Chapter 148

Carol’s POV

I looked at Aiden in shock, not believing what I was hearing. They wanted to perform an execution in Aiden’s pack? In the middle of the Capitol. Was that really wise? Was that how things worked in a wolf pack?

“I’m about to head to the packhouse right now because there were some pack concerns that need my addressing,” Aiden told him. “Oliver is there now holding down the fort while I await your arrival. I’ll speak with him about it and we can get back to you this evening when we meet for the game.”

“Sounds great,” King Bennet said thoughtfully. “I would like to head to the packhouse myself as well and see how things are around here. I’m assuming your mother is at the hospital with your father, so I probably won’t be seeing her today.”

“That is correct,” Aiden answered. “Are you sure you don’t want to hang out here with Carol and her family?”

King Bennet glanced at me and gave me a polite smile.

“I don’t see why they can’t come along as well. Carol is the Luna of this pack after all,” he answered.

A nervous pit fell in the middle of my stomach.

“I’m not the Luna yet,” I replied. “Not until the ceremony.”

Even then, I still didn’t feel like a Luna; not that I would tell the King that information. I wondered if anyone in this pack would ever respect me as the Luna. I knew if I told them that I was actually the King’s daughter, they would drop to their knees and worship me, but that was the last thing I wanted. I wanted them to respect and like me because I’m me and not because I’m technically royalty and apparently powerful.

I hadn’t even used my powers since I was in the King’s empire, and I didn’t plan to use my powers on my packmates.

Packmates.

The word felt foreign to me and yet it also felt so right.

“You are welcome to go anywhere you’d like in the pack. But to keep things low-key as my mate suggested, it might be better if you changed so you and your men aren’t so obvious.”

He glanced down at his nice suit and frowned.

“I’m the King, there’s no hiding me even if I did change. You’re the Alpha and Carol is to be your Luna. I am here for your mating ceremony; it won’t be weird to be seen with you. I still don’t understand why you don’t want anyone to know that you’re royalty,” King Bennet said, looking almost offended.

“As I said on the phone, I don’t want to gain their respect because of my connection with you. We are still trying to figure out our relationship and I don’t need the pressure of the pack.”

He nodded thoughtfully.

“I understand,” he murmured. “I’ll have my guards change their clothes, so they aren’t so obvious. But I’ll be recognized no matter where I go.”

“I understand,” I told him.

“I’m going to head out now,” Aiden said, wrapping me in his arms and kissing me gently on the lips. “I will see you later.”

I breathed him in, leaning into his touch and loving the feeling of being wrapped in his arms. I could get used to this and I was excited to call this man my mate.

He left soon after.

We spent most of the morning talking and getting to know one another. My parents seemed to like the King more than I thought and King Bennet laughed at some of my father’s lame jokes. Kendra and the bodyguards changed their clothes, so they appeared more casual and less obvious and even they engaged in some conversation while we sat around. I made everybody’s breakfast, and we ate at the large dining table.

“Carol, you’ve outdone yourself. This food is delicious,” Bennet praised; I found myself beaming at the compliment. I love cooking and I love it when others like my cooking. I was very glad that they all seemed to enjoy the breakfast I prepared for them.

“It really is good,” Fiona praised, nudging me with her arm. I smiled at her.

Once we finished eating, I was surprised that Kendra helped my mom and me clean up. When I told her she didn’t have to, she told me it was no problem.

Afterward, we decided to head down to the packhouse so the King could formally introduce himself to some of the packmates. As predicted, everybody was gawking at him, and they were giving me dirty looks for knowing him in the first place. They didn’t think I was worthy of such attention because I was nothing more than a human.

My cheeks flushed when I overheard some of the girls saying that I was only getting attention because Aiden likes human pussy. I folded my arms across my chest, desperately wanting to hold myself together.

How was I ever going to gain the respect of the pack if that’s what they thought of me? Some of them were whispering saying I was nothing more than a gold digger, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

The King remained oblivious to it all though; it was clear his main focus was himself.

He spent most of the time speaking with packmates and answering questions they might have. I showed my parents and Fiona around the packhouse, we had lunch, and then we returned to the penthouse for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to leave for the game.

I helped Fiona get dressed for her date. Oliver came to pick her up and he looked equally as nervous as she did. I spent time with my parents until Aiden and the King returned to the packhouse.

“So, Oliver agreed to have the execution here,” Aiden told me while we were on our way to the game.

I frowned at him.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked him, uncertainty clear in my tone.

“Yeah,” he said, shrugging. “I mean, he did try to kill our Alpha after all. It’s only right that it’s done here. Plus, my father would like to be a part of it and he can’t travel right now so it’s better that we bring it here.”

I hadn’t even thought about that.

We arrived at the stadium and even though it wasn’t the Statford Freeze, I felt a sense of belonging being back at the stadium again. Telling from Aiden’s relaxed posture and fixed smile, I could tell that he did too.

Fiona and Oliver met us at the stadium, and I hugged Fiona when I saw her. She had swollen lips and a slight blush around her nose and cheeks. I raised my brows at her, and she winked in response. My grin grew across my face. I looked at Oliver who nudged Aiden with his elbow, wiggling his brows. I was so happy for my friends that I wanted to scream.

We went inside and got through security before we found our seats. We had front-row seats and the perfect view of the rink.

As the game started, I felt the excitement of the guys beside me. Oliver, Aiden, King Bennet, and my father were on the edge of their seats, cheering and clapping along with the others. I found myself clapping and cheering as well. I felt a sense of calm being back in the stadium; some of the hockey players took notice of both Aiden and the King and they seemed to have grown a sense of confidence.

“Are you having fun?” Aiden asked me, returning to his seat after spending most of the time on his feet and cheering with the others.

I smiled at him.

“Yes,” I answered. “I’ve missed it,” I confessed.

I saw a ping of sadness in his eye, and he nodded slowly.

“Yeah, so do I,” he admitted. “I miss it a lot. Maybe one day I’ll be able to return to it. But while I’m Alpha; that doesn’t seem to be possible.”

I wrapped my arms around him and smiled at him.

“But maybe one day you will,” I said softly. “Don’t lose hope.”

He leaned in and brushed his lips across mine. Halftime was nearing and the stadium was finally settling for the time being.

“You truly are incredible, Carol,” he whispered against my lips. “I have no idea what I would do without you.”

“You could do plenty,” I teased.

I saw the seriousness in his expression.

“No, I couldn’t,” he said, taking my hands in his and holding them gently. “Without your support and love, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this. You are my everything and I feel like I would be nothing without you…”

“Oh, Aiden…”

“Let me finish,” he interrupted, silencing me. I hadn’t realized the stadium had gone quiet; I was so focused on Aiden and the words he was saying. “I know that things haven’t been easy because of the things my family and pack have been saying, but I want you and everyone to know that I wouldn’t change anything for the world. You are incredibly special in more ways than I could count. You are my true mate; the one the Moon Goddess had given me. You are my perfect match, my other half. I love you more than words can describe. In such a short time, we’ve been through so much together. You are my partner in life and I should have done this right in the beginning…”

I frowned, not sure what he meant.

I heard Fiona’s sharp intake of breath and I looked at her, unsure of what was wrong. But her eyes weren’t on me; they were on something down at the field.

I glanced down, following her gaze and my eyes widened when I saw what she was looking at. In seconds, my heart grew in size when I saw the signs that each of the hockey players was holding me. They each held letters that spelled out the words.

“Carol, will you marry me.”