Vessa sizes me up with equal bemusement, slipping her gloved fingers into my outstretched hand. I don’t try to hide it when I take a quick peek at her neckline, marking two golden suns that rest between her breasts. My breathing hitches as I admire how tightly they are constrained, spilling out of the embellished top. Just enough to give me an idea of how much will fill my cupped hands.
I am so screwed.
Jabir dips his head and steps aside with Nell. “She’s all yours, Commander.”
Dozens of families and warrior cadets nod to us as we pass, making our way to the table of honor. My brother is not yet among them. Vessa brushes her hair over her shoulder. I can’t help but shudder as I inhale the pleasant coalescence of her natural pheromones and floral perfume.
For a second time, my gaze drops to the priceless necklace. “Where did you get that?”
“Dominik gave it to me earlier,” she says, watching Qinnu raise his son to sit atop his shoulders. “He said it was your mother’s.”
That prick. Of course, he found the damned necklace. He always has to find a way to sneak in a subtle jab. I’ve spent the last week searching for it. After Demi came up empty, I was convinced it had been lost.
Clearing my throat, I tear my eyes away, debating when and where I’m going to give him a piece of my mind tonight. “It was.”
Vessa’s smile falters as we near our designated seats. “I suppose I should probably let you know that Dominik isn’t coming.”
Great. I guess I won’t be dealing with him tonight then. Then again, my focus really should be elsewhere. Like how I’m going to survive the next few hours without clawing that unbelievable dress to shreds . . .Gods, why are there so many buttons?
“There you are!” Demi exclaims.
Chris and Demi are already seated with their daughters, Willa and Lex, who Vessa is delighted to meet. They’re both the spitting image of their mother, with their father’s curious brown eyes. The eldest, Lex, who inherited my sister’s knack for mischief and prodding asks, “Isn’t she tiny for being lycan?”
Demi kindly corrects her. “Vessa is a human, baby.”
“Oh,” she says with a blush, tugging on her mother’s pale green dress.
My mate shrugs. “It’s alright. I’m pretty tiny by human standards, too.”
The girls all giggle in unison. “Go on, now. Give your auntie a hug,” Demi insists.
Vessa and I immediately lock eyes. That’s right. Her family has just grown by two.
Following a large feast accompanied by savory wine and an animated string quartet, the induction ceremony commences. My sister, now donning a red and gold robe, takes to the center dais along with Nell’s mother and the priestess. They invite the crowd of two hundred to bow their heads and join in a series of prayers. Each person lifts their glasses skywards, gesturing to the goddess who watches over us.
Though it should be my mother and the priestess who preside over the traditional ceremony, I find it touching that Demi and my mother’s closest friend, Daphne, do so instead as tributes. This is exactly how Mother would want us to honor her memory. A parcel of me aches, knowing how much it would’ve meant to my parents had they lived long enough to witness this moment.
Vessa
Admiring the western sky, I think of how humbling this land is—encompassed by stars, mountains, and sea—so far, so different from where I first began. Though I soak in the comforting glow of candlelight, I am more warmed by the thought that maybe I don’t miss home as much as I used to.
A low, haunting chant fills the air, and my throat dips as I am called to the altar. Axe stands off to the side, keeping close watch. His eyes haven’t strayed from me once the entire night. I feel the lightning-hot current, even when I try to avoid it.
Under the priestess’s direction, Demi smiles as she leads me through reciting a series of vows to demonstrate my devotion and commitment to protecting the pack. Silence falls over the crowd. To my shock, not a single person objects as I claim my title.
Singing over my head, the Alpha’s sister presents me with a gold ring forged with ruby and topaz, the treasured emblem of the Bleeding Sun’s Luna. Daphne, Nell’s mother, reminds the crowd what the two colors of the ring symbolize and the legacy of those who wore it before her. Red: passion and sacrifice. Yellow: vitality and fellowship.
The priestess chants a final blessing over me, looking up to the moon, a silvery crescent bearing witness to the ceremony. Daphne and Demi place their hands atop my headdress, singing along. At the last refrain, Axe joins me on the dais. Facing his pack, he recites the creed he has dedicated his life to upholding.Shield of the innocent, shadow of the fallen, reaper of enemies, teeth of the gods.
Kneeling before me, he whispers, “No turning back?”
I look into his eyes, finding my center of gravity there. “No turning back.”
Holding the ring between his thumb and index finger, he guides it onto my longest digit, placing a kiss to the gems. He pulls me closer, resting my hand over his thumping heart. In his grasp, I breathe in the musky notes of cedar and whiskey that cling to his suit. A scent I have been ruminating on since we shared our last kiss.
As the pulsing connection opens, I feel the weight of my mate’s vow, the words crystallizing like armor around my heart:On my honor, I will never fail you. My blood is yours to spill. My heart is yours to hold. You have my protection always.
The crowd cheers wildly. Children jump up and twirl. Some women even have tears streaming down their faces.
