Billionaire Quadruplet Alphas

Tuesday 29th September, 2020.

Star

I gasped. Harper raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Dad! Why didn’t you tell us?” I asked.

“There’s not much to tell,” said Dad, with a sigh, taking my hand as we walked into the jewellery store.

Dad seemed to be scrutinising my fingers carefully.

“I need a mani,” I said apologetically.

My attempt at humour was lost on Dad who merely frowned.

“I think your fingers are the same as your Mom’s,” he said.

Oh.

“Yeah, probably,” I said.

“You’re both so beautiful,” said Dad, kissing my forehead.

I grinned.

“The two most beautiful girls in the world,” said Dad, hugging me.

“Thanks, Dad,” I murmured into his shirt, hugging him back.

I held onto him a bit. I wished he had been around when I had been growing up. He patted my back.

“I have to agree with you there, Sir,” said Zaya. “Beauty beyond compare.”

Dad looked at Zaya. I was expecting him to say something mean so I got ready to defend Zaya.

“I guess you could start calling me Heath,” said Dad. “The four of you.”

All the Quads grinned widely, exchanging glances. I smiled at them. They were so cute.

“You too, Miss Holly,” said Dad, looking at Holly who was under Harper’s arm. My twin was keeping his mate close to his side. Her nose was a bit pink from the cold.

“I’m not a Lord, ok,” chuckled Dad, tweaking Holly’s nose.

Holly giggled.

“Yes, my Lor…yes, Heath,” said Holly.

A young Fae woman with waist length silvery blonde hair came out from behind the counter.

“How may I be of service to you, Your Highness?” She said to me.

“Um, my Dad needs to buy an engagement ring,” I said, smiling.

Dad held up my finger for the lady to see.

“For your daughter?” She asked, startled.

Clearly she recognised all of us.

“I know Princess Hesper was once engaged to her first cousin but isn’t this a little extreme?” she whispered, frightened.

“No! NO! No,” I said.

“For my wife,” said Dad, annoyed. “To be. For Princess Hesper. Her Mom. My wife, not yet but…you know what I mean. My mate.”

I exchanged a glance with Harper. Yeah, we would be writing my Dad’s proposal speech for him as well as his wedding vows.

“My name is Sylvia by the way! So sorry for my…um. Let’s get to the rings,” she said, rushing over to the counter to distract us with sparkly jewellery.

The rings were gorgeous. The Quads were surprisingly interested in the jewellery selection. I had expected them to be bored.

“We were thinking of a ring that was somehow both Fae and werewolf like Hesper is,” said Dad, glancing at Jonah.

Jonah grinned. Sylvia gasped and ran to the back. She came scurrying out with an ornate box. She placed the box before us. It was jewel encrusted. The box was even prettier than the rings we had just seen. Zaya and Eli were trying on engagement rings. Eli put one on my finger.

“This fits perfectly,” he said softly, grinning.

I giggled. I took it off and gave it back. Jewellery stores made me nervous. I was so scared I’d be asked to pay for something or I’d break something. I did not feel wealthy even if I was now.

Sylvia opened the box. The ring inside was mesmerising.

“The band is lupine made gold but the diamond is from the Fae realm. The diamond seemed to reflect a rainbow of colours whenever the light hit it.

Harper and I were sold. We looked at Dad.

“Is this a good one?” He asked, somewhat adorably clueless.

“This is a good one, Dad,” I said.

Dad tried the ring on my finger and it fit perfectly.

“It’ll definitely fit Mom!” Said Harper.

We got the ring and flew back to the castle. Mom and Great Grandma greeted us as we entered the dining hall. We had missed breakfast but we were right on time for lunch. Mom hugged Dad.

“Thank you for the flowers, Heath!” She squealed.

Dad grinned. He kissed her forehead gently.

“My handsome great grandsons are back,” said Great Grandmother, hugging each of the Quads.

I was relieved that she liked all of them. She did not seem to think it was weird that there were four of them. Apparently, Mom’s parents had been close to Alpha Romeo who was father to the Alpha Triplets so Great Grandmother was familiar with the idea of multiples having one mate.

“I met the Alpha Triplets when they were teeny tiny,” said Great Grandmother using her index finger and thumb to indicate about an inch.

“I doubt they were that small, Your Majesty,” chuckled Jonah.

“Yes, they were!” She exclaimed, swatting Jonah’s chest.

Mom did that! That was where she got it from. I would be dodging hands left and right whenever a joke was told in this family.

“They were still in Luna Ronnie’s womb,” said Great Grandmother in hushed tones as though this was a great secret.

“Ohh!” Laughed Jonah. “I get it.”

“But you’re too young to know about that!” She informed Jonah, hitting his chest again.

“So are you, Harper!” She said, looking across the table at Harper who paused on his way to k**s Holly.

“Of course, Grandma,” he said, grinning nervously.

“You’re just children,” she said.

“They’re eighteen,” said Mom. “They’re not kids, Grandma.”

“You think that cause you’re still eighteen too!” Said Great Grandma dismissively. “Technically,” said Mom. “Spiritually, I’m an old soul. Right, Heath?”

“Yes,” said Dad, nodding, but he tended to agree with just about anything Mom said whether he had heard what was said or not. I had never seen him like that with anyone and it was my new favourite thing to behold.

“The Alpha Triplets must have blossomed into strapping young men while I was a castle fixture,” muttered Great Grandmother. “Perhaps, I should have tea with the new Winter Moon Luna.”

“She’s really nice!” I said quickly, hoping Great Grandmother would have tea with Chasity.

I’m so happy for our parents, I told Harper over mind-link.

Speaking of parents, you have two of them to meet officially. Eli told me, said Harper.

What? I asked, my heart speeding up.

You have to meet the current Alpha and Luna of Viper Moon, the Quads’ parents, said Harper.

They’re coming here?! I said.

Yeah, I want them to be here for Mom and Dad’s wedding. You’ll be the maid of honour and I’ll be the best man. Dad told me he and Mom want to meet the Quads’ parents so I thought they should come to the wedding. Dad wants to get married like practically yesterday since we’re of age already and Mom was, you know, a statue for eighteen years. There’s no point in a long engagement, said Harper.

Even though I felt a bit panicked, I was touched that Harper had thought to invite the Quads’ parents. I myself would have forgotten. The Quads and I had not had that many normal milestones.

Thanks, Harper. I would like them to come. I want to get to know them, I said.

Harper smiled.

After lunch, Jonah pulled me away from everyone else. We went for a walk in the gardens next to the courtyard. They were beautiful. Even though it was winter here for about six months a year from late September to late February or early March, there were still flowers. Frost flowers. They looked like flowers carved from ice but they were very much alive. They were iridescent like the Lingering Lotus as they gleamed beautifully under the Winter Sun. They swayed of their own accord with or without the wind. When the wind actually blew against them, they made soft tinkling sounds like wind chimes. I was bundled up but Jonah kept me close to his side for extra warmth.

“My parents will be making a trip up here soon,” he informed me.

Should I act surprised?

“Did Eli or Zaya tell you?” Wondered Jonah aloud.

I grinned. “No, I found out from Harper who heard it from Eli,” I admitted.

Jonah stroked my cheek. He traced the bridge of my nose with a gloved finger.

“And when they leave…I want us to leave with them,” he said looking at me worriedly as though scared of my reaction.

“Yes,” I said.

He grinned in surprise. I cupped his face in my hands and I kissed him. He kissed me back eagerly. When we broke apart he just held me.

“You won’t miss your newly reunited family?” He asked, looking at me, his eyes filled with concern.

“This is my pack too but Harper is the Alpha and I’m going to be the Luna of Viper Moon. Of course I’ll miss my family but they won’t be far away with magic. Harper asked Mom and Great Grandmother to make me a special snow globe, one that goes directly from the Viper Moon Pack House to the Ice Moon Castle and back. I actually need permission from your Dad for it to be made as it involves his territory,” I explained.

“Well, we’ll ask him officially when he gets here but I know the eldest future Alpha of Viper Moon,” he whispered conspiratorially, meaning himself.

I giggled.

“And would the eldest new Viper Moon Alpha let me make a portal between his pack house and this castle?” I asked, grinning.

“He’s in love with the new Ice Moon Princess so he wants that portal made very badly,” said Jonah, gazing at me.

I pulled him in and kissed him with abandon. Time always seemed to stop whenever I kissed Jonah. He and the other Quads had a way of forcing me to live in the moment. Warmth spread through me. Jonah kissed the tip of my nose and then my eyelids. I giggled. Jonah wrapped his arms around me tightly and buried his nose in my neck.

Someone tapped me on my shoulder. I looked around. Noah.

“Hey!” I said.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Asked Jonah.

Noah rolled his eyes.

“I’ve been questioning your Dad,” announced Noah.

“What?” I asked, shocked.

Noah grinned sheepishly. “I was really curious about the orphanage he was from with the nuns. It reminded me of something.”

“Let me guess, something you read in Wolf Meets Nerd Magazine,” said Jonah.

“Wolf Meets Herd Magazine,” said Noah. “Don’t you have heels to be sniffing or something, foot lover?”

Jonah made a snowball and chucked it at Noah. It hit him. Splat. Right in his face.

“Jonah!” I said indignantly but Noah was already retaliating. He fired three snow balls at Jonah in quick succession.

I spotted Zaya and Eli coming towards us. They noticed the commotion.

“SNOW BALL FIGHT!” Yelled Zaya.

All of the Quads began throwing snowballs and dodging ones thrown at werewolf speed. I ran for cover but no one threw any at me thankfully.

“Star, you need to keep score!” Shouted Eli.

I peeked out from behind a frost ice-rose bush.

“Ok,” I mumbled unenthusiastically.

“I’ll keep score,” said a voice I’d know anywhere.

Harper. Holly was with him, waving at me.

“Harper is the scorekeeper,” Eli announced, coming out from his cover and getting three snowballs in the face from his three brothers.

“Holly, you can hide with Star, if you want, but no one will throw any at the two of you ok,” said Harper, kissing Holly’s forehead.

Holly dutifully hid behind the bush with me. I giggled. Harper conjured a blackboard and began to keep score. He conjured a chair for himself and sat in front of the new scoreboard. Holly and I came out of hiding.

“How does the scoring system work?” I asked.

“The Quads didn’t say how they usually play so I just made it up,” said Harper. “I’m giving five points for every snowball that successfully hits the target and I’m subtracting one point from the person who gets hit. The points earned are in green chalk and the tally in red counting hits will be subtracted at the end,” explained Harper as the green and red chalk wrote furiously on their own, flying across the board.

Holly sat on Harper’s lap. Harper conjured me a chair next to them. Zaya was very good at snowball fights. Perhaps that was why he had started the game. He tucked and rolled a lot to get away from flying snowballs. Eli was very fast at throwing them. He threw many at once. Noah was stealthy, good at avoiding being hit. Jonah made the least number of snowballs but every snowball had a distinct purpose and hit its target successfully. I had no idea the Quads were this playful. They used to seem like such stiff snobs back at school.

“What about Viper Moon High?” I asked Harper.

“Solander says I can be home-schooled for the rest of the final year. My bandmates want to come and be home-schooled with me! I just have to get Dad to agree,” said Harper.

“Ask Mom,” I said. “Or even Great Grandmother.”

“Great grandmother will return to the Fae Realm after Mom and Dad get married,” said Harper sadly.

“Can we get a snow globe to go to the Fae Realm easily just like the one I’m getting between Viper Moon and Ice Moon?” I asked anxiously.

Harper and Holly shook their heads sadly. I sighed.

“It can’t work like that,” said Holly apologetically. “The Fae Realm is an entirely different Realm. It is its own entity like Werewolf Country. The snow globes are intra-realm travel, not inter-realm travel,” she explained sadly.

“So Werewolf Country is a Realm too?” I asked.

“Yeah, it is,” said Harper. “We just don’t call it that but technically it’s a Realm. Then there’s the Fae Realm. The Human Realm.”

“I think I’d like to visit the Human Realm,” I said happily.

“You can’t! Social distancing!” Barked a familiar voice.

“Hi Rein!” I said as Asriel and Toby walked towards us.

Rein, the not so happy earring, glared at me.

“Asriel, Zaya is here,” said Erin in hushed tones.

“You don’t like Zaya?” Asked Toby.

“We have a history,” said Erin with a sigh.

“You know, Erin,” said Harper with a knowing grin. “When Zaya, Eli, Dad and I questioned Holden and his goons, Zaya demanded to know if you were ok specifically!” Said Harper with a grin.

“He did?!” Squealed Erin. “I’m not easy to get over. I’m happy he’s with Princess Star. Maybe he’ll name his first child with her Erin in remembrance of what we had.”

Like hell he would.

“I don’t think so, Erin,” I chuckled.

I was not going to let an earring steal my man or name my first-born. I remembered something.

“Erin! You’re not an earring!” I exclaimed. “You’re an Imp! I think I remember Grandma saying Mom turned you into earrings to spare you both being well…destroyed. Why would anyone want to destroy you two?” I asked, feeling a little sad for them.

Becoming earrings was essentially how they had avoided the death penalty.

“We did bad things,” said Erin frankly.

Rein laughed diabolically.

“But I found my inner truth and I’m reformed now,” announced Erin.

“I’m worse,” muttered Rein threateningly.

“Asriel, regarding Rein and Erin, do they ever um…come off?” Asked Toby gently, looking at Asriel.

“I’m not going in a jewellery box just so you two can get jiggy with it?!” Barked Rein.

“I take them off to go to sleep yeah,” whispered Asriel, smiling.

Toby blushed.

“We can hear you!” Yelled Rein.

“What’s going on here?” Asked Harper.

“Yeah, Toby,” I said pointedly, grinning at him and Asriel. “What’s going on here?”

“HEY!” Called Zaya. “Harper, who’s winning?!”

Harper waved his hand to calculate the current scores.

“I gave everyone five points each for hitting their target and one point subtracted for getting hit. These are the scores so far. They’re really close,” said Harper. “Noah 405, Jonah 412, shockingly a tie. Zaya and Eli both have 417.”

The elder two clapped for the younger two. Zaya and Eli linked arms and ran around in a circle like they were playing ring around the roses.

“Do you want a tie breaker?” Asked Harper.

Toby was trying to slip away but a snowman formed out of nowhere. It was sentient and blocked his path. Toby gasped and ran back to us.

“I want to know about you and my cousin, Toby. Nice try!” Muttered Harper.

Toby hid from Harper behind Asriel who laughed but did not divulge any information. Erin was swinging madly, cheering loudly for Zaya. Rein was going crazy, booing loudly, trying to drown out Erin’s shrill screams but it was to no avail. Erin’s high-pitched happy screaming dominated the scene.

“What’s the prize for winning?” Asked Zaya.

“Ummm,” said Harper.

My twin looked around. His eyes fell on his own recently conjured magic snowman.

“I personally will help you make a magical date for Star that the other three can’t go to because obviously then it’s not a prize if everyone goes,” said Harper with a shrug.

I blushed and swatted my twin on the chest playfully. Ugh. Mom and Great Grandma were rubbing off on me.

“What do you think?” Asked Harper.

“Tiebreaker!” Said Eli and Zaya eagerly in unison.

“WAIT!” Said both Jonah and Noah, making everyone jump.

“We didn’t know a magical date with Star was the prize!” Grumbled Jonah.

“Well, because it wasn’t, I only just made that up as an incentive to compete in the tiebreaker,” said Harper with a shrug.

I noticed Holly was brushing Harper’s hair of all things. I gave her a weird look.

“His Lordship rarely brushes his hair and it bothers me,” she said simply.

“Well, you’re all really close in points so you could all compete in the tie breaker,” said Harper, trying to make peace between the older two and the younger two.

The Quads descended into a vicious argument.

“A TIE BREAKER IS FOR BREAKING A TIE!” Bellowed Zaya.

“ZAYA AND I ARE TIED! ONLY WE SHOULD COMPETE!” Agreed Eli.

“NO WAY!” Shouted Jonah. “NOAH AND I HAD NO IDEA THIS s**t WAS IMPORTANT!”

“NEITHER DID WE!” Pointed out Eli.

“DO OVER!” Yelled Noah. “DO OVER!”

I stared at the argument. I remembered Luna Chasity’s advice about not treating multiples as one single entity but as individuals.

“What are you going to do, My…Harper?” Asked Holly.

“I have an idea,” I said.

Holly clapped for me before even hearing what my idea was. I laughed. I was happy to accept her as my new sister-in-law and I thought that the “magical date” was Harper’s way of doing something for his future brothers-in-law but it had backfired.

“A very wise Luna,” I said loudly, interrupting my bickering mates. “Reminded me once that multiples are individuals. So all four of you will get a solo date with me.”

“So no prize?” Asked Harper.

“Yes, the prize is still a magical date. The other three dates will be regular but I want solo quality time with all of my guys, individually,” I said, emphasising the last word.

That placated the Quads a little.

“We still would have played harder if…” began Noah.

“I know, if you had known about the magical date,” said Harper. “If Eli and Zaya are ok with it. Maybe you could all compete in the tiebreaker round but I’ll be adding the points already earned so Zaya and Eli will be in the lead as deserved but Noah or Jonah could still win.”

The Quads liked this turn of events. They began stretching, readying themselves for the tiebreaker. Harper had a mischievous glint in his eye. He was looking at his new sentient snowman.

“What are you up to?” I asked him.

“The tiebreaker is gonna have more than four players,” said Harper, making three other snowmen spring up and come to life.

“Don’t hurt the Quads,” I warned.

“Star, I’m not a monster. I love you. You know that!” Said Harper indignantly. “These are the special helpers!”

“Special helpers?” I said, furrowing my brow.

“Don’t think I forgot about you, Toby! I see you there! Hiding behind Asriel!” Said Harper, trying to look behind Asriel to peek at Toby.

“Why can’t we tell my cousins?” Said Asriel, frowning.

“Ok, ok,” said Toby, seeing Asriel upset.

“We’ll tell them,” said Toby.

Asriel grinned widely.

“Star, Harper, Asriel…he’s the one for me,” said Toby.

“You’re fated?” I asked excitedly.

They nodded. I screamed so loudly the Quads all jumped, distracted from their stretching and warming up. They rushed over to me.

“What’s wrong, Baby?” Asked Zaya.

“Luna, are you ok?” Asked Noah.

“Did something happen, Princess?” Asked Eli.

“Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas, mon ciel étoilé?” Asked Jonah.

“My best friend and my cousin are in love!” I squealed.

The Quads looked at each other. They realised I meant Toby and Asriel. They grinned and congratulated them.

“Why were you so reluctant though?” Asked Harper.

“I didn’t know if you all knew that I was…” began Toby.

Harper snorted with laughter.

“Toby, sorry but come on, be serious,” chuckled Harper.

“I am being serious,” laughed Toby.

“We knew,” said Zaya.

Jonah nodded. “Yeah,” said the eldest.

“Of course, we knew,” laughed Eli, ruffling Toby’s hair.

“I didn’t know it was a secret or something,” said Noah, looking concerned.

“It’s not,” said Toby quickly. “I just never explicitly told you, but it’s definitely not a secret.”

“Even I know that you’re gay, Toby,” said Holly brightly. “I’m happy for you and Asriel.”

I almost fainted. I had not been expecting that from her. She did not know what a microwave was. I had not been sure if she would know what we meant with her being from an archaic Autumn Fae community.

“Congratulations, Toby. I hope you will consider Ice Moon your home away from home,” said Harper who was obviously in a great mood.

I looked closely at Holly and spotted her silvery mark. She saw me looking at it and blushed. How had I missed that before?

“And Eli, Noah, Jonah and Zaya, I know we’ll be brothers by marriage in the future so I hope you consider this your home too!” Said Harper with a smile.

My heart felt so full.

“Thanks, Harper,” I said softly.

He grinned.

“And now, each of you will team up with one of my snowmen! This will make the game more interesting. He can act as your shield absorbing snowballs thrown at you or he can make the snowballs for you but you must throw them and it’s up to you to give proper instructions to your snowman. No attacking your brother’s snowman, you will lose and be disqualified. They are helpers and shields only. No contact fighting or tackling. No pitting snowman against snowman either. Misuse of snowmen is a criminal offence in Ice Moon,” said Harper.

“Is it really?” I whispered.

“No, you know I must make s**t up,” whispered my twin.

“I want the biggest one,” said Zaya running to the snowman on the right who looked angrier than the others.

“Yeah this is my dog right here,” said Zaya, sizing up his snowman.

Noah picked the happiest looking snowman and seemed amazed by him.

“Harper, this is so cool! You make me wish I was magic!” Said Noah.

“Aren’t you though? You can astral project so well,” said Harper, grinning.

“Yeah, but I can’t make magic snowmen,” mumbled Noah sadly.

Noah’s snowman patted him gently on the back. Noah hugged his snowman.

“Can we name them?” Asked Eli, looking at his, stroking his chin, clearly thinking of names.

“Sure,” said Harper.

Jonah was busy whispering instructions to his snowman. Jonah’s snowman nodded conspiratorially, his eyes darting around, taking in the competition.

“You guys ready?!” Called Harper.

“I want to say it,” whispered Holly.

“My Luna will tell you when,” said Harper.

The Quads separated to the four corners of the frost garden. They were taking this so seriously. Toby and Asriel were sitting on a nearby bench Asriel had just conjured, laughing and eating popcorn.

“Where did you get popcorn?” I demanded.

“I made it,” said Toby. “I left it popping inside the castle. Asriel just summoned it.”

“Oh,” I said, snatching a handful from their bowl.

Holly got up to start the game. I had never heard her yell before but she did now.

“READY? ON YOUR MARKS. Remember the prize is a magical date with Her Highness courtesy of His Highness! LET THE GAMES BEGIN! GO!”