Alice breathed out more assertively.
The corners of his mouth twitched up into a tentative smile. With trembling fingers the ring wrapped around her finger. All the while Alice could only repeat the faint 'yes, yes, yes' as her mate's arms enveloped her body, his musky scent a constant steadying force. Tears streamed down their faces and before they knew it, they were laughing and crying tears of joy and sorrow for everything that they had been through.
It didn't take long before the announcement of their engagement was made. The packs rejoiced, albeit some less enthusiastically than others, but nonetheless it was a sign that things were improving, that a better tomorrow was closer in the future than they thought.
"I can't believe that you're going to be my sister in law," Belle's eyes twinkled as she watched Lola measure her waist. The seamstress's face, who had also become a close friend as of recently, was set in pondering concentration. She had been quiet the past hour that they had been trying to fit Alice into some wedding gown. One thing was certain, it wouldn't be anything like Lucien had designed.
"It's rather surreal," she mumbled, her gaze unfocused. For a few weeks now since Colden proposed she had been feeling rather off. Perhaps it was nerves, or finally all of the stress from the war catching up to her. It set her on edge most days and even Colden had begun to notice her unusual behaviour. She didn't want to worry anyone, not with everything going right for once, but then again there was only so much that she could hide.
Lola's eyebrow twitched as she folded up the measuring tape. Apprehension reflected from her eyes. Belle's voice drifted off at the sudden silence.
"What?" Alice gazed back at herself in the floor-length mirror, noting the silver fabric with mild distaste, "It's the colour, isn't it? It clashes with my complexion, doesn't it?"
Lola's eyes flickered to scan Belle's face before they returned back to meet her gaze. "Your highness_"
"Alice."
"Alice," she paused, her bottom lip stuck between her teeth, "have you taken a pregnancy test?"
The question caught both of them off guard. Her mind whirled with the possibility of a baby but then...they hadn't exactly been careful, had they? Sure, up until they had fully sealed the bond the risks of conceiving were practically zero but ever since she claimed Colden...Nerves wrestled into her mind. Her pale reflection stared back at her from the mirror as with trembling hands she ran her hands over her flat stomach. Could it be?
Belle voiced her own question with much more excitement than Alice felt. "It would explain why you've been sick so much!"
Several days later she found Colden in the library sitting among stacks of tomes and books, with a steaming cup of black coffee next to his side. His body stilled the moment she stepped in, and her own calmed in response to his presence. Alice drifted to his side, a small smile tugging at her lips. His raven black hair was soft beneath her fingers as she inhaled his scent, gazing over his shoulder at the map that lay in front of him.
"You're still looking?"
Colden hummed, shifting so she sat in his lap, her back resting against his chest. "Some pack members are becoming uncertain about authority. I don't want there to be an uprising of challenges."
"I thought we both agreed that Tom would inherit your title?" Alice stroked his cheek.
He nipped at her fingers with a glint in his eyes, before he sighed with frustration. His hand tugged through his dark locks, rumpling their already messy appearance. "Yes, but I've been wondering whether it'd be better to relocate all of the packs closer to each other, so that it's easier for us to stay in touch. It's proven that being so separated doesn't exactly work in our favour."
Alice hummed in response, her nerves rising with each tick of the clock. There was a tremble in her hands that set her on edge. Colden shifted in his chair, eyebrows raised at her pale complexion. She feigned a smile, biting on her lower lip.
"What's wrong?" His voice was assertive and firm. Concern lingered in his irises. She felt the rise of his wolf, dominant and imposing, a true alpha male prepared to protect his mate.
Alice shifted in his lap, suddenly lost for words. It took her by surprise when Colden's fingers swiped her cheeks and she realised she had been crying. "I'm sorry," she half mumbled and half laughed feeling stupid with herself.
"Did someone hurt you? Did I hurt you? I knew I had gone too rough with you in the tower," panic-struck his face, "I should get Dr Eaton to check you out."
"There's no need," Alice held him down before he could leave. "I've already seen Dr Eaton."
Colden's eyebrows furrowed. He opened his mouth to question her further but before her resolve could break, Alice placed the pregnancy test she had hidden in her pocket on top of the papers he had been looking at moments ago.
"What is-" His breath hitched. "Is that a-?" His eyes snapped to meet hers.
Her insides trembled as she nodded, nerves rising through her core and all the way to her throat. Ever since Lola had advised her to take a test she had been a ball of anxiety, unable to sleep and think. What if Colden wasn't happy with the baby? What if this was too soon for them? What if it would just slap her in the face later on? Alice swallowed the incoming panic attack.
"You're pregnant?" his voice trembled as his eyes flickered to her still flat belly. "We're going to have a baby?"
She gave another terrified nod. It took her by surprise when his bear-like arms enveloped her. It wasn't long before she realised that they were both crying and laughing.
"We're having a baby," Colden's laughter sent shivers down her spine. The joy in his eyes made her heart stutter with relief. "I'm going to be a dad." He took her on the mahogany desk several times then, he marked her over and over again as he breathed her name against her neck, peppered her face with kisses.
The castle became a murmur of excitement for following months. It turned out that a baby was just what the packs needed to cement their happiness and newfound peace. Even the Lycan's warmed up to her, and many had come to join in on the celebrations. By the summer, when her belly was swollen with their babe, they had married underneath the alcove of the gardens. Their ceremony had been small and simple, but none of that mattered to Alice or Colden. It was just them and their child against the world, under the glittering sun and surrounded by the smell of roses and nature.
The following night they had a large ball. It was the last time they would all be gathered together for a while. Tom would soon be due to set out to take over as Alpha, and Belle would soon fly back to return to her mate back in Europe.
Colden's hand was warm against her lower back as he smiled at their guests, his cheeks flushed from the night and his lips stained with red lipstick from the number of times Alice had kissed him. The crowd cheered as he held the champagne flute level with his eye, smiling down at her with a look that took her breath away. "I'd like to make a toast to my beautiful mate, wife and the mother of my child," another round of applause echoed through the large room. Her cheeks heated under his gaze as the corners of his mouth twitched up in amusement at her flustered expression. "I have loved you from the moment I laid my eyes on you, and I will continue to love you until I take my last breath. You are my heart and soul Alice, and I will be forever grateful for the chance that you gave me to prove myself to you."
Her breath hitched at the sincerity of his words.
Yet before she could respond, a rumble of thunder slashed through the room. The cheering and laughter stilled and in the centre of the ballroom, where the crowd had parted in surprise, an opening within the ground appeared. Smoke poured out of the slit and wrapped around their ankles, and from it, Hades stepped out with a grin.
"Hello, my little sprite," his words were a purr that trembled the entire room. No one dared to breathe as the God of the Underworld stepped into the world of the living.
Her entire body stilled in pure shock. "No," she breathed out the word before she could stop it. Panic rose up to her throat as Hades cocked his head to the side, his eyebrows raised in mock curiosity. Alice reached for Colden's hand; his palms were sweaty and she could see the faint layer of sweat beading on his forehead. "You can't, not now," Alice's words were firm and yet she knew that no matter what she said, what Hades would do wouldn't be up to her. What was she against a God?
"You don't even know what I came here for," the corner of his mouth twitched up. His eyes scanned the crowd, glinting at the faces that stared at him in fear and admiration. The Lycan's necks were bared, bodies barely moving.
"The deal," she stepped in front of her mate, sealing him away from Hades' gaze. She knew that it was no use, not when Colden towered over her. But she'd die before she'd let Hades take him.
"Ah yes, I do believe that I have a debt to collect," the amusement that had decorated his face moments ago disappeared. "I have warned you that I would need to."
"Please-"
"I don't control the law of the universe, Alice. I have told you this before and I am telling you it again," Hades' expression turned grim as his eyes flickered to Colden's stony expression. He extended his hand. "I have gifted you with another life upon your death and in return, you must pay the debt back. That is the law and it can not be broken."
"What do you want?" Colden murmured, sidestepping Alice's body.
Hades' eyes flickered to Alice's belly and it was then that she knew, with an ice-cold realisation, what he would ask. Fear rammed itself into her. She stepped back, hand covering her belly, eyes wide and heart pounding. "No, no!"
"I'm sorry," Hades murmured, "I have no control over what is asked."
"You're a God," Alice snapped, "you have all the power that you need."
"Power, yes, but not control how it is used."
"Take me," Colden's words were like a slap to her face. His body was like tone as he gazed at the underworld God with a look of disinterest but Alice could see right through him, the panic and anger that flowed through his body. Alice reached for his hand though he shrugged off her touch. "I will give back my life in exchange for their safety."
Hades let out a humourless chuckle. "I'm afraid that isn't how it works. Believe me, I would comply if I could. No, the payment lies with your daughter," his eyes landed back on Alice's cradled belly.
Snarls of protest rang out through the ballroom but all it took was one glance from him and silence resumed. Alice felt the world shift underneath her feet at his words. She had gained Colden back for the price of losing her child- her daughter. Where was the fairness in that? Alice swallowed the thick lump lodged in her throat. "I won't let you kill her."
"It is not her death that the universe requires," with a snap of his fingers a floating piece of parchment appeared in front of him, "upon her twenty-first birthday she will come to the underworld to live out the rest of her mortal life within my palace. That is the price that needs to be paid, the only one that will suffice. You will be granted one day a year to see her after that."
Colden's body shook as a snarl left his mouth, "over my dead body."
Hades scanned his face before he drawled out, "that could certainly be arranged, but then that would be a waste of your daughter's sacrifice, wouldn't it?"
"She's a baby!" Alice's voice trembled, "she's innocent."
"Which is why I am granting you twenty-one years with her. I have warned you when you struck the deal. I will see you next when it is time to say goodbye. Until then, my little sprite." With a final glance at Alice and Colden, Hades disappeared with a snap of his fingers and with that, their daughter's fate was sealed.
THE END
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I'm sorry for the wait. In case you didn't read my authors note, I had a miscarriage a few months ago and needed time with my partner to cope with the loss. Writing hasn't been easy since then and it's been a struggle forming coherent thoughts, nevermind sentences. I originally planned for this to be much much longer, but I have decided that forcing myself to do that would not be in the books best of interest. Maybe when I edit it in the future I will add more to it, but for now, I hope you have enjoyed this book.