Page 251 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

“Cade calls Bells ‘Princess,’ Dad,” Violet giggled, making me glare at her.

“After all we’ve been through. You throw me under the bus, just like that, Vi?” I asked.

Violet giggled more, and I turned my attention to Alpha Markus, who was now looking a bit more upset than when he came in.

I swallowed, and before I could stop myself, I blurted, “It’s okay, Alpha Markus. She can continue to be your princess, because I plan to make her my queen.”

I braced for his response, but it caught me off guard to see the relief on his face, while Luna Celeste did a little happy jig beside him.

“I’m glad to hear that. Bells deserves a man like you.” Alpha Markus nodded, pulling his mate to his side to lay a kiss on her temple.

“That’s how it should have been from the start. I’m so happy. Cade is going to make a great mate,” Luna Celeste sighed, making me slump back with some relief.

“Of course he will, Celeste. We raised him right.” Dad’s voice came from outside moments before he, Mom and John pushedthrough the doors. “Except for when it comes to telling us what’s going on as it happens,” he added with a raised brow.

I felt the heat coming to my face before Alpha Markus laughed.

“That’s just kids these days. I don’t know half the shit going on with mine anymore. They think they’re know-it-alls who don’t need advice from the older generation.”

“You’re one to talk, son,” Grandpa Alexander walked in with his mate. “You were exactly the same when you were their age.”

“Can’t anyone ever let me keep my pride intact in front of the new family members for at least one day?” Alpha Markus complained, crossing his arms to show his displeasure.

“No,” came a chorus of rejections from the room and the doors, as they pushed open again and Luna Natalia, Alpha Helios, Beta Gonzalo and Kassie, Gamma Theo and Sebastian walked through, the previous Gamma and Beta from Crescent Moon hot on their heels.

“I hate you guys,” Alpha Markus mumbled under his breath before he pointed at me and Chris. “If I hear you guys call me Alpha Markus ever again, we’re going to have issues. It’s just Markus. Family doesn’t use titles.”

The room filled up quickly after that, and we were all talking and waiting for Bells to wake up, when Dr. Roswell walked in and blinked.

“I know Dr. Castle and Dr. West let you guys get away with this sort of thing, but Bells needs peace and quiet when she wakes up, not to mention a serious talk with her mate, so, OUT!” she scolded. “Everyone, but immediate family, OUT! We have waiting rooms for this purpose. And you, Evergreen! You should know better.”

Her mate had been trying to slip by unnoticed behind Beta Gillian, but blushed when he was caught, making the males in the family laugh.

I turned my attention to the hand that was placed on my shoulder. I hugged Mom and then Dad, as they prepared to leave.

“We’re so happy for you, son,” my old man whispered before he took Mom by the hand. “We’ll be right outside.”

Evie’s Mom looked at her daughter expectantly when everyone else had left.

“Oh, come on, Mom! Cory’s immediate family and he’s my mate. That makes me immediate family,” she argued.

“If I let you stay, then I have to let Cecilia stay and Alpha David when Areli gets here. It’s too many, Evie.”

“What about Chris? Why can he stay?” she pointed accusingly at Chris, who had been trying to make himself smaller behind Violet, so he wouldn’t be kicked out. When all eyes turned to him, he straightened and blushed.

“Bells specifically asked that he be allowed anywhere Violet was. Be a good girl, listen to your mother and go wait outside.”

With a huff and a pout, Evie lifted to her tippy toes and gave Cory a kiss before she glared at her mother. “I was going to name this kid after you if it was a girl. Now, I’m going to reconsider.”

“Yeah, well then, I hope the next set is triplets!” Evie’s mom called out after her daughter.

“Oh, come on, I didn’t do anything to deserve that,” Cory complained.

“You’re mated to her,” she challenged, a smile twitching on her face as she tried to remain stern.

“Cory, sit down before you get us kicked out, too,” Markus scolded his son. Areli ran inside a few minutes later, having had David drive her down as soon as Cory called her.

Once the room quieted down, the doctor explained what was going to happen once Bells woke up. It was going to be gradual. She would wake but might not be able to speak or react much right away, she might be agitated and confused, or she couldbe completely fine. It varied from person to person, and I could only hope my stubborn mate was fine.

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