Filed to story: The Wolf Prince’s Fated Love
“Dirge and Shay.” Kane nodded to each of us in turn as he stepped forward to complete the ceremonial binding. “We gather here under the Goddess’s moon to bind you two together as mates. It is an eternal bond, forged by the love of the Moon Goddess, lasting in life and beyond the pall of death. Alpha Dirge, what do you offer this woman to prove that you are worthy of her love?”
Dirge swallowed hard, and I’d swear that the pinch of anxiety I felt behind my breast wasn’t mine, but his. Was our bond finally snapping into place? The thought brought me such joy, such peace.
He reached into his pocket, slowly pulling out a piece of paper. “This might be a really bad idea. But, I wanted you to have this. And if you don’t like it, I’ll buy you anything you want. Hell, I’ll let Reed buy you anything you want. But you deserve to know the truth.”
I took the paper with curiosity, not sure what could be printed on it to give him such apprehension. But when I unfolded it, the news headline nearly jumped off the page.
Sex Trafficking Ring Dismantled, More Than Two Hundred Young Girls Saved
A messy, masculine scrawl of green ink was on the side, right between the headline and the article. He’d written:
You saved them.
I hastily folded it back up, clutching it to my chest like the most precious artifact. “Is this what I think it is?”
My voice was hoarse with emotion, but for once, I didn’t care. It was an emotional night.
“It is,” he murmured.
I had tears in my eyes as I hugged him, practically crushing him to my chest. He hugged me back just as hard. I don’t know how long it was before we pulled apart.
But when we did, Kane smiled and asked, “Do you accept his offering?”
“I do,” I said, nodding as happy tears trailed down my cheeks.
Dirge’s thumbs sneaked up and wiped them away, love and joy practically radiating from him. He mouthed something to me, and it took a moment for me to catch it.
My warrior.
I almost didn’t hear Kane as he told us to exchange rings. Almost.
Dirge slipped a stunning ring on my finger, the band made of two golden threads twined endlessly around. I couldn’t see where one ended and the other began, just beautiful continuity. Centered on top was an emerald, the giant rectangular stone as heavy as it was gorgeous.
“It was hard to get so quickly, but as soon as I saw the color of your marks, this piece from our family collection came to mind.”
Family collection? I was wearing a piece of his history? Tears pricked my eyes again, but I dashed them away with the heel of my free hand. I didn’t want to spend this night crying, happy tears or no. I wanted to spend it reveling in the moment, drinking in every second, burning it all into my memory.
“It belonged to my grandmother and was made for her bonding ceremony. But if it doesn’t suit you, you can choose?-“
I shook my head, stopping him in his tracks. “It’s perfect, just like the man who gave it to me.”
Dirge smiled, the pleased look he wore sending a bolt of want singing through my veins. He held up his hand for his own ring, and I tried to put the lust aside to focus on the ceremony.
I slipped the heavy gold band over his knuckle, and it slid home perfectly. It was carved by the pack’s jeweler with images of two running wolves. Little bitty diamonds were worked into the scene, sparkling like stars over the wolves’ heads.
It was nowhere near as precious or even as important as his centuries-old family heirloom, but I hoped he liked it.
“It’s perfect. It’s us,” he murmured, pinning me with a heated look. I didn’t know if it was the moon or the lovelace or just the incredible intimacy of the shared moment, but I was burning up with need. This ceremony needed to end.
Kane cleared his throat, but he didn’t look annoyed that we’d interrupted his ceremonial words to chat. He smiled warmly instead, one eyebrow raised, asking if we were ready to continue.
We both nodded, so he continued, reading the last part from the little black book clutched in his hands.
“The bond between mates is sealed with a bite. It is tradition for this to be done privately, and it must be completed before the moon sets on this night. In the eyes of the Moon Goddess and these witnesses, I bless this joining. Go forth and claim your mate.”
As soon as he snapped the little book closed, Dirge’s hands were in my hair, pulling me close so he could devour my lips in a ravishing kiss. His wolf was there, eyes aglow as we clashed, both of us too eager to hold back.
Our closest friends cheered and clapped as we kissed, but the noise faded quickly. When we pulled apart, gasping for air, they were gone, the clearing quiet, the two of us alone.
“Are you ready, muzica mea?”
“I am so ready,” I murmured, eyes still locked on his lips. I didn’t want to stop kissing him.
He grabbed me by the hips and lifted, the motion surprising me at first, but I quickly wrapped my legs around his waist. The heat of his erection was there, burning deliciously through the layers of clothing still separating us. Dirge wasted no time grabbing a handful of the gown’s train so he wouldn’t step on it, and then fastened his lips back to my neck.
We were moving, but I didn’t care. His tongue was laving sinful circles over my neck, my collarbone. By the time he kicked the front door of the little cabin open, my straps were off my shoulders, most of my chest bared to him.
Dirge barreled straight through the door, making a beeline for the bedroom, when something finally clicked.
“Wait! Stop!”
He froze, worry etching a line between his eyebrows. “What’s wrong?” He held me gently, even though I could feel the tension in his shoulders. He was a man on a mission to claim his mate, eyes aglow with his wolf, but even still, he stopped for me.
Goddess, I loved him.
“I have a gift for you too.”
“Can it wait?” he asked, letting the edges of his fangs scrape along my clavicle, the implication making me shiver. He was ready.
Fuck, I was ready. The friction between us was driving me insane, and I was soaked. But I’d worked so hard this week to get it ready for him.
“It’ll only take a second, I promise.”