Long Live the Alpha King

1. Everett

I have been training to take over as Alpha King since the day I turned five years old. Normally, Alphas take over for their predecessors between eighteen and twenty years old or when they find their mates after their eighteenth birthdays, but I am twenty-seven and just now taking over. I found my mate at twenty-three years old, but my dad decided to keep the title while my sister had a war going on in her side of the country. It was a pretty devastating time for the Mountain Creek pack, and he insisted on holding onto the title while she dealt with it. My powers are fully developed. I’m fully marked and mated. My strength and agility are unmatched. Why am I so nervous about taking over my dad’s position in this kingdom? The Mystic Kingdom consists of all the supernatural species in the United States. There are eight hundred thousand werewolf packs in the country. I still don’t know the total number of other supernatural clans or packs there are, but here I am, getting ready to take them on. What the hell am I going to do?

“Are you ready, baby?” Sophie asks quietly, peeking around the corner of our bathroom door. Her long blonde hair is curled to perfection as it drapes down past her shoulders and chest. A diamond teardrop necklace hangs on her neck, settling just above her exposed cleavage. My eyes travel down, indulging in the sexy, strapless ballgown my mate is wearing. The gorgeous burgundy dress hugs her tightly from her chest to her hips, flaring out into a large dome around her legs. The intricate lace and sequins adorning the corset give it an elegance beyond words. “Everett, please stop eye f*****g me and finish getting ready. The ceremony is supposed to start in a couple of hours and your parents want a meeting beforehand.”

“Have you seen yourself? That’s like asking me not to breathe," I groan, imagining all the ways I could take her right now. "If you want me to finish getting ready, you should probably just communicate through mindlink because all I want to do right now is ruin all the hard work you put into your look.” Lust swirls in her eyes the same way I assume it swirls in mine. She might be worse than I am when it comes to being horny. Sophie Jane Wheeler is going to be the death of me and, Goddess knows, I love that girl more than anything on this planet. She smirks at me before turning around and leaving the bedroom.

“Get your ass ready and get down to my office. What is taking you so long?” my dad’s voice rings loudly in my head.

“Existential crisis? I don’t know. I’m freaking out, dad. I’m getting ready to take on the supernatural population of the country,” I reply snarkily, as if the weight I was taking on wasn’t obvious. He sighs in understanding through the link, remaining silent for a moment before he responds.

“Alright. Just finish getting ready and come down here, OK? I am not going to leave you hanging," he says. "I will be here to help you through it as long as you need,” he says, closing the link as his sentence ends.

I sigh, standing tall and straightening my shoulders as I look at my reflection. Sophie insisted I wear a full black tuxedo with a burgundy tie and handkerchief for the ceremony, claiming it would make my vibrant red hair and bright blue eyes stand out, but getting a custom tuxedo was no easy feat. My six-foot-seven-inch-tall frame and two-hundred and thirty-seven pounds of muscle made for an extra-large requirement.

“You ready for this, Kase?” I ask my wolf, taking a deep breath to slow my racing heart.

“We were born for this. We will make great kings,” he replies confidently. I take one last look in the mirror and let out a breath as I walk out the door. I knock on my dad’s office door, waiting for his booming voice to allow me entry. Instead, the door opens, revealing my mother.

“Honey, this will be your office tonight. You don’t have to knock,” she says gently, gesturing for me to come in. I bow my head in respect, stepping past her into the office. “Okay, let’s get started then.”

My mother and father spend a little over an hour giving me a brief rundown on who would be here today, who I needed to remember, and where they live. I didn’t feel anymore prepared, but my father assured me that starting tomorrow, we would spend hours together so I could learn everything I need to know.

“Alpha? Luna? It’s time,” Elder Zaccheaus says as he peeks into the office, all of us standing and leaving the office. “Everett, you and your mate will wait right here until the doors are closed again. They will open the doors when it is time for you to come in.”

He takes his place in front of my parents and they stand right behind him. Trumpets sound, the doors swing open and they are met with cheers as they enter the room. The doors close, Sophie and I moving to stand where my parents stood.

“Stand tall, my Alpha. You’re about to be King… my king,” she whispers, her hand on my arm squeezing me reassuringly.

Beyond these doors, there are hundreds of supernatural beings. Werewolves, vampires, fae, witches, fairies, and other species I am sure I’m not thinking of. A trumpet sounds and the massive doors open in slow motion, releasing a flood of noise that is almost deafening. Sophie and I look into the room with a gasp. Everyone is standing in respect and cheering us on, but the real eye catcher is the room itself. My mother has truly outdone herself this time with decorating.

The banquet hall has been transformed into something indescribable... Nothing short of sacred. The arched ceiling decorated by Auntie Kaiya to resemble constellations that shimmer with celestial light. Candles flicker in glass globes on every table, their flames making shadows dance on the walls. A long aisle, lined with ancestral banners of every supernatural faction, leads to the elevated platform where the Council of Elders wait for us.

Sophie’s grip on my arm tightens slightly. Together, we step forward and take commanding strides all the way to the platform. The murmurs around us come to a halt as we walk up the steps and stop in front of Elder Zaccheaus. My parents join us, my dad standing with me and my mom with Sophie.

“We gather tonight to witness the ascension of Everett Rayner and Sophie Wheeler as Alpha King and Queen Luna. By blood, by strength, and by destiny, they have been chosen.”

My dad and I are the first to step forward. Elder Zaccheaus hands him the dagger and my dad takes the blade across his hand before handing it over to me. I cut my own palm, handing the knife back to the Elder.

“I, Finley Malachi Rayner, hereby pass the title of Alpha to Mystic Moon and Alpha King of the Mystic Kingdom to my heir and son, Everett Dean Rayner,” my dad says as we place our bleeding palms together and squeeze. A bright golden glow shines from our hands and a surge of power rushes through my body.

“Everett, repeat after me,” Elder Zaccheaus states. “I, Everett Rayner”

“I, Everett Rayner”

“swear upon my blood, my soul, and the bond that ties me to all supernatural beings,” he continues.

“Swear upon my blood, my soul, and the bond that ties me to all supernatural beings…”

“to lead with honor, to protect with courage, and to rule with wisdom.”

“To lead with honor, to protect with courage, and to rule with wisdom.”

My mom and Sophie step up next, my father and I moving out of the way. They slice their palms with the same dagger and my mom passes the title of Queen and Luna down to Sophie.

Elder Zaccheaus turns to Sophie. “Repeat after me… I, Sophie Wheeler”

“I, Sophie Wheeler”

“swear upon my heart, my spirit, and the sacred bond of the Luna”

“Swear upon my heart, my spirit, and the sacred bond of the Luna”

“to guide with grace, to heal with mercy, and to stand unshaken beside my king.”

“To guide with grace, to heal with mercy, and to stand unshaken beside my king.”

I move to stand beside Sophie, my parents now standing behind us. Sophie and I stand before Elder Zaccheaus strong and unwavering, our heads held high. He brings forth the kingdom’s tablet, holding it in front of us.

“Please place your palms together and squeeze a drop of your mixed blood into the tablet,” he says, both of us lifting our hands above the stone and watching as drops of blood spill onto the grooves. The tablet glows a bright white, the bond between us immediately feeling stronger as the bond with our pack members and the other members of our kingdom snap into place.

“With this bond, your reign begins,” Elder Zaccheaus declares. “Mystic Kingdom, I present to you Alpha King Everett and Queen Luna Sophie.”

The room erupts in a thunderous roar of cheers and howls while magical flares of light fill the space. The weight of our new titles settle within us like a brick, but as I turn to Sophie, the pride and love in her eyes reminds me that we are in this together.