55. Caleb

**Caleb**

Blade enters my office, brings a tray with two cups of coffee and some sweets, and puts it on the table before leaving. It’s only 9 a.m., but I am so tired I am ready to pass out on the couch.

**‘Not on the day we are taking Red to the Ritual Stones!’** Raven growls. **‘Everything has to be perfect for the ceremony!’**

I pick up one of the cups and drink. ‘It will be. We spent the last two days organizing and planning everything.’

Elder Adam adds some sugar and cream to his coffee. “I was very surprised when you called the Council of Elders to let everyone know you have found your soulmate and you are going to mark her.” He drinks from his coffee before continuing to speak. “I wasn’t sure the Moon Goddess would give you a soulmate.”

Raven paces around like a lion locked in a cage. **‘If he weren’t here for binding us to Red and Safia, I would have chased him away the moment he entered the Pack House.’**

The Council is formed of four males and four females. The oldest of them is usually the one that has the last word during the meetings. Elder Adam is one of the youngest and most arrogant members of the Council.

I finish my coffee, put the cup back on the tray, and lift my eyes. “Is there a problem with me that the Goddess would find me unworthy of a female?” I snarl because I dislike Elder Adam as much as he hates me.

He eats some sweets. “While the Council liked to turn a blind eye to what you did in the Vampire Palace, I am not easy to forgive.”

“You are here to officiate the ceremony and sign the papers that recognize my pack as part of the Werewolf Community, not to give me your forgiveness!” I say, trying not to let my anger dictate my actions or words.

He looks at me, his face contorted with disgust. “Your pack,” he says, almost spitting his words, “is made from rogues like you! The Council should not accept you as an Alpha!”

“With or without the Council approval, I will still be the Alpha of the Black Ruby Rogue Pack. We might not share the same blood, but we are family—a true one. Something I didn’t have while growing up!”

Elder Adam looks at me as if we are enemies. **‘We are!’** Raven snarls. **‘I can hardly wait for him to leave because his presence here poisons the air we breathe!’**

Someone knocks before entering. The office fills with the scents of Red, Sky, and Tatiana. I don’t turn to greet them because I am busy staring at Elder Adam. His face turns red, and he is about to have a heart attack when he sees Sky. “You have a hybrid child? I thought you were scum, but a child made with a vampire is—” his voice is more venomous than an island taipan.

I growl so strongly that he pales, and the females stop in the middle of the office. “You can say whatever you want about me, I am used to it by now, but if you say one more word about my family, you will use a wheelchair for the rest of your days!” I say in a menacing tone.

Tatiana sits in the armchair to my left and looks at Elder Adam. “Caleb is an Alpha that would stop at nothing to protect his family, Elder Adam. I would be careful about how I speak about those he loves.”

Red sits to my right while Sky goes over to my desk and plays on her tablet. “Who do you think you are to come here and insult a child because she is of mixed races?” she hisses at Elder Adam.

Elder Adam is about to say something, but Tatiana tsks. “I wonder when will the werewolves learn that a hybrid child is stronger than other children. Not to mention the gifts and powers a mixed child can have.” She points at Sky, “The blood of a long line of Alphas, the oldest vampire family alive, and of the witch that had the gift of manipulating water and open portals between worlds runs through her veins. When she is an adult, she will unite the witches, the vampires, and the werewolves under her rule.”

I look at my daughter; she is busy with her tablet and pays us no attention. I can hardly wait to see the world she will create.

Elder Adam, who usually has something nasty to say, is left speechless.

At his loss of words, Red looks at me. “Who is this male?”

I take Red’s hand into mine. “This is Elder Adam. He is here to officiate our mating ceremony.”

By the end of the day, Red and Safia will be bonded to Raven and me forever. When this life is over, and we will stand under the Moon, my soul will be linked with the one of Red, while Raven with Safia. The four of us will remain together in the realm of the Goddess.

Raven watches Elder Adam with a criminal face. **‘He is here to suffer a horrible accident!’**

Red turns her head in the Elder’s direction. “I always thought someone chosen to be part of the Council is wise and kind. You must be an exception.”

Elder Adam’s face turns a few shades of red, and a thick vein appears on his temple. He picks up his briefcase, opens it, and takes out some papers. “Normally, these are signed after the ceremony, but I think it would be best if we go through them now so I can leave as soon as you mark each other.” He spreads the papers on the table and starts explaining, “This paper is your mating certificate. Starting today, the legal name of Rain Blackwater will be Rain Black.”

Elder Adam gives Red a pen, and she hesitates. “What name do I use? Black or Blackwater?”

“Your new name,” Tatiana says softly.

Red signs the papers and gives me the pen. Tatiana claps her hands excitedly. “Are we celebrating something?” Sky asks suddenly.

Tatiana smiles and looks at Elder Adam. “The day the youngest family of the werewolf society is formed—the Black family!”

Sky blinks before returning her attention to the tablet.

Black is not the last name of my parents, but the one I chose for myself. I changed it on the day the pack was formed because I didn’t want to use the name of the one that not only didn’t want me but also acted as if I died the day the vampires took me to the Vampire Palace.

I talked with Red about using the Blackwater name for our family, but while she loves her parents, she didn’t want to have the same name as her aunt or cousin.

Elder Adam pushes some papers in front of Red and me. “After you sign these, the pack stops being a rogue one. If you wish, you have until February to change the pack’s name.” Red is first to sign, then me. “These are for your titles as Luna and Alpha of the pack.” The Elder looks at me. “You are no longer a regent Alpha but a true one.”

“I have been a true Alpha from the moment I was born!” I say as I sign the last papers. “Too bad my parents never saw it!”

Tatiana studies her nails. “Don’t worry; they will know soon how much they screwed up by leaving you in the hands of the vampires.” She stands. “Now that the papers are signed, time to get pretty for the ceremony!”

Elder Adam frowns. “Remind me why you are here,” he says to Tatiana.

The witch shrugs. “Because I can. And because I like to gossip!”

Elder Adam puts the papers in the briefcase and looks at the witch. “I will go to the Ritual Stones and make sure everything is ready!”

“You do that!” Tatiana says, dismissing Elder Adam.

He mutters something under his breath, but no one pays him any attention.

Red goes to my desk. “Let’s go, Sky. I want to show you the dress I got you for today!” she says and offers her hand to our daughter.

Sky closes her tablet and grabs Red’s hand.

I put my hand in my pocket, making sure the little box is still in there, and before Red and Sky leave, I speak, “Red, can you wait for a moment? I have something for you.”

Tatiana smiles gently. “Your grandmother would have been proud of you! Too bad she died so young!”

Elder Adam is at the door. “I hope it is not—” his voice is full of anger.

I growl. “None of your business!”

His gaze lingers on me a moment more before leaving. Tatiana puts a hand on Sky’s shoulder. “Let’s go to Sarah’s place! I heard she is having tea and cookies and lots of females over to help get Rain ready for the ceremony! The perfect place to hear the latest gossip from the pack,” she says as she leads Sky away.

Tatiana closes the door, but I hear Sky’s voice. “What’s gossiping?”

I rub my temples and groan. “I think Tatiana might be a bad influence on our daughter!”

Red bites her bottom lip, trying to hide her smile. We sit on the sofa. “Is it me, or you don’t like that Elder very much,” Red tells me. “Apart from what he commented about Sky, I feel there’s something more.”

“We have a complicated relationship,” I say, and Red snorts. “We can’t stand each other, and I don’t know why he had to be the one to officiate our ceremony!”

Red puts her palm on my thigh. “As long as we mark each other, I don’t care if Elder Adam is the one performing the ceremony.”

I push away the thought about the Elder and take out the box from my pocket. “This has belonged to my paternal grandmother. From what she told me, it is a family heirloom,” I say as I open the box. A small gasp comes from Red as she sees the ring for the first time—the metal is black and in the middle has a black ruby in the form of a heart. Two smaller ones are on each side of the big one. It was made by a dragon shifter many generations ago. I take Red’s left hand and put the ring on her finger. To my surprise, it fits perfectly.

“Caleb, I can’t accept it! It’s too much! You should save it for Sky!” she says and tries to take the ring off.

I stop her. “She gave it to me a few months before she died and told me it is for my soulmate.” I kiss her forehead. “It would make me very happy if you would wear it!”

Red looks at the ring for a moment. “It has black rubies! Don’t tell me this is how you came up with the name for the pack!”

I laugh. “I think Black Ruby is a great name for a pack!” I help her stand. “Time to get ready, my Fire Luna. I will wait for you at the Ritual Stones!”

I kiss her. “I love you, Red. Thank you for truly giving me a chance to win your heart.” I look into her eyes. “The day you accepted me, I was scared you only wanted to use me to get back on Jordan, but I was ready to do anything to make you fall in love with me.”

Red hugs me. “I would have never used you like that, Caleb. But I am glad Jordan showed up that day; he gave me the courage to say yes to you.”

I chuckle. “Next time I see him, I will make sure to thank him.”

“Thank you for the ring! I love it!” Red says.

We leave the office, and I almost have a stroke when I see Tristan and his knight entering the Pack House together with Jordan and Oana.

“Look who showed up just in time for your mating ceremony!” Tristan says.


*Hi! I am on holidays from work so I have more time to write. New chapters will come more fasters! I know at least someone is asking why the book is not done -* *because sometimes life so happen. As for the plot, things had to happen before I can move on to the other part of the story.*