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Alpha Queen Amory's POV

The howls still rang in her ears long after the coronation and the celebration following it. Amory remembered kindly to the many dances she had with not only Romulus and her males, but a plethora of others in the Kingdom—She even managed to persuade Wilhelm to share a dance or two, and he seemed to have a joyous time.

If she had to guess, at the very least.

Now, however, she was leaning into Romulus' embrace and rocking to the beat of the carriage. Not realizing that her husband was set on leaving for their Honeymoon so soon.

It created an unnerving amount of stress on her shoulders, goodness, she would rather manage the catastrophes of what happened during their hand-fasting ceremony than be shocked at this reveal.

Truly, even her own males were well versed in this plan, given that they were riding on their own horses at the carriage's sides. Along with a plethora of shifted Enforcers escorting them to the better part of their destination.

"Ease that beating heart of yours, you know how it makes me feel when it starts to speed up."
"I can't help it, you didn't give me much of a warning."
"A warning? You needed a warning for this Honey-moon?" She gave a single nod before ducking her head back into his shoulder, closing her eyes. "I'm exhausted, Rom."

"Exhausted, and coming down from adrenaline. Yes, I did not realize it would be such a pitfall. Rest, love. For there will be little time for much else." The growl that escaped his throat had caused her to gasp, a cruel reminder that she most certainly needed to have a conversation with him.

A proper conversation.

Romulus was already well aware of the fact that most of their sexual encounters were the farthest she has ever gone...And the previous time they had done anything of the sort was the night falling the Ball.

As if the idea itself was tainted with Mithwell's betrayal.

It still warmed her heart that Marcus had intercepted his own set of Rogues who attempted to send word to other packs in the surrounding areas, but the messages themselves were already being met with the Alpha King and Alpha Queen's design to send Enforcers to scout and perhaps even apprehend whatever is managing in the set locations.

It wasn't fair that Amory was traveling to her family's intact summer home to enjoy something she's dreamed of since she introduced such a human concept to her husband. But he was fixated on something more, something that churned her stomach.

Whatever the Demon King had done, hadn't eliminated all her problems, there was still a course of self-loathing in her body that ached. Even when thinking of what she and Romulus would be up to, it was a painful idea, but it was important.

"Rom...When we get there, could we have a bit of wine?" She asked, and Romulus chuckled as he nuzzled her temple. "Of course, we'll take some wine in the bath...Perhaps even sit under the stars, make the most of this Honey-moon." She snorted, pushing up from his chest to look at him with earnest curiosity.

"Is that all you have planned?"
"Oh, not at all...I plan to lavish you until the sun rises tomorrow. You can count on this, my mate." There was that word again, the very one that made her flinch—But thankfully the carriage had shifted just in time to hide it from Romulus.

Though he took a protective hold of her to ensure she wasn't tossed further into the carriage. "Rest, we are nearly there." With his directive, Amory tried her best to get the suggested rest. But just closing her eyes had offered some sort of luxury and surely mended her onset of never-ending nerves.

Ultimately making Romulus find his own peace, yet when the curtsey shouts and howls had commenced, it was clear that they had arrived—And Amory's males were speaking with the wolves on duty.

Upon peaking out the window at her side, she caught Clive doing just that—And something about watching the beast enjoy taunting the human was by far the most comical thing she had seen the past few days.

"Clive, please don't mock my wolves." The Enforcer's ears had popped up at the claim, but that left the young male to turn beat red in response. "Yes ma'am."

"Oh, don't you start with the shite, Clive. You may still call me Rhea."
"Can I? You're Queen now." It didn't matter to her, not when there were bigger issues to settle. And instead, she came forward and rolled up his sleeve, her hand gesturing over the claim she had over him.

One she made all that time ago.

"You were my male the second you accepted my mark. You and the rest of them. You call me Rhea, Amory—But never Queen or ma'am, not when we're in private." He nodded, still shy at being chided over something so small as offering respect.

But then Amory's attention had turned to the wolf. "And Marrow, please do not mock my males back. Not all of us have access to the Link." The firm tone had managed to earn a whine from the beast that reached her full height when they wanted to.

Yet with that, Marrow's head lowered as he conceded to the Queen's word.

"Amory, let's get inside...The others will be at an inn nearby." Well, that was surely better than what she had assumed was going to happen. Knowing her males, she was expecting to see a tent of some sort outside come morning.

But as she was led into the manor, she caught the carriage being escorted behind the house, while the wolves were set on course to survey the area.

"What is it like to have a Link?" It caused Romulus to pause in the main foyer of the summer manor, his head tilting to the side in confusion. "You used it...Today, we used it."

"Pardon?"
"When I told you to duck. That didn't come from my lips, but the Link. You heard it—You felt the bond." His hand had pushed forward to offer towards her, and soon he had pushed his palm upwards to interlock them together.

"I didn't even realize..."
"Sometimes it's more obvious than other times, but it may be a developed skill we can work on...Come, let us get a glass of wine. I'll start the fire." Amory had been startled by his offering, but as she followed after him, she smiled to see that everything was nearly set.

And the manor represented everything that she enjoyed in her youth.

"It's sort of odd being back here."

"For you or me?"
"I am sure it is as odd as being in the castle for you, but for me...My father brought me here shortly after your death to escape the commotion in the castle. It had been raided by then. I was certain it acted as a safe house, and perhaps that is why I didn't put up the proper fight to be sent here. But there weren't that fond memories placed between these walls. My beast was...Unhappy, to hear of your death." Amory sunk down to Romulus' side by the fire as he worked to add another log, but her arm snaked around him.

Gesturing for him to pause. "Rom, did you believe I was alive?"

"Perhaps...My beast might have gotten the impression, but I was too young to know the type of bond we have." It still had passed over Amory's mind to question things further, but she did her best to aid to the building fire and once they were rightly settled on the couch, she had poured them both a hefty glass of wine.

One she nursed, gently.

"I am not oblivious to your nerves, Amory."

"Oh, grand. Is it my heart? Or my need of wine that gave it away."

"Your eyes, you've hardly looked at me since we entered." She struggled to swallow, and when she looked to take another sip, it had been an honest mistake as she choked.

Pushing away Romulus' helpful hand, it earned her a frustrated huff and she turned away. "I'm human, Rom. I need a minute."

"We are married and on our way to being mated. Have I not earned the right to know what is going on in your mind?" He was right, of course, he's right.

And so she turned back over to him and settled down her glass as she took into consideration to what he had said prior. She had looked him dead in the eyes and swallowed her last remaining shred of fear.

"I am slightly nervous about what tonight entails."

It was an unnerving pause in the room as all she could hear was the crackling on the fireplace in front of them. But Amory's eyes hadn't deviated from his, instead, she looked between the set of his.

So beautiful. Something she had thought, even when he was a child.

"You are...Nervous for tonight?"
"Yes."
"We have shared a bed before, 'mory."
"Yes, but the...Other parts."

"The other parts?" She nodded, and he frowned. Not understanding what she was getting at, she groaned. "Romulus, I am nervous to have sex."

Written plain as day, Romulus' eyes had widened tenfold as he had finally gotten the picture she had pained. But instead, she had scoffed and rose with her glass of wine.

"I'm going to take that offering of a bath, I'll be—"
"You're afraid to mate."

"I don't know why you keep calling it that, we're not mating. Not truly." Now it was his turn to rise to his feet, in urgency as he tugged her glass away. Clearly, it was already making her thoughts run a muck.

What had happened in the timespan of a carriage ride?

"Mating is the coming together of two wolves, followed by a bite. A claim." Romulus explained, but Amory's gaze had followed her stolen glass of wine before answering.
"Yes, but I am not a wolf."
"No, but you're my Mate."
"But I'm not! Even a second chance Mate isn't really—" Romulus had already had enough of her denial, and thought that the only way to silence her was to bring his lips to hers.

And she submitted it within a moment's notice.

"You are not a second chance Mate, Amory. You are my Mate. My true Mate. It had taken time to realize the truth. To realize that when you went missing in Red Moon pack—That my beast had gone wild for a reason..." Romulus started, softly caressing her cheek as he wanted her to pay close attention to this.

But he realized this was a conversation that should have been had long before.

"...My beast was on the hunt for something. I excused it for Rogues. I ignored Wilhelm's attempts to find a Mate—A Queen. And it made me agitated for a reason. My wolf wanted you, Amory. Not Mariah, not just anyone. And I admit, I had tried to find a solution elsewhere, and only grew aggravated. But the second I smelled your blood—" The way his body had shivered with rage, Amory couldn't breathe.
"I nearly lost myself. I was right there, and you were gone...And for the right reason—Then to see you forced on your knees by my Enforcers, that was my doing. I never wanted you to feel like I've caught you."

"Romulus—"
"Did I not called you my Mate in front of the crowd today? The announcement was—" With a light shove, Amory had let out a sharp laugh, one that he earned outright.

"I thought it was just an endearing title! I didn't think I was actually your Mate!"

"But don't you feel it, Amory...? Do you feel the spark when I touch you?" It was perhaps a bit much, but she couldn't feel anything more than the warmth that he brought to her skin. But once it had prickled with attention, she retreated the no that nearly left her lips.

"I...I think so?"
"I pity humans, to not be able to feel something as wonderful as what a mate does to a wolf. You could bring me to my knees, my love, and I would gladly make use of the position."
"Romulus!" He chuckled, following his specific choice of words to the point where he tipped up her dress to reveal a rather lovely piece of cloth. "Oh, and what was this meant to be, Amory?"
"An enticing bit of fabric."
"If it could even be called that...Let me see." A breath had once again struggled to release. Leaving Romulus to sigh, not in disappointment, but a whine from his inner beast.

"Amory, look at me."

And so she did.

"Take off the dress."

And so she slid it from her shoulders, remaining to keep eye contact with him—Something had been so demanding to listen to the male in front of her, and a smirk had leveled on his face as he hummed in approval. "Is it easier to listen to my beast, Amory?"
"That...That wasn't your beast, he's—" Dark swirls in Romulus' eyes had taken over, proving her comment correct. But now she was at the mercy of her mate, her true and fated Mate.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered, her eyes betraying her once more.

"My Mate, you were not ready to hear it." She bit her lip as she nodded, realizing that it made sense. But also in an attempt to preserve her—How long did he know?

"Come, my brave human mate. We have much to discuss."

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Date: 07/26/23

Time: 8:32

Words: 2255

Author's Note:

I think we can all assume where the next chapters are going!
We're nearing the end✨