Awakening The Silver Wolf

DARIUS POV 

I could feel my pack's happiness as if it were my own. It was pulsing in the air, beating around me, making my throat tighten and my eyes prickled. 

Ravenna might have once been an outsider to them but at one point they had taken her as their own even if they didn't show it. 

And I knew now they wouldn't have a problem with Ravenna being their Luna. Except…

I looked around the hall and my eyes met Lucian's. He held my gaze, his expression unreadable, but then he dipped his head ever so slightly.

The relief that flooded me was strong. I haven't lost my friend. He was still here. I dipped my head in return and he broke eye contact. 

The cheers continued, growing louder with each passing beat. 

After my mother died I have never known true happiness. I had forgotten what it felt like, how it tasted, and what it does to your heart. 

If this feeling that was squeezing my heart so tightly was happiness I never wanted it to fade. I was going to fight tooth and nail for this happiness to stay.

I looked down at the source of that happiness and saw her looking back at me, her eyes bright with emotions, her face flushed with happiness, her wonderful lips spread in a wide smile. 

A shot went through my heart so fast I thought I might be crumpled. I wanted to spend the rest of my days with this wonderful woman. I wanted to worship her, love her. 

I took her hand that was still entwined with mine and pressed a hard kiss to it, my hands shaking with the emotions that were surging with me. 

"Thank you," I whispered, the prickling in my eyes increasing. "I will love you for the rest of my life, Ravenna. I will spend the time I have with you proving I'm deserving of your love. I will spend every second of my life worshipping you, loving you. Thank you for giving me this chance, Ravenna." 

A silver of tears formed in my mate's eyes. "Darius…"

I tugged her to me with our joined hands and kissed me with all the force of my emotions, pouring my love into her. The mate bond throbs in my chest, complete and content. I knew Ravenna felt the same. 

When I pulled away the pack was chanting, "Alpha! Luna! Alpha! Luna!"

Yes, they weren't going to have a problem with Ravenna being their Luna.

"I'm not your Luna, yet," Ravenna mumbled, looking sheepish with her cheeks pink.

I smiled down at her. I was doing that a lot these days—smiling. "You already are from the moment I was buried deep inside you."

The pink spread all over her face and I wanted to kiss her.

I turned back to my pack and raised my hand. Everywhere fell silent.

"The Ascension Of The Luna's ceremony will be held two nights from today," I announced. "After that, we'll feast for a week!"

The cheers went up again and this time it was louder than before. I could feel Ravenna's confusion and the questions she wanted to ask so I led her out of the dining hall. 

As soon as we were out the hall the question came. "The Ascension Of The Luna's ceremony?"

"Mmm." I took her hand and led her outside instead of up to our room. Our room. Fuck. The thought of our, us, we, with Ravenna made my heart flip. 

We got outside and the cold air passed through me. Just a few days until the first snow. Ravenna was particularly bristling as she waited for me to answer her question.

I waited until we reached a particular side of the field before I sat down on the ground and Ravenna followed. It was a moonless night, but a handful of stars had been thrown into the sky.

"The Ascension Of The Luna's ceremony is a ritual we've been doing for centuries since this pack and territory was founded," I answered as I dragged her away from her spot on the ground and made her sit on my lap, her back to my chest. I took off my jacket and put it on her. 

The cold night air stung my skin, but it didn't bother me. Not when Ravenna was in my arms, her soft back pressed to my chest. 

Her scent, the warmth of her body, everything about her made the world seem right. I inhaled deeply, my heart racing in a way it never had before, not even when I fought for my pack. 

When I noticed the way my clothes hung loosely on her—her body tucked in it like she belonged to me—it ignited something raw inside me. Possessiveness. Pride. She was mine. My Luna.

I bit down on the urge to kiss her, and I forced myself to focus on her question. I could feel her waiting for me to explain, her body slightly tense with anticipation.

"The Ascension of the Luna's ceremony," I continued, my voice a low murmur against her ear, "has been a tradition for centuries. Since the very founding of this pack and territory. It's more than just a formality—it's a recognition. The pack needs to see you as their Luna, not just my mate. The ceremony will make it official. You'll be... ours."

I could hear the questions she wanted to ask but she didn't speak them yet. She just turned her head slightly, looking up at me, waiting for me to continue.

I swallowed, trying to steady the surge of emotions threatening to overtake me. "We do it by the lake, where the bond between Alpha and Luna is made. It's a sacred place. At midnight, we'll take our vows there, in front of the water and the moon. It's where our ancestors did it, where they bound themselves to their mates and the pack."

Her breathing stilled, and I felt her turn her head to face me completely, her eyes wide with a mix of wonder and uncertainty. I wanted to kiss away the confusion on her face, but I had to explain.

"It's more than just words," I went on. "After the vows, we drink from a special wine—the essence of the land, of our pack. It's what makes the bond unbreakable. Once you drink it, Ravenna, you'll be officially recognized as my Luna. Not just in my heart, but in the eyes of the pack. You'll rule beside me. This is how we've always done it. It's ancient."

I could see the shift in her expression as she processed everything. This ritual would change everything. She would never just be a part of my life anymore—she would be my equal. Our equal.

Her voice was soft but full of curiosity when she spoke. "And after… after the ceremony, what happens?"

I felt my pulse quicken at the thought. "Afterward," I said, my lips brushing against her ear, "we feast. For a week. We celebrate the bond, the future of the pack. The new Luna. The whole territory will know you as mine." My voice dropped lower, and I nipped the lode of her ear, causing her to shiver against me. "But before that feast, I would take you back to our room and fuck you senseless." 

She shivered, the scent of her arousal filling the air. 

I resisted the urge to take her then and pulled her closer to my chest. 

"You'll be at my side, Ravenna. In front of everyone. It's not just a celebration. It's a declaration."

"Of what?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Of us," I said. "Of who we are. Who you are. My Luna. The heart of this pack."

She turned her face fully to mine now, her expression a mixture of awe and uncertainty. I could feel her heart racing against mine, the bond between us surging as the weight of my words hit her. I was asking her to step into the role of Luna, to lead beside me as the true heart of the pack.

"You're ready for this," I whispered, leaning down to brush my lips across her temple. "I need you, Ravenna. As my Luna, as my equal."

"I'm ready," she said softly, her voice steady now, her hands trembling slightly in mine. "I've always been ready for you, Darius. For us."