18. Bailey-Rose
If my heart could skip a beat without me freaking out about it, that’s what it would have done hearing him say that. God, there was nothing sexier than an Alpha staking his claim over you. However, now was not the time for me to be swooning. Something was going on, and none of it was good.
“You’ve marked her?” Jonas demanded, grabbing a fistful of Vili’s shirt. “How could you do that to your family? We haven’t approved of this match.”
Waffles let out a low, warning growl, but he didn’t move from his spot guarding me.
Vili leaned in closer, starting his father down. “You. Are. Not. My. Family.”
Breaking his father’s hold on him, Vili shoved him back until Jonas stumbled over his own feet, landing once more on his ass.
Vili adjusted his shirt and came to stand next to me, wrapping an arm around my waist. “This is my bonded Omega, and these are my pack brothers. They are my family, not you. Bailey-Rose is a superior scent match, one who needs no approval.”
Jonas picked himself up, only this time he didn’t look quite so haughty. His son had publicly renounced his connection to the Rantala name and claimed us instead. If Vili wanted to, he could legally take any of our last names, and all ties to the Rantala family would be severed.
“Vili, you don’t mean that,” Jonas argued. “Think of your mother and what it would do to her.”
“The mother who allowed me to believe another woman was my mother?” Vili scoffed. “She didn’t want me, none of you did. All you needed was an heir. Why care now? There must be something you want for you to come find me.”
The fury on Jonas’ face had me leaning into Vili, knowing he would keep me safe.
“She is dying,” Jonas stated. “Her request was to see you before it was too late.”
I gazed up at Vili, trying to read his expression because my emotions were chaotic—anger, sadness, mistrust, and trepidation—almost as if he didn’t believe what his father was telling him.
“Why I just hearing about this?” Vili demanded. “If she is so sick, why wait till now?”
“Because you will not speak to us,” Jonas accused.
“Well, I’m speaking now,” Vili snapped. “See what little effort it took… you just have to show up.”
“I will not have this argument here in the middle of the street. Come home, see your mother, and we will then discuss this matter of you being bonded,” Jonas instructed. “The jet is ready. We can leave right away.”
“Hi, hey, sorry to interrupt,” Warrick interjected, waving his hand as he stepped up.
“But in case you missed everything Vili just said in this uncomfortable encounter, we are on our bonding leave, and the only thing we’re going to do right away is walk away from you.
I’m sure Vili knows how to get in touch with you, so when and if we decide to go to Numoland, we’ll be taking our own jet.
So nice to meet one of the in-laws, but we’ll be going now. ”
Taking my hand, Warrick led me away, and since I wouldn’t let go of Vili, he came too. Waffles took up the rear, keeping an eye on Jonas, but I think the man learned his lesson. He wouldn’t give Waffles another chance to do real damage this time.
None of us spoke as Mitch led us out of town and to a row of vehicles.
These things looked like SUVs that didn’t have the top half put on.
Instead, there was just a frame so if the thing rolled over, it wasn’t going to crush us.
Not questioning what we were doing, I climbed up and slid to the opposite side.
Vili joined me, holding Nugget as Gareth heaved Waffles into the vehicle.
The engine roared to life, and a puff of black smoke burst out the back, making me jump.
Vili placed a comforting hand on my thigh and smiled.
Relief flooded me as the man I knew and loved returned, the shadows of his anger gone, leaving only warmth and light behind.
I clutched his hand in both of mine and kissed it to share my feelings since I wasn’t sure what to even say about the situation.
Leaning down, he nuzzled the hair above my ear. “I’m fine, kitten. No worries, we are here for fun.”
That was easier said than done when I knew how upset he’d been to see his father show up. It was clear to me that being around them wasn’t good for Vili. However, if his mother really was dying, I wouldn’t hold him back if he decided to say goodbye to her.
Mitch got the truck moving and drove into the dense rainforest following a track many had used before him.
Enamored by the beauty of where we were, I forgot all about Jonas and whatever issues were tied to the Rantala family.
Seeing all of this made my fingers itch to draw or paint—anything I could do to bring a piece of this back with me.
Birds of every color swooped around us, their calls loud and distinctive, filling the air and adding to the experience.
The truck was too loud for us to talk, so it forced us to just take in the sights.
Then as we crested a hill, the trees fell away, and a gorgeous stone temple lay before us.
It was simply breathtaking with its sweeping arches and peaked roofs.
Red and gold paint were used to enhance certain features, making it pop and come to life.
Parts of the temple were covered in small square flags in every color you could imagine fluttering in the wind.
This place felt like pure magic, and I hoped with everything I had, Mitch planned to let us explore.
The gods must have heard my prayers because Mitch parked the vehicle a few feet away so as not to disturb anyone.
“Welcome to the Temple of Erdis,” Mitch announced.
“This is where all the newly bonded packs of our country come to be blessed by the monks. It is a treasured and sacred tradition of the Prio Gria people that I wanted to share with you. Only those outsiders who are brought here by a native can receive the blessing.”
My jaw dropped, having no idea how special this was for us to take part in. “Why us?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“That answer will be made clear once you see and hear the story of Erdis,” Mitch replied, waving us to follow.
As we entered the temple, I found the walkways were littered with flower petals and strings of tiny little bells hung in the archways.
It felt like the wind was playing a special song just for us as we made our way down the walkway to the heart of the temple.
Through the arches, I could see gardens filled with flowers and fountains with groups of people just curled up with each other and enjoying the atmosphere.
“Are those all bonded packs?” I asked, keeping my voice soft. To speak any louder felt like it would be jarring in such a tranquil place.
Mitch just nodded and continued farther into the temple grounds.
As we entered the center of the temple, I couldn’t help but gasp.
At the heart of the temple was a statue made out of shimmering polished gold that depicted a woman with four men surrounding her, each tied together by thin gold strings.
The men were connected to one another, creating a circle around the woman.
Then another string tied the men to the woman at the center like the spokes of a bike.
Water swirled around their feet as if some magical current kept it flowing when no source was obvious.
“This is Erdis and her pack,” Mitch shared.
“It is said she was the first Omega to find men who spoke to her soul and hers to theirs. As a display of that love, trust, and devotion to each other, they wanted a way to display their bond. So mixing red dye and their blood together, they made two marks. One on their hands, a circle around a finger to show they were tied to one another. The second was only for them to see, a mark over their heart to represent they shared their souls willingly to each other and no one else.”
As Mitch talked, he guided us along a wall with paintings depicting the story as he explained it. Each image was masterfully created, bringing life to the tale as we learned about this pack.
“Everyone around them became jealous of their love and grew dissatisfied with their lives here on this small island. So Erdis encouraged them to find the people who spoke to their souls, but when they did, to return home so they could share in the celebration. Erdis believed everyone had someone out there who was exactly who they needed to love and be loved by. I suppose you could say she was the original Scent Matcher,” Mitch said with a grin.
Having reached the end of the story wall, it led us to another room.
In the room was a group of older men dressed in red and gold silks seated on cushions.
Beside each of them was a gold bowl, a knife, and a few other tools I didn’t recognize.
One of the men stood slowly, making his way to us and said something to Mitch in Prio Grian, to which Mitch nodded and shifted to stand beside the older man.
“This is Harta, a descendant of Erdis,” Mitch introduced and continued to translate as the man spoke. “He wishes to know if all of you speak to each other’s souls?”
Stepping forward, I answered for us all. “Yes, they speak to me as I speak to them.”
The older man smiled widely, his eyes getting lost in the wrinkles of his skin. Harta clapped his hands together and bobbed his head as he started to speak again.
“Hearing another's soul is a gift, but that is not all it takes to make a union last. Trust must be given and earned, love must be abundant and grow a little more each day… honesty, clarity, and kindness go hand in hand when speaking the truth to each other. Words prove intention while actions make them true. These are the foundations of a union that will prosper for eternity,” Harta explained, taking a moment to stare into each of our eyes as he spoke.
“If you commit all that I have said to heart and vow to live by them day by day, then it would be our honor to bless this pack with a physical symbol of this vow.”