Chapter Eleven

Today was the day of the mating ceremony and to say the pack was just happy will be an understatement. They were elated and overjoyed because an alpha’s mating ceremony happens just once and the blessings that rains on them on that particular day left remarkable prints and impacts on their lives for the rest of their existence

Alpha River was in higher spirits himself and couldn’t help but celebrate in his own way. He spent the majority of the day with his high-ranked members and friends in the conference room, making merry and reminiscing over old times.

Chaos stayed locked up in her room trying to avoid anyone as much as she could whiles Kiara stayed with Uncle Hephaestus who had already started on her new home.

A smile still found its way onto her face when she remembers the call, he had given her as soon as he had left the pack. His precise words had been;

“Princess, am sorry you are mated to that jerk. I don’t even know why your father isn’t doing anything about it. I honestly don’t know how you put up with his cheating lying self. I only spent a few minutes in his presence and every word and smile he spoke or plastered on his face made me want to bash his face in. But then I remembered you will give him more hell than I ever could and I will just have to wait impatiently and enjoy it when his time is up"

She had laughed that day because her uncle didn’t like violence and for him to condone what Chaos was up to and even trying to take part in it proved how much she meant to him. He was a man of few words and emotions and moments like this ought to be treasured because they rarely happen.

The smile though vanished quickly from Chaos’s face when she recalled what she had witnessed last night. The conversation she had overhead between her mate and his father. She was glad that someone saw the absurdness of what her mate and his lover were doing.

Her already frozen heart caked with more ice when she saw how her mate was nonchalant about the whole thing. She didn’t ask for a mate and she didn’t ask to be treated like thrash.

What he was doing to her was wrong on so many levels. Disrespecting her integrity, taking her for granted, being made a fool of, total mockery of her status and pre-meditated deceit and abuse; both emotionally and mentally.

She has always had a tight screw on her emotions but when she heard the garbage that was spewing out of her mate’s mouth, she couldn’t help the tears that trailed down her face in agony.

Havoc, her wolf had been whimpering since yesterday and was feeling restless. She was withering in the pain of her mate’s rejection. Kaeden had tried to reach out to her a couple of times but she had blocked him off.

Chaos’s mind was made up and so was her wolf’s. There was going to be hell to pay and someone better be ready to receive it.

*********************

Chaos’s P.O.V

Night came and I felt as if tarantulas were crawling all over my body. Both inside and out. My mother had called earlier to ask if I still wanted to go through with my mating ceremony and when I told her yes, she gave me words of encouragement and to call her if anything went wrong.

She sent a dress though. Through Uncle Hephaestus and in as much as I didn’t like this night, I totally loved the dress. It was made with cotton see through lace and it felt like a glove on my skin.

The dress had sleeves that ended at my wrist with a low-cut front giving a spectacular view of my cleavage. It clung to my body and put my curves and the tattoos on my neck and back out for display.

It flowed from my hips and had two long slits on each side to showcase my legs. I was literally dressed to kill and my mother really out did herself.

I sat in front of the dressing mirror in me and my mate’s room trying to calm my raging nerves. I had just finished applying mascara on my eye lid and a rouge red lipstick when Kiara walked in with a small smile on her face.

She was dressed in a sheer crème dress that flowed from under her breast to her feet. With slits at each side and her hair in bouncy curls.

Her dress though was sleeveless which put the tattoos on her arms out on display too. We had a few matching tattoos. I got the view of the back of her dress when she turned to close and lock the door behind.

The back of her dress though was cut out and ended on her waist line. The black flaming phoenix circling our family crest was splayed on the major part of her back and I knew she was proud to show it just like I am anytime I got the chance to. We may not be the normal type of family but we’ve got each other’s back and that was the most important thing.

I flashed her one back before picking up a brush only to have her snatch it out of my hand. She fixed herself behind me and started working her magic on my hair.

“Do you still want to do this Khione?” Kiara asked after a moment of silence. Using my first name so I would know she was dead serious.

“Yes Kiara. Am not doing it for my mate but for the pack. After today it becomes my pack and responsibility too and I can’t just up and leave.” I replied softly

“And I will be there with you every step of the way my good friend. Just smile and fake your way through it. I know it will be over before you notice”

“Yeah I guess but I don’t know how I’m going to react when it gets to the mating aspect of the ceremony. I don’t think I can stand it”

“I know Kay but I’m sure the bond will make things easier for you. Once the mood is set, trust me everything else disappears”

“Of course, I do trust you. I heard you and Matthews practicing last night. You guys are like rabbits and you in particular never shut the fuck up.”

“Chaos!!”

“Kiara!! At least one of us is happy and having fun but even if I pretend not to notice, you have his mark on your neck like a badge. Don’t think for a moment that I don’t notice how you have put it out on display”

“Shut up! Don’t worry though. You will have your own personal badge before the day is over mm… and I will be there to remind you.”

“Ugh you are impossible”

“That’s why you love me Khione”

“Of course, you psycho”

“Ok enough… am done with your hair and I can feel Matt reaching out for. Let’s head downstairs and get this show on the road”

“Ooh its Matt now… I thought it was only for your late-night practices… ‘Oh Matt!! Ooooh… yes… yes… right there baby’… like really Kiara?”

“Shut up and let’s go!” Kiara snapped as she flashed red with embarrassment.

Hand in hand we headed downstairs and out to the training grounds which now looked like a wedding reception. A huge stage was mounted in the center whiles chairs with occupants surrounded it in a form of a circle.

There were a few rows between the seating arrangements for passage and a large one that lead straight to the mounted stage. I turned to look at Kiara and after taking a deep breath, I let it out before nodding curtly at her.

She took that as her cue and took a couple of steps forward before beginning her walk to the mounted stage where her mate waited with mine. I waited till she was half way there before following after her.

Now that I allow myself to acknowledge my surroundings, I heard their murmurs of awe, excitement and confusion as I headed towards the mounted stage. Most of them wondered who Kiara is and why we both had tattoos littering our bodies.

The most tentative ones went as far as to point the similarities we shared in some of our tattoos and that was how it went till I got to the makeshift stairs leading to the top of the stage.

My lovely mate- note my rich sarcasm was there to help me up with a radiant smile on his face. He was bare chested with a pair of tight white jeans hanging low on his hips. So low that you could see his v line.

I flashed him a small one of my own when I was finally up the stairs and in front of him. He might have mistaken it for nervousness because he pulled me to his chest and after dropping a soft kiss on my forehead, he whispered into my ears.

“Calm down babe. I will be here throughout this ceremony as well as Kiara and Matthews”

Not wanting to speak because maybe something else might follow, I just closed my eyes and nodded. I kept my face buried in my mate’s bare chest throughout the official announcement till the real deal began.

I lifted my face only to find Kiara and Matthew no more on the stage but seated at the front seat directly in front of the stage beside a smiling Felecia. I chuckled softly when Kiara wiggled her eyebrows at me suggestively.

I rolled my eyes before turning to face Gregory who was sending me pity looks and I knew just why but now was not the time or place. I sent him a small smile before allowing my mate to pull me over to the small setup in front of his father.

The small setup consisted on aged earthen ware bowl filled with moonstones and a knife beside it. I knew what was supposed to happen because I had read about it during my study about the different mating cultures we had around.

It varied from pack to pack and my mother made it a point to let me study it. But since I come from a pack with a different mating culture to this one, it has to be respected and initiated on behalf of my ancestry and old pack.

A compromise to keep both packs satisfied. Since my mate is the alpha male of our mating, we will adhere their way of mating today and mine will be done on the next full moon which happens to be tomorrow.

Taking a deep breath, I stuck out my right hand over the earthen ware bowl and nodded at Gregory to signal my readiness. He took the knife and before I could blink, he had already cut open my palm.

It took everything in me not to wince because the knife had traces of silver in it. To prevent the cut from closing quickly.

I could feel it. Clenching my palm, I allowed the blood to trail into the bowl. I watched as Gregory repeated the same actions on his son and after he had also let his blood run into the bowl, he took both our palms and pressed the open wound together.

The fusing of our blood nearly brought us to our knees but we held on tight to each other. Havoc whimpered in agony as she felt the bond strengthening and clinging onto each other like a parasite.

It was heartbreaking to know all this meant nothing to my mate. I blinked back the tears from my eyes and watch as blood trailed from our joined hands into the bowl.

A flash of white light flashed over the bowl before it started sizzling. We watched as it burnt on the rocks and the more it burnt, the more it gave off a refreshing scent. It smelt like our scents combined together.

We held our clenched hands over it until our cuts healed and the last of our blood rose from the earthen ware bowl and wrapped itself around our clinched hands.

It caressed our skin before seeping into it. It moved from our hands to our shoulders. Circled over where our marks will be at the juncture between our necks and shoulder and the center of our chests before returning to where it started on our hands.

It took a different shape and embedded itself on our skin. My mate and I leaned forward for a closer look and while I watched mesmerized, my mate smiled brightly as the picture of a moon with two wolves howling under it formed on our skin.

And I knew why. It meant that the moon goddess has approved of our mating. Gregory took hold of our hands and lifted it up to show the pack that we have been accepted and their response to that was to jump from their seats and cheer.

Thanks for reading.

Until next time, XoXo.