The Crown

1 - Grace

"You sure you have everything packed Ace?" Amelia asks me as I finish loading the last box into the truck. I couldn't help but let out a sigh as I take one last look at my pack house. Soon I'll be Queen.

"Yes Meme I have everything." I say sadly, turning to look at my little sister. In the last month her stomach had grown with a pup inside and I couldn't help but hold a small pang of jealousy. But she was happy and well taken care of.

"I'll miss you." My voice cracks as I watch her eyes water and she pulls me into a bone crushing hug. She was my family ever if we weren't related by blood. She was the reason why I had faught to live just as I was her reason.

"You'll make an amazing Alpha Queen Grace. You already know how to run a pack as my beta. Now just double the responsibility and multiply it by thousands of wolves." She says, her voice holding the joke within and causing me to laugh. But she was right. I knew how to run a pack considering since The Run ended both Amelia and I decided to fix our pack and train Brayden before it was time for me to leave. I knew they would find a good beta to take over for me.

"And you'll make a great mom. Let me know when the little pup gets here so I can cuddle with the little one." I add afterwards. I felt bad for leaving her now when her mate was out on pack business but she had the warriors I had trained protecting her and a member from Caden's pack here to keep her safe. This at least made it a little easier to leave her and my home to go forward and create a life with my true love.

"Lady Silver, it's time to leave." A guard states as he closes the truck door and motions me towards the limo. Black wolves already in wolf form were ready and waiting to guard me on my way to my new home and I couldn't help but let out a sigh. I get that I was the soon to be Queen but I could take care of myself.

With one last good bye to Amelia and a few to pack members who I had grown up with I make my way to the limo, my flatts making little noise on the stone drive as I slip into the back seat. Amelia had made sure that I had my hair put up into and elegant messy bun, pins with crystal stones placed strategically inside my silver hair with a few strands curled to frame my face. My make up was natural, bringing out my sapphire eyes and the dress was a deep emerald, like Caden's eyes, that huged my top half till it reached my hips and flowed out. I was told reporters to the werewolf comunity would be there as I arrived and I would have to look the part of a Queen.

Elegant and refined.

I would have to put my name to the test and show as much grace as I could in order to make a good impression as their Queen.

Unfortunately I won't be corrinated until this saturday, the night of the first full moon since being announce as Caden's fiancé, so I still had time to back out.

But I knew I wouldn't.

I loved my mate to much. He had proven to me how much he cared about me and the people I loved when he had helped me in The Run all those months ago. He was everything I always wanted and I couldn't wait to see what we could do to change The Run into something more worthy of a mating ritual.

But right now I had more things to worry about. For one I had a wedding to plan and the nerves that were brought forth from that thought had my hand reaching to play with my engagement ring. It had become a nervous tick of mine now with everything changing so much but I couldn't help it. I had thought that after I participated in The Run I would have become the beta of my pack and help run it with Amelia. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would have found true love there.

Mom would be so proud of me.

With a sigh I turned my head to look out the window, watching the pack I had grown up in dissappear from me as building and forest passed by me. When we reached the border I could feel the ties from everyone slipping away. The Goddess knew I was leaving to join my mate's pack.

[I'll miss you all.] I link to everyone in the pack before the ties to them broke free and I heard the sad howls.
My pack would miss me too.

With a shaky breath I turn my thoughts to the palace I would be living in. Caden had told me I would have rooms to myself for whatever I wanted them to be in our wing of our home and that I could start right away on them and I knew right away what I wanted them to look like. But I made sure that him and I would be sharing a bedroom since we were mates after all.

I couldn't wait to fall asleep in his arms and wake up to him everyday. It's what I had been hoping for since I was a pup. And now that hope, that wish, was finally coming true.

With one last look to where my old pack was I turned around with a smile on my face. I had beaten the Run, now all I had to do was show everyone I would beat The Crown and be an amazing Queen.