Broken Queen: The Finale
Reunited
ARIEL
“Amy!” I can’t help but shout, spotting my friend behind us. I jump to my feet and pull her into a quick hug. She laughs, hugging me back before I move on to Angel and do the same.
“What brings you guys here?”
“We’re escorts, obviously,” Amy teases, waving to the group of wolves behind her. We get a few shy waves from the group, who I notice have come in from the opposite entrance.
Helena is already rushing over with a clipboard in hand.
“How long have you been waiting to make that joke?” Alex asks, his voice dry, and I can’t help but giggle.
Angel sighs. “Way too long.”
“It’s so good to see you guys again—and thanks for bringing your members for the picnic.” Alex hugs Angel before moving to Amy as well. My best friend is practically buzzing with excitement, grinning at us both.
“Of course, we came!” Amy sounds almost offended for a moment, her hands going to her hips once Alex lets her go.
“I’ve been nagging Angel about coming since you first announced it.” The man in question looks at her with soft eyes, not at all looking “nagged” by his mate.
“Excuse me,” Helena interrupts, quickly greeting everyone before waving her clipboard. “I need to make sure everyone is on the list—and Alex, we need you to pause your weekend and do the opening speech now that the Spanish Royals are here.”
I’m about to ask if I should join him, but Alex waves me off with a smile, shaking his head.
“Have fun and catch up. I’ll be right back.”
Amy links her arm with mine, wiggling her brows as she pulls me away from the small blanket we’d set up to eat.
“Your dress is beautiful, but how are you not burning up in it?” she asks, her voice low, and I burst out laughing.
It does look like one of the heavier dresses in my collection with all its lace and beading, but thankfully it’s actually a breezy fabric. She seems fascinated when I tell her this, pinching the hip of it and rolling it between her fingers.
“I need to know who made it.” Her brows are furrowed, and I hope I haven’t upset her. I know I asked before about having her in charge of my formalwear, but wearing this dress didn’t seem like a bad idea when Maria presented it to me this morning.
“I’ll ask Maria when we see her,” I promise, and Amy smiles.
“Anyway, it’s gorgeous.”
“And comfortable,” I admit, and she bumps our shoulders together.
We watch as Alex makes his speech, scanning the area out of habit. Security is doing a great job of patrolling the small park, walking the perimeter religiously, but old habits die hard.
“So, the Spanish Royal Pack?” Amy gives me a look, and I grin.
“We invited just about everyone.” I shrug, and she rolls her eyes.
“Okay, but your former fated mate? I knew you guys were allies or whatever, but—”
“Goddess, don’t remind me.” The whole mess is still headache-inducing, even all this time later.
“Anyway, I was hoping that we would end up making more bonds between our packs.” And not just for political reasons, though that was at the forefront of my mind when I suggested it.
With us spreading ourselves so thin trying to help the Crescent Moon Pack, it felt like a good idea to start making more friends—officially. Any potential usurpers would think twice, knowing that the two Royal Packs were tightly knit.
Not that I thought we had anything to worry about, but what’s the saying?
Play chess, not checkers.
***
ALEX
I keep the speech short and sweet, grinning out over the surprisingly large gathering before stepping offstage.
Maria is waiting, her smile wide, and I hug my mother with a soft chuckle.
“You’re late?” It comes out as a question when I take her in, looking for a reason why.
“A lady is never late,” she counters, her head tilting imperiously as we make our way across the grass toward my mate.
“Sure,” I drawl, dropping it.
My mother is perfectly put together, as usual, radiating happiness in a way I haven’t seen since my father’s passing.
The thought of him makes my chest ache, and I try not to let myself be swallowed by the bolt of grief that always follows his memory.
“I knew that dress would suit her,” she murmurs as we walk, and I glance up to take in Ariel again.
My mate is always beautiful to me, but I can’t deny my mother is right. The dress fits her like a glove, and I have to shake off the desire to lead her off to really show her how much I appreciate it.
“You chose well,” my mother continues, and we both pause, just watching Ariel and Amy, whispering to one another with smiles. “She suits you.”
“I know,” I respond, and she laughs softly before we walk on, more than happy to interrupt their giggling discussion.
“Good speech,” Ariel immediately compliments, and I scoff.
“Did you even really listen to it?” An almost guilty look crosses her face before she breaks into another grin, and I pull her into my arms. It’s hard to keep my hands off her lately—harder than usual, anyway.
“Of course, I did!” She pretends to be offended, then turns to Amy. “Didn’t we?”
Amy nods solemnly.
“We definitely did not start gossiping about where she got such a stunning dress and miss the whole thing.”
“Amy!”
I laugh as my mother hides her grin behind a hand, shaking her head at their antics.
“It was a gift from a designer I worked with before,” Maria reveals, and Amy looks at her with stars in her eyes.
Amy springs into action, coaxing my mom for more juicy details as Angel saunters back to us. He loops an arm around her waist, drawing her close, and she leans into him without a second thought.
“We should start mingling,” Ariel suggests, her voice tinged with a hint of regret as we survey the crowd. This event is mainly a matchmaking affair, but it’s also a chance for us to rub elbows with the high and mighty.
“Maybe we could do that later?” I propose, but she just shakes her head.
“And risk ticking off some big shot because we overlooked them? No way. We already have enough bad press.”
I wince, recalling the last time she was nearly torn apart by the media. We definitely don’t want a repeat of that disaster.
“Alright, alright.” I give in, figuring we might as well start on a high note. I spot Matteo and his partner across the room.
“Let’s start with them.” Ariel follows my gaze and her face lights up. She pulls me through the crowd towards them.
The Spanish Royals are doing the same thing we are, leisurely making their way from one guest to another. We wait for them to finish their chat with a local bigwig before we approach.
I clear my throat, a smirk playing on my lips when Matteo looks relieved. He quickly wraps up his conversation with the others who are also waiting their turn.
One of the best parts of being a royal? Getting to skip the line.
Continue to the next chapter of Broken Queen: The Finale