Chapter 33
“Can I ask you something? Anything. Why is it every time we say goodnight, it feels like goodbye?” ― Lang Leav
Rose's POV
Mid-August arrived in a whirlwind of ceremony preparations that swept me up before I could catch my breath.
Before I knew it, Josie was showing me the dress I’d be wearing. My stomach fluttered with familiar butterflies as she talked about how wolves usually marked each other during the mating ceremony. But since I hadn’t turned yet, Aiden would just kiss me to signify our union.
I couldn’t stop the warmth that bloomed across my cheeks at the thought of Aiden marking me.
I knew enough about the process: his lips brushing my neck, his canines piercing my skin, and the way he’d hold there, sucking just enough to insert his saliva into the puncture marks.
It would leave his scent on me, clinging to my skin.
Later that evening, Aiden was lounging against the headboard of my bed, his eyes locked on me. “So what’s this I hear about you being at odds with Mom over the ceremony?”
I shot him a glare through my mirror. “Is that what you came to my room to talk to me about?”
Tomorrow was our mating ceremony. I sat on the settee, rubbing toner into my face with a cotton ball, nerves already twisting in my gut. So many people had been invited that even if it was all a sham, I found myself a mess of nerves.
“Jeez, Rose, I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright.” His voice carried a note of hurt, and I immediately felt a pang of guilt.
“It… it was so random, and you don’t usually come into my room just to talk,” I said, more defensively than I meant to.
I bit my bottom lip. Aiden’s gaze darkened as he watched me.
“I’m just a little nervous about tomorrow,” I admitted.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” he assured. “We’re going to smile, take pictures and come home afterwards. Nothing to feel nervous about.”
I nodded in agreement. Right. It wasn’t like I was moving to a new place. I already lived here!
“I guess you can call the photographer as long as he’s from our pack,” I finally acceded, knowing that it was important for Josie to have pictures. How could I deny her that joy.
He grinned and stood, already moving for the door.
“Thank you Rose. That’s my girl,” he chuckled as he left.
I stared after him, confused. His girl?
Aiden's POV
It was the morning of our mating ceremony.
The aligned packs had been invited, along with Ava and Ron from the Rushing River Pack.
There were still talks of an alliance with them and this was a great opportunity to strengthen diplomatic ties.
A werewolf mating ceremony was not as extravagant as weddings in the human world.
The luna and alpha would gather at the altar, usually at a clearing where all pack events took place. For me and Rose, this event was going to take place in front of the clearing at our temple. Torches were lit as everyone gathered in a circle around us.
Ezra was the officiant. And as I stood, waiting with Ezra for Rose, chaos broke.
Naturally, the allied pack from England had been invited.
Accompanying them was alpha of the Coventry pack along with his heir.
It was an obscure pack of which not much was known except for the fact that they seemed to be descendants of royalty who had been turned into werewolves during the dark ages.
I had been interested in potentially forming an alliance with them.
The future alpha of the Coventry pack was eighteen years old.
When his eyes locked on Tanya, one word escaped his mouth.
“Mate.”
It had been utter chaos, with Tanya looking confused, Mom ready to cry, and me trying to smooth things over, telling the alpha’s son that we’d revisit this topic in another ten years. Tanya was only seven!
First Dylan was falling sick because his wolf’s instinct to lead wasn’t being fulfilled. Now, Tanya was mated to someone eleven years older than her! Our family just couldn’t catch a break it seemed.
And yet through it all, I couldn’t help but feel thankful that I had Rose on my side to help me navigate these responsibilities.
Once things had settled down, she walked to me in her long white silk dress with cap sleeves.
I stood next to Ezra in slacks and a cream-colored dress shirt.
The torch light bounces off her hair, making it look deep red with hints of gold in the afternoon sun.
“Wolves mate for life…” Ezra intoned the ancient scripture, but I wasn’t listening.
I was looking at my beautiful mate. Because no matter the chaos unfolding around me, she was the one person who had the power to ground me.
To make me feel as if it would all be alright, as long as she was here.
Rose smiled at me once Ezra was done talking, and my heart thudded against my chest painfully.
I wanted this to be real. Not pretend. The realization slammed into me, nearly sending me to my knees.
Shakily, I drank from a gold chalice with ancient inscriptions on it, similar to the carvings inside the temple. Then I handed it over to Rose. She drank the water in it that had been blessed by a prayer to the Moon Goddess.
“I present to you, Alpha and Luna of the Bloodfire Phoenix Pack!” Ezra ended.
I leaned forward at the same time that Rose offered her cheek.
I couldn't help but let out a low growl, hands snaking around her waist, pulling her flush against me before planting a kiss on her mouth.
A kiss that I deepened immediately, trying to show her through my actions how much I wanted her.
She gasped into my mouth and I swallowed it, revelling in the feel of her against me.
She kissed me harder, clearly enjoying our kiss.
We were both drowning in the heat of this kiss, completely impervious to the cameras clicking around us or the cellphones recording this moment.
And when I pulled back, my hand patted away a stray curl that had come loose from where it had been pinned away from her face.
“You wore your hair down,” I said gently, hands not moving from her waist.
“Diego’s decision,” she spoke out loud. My fingers dug into her hips, thumbs rubbing circles gently over the fabric covering her beautiful curves. Standing here like this, looking into her eyes made me want to kiss her again.
Suddenly, people began jostling around us, moving forward to congratulate us.
The moment was broken. I stepped away from her, hands in my pockets. People crowded around Rose. Jake was there with his parents and I had already greeted Lexia earlier who had come in her mother's place with her father. mother hadn't been feeling well, she had explained to me.
Everyone went to the venue constructed on pack territory where important events were always held.
The grounds outside had been utilized because Mom had decided that an outside event would be best for a nice late afternoon lunch.
White gauzy fabric covered long tables and waiters were going around handing out champagne.
I absently found myself walking inside the empty event center.
I’d spent enough time with Rose by now to realize I’d fallen for her, hook, line and sinker.
I wanted to keep her forever, not just for a while.
I wanted this life we were slowly creating together.
I wanted her. Did she want me? Bitter regret rose up in me when I recalled the way my mate’s eyes had lit up when they’d fallen on Jake who had come to congratulate us.
I wanted what Jake had: Rose’s affections.
I was an idiot for taking so long to realize my feelings for her.
“Are you worried about Tanya?” a new voice interrupted my musings.
I looked up to see Lexia standing in front of me, a vision in light blue silk.
I gave her a half smile. We’d spent over two years together.
Of course, she’d be able to tell when something was bothering me.
I accepted a glass of champagne offered to me by a waiter.
Lexia declined when she was also offered a second remaining glass on the empty tray.
“It’s actually pretty disgusting. She’s only seven. How could he even recognize her as his mate? It shouldn't even be possible until she’s older.” I couldn’t help but voice my true feelings.
“She’s the daughter of an alpha, and he’s the son of an alpha. A pretty strong alpha too,” Lexia added. “But…you know, Aiden, it’s not what you think. She’s too young for him to be physically attracted to her.”
“Isn’t that what the mate bond is all about? The urge to mate?”
“Not if the mate is underage and hasn’t even turned yet,” Lexia reasoned. “At that time, you just feel really protective. You want to keep them from ever being hurt...it's not physical when it comes to underage mates.”
“How would you know?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. “Find an underage mate somewhere around here?”
Lexia laughed lightly. “You know you’re the only one for me, Aiden. I’d be lying if I said otherwise.”
I sighed, guilt twinging inside me again. What was I supposed to say to her? That I’d wasted two years of her life? Sorry? I stood there looking at her, wallowing in guilt. That’s when Rose entered from the back door.
Rose's POV
I took in Lexia, standing there and Aiden's arm propped up on the balustrade that led to an event hall upstairs. I felt my heart plummet. He’d been having a moment with Lexia, apparently.
After all this time he was still stuck on her.
I’d even worn my hair down for him. Because he said that’s how he liked it.
I’d wanted to look beautiful for him today.
But I’d been too afraid to make myself vulnerable and admit it to him outloud.
I stepped closer to them and fought the urge to throw Lexia so far away that she could never ever come near Aiden again.
I couldn’t let my anger take over. I had to remain calm. When I’d first entered the pack, I’d promised Aiden I wouldn’t expect anything from him. But it felt like my heart was breaking as I saw them standing together in camaraderie. Finally I cleared my throat and caught their attention.
“I…they’re asking for you so we can cut the cake,” I finally said. My voice was flat, dead. “Josie said she saw you and Dylan come in here.”
“Dylan’s not here. But I am.” Aiden began to walk towards me after setting his untouched glass of champagne down on a glass side table. “Let’s go.”
He didn’t look back at Lexia.
Lexia’s POV
I watched Aiden leave, my heart in my eyes.
I loved him. How could he just stand there and look at me as if we hadn’t made promises to each other?
There was a movement from a corner behind the stairs. Out of the shadows emerged Dylan. The expression on his face told me everything I needed to know. I swallowed. It was time to face the music.
“How long have you known?” Dylan’s voice was hoarse as I took in his appearance.
His words made me stiffen.
“Lexia, tell me why you never told me before?” Dylan grunted.
I sighed and looked at Dylan cruelly. “It doesn’t matter,” I snapped.
“It matters.” Dylan retorted.
Dylan had felt the mate pull toward me. Before his turn, he never felt it.
But I knew he was my destined mate, as I had turned two years ago and felt the mate pull.
But he only felt it now, after he turned eighteen.
Since this was the first time he was seeing me after his turn, he had sensed me as his mate.
It was disgusting. He was four years younger than me.
Of course Dylan was right. It did matter. But what would happen to him if my father ever found out that I was the fated mate of an alpha’s younger brother who would probably only ever become a gamma in his pack? My father wanted an alpha for me…
I’d known he was my mate. But even now as he stood before me, I didn’t feel any attraction to him. He was too young for me.
Dylan shot me a scathing glare before he walked over and picked up the champagne Aiden left.
“I need a fucking drink,” he muttered.
I looked at him startled. “You really shouldn’t be—” I started.
“Fuck it, I don’t care if I am underage. I need it.” Dylan snapped.
He downed the entire thing in one defiant gulp.
Rose’s POV
Outside, I stood with Aiden for pictures as we cut a three-tiered cake with white buttercream frosting.
The photographer was making us pose every which way, asking me to smile but I really couldn’t. Even more than fury, I’d felt an overwhelming sense of despair when I’d seen Aiden standing there alone with Lexia.
Just as Aiden retracted his hands from my hips after posing for another picture, we heard a shrill scream from inside the event center.
It was Lexia. She was screaming for help.
Instantly, Aiden and I sprang into action, running towards Lexia's voice.
I held the skirt of my dress in one hand as I struggled to keep up with Aiden.
When I reached the very spot Aiden had stood earlier, I saw Aiden crouching next to Dylan who was writhing on the ground in pain, clutching his stomach. Lexia sat across from Aiden, on Dylan’s other side. She was crying and trying to speak at the same time.
“We…we were…talking...he…!” She was hiccup-ping and crying, clearly overwhelmed by what had just happened.
Dylan suddenly vomited.
I rushed to get Dr. Danvers. Clearly something was wrong, and I thanked my lucky stars the kind doctor was in attendance.