Page 64 of Brutal Alpha Bully

He turns and walks straight for me, the look in his eyes making my skin tingle. It’s determined and possessive, and when he stops in front of me, he clears his throat and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a ring box.

“It occurred to me,” he says softly, his gaze locked on the box in his hand as Nora gasps beside me, “that I wanted to do this before the ceremony. And time got away from me.”

I’m staring at the box, my heart pounding. Xeran and I are already mated. A silly human tradition like marriage means nothing compared to the weight and permanence of the mating bond.

But I told him while cuddling that I’d always liked the idea of a wedding. Of marriage. Of changing my last name to my husband’s.

Xeran opens the ring box to reveal a shimmering moonstone set with tiny diamonds around it.

“Sorry this isn’t more grandiose,” he says, looking up to meet my eyes. “But Seraphina Winward, would you do me the honor of becoming Seraphina Sorel?”

“Yes,” I breathe the word so quickly, it would be embarrassing if it were any other circumstance.

He takes the ring from the box and slides it onto my finger. Then he turns to Nora, who watches the exchange with a strange look on her face.

“And Nora,” he says, reaching into his other pocket and pulling out a longer, sleeker box. When he opens it, he reveals a necklace with a similar stone setting to mine, like the moon surrounded by the night sky. “Would you do me the honor of becoming Nora Sorel?”

“I would have done it without the necklace,” she says, grinning at him before she takes the jewelry. “But yes, I will. And thank you.”

He helps her put it on, then wraps his arms around her, holding her tight and closing his eyes. I know that when he does, he thinks about that night again, just like I do. About how close we came to losing her.

And how we’re never going to let something like that happen again.

More people flood into the space, their eyes immediately darting to us, and I know I’m going to have to get used to this.

I’m used to people looking at me. But I’mnotused to people looking to me.

Xeran’s friends arrive, and we work the room together, mingling. Laughing. Nora disappears to the corner of the room, where I see her talking with other kids her age.

It’s not going to be comfortable right away for either of us, but we’ll get there.

When the room is full to bursting, Xeran clears his throat and makes his way to the front of the room. Nora and I followhim, climbing onto the stage behind him and standing just to the back. We stand straight as we stare out at the hundreds of pack members gathered in the room, staring right back up at us.

Xeran stands at the podium, clears his throat again, and begins the speech he practiced a million times with us at home.

“Good morning, everyone. We’re going to make this event short and sweet because I know we all have a lot of work to get done.”

A short laugh ripples through the room, and I watch it bolster his confidence.

“When I left Silverville eight years ago, I was running from my grief over my father. From my responsibilities here. And I stand here now, officially accepting the honor of alpha supreme as a promise to all of you that I will not run from that responsibility again.”

The room is deathly silent—the reality of a weathered, unsure, uncertain pack that’s been beaten and bruised by circumstance.

Xeran goes on, “My uncle’s betrayal cost us more than buildings and businesses. It cost us trust—in our leaders, in our institutions, in each other. But standing here today, seeing how this community came together in our darkest hour, I know that trust can be rebuilt. When the fires came, you didn’t run. You fought. You saved each other. You proved that Silverville is more than its leadership. It’s its people.”

A cheer rises from the back and works its way to the front of the room, and Xeran has to pause for a moment to let it die down before he can go on.

“My first act as alpha supreme is to allocate funds for the rebuilding of this town. We’ve done it before, and we will do itagain. I promise you I’m wrapping this up, but first I want to take a moment to express my gratitude.”

Swallowing, Xeran looks to the back of the room where his friends and brother stand. When he sees them, they raise their glasses to him.

“To those who stood by me, fought with me—Soren, Felix, Lachlan—thank you. You risked everything to do what was right, and I won’t forget that loyalty. And to my brother, Kalen… well, I have him to thank for the fact that I’m here in Silverville at all.”

Kalen waves from the front row, and there’s a small titter through the crowd. When I look at him, I can’t help but think about the other Sorel brothers—still lying low somewhere, licking their wounds. Maybe directionless without their uncle at the helm. At night, before we fall asleep, Xeran will sometimes talk about their betrayal and how it still stings, even after all this time.

Finding them, punishing them, is a priority, but not above rebuilding the town.

Xeran smiles down at his notes before glancing over at Nora and me. Anxiety thrums through me. I know what is coming next.

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