“Good. Because I trust you too.”
She pecked his lips, and he pulled her into a slow, passionate kiss.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Mating Ritual
They spent the whole day on the terrace while Matt was off to procure the antidote for wolf venom and the rest of the pack was preparing for the full moon and the mating ritual. The cook and her assistants were busy making more food than they could all eat, and Karl asked the oldest member of the Dark Wolves to perform the ritual. Usually, that was the job of the Elder of the clan, but the old man in question was at Schloss Blackmane because Avelyn needed him more since she had three hyperactive pups running around. Giving little wolf-shifters a good education wasn’t easy, and she needed all the help she could get. The oldest Dark Wolf was a nice lady whom Claudia liked the second she met.
Claudia insisted she didn’t want anything too fancy or complicated, so when the night of the full moon came, all the Dark Wolves were gathered on the roof, in a circle, waiting for their Alpha and his bride to speak their vows. Claudia and Karl stepped to the center of the terrace and joined hands in front of the old woman who was officiating the ceremony. Karl was supposed to go first, and Claudia couldn’t wait to hear his vows. In truth, none of them had had time to prepare. The last two days had been crazy. After Karl had told her everything about the war, Sabine, and the scars on his body, they had become inseparable. The bathroom was the only place where they didn’t go together.
Karl cleared his throat and took a deep breath. The big smile on his bride’s lips made it almost impossible for him to focus. He just wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until they would both be on the brick of suffocation. “Too dark,” he chastised himself and tried to remember what he was supposed to say. He hadn’t written anything down, but he had thought about some things. Unfortunately, the pressure was too much. Everyone was looking at them, waiting, excited beyond belief. Finally! Their Alpha was getting married. Officially. Once the vows were spoken and the Elder gave her blessing, Karl would bite Claudia, then she would take the antidote so she wouldn’t shift into a wolf on the next full moon. There would be no turning back then.
“Claudia,” he began, “I was lost when I came to Alma Venus. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, and I certainly didn’t know what to expect, but the moment I saw you was the moment when all the noise in my head turned to silence, my mind cleared, and my heart started beating again. I… I had forgotten it was there, in my chest, waiting for you to bring it back to life.”
“Awww…” Claudia chuckled. She tried to help it, but it was in vain. She had never thought she’d live to hear Karl say such sweet, silly things.
“Shut up,” he whispered, but he could hardly keep a straight face. “I’m doing my best here.”
“More! We want more!” cheered Matt.
The rest of the pack repeated his words, and soon Karl had to glare at them to remind them this was an important moment and they had to stay silent. When everyone settled down, he turned back to Claudia.
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he said. “I never even dared dream I would find someone like you, someone who would choose to be by my side despite… despite knowing who I am.” He squeezed her hands gently. “Claudia, thank you for saving me. I promise to love and protect you, to keep you and our children safe. I, Karl Blackmane, take you, beautiful Claudia, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you, to love and cherish you until death do us part.”
Everyone cheered, then it was Claudia’s turn. She was impressed by Karl’s words, and now she was almost afraid her vows wouldn’t even compare to his. She tried to remind herself that all she had to do was be honest. Clear, concise, honest. There was no need for many words, just for the right ones.
“Given that I was raised to be a shifter-bride, this might be hard to believe but… I fell in love with you and knew you were the right one for me the second I stepped into the office at Alma Venus. At first, I thought you had come to bring me news about Avelyn, but seeing you standing there, hearing your voice… I caught myself hoping that was not the reason you had sent for me.” She made a pause, but this time no one cheered or demanded more. “Before you came, I had no idea what my future would be like. It was as if I was trapped in a bubble from which I didn’t know how to escape. I guess I wasn’t even sure I wanted to escape. After all, where would I have gone? Before you came, I was terrified that no one would ever want me, that I would turn 25 and…” she stopped and shook her head. “But that doesn’t matter anymore. You did come, you took me away from there, you gave me a new reason to be. And for that I thank you, Karl Blackmane. I promise I will always be truthful and devoted to you. No matter what happens, I will be right here, by your side.”
Applause started rising to the night sky, and the old she-wolf waited patiently until they quieted down. She stepped closer to the two lovers and placed her bony hands above theirs, squeezing lightly, keeping them united. In a soft, pleasant voice, she spoke:
“We have gathered here to witness the union of two souls who have found each other. Karl and Claudia have spoken their vows and promised to love, honor, and worship each other for the rest of their long, long lives.”
A shiver ran up Claudia’s spine at the words. She smiled at Karl, trying to hide the fact that she was nervous. She was still human now, so she could only live for about… what? 70 years? Once the ritual was over, Karl would bite her, let the venom spread through her body, then the cure would turn her into a hybrid and she would have the long life span of a werewolf, along with some very cool powers. Speed, enhanced senses, maybe a bit of that telepathy the werewolves were known for… It all sounded very good. Oh, and the ability to heal quickly. She couldn’t wait to have the perfect immune system of a wolf. Not getting sick ever again, not catching a single cold… sounded like heaven.
The Elder closed her eyes, tilted her head towards the full moon, and let out a long breath, as if she was cleansing her body before giving Karl and Claudia her blessing. Suddenly, the air was filled with something out of this world. The streets went silent. Even though there were cars driving past and voices rising from the sidewalk, it was as if they couldn’t reach them. Claudia tried to focus for a moment, strained her ears to catch the tiniest outside noise, but there was nothing there. Just the compelling, yet slightly frightening pressure of magic on her shoulders. On everyone’s shoulders. It was wild and ancient, and the elder was the only one who could control it.
The old woman opened her eyes, and for a fraction of a second, Claudia could swear the full moon shined brighter upon them.
“May the road rise to meet you,” the Elder said,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rain fall soft upon your fields,
May you see your children’s children,
May you be poor in misfortune, and rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.”
Her hands moved to their heads, and she murmured a couple more words before she gently pushed them towards each other.
“You may seal your union with a kiss.”
The tension in the air dissipated, and bot