I could feel his gaze dancing over my body in return, goosebumps rising in their wake. His throat bobbed as he gulped, a barely discerniblewhoaslipping past his lips.
We stood there quietly, staring at each other for several minutes.
“Well, I’ll leave you two to it then,” Taffy said with a wink as she released my arm. “Don’t take too long. Remember, everyone is waiting for you.”
“Thanks, Taffy,” Caelan muttered as she walked away. “Shade…you look…wow,” he breathed, closing the distance between us.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I managed with a soft smile.
“We better get this ceremonial crap over with quickly,” he groaned, pulling my body against his. “I don’t know how long I can resist the urge to tear this dress off you. I can feel my wolf stirring, and both of us want you all for ourselves.”
He growled, his face dipping toward my shoulder as he inhaled deeply.
The wolf inside me went wild at his words. I felt the same way. But the pack had come together to put on this party for us at the last minute. As much as we wanted to disappear, it wouldn’t be fair to them.
“We should probably get going then,” I said, stepping away and threading my fingers through his. “The sooner we get through this, the sooner we can slip away.”
“That’s not what I hoped you’d say,” he whined, following petulantly behind me. “That dress is going to kill me,” he grumbled, his gaze burning a trail along my backside.
I couldn’t help the smile on my face at the effect I had on him. I had seen his desire for me before, but this was another level altogether. He seemed desperate, practically panting with need.
But then again, so was I. I bit my lip as we made our way along the lit path toward the music and the chatter of gathered wolves.
Tonight is the real deal. The night I’ve secretly worried about and longed for ever since he told me we were mates. Tonight, I’ll mark Caelan, and we’ll finally be joined as one.
Marking Ceremony…Again
SHADE
As we rounded the corner to one of the large covered pavilions in the pack gardens, I stopped in my tracks. My eyes widened as I tried to take it all in.
The entire pavilion was covered in twinkling lights. Every inch of the ceiling glittered with them, their strands tightly wrapped around every column, illuminating a large dance floor.
Picnic tables lined the perimeter, each one decorated with vases of fresh flowers, probably gathered from the garden that afternoon. All of them were different shapes and sizes, yet they somehow managed to go together.
A buffet along one side was lined with various dishes brought by the pack members. Adjacent to that was a makeshift bar where a couple of wolves had volunteered to play bartender for the night.
This felt more relaxed, more rustic, and more like Caelan and me. My eyes began to water as I looked over every detail.
“Do you like it?” Caelan whispered in my ear as he came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“I love it,” I admitted. “This feels…right.”
“I agree,” he stated. “Much more our kind of night. Still, I’d be much happier if we were alone and naked in our bed though.”
He buried his face in my neck, his grip on me tightening as his lips brushed my skin.
“Caelan,” I chastised half-heartedly. “You’re supposed to let your father know we’re here so he can introduce us. You’re just causing more delay until we can actually…you know.”
I started to pull away, but he dragged me back.
“I will. Just hold on a second… Don’t move, okay?” he asked, his voice strained as he held me in place.
“What? Why?”
“I-I just, uh,” he stammered. “I need a second to…adjust. I told you this dress would kill me. Can you please just stand there and give me a second to get myself under control?”
“Oh!” I exclaimed a little louder than I had intended. “Uh, sure. Is there anything…I can, uh… You know what? Never mind. Forget I said that.”
