Chapter 42: Luna Ceremony
Roman
I wore my mate out yesterday on the sparring field. To her credit, she has stopped whining and is working extra hard to get stronger faster. Ayla is also pushing herself and I know it won’t be long before we’re ready to go to war.
Thankfully, being mated seems to have given my mate extra stamina because when we went to bed last night, sleep was the last thing on her mind. Being the good mate that I am, I made my male come until she truly was exhausted, then I curled up around her and fell into the same deep sleep that she did.
Today, we’re having her private Luna ceremony. When everything is settled with Sawyer and Dylan, I intend to invite every pack in the country to watch my mate take her place at my side and as the Luna of this pack. But for now, having her accept me of her own free will, having her accept her place in the pack, is enough.
My mother, goddess bless her, went and got my mate a dress appropriate for today. It’s white symbolizing who she is, a white wolf. Her brown hair and amber eyes stand out against the pale color of the dress, As she walks barefoot through our pack members to the stage, my heart constricts, and I struggle to breathe. This beautiful, amazing woman is mine. She has accepted me and her place in this pack
My father is presiding over the ceremony, even though he and my mother will also renew their allegiance to this pack by accepting Samara as their Luna
As she walks up, I can’t look away from her. I can’t stop feeling the wonder that this woman is mine, that she accepted me, that she finds me worthy of being her mate.
“It’s a good damn thing she does,‘ Pierce says, purring at her as she walks up, I don’t bother quieting him. I’m just as proud that she’s ours as he is. She begins smiling when she gets close enough to hear Pierce’s purr.
I hold out my hand to her when she gets to the stage, ignoring the murmurings of the pack. I’m sure they’re all as entranced
with my mate as I am. How could you not be.
She takes my hand and I help her up to the stage, walking her over to the table where my father is standing
“Pack members,” he begins, his voice booming out around the group. They quiet but I don’t turn away from Samara.
“Today is an incredible day. While our ceremony is small and private, that in no way lessens the impact of what is happening. not just for your Alpha, but for all of us. Today, we will accept our Luna, your Alpha’s mate, a white wolf, into our pack and into our hearts,” my father says.
I can see and feel the strong emotions swirling around inside of Samara. I reach up and stroke my fingers over her cheek She leans into my touch and Pierce’s purring increases.
My father steps up to us.
“Samara, do you accept Roman as your mate, Alpha, and partner in life, forsaking all others?” he asks her.
“I do,” she says, making the pack howl with pleasure. I smile at her and hold out my hand to my father, knowing that he will need to slice my palm to get my blood. I ignore the sting of the blade and feel him turn my hand to let my blood drip into the
ceremonial chalice, but I never look away from my mate.
When the cut seals, my father holds the cup out to Samara. “If you accept Roman as your mate and Alpha, drink from this cup, share his blood and become as one,” he says
She’s already technically done this, but for me, it’s important because this time, it’s completely of her own free will.
She takes the cup and brings it to her lips. As she drinks, I feel the bond between us strengthen. I watch her eyes go wide as she too feels our bond, already so strong, become even stronger.
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When she’s done, she hands the cup back to my father.
+25 BONUS
“Because your mate is a white wolf, special and blessed by the Moon Goddess herself, Roman you will need to accept your
mate as well”
I nod
“Do you, Roman, accept Samara as your mate, your partner in life, your Luna and your love, forsaking all others?”
“I do,” I say.
I watch my mate as my father slices her hand. It’s not common for the Alpha to accept his Luna separately when his mate takes her place at his side. But Samara is a white wolf, blessed, as my father said. So it makes sense that I would give her and Ayla the same promise that she has given to me. She is my equal in this pack.
When her hand seals, my father hands me the cup. I tasted her blood, felt her power, when I marked her, so I am unprepared for the additional surge of power that flows through me when I drink her blood from the chalice. Her blood, mixed with mine is making me even stronger. I growl with pleasure at the gifts that my mate continues to give me and I drink every bit of the blood in the chalice, wanting all of her to myself
“You know I’m going to have to slice both your palms again because you did that, right,” my father grumbles softly.
I ignore him and lean in, kissing my mate as the taste of our blood lingers on both our tongues.
“Mine,‘ I growl in the mind link, tugging her to me.
“Mine,” she growls back, returning my kiss with just as much passion as I’m pouring into it.
I give my father my hand without releasing my mate’s mouth, letting him take as much blood as he needs. Then I pull her even closer, still devouring her mouth, while he takes her blood again.
“You need to stop kissing your mate, now, Roman. I know it’s hard. Royal had the same problem during Jessica’s Luna ceremony, but this is for your pack as well,” my father says so only the two of us can hear him.
I drag my lips from hers, knowing my father is right. The pack needs the strength that their Luna can give him.
“Later,” I growl, my arm still wrapped tightly around her.
“Definitely later,” she sighs.
I stand behind her, my hands on her hips, as one by one, our pack members come forward, pledging their love and loyalty to me and to Samara. My mother and father start it and I instantly feel the strength in them. Then, Betas Austin and Elizabeth step forward and again, I feel the strength of our pack increase. When Gamma Adrian swears his oath to us and drinks from the chalice, the pack begins growling. They can feel the increased power in their ranked members and previous Alpha and
Luna
A frission of excitement zips through the pack like electricity and I have to growl a warning when they all push forward to try and accept me and Samara next One by one, they all step forward swearing themselves to me, Samara, and the pack. As each pack member drinks our combined blood, I feel the strength in our pack increasing
Most of our warriors growl with pleasure when it’s their turn, feeling the increased power pulse inside them. Even our omegas look like they feel stronger, as they stand taller after drinking our blood.
When the last person has pledged themselves to us and the pack, I step around Samara to stand beside her.
“My pack, you have your Luna to thank for this increased strength. She has given us, given me, a gift beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we get back to planning for war and to finally taking our revenge on the ones who betrayed us,” I say, before lifting my head to the sky and letting Pierce howl the howl of a challenge.
2/3
As the pack responds, I pull my mate into a passionate, possessive kiss. Never in my life have I felt such possessiveness of anyone or anything. This woman is my life, my everything and she has already given me and our pack so much.
I kiss her while the pack howls its happiness and excitement around us and it isn’t until she’s whimpering against me that I pull away from the kiss
“Let’s celebrate!” I shout.
Much later after that pack has enjoyed their celebration, I spend hours showing my mate just how happy and proud I am that
I am hers and she is mine.
Cooper
That’s quite a bit of power from Samara.
