Filed to story: The Wolf Prince’s Fated Love
Shay’s was a dazzling gold, the tight slip underneath hitting her just above the knee, while the full skirt flowed down to the floor. Two slits from her waist to the floor showed off her long, toned legs and beautiful brown skin.
Leigh’s was nearly opposite, the winking bronze material sculpted to her every fit curve, her gold-spun hair and bronze eye makeup making her look like a fairy. Well, maybe a sinful fairy. The hem of the dress barely covered her butt, making her legs look a mile and a half long of creamy perfection.
Those two were going to have alphas drooling over them all night.
I, however, had dressed for one alpha and one alone. The dress was customary for a bonding, backless and with no shoulder straps, so my neck and shoulders were fully bare for Kane’s bite. It had a modern edge, though, with low-slung straps over my biceps and a deep cut down the front, nearly to my navel. The lines were clean and crisp, and it shone in sapphire blue and white crystal, offsetting my natural complexion. It fell to the floor in a soft tumble of smooth satin, with a risqué slit all the way to my right hip, so I could move freely. Leigh had highlighted my cheeks, so I looked rosy and fresh, while Shay had helped me with the bombshell, tousled curls. Clipped to kiss only one shoulder, so the other would be free.
If I knew Kane, though, he would be carefully removing each and every one of those precisely placed pins and picking whichever shoulder he wanted.
I was okay with it. A shudder ran through me, and my scent must have spiked, because Leigh wrinkled her nose at me.
“I’m just saying, I know it’s the big night. But Brielle will forgive you if you can’t make it. She’s a doctor, for Goddess’s sake!” Shay was using her stern voice, which was very rare for our reserved bestie.
“What’s wrong? Why wouldn’t she be able to come tonight?” I turned the question on Shay, because Leigh was too stubborn to ever admit a weakness, even if it was so we could help her.
I wasn’t proud of the feeling of panic that threatened to seal my throat shut at the idea of not having Leigh’s strong, brash presence at my back tonight as everyone watched the public portion of the claiming under the moon. It might be worse than facing down Jasline. Or Gael, and he was far more intimidating than any she-wolf I’d ever met. What if I forgot the words? She was the one who was supposed to know them all and whisper them in my ear if my mind went blank!
“Look at her! She’s panicked. A little fever isn’t going to keep me from showing up for my bestie. I am coming, so stop looking like that,” she chided me gently.
“Okay, but only if you let her check you out. You really are burning up, Leigh.”
She rolled her eyes, but didn’t back away when I very unscientifically held my wrist up to her forehead. Shay groaned.
“What? I don’t have my medical kit, but she shouldn’t be much hotter than either of us. It’s a decent method. And you’re right, she’s scalding. Are you sure you feel okay?”
“I’m fine.” There was a small growl behind the words, and I squinted at her. My usually jovial bestie had been snapping and snarling a lot the last week.
She couldn’t be going into heat, could she? It would be unusual for an unmated female to go into heat, unless her bond mate was close by. As far as I knew, Leigh wasn’t vibing with anyone here, and most of the single male wolves had left at Kane’s orders. Unless someone in one of our packs was triggering her? It couldn’t be anyone from Johnson City, or else she’d have found him ages ago. But we hadn’t spent much time with anyone outside the inner circle of Kane’s pack.
She-wolves had fairly light and regular periods, until they were bonded. And then, once or twice per year we went into heat, meaning we were fertile and able to get pregnant with our mates. I’d never experienced one, and I didn’t think Leigh or Shay had either.
It would be strange, given that most heats weren’t triggered until after a mating bite, but it wasn’t impossible. There were stories of she-wolves being triggered early and finding their mates through the heat craze. Stranger things had happened in the last two weeks.
“When was your last-“
“Ladies!” The bridal suite’s door flew open with a bang, Gracelyn on the other side. “It’s time to head down to the clearing. Ohhh, you all look gorgeous
! Lucky, lucky males tonight! Oh, I can’t wait. I bet at least one of you two starts a fistfight.” She clapped with glee, the baby sleeping peacefully snuggled on her chest completely unbothered by her noisy mother’s excitement, even though she had her mom voice on lock.
I stepped forward, drawn to baby Dawn like a magnet.
“May I?” I whispered, gesturing to her downy little head poking out of the wrap.
“Girl, for you I’d wake her up. I don’t know how you did it, but I know you saved my life. Our lives.” She dropped a hand to the baby’s back, and I heard a tiny sniffle.
I gave her a warm smile and let my fingers dance lightly over the baby’s soft, dark hair. She was perfection, her little rosebud lips suckling lightly in her sleep. “Don’t cry on me now, Gracelyn. Somebody’s got to hold it together, or this ceremony is going to fall to pieces.”
She straightened, propping her hands on her hips. “Don’t even think about jinxing this! I have pulled off a miracle, and tonight’s going to be perfect. Assuming we’re not all late. Let’s go!” She spun to the door and stopped. “Wait! Feet!”
We all rolled our eyes, but stuck out a foot so she could see our bare toes.
Apparently, Kane’s pack had a tradition that you bonded in bare feet, to better access the earth’s magic. I’d never heard of such a thing, but after our time here… maybe I did believe the magic was a bit stronger, a bit more primal than back home in Texas.
So, bare toed I went to meet my mate, my love. My heart beat a little faster as I stepped out the door and toward the rest of my life.
A gentle humming melody and the heady scent of jasmine greeted me as we approached the ceremonial clearing, twilight finally sinking into full night like its lost lover’s arms.
“Okay, you three wait here. I’ve got to get in place, and then you walk in when the music kicks up. Remember, Brielle is first, chin tucked, and you two flank her. Blackwater pack is very traditional, ceremonial keeper etiquette included.” She shot a pointed glance to Leigh, whose color was high.
She didn’t snap back, though. She just nodded and took up her position behind my right shoulder, while Shay took the left.
Gracelyn slipped down the path with a double thumbs-up, and we waited, nothing but the sounds of our own beating hearts and the gentle hum to show there was anything special happening tonight.
It wasn’t long before the humming turned to gentle singing, which rose and wove through the tree limbs like magic. I didn’t know the words; apparently, they were Romanian. Gracelyn had assured me that they were a beautiful tradition in the home country… and that Shay could be in charge of the music at the after-party.
Not that I would be at the after-party. I would be in the bonding cottage, with Kane. I shivered, even though I felt hot with nerves. The cool night air on my shoulders was a blessing from the Goddess.
The Goddess, who was really listening.
Yeah. That was going to take some getting used to.
“I think that’s our cue, Brielle. Are you ready?” Shay’s words were soft, nonjudgmental. Just like my bestie.
I blew out a shaking breath and started walking down the path. The ground under my feet was surprisingly soft, strewn with real flowers that we crushed under every step, adding to the thick perfume in the air.
It was only a minute, and the path widened to reveal the large clearing. The trees around the edges were old, older than time if you believed Pack Blackwater’s stories, and seemed lit from within as they towered over our pack mates. They gathered in loose groups on both sides of the clearing, but my eyes weren’t on them.
I couldn’t look anywhere but at Kane, standing with his hands clasped behind his back in the middle of the clearing, inside a circle of mounded flower blossoms in every color, his eyes glued to mine. He was a vision of masculinity, his jaw hard and clean shaven, his lush lips curved into a soft smile, and his dark hair swept back smoothly from his forehead. He wore a pair of black slacks over bare feet, with a sapphire-blue button-up that matched my dress exactly, unbuttoned at the throat. That little expanse of tanned skin hit different when I saw it here, now.
In just a little while, I’d be peeling him out of that shirt and leaving my mating mark there, binding us together for the rest of our lives. I shivered again, nothing to do with the crisp night air now. Now it was all liquid heat, pooling in my belly at the thought of me and Kane, alone.
I walked a little faster as I covered the last of the distance, and a few chuckles reached me from the watching wolves. I didn’t care what they thought. I was eager to be in the arms of my love.