Page 220 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince

“No,” he admits. “Flora is a royal Lycan too, so she never needed the blessing of the Council.”

Geneva smiles at me and squeezes my hand. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be over fast. The preparation takes longer than the actual ceremony. You’ll feel no pain, nothing aside from warmth. It’ll bind you to the Council and bless you with longevity and strength. You’ll be able to pass the blessing on to your children.” She winks at me. “Don’t expect any real magic to happen though. You probably won’t even feel different.” She leads me towards the stone pedestal and makes me lie down there. The moonlight illuminates me, giving me a feeling of calmness.

“Close your eyes,” Samuel says. “And just focus on yourself.”

I nod, feeling a bit nervous and curious about what will happen. It’s like an out-of-body experience. I do as they say and close my eyes, listening to the sounds around me. I can hear the voices of the three elders chanting something before I can hear Geneva’s voice getting louder than the others.

I feel something push into my mind, tugging slightly. It’s not an uncomfortable feeling, though, just… unknown.

“Open your eyes,” a voice whispers.

I follow the command, surprised to see that I’m now sitting next to the stone pedestal. But I’m not really here. It’s just my spirit. My body is still lying there, eyes closed, a smile on my lips. Liam looks at my body with a warm smile on his lips. The others watch with awe what’s happening on the pedestal.. Only Flora looks at my spirit though.. She has turned her head in my direction, subtly so she doesn’t make anyone aware that she isn’t watching the ceremony itself.

Now I can see it for the first time, my eyes widening in surprise and slight shock. There is light surrounding Flora, and some beings are fluttering around her like they are drawn to the light. One of these beings has found me now and is fluttering next to me. A little… fairy? What is this creature? I’m completely mesmerized by it.

I raise my gaze again and look at Flora. She smiles at me, putting her index finger on her lips and I nod.

Meanwhile, I notice how Geneva is standing closer to my body, hovering above me slightly while the other two Council Members keep walking circles around us. Geneva places something on my chest. It’s a gem, it seems, a necklace. It’s so weird to watch myself that way.

Geneva raises her eyes a bit, searching her surroundings until her eyes find me, or rather my spirit. She smiles at me with a little playful glint in her eyes.

Something in front of me shifts suddenly, a wave of light approaches me. For a split second, I tense in fear as to what is going on until I feel something warm inside me, a presence of something as old as wolves have existed. For a second, I could swear there is a figure within the light, reaching out her hand towards me. I grab it intuitively, feeling how she tugs me up.

Then everything around me spins… the light engulfs me completely. This time I let it happen and don’t fight it. Warmth, and feeling of security, calmness and safety envelop me. I allow my body to relax, sensing how the light fills up my body, my mind and my cells. When I close my eyes again, it’s like I’m falling into a deep slumber. I see images of Liam, my family and all the good things that happened to us; and then I see a glimpse of the future… or what I think the future might look like if we are lucky. I see Liam and me with our future children. I see glimpses of my friends and family, Steve and Harmony with their mates, Marius in the infirmary… he is holding a baby in his arms, beaming with pride and joy. Then there is a very pregnant Ella, Dave with a mark on his neck, and Elden’s crowning ceremony. And more.

“Annie,” a voice calls to me. “Come back to us.”

I force my eyes open again and away from the glimpses of the future. I know it’s not certain all of this will happen. The future is what we make of it. It depends on our decisions and how we proceed. I don’t know how I know. It’s like an inner voice that keeps warning me.

“Annie?”

Geneva’s kind face blocks my view all of a sudden. She helps me sit up a bit while I blink around in confusion. “Where am I?” I mutter.

“You’re back,” Geneva says with a smile. “I don’t know where you’ve been, but I assume it was a nice place.”

I remember everything instantly, how I woke up next to my body, Flora’s secret, our potential future… and the light. I smile. “It was beautiful,” I admit.

“A pity you can’t tell us,” Geneva sighs.

“Not even Liam?” I ask.

She shrugs helplessly.

“It’s okay,” Liam’s voice reaches me from my side, making me realize he has stepped closer too. His hand is holding mine. I must have really been out of it. “I won’t ask you.”

It’s for the best,Leah tells me.The future is peculiar like Alpha Elden told us once. Our mate understands that we can’t share this moment with him.

I know.Flora also signaled me to stay quiet about everything. They have their reasons.How do you feel?

Fantastic.She beams.I feel so refreshed. Annie, the Goddess touched my fur and stroked it. I feel so proud. She blessed us!

“Annie?” Liam asks softly.

I chuckle. “Sorry, I’m all right. It’s just… I think I’m still caught up in this moment. What happened while I was away?”

“Well, a white light suddenly illuminated you and then kept going around the clearing like it was looking for something. It took the form of… a person… and then it came back around you.”

“I’ve seen a lot of things,” Elden mumbles while he helps the elders to gather all the equipment. “But this was a first.”