Chapter 273 The Queen's Coronation

Chapter 273 The Queen's Coronation

The king couldn't wait.

Even though he was still supposed to wait for Felda to reach his side of the raised stone platform, the moment she drew close enough, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

He pulled her to himself; she almost stumbled, though he caught her broad chest against his, holding her properly before she could lose her balance.

Before he could pull her any closer, one of the elder councilmen stepped forward with a dry cough, his gnarled hand reaching out to grab the king’s arm and physically pull him away from her.

The king frowned, his thick brows pulling down over dark, restless eyes as a low, rumbling growl vibrated in the back of his throat.

Felda looked up at him through the heavy red silk of her veil.

Her chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths. She was so happy she felt light-headed, seeing him look at her with such raw, desperate hunger.

This was all she had ever wanted.

Ever since she had first laid eyes on him during their youth, she had wanted him with every beat of her heart.

Even though fate had twisted their paths, making them suffer so much that there had been dark days when he looked for means to end his own life just to escape the pain, but then they were finally here.

The blood, the long nights, the brutal pack politics... it had all led to this.

Her eyes behind the red mesh were full of bright, shimmering joy.

How happy would it have been if my parents were still alive to see this, she thought, a bittersweet ache tightening her chest. To see that I wasn't useless. That I am still the queen I was always meant to be. To know that a female child can claw her way up to be as powerful as she wants to be.

"What now?" the king demanded, glaring down at the elder with barely concealed impatience. "The ceremony is done enough. I want to see her face."

Felda looked up, catching the raw heat in his gaze.

"You'll see it, Your Majesty," the elder said, his voice dry and steady, completely unfazed by the king's volatile aura. "But we need to do this accordingly. The spirits of the Blood Moon pack are watching. Please, calm down."

The king let out a sharp, cynical scoff, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he waited for the old man to finish his tedious preparations.

He reached out again, desperate to wrap his fingers around her warm palm, but a sharp look from the lead elder made him jerk his hand back with a curse.

Instead, he just stared at her through the thin red veil, his voice dropping to a rough, private murmur.

"I can see that beautiful face of yours right through this damn cloth," he muttered, shamelessly flirting with her in front of the entire assembly.

Felda let out a soft, breathy laugh, her lips curving into a secret smile. "We both know you don't."

They stood close together, trading small, breathless whispers while the elders chanted the final invocations, waving smoking bundles of dried sage over their heads to cleanse the space.

Finally, the signal was given, and Lady Eve stood faithfully by her side as her handmaiden was permitted to step forward and lift the heavy red veil.

As the fabric fell away, a collective hush swept over the front rows of the pack members.

Everyone was instantly struck by her striking beauty. Her thick blonde hair was meticulously coiled down to the nape of her neck, loose strands curling softly against her warm skin.

Her lips, stained with crushed crimson berries, looked bright and inviting. Her olive-green eyes, usually hardened by years of survival and guarding her secrets, were shining now, wide and vibrantly alive.

Behind her, young Tovanna clutched the edge of her own tunic, her eyes wide with undisguised awe. "Mother, I wish I could have your face," Tovanna whispered under her breath, leaning toward the boy beside her. "I finally see why my father was so impatient."

Felda let out a low, musical laugh at her daughter's candor, but she wasn't even allowed to finish the sound as familiar, heavy, impatient hands grabbed her waist, hauling her flush against a hard chest.

Before she could blink, the king's lips crashed down onto hers in a deep, fierce, possessive kiss.

"Hmm..."

A wave of low murmurs rippled through the packed courtyard. Elders gasped, and younger pack warriors whistled softly, shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

They all stood frozen, watching as the king kissed her with a hunger that looked almost desperate enough to devour her lips, and how Felda willingly, breathlessly gave in, her fingers curling into the thick fabric of his tunic to pull him closer still.

When they finally broke apart, both of them breathing heavily, the head elder rubbed his temples in visible exhaustion. "We haven't even told you to kiss her yet, My Lord."

"Whatever," the king muttered, a wicked, unapologetic smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth as he kept one heavy hand securely locked around Felda's waist. "Just do whatever is next. We can't stay out here all day." He shot a warm, lingering look down at Felda.

The elders, knowing better than to push a restless alpha king on his mating night, simply shook their heads, muttered a hurried prayer to the moon goddess, and fastened the final stages of the ceremony.

The king stepped forward to press his sharp canine tooth against the soft skin of Felda's neck, biting down firmly to mark her officially as his mate.

A sharp, sweet jolt of heat surged through her veins, making her knees tremble.

Immediately after, the elders brought forward the heavy, silver Queen's crown inlaid with polished moonstones, followed by the thick ceremonial beads that signified her station.

As the cold silver settled onto her head and the heavy beads draped over her collarbones, the lead elder raised his arms.

"All hail the Queen of the Blood Moon Pack!"

"Your Highness! Long may you reign!" the crowd chorused back, their voices rising in a unified roar that rattled the surrounding forest trees.

Instantly, the drums beat a rapid, thumping rhythm, and the ceremonial performance dancers leaped into the center of the clearing, spinning and stamping their feet to the heavy thrum of wolf-skin drums.

Long wooden tables groaned under the weight of roasted meats, spiced wines, and stacked earthen dishes, the rich scent of feast food rolling thick through the night air.

Sitting heavily on the high wooden throne beside him, the king didn't even pretend to watch the dancers. His large, calloused hand slid straight across the bench, resting firmly and possessively high up on Felda's bare thigh beneath the folds of her heavy gown. His thumb stroked slow, rhythmic circles against her skin.

"Let's leave now, my queen," he murmured near her ear, his voice rough and low, thick with desire. "I can't wait to have you. My blood is burning."

Felda turned her head, a slow, knowing smile touching her lips as she leaned her shoulder against his arm. "You'll have me anyhow you want, my king. But just look over there. Let's just watch these people for a little longer. It would be rude of us to slip away to our chambers while our guests are still eating and the fire is this bright."

King Daze let out a heavy, frustrated sigh, his chest expanding under his dark tunic as he forced himself to listen to his queen. His restless gaze drifted across the flickering firelight, landing sharply on his daughter, Tovanna, who was sitting cross-legged on a low stone bench, laughing loudly at something a young, broad-shouldered boy of her age was whispering to her.

The king’s jaw tightened.

He turned his head sharply back to his queen, his eyes narrowing.

"They're just friends, my king," Queen Felda answered smoothly, before he could even form the words. She knew the look in his eye all too well; she had lived with his overprotective streak for decades.

"Are you sure?" the king pressed, his voice dropping into a low, rumbling warning as he watched the young boy lean just a fraction too close to his daughter.

"Yes, I'm quite sure," his queen assured him, giving his hand a gentle, calming squeeze. "They are children. Let them breathe."

The king grunted, finally resting his broad shoulders back against the carved wood of the throne, though his eyes remained glued to the pair across the yard like a hawk watching a field mouse.

"It'd better be. Because I don't want to see young pups circling my daughter this early like hungry sharks. I'll snap their jaws off."

Queen Felda chuckled softly, a warm, rich sound. "I heard you, my king."

Hearing her playful tone, the king softened. He shifted closer, bringing her hand up to his lips and pressing a slow, lingering kiss against her knuckles.

The simple gesture sent a sharp, delicious shiver racing straight down her spine.

"Thank you for everything, Felda Magnus," he whispered, his eyes entirely bare of the cold ruthlessness the rest of the pack feared, showing only the man who loved her. "I love you, my queen."

Queen Felda felt a sudden, uncharacteristic heat rise in her neck, her cheeks flushing bright red as she looked down, suddenly too shy to find the right words to say it back to him right there in front of their people.