by R. E. Butler
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Acksel said. “Mate first, everyone else second.”
“Damn skippy,” Brynn said.
“Thanks for asking, I was wondering myself,” Mia said.
“Hey, I have to watch out for my bestie.”
“When you’re done with the ceremony, give the book to Doc and I’ll pick it up,” she said.
“You could come to the ceremony,” Mia said. “We wouldn’t know about it if it weren’t for you.”
“I’d love to, but my dad asked me to be his date to a fae military ball that night.”
“Sounds fun,” Brynn said.
Kismet said goodbye, and Brynn walked her through the kitchen and out onto the back deck.
“Can I ask you a question?” Kismet said.
“Sure.”
“Is there a wolf in your pack with dark gray fur and a white patch on his chest?”
Brynn looked thoughtful. “A few of the pack members have white patches, but specifically on the chest? I’m not sure.”
Acksel wrapped his arms around Brynn and said, “Ren. He’s the pack beta. Why?”
Kismet’s heart fluttered, and she was surprised her wings weren’t twitching in interest, too. “No reason, just curious.”
“I hope you can come back and visit,” Brynn said.
“Me, too.”
Kismet stepped off the porch and opened a portal. She’d come back to Wilde Creek to find out who Ren was, and hopefully she’d figure out what her dream meant. Maybe it was nothing, but maybe it was something amazing.
Time would tell.
Stepping into the portal, she whisked away to her home, her thoughts on Wilde Creek.
Chapter 18
Mia rolled off Lucian with a satisfied purr, her skin glowing and her eyes flashing to the amber of her wolf. The full moon, he was coming to understand, was a very hot time for wolves. His sweetheart had been insatiable all day long, and his own beast had ensured that Lucian had zero problems keeping up with her.
She snuggled close, her eyes bright with happiness.
Glancing at the clock, he saw that they needed to get ready to go to the alphas’ to prepare for the oathing ceremony, but he also wasn’t in a hurry to move from his super-comfy position as Mia’s personal body pillow.
“I really don’t want to leave,” she said.
He chuckled. “Are you psychic? I was just thinking the same thing.”
“It seems crazy that a month has passed already.” She straightened her arms and looked down at him. “Are you sure about this? We can still change our minds and go to your dad’s.”
“Unless you don’t want me to do this, sweetheart, I’m still one hundred percent in.”
Kismet had brought an old fae book to Acksel’s. Lucian and Acksel had read the ceremony and history behind it. Apparently fae royalty were in the business of using berserkers as guards for millennia. Lucian thought that most likely the reason that no one really knew anything about berserkers was because they were more inclined to be around fae than humans. His dad had heard about oathing ceremonies, but hadn’t wanted to do that himself.
“I do. I just don’t want you to do something just because you know I want it.”
She was so sweet. He’d known that ever since he met her when he went to live with his grandparents. Her and Mal’s parents had come to say hello, and Mia had offered him a sucker. It was pink and white, and had tasted like strawberries and cream.
“I want to do this. First, because I’ll be a part of the pack and able to hang out at the alphas’ home and keep watch over the mates and kids, which will include you and your little mini-me soon enough. And second, because this is something I’ve wanted since I walked away from the hunters. I get to be with you on the full moon, and I get to use my berserker for something good. Being a pack guard is…well, it’s more than I deserve.”
Her brow arched. “You deserve all the good things, Luc. All of them.”
He curled his fingers over her back, tracing the soft skin and smiling as she let out a growling purr. “As long as I’ve got you, then I have every good thing I could ever want.”
Grinning, she kissed him and then slipped from the bed. “If we don’t get going, Brynn is going to pitch a fit, and then Acksel will be mad at us for making her mad.”
Lucian sat up and swung his legs over. “Shower?”
“Hell no. We smell like each other, and that’s important, since we’re going onto pack lands.”
“Good point.”
They dressed quickly, and when he asked why she wasn’t wearing panties or a bra, she said, “What’s the point? I’m just going to strip in a while anyway, and now there are two less things to take off.”
His berserker didn’t think much of her being naked around unmated males.
As if reading his mind, she said, “We’ll duck to the side of the house when it’s time for me to shift. I’m going hunting with Mal and my cousins, Devin and Hayden.”
Acksel was going to assign Lucian to patrol duty around the alphas’ home. He’d transform and keep watch until Acksel returned from his own hunt with the high-ranked males, which would be several hours at least.
He drove to the alphas’ home. Mia fidgeted next to him, biting her lip and occasionally cracking her knuckles. The street was lined with cars on both sides, and there were cars on the lawn in front of the alphas’ home as well. He found a place to park on the street and turned off the engine.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“My wolf is arguing with me.”
He couldn’t help but smile. He was still getting used to having his berserker making suggestions, so he could relate. “What’s up with her?”
“I want to shift and hunt so badly that my fingers are aching.” She turned her hands palm-up and curled her fingers. Her fingernails darkened, and she groaned softly.
“And?”
She looked at him, her eyes glistening with emotion. “I don’t want to leave you.”
He cupped her face, stroking his thumb across her cheekbone. “Damn, I love you.”
She chuckled and a tear slipped down her cheek, which he wiped gently away. “I love you, too.”
“I want to see you shift, sweetheart. This is a big part of who you are, just like it’s about to be a big part of who I am, too. I get to be in your pack. Do you have any idea how much that appeals to me? I freaking love it. I’ve got a purpose now – protecting people who are important to you. And in about eight months, I’ll be able to protect you and our child. I couldn’t be prouder or happier. So you have to go out there tonight and hunt. Doc said you probably wouldn’t be able to hunt after another month or so of your pregnancy, so now’s the time.”
Once she reached about the third month of her pregnancy, her wolf would settle down on the full moon and the urge to shift would disappear until after the baby was born.
She inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh. “I know.”
He had a feeling that she was feeling out of sorts about hunting because she didn’t want to be away from him. He could relate, because he didn’t like being away from her for any reason, but he wouldn’t share that with her. Making her feel guilty on top of whatever other things she was feeling wouldn’t do any good. Hunting was what she needed tonight.
“Ready, sweetheart?”
She nodded.
He leaned over and kissed her swiftly, and then got out of the car, coming around to her side and opening her door. “Tomorrow, let’s go look for a new car.”
“Oh?” she said with a smile.
“I’m not saying I’m ready for a minivan, but I do think we could do with a midsize SUV.”
“Is anyone ever ready for a minivan?”
“If we have more than one kid, we’ll need one,” he pointed out. “Even if they are powerfully uncool.”
She squeezed his hand as she laughed. “Maybe after the second kid, you don’t mind not being cool. Just promise me one thing.”
“An
ything.”
“If you ever see me trying to buy ‘mom jeans,’ talk me out of them.”
“You bet.”
* * *
Mia stood on the back deck of her alphas’ home. Acksel and Brynn, along with the four elders, waited against the railing while the pack gathered. Lucian’s arms were around her. He appeared to be relaxed, but she could feel the tension in his body as he scanned the area for danger. She trailed her fingers up and down his arms as she watched the pack heed the call of the alpha and draw close. Mal, Nila, and Jack were in the crowd, along with her cousins.
Acksel kissed Brynn’s cheek and then the two of them stepped to the center of the deck. He raised his hand for silence, and the pack quieted. Brynn gestured for her and Lucian to join the alphas. The elders moved behind Acksel and Brynn, and Holis opened the book that Kismet had brought from her king, detailing the berserker oathing ceremony.
“There was a time,” Acksel said, as he took the book from Hollis, “when wolves were an island all unto themselves. A time in our recent past, when we didn’t allow outsiders to join us, when we exiled pack members who chose to mate outside of our species. But the truth of life is that if we don’t evolve, we’ll grow stagnant and die. It’s in our nature to shun the unknown, but there are times to move past that and embrace a future where the safety of the alpha family, the non-wolf mates, and the pack as a whole has to take precedence over those deep-seated fears.
“To this end, I bring to the pack tonight Lucian Rhodes. Most of you know him. He was raised in Wilde Creek. But the male we believed to be human is a berserker, a rare shifter with strength and speed that rivals even our strongest males. There is a reserved position within the pack that hasn’t been filled in decades, called the Prime Protector. The Prime is the guardian of the alphas and their young, guardian of those who are too young or unable to shift. I nominate Lucian Rhodes as Prime Protector.”
He gestured to Lucian, who gave Mia a little squeeze and moved to the alphas. Her mate was shirtless and shoeless, and wearing loose pants. He changed into his berserker, his body bulking and lengthening into a fearsome sight. His skin darkened, razor-sharp teeth glinted in the torchlight on the deck, and his body bulked significantly. His eyes glowed a deep garnet, and the growl rumbling in his chest was one of warning. He glanced at her, and she smiled in encouragement. Her mate was so sexy, in either form.
There was an audible gasp from the pack when Lucian turned his glowing gaze to them.
Acksel cleared his throat. Lucian turned to face him and dropped to one knee as Acksel began to read from the book. “Lucian Rhodes, do you come here tonight of your own free will to join the pack as Prime Protector?”
“I do.”
“Do you swear your allegiance to the alphas of the Wilde Creek pack? Do you swear to guard all who are under the alphas’ care for as long as there is breath in your lungs?”
“I swear,” Lucian said, his voice deep with his berserker.
“Do you swear to protect the pack with your life? Do you swear to honor our ways as your own?”
“I swear.”
Acksel closed the book. “I swear to be a male worthy of your oath. To never ask you to put my safety above that of your family, and to always honor the vows we’ve made today.”
The alpha looked at the pack. “If there are any here who have reason to believe that Lucian is not worthy of joining the pack as a Prime Protector, raise your voice now or remain silent forever.”
Mia held her breath, stealing a glance at the pack. No one stepped forward or raised a hand against Lucian, and after what felt like an eternity, Acksel nodded and she let go of the breath she’d been holding.
“Oath yourself to me, berserker,” Acksel said.
Felix, one of the elders, came forward and untied a leather pouch. He tipped the pouch upside down over his hand and poured black salt into his palm. The salt had come from Kismet’s fae colony, and was imbued with magic. Hollis handed a ceremonial blade to Acksel, and the alpha made a cut on the underside of his bicep, a mark resembling an infinity symbol. He drew the edge of the blade through the pile of black salt, and then he wiped the crystals over the bloody symbol.
Lucian took the blade from Acksel and made a similar mark in his arm, deftly cutting the figure with the sharp tip, gathering salt on it, and then wiping it across the mark. As the salt-covered blade moved over Lucian’s wound, both males’ marks began to glow as if they were being heated. Although neither male made a sound of discomfort, Lucian’s eye ticked and Acksel’s jaw clenched.
Duncan, another elder, took the blade from Lucian. Acksel nodded to Lucian and said to the pack, “I, Acksel Moore, alpha of the Wilde Creek pack, do hereby name Lucian Rhodes as Prime Protector, and declare the oath between us is for the length of our lives. Our beasts are linked inextricably now, forever tied together by the oath. Call your mate.”
Lucian stood slowly and looked over his shoulder at Mia. “Come to me, Mia.”
Her heart jumped into her throat as tears stung her eyes. What she’d wanted from the moment that Lucian had marked her in that raven hellhole was now coming to be. Their fingers linked and she faced her alphas.
Brynn was smiling broadly, and her eyes were shining with tears. She mouthed, love you bestie, and Mia returned the silent sentiment.
Renfrow, another elder, joined them, holding a large leather-bound book. He stood next to Acksel and Brynn. “On this night, Mia Slattery brings Lucian Rhodes before the alphas, the elders, and the pack to declare him as her mate. Our laws are clear in this regard: wolves may take non-wolves to mate, and in doing so, the mate is recognized as an honorary pack member. If there are any among us who would disagree with Lucian’s honorary membership, speak now or be silent forever.”
There was silence, and Mia was glad for it. Even though Lucian was technically part of the pack already because of his position as Prime Protector, it was always possible someone might not like having a berserker as an honorary member. When no one said anything, Acksel said, “As alpha of the Wilde Creek pack, I recognize the mating of Mia and Lucian, and welcome Lucian Rhodes as an honorary pack member and Prime Protector, under the authority of the alphas. Welcome to the pack.”
Acksel lifted his head and howled, and the pack joined in. Mia let her wolf loose and a howl left her own lips, full of joy and longing for the mate she’d always wanted to finally be by her side. The pack joined in, the night filling with the happy noise of a pack welcoming its newest member.
Mal was standing on the grass with Nila and Jack, and Mia and Lucian joined them after thanking the elders and alphas for their support. Nila hugged Mia. “I’m so happy for you both.”
“Thanks,” Mia said. “He was worth waiting for.”
Mal and Lucian hugged in that manly way, with hands clapping on backs loudly and masculine chuckles. “I’ll keep Mia safe while we’re out hunting,” Mal said.
“I trust you,” Lucian said. “And I’ll keep Jack and Nila safe.”
Mal nodded and walked Nila and Jack into the house. Sam, the theto and leader of the protectors, came over with Ren and shook Lucian’s hand.
“Welcome, man.”
Ren was looking into the woods, his brows drawn and his eyes flashing to the amber of his wolf.
“Is everything okay, Ren?” Mia asked.
He shook his head as if he were dislodging a thought, and said, “Yeah. I…feel like we’re being watched.”
Lucian’s eyes turned deep red and he spun with a growl, facing the woods. He straightened and relaxed, turning back. “It’s Kismet.”
“Who?” Ren asked.
Mia said, “Kismet is a fae. She gave the oath ceremony book to Acksel. Her twin is Noah, Doc’s brother-in-law.”
“Why didn’t she come to the ceremony?” Sam asked.
“Mia invited her, but she said she had some kind of party to go to for her father. Maybe she was able to get away for a bit and watch, and didn’t want to make a scene,” Mia said.
Ren opened his mouth, closed it, and then said, “Welcome to the pack, Lucian.”
Then he walked straight for the woods, a growl rumbling in his chest.
“That was weird,” Sam said. “But then again, we’re shifters and weird things are pretty standard. Who are you hunting with tonight, Mia?”
“Mal and my cousins.”
“Have a good hunt.”
“Thanks, you too.”
“Ready?” Lucian asked.
She nodded. They walked to the side of the house, where the shadows would keep her hidden from anyone who might be watching. For shifters, nudity wasn’t a huge deal. She’d been getting naked in front of the pack since she was a teenager, and it had never bothered her. She liked that Lucian didn’t want her to be naked around other males, though.
“What do you hunt for?” he asked as she toed off her shoes and undid her jeans.
“Usually rabbits. There are deer, if you go deeper into the territory, and Acksel will go with Ren and Sam and some of the other high-ranked males, but Mal likes to stick close, so we just go for a run and see if we can find something tasty to chase.”
“I’ll be right here when you get finished,” he said, watching as she finished stripping and picked up her clothes and shoes. “We just have to stay until Acksel gets back, and then we can go home.”
He bent and captured her lips in a slow kiss that made her toes curl and her wolf whine. Suddenly shifting and hunting didn’t sound like nearly as much fun as seeing what other things Lucian could do with his tongue.
“If we don’t stop, you won’t get to hunt and I’ll screw up the first night of my new job.”
“I know,” she sighed. “You’re irresistible.”
“You are, too. Let me see you shift. I bet you’re beautiful.”
She exhaled and crouched, glancing up at her mate. “Love you.”
“I love you.”
Grinning, she let her shift take over. Shaking herself out, she stretched and inhaled, her nose twitching at how good Lucian smelled. He squatted down and rested a hand on top of her head, sliding his fingers through her fur and then rubbing her ears. “You’re gorgeous, but I knew you would be.”
