Page 34

Outside, I hear everyone gathering to find their seats as I stand inside a temporary hut.

I have only a smock on and nothing else underneath.

Whatever was in the elixir Maggie applied, has numbed everything around my pelvis, including my ass and inner thighs.

Too bad it hasn’t numbed my nerves.

I wring my hands in front of me, my breaths quickening along with my heartbeat.

As cool as it is outside, I’m sweating in this hut, waiting for Larc.

He enters, face stoic, hands in front of him, and takes his place at my side.

Larc explained to me earlier that we’re not allowed to talk or show affection until the union is official.

But my wolf-charmer extends an olive branch.

Without glancing at me, he hooks his pinky finger in mine, gives it a slight squeeze, and releases it.

The hut opens, and Kyle has the same expression, escorting us to the altar where Ellen is preparing her speech.

My eyes scan everyone’s faces, which is what Larc told me not to do.

Out of respect for me, Louisa, Tara, and Mandy are seated in the back.

They didn’t want me to become more anxious than I already am as Larc fucks and marks me.

Beads of sweat accumulate along my hairline.

Shayna thought it best my hair be put into a ponytail.

The cool air hitting my damp skin gives me the chills.

Ellen begins by introducing us to the group, and everyone applauds.

She moves on to explaining some of the history of werewolves, such as the first lycanthrope and how werewolves evolved from there.

Their need for a mate to ground them.

The importance of fated mates given by the Moon Goddess, which are the strongest of all bonds.

The wolf is half of the human’s soul, and the mate makes them whole.

How fated mates comprising of a human and werewolf is rare, yet extremely special.

Only two other human/werewolf fated bonds have occurred, but ours is the first for an Alpha/Luna.

Ellen talks about what we’ll be doing.

Fusing our souls as one through consummation and ejaculation, along with marking each other.

We’ll be naked and the sexual intercourse is done in public for all to witness this union.

To solidify, without question, that Larc and I will be forever one in souls, and as Alpha and Luna.

My mind drifts as my heartbeat thunders in my chest.

I’m swallowing down the bile rising up my esophagus.

I can’t get sick now.

Everything, and I mean everything, would be for nothing.

The community, Maggie, Larc; they’ve all come together for this moment.

They have faith in me.

I just need to dig deep inside myself to find that same faith.

Ellen snaps me out of my thoughts when she starts talking about us.

“Ivy arrived here in a battered state. She had suffered immensely by cruel humans. Everyone thought of Ivy as broken beyond repair…except Larc. From the moment he laid eyes on Ivy and realized she was his fated mate, he did whatever he could to shield her from her demons and show the community what she’s capable of. He even took a bullet for her.”

Soft snickers echoed through the crowd.

“Yet it was Ivy who rose to strength. We can only give her the credit of learning new things, such as perfumes and medicine, and fighting one of our fiercest warriors, Shayna.”

My eyes find hers, and we both smile, tears trickling off our lashes.

“It was Ivy who worked tirelessly to increase our store’s revenue. Who tries her hand at everything, cleaning, the garden center, with such conviction and zero complaints.”

Ellen turns to me.

“Ivy, you’ve won over every single community member. We love you. We admire you. And most of all, we will have the privilege of having you lead us alongside Larc.”

Forget my fears, I’m silently sobbing. The whole community stands, claps, and has smiles planted on their faces. This. This is what I’ve always wanted. Family. Even though I didn’t think I’d ever find it, let alone in a werewolf community, I’ve never felt so at home as I do here.

Then Ellen speaks of Larc.

“No other pack has had such a strong and caring relationship with their Alpha as we do.

After Larc’s father passed, he made the transition as seamless as possible to keep the community going.

Not only does Larc tend to each one of us, but he saves men, women, and children from human atrocities.

It’s from his commitment in helping people that we found ourselves assisting the FBI.

Those missions prove to humans we’re not all beasts, and it’s also a great example of how we can all live together.

Respect.

That’s what he shows every single one of us.

And respect and love are what he gave to Ivy.

He nourished her soul, and in turn, he gave her opportunities she never had before.

His unwavering love for Ivy has brought us to this moment.

Faith.

Love. Family.”

She asks everyone to grasp their neighbors’ hands, and she starts to recite the werewolf prayer to the Moon Goddess.

Larc’s large hand buries mine.

The entire werewolf community joins in stating the prayer.

When it ends, we’re escorted to the end of the altar.

From behind, Maggie removes my smock while Kyle removes Larc’s.

Out of instinct, my arms rise to cover my pebbled nipples, except Maggie’s soft hands gently grab hold of my forearms, guiding them back down to my sides.

She turns me to face her, gives me a stern nod, and sits me on the end of the altar.

From the side of it, she directs me to lay down.

My legs hang off the end.

I gaze up at the afternoon sky, so I can’t see everyone staring at us.

Kyle opens a bottle and has Larc drink from it.

Larc told me they’ll give him a drink to trigger his wolf and bring him to the edge, but he didn’t tell me what.

Once he finishes it, his eyes close, red lingering on his lips.

Kyle takes Larc’s hand and brings it forward, except I can’t see what he’s doing.

I flinch as his amber eyes flicker open and I watch his fangs distend.

His head tilts downward, eyes grazing down my body to his hand where he begins stroking me.

Unfortunately, I don’t feel anything, except I must pretend for everyone.

It occurs to me I might not self-lubricate because of the numbness and this thought has me panicking, turning my head toward Maggie.

She only gives me a severe stare, so my attention returns to Larc.

Larc’s breathing increases and I work myself up to match it.

Kyle stands near my head, holding my arm down as Maggie does the same on the other side.

This feels like a sacrifice.

I’ve seen sick men sacrifice women and children while fucking them.

Watch the life fade from their eyes as the men come.

My imagination gets the best of me, and I struggle against Kyle and Maggie.

I’ve changed my mind.

This isn’t what I want.

Their hold on me is too strong, and I whimper, kicking out my legs.

Larc growls my name, and I immediately stop fidgeting.

He continues to stare at me.

His hand is doing something to me, because his head tilts to the side, eyebrows dipping low.

I move my pelvis in circles.

Whatever he’s doing, I assume this is the reaction he expects.

His claws extend, covering my waist.

I go from numbness to pressure when Larc thrusts so hard into me, my body jiggles upward.

He drags me back onto his cock.

This continues and then he leans down, amber eyes lock onto mine, and he snarls.

It’s menacing. Nothing like when he fucked me in front of the mirror. His wolf is mad.

But why? Can’t he see how scared I am?

He’s rutting so far into me, the pressure twists into pain. A rumble comes from his chest, followed by another growl. My hands grip the edge of the altar in an attempt to banish the fear and pain. I can’t cry, scream, or vomit. I’m panting, I squeeze my eyes closed, and gnash my teeth together.

Larc’s mouth opens, saliva dripping from his fangs, and he bows his head. I feel his breath against my neck, tongue licking at a spot on the curve of my left shoulder. This is it. His teeth are going to tear into me. Again, I fight to be freed. I’m hyperventilating. Larc’s mouth is next to my ear and he says my name. He remains still, allowing me to catch my breath, until I nod. He begins fucking me again. We’ve done it enough times that I know when he’s about to come. His thick tongue keeps stroking over the same area. At the same time, he thrusts all the way in, coming inside me while his fangs pierce my neck. The expansion of his cock or the bite doesn’t compare to any pain I’ve felt before. We’re connected by his knot.

His teeth sink into my flesh, down to my muscle. I scream, outwardly crying, except Kyle is the only one who can see me. His finger points to Larc’s neck. The pain is so unbelievable I can’t think, so Kyle slides his hand under my head, raising it to Larc’s neck, which I automatically bite. My jaw clamps onto it, crying into his neck, biting harder, fueled by pain. Blood trickles into my mouth, which makes me cry even more. Larc’s teeth extract from my neck, but mine don’t. Between the blood, pain, and tears, I’m a sniveling mess, anchored to my wolf-charmer’s neck like an animal. My body is shivering. And then I hear…

I’m with you Ivy. Do whatever you need to get through the pain.

I immediately release my mouth and find him staring at me. Blood soaks my lips and tears dangle on my eyelashes.

That’s right, little sprite. It seems I can mind-link you now. You won’t be able to because you don’t have a wolf, so listen to me. Focus on my words to distract from the pain. You did great, love. I couldn’t have asked for a better mate.

He brushes his nose against mine, continuously brushing his hand over my sweaty hair, which has me leveling out my breathing.

Good, girl. Once my knot deflates, which should be soon, you’ll be Luna. You did it. Nudity, fucking, and everything else.

This has me laughing. The pain has subsided somewhat, although I know I’m going to be in pain long after. I feel him shrinking inside me, so he angles his hips back and falls out. He pulls me into a seated position, cocooning me in his arms.

He whispers.

“I love you, Ivy.”

This has me whimpering against his chest and I choke out.

“I love you, too.”

He helps me down from the altar and puts his smock on. Maggie can see I’m shaky, so she pulls my smock over my head and down my body. Kyle hands Larc a wet cloth to wipe his face. Again, my arm is so shaky, I can hardly lift it, so Maggie cleans my face for me. We return to where Ellen is standing.

Ellen nods to both of us and turns to the community.

“I’d like to introduce you to our new Luna, Ivy!”

The place erupts in cheers, and I’m about to crumple to the ground, but Larc catches me. I whisper in his ear, and he brings me behind the hut, where I proceed to vomit.

When I’m done, he cradles my head, resting his forehead against mine.

“You okay, Ivy?”

“Yeah. It’s just a lot to take in and for my body.”

Picking me up, he carries me back out to the crowd and sits me in a chair, taking the one next to me. The community members come up to congratulate us and shake our hands. Shayna brings me some ginger water to settle my stomach, and Louisa tames my messy hair that came out of my ponytail. They’re so sweet and caring, and I have zero energy.

The fun part of the festivities begin, and it’s the first time I take in the decorations. There are several long tables and benches set up. Tiki torches are dispersed in the area and fairy lights hang from bushes and trees for when it gets darker. Further away, I can see Adirondack chairs surrounding a huge fire pit. A bar is to the side, and near it are buckets of ice filled with soda, juices, and water. Behind me, I hear a car coming down the walkway, loaded with food. It’s quickly transferred to one of the tables, adding plates, silverware, and napkins.

Sybil shouts out.

“The food is ready. Come fill these plates and enjoy.”

A swarm of people head over to the food. My stomach is queasy, and I still taste Larc’s blood. My sweet wolf-charmer hugs me to his side, talking and laughing with others, knowing I’m too exhausted for anything. When we’re alone, he leans down, kisses the top of my head, and gives my arm a little squeeze. He takes the chill out of my bones, and I drift off to sleep.

I wake alone in our house. By now, it’s dark out, and everyone is having a great time. In the washroom, I brush my hair to the side to see two red, large teeth marks. The entire area is swollen. I grip my stomach, and before I know it, I’m vomiting again. It doesn’t matter if I’m not hungry, I should get back to the pack before they start second-guessing their Luna.

As soon as I step outside, Larc is there to carry me over to the bonfire. I drape my arm over his neck, resting my head on his shoulder.

“Why did you put me to bed?”

“Because you fell asleep, and I figured you’d be more comfortable in bed.”

“God. Everyone probably thinks I’m weak.”

He chucks my chin up.

“Hey! No one thinks it. A marking hurts even for werewolves.”

I kiss his cheek.

“Did I hurt you?”

“I’m not going to lie. It hurt like a bitch.”

He kisses my nose.

“Even so, I love knowing I’m marked by you.”

“Won’t it fade?”

“Yes. The doctor already took a picture and mold of it so I can get it tattooed.”

I push away enough to look him in the eye.

“You’re going to have it tattooed? That’s forever, Larc.”

His rumble laughter has me smiling.

“That’s the point, Ivy. You are my forever.”

“I’m not going to live as long as you, Larc.”

“Hush. Don’t talk like that. Today is for us. Our forever.”

My head rests back on his shoulder.

“Our forever.”