The priestess dropped her hands and sat back. “Noth of you will tur to each other and speak from your heart. Tell each other about your devotion, and your deepest feelings for each other. The goddess will be listening, and whatever you say will carry weight in her decision here today.”
Shannon was already turning to face Brandon fully. She grabbed his hands and stared up at his face. “I’ll go first.” She glanced at the priestess, who just nodded. Shannon smiled, and everyone quieted to listen to their claims of devotion. “I remember my first day coming to the pack house. It was before I was to start at school. The only wolves I knew were my dad and Ainsley,” she sighed. “I was nervous about meeting the alpha. But then my dad brought me into Alpha’s Vince’s office, and you were there.” She blushed. “You were so serious, and wouldn’t even look at me, but I knew that day that I was going to mate with you.” She laughed as she shook her head. “It was a silly thought, but every year in school I did my best to catch your eye. And finally, after you shifted for the first time, you saw me.” She leaned in. “You saw me when no one else would look at me. You didn’t care about my rank, who I was related to or what I could do for you.”
Nix snorted. Yes, he did.
What? Megan tilted her head.
Nix laughed. He cared about what she could do for him. It just wasn’t anything to his standing in the pack. He just cared that she would put out.
Megan threw her head back and howled. That’s fair.
“You saw me and loved me. Not Amy. Not anyone else. You loved me.” A tear traced down her cheek. “I have loved you since I was five, and now I get to be your Luna.” She leaned
up
and kissed his lips. A few girls in the crowd sniffled.
Good grief. Nix groaned as she repositioned. They act as if she had said something amazing.
Megan snorted. It was all her friends. And they were probably mad that she somehow landed Brandon, and they didn’t. I coughed to hide my snort.
Every eye turned to Brandon. He looked out over the crowd, and his eyes landed on me. I could feel the smile on my face slowly fade as something almost like recognition ignited in his eyes. But then Shannon tugged his hand, and he turned back to her.
“Brandon?” Her whisper was soft, and it did the trick.
He smiled down at her. “I remember that day. You were wearing a beautiful blue dress and had the cutest dimples in your cheeks.” Shannon froze with a smile on her face, and if you didn’t know better, you would think she was eating up his words, but I did. And I had to quickly adjust my grip on the tray as a few glasses clinked together.
You okay? Rowan’s voice whispered in my ear.
Yeah…just trying not to laugh.
Why would you laugh?
Because Shannon wore pink that day…and she doesn’t have dimples. I pictured the day in my mind, and Rowan laughed out loud again.
You were the cute little girl in blue with dimples? That’s amazing. He laughed again. The man can’t even keep his memories of you straight. She’s blonde, and you have black hair. He shook his head.
“I was smitten that day, and every day since.” He leaned down and kissed her.
Rowan laughed out loud again and started clapping, causing the crowd to follow suit. “Amazing vows.” He called out, slurring his words more.
The priestess paused for a second before picking up the bowl and handing it to Brandon. “With your devotion in your heart declared, the goddess is waiting. Take three drinks from the bowl. Once for your past, once for your present, and the last for your future.” She watched as Brandon and then Shannon drank from the bowl. “Mother, hear our prayer. These two have bound themselves together in this life and the next. Bless the chosen bond and seal their fate together.” There was a pause as the sun
finally dipped under the horizon, and the moon shone down in all a full glory. “Mark each other under the moonlight, and in front of your witnesses. If the goddess agrees to the bond, the man will form.” She waved them both forward.
Shannon tilted her head to the side and waited for Brandon to mark her. He hesitated for a second before leaning down and biting her neck, Shannon moaned loudly for the crowd, causing quite a few women to grimace. Brandon pulled back and licked the wound shut. Then he leaned down and tilted his head, giving annon access,
Shannon leaned up and bit quickly. She pulled away after licking the wound a little too long. Then the crowd drew in a silent breath, waiting to see if the bond snapped into place.
After almost a full minute, the dark lines of the mate bond grew from the bite marks on their necks. The goddess actually blessed the bond. The crowd cheered.
Derek was the loudest, cheering with everyone with his arms in the air, until the omega that was behind him pulled a knife she had hidden and stabbed it through his back.
