The Infamous Beast

by T Shadow

  The whole ordeal has been planned without my input, but I’m soon being whisked away to a shop to buy a dress for the ceremony. We’re in one of those shops that Mika loves, and I love to hate. There’s ruffles and pleats on one side of the room, and every darker version of every colour ever thought of on the other side. Never thought I’d see the day when dark violet was ever a thing, but here I am. Staring at the large amount of colourful garments, I’ve never felt so out of place until right now. At least, that's how it feels until my view flies past me as I’m dragged through the shop until I’m dumped on an uncomfortable leather footstool and told to sit like a damn dog.

  So I sit. I sit and wait patiently whilst Mika pulls every possible white dress from the racks around the store. But therein lies the problem. I’m not just white, I’m iridescent. I see every single style of dress, shaking my head constantly until Mika finds the needle in the haystack of well sewn fabrics. Dresses aren’t really my thing, I only own one, but this dress is an eye orgasm.

  Getting up from the stool, I pick up the edge of the sleek fabric and rub it between my fingers. It looks like dripping metal, and because it’s silver, every time it hits the light just right, there’s a spectrum of colour that covers the whole dress and makes it look iridescent. Off the shoulder, floor length, slight train and an open back? By the way my eyes light up at every gentle caress, Mika knows she’s found the one. That solves one issue, but now Mika must find a perfect dress for the event, not that she needs one, but she can never passes up the opportunity to buy new clothes.

  Four hours later and I’m a few hundred pounds lighter. Mika didn’t stop once she found the dress— oh no, she got every accessory known to man, head bands, earrings, bracelets and back necklaces, whatever the fuck those are. Either way, that tiger had no issue about using my pockets as her personal credit card. I’m carrying four bags instead of the one I desperately needed while Mika walks quietly beside me clutching a pearl hair clip in her palm. If I was an innocent bystander, I’d think she was a magpie, not a tiger.

  It seems like she likes that inexpensive faux pearl clip more than the ridiculously expensive dress that she bought for herself. Or I bought it for her, however you want to look at it. On our walk home we pass all of our regular shops, including Mystic Megs, and I have to use all my strength to pull Mika away from it so that she doesn’t spend more of my hard earned money. We have a mating ceremony to get ready for, not a shopping spree.

  Distracting Mika only works until we step through the front door of my now well crowded home. As soon as the door closes behind her, the bags are ripped from my hands before being unpacked before my very eyes. I can hear voices from beyond the front room, and it’s enough for me to quickly snatch the dresses and accessories back into the safe confines of the bag where wandering eyes can't see.

  The guys exit from the spare bedroom, all of them dressed ready to go out and do the exact same thing that we just did. Remington is dressed in his suit— that doesn’t surprise me. Landon and Leland are dressed simpler, both wearing fitted v-neck t-shirts and jeans. Although Leland’s are skinny jeans and Landon’s aren’t. Finn is wearing some slightly more formal clothes, straight trousers with a cotton shirt. It’s a stark contrast to Mika and I’s run down, hodgepodge style of clothing which consists of a jumper I threw onto my floor maybe a week-or-so ago, and some jeans that have more holes in than not.

  I get a kiss from each of them as they leave to go and get their own attire. I’m not sure what it’ll be, but I doubt they’ll be coming back wearing all coloured suits. I know Remington will be dressed in blue, Landon in red and Leland will be in some sort of mustard yellow concoction. I’m curious to see what Finnegan is, because I know he has a temper and a mean streak to match it, but his personality is very Jekyll and Hyde. I’ve just had the fortune of not having to meet Hyde just yet.

  I wait for the click of the door again before Mika starts pulling the dresses out of the bags, hanging them on their hangers and then pairing the necessary jewellery with them. I take the necessary steps to move myself out of the situation, moving myself into the kitchen. I pull the chair away from the table and sink into it.

  Who would have thought that I would be partaking in a mating ceremony tomorrow?

  •°•

  I slept in the spare bed with Mika rather than in the bed with my soon-to-be mates. Like modern marriage, it's best for mates to be separated the night before the ceremony. So instead of being cuddled and worshipped by wandering hands all night, I’m sleeping with a space-invading, unrestricted tiger who doesn’t understand personal boundaries. I woke up with a foot in my face, a tail wrapped around my arm and three-inch teeth dangerously close to the edge of my foot.

  But that can all be easily overlooked, because what I’m staring at now is something completely and utterly out of this world.

  I’m standing in the grove of the trees behind my house at sundown. The light filters through the trees, lighting up the visible parts with only a small spec of warm, unfiltered orange glow. But that's not what captures my attention the most. At the end of the trail, there’s my four mates standing there in a semicircle, wearing similar outfits that fit them all perfectly.

  Remington is wearing a navy blue suit with a blue orchid pinned to his lapel. His tie is some colour of turquoise but his shirt is white, so I can see the contrast. His dark green eyes watch me and widen as I get closer and he sees me. There’s a blue orchid held gently between his fingers.

  Landon is there with his black suit on, but he wears the brightest red tie known to man. He also holds a red rose in his hand, but he has a white knuckled grip— like he’s nervous. Instead, I focus on his dirty blonde hair. What once was messy and unruly is now swept to the side and tamed. I can see the indents where his fingers have run through it constantly. His brown eyes concentrate on the grass at his feet rather than me.

  Finnegan is my calm and collected mate, but right now he looks anything but calm. He’s not bouncing off the walls, but the hunger in his eyes only intensifies as I move closer. I note his green tie but he’s holding a small bouquet of orange daisies. His species isn’t coming to me straight away, but I love the sentiment of the fresh orange flowers. He wears just black trousers and a white shirt, forgoing the blazer altogether, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they couldn’t find one to fit his shoulders.

  Leland stands at the end of the line. He doesn’t wear a blazer either, but he wears a golden waistcoat instead. As I walk up to them, I manage to stop by him first. His white shirt is rolled up at the sleeves, and he has one yellow carnation put into the pocket of his coat and one held gently between his hands. Stopping in front of him, I wait for his eyes to meet mine. They do, but his mouth manages to stop working at the same time. A few stuttered syllables make it out before the words do, but they surprise me nonetheless. “Y-yellow flowers are a symbol of a new friendship started in a hard time. Unfortunately they only had carnations—”

  “Carnations are lovely, Leland.” I lift my gloved palm to touch Leland’s face and as I do, he leans into it like he’s desperate for a touch that he’s missed, even though it’s only been a day, or less. His cheeks warm at my compliment, and he pulls away slower than he leant in, savouring everything, from the smell of my perfume, the heat of my hand and the feel of my palm against him. I take the carnation from him before I move on, the first flower to my collection.

  Next, I meet my own version of Jekyll and Hyde. Finn stares at me, starving and wild— if wild could be restrained. Without a word or a second thought, he thrusts the daisies at me and they sit suspended between us for a moment.

  “Orange daisies?”

  “Bold, excitement and enthusiasm. Plus, they are of my own colour. Not only do I declare myself to you, but I display my feelings openly. I can’t wait for this new adventure with you, Remi.”

  I take one daisy from the bunch and place it in his shirt pocket, so it sits in the same position as the others, but I take the rest from him for th
e moment so his hands are free for the claiming. He nods just before I move on, holding a hand against the stem of the flower as I pass. Landon is next, and he stands there still looking at the floor, but he does hold the one single red rose out to me, his eyes never moving.

  “When my Ma and Pa were alive, they mentioned at their own mating ceremony that my Pa never looked at my Ma until he said the vows, and then he feasted upon her beauty as he mated her.” He waits a second but shifts nervously. “I wish to honor those same traditions, Remi.”

  “I agree,” I whisper, holding my hand out as he extends his arm holding the rose towards me. My hand lingers over his for a few seconds before I take the rose from his hand. “I’d be happy to adhere to those traditions, Landon. I’ll see you in a few moments.”

  He chuckles for a second, shaking his head but gaining some semblance of confidence even though his outward appearance displays a different reality. As I step away, I move closer to the last of my male menagerie. Remington stands at the front of the line, but he’s the last person I see. His dark hair is styled impeccably, his tailored, fitted suit has no creases or blemishes on it. He holds his flower— one that signifies his species and another that shows love, strength and fertility. As I reach him he takes my hands and puts his flower with my collection, one blue orchid making the odd bouquet of a carnation, daisies, a rose and an orchid. They are the most significant gifts that a mate can be given on the day of her mating ceremony, and forevermore, I’ll treasure every one.

  Remington says nothing, but he doesn't have to. Just past him is Mika, waiting to start our ceremony. She wears an all black, sleeved, long dress. She has that small pearl clip in her hair, and it’s the only shade other than dark that she wears. She looks like an angel of death there, awaiting my imminent arrival. Seeing her smile, I look down and see Lucius there, sitting on the ground at her feet— a smile on his face and his nose in the air, sniffing out all the new smells that the forest holds. What is the most impressive is that Mika managed to make him wear a flower crown, and it holds the rest of the flowers that the boys picked. He looks somewhat feminine, but in the grand scheme of things, I appreciate the loving and thoughtful gesture.

  He sits quietly whilst I walk up to the make-shift podium— which is really just a section in the grove— the guys move with me to create a rough circle, with Mika and Lucius just on the outside. As we stand facing each other, it really settles in. This is real, this is happening now and there’s no way in hell I’m going to stop it.

  “Is everyone ready?”

  We all nod our heads once. The smiles that cross our faces are full of excitement, nervousness and a deep longing that even I couldn’t describe with words no matter how hard I tried. Even I feel this emotion inside my chest. It’s heavy and erratic at the same time, but I guess the weight of my heart is different to the burden it bears. Loving a monster is no easy feat, but I’m relieved that my guys look past that and are able to forgive the creature inside of me. Misery loves company, you know?

  “Let’s start shall we?” Mika pulls out a large piece of paper and holds it in front of her when she speaks. “Should you find yourself here today, facing one another, you are ready to begin on a journey that will last eons and see the world spin several times before it stops. Your journey begins with one step, or one beat of your wings, but ends with a life fulfilled and a life lived.

  “Before you, is your mate and your brothers. This is your familial unit, your army, your thunder of dragons forevermore, and no one should come between the ties you bind today, tomorrow, or ever. You should understand that this is something that cannot be reversed, changed or manipulated in any way. By carrying on with this small and albeit short, informal ceremony, I’ll assume that your brain cells have managed to collide and you have had time to process all of the information I have just given you.”

  I snigger underneath my breath and all the guys except Remington do the same. It’s a nice cut in all of the formal traditions, especially when Lucius yips to hurry our little rendezvous along. Thankfully, this is the part where we exchange vows, and I speak first.

  “In fire and blood, I will walk through the smoke and the flames to find you. With legs and wings, I will love you without boundaries or restraint. With my beast and I, we claim you as a part of our soul, a section of our heart and a partner for the rest of our days. With this, I promise.”

  “As the seas roar and crash around us, the chill of the ocean surrounds us, and as the eerie quiet of the depths creates and maintains a perimeter around us, I will fly through solid liquid to find you, whether you be at home on land or at the heart of the sea— my bond will draw me back to you.”

  With strong confidence, Landon speaks. “From the ferocity of a volcano to the blistering heat of the sun, I will promise that in every instance there is, I will remain by your side, fight with you, and run with you wherever you go. The distance between us may stretch for a little, but we will grow stronger for it. I can’t wait to spend every waking moment with you Remi. I can’t wait.”

  Finnegan’s voice is gruff and harsh, but I know it’s Oshi that’s talking, rather than Finn. It’s finally time that I met his infamous Mr. Hyde. “Jewel, I speak on behalf of both of us. Finn will love you and care for you until his dying breath, his heart is warm and full of love for you, and that will never falter. I promise that whenever in our bestial forms, that I will guard your back, chase your tail and tear the heads off of any traitors or combatants that come our way. My need for violence outweighs my capability to love, but for you, I’m willing to adapt, my sweet wildflower.”

  “I’ve never had to say any vows before this,” Leland remarks, wringing his fingers together, “All I know is code, right. So I can promise that I will love you as much as I love coding, that I love computers and all modern technology. I won’t leave any problem unsolved, but I’ll try my hardest to make you happy, should it be the last thing I do.”

  The guys swing their heads towards him with raised eyebrows, clearly worried about the so-called vows that he just recited. Leland just shrugs, unable to change his vows now he’s said them. It doesn’t matter too much either way, I got the gist of the words he was unable to say.

  “Well, if that’s everyone, you may commence with the marking ceremony. I’m not really sure how these go—”

  “Remi marks us first,” Landon whispers, “then we all mark her at the same time.”

  “Oh.” Stammering, she folds up the papers in her hands and tucks them into the invisible pockets in her skirt. “Right, well, I guess I have to witness that, so, hop to it.” She flaps her hands about before turning her head away, “get on with the bitey-bitey.”

  I can’t agree with her more. Moving closer to Remington, I look up at him. He looks back at me and holds out his wrist towards me. Thankfully our markings are not done with the ‘bitey-bitey’ that Mika mentions, rather the burning of flesh and the piercing of flesh. As I take his arm in my hand, the process starts almost immediately. I feel my palm heating underneath his flesh, and the smell of blistering skin follows soon after. Remington’s nose twitches with the awful smell, but he makes no noise at the intense and excruciating pain that he must be feeling. From my burning palm, my nails elongate enough to pierce and break the skin around them, leaving a permanent scar, not only of my human side, but my beast as well.

  I repeat the process two more times. Landon chooses his shoulder to be marked, meaning he has to disrobe in order to expose his skin to me. Finnegan chose a hip and Leland was already marked that day at the bar, so all I had to do to cement the bond was gently pierce the scar tissue again, awaking the mating call inside Leland. I felt those bonds begin to grow inside my own very being, and the strength of my males before me came pulsing down the tethers like the beat of a heart or the pounding of a drum.

  All four guys surround me and without a second thought they place their hands on varying parts of my uncovered body. I have a hand on each shoulder and one on the upper part of my forearm.
I anticipate the pain that I’m about to feel, but I thank the stars for the fact that I only have to experience it once, albeit in four places at once. I hold my breath as the heat burns my flesh and the elongated claws tear at my paper-thin skin in a tradition that is not only excruciating but exhilarating at the same time.

  I feel my knees buckle under the immense pressure of my bonds solidifying. It feels as though a hundred elastic bands are snapping against the inner walls of my heart, working their way into every fibre of my being and I welcome them. I welcome the feeling of warmth, compassion, love and security as quickly as I accept the arms of the person who lifts me up and their crushing kiss that follows. I feel teeth bite into my lower lip and I know it’s Finnegan without even having to look. His predatory kiss makes my spine hurt in a way that’s on the borderline of pleasure and pain. It goes as quick as it comes.

  Instead of being ravaged by another pair of lips that I can’t wait to touch, I open my eyes to see Landon looking at me worriedly. His eyes examine my body with caution.

  “Are you hurting?”

  “No more than I was a minute ago,” I whisper as I reach towards him. He accepts my hand, locking our fingers together. “Are you okay?”

  “I’ve never felt better in my entire life than I do right now.”

  A hand lands on Landon’s shoulder and it makes him turn his head Remington stands behind him with a stern look on his face, but his eyes are soft.

  “I think this is the part where you kiss your mate, Landon.”

  I wait for him to turn back to face me— and he does, but it’s slow and calculated. From today, I know that Landon honours traditions, but I remember him clearly saying that he would wait for me, no matter how long. Well, I’m tired of waiting. Not for him, but for me. For me to pull up my pants and get on with it. Traditions are just dead people telling you what to do, and I’m sick of being dictated to.

  I give it until the second that he turns to face me before I grip his face between my hands and viciously crush my lips against his. It’s enough to startle him, the shock lasting for a few seconds before he finally takes the plunge and kisses me back in a heartstopping, warming kiss. His hand moves behind my neck and grips my hair unforgivingly, moving me somehow closer to him. With our chests pressed together, our lips in a continuous tangle of sultry movements and our hands roaming over body parts, sexual or not, I feel Landon’s bond flare to life inside me, the one that was the most dormant of the four. His hot-tempered nature flares down the bond unforgivingly, but this time it’s powered by an unbridled and unbound passion.