Mated to the Alpha Twins

| emerged through a set of double doors, squaring my shoulders as | was met with a small crowd of reporters. Velvet ropes and

dark clothed warriors from all three of my packs served as the barrier between the reporters and me. Their questions thundered

in my ears, almost as loud as my thundering heartbeat.

Keep your head straight and answer no questions until you're seated on stage. That's what Carrie had told me, and | followed

her advice as | lifted my chin and headed downstairs. | could feel several guards at my back. They were looming presences that

felt a little overbearing at times, but the twin’s insisted they were a necessity.

My stomach dropped as | descended the stairs, feeling the weight of the crowd and their emotions nearby. Tugging at the edges

of my mind as they loomed closer and closer.

The sound of my own heartbeat dulled, replaced by silence so deafening my ears began to ring. My footsteps pattered against

the smooth floor; the crowd grew quiet. White-hot lights were bright as they illuminated the stage, and | made my way across to

stand at the center, lodged between Zayne and Brandon.

A million thoughts were streaming through my head, the most concerning were the loudest. Could they see how frazzled | was?

How entirely new this all felt? Did they know how desperately | wanted to fix things? That when the nightmares continued to

claim me, I'd stay up all night searching for solutions?

“You look as calm as ever, doll.’ Alec’s smooth voice trickled into my thoughts, sanding down the harsh edges of my panic. ‘Like a

natural born leader.’

‘The only ones who can tell how you're feeling is us.” Kade chimed in, his voice a bit raspier than his brothers.

| strained my eyes to peer out into the crowd, immediately finding where my family and mates sat. Much like in Marcus's old

council room, we divided the seating in the concert hall to fit the various packs that wished to attend. All the Alpha’s and Luna's

were seated towards the front. Each were given a microphone to speak, so that their voice could be heard as well. They would

remain off while the five of us were speaking, but it was a way to give the smaller pack’s a voice.

It was the twin’s dark stares that kept the sea of emotions from barreling over me. There were so many people, and nerves were

still raw from the devastation and change that rocked the world. | stood tall, and braced myself against the torrents of wariness,

indecision, and worry. A whisper of hostility hovered in the air, but the desperation for any semblance of peace was far more

vicious.

‘Will they revolt?” Kade asked softly, his voice making the hairs on the back of my neck lift.

| gave the barest shake of my head before stepping forward, leveling my eyes with the crowd like Carrie instructed. “I understand

that many of you are wary.” | began, hardening my nerves until my voice cout steady and smooth. My expression was one

of compassion and understanding, something Marcus was incapable of showing. “I will not speak for Zayne Novak, but he does

have the full support of the High Table. All | ask is that you listen to what he has to say.”

“There is no apology | can make that will give back the lives lost, or the pain that has been endured. | am not here to ask for your

forgiveness.” Zayne'’s face was smooth granite, his voice heavy even though it lacked the snowstorm of emotion he currently felt.

| couldn't help but zero in on where his eyes were straying, to the redhead in the front row. Something had happened recently

between my best-friend and her mate. It sent Zayne’s emotional wall crumbling down, but still he hid the rawest and darkest

parts of himself. He had fled back to his pack last week, and Tori had been furious ever since. One thing | could feel for certain,

no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He had fallen in love with my best-friend. “My fear condemned thousands of wolves, and it

is a debt I'll never be able to repay. Those | rescued behind Marcus's back were a mere shadow of what | could have saved,

should | have stood up to him. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to fix the damage my family has wrought.”

There was little sympathy for Zayne, but he hadn't asked for any to begin with. The grim determination on his face followed by

the dark shadows around his eyes soothed some, but others would prove harder to convince.

The five of us spent the next hour discussing the changes that would be implemented immediately, both within our respective

packs and throughout the country. It had taken us all a month to plan and agree on our plans, but what we had produced was

just the beginning.

Before the new year, all the freed white wolves would be successfully implemented into whatever pack they happened to choose.

Children would enroll in schools; parents would receive jobs and educations. Houses will be filled, and families given the

necessary aid to help them begin healing. It would never be enough, but their future generations will no longer fear the ghost of

Marcus Novak.

The five of us were opening our borders to all white wolves in search of a place to call home. There were even a few that chose

to remain in Zayne’s pack, those who sided more with Zayne and the difference he had made.

My favorite change of law, which happened to be one of the largest in our history, took tand planning.

No longer would Luna’s be prohibited from taking a seat at the High Table.

No longer would only daughters of Alpha’s forfeit their rights to their pack, the people they had been raised beside and taught to

love.

Garrett and Julian had broken that rule when first meeting me, because gender was not nearly as important as the wellbeing of

their people.

It had taken five minutes of convincing to sway Zayne, and the threat of Tori spazzing on him. There was no way she'd stay quiet

if he voted no on this.

Brandon agreed with a cheeky grin that maderoll my eyes, and Isaiah was more than happy to give strong Luna’s like Mera

a chance at making history. Isabella gave the fifth vote, and the law was passed.

Towards the end, we allowed the Alpha’s and Luna's in attendance to ask questions. Swere sharp of tongue and narrow

eyed, but none seemed in the mood to fight. Their questions were all based out of genuine concern.

Even the packs that hid and cowered had a chance at speaking.

One Luna in particular stood and spoke softly into her microphone. Her hair was cropped short and the fine lines on her face led