Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
The ancient traditions of wolves have always run deep, carved into our bones like the runes that mark our territory stones. Tonight, under the full moon’s silver light, Kier and I will complete the claiming ceremony that binds us not just as mates, but as part of the pack’s eternal legacy.
“You ready for this?” Dane asks, adjusting the ceremonial wreath of mountain flowers in my hair. The blooms are white and silver, their petals catching the full moon’s light.
“As ready as anyone can be for running naked through the forest while their mate hunts them,” I reply, checking the ties on my simple white dress.
Mate. The word sends a thrill through me every time I think it. After years of believing I’d never have this—never allow myself to have this—the reality feels almost too good to be true.
Inside, my wolf practically purrs with contentment. She’s been restless for weeks, pacing beneath my skin, demanding I acknowledge what she’s known all along. Now, finally, she settles with deep satisfaction.
Ours, she growls.
I smooth the white fabric with hands that want to tremble—not from nerves, but from pure, overwhelming joy. When was the last time I felt this kind of happiness? This bone-deep contentment that comes from being exactly where I belong, with exactly who I belong to.
He chose me. This incredible man who could have anyone. He looked at all my walls and fears and sharp edges, and he said yes.
I’ve never felt so essential to another person, so fundamentally needed. Not as Beta, not as a protector or leader or weapon, but simply as Lithia. The woman behind all the roles, the one I’d almost forgotten existed until a finger touched mine in the dark.
The flowers in my hair catch the moonlight, and I can’t stop the smile that tugs at my lips.
Finally, I think. Finally, I’ll truly be Kier’s.
“This is so romantic,” Kitara observes dryly from her position near the sacred circle. Despite her advanced pregnancy, she insisted on overseeing the ceremony. “Nothing says ‘eternal love’ like a primal chase.”
I laugh, some of my nervousness easing. “Says the woman who was claimed by an alpha who literally fought three wolves to keep her.”
“Point taken.” She smiles. “I guess I can’t complain.”
The pack has gathered in the ceremonial clearing, the ancient stones forming a perfect circle.
Wolves of all ages line the perimeter, their eyes bright with anticipation.
This will be the first claiming ceremony that isn’t overseen by Thaddeus.
That in itself is a celebration not just of our bond, but of the pack’s continued strength and growth.
Ryker steps forward, his commanding presence silencing the gentle murmur of conversation. In the firelight, he looks every inch the Alpha.
“Tonight we witness the claiming,” he begins, his voice carrying easily across the clearing. “Any who wish to try for a mate may step forward.”
There’s three females who do so, along with me.
“The ancient ways demand the hunt,” Ryker continues. “The female runs, testing her mate’s worthiness. The male pursues, proving his dedication. When caught, the claiming is complete, and both become part of the eternal pack.”
This isn’t just about Kier and me—it’s about him becoming part of something larger, finding the home he’s searched for his entire life.
“Would-be mates, step forward.”
I spot Kier across the circle, and my breath catches. He’s stripped to the waist, ceremonial paint marking his chest and arms in swirling patterns. His copper hair gleams in the firelight, and his golden eyes are fixed on me with an intensity that makes my pulse race.
Mine, my wolf whispers, pressing against my consciousness. Hunt. Claim. Complete the bond.
Heat licks over my skin, a restless shimmer under the surface.
My breath shortens, thighs pressing together as something low and primal begins to stir.
Not yet, I tell myself, but my body has other ideas—scent thickening, pulse hammering, skin prickling with need.
The first threads of heat, unwelcome and unstoppable, unfurl through me.
Kier’s giving me the kind of look that strips away clothes, distance, and reason. My wolf claws at my insides, snarling for him, and, from the tension rolling off Kier, I know he’s barely holding back from tearing through the crowd just to get to me.
Come claim me.
“Lithia of Shadowmist,” Ryker’s voice pulls my attention back to the ceremony. “Do you accept this hunt? Do you offer yourself to be claimed by the wolf who proves worthy?”
“I do,” I reply, my voice carrying clearly in the night air.
Ryker goes round the circle, asking the three other females and four other males the same questions before he gets to Kier.
“Kier of the wandering path,” Ryker turns to my mate. “Do you accept the challenge? Will you pursue what is yours by right of love and dedication knowing that to do so will bind you to the Shadowmist pack?”
“I will,” Kier responds, his voice rough with barely contained hunger.
“Levi of Shadowmist,” Ryker says, and my head lifts. I turn, seeing Levi standing in the circle.
He ignores me, his gaze locked on Ryker.
“Do you accept the challenge? Will you pursue what is yours by right of love and dedication?”
“I do.”
I relax when he turns to look over the three females, not even sparing a glance my way.
“Then let the hunt begin.”
The pack erupts in howls and cheers as I step forward, my hands moving to the ties of my dress. The white fabric falls away, pooling at my feet, leaving me bare to the moonlight and my mate’s burning gaze.
I shift, my wolf emerging with a joy bark. I feel free, powerful, and ready to run. I throw back my head releasing a howl, the sound echoing off the surrounding mountains, then bolt for the tree line.
Behind me, I hear Kier’s answering call as he shifts and gives chase.
The forest welcomes me like an old friend, pine needles soft under my paws, the scent of earth and growing things filling my nostrils.
I run, but this isn’t about escape. We both know how this hunt ends. It’s about the chase itself, the primal dance of pursuit and surrender that awakens something ancient in our wolves.
I leap over fallen logs, weave between towering pines, splash through a shallow creek that runs silver under the moon. My heart pounds with exhilaration, every sense heightened. I can hear him behind me—paws hitting earth, branches rustling as he follows my trail.
Getting closer, I realize with a thrill of anticipation.
I dart left, hoping to throw him off, but he anticipates the move. His howl splits the night, closer than before, and I feel the first stirrings of something deeper than excitement.
Heat.
My wolf’s season, triggered by the chase, by the certainty of being caught by our mate. It starts as a warm glow in my belly, spreading outward until my skin feels electric.
I risk a glance back and see him—a magnificent wolf with dark copper fur and eyes like molten gold. He’s gained significant ground, maybe fifty yards behind me now. Close enough that I can see the determined set of his ears, the power of his movement.
Beautiful, my wolf sighs. Strong. Worthy.
I put on a burst of speed, but the heat is building now, making my legs weak and my thoughts fuzzy. The scent of my arousal mingles with the pine-sharp air, and his answering growl tells me he’s noticed.
The moonlit clearing appears ahead—a perfect circle of silver grass surrounded by ancient oaks. I know without looking that this is where I’ll be caught. Where the hunt will end and the claiming will begin.
I reach the center of the clearing and turn to face him, my sides heaving from the run.
He emerges from the tree line like something out of legend—powerful, predatory, absolutely magnificent.
For a moment, we simply stare at each other across the clearing, predator and prey locked in an eternal dance.
Then he moves.
He doesn’t rush—there’s no need now. His approach is deliberate, confident, the walk of a male who knows his prize is won. I could run again, extend the chase, but the heat building in my core demands satisfaction.
When he’s close enough to touch, we both shift.
The transformation back to human form leaves me gasping, need flooding through me with overwhelming intensity. The heat—gods, the heat is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It burns through my veins, sets every nerve ending on fire, demands immediate satisfaction.
“Kier,” I whimper, swaying on my feet. “I need—”
“I know,” he growls, his hands framing my face. “I can smell it.” His pupils are blown wide, nostrils flaring as he breathes in my scent. “You’re burning for me.”
Before I can respond, he’s tackling me to the soft grass, his mouth crashing to mine in a kiss that’s pure claiming. I meet his hunger with my own, desperate and wanting, my nails raking down his back hard enough to draw blood.
“Mine,” he snarls against my throat, his teeth scraping the sensitive skin. “My mate. My female.”
“Yours,” I gasp, arching beneath him. “Always yours. Please, Kier, I need—”
He doesn’t make me finish the plea. His hand slides between my thighs, finding me already wet and ready, swollen with need. The first touch of his fingers against my clit sends electricity racing through me.
“Fuck, you’re soaked,” he breathes, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves until I’m writhing beneath him. “All this for me?”
“Only you,” I pant, my hips bucking against his hand. “Only ever you.”
He slides two fingers inside me, and I cry out at the sensation. It’s good, but not enough—the heat demands more, needs to be filled completely.
“Please,” I beg, not caring how desperate I sound. “I need your cock. Need you inside me. Now.”
He positions himself at my entrance, the head of his cock sliding through my wetness. “Look at me,” he commands. “I want to see your face when I claim you.”
Our eyes lock as he pushes inside, stretching me, filling me completely. The sensation is incredible—not just the physical pleasure, but the emotional satisfaction of being joined to my mate under the eyes of the moon and pack.
“Perfect,” he groans, bottoming out inside me. “So fucking perfect. Made for me.”
He starts to move, and the heat explodes through me like wildfire. Every thrust drives me higher, each withdrawal leaves me aching for more. This isn’t gentle lovemaking—this is primal, desperate claiming.
“Harder,” I demand, my legs wrapping around his waist. “Please, I need—”
He gives me what I need, driving into me with enough force to drive us both across the grass. I can feel his knot beginning to form, the thick swell at the base of his cock that will lock us together.
“Going to knot you,” he pants against my ear. “Fill you so full you’ll feel me for days. Mark you inside and out.”
“Yes,” I sob, teetering on the edge of climax. “Please, I need it. Need your knot.”
When my orgasm hits, it’s with the force of a tsunami. I scream his name as pleasure tears through me, my body clamping down on his cock with devastating intensity. The sensation triggers his release, and he roars as his knot swells, locking us together as he spills into me.
But the heat isn’t satisfied. If anything, being filled makes it burn hotter.
“More,” I gasp when we can both breathe again. “I need more.”
He chuckles, dark and promising. “Heat’s not done with you yet, is it?”
I shake my head, already moving against him despite his knot still locking us together. The movement sends sparks of pleasure through us both.
“Tree,” I manage to say between gasps. “When your knot goes down. Against the tree.”
His eyes flash with renewed hunger. “Whatever my mate wants.”
Twenty minutes later, when his knot finally releases, he’s hauling me to my feet and pressing me against the nearest oak. My legs wrap around his waist as he drives into me again, this angle hitting spots that make me see stars.
“So good,” I moan, my head falling back against the rough bark.
He sets a punishing pace, his hands gripping my ass to support my weight as he fucks me against the tree. I can feel another knot forming, my body already anticipating the claiming.
“Come for me,” he demands, one hand sliding between us to circle my clit. “Come on my cock so I can knot you again.”
I shatter around him, and this time when his knot locks us in place, I feel something deeper click into position. The bond between us strengthens, deepens, becomes something more profound than physical joining.
You’re inside me completely, I whisper through our mental connection.
As you are me, he responds, and I feel the truth of it—his thoughts, his emotions, his very soul intertwined with mine.
The heat drives us through three more rounds—me riding him frantically while he lies on his back, gasping out praise and encouragement; him taking me from behind while I brace against a fallen log; finally, a slow, deep claiming on the soft grass as dawn begins to touch the sky.
By the time my heat finally eases enough for us to return to the den, we’re both exhausted, sated, and more deeply bonded than I thought possible. I can feel his contentment, his satisfaction, his overwhelming love flowing through our connection.
“How do you feel?” he asks softly, gathering me against his chest.
“Sore.” I pull his hand between my legs, letting him feel the slick mess he’s made. “You’ve ruined me.”
He growls, catching his cum and spreading it across my chest. “Good.”
We return to the claiming circle and dress slowly, reluctantly, knowing the pack will be waiting for our return. When we emerge from the forest, hand in hand, we’re greeted by cheers and howls of celebration.
Tables have been set up in the main courtyard, laden with food and drink. Pack members surround us with congratulations and well-wishes, but it’s Ryker who steps forward first.
“Welcome home, brother,” he says simply, clasping Kier’s shoulder.
The word “brother” brings tears to my eyes. Kier has found what he’s searched for his entire life—not just love, but family. Belonging.
“Welcome to Shadowmist,” Kitara adds, pulling him into a gentle hug. “You’re pack now. Truly.”
The celebration continues until dawn, traditional songs and ancient rituals welcoming our newly completed bond. Through it all, Kier and I remain connected—mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
Mine, my wolf purrs with deep satisfaction.
Ours, his responds, and the rightness of it fills every empty space I didn’t even know existed.
He pulls me onto his lap, holding me close as we watch our friends celebrate.
“Any regrets?” I ask, though I can feel the answer through our bond.
“Only that we waited so long,” he murmurs against my hair. “I love you, Lithia of Shadowmist.”
“I love you too, Kier of Shadowmist,” I correct, and feel his smile against my skin.