34
I’m too delirious with happiness to feel nervous by the time I step into my Luna ceremony dress.
Everyone has given up on the human tradition of separating Noah and me before the ceremony, especially since Noah is glued to my hip. We’ve compromised by draping one of Noah’s massive ceremonial robes over my shoulders, hiding my dress from Noah with dark blue velvet covered in embroidered, celestial embellishments. Noah’s hands are already up both the robe and my slit skirt, but not for the reasons they will be later.
Noah has been stroking my belly in the back of Dave’s car, and my wolf has taken over my senses.
“I’ve been so scared we wouldn’t have this moment,” I whisper.
“Shh, I’ve got you both.”
The more he holds me and our tiny dot of a baby, the closer I huddle against his arm, loving his touch.
“My heart feels so much calmer when you hold me like that.”
“Yeah? Good. Thank you for letting me know.”
Dave clears his throat, and I know it’s from the downpour of mushy emotions we’re unloading in our collective scent.
Let yourself relax, my beautiful mate. We have a long night ahead,Noah mindlinks.
My eyes close as I hold his palm to my abdomen, allowing my body to soften in his arms.
But the second Noah guides me by the hand into the forest’s ceremonial clearing, everything becomes more real.
Eyes bore into us for miles—half the community shifted into their wolves from all the excitement in the air. I shiver as Yasmine, Dave, and Noah’s advisors neaten his ceremonial gear and Amy and Rainn remove my robe to fix my dress.
When our dearest friends and family step away, allowing us to turn and see each other in the moonlight for the first time, I’m stunned by Noah’s regal beauty in the moonlight.
The vest he’s wearing shines unlike any of the regular embellishments I’ve seen on his monthly ceremonial clothes. Vivid stones shimmer on top of every embroidered moon and star. Jewels drip down his wide form, cascading down his shoulders and chest from thin, bright silver chains that hug his wide form. I had no idea the body jewelry Lilian and Rainn draped over my shoulders would be worn by Noah as well, but they suit Noah better than anything I could imagine him in, allowing his inner beauty to shine on the outside in a way that twists my heart.
And he’s looking at me just the same. The moonstone he gave me glitters as I draw a shaky breath. The wind caresses my skin through my shimmering, sheer skirt, its embellished lacy edges softly licking my bare legs, but I don’t feel cold; a fire ignites in my chest, barely quelled by the see-through, lacy bodice hugging my torso down to our budding baby.
Neither of us move as Noah’s eyes roam down my body, skimming over me twice before landing on my eyes. His eyebrows flinch, and my heart tears as he dissolves into a soft, weepy smile.
“Aliya, I—” He shakes his head, striding toward me. His fingertips trail down my arms as my breathing rate rises. “In all the years g-growing up that I knew I’d be top Alpha someday, I could never imagine I’d be mated to a Luna as e-elegant, sweet, or loving as you. I don’t know what to do, except t-thank you. For existing here, w-with me.”
Tears escape down my smiling cheeks. I choke out a delighted laugh, leaning into my mate. “Thank you, Noah. After all that suffering in the past, I never thought I’d experience this pure bliss beside someone, let alone with a sweet, shy Lycan.”
Melting into a soft smile, Noah takes my hands. He draws me closer for a delicate kiss. Grazing over my lips, Noah leaves behind a lingering warmth in my heart, reminding me I don’t have to face anything alone anymore.
As we pull back to gaze into each other’s eyes, Noah softens his shaking voice. “Ready, my soon-to-be Luna?”
My lungs shudder at his words, an uncontainable smile mixing with my gnawing anxiety. “No, I’m still nervous. I care about this moment so, so much.”
Noah nuzzles my cheek, releasing enough protective pheromones to soothe an army.
I purr, rubbing myself all over him as my wolf takes over, high on pheromones.
Noah bites back a smile. “Oh, shit. Sorry, I got a little excited.”
I giggle, taking a few extra breaths to calm my nerves. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Taking Noah”s hand, I stride deeper into the forest. The full moon shines between enormous treetops to light our way, but glowing eyes surround us, wolves gazing in wonder. By the time we reach the ceremonial stage, the tranquil river protects us from behind, but more wolves than I”ve ever seen in my life stand before us. This time, they”re not just here for Noah and I as a mated pair; they”re here to witness me vowing myself to every single one of them.
Nerves shake my bones, but I stand tall at Noah”s side, even as the breeze whisks through my translucent skirt.
I want this. I want to be Luna.
And I want to seem proud to stand by Noah’s side, but it’s more than that. I want to seem proud to step into a nurturing role I’ve always dreamed of.
Dropping my hand, Noah addresses the crowd, his deep, rumbling voice echoing through the trees. “My father and mother’s ability to lead Greenfield attracted me from a very young age. Not because of the power, but because of all of you. I could see how much it meant to you to have such loving figures at the head of the pack, and I wished for nothing more than to find a mate who would desire to step into the same role with me.”
Noah drops his head, taking a deep breath.
“But as I grew older, I knew that was unrealistic. The care that your current Luna and our late Alpha put into this pack extended beyond their actions. It was their open, generous hearts that held the pack together, and that lifetime commitment can’t be forced. But then I met your future Luna.”
Noah pauses, his breath shaking as he turns to me, staring directly into my eyes. He opens his mouth to speak, but he chokes up, dropping his chin to his chest.
Oh, my sweet mate. Rejoining Noah’s side with a teary-eyed smile, I grasp his hand, giving it a soft squeeze. I’ve got you too, my shy Alpha.
Noah meets my eyes with a weepy laugh. His wolf’s intensified love for me washes goosebumps across my body.
My mate keeps his gaze on me as he addresses the crowd in mindlink, unable to speak aloud. When I met your future Luna, she was already a Luna in heart and mind. I swear she was born to share the purest love I’ve ever felt, but it’s more than that. She feels it with her full soul. And she wants to share it with you.
Noah clears his throat, kissing my forehead as tears warp my expression.
He protects my head from onlookers with shaking hands, tilting me to face only him. “S-sorry, I just— I just can’t help myself. I love you so much, and there’s no way to truly express it all.”
“I love you with my whole soul, Noah.”
As I draw him in for a tender kiss, the pack bond buzzes with excitement.
Except strangely, all I can focus on is Noah. He closes his eyes, taking his time to hold me despite the entire pack waiting for the ceremony to continue.
After drying my tears, I nuzzle his nose. “It’s okay. I’m ready, even if I’m crying.”
Noah’s grin fills me with so much warmth, I could sob again.
But he releases me just in time, holding my hand as he faces the crowd.
After a deep breath, Noah’s calm voice extends across the forest. “It is the honor of my lifetime to present to you your next Luna.”
Okay, here it is: I’m about to show them how I feel about becoming the Luna of their pack, and with wolves, every body gesture matters.
As I step forward, I soften my shoulders and keep my smile loose, showing the pack I’m not a threat.
The crowd falls still, entranced with my every movement. I scan the forest before me, searching for the reason they’re gawking. With such a massive crowd, it shouldn’t be possible to hear the slow wind whispering through the leaves. Am I doing something weird?
But Noah stares just the same, his eyes locked on to my face in awe. Even his wolf falls still.
When no one voices a complaint, I realize they’re not disturbed, concerned, or angry with me. They’re giving me space to speak.
But all I can see are desperate eyes staring back.
Shit, I hate being the center of attention, and so much is riding on me. If I’m a disappointment to them, I don’t think I can stomach it.
I cover my belly on instinct, feeling vulnerable for the first time tonight.
But when Noah steps closer, his scent cocoons me in his familiar sweetness. I straighten my shoulders.
No. I can do this.
Clearing my throat, I try my best to speak up, even if my voice quivers through every syllable. “H-hi, um—” I place my palm over my heart, steadying my breath.
As I look at my muddy shoes, I have the sudden urge to remove them, sinking my feet into the mud. The second I do, my feet press into the soggy earth, and my eyes are lured up to the Moon Goddess, herself.
She’s gleaming tonight. I’ve never felt her so clearly, her massive nightlight steadying my heart until all I can feel is the deep pull of fresh air in my lungs and the aching, sugary love in my chest.
My wolf steps forward, speaking with me. “In human culture, we say our vows to our spouses as we marry them, committing ourselves to them for life. But I’ve always seen it as more than that. It’s a commitment to a combined lifestyle, including welcoming everyone they love. Today isn’t just about your top Alpha and I, it’s about all of us as a pack, coming together as a family, which is something I’ve felt every day since I arrived here.”
I take a deep breath, struggling to keep finding my voice. There’s a deeper reason I want to be Luna, and sharing it exposes more than I’ve been comfortable with for a long time. But as one sweet woman wipes her smiling tears in the front row, my heart swells with protective love. I know what I have to say.
“I-I know how it feels to feel unsafe at home,” I choke out. “Which is why I want nothing more than to be a home for you to return to. As my vow to you, I vow to represent unconditional, maternal love in every action I take as Luna. I promise to cherish each of you as my own, through life and in death, so that although we might not know each other personally, you’ll never truly be alone. It’s an honor to love you, Greenfield.”
When I glance back at Noah, he’s not the only one crying. Lilian is rubbing his back—the most intimate I’ve seen the two since we’ve met. Tears streak her cheeks, yet she hands Noah a tissue from her dress pocket.
But before Lilian steps forward to continue onto the next ceremonial step, I blurt out, “Wait.”
My heart hammers into my throat as everyone falls into silence. Noah’s eyebrows lift with my rising nerves and Lilian frowns, but I extend my hands to Noah.
Melting into a smile, Noah grabs hold. We stand facing each other, the entire pack awaiting my next words. But as I gaze deep into my mate’s eyes, his pure, doting trust stirs a magnifying excitement in my heart. I’ve never felt more ready to confess my deepest love for someone in front of others.
With a shaking voice, I pull Noah closer. “Noah Greenfield, my sweet, gorgeous mate.”
He bites his lips. The emotion in his eyes stings mine hot. I hug his hands to my chest, struggling to stifle the rising, aching longing in my lungs.
“I’d first like to thank you for allowing me to walk alongside you. Our marks connected us down the soul, but I feel like our souls were already connected—maybe for lifetimes. Every second we’ve spent together, I’ve gathered a deeper understanding of what it really means to feel loved, to love, and how I can love myself. I can’t think of a greater gift, and I only hope that I can share even a fraction of this gift back with you.”
I take a deep, shuddering breath through Noah’s rising emotions. His tears spill over as he drops his head, leaning in closer. Releasing one of his hands, I catch his tears with my fingertips.
“I vow to be your lifelong witness. No matter how horrible or wonderful life might be for us, I’m here to share your pain, your love, and your peace. I vow to nurture the mind and body of that beautiful black wolf who nurtures all of Greenfield—” Noah drops his head, and I place my palm over the left side of his chest. “And I vow to protect this big, generous heart that holds everyone in its loving safety. I’ll be there to hold you in return, and defend you to my last breath. I love all of you, Noah.”
Cupping my cheeks, Noah drops our heads together. His hot, tearful breath brushes my lips. “Aliya—”
All at once, I spill over. I whimper through hot tears, and Noah’s creased forehead settles with his soft, joyous laugh.
“I love all of you too, and more— I—” Noah clears his throat, snuggling me closer. His deep voice softens into a gentle whisper against my lips. “I love everything you are, everything you wish to be, and everything you’re not. It’s a gift to simply know you. But to also get to share my soul with you is so— So healing and fulfilling, that I—” Noah shakes his head, chuckling as we dry each other’s gushing tears. “I can’t imagine myself enjoying my life anywhere else but by your side. Goddess, I don’t even want to stop holding you now, but I will. I’m dying for you to finally become our Luna.”
My heart flips as Noah leans in to softly kiss me. Humming against my lips, he strokes my cheeks with his thumbs as I brush down his mark. He pulls away with a weepy smile, and I let out a bright, giddy laugh through my tears.
Even though my interruption wasn’t part of our ceremony plans, let alone traditional, Lilian gives me a genuine, proud smile. She steps forward to meet me as Noah steps back, and I know it’s time to offer her my hands.
I can’t stop shaking. Lilian meets my eyes, her sadness pouring into me even before her scent hits.
“Luna,” I breathe, my lip wobbling with hers. “Oh, Goddess, your poor heart—”
She breaks into a smile, shaking her head. “I’m happy. I promise you, I’m happy.”
She’s not. She’s grieving so badly that I’m nauseated.
But before I can soothe her, Lilian addresses the crowd, her powerful voice startling me with a jolt of my shoulders.
“Nurturing each pack member from pup to elder is no easy task, and the next Luna before you knows this.” She readjusts her hands in mine, bouncing them to emphasize every statement she makes as if it’ll send their weight further into the crowd. “I have never been more confident in another Omega’s ability to lovingly take on the world.”
My heart flips.
Lilian takes my cheeks in her palms, kissing my forehead before placing hers against it.
“It is an honor to pass on my title to you, Luna, by the Moon Goddess’s grace, and your Alpha’s permission.”
My heart rate sprints, hardly allowing me to breathe.
This is it. I’m about to become my Alpha’s Luna.
Lilian steadies me as I wobble, remaining by my side as Noah drops to his knees in front of me.
I gasp, teetering in shock.
He wasn’t supposed to do that; he’s putting himself into a submissive position, surrendering himself below me in front of the whole pack.
Anxious wolves rustle through the forest, but Noah holds me by the waist, redirecting my focus.
“Breathe with me, Omega.”
I stare deep into his eyes. They’re so light in color that I know his wolf is fully present.
In his eyes, there’s no fear.
I’ve never seen anyone so brave, so secure in who he is, submitting himself with so much riding on his shoulders.
His protective pheromones surround me, but this time, they’re laced with a hunger that strikes me in the gut. I can’t find my breath, but my belly finds its fire, boiling throughout every molecule of me. With it comes a confidence that leaps higher than I’ve ever felt, widening my chest until I embrace my full self.
I don’t want to hide anymore.
Yes, this is right. This is where I’m supposed to be.
“By the Moon Goddess’s grace...” Noah licks my palm in preparation.
His protruding fangs catch the moonlight. I shudder, his desirous stare piercing my heart.
“I pronounce you Luna of Greenfield.”
He sinks fangs into the meat of my palm. My nerves send a shockwave throughout my system, wobbling my knees.
But Noah makes it as quick and painless as possible, more like a heavy pinprick. As he licks the blood clean from my palm, I weep in joy; wolves howl across the forest for me. My eyes flutter shut.
Each and every pack member becomes vibrantly clear in our pack bond, flickering like little candles blinking to life in my heart.
I’m both so in love and so terrified that I sob, the weight of each being within me feeling too important to hold alone.
But I’m not holding them alone. Noah’s presence touches every single candle, providing the oxygen to each fire.
Noah stays on his knees, immersing himself in my scent as he nuzzles my belly. When I lift his chin with both palms, aching to see my mate’s face, the crowd falls silent once more.
Nothing I can do could compare to the honor he just granted me, but I want to show Noah how deeply I love him by baring my body to him. In front of everyone.
I drop to my knees, shivering through every wave of emotion in our bond. He holds my cheeks just like I hold his, his enamored focus flicking between my eyes. When I let out an uncontainable whimper, Noah rolls his forehead over mine. He strokes the back of my hair like he needs to hold all of me, hugging our baby against his body as he crushes my nose to his.
“I feel like I exist on this earth to do exactly this, with exactly you,” I say. “Thank you for existing here to do this with me. I love you.”
Noah dips to wrap his arms beneath my butt, tugging me against him until I’m in his lap. I whimper as Noah nuzzles into my chest, his wide hands dragging up my back until we press together as close as we can.
His voice comes out rough and wet. “I-I love you so fucking much, I—”
He smashes me into a full-body kiss. Thousands of wolves erupt in howls. It intensifies the bond between Noah and me, reverting my focus into something else entirely.
As Noah’s whines deepen into mating growls, my body tingles with his every sound, knowing tonight is about to take a drastic turn.