19. Maple #2
As they stepped into the corridor, the sound of music and laughter drifted up from the main floor of the mansion.
The celebration was in full swing, and somewhere below, an entire dragon clan waited to meet their Alpha's mate.
Maple's heart hammered against her ribs, but she kept her spine straight and her head high.
The silk of her gown whispered against the marble as Maple soon descended the grand staircase, her fingers curled around Rune's powerful arm.
Each step sent tremors of awareness through their completed bond—his pride blazing like molten gold through their connection, her nervous excitement crackling like electricity between them.
The mansion had been transformed into something out of a fairy tale, every surface gleaming with candles and crystalline light fixtures that cast dancing shadows across the ancient stone walls.
This is really happening, she thought, her heart pounding. I'm about to be presented to a dragon clan as their Alpha's mate.
The crowd gathering in the foyer below noticed their approach immediately.
Conversations died mid-sentence as heads turned upward, eyes widening at the sight of their Alpha—the same man who had avoided social gatherings for three centuries—descending the stairs with a radiant woman on his arm.
The scent of their completed bond must have been unmistakable because the silence that fell over the crowd carried an electric quality of recognition.
Then someone started clapping.
The applause began tentatively, from an older woman near the base of the stairs, but it spread through the gathering like wildfire.
Within seconds, the entire foyer erupted into thunderous applause and cheers that echoed off the vaulted ceilings.
Maple felt her cheeks flush with warmth as dragon shifters of all ages beamed up at them with genuine joy and approval.
"They're happy for you," she murmured to Rune, her voice barely audible over the celebration.
His grip tightened possessively on her hand. "They're happy for us. You have no idea how long they've waited for this."
Through the bond, she felt the truth of his words—centuries of loneliness and isolation finally broken. These people hadn't just been waiting for Rune to find love; they'd been watching him slowly fade into emotional isolation, and now they were witnessing his resurrection.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, clan members pressed closer with congratulations and warm smiles. An elderly man with silver hair and kind eyes stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Alpha, it brings me great joy to witness this day."
"Thank you, Martin," Rune replied, his voice carrying the authority of centuries but softened by genuine warmth. "Maple, this is Martin. He's been with our clan longer than I've been alive."
Martin took her uninjured hand and pressed it gently between his weathered palms. "Welcome to the clan, my dear. We've been waiting for you."
The simple words hit her like a tidal wave. Rune must have sensed her emotional response through their bond because his hand found the small of her back, a steady anchor of warmth and support.
"Shall we continue to the ballroom?" he asked, his voice pitched low. "I believe there are about two hundred more people eager to meet you."
The number made her stomach flutter with a mixture of excitement and terror. But as she looked around at the faces surrounding them—all warm, all welcoming, all genuinely thrilled to see their Alpha happy—she felt the absolute certainty that she belonged here.
"Lead the way," she said softly.
When they stepped into the ballroom, Maple's breath caught.
The space was enormous—easily large enough to hold the two hundred guests Rune had mentioned—with soaring ceilings supported by carved stone arches.
Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over tables laden with food that looked like it belonged in a five-star restaurant, while a string quartet played from a raised platform near the far wall.
But it was the energy in the room that truly took her breath away.
This mansion, which had felt like a beautiful mausoleum when she'd first arrived just days ago, now pulsed with life and joy.
Dragon shifters of all ages mingled and laughed, their conversations creating a warm buzz of contentment that seemed to wrap around her like an embrace.
This is what Rune's life could have been all along, she realized, her heart aching for all the years he'd spent in self-imposed isolation.
As they moved through the crowd, she noticed how people's faces lit up at the sight of their Alpha.
Not with the careful deference she might have expected, but with genuine affection and relief.
Whatever walls Rune had built around himself, his clan had never stopped loving him or hoping for his happiness.
Near the front of the ballroom, she spotted familiar faces. Bram stood with his usual dignified bearing, but his ancient eyes sparkled with satisfaction. Beside him, Kade looked more relaxed than she'd ever seen him, a genuine smile replacing his usual carefully controlled expression.
"They look like they're about to burst with pride," she observed, nodding toward the two men.
"Bram's been waiting three hundred years to see me properly mated," Rune replied, his tone dry but affectionate. "He probably considers this his greatest political victory."
As if summoned by their attention, both men approached.
"Alpha. Maple." Bram inclined his head respectfully. "This is indeed a momentous occasion."