Awakening The Silver Wolf

DARIUS POV 

Later that night I lay with Ravenna beside me, her head resting on my bicep, her hand stroking my chest lazily.

Even though we went another round after we came back to our room none of us could sleep. Thoughts come and go in my head, pushing sleep away anytime it comes near. I'm sure the same went for Ravenna.

So we just laid there, content to be in each other's arms. My hand went to her belly where I just drew lazy circles before they went up to her chest. Since none of us could sleep maybe we cou–

My hand touched a rough skin on her chest, just below her breast, and paused there. I trailed my fingers there and she shuddered.

The few times I had seen her naked I was either consumed by lust or fear, so my head was far from me. But now that none of those things were clouding my senses I could think straight.

"This is an interesting scar," I said softly, my finger Ms trailing on the said scar. 

It wasn't the kind of normal scar made with a knife or burned. This scar was different. It started from the top of her breast and trailed almost close to her stomach.

It felt like a branching, jagged pattern that stretched like veins. 

"Hmm," Ravenna replied absentmindedly. 

I sat up on one elbow and looked down at her. She had her eyes fixed on the ceiling, her hands now clasped in front of her. 

"Tell me about it," I said. 

Ravenna sighed, her fingers now tracing a pattern on her stomach. 

"I got struck by lightning." 

I blinked at her. "You… Excuse me, what?"

Ravenna chuckled softly before she turned to her side and was now facing me. "You should see your face right now."

"You got hit by lightning?"

"Yeah. The day I was banished from my pack. It was raining heavily that day. With thunder and lightning sounding and flashing left and right. I got struck in my chest." She shuddered and I pulled her close. "I thought I was going to die that day. My entire being felt on fire. I wouldn't recommend being hit by lightning. It's a one-way ticket to hell." 

I exhaled a breath, suddenly tired. "How did you survive it?"

"I managed to drag myself into the river close to me. The water managed to quit that fire. But then I had no way of swimming back up because of how much pain I was in. I lost consciousness and when I woke I found myself washed up in Rowan's territory."

I nodded. "That was how you ended up in his pack." 

"That was how I ended up in his pack." 

I smiled softly at her. "You're a survivor, Ravenna." 

She smiled back. "Damn straight." 

I leaned down and kissed her softly. She was so goddamned strong. A fighter. I was going to try my best so she didn't have to fight anymore. I would do everything I could to keep her safe and happy.

When I broke the kiss I rested on my back and Ravenna laid her head on my chest. 

"I've thought about it and we don't really know much about each other," she mused.

"No, we don't," I responded. "But we have all the time to. You're stuck with me now, Silver Wisp. There's no escape." 

"You should be scared of being stuck with me," she said sleepily.

"I'm terrified," I teased.

She snorted and soon her breathing had deepened, her heartbeat a slow throb. We slept like that, with our hearts beating in sync.

***

RAVENNA POV 

"I should get you lovebirds a gift," Mia pondered, her finger tracing the edge of her chin as she surveyed the dazzling array of jewelry in the display case. 

Mia had all but dragged me out of bed this morning, saying we had to shop for things for the ceremony, threatening to burn Darius' car if he didn't let me go. 

Poor Darius had agreed grumbling, but had sent a full arsenal of guards to follow us. They watched our every move but they didn't crowd our space. I was grateful for that. 

"Why would you need to get us a gift?" 

Mia raised her head to look at me as if I was stupid. "It's going to be your ascension ceremony." 

"Such astonishing observation you've got there, Mia."

She rolled her eyes. "It's going to be like a wedding."

I faltered there. "Oh?"

"Oh. A wedding but traditionally and anciently. So of course I'm getting you gifts. The whole pack will be. And I mean the whole pack. Not just the members in the packhouse but the full territory." 

I inhaled. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. Not all of them would be at the ceremony, though. Just a few important people and our elders. But the whole pack will be feasting for a week and the pack house will be flooded with people bringing their good wishes. Humans and wolves alike."

"There are humans in this territory?"

Mia gave me a strange look. "There are humans in every wolf territory, Ravenna." 

I laugh shakily. "Yeah." 

Mia kept looking at me for a while before her eyes softened and she held my hand. "You're nervous."

I nodded. "I am."

"That's normal, sis. But I promise you won't regret mating with Darius. He might se–"

I shook my head. "No. No, it's not that. It's just…" I took a deep breath. "Luna ascension ceremony? Me being an equal? Me leading? Just a few months ago I was trying to survive and now here I am. I shifted. I found my mate in the last person I was expecting. I am a Lupinarian and people were going to come for me. And now I was going to be a Luna when I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. It's all just… just so overwhelming, Mia. It's happening so fast and I haven't had time to breathe." 

I was panting by the time I was done, my chest rising and falling heavily. Mia stared at me for a while before she said, "Oh, Ravenna," and hugged me tightly.

I hugged her back and tried to get my hands to stop shaking. 

Mia pulled away and held my face, bending my head so she could look into my eyes. She was so little.

"It's okay to feel overwhelmed, darling," she assured softly. "It's okay to feel. Give yourself time to adjust, and tell Darius. He would give you time to process everything. He can even postpone the ceremony–"

"No," I said quickly. "I don't want to postpone it." I raised my hand and squeezed hers which was still resting on my face. "I'm okay, Mia. I just wanted to get that out of my chest."

Mia nodded. "Is it out?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now let's go spend Darius' money."

I chuckled softly and let her lead me to another display filled with hair accessories. 

"You would need something like—"

I felt a prickle at the back of my neck, that familiar sensation of being watched. 

I turned to look behind my shoulder and my eyes locked with gray eyes that looked familiar. A jolt went through my body.