“Yes,” he said nonchalantly. “Other males, or females if they choose, have the right to challenge my claim on you as my mate. If they do, I’ll have to prove I have what it takes to protect you through combat.”
I gave him a concerned look before it occurred to me that there wouldn’t be any challenges for my honor. My father didn’t care for me, and I had no brothers or former lovers to stand in his place. No one ever thought I was worth much of anything, except for Caelan.
“There won’t be any challenges.” I breathed, relieved that he wouldn’t be forced to fight for me.
“Well, there will be at least one,” he corrected.
“How can you be certain?”
“Because it’s tradition,” he said with a shrug. “There’s always at least one wolf who will step up so that the challenged can prove they’re worthy. If Dillon were unmated, he’d be the one to do it. Since he isn’t, I guess it could be Oliver, but you’re not really Oliver’s type.”
“Because I’m an omega?” I suggested sadly.
“Because you’re a female, baby,” he countered with a sly grin.
My brows rose in surprise. “Oh.”
“So,” Caelan continued, “one of my warriors will have to step up.”
“I don’t want you fighting over me,” I murmured.
“Don’t worry,” he said, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. “It’s mostly for show. It’s rare for a challenge to be serious these days.”
I nodded, an uneasy feeling settling in my gut at the thought.What if someone doesn’t approve of me? Could they use the challenge to force Caelan to reject me as his mate? What if he gets hurt because of me?I swallowed my doubts for the time being. “What then?”
“Once all the challenges have been answered, we’ll hold a feast in celebration of our right to mate. It usually lasts late into the
night…sometimes even into the early morning, depending on the couple,” he said as he blushed.
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” he said nervously. “At some point during the party…whenever we feel the time is right… uh, you and I will slip away…to complete the marking. Afterward, we’ll return to the party and present our marks to the pack, solidifying our mating before the Goddess.”
I could literally feel the color draining from my face.We’re going to have to mark and mate with each other in the middle of a party where everyone knows what we’re doing?! Then come back and face them?! Oh Goddess… I don’t know if I can do that.
I’d never been with anyone before. Just the thought that my first time might be when the entire pack was waiting for us made me want to die of embarrassment.
Caelan must have sensed my sudden trepidation because his gaze shifted from calm to concerned.
“Shade, what’s wrong? What is it?”
“I’m okay,” I said dismissively with a shake of my head, my cheeks burning as I tried to hide my face.
“No. Tell me what’s bothering you,” he insisted, his voice firm but comforting.
“It’s just…I’m a…I’m a virgin,” I admitted, whispering the last word so quietly I couldn’t be entirely certain he heard me. “I just…I just don’t… I don’t know how I feel about doing ‘it’ for the first time with everyone aware of exactly what we’re doing, you know?”
Caelan nodded in understanding, looking away sheepishly. “Well,” he began, “and please don’t take this as me trying to pressure you into anything, but we could”—he cleared his throat—“we could always have sex for the first time before the marking ceremony.”
My eyes went wide as I stared at him in surprise.
“Everyone will still know what we’re doing,” he continued quickly, clearly anxious about how I would respond to this suggestion. “And they’ll be waiting for us to return, but if we did it before, then it wouldn’t be your first time. Might take a little of the pressure off.”
I glanced away, the thought of sleeping with Caelan sending a wave of heat through my body as a thousand nervous butterflies took flight in my stomach.
Am I ready to have sex with him? I want him. That much is very clear, but am I ready for that step? I just don’t know.
“Do…uh…do you think it’s a good idea if we do it ahead of time?” I murmured.
