Chapter 102 Chapter 102

Chapter 102 Chapter 102
Kael.

"No. What I did was make it impossible for the male to be unable to feel when his mate is nearby. It didn't apply to the beast or the mate in question. Which makes the two of you still very compatible."

"Oh..." I trailed off, not really knowing what to say to that. No matter my beast was smitten with her after that night.

She cocked her head to the side, peering at me. "Have you two done the mating ritual yet?"

"No." I answered, shaking my head.

"Do that first and come to me if the results aren't what you would like. Though I doubt I'll be here."

"What does that mean?" I asked, even though I had an idea of what she was implying.

She gave a weary smile. "I swore to your mother that, as long as I lived, I would protect you. From a distance, because there is only so much interference I can do. But I would, and I think I've done a good job with that. Now, you're safe, and that makes me glad. I want to take my rest now." She informed me. We fell into an uncomfortable silence afterwards.

"You know, while I was unconscious, I met my family..." I began quietly, and she turned around to look at me. "As I was about to leave, my mother told me to tell you hi." I revealed, and a warm smile grew on her face.

"I'll let her know you delivered the message."

I nodded, letting my lips stretch into a tiny smile. "I'm about to leave with Aira now, but I've come to realize something: I've never really gotten your name before."

She nodded, gripping her stick tightly. "It is Ruya." She answered, almost quietly.

Ruya. I knew that name. It was the name of my mother's closest friend. I'd remember my mother telling me she was a witch whose friendship had endured decades. How did I not recognize her from that time? I let out a scoff at the thought. Well, she's a witch; it would have been easy to make you forget who she was.

So, I was supposed to go down a path of carnage, live a truly ruthless, lawless life? Well, that wasn't hard to imagine, considering the beast I had; it would have been easy to be ruthless. I was glad it didn't turn out like that.

Moving forward, I joined Aira in bed, careful not to cause too much disturbance, but she still stirred and opened her eyes. "Hey..." She called out in a groggy voice, her gaze still lidded with sleep as she moved closer to me.

I held her tighter, pressing my nose against her neck and breathing her scent in. "You took so long to join me in bed. I fell asleep." She matter in a soft voice, and my lips twitched.

"Sorry, were you waiting for me?" I asked, and she nodded, her gaze searching mine. "I didn't realize that." I muttered softly.

"It's alright." She whispered, placing her head on my chest.

"Yesterday was amazing," she began quietly. "I still can't believe it. You introducing me as your mate in front of everyone. It was surreal."

"Well, I do. You're my mate," I answered, and she giggled, the sound warming me up inside. Peeking a glance at her, I saw the faint blush in her cheeks.

"It's strange when you call me that," she said.

"My mate?" I asked, and she nodded, averting her gaze shyly. The sight was funny to me for some reason.

"Well, looks like you're going to start getting used to it," I muttered, and we fell into a comfortable silence, with her drawing lazy lines around my chest, while I caressed her back, staring into the dark.

"Kael..." She muttered quietly after a moment. "What's going to happen now?"

"We are going for our mating ritual soon."

"Really?"

"Yes," I groaned.

"So quickly?"

"I don't think it's that sudden. Or don't you want to be bonded with me?" I asked, and she raised her head to look at me, vigorously shaking it.

"Of course, I want to be bonded with you. I really do," she stated, and I chuckled.

"Then, let's do it." Letting out a sigh of relief, she placed her head back on my chest.

"Okay." We snuggled even closer together, and just when I thought she had fallen asleep, she spoke again.

"Kael... What's the mating ritual like?"

"Want me to tell you about it?"

"Yes, please," she murmured, her gaze filled with interest as she looked at me, eyes sparkling.

"Well, it begins like this..."
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Aira.

I woke up to the sun shining against my face, a warm feeling spreading over my chest. Tossing and turning for a bit, I finally cracked my eyes open when I saw that Kael was no longer in bed. I must have overslept while he went on with his duties. Sitting up, I brought my knees to my chest, unable to help the grin that broke out on my face, my cheeks heating up.

The night before had been magical, and I still blushed every time I thought about it. Kael had gone into great detail about the mating ritual, and hearing about the process had been both awe-inspiring and panic-inducing. Even now, as I thought about it, I had goosebumps.

He had informed me that the mating ritual usually lasted a week, as per werewolf/lycan customs, where we would not only get to know each other personally but also had to engage in sexual intimacies. However, it came with its own twist. I had wondered how I would have the energy to go through that for seven days straight when one night with him had tired me out, and I needed days to recover. Kael had assured me with a chuckle that they didn't need to do it every day.

The mating act only needed to happen on the night of a full moon. He would then go on a half-shift, marking me with his teeth while staying knotted with me. "Knotting? What's that?" I parroted, genuinely surprised. "Yes..." Kael growled, his eyes searching mine as he caressed my cheek. "I'll swell and stay locked in you, unable to move for quite some time."