Chosen by Fate, Rejected by the Alpha

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Trinity

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"May I have this dance, your majesty?" Dad asked me when the music for my dance with Reece ended.

"I would be honored to dance with you, good sir." I played along with him.

"Then I will take my leave." Reece kissed the back of my hand before sliding it into Dad's hand. "I will be back for our next dance soon, my love."

"See you soon."

I already knew that I was going to be dancing with quite a few preselected guests while Reece made his rounds.. It was a good way to keep me protected and occupied so none of the other random people at the party tried to dance with me.

"You look beautiful tonight." Dad smiled at me. "And I just can't believe that you're already twenty-one." Dad was looking at me with slightly misty and nostalgia filled eyes. "I have to wonder where all the time has gone."

"It passed right before your eyes, just like it's going to be with the twins." I gave him the same look as I thought about how quickly this past thirteen months had passed with my own little ones around.

"It really is sad, isn't it? To see your baby growing up right before your eyes."

Dad was dancing perfectly, spinning me around the dance floor, but he was also looking like he was about to cry. He was sad, and I knew why.

"I know Dad, I know." I hugged him close to me and rested my head on his chest while we danced. I had to work hard not to cry right now. If I did, Ella and Gina would yell at me about my makeup. "I love you." I whispered the words, but he heard me as well.

"I love you too." He squeezed me back as he said it. After that we didn't say anything; we just danced together silently until the song was over.

The next to dance with me was Grandfather. He always looked at me with a serious look, but this time when he took my hand it reminded me of my wedding day. It was the same sort of emotional look. He, just like Dad, was on the verge of tears.

"It took several years longer, but I am having those moments that every father looks forward to." He smiled at me despite the sorrow in his eyes.

"What are you talking about, Grandfather?" I was confused by his words.

"Watching you grow up, I've gotten to see all the things that I missed with your mother. Watching you get married, having a family, seeing your twenty-first birthday and everything else to come. I never got them with Lily. I am not saying you're her replacement since you're completely different people. No, that's not it at all. What you are, Trinity, is my second chance at life."

"Grandfather?" I nearly cried from his words as well. "Why would you need a second chance at life?"

"Because that day that your mother was taken from me, I died. Not physically, but emotionally. It took me a long time to come back to life, and it was mostly thanks to you. You were my new lease on life. That's why I poured my everything into you. And now, I also have your little ones to watch over. I will make sure that I do my best by you and them."

"I know you will."

I hugged him just like I did with Dad, and he held me close while I rested my head on his chest. This was two very emotional dances in a row. What were they trying to do to me? The next one, I was handed off to was Athair mòr.

"Queen Trinity, may I have the pleasure of being your next dance partner."

"Why, Prince Valerian, I would be honored." I grinned at him and took his hand.

"Have I told you lately that you're doing a wonderful job as Queen?"

"I don't feel like I am." I sighed at his words which only made him chuckle.

"You are." He spun me around in a way that was different from the others, most likely a way that was from the Fae. "The fact that you can't see it is just fine. In all honesty, that will keep you humbled and stop you from becoming maniacal with power."

"Well, we certainly don't want that now, do we?" I giggled.

"You're a lot like Glory was when she was first starting out. She was nervous and afraid that she was going to mess up all the time. Sorrel and I were here to help her though. And now, I am here to help you. I am more happy than you will ever know that I get to be here with you for all of this. I get to watch the birth of a kingdom from the Queen's side for the second time. How many people do you think could make that claim?" I could see that he was proud of me and that he truly was happy.

"I would say that not many people could say that. I'm glad that you're here with me for this, Athair mòr."

"Me too."

Finally a dance that wasn't so emotional. After that, I danced with Noah and Carter, and thankfully neither of them wanted to try to make me cry. Though they both said they couldn't believe how much time had passed. They felt it in the same way that I did though, watching their kids grow up and get older before their eyes.

After Carter, I danced with Vincent. He came to me with a smile and held his hand out to me.

"Would you dance with me, your grace."

"Vincent, I will always save a dance for you." I smiled back at him.

"That is good to know." He pulled me toward him and started to dance me around the floor. "You know something, Trinity? When I became your guard that day, I never thought that any of this stuff would happen. I didn't know that I was taking my future Queen to school that day. As time passed, I didn't expect that one of my closest friends was going to become this powerful woman who probably doesn't need me anymore, but she's too much of a nice person to take care of the small fries herself."

"Vincent?" I felt like he was saying that he wasn't needed and that he was going to leave me. "I will always need you. You're the captain of my guard and my Beta."

"That is something else. What Luna in this world has a Beta? You're the only one. That right there says that you weren't the person that any of us were expecting. But that is a good thing. I honestly think that if it weren't for you, none of us would be here right now."

"Vincent, why do I get the feeling that you're leaving me?" I felt like crying again.

"I'm not, I'm just feeling extra nostalgic today. I think we all are."

"It has had that sort of effect on us, hasn't it?" I smiled at him. "As long as you're not telling me that you're leaving me, I'm fine. I've had you here with me since the day that I met Reece. You're just as important to me as anyone else here. You're my family now, Vincent."

"I'm happy to hear that, Trinity." I hugged him then, I had to. He was like a brother to me now, after the last couple years. I couldn't imagine life without him at my side.