Chapter 30

“Where did you find out about the Bonding Ceremony?” stuttered Xavier, visibly shocked, gently pulling himself away from me and looking at me nervously.

The car carried on gliding through the city like a silent black bullet, colours of the outside world whizzing past the windows in a blurry haze. I watched as the people outside carried on with not a care, not noticing that their Alpha was whizzing past them into the night.

“Hannah told me about it,” I confessed, shrugging my shoulders, and grinning unapologetically at Xavier.

“That girl can never keep her mouth shut, can she?” Xavier replied bluntly, shaking his head sideways and rubbing his eyes with one hand.

“So, what is it then?” I pressed, beginning to feel nervous about what it could be and what was expected of me.

“It’s nothing to worry about, I promise,” Xavier began, obviously seeing and feeling my unease. “So, basically, after we like, you know, get all close and personal, and I claim you as mine, we have twenty-four hours to complete the Bonding Ceremony in front of the pack,” Xavier explained nervously.

“And what is it that we have to do?” I asked, sounding intrigued.

“I will say a little speech and welcome you to the pack as my newly claimed Luna, then you stand up and say a little speech to the rest of the pack,” he began.

“After that, my Mother, who was the old Luna, will come on to the stage with the Dagger of Leaders. She will say a speech, ending her reign as Luna and accepting her new position of Delta. She will then walk up to us and use the dagger to make a small cut on both of our hands so that a drop of blood will spill. She will then take that blood and drop it into the Register of Alpha’s. We then have to hold hands and smear each other’s blood over our hands to represent our eternal love for each other,” Xavier explained, breathing out deeply, looking finally relieved.

“So, it’s just like a big public presentation?” I asked, trying to let the information I had just heard sink in.

A knot of despair and unease started to grow in the pit of my stomach. I really did not like public speaking. “What is the Register of Alpha’s anyway?”

“You will be fine, I promise. I will be there with you. All of the way,” Xavier reassured, smiling across at me. “And it’s a book that contains all the signatures of every Alpha. When you become a Mated Alpha, he and his Luna must sign the book with their signature and seal it with a drop of their mixed blood. It symbolises that we are both willing to lead the pack until the death of the Alpha.”

“Death of the Alpha? Then that must mean your Dad must have died. Come to think of it. I’ve never met your Dad,” I exclaimed.

“Yes, he was involved in a big fight that contained several out of control rogues. Seven rogues jumped on him from behind. The rest of the rogues had cornered off his Beta and the rest of the pack, ensuring that they could not rescue him. All they could do was watch their Alpha being torn to shreds,” Xavier sighed, closing his eyes, and bowing his head.

“The anger and hurt that the pack felt watching my Dad’s killing was what finished the battle. Every rogue was killed and destroyed. It certainly was a very bloody battle, and much werewolf blood was spilt. My Dad was still alive at the end, and they rushed him here, to the hospital, but he couldn’t be saved. Beta Adam was devastated. He lives forever in my Dad’s debt, and he has vowed never to let anyone kill me as they did to my Dad,” Xavier explained, pain and sadness creeping all over his face.

“I am so sorry, Xavier!” placing my hand on his lap. “I didn’t know. Now I know why you hate rogues so much! And Beta Adam was your Dad’s Beta?” I gasped in shock. “He has done years of service towards the pack.”

“Yes, he has. Beta Adam is my most trusted confidante. That’s why we are so close. He is hellbent on protecting you and me from anything like that again! And therefore, that’s why I killed Tom. Seeing Tom trying to kill you bought back my Dad’s death. I cannot live without you!” he whispered, glancing up at me sadly.

“It's okay. I’m not going anywhere. I promise!” I whisper, looking at him deeply in the eyes.

I never knew how much pain and hurt Xavier had already suffered. We both had trauma in our lives, and we needed each other, clearly. I switched my thoughts from Xavier’s Dad and back to the Bonding Ceremony.

“So, I’m guessing that the sooner I let you have your wicked way with me, the sooner this Bonding Ceremony can be over and done with?” I questioned slowly, still processing a tangled web of thoughts deep within my brain.

“Yes. That’s right,” Xavier murmured, not looking at me in the eye properly and fiddling with his bow tie.

I slumped back in the seat and stared grumpily out of the window. Outside was now surrounded in darkness, and the roads were empty and quiet. Streetlamps illuminated the streets with an orange glow and rain gently spattered across the glass. I could feel my brain working in overdrive, trying to untangle this mess and decide on how to continue. A voice suddenly filled my mind, and it was a voice I knew I could trust.

I know you are still hurting as am I with what has happened to us. I wasn’t keen on Xavier, in the beginning, to be honest, because I was fascinated with our ‘Mate’.

But I can see how much Xavier really does love you. He is trying his best to get closer to you. I’m beginning to love him too, and I can really see how good he is for us. Let him get more intimate, let him love you and make you the Luna you were always destined to be.

I am here now, and I will always protect you, and I will never run away in fear again. I know it will be hard letting him touch you, but we will never move on with our lives if you don’t just try, my wolf soothed, trying to make me understand and see sense.

But I’m scared. What if I am not good enough to be the Luna that the pack needs. What if I let Xavier down, let the pack and you down? I know he loves me, and I love him too, and I want him to touch me, but I’m just one big ball of terrified mess! I replied, biting my lip, and looking down into my lap.

You will be good enough because you will have me and Xavier and Beta Adam to guide you. You also have the Moon Goddess looking down on us. You need to push past the scared little girl fences that you have built up around us. Knock them down and start again. Otherwise, you are just letting Tom win!

I sighed in annoyance. I knew my wolf was right, like always and I was glad that she was indeed coming around to the idea of Xavier being our Mate. I sneakily stole a glance at Xavier from the corner of my eye, to see him staring intriguingly at me.

“Nice conversation with your wolf,” he smiled cheekily.

“How did you know?” I stuttered in shock, feeling my cheeks turn red.

“Because we are linked dumbass!” he laughed, eyes twinkling. “I’m glad your wolf is finally coming around to me. But I have to say, she is right. And I promise you. I will not let you fail as my Luna. You will be right by my side, and I will be there to guide you.”

I smiled sheepishly up at Xavier, and before I could change my mind, I blurted out the words that I knew he longed to hear. “Okay then, well maybe tonight should be the night. Let's try and get this mating finished. That’s if you want to!” I quickly added.

Xavier quickly shuffled in his seat so that he was facing me, and he pulled me over to him and into his lap. I gently placed my hands on the side of his face and looked down at him and saw two big brown eyes staring back up at me, hungrily and with lust. “I want you so badly, but I’m going to take it slow. I don’t want to scare or panic you okay. Are you sure you are ready for this?” he whispered, closing his eyes, and resting his head gently on my lips.

“Yes, I am ready. Let's just do it. My wolf is right. If we don’t do it now, we never will!” I breathed, closing my eyes, and gently kissing his head.

“Okay, only if you're sure,” Xavier breathed before reaching up with his face until his lips connected with mine.

Slowly, I pressed my lips down further on to his and shut my eyes. I felt the warm glow from Xavier’s lips envelop on to mine. The noise of tyres hitting gravel sounded from outside, and Xavier gently pulled away and glanced out the window.

“We are home my love!” he said, grinning excitedly. “Why don’t we go upstairs and have a bath, together?” he suggested, looking at me carefully.

I knew that he was trying to take things slow and get me in the mood, which I was grateful for. “That would be lovely actually,” I agreed, nodding my head in agreement.

The car finally rolled to a stop and Xavier climbed out, once again leaning in, to help me out of the car. Carefully I slid out of the car and stood next to Xavier on the gravel drive. The driveway was dark and silent, but the porch light illuminated us in a golden light, and the front door was wide open, letting us catch a glimpse of our world. We watched the car slowly drive off towards the carpark, to where it would be parked up for the night. A cool breeze slithered across my skin, and I shivered slightly with the cold. The rain had bought a surprising cold air along with it.

“Let’s get you in and warmed up. It's getting cold out here,” Xavier gently whispered, before scooping me up in his arms.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and relaxed in his arms. Both giggling, like a pair of in-love teenagers, we made our way through the front door and up the grand staircase, towards the unknown.