“No.” Zhuang was firm about that.
“Why do you need a witness? Osamu never had witnesses.”
Zhuang’s eyebrows shot up. “There were no witnesses when he accepted you into the clan?”
“No. He said it was a private affair between an alpha and his clan member.”
Zhuang swallowed tightly. “Baby, do you know what you’re saying?”
“Yeah. There were never any witnesses when Osamu accepted someone into the clan, so I don’t understand why you need one.”
“Can Osamu talk to you telepathically like I do?”
“He’s not my mate!”
“Xias, once you are accepted into a clan, the alpha can talk to you just like a mate can. Mates can talk to each other, they can talk to their cubs, and alphas can talk to every member of their clan. That’s what clan bonds are all about.”
Xias’s jaw dropped.
“He’s never talked to you telepathically?”
Xias shook his head.
“And there was no witness when he accepted you into the clan?”
Xias shook his head again.
“Then I doubt you were a registered member of his clan.”
Which was both good and bad. If Xias wasn’t a member of Osamu’s clan, then the man had no claim on Xias or the cubs at all. But it also meant that Xias was a rogue shifter with no clan. That was a shit-storm in itself.
Zhuang turned to Tao. He knew what he needed to do. He used a claw to slice a cut across his wrist, then held his arm out. Tao did the same to his own arm. When they clasped wrists, their cuts met, blood blending with blood.
“Do you accept me as your alpha?”
“I do,” Tao replied without hesitation.
“Do you agree to live under my rule and accept my dominion over you?”
“I do.”
“Do you swear to protect those in our clan even into death?”
“I do.”
“Tao, son of Cheng, I accept you into my clan as one of my own. I swear to protect you, guide you, and care for you even into death.”
“Thank you, Alpha Zhuang.”
Zhuang felt a tingle at the base of his skull. He trembled as that tingle swept through him. He had expected there to be some sort of pain, but what he got was a warmth that spread throughout his entire body and the feeling as if he belonged to something bigger than himself.
“Can you hear me, Tao?”he asked silently.
Tao’s grin was bigger than Zhuang had ever seen. “Yeah,” he said out loud. “I can hear you.”
Zhuang smiled as he sliced another cut into his wrist and held his arm out to Xias. “Your turn, mate.”
* * * *
