As it is tradition, my mother braids my hair. Little flowers are interwoven with long strands of blond before the whole construct is twisted onto the top of my head like a crown. I'm bathed and covered with good smelling lotion before my mom pulls on the white linen dress she already wore for her own claiming ceremony. Contrary to the McNamaras, her union with my father was built on love, a strong bond that has survived the troubled waters of relationship challenges. Something I couldn't rely on in my own union.

"I know this is hard but try to make the best of it." My mother turns my head to apply some powder to my fair cheeks. "Have pups soon. They'll keep you busy and before you know it, Dante will be called upon to take his father's place. You will be Luna and able to make changes. That's what you should focus on."

"What if I can't do it?"

"Sometimes, there are things in life we just have to do."

"I'm scared, Mom."

"I know." Tears glisten in her eyes. "I tried to convince your father to reconsider, but as Alpha, he has to put the pack first. It's just the way it is."

I want to tell her about Jos but stop myself at the last second. Best to keep it a secret. It would just upset her.

"Your grandmother had this made when you were born. She wanted you to have it for your claiming ceremony." She fastens a necklace around my neck. It highlights my slender collarbone. "The stone is a moonstone—your birthstone."

I trace the small grooves of the golden half-moon with my fingertips; the gem is set in the middle, marbled with the colors of the rainbow. "It's beautiful."

"Yes, it is."

I can barely hold back the tears. "Thanks, Mom." I will wear it with pride—a reminder of my parents, my pack, my true home. Something Dante won't be able to take from me.

"It's time." My mother kisses the top of my head. "Just remember, the bond will help you adjust. There'll be a natural attraction between your wolf and Dante's. Don't fight it."

"But what if it's not enough?"

"The forces of nature are very powerful. You'll see."

Her smile can't hide the worry in her eyes. Stubbornness has always dominated my character, something nature might not be able to handle so well.

I tread behind her, my hands folded in front of me with my gaze directed at the ground. It's what is expected; a female has to show her submissiveness at all times under the traditional rules of nature. Rules our pack has chosen to dismiss. Now it will be hard to readjust.

Our whole pack has gathered on the field behind the packhouse. Candles flicker in the cold breeze of the night. The full moon is rising; by the time it reaches its peak, I will be with Dante in the mating cave. My heat hasn't set in yet for this year, but it won't be longer than another moon cycle before I will be able to conceive. I didn't want pups this young, but these days, it's no longer about my choices. It's what my pack needs me to do—a sacrifice. At least the constant fear of an attack by the Scopan Lake pack will no longer dominate their lives.

I step beside Dante. He turns to face the pack and raises his hand with the knife toward the sky. "Let the Moon Goddess favor this union."

Without hesitation, he cuts into his palm, dark droplets of blood falling onto the freshly fallen snow. When he offers me the knife, a shudder runs through me. I gaze at Jos who's standing next to his father. His eyes are void of emotions; he might not have recognized me as the she-wolf from last night.

When I try to make the cut, my hand shakes so hard that it clams up. I close my eyes and suck in a few, deep breaths.

You have to do this.

The freezing air hurts my lungs and pricks my face and bare arms like a thousand little needles. I long to shift into my wolf, but this part of the ceremony has to be strictly performed in skins. No exception.

I exhale as I slash my skin with the blade of the knife. Hot pain sears up my arm, but I don't stop until the cut is the required length. My blood is warm, running along my wrist before dripping into the snow. A sudden whiff of metal gets me woozy and my uninjured hand clutches Dante's arm to keep my balance.

"You okay?" he mumbles under his breath.

I nod.

"Then let's do this." He stretches out his cut hand for me to take.

This is it. As soon as our blood mixes, we will be bonded for life. I fight the huge lump in my throat, willing my legs to stay put. My gaze flicks to Jos, but he only stares at me with a stoic expression. Whatever this was between us, it couldn't have meant anything to him.

One more breath and I take Dante's hand. As soon as our blood connects, warmth spreads throughout my body, ending with a fiery flare in my chest. Our souls fuse into one, setting off an explosion of fireworks in my head. His emotions burn into my skull—disdain—quickly replaced by an incredible thirst for power. I'm his and his alone, and he will kill anyone who tries to challenge this, myself included. It's not love but an obsession to own me completely.

He marks me right then and there, his teeth delving deep into the sensitive skin under my ear. I can't suppress a cry and instinctively twitch to get away, but he holds me in place until a scorching sensation immobilizes my senses. As his tongue laps up the blood and seals the wound, an incredible need for his touch awakes deep within me. Rules of nature take over my rationality; I want to feel him inside me and unravel in his arms.

"You reek of arousal." He shoves me off him before I have a chance to mark him. "Let's go to the mating cave; otherwise, some of these wolves might get the wrong idea." His glare is on his brother, his smirk so full of triumph that it distorts his handsome features.

I stumble along in a daze. As he guides me through the field, every single member of my pack takes the knee in respect to the freshly mated couple. When I get within their reach, a few of the younger males struggle to keep their wolves in check, the scent of testosterone hanging heavy in the air. One openly growls at us but is quickly silenced by Dante's exposed teeth. Though my mate is far from his prime, those young adolescent pups are no match for an Alpha born who has had decent training. He could easily tear them apart if he unleashes his wolf on them.

The mating cave is situated in the small hills at the outskirts of our Northern territory line, not even five miles from where his own terrain begins. Candles surround the entrance and flames crackle in an open fireplace carved right into the rocks. Together with the heavy scent of incense, the air is stifling and sickly sweet. When a spell of dizziness takes over, I sway, ready to throw up.

"Come here." Dante pulls me into his arms. Sucking the mark on my neck, he grinds against me, low growls of lust resonating from deep within his throat. In response, heat courses through me and a burning desire spreads between my legs. Though my rational mind cringes with disgust, my body turns into his puppet as he forces his tongue into my mouth.

When we break, he grins. "Your lip-gloss tastes like strawberries. I like that."

I nod, still trying to align my brain with my body's building need to fuse with my mate. My cravings prevail and I'm reduced to nothing but an unwilling bystander who can't stop him when he starts to unbutton my dress.

The dress drops to the ground and his glowing gaze roams over me. "Gosh, you are beautiful. Males in my pack will envy me." Hoarseness has snuck into his voice. "And I will make it very clear that you're only mine. Whoever holds your heart will never be able to lay a hand on you."

So he can sense that my mind isn't into this. My smile is slow, trying to fight my growing apprehension, but he doesn't seem to care either way. With a growl, he turns me around and bends me over the bed my mother had so carefully made. Taking me in the same way as a wolf would, his thrusts are hard and painful. My fists clutch around the blanket to suppress the cries, though a few tears still spill. I only had sex in my skins a few times before, and that was with my human boyfriend Eric. He had been a gentle and selfless lover—the complete opposite to the male I'm now compelled to serve until my last breath.

A loud growl accompanies his release and he falls on the bed as soon as he has control again over his quivering body. "Mark me now."

"Can't it wait?" My body weeps with unsatisfied need. The desire between my legs has turned into a pulsing throb and the continuous shudders mess with my thoughts. The powerful forces of nature demand that we complete our union; his hands caressing my skin the only thought still dominating my mind.

"Mark me first." His teeth are slightly exposed and he licks his lips to retract them.

My arms are so weak that I barely manage to crawl onto the bed. A vein is pulsing under his tanned skin right in the spot where the mark goes. A sudden urge to hurt him brings out my teeth and I cut deep into his skin. The energy of his blood pulses on my lips as I burn the permanent mark on his neck. When I pull away, he exhales and turns his head before I can seal the wound with my tongue.

"Please, Dante." My need for affection is driving me nuts. Red-hot pain is pulsing in my chest with every breath; nature is punishing me for his refusal to act.

He laughs. "Forget it. I'm going hunting."

"But Dante—."

"Maybe this will teach you to be invested one hundred percent the next time." With that unbearable smirk, he shifts. His coal-like eyes blend perfectly with his sleek black coat. Even in his wolf form, he seems to carry that smirk. Growling and baring his teeth, he tosses me one more glance before leaping into the dark shadows of the cave. Every muscle in my body throbs until the natural bond is severed with the miles he puts between us.

Weak and exhausted, I crawl under the blankets. Tears sting my eyes as I curse myself for being stupid. My mother had warned me about the strength of the mate bond and stressed that Dante will be able to pick up any mood swings—good or bad—but I never expected to be an open book to him.

The craving flares back up as soon as he returns within my reach. When he slides under the blanket, the smell of blood from his fresh kill clings to his breath. For the longest, his hard arousal presses against my butt, his even breath warming the fresh bonding mark while I cry into the blanket.

"Defy me again and you will suffer," he mumbles against my skin. The hold around my belly tightens. "But if you accept me as your mate, all will be good. Now go to sleep."

Obediently, I close my eyes, allowing exhaustion to take over. I will need my strength to survive this; otherwise, he will crush me­, mate or not.

Raelyn's moonstone necklace

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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