Page 35 of Petals & Promises

Taking my hand, Warrick led me away, and since I wouldn’t let go of Vili, he came too. Waffles took up the rear, keeping an eye on Jonas, but I think the man learned his lesson. He wouldn’t give Waffles another chance to do some real damage this time.

None of us spoke as Mitch led us out of town and to a row of vehicles. These things looked like SUVs that didn’t have the top half put on. Instead, there was just a frame so if the thing rolled over, it wasn’t going to crush us. Not questioning what we were doing, I climbed up and slid to the opposite side. Vili joined me, holding Nugget as Gareth heaved Waffles into the vehicle.

The engine roared to life, and a puff of black smoke burst out the back, making me jump. Vili placed a comforting hand on my thigh and smiled. Relief flooded me as the man I knew and loved returned, the shadows of his anger gone, leaving only warmth and light behind. I clutched his hand in both of mine and kissed it to share my feelings since I wasn’t sure what to even say about the situation.

Leaning down, he nuzzled the hair above my ear. “I’m fine, kitten. Don’t worry. We are here for fun.”

That was easier said than done when I knew how upset he’d been to see his father show up. It was clear to me that being around them wasn’t good for Vili. However, if his mother really was dying, I wouldn’t hold him back if he decided to say goodbye to her.

Mitch got the truck moving and drove into the dense rainforest, following a track many had used before him. Enamored by the beauty of where we were, I forgot all about Jonas and whatever issues were tied to the Rantala family. Seeing all of this made my fingers itch to draw or paint—anything I could do to bring a piece of this back with me. Birds of every color swooped around us, their calls loud and distinctive, filling the air and adding to the experience. The truck was too loud for us to talk, so it forced us to simply take in the sights.

Then as we crested a hill, the trees fell away, and a gorgeous stone temple lay before us. It was absolutely breathtaking with its sweeping arches and peaked roofing. Red and gold paint were used to enhance certain features, making it pop and come to life. Parts of the temple were covered in small square flags in every color you could imagine fluttering in the wind. This place felt like pure magic, and I hoped with everything I had, Mitch planned to let us explore. The gods must have heard my prayers because Mitch parked the vehicle a few feet away so as not to disturb anyone.

“Welcome to the Temple of Erdis,” Mitch announced. “This is where all the newly bonded packs of our country come to be blessed by the monks. It is a treasured and sacred tradition of the Prio Gria people that I wanted to share with you. Only those outsiders who are brought here by a native can receive the blessing.”

My jaw dropped, having no idea how special this was for us to take part in. “Why us?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“That answer will be made clear once you see and hear the story of Erdis,” Mitch replied, waving us to follow.

As we entered the temple, I found the walkways were littered with flower petals and strings of tiny little bells hung in the archways. It felt like the wind was playing a unique song just for us as we made our way down the walkway to the heart of the temple. Through the arches, I could see gardens filled with flowers and fountains with groups of people curled up with each other and enjoying the atmosphere.

“Are those all bonded packs?” I asked, keeping my voice soft. To speak any louder felt like it would be jarring in such a tranquil place.

Mitch nodded and continued farther into the temple grounds. As we entered the center of the temple, I couldn’t help but gasp. At the heart of the structure was a statue made out of shimmering polished gold that depicted a woman with four men surrounding her, each tied together by thin gold strings. The men were connected to one another, creating a circle around the woman. Then another string tied the men to the woman at the center like the spokes of a bike’s wheel. Water swirled around their feet as if some magical current kept it flowing when no source was obvious.

“This is Erdis and her pack,” Mitch shared. “It is said she was the first Omega to find men who spoke to her soul and hers to theirs. As a display of that love, trust, and devotion to each other, they wanted a way to display their bond. So mixing red dye and their blood together, they made two marks. One on their hands, a circle around a finger to show they were tied to one another. The second was purely for them to see, a mark over their heart to represent they shared their souls willingly to each other and no one else.”

As Mitch talked, he guided us along a wall with paintings depicting the story as he explained it. Each image was masterfully created, bringing life to the tale as we learned about this pack.

“Everyone around them became jealous of their love and grew dissatisfied with their lives here on this small island. So Erdis encouraged them to find the people who spoke to their souls, but when they did, to return home so they could share in the celebration. Erdis believed everyone had someone out there who was exactly who they needed to love and be loved by. I suppose you could say she was the original Scent Matcher,” Mitch said with a grin.

Having reached the end of the story wall, it led us to another room. In the room was a group of older men dressed in red and gold silks seated on cushions. Beside each of them was a gold bowl, a knife, and a few other tools I didn’t recognize. One of the men stood slowly, making his way to us, and said something to Mitch in Prio Grian, to which Mitch nodded and shifted to stand beside the older man.

“This is Harta, a descendant of Erdis,” Mitch introduced and continued to translate as the man spoke. “He wishes to know if all of you speak to each other’s souls?”

Stepping forward, I answered for us all, “Yes, they speak to me as I speak to them.”

The older man smiled widely, his eyes getting lost in the wrinkles of his skin. Harta clapped his hands together and bobbed his head as he started to speak again, “Hearing another’s soul is a gift, but that is not all it takes to make a union last. Trust must be given and earned, love must be abundant and grow a little more each day… honesty, clarity, and kindness go hand in hand when speaking the truth to each other. Words prove intention while actions make them true. These are the foundations of a union that will prosper for eternity,” Harta explained, taking a moment to stare into each of our eyes as he spoke. “If you commit all that I have said to heart and vow to live by them day by day, then it would be our honor to bless this pack with a physical symbol of this vow.”

Confused, I looked to Mitch who simply held up his left hand for me to see the thin red line that circled his finger. My eyes widened as I looked back at my Alphas, having no clue how they would feel about doing this.

“It’s up to you, Rosie. I, for one, have zero issues with placing another mark on you telling the world you’re ours,” Lysse said, answering my questioning gaze.

Gareth jerked his thumb at Ulysses. “I’m with him on this. Sign me up, baby girl, because I’m in this for eternity.”

“Omae, you are who I chose to spend the rest of my existence with in this life and any other. If there’s the slightest chance this helps me to find you no matter where we end up in the afterlife, there’s no hesitation on my end,” Yun-Sun stated.

Vili took my right hand and gently traced the white-colored scar of his mark on my finger. “I’ve marked you once, so twice can’t hurt.”

Stepping up, Warrick caught my chin and stared into my soul, exposing all the emotions he was feeling right now, and it was overwhelming. “Even without the mark on your ear or this blessing on your finger, Bailey-Rose, you are my forever.”

There was no holding back the tears that slipped from my eyes at their words. Here, I’d thought we’d gotten through the worst of the mushy, sappy, lovey-dovey stuff over the last three days, but these men were bound and determined to make it so I couldn’t survive a moment without them in my heart.

“That’s exactly how I feel about each of you,” I managed to croak out, my throat tight with emotion. “I thought I could survive without a pack, without all of you, but it turns out I was never truly living until you showed up in my life.”

Warrick used his thumb to wipe away my tears before pressing a soft kiss to my lips. Sniffling, I tried to pull myself together as Harta motioned for us to follow him. Six other men stood and approached us with their gold bowls and the knife. With a squeak of surprise, a man pricked the tip of my pointer finger and squeezed a drop of blood into the bowl. Lucky for them, I’m a rather good bleeder these days and didn’t have to have another finger poked as I added my drop of blood into the six bowls. Once all of us added a drop, we were guided to cushions in front of the man who was going to do our blessing. Adding in some red dye to the bowl, it was mixed, my finger cleaned with a disinfectant that made my nose hairs burn, and a needle was pulled out of a sterile package.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes only for them to pop open as the men began to sing. Even though I couldn’t understand the words, I could feel the intention behind them. It felt like my mother hugged me and kissed me on the forehead, telling me how proud she was of the woman I became. The way the temple was built amplified the song in a way I’m sure everyone on the property could hear them sing. It was amazing.