Chapter 103
Waiting for the room to settle back down before we start the ceremony for our female leaders. Standing to come to take their spots next to me are Tyler Kavin and hunter. Shaking forearms as they take their spots. We all give Hunter an extra squeeze on the shoulder showing that we are happy to see him. The small smile and tight look in his eyes tell me he is stressing a lot. Linking will “soon we need to have a family dinner show hunt we are all still here for him and glad to have him feeling better soon. When his eyes shoot to mine I can see the relief in him. I know they both have to worry that holding Hunter responsible for what happened and we don’t. but having little contact with us all for the better part of three months I am sure had a toll on him. By the time hunter took his place, he looks to have shed some of that stress off his shoulders.
With a flare for dramatics, the small stone bowl on the table burst into flames calling attention to the room. I would have asked Ambrose to do this ceremony as he is well he's Ambrose and loves to perform in front of everyone. But he needed to rest. So I will do my best at this as I have never done it before. Sending a prayer to the goddess to forgive my words and length if I mess something up or skip on accident.
“Today we not only celebrate the end of a war with the winters. We also welcome to our family the mother of our pack along with the rest of her team of wolves. We have spent way too long without a Luna and I am honored by the goddess with the she-wolf she hand-picked to be my mate. Your Luna. So Artemis winters here in front of the pack do you pledge your life for them? Promise to be that guiding shoulder they need. A shoulder for them to lean on? Do you promise to hold the pack above yourself? To help guide and protect every wolf now and in the future of the pack?” looking from me to the pack she gets a bright smile on her face.
“I Artemis winters shed my place in the winters pack to be the mother of this pack. To hold these wolves to a higher standard than others. To give all I am to this pack to be the wolf they need. I will hold every wolf here above myself and need.” she seems to be trying to look every wolf in the eye. With a smile, I hold my hand to her. Placing her hand palm up I make the slice through her palm. Fisting and turning her hand letting three drops fall into the orange, red, and yellows of the flames. Stepping back next to me I repeat the same questions only replacing Luna with beta female and gamma female. The flaming bowl is now the same shade of silver as my eyes. I add three drops of my blood along with the rest of the leadership team. Each time the flames change colors again before going back to silver.
To close the ceremony I add three more drops of my blood to seal the bonds. As the last drop hits the flame it explodes over the room into a million little pieces. Dancing around the room floating to the ceiling. The ceiling of the dining hall now looks like it's covered in a million stars. We will have our meal with the stars above us. Then the granny wolves will collect all the pups under sixteen and head to the daycare and preschool floor and let them run wild in the play areas. While the pups are running around expelling energy the wolves sixteen and up will head up and out to the fields. We will shift and run the borders locking our bonds as we run under the full moon. When my father became alpha Ambrose had spelled the floor the pups will be heading to be a clone of our territory letting the whole pack run and play that night without our the world being able to hurt or touch our pups. With Ambrose needing no rest I didn’t have the heart to ask him to do this once again. Maybe once he feels more himself I will see about asking for something like that or maybe when I have pups.
Snapping my eyes to Artemis as the thought of pups spiked something in me driving me to want her here and now. The glow in her eyes told me the same. Tearing my eyes from her to the pack seeing most of them are done eating. We need to be out on our run to seal the pack bonds with our new Luna beta female and gamma female. Then I will claim my mate once again. My cock so hard thinking about having Artemis again I now am having trouble sitting comfortably. “if you don’t start this run soon I am taking you in the closet?” Artemis's breathy sultry voice enters my mind. Fisting my hands so hard that I am drawing blood in the palms of my hands as my eyes shoot to hers. “princess you are playing a dangerous game.” I link back. Winking she stands gathering her dishes. Swaying her hips as she walks to place in the bin. Fuck! A small growl leaves my throat causing her to glance over her shoulder at me and smirk. Oh, that's it.
Clapping my hands as I stand keeping the table in front of me as I look out at the pack. “well what do y’all say to a pack run?” the room breaks out in whoops and cheers. Soon wolves are standing and clearing the tables. Grannies are collecting pups along with the young teens. They will all help with the smaller pups. Glancing over I see Artemis making her way to the back door. I try to link her finding it blocked. When she reaches the door she opens it and looks up at me to see if I am watching her as I have not taken my eyes off her.
“catch me if you can alpha” and she takes off out the door. The growl that leaves my thought has the room stopping in their tracks looking at me. Unable to stop me I jump over the table and run for the door. I can hear Ty laughing and addressing the pack. What he said ill have to ask my whole self is focused on one thing.
Catching my mate.
