Mikaela nodded. Cate admired the soft look that crossed Mikaela’s face as she answered. No doubt Mikaela was thinking back fondly of her mating day. “I wore it, Dimitris’ mother wore it, all the women in the pack have worn it. And now it’s your turn. This color will look lovely against your pale skin and dark hair. The Goddess was very good to our alpha to give him such a lovely mate.” She held open the robe and helped Cate into the garment.
Mikaela must have sensed Cate’s hesitation. “Do not fear. You are mating the alpha, which means you will be the alpha female. Your life will be blessed because of it. A wolf shifter puts his mate above all others. Dimitris will worship you. And as alpha, all the women in the pack will look to you for advice.”
“But what if it isn’t blessed?” she worried. “You said that wolf mates are instantly attracted to one another. You mated Yerik the first day you met. Dimitris and I haven’t exactly gotten off on the right foot. What if we don’t fall into the bliss that other shifter wolves experience? What if the other females resent me? How do I earn their loyalty?”
“You worry too much, Cate,” Mikaela chided. “You love Dimitris already, but your human mind is not willing to accept it yet. When you shift you will know it’s true.”
“But you knew it before that, didn’t you? You knew you loved Yerik before you became a shifter.”
“I did, but that was many hundred years ago. Times were different. Long courtships were not common. You have been handicapped by the society in which you were raised. You will see soon. You and Dimitris are a good match. The Goddess would not have paired you if it weren’t so. You are a natural alpha. The fact that you have stood up to Dimitris instead of catering to his every wish is proof of it. You just need to learn to trust your instincts more. You fight against your nature, too much. Learn to embrace it, instead.”
Mikaela turned to lead Cate from the room, but she resisted. “One last question, please. What should I expect tonight? Dimitris told me so little. I don’t want to embarrass him or myself.”
Mikaela smiled. “Men,” she said, giving Cate an exaggerated eye roll. “Yerik told me practically nothing about what to expect when we mated. I suspect her feared I would chicken out if I knew the truth. Dimitris probably felt the same.” Mikaela’s words did nothing to calm her.
“We’ll meet the females down below. Together we will lead you into the forest where the ceremony will take place. The males who are of age will already be gathered there, waiting in a circle. When we arrive, you will move to the center of the circle and the rest of us will move to our place by our mates. All but you and Dimitris will be dressed as I am for the ritual.” Cate assessed Mikaela’s simple blue velvet robe. Until now, she had assumed it was a rather ostentatious dressing gown.
“Once everyone is in place, the ceremony can begin. Dimitris will be flanked by his closest advisers. He will remove his robe and the three will wash his body with cold water that was drawn from the spring. The water has been boiled twice to remove all impurities and then allowed to sit outside until it is as cold as the air.”
“But it’s freezing outside,” Cate protested.
“He will be fine. The point of the ceremony is to cleanse Dimitris of his past. He is to be clean when he comes to his mate. After the bathing, he will be fortified by fire. Do not worry, the flame will not touch his skin. It’s a rite only, not an actual burning. Once the fortification rite is completed, Dimitris will shift into his wolf form. At that point, you will disrobe.”
“In front of everyone?” Surely she had misunderstood, but the sparkle in Mikaela’s eyes told her that it wasn’t so.
“Yes, in front of everyone. Don’t’ worry. Shifters are often naked in front of others. No one will think anything about your body.” Cate looked down at the robe, but instead of seeing the red cloth and white fur trim, all she could see was her lined belly. This was definitely not going to be the wedding every little girl dreamed of.
Mikaela continued, pulling Cate’s attention back to her description. “As I said, once he has shifted, you will remove your robe. Then he will bite you and your first shift will begin.”
“Will it hurt?” She tried to sound nonchalant, but she could hear her pitch rise.
Mikaela took her hand. “The bite won’t hurt. Dimitris will be gentle with you. But the shift will be quite painful. I remember my first shift like it was yesterday. Imagine childbirth without the little bundle of joy to hold at the end.” Cate paled. Mikaela continued, “With each shift it gets easier. The key is to accept the pain. The more you fight against it the harder and slower it goes. When you learn to accept it, it becomes much easier and faster.”
Though part of Cate wanted to close her ears and ignore this entire conversation, the more dominant part demanded to know everything. “Is that all?”
“Mostly. After you shift, the pack will shift. You will lead us on a run.” Just then a knock sounded at the door. A small blonde peeked her head inside and asked Mikaela if they were ready. Cate remembered seeing the lady at the harvest party. It seemed crazy that it had been less than a week since that fateful day. Her life had changed irrevocably in such a short time.
Holding her back straight she turned to the young woman at the door. “I’m ready,” she said. “Lead the way.”
Cate shivered as she followed the females through the woods. The thin shoes she had been given were wet and the chill was starting to make her toes numb. A quick glance informed her that she was the only one wearing shoes. Perhaps the wet would not bother her once she had transitioned. That was something to look forward to, at least.But is it enough to account for childbirth pain, Cate?She shook her head. Definitely not.
The path opened to a small clearing. The moon was dark this evening, but the light from what Cate assumed to be the cleansing fire lit the area enough for her to see the approximately thirty men that circled the area. One by one the women parted, finding their way between the men to stand next to their mates, until only Cate was left outside of the circle. The two men nearest her backed up, allowing her entrance to the circle. There, in the center, stood Dimitris. He smiled at her, his eyes beckoning her to enter. Straightening her shoulders she walked forward, and the circle closed behind her.
Dimitris watched as his mate made her way into the circle. Her regal gate announced to all that she was an alpha. There was no doubt the Goddess had chosen a mate of his equal. Wordlessly she walked to him, her eyes never breaking their hold on his. His wolf longed to pull her into his arms, but he resisted. He would not break the sacredness of the mating ceremony. Soon, Cate would be his to hold as often as he liked.
The pack was silent, only the snap of the fire could be heard in the clearing. Dimitris gave his mate one last reassuring smile before he opened his robe to begin the ritual. Slowly he kneeled at her feet. Her eyes never left him. His wolfed relished the way her gaze roamed his body. Lukyan bent to retrieve the bucket of water and placed it behind him. Dimitris felt a splash of water hit his feet as the pail was set on the ground behind him. Cate’s eyes snapped to the bucket. Dimitris willed her to look at him again. Long moments passed before he captured her gaze again.That’s better, my Cate, keeping looking at me. Only me.
Alek bent first and cupped water between his hands. “May the Goddess cleanse you so you can meet your mate in purity,” he said as he released the water over Dimitris’ head. The water was cold, but Dimitris did not flinch. He would show no weakness in front of his mate.
One by one, Mylo and Lukyan repeated the process until Dimitris’ body was sufficiently chilled and wet. Then, together all males in the pack lifted their heads and howled. The moon was dark this evening, but the Goddess that resided there would hear their praise and be pleased with it. Dimitris raised his head and howled loudly, allowing his wolf to praise the Goddess for the gift she had given him.
Cate could feel her heart beat speed when the howling began. Mikaela had not warned her of this part of the ceremony. Cate wanted to look up, to see the men that were lifting their voices, but she dared not look away from Dimitris. Something told her that it was important for her to keep her eyes on his golden ones. When he tilted his head to raise his voice to the hidden moon, she felt the corners of her mouth lift. In that moment he seemed so young and happy. He ended his howls and looked back to her, smiling.
During the howling, Mylo had moved to light the end of a branch in the fire. He lifted the flaming branch above Dimitris’s head and then chanted, “May the Goddess fortify you so that you may be the protector your mate deserves.” Though Cate focused her stare on Dimitris’ face, she could see the branch dip dangerously close to his skin. Its yellow light grazed his skin first on the right shoulder, then on the left. Mylo handed the branch to Lukyan and then Alek, each repeating the words and ritual just as Mylo had. Alek’s hand faltered as he completed the process, allowing the blaze to lick Dimitris’ skin. Dimitris kept his face forward never flinching, his stare locked on Cate’s. She longed to reach out and comfort him, her ire forgotten for the moment. Again the pack howled. Again Dimitris howled. Again Cate smiled.
Slowly, Dimitris rose to his full height, standing naked in front of her. Wordlessly he reached down, taking her hands in his. He said nothing, but Cate could feel the weight of moment as he sent a silent promise to be good to her, to love her, to honor her. There was no need for words, she could read his face. He raised her hands to his lips and gently laid a kiss in the palm of first her left hand and then her right. Gently, he dropped her hands and stepped back. Cate watched as his body began to transition. Slowly his form jerked and arced, his skin split down his spine until his human form fell away and a big black wolf was left in its stead. The transformation was far slower than what she had witnessed in the hospital. Cate wondered if it was for the sake of the ceremony.
The wolf edged closer to her. She wondered if he could hear her heartbeat. It was faster now, thumping in her chest. The wolf stood before her and nosed against her robe, an indication that it was time for her to remove it. With shaking hands she untied the sash and let the garment fall to the ground. She looked only at the wolf, daring not to make eye contact with anyone in the circle. The wolf sat on the ground and looked at her for long seconds. “Do it,” she whispered just before he opened his mouth and pierced the skin on her forearm.
