They took their places on the flower mound, opposite me, and then we all turned, waiting for my mate.
Elodie came slowly, walking carefully down the flower aisle as if she didn’t want to crush a single petal. She was absolutely breathtaking. She wore a one-shoulder purple lace gown, perfectly fitted to every one of her curves. And if my eyes didn’t deceive me, it wascompletely see-throughunderneath the lace, the pale shadow of a nipple taunting me as she drew closer.
It took everything I had to wait as she drew closer, when everything in me wanted to run to her, pull her up the aisle. But instead, I drank her in, trying to memorize every tiny detail of the moment. The way her shining hair twisted to the side, leaving her neck bare for my bite. The way she smiled so shylyup at me, as if we hadn’t already shared the most intimate experience a couple could.
The memories only fueled my desire to have her back in my arms. Finally, she reached me, the soft perfume of crushed blooms filling the air as she handed her bouquet to Galyna so she could place her hands in mine.
“Hi,” she whispered, casting a nervous glance at the crowd. “Everyone is staring at us.”
I leaned in close so only she could hear. “Everyone’s happy for us. But don’t worry about them.”
She nodded, and I snuck a kiss on her temple before I pulled back.
“Hey now, no kissing the girl early,” Lucien joked, and our friends laughed from their seats.
Elodie rolled her eyes, and I felt her nerves melt away through our bond.
Reed stepped forward first to officially get the bonding ceremony underway. He held up a black box, then opened it to reveal a matched pair of engraved throwing daggers, each with a ruby-encrusted hilt. “For prosperity,” he said, carefully laying the box at our feet.
Elodie glanced at me wide-eyed, mouthing a surprisedWowat our bonding gift. I squeezed her fingers, glad she was pleased with them.
My sister came next, waiting until Reed had stepped back into place before coming to kneel at our feet. “For fertility,” she said with a wink and a grin as she knelt and splashed the rosehip water over our feet and ankles. “You two need a do-over with the heat. I want more nieces and nephews.” She rose and pressed a kiss to my cheek before returning to her position.
Galyna’s eyes were uncharacteristically misty as she came forward, opening the bottle of perfume in her hands. “For passion,” she said in a clear, cool voice. She then spritzed thelovelace perfume behind both of Elodie’s ears and inside her wrists, at her pulse point. She turned to me and repeated the action. It worked quickly, Elodie and I locking eyes as she stepped back, already ready to tear each other’s clothes off. But then I remembered our audience and held myself painstakingly still.
Dirge was the last one to step forward. He held up two shining white gold rings. “For eternity.” Joy shone in his eyes as he handed each of us the other’s ring.
“Elodie and Valens.” Lucien nodded to each of us in turn as he stepped forward to complete the ceremonial binding, his first as the Alpha of the Hungarian pack. “We gather here under the Goddess’s moon to bind you two together as mates. It is an eternal bond, forged by the love of the Moon Goddess, lasting in life and beyond the call of death. It is my understanding that you have already offered the lady her gift. Is that correct, and do you accept the gifts this alpha offers you, Elodie?”
She smiled up at me. “I do.”
“Excellent. You may now exchange rings.”
I looked down at the tiny circle in my hands, feeling suddenly clumsy as I looked at the little clustered diamonds. It had been my grandmother’s bonding ring, and I choked up suddenly now that it was time to put it on my girl. Elodie’s hand came to rest over mine, and I looked up again. “Together,” she reminded me.
“Together.”
I carefully placed the ring on her finger, and she smiled down at it for a second before holding it up against her heart, as if it was the most precious thing she’d ever seen. Once she’d had a moment, she slipped my band onto my finger.
As soon as she finished, I was aching to pull her in for the kiss, but I knew there was a tiny bit more ceremony left.
Thankfully, Lucien was on top of it. “The bond between mates is sealed with a bite. It is tradition for this to be doneprivately, and it must be completed before the moon sets on this night. In the eyes of the Moon Goddess and these witnesses, I bless this joining. Go forth and claim your mate.”
“Are you ready?” I whispered, gripping her hands tightly in mine.
“So ready,” she agreed.
We held hands and ran into the night, our friends’ cheers chasing after us all the way to the bonding cottage.
Chapter 73
Elodie
My chest heaved as I slammed through the door of the bonding cottage, Valens hot on my heels. There were candles on every surface, casting a soft, romantic glow around the now-familiar space.
Unlike the last time we were here, my head was completely clear, and I knew exactly what I wanted.
My mate.
