“We do,” Finlay said. There was silence and I got the feeling the council was busy mindlinking.
“We took for granted you were chosen mates. You seemed to be close from the start,” the same woman told us.
“We had intentions of choosing each other once the game was over. But after I completed the rejection with Alpha James yesterday, a bond to Finlay clicked into place,” I told them.
“And that is why we are here. Is there a way for the council to prove our bond is a fated one?” Finlay asked. The council looked at each other and nodded.
“Prudent. We understand the need to protect your mate and the bond you share. Our sister, Livia, has the ability to feel mate bonds and can separate chosen bonds from fated ones,” the head of the council said. A kind-looking woman stood up and walked over to us.
“Could you please hold each other’s left hand and place them in mine,” she said. I faced Finlay and placed my left hand in his and then we placed both our hands in her outstretched one. She placed her other hand on top of ours. There was a warm sensation around our hands and Livia smiled.
“Astonishing,” the head of the council said. I assumed Livia had mindlinked him her finding.
“Thank you. It was a treat to feel your bond. It’s quite unique,” Livia told us and let go of our hands. I saw Finlay puff out his chest. He was so cute.
“There is no question that your mate bond is a fated one,” she told us when she had returned to her seat. “Luna Amie, we know you had a fated mate before. Alpha Finlay, you must have had one as well at one point. She must have been lost before you met her. May I ask? As May pointed out, you have seemed to have a strong bond between you since we met you for the first time. Has it always been like that?”
“Yes, it has always been like that. We knew it wasn’t a mate bond, but we have always felt a pull towards each other,” Finlay told them and I nodded.
“Luna Amie, how long after your rejection did you meet Alpha Finlay?” someone asked.
“A little over four years after,” I said.
“I would say your mate bond to Alpha James had already decayed by then. I would guess you and Alpha Finlay had a partial bond created from the moment you met. Because your old bond was still in place, it couldn’t fully form. But it was enough for the two of you to feel its effects,” Livia explained. Finlay and I looked at each other. It would explain a lot. “Your bond is unique because it has the characteristics of both a fated and a chosen bond. I have only seen it twice before and in both those cases it has been due to the mates having been separated after the true mate bond activated, but before they could mark each other. Your situation is one of a kind. Your bond is therefore very strong. To put it in words that makes it easy to understand; instead of one bond, you have two that have been woven together,” Livia told us. I reached for Finlay’s hand and held it. It was easy to feel the love flowing from him to me.
“This council has no issue with declaring the two of you true mates. The moon goddess has blessed you twice,” the head of the council proclaimed.
“Thank you. We are grateful for your support and thank you for seeing us with such short notice,” Finlay said. We both bowed to the council and left the room.
“Now we just need to wait for the scores, that should be the end of scary things to get through,” I said to Finlay as we stepped out of the building.
“And calling your parents, that is almost scarier than anything else,” he told me. I giggled.
Chapter 65
Finlay
Amie and I spent an hour walking around. Just like the other day, it was a lot of fun. The best part was meeting all the people we had talked to before and seeing their reaction to our mating. Not many looked surprised. We got a lot of congratulations and I would see envy in the eyes of some of the men. After a while, we looped back and found the others setting up for the picnic lunch. All the packs sat on blankets or on the grass and ate while waiting for the big score board to reveal the scores, and more importantly, the ranks for this year. We helped spread blankets on the ground and unpack all the food. I sat down and pulled Amie with me. I made sure she could lean back on me as everyone made sure she had plenty to eat. Sam sat down on the other side of her. She looked at him, he smiled at her.
“Why are you sitting there?” she asked him.
“Why wouldn’t I?” he asked.
“Let me rephrase. Why are you sitting so close to me that you are almost in my lap?” Amie asked.
“Well, as your bodyguard, it seemed like a good idea to keep close to you,” he told her, still smiling.
“My what?”
“Your bodyguard. You are the Luna. As Gamma, it is one of my most sacred duties to protect you.” Amie looked at me with horror.
“It’s the way it is,” I said. I liked Amie safe, and having Sam close by her would keep her safe.
“But it’s only while we are here. Right? I mean when we are on our pack land there is no need for a bodyguard. Right?” she asked us.
“I don’t know, Luna. It can be dangerous back at home as well,” Sam said. I was almost positive he was just pulling her leg.
‘I don’t know about this Luna business, Finn. Maybe I can keep being Beta and Jake can be Luna. He would probably benefit more from Sam’s protection anyway,’ Amie mindlinked me. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.
