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Despite our lack of emotional connection, something in me still wanted to protect her. I didn’t understand it, but the instinct was too strong to ignore.
As Jane walked up to me and stood by my side in Nati’s direction, there was no missing the complicated feelings reflecting in her eyes.
It wasn’t difficult for me to guess her opinion of me. She had preconceived notions thanks to the stories Sam told to the pack, and given how I didn’t allow her the choice of how we would go about things, she certainly didn’t like me.
There was fear, dread, melancholy, and surely doubt written in her features, but that deeply rooted resentment sprouted from a different place. From a time I had nearly forgotten about.
Not only was she an outcast as an adult in Sam’s pack, but the same could be said when she was a child, and I didn’t exactly stop that from happening. I contributed to the reasons why, hoping that it would gain me more favor from our peers.
Given her abilities, Jane stood out from everyone else, and it was easy to target her. Every time I saw her, I had something new to sling at her, and I had no doubt that stuck with her through all those years.
It was wrong of me, and I had been an idiot kid, but while I let myself forget about it, I couldn’t imagine Jane had.
Guilt moved through me as she looked straight ahead at Nati, almost like she was her lifeline.
I swallowed back the regret and faced the priestess.
She looked between us and smiled. “The ceremony will now begin. First, you two must be on your knees.”
While Jane looked confused, I took the first step and lowered myself to the ground, moving obediently. She quickly followed suit, unable to hide her visible anxiety. For mostly her sake, I was glad the ceremony was private.
“As a channel between the earth and the Goddess, I am here to present two willing souls who seek divine counsel and judgment,” Nati began, approaching us with some sort of fabric in her hands. First, she reached for my arm, then Jane’s, and placed them with hers on top of mine. She carefully wrapped the material around our hands and arms. “From every corner of this plain, with the help of earth, air, fire, and water, I call upon the Goddess and offer her these two beings to pledge their unwavering fealty in return for her judgment.”
As the ceremony continued, Nati went on, speaking more in-depth and even in a language neither of us understood. She offered us both an ornate goblet of wine to drink from, took a sip for herself, and then dropped some into the pond as an offering.
With a deep breath, she fetched a small vile of dark liquid I didn’t recognize, and she popped the cork out to dip her finger inside it. First, she gently swiped the cold substance across my forehead, then moved to Jane.
“Through birth and death, fire and ice, despair, and hope, were these two souls meant to cross through this lifetime and all the rest that follow?”
The same mark was given to Jane, and Nati took a step back until she was aligned with the old tree. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes, head tipped back as her arms came up from her sides as if she were holding the world in her grasp.
We could only stand there and wait in anticipation, unaware of what would happen next.
As if she had been hit by something, Nati gasped, and her eyes snapped open again. She looked between us with surprise in her gaze.
My stomach dropped, and I braced myself for the bad news. I was waiting to be told we were a bad match and that it would never work between us. That we would only be beating a dead horse, and there was nothing we could do about it.
Every wolf goes through life hoping to find their mate and feel that sacred bond. Those who lose it, in one way or another, fall into depressive states and doubt their reason for existence. It’s a powerful, divine thing and even more important for an alpha to find.
An alpha with his Luna is more powerful than any large pack. When a fated mate pairing is brought together, they become almost like a beacon of hope for others, and it attracts them almost like a moth to a flame. Even more so, it helps hesitant members find trust and faith in their leaders.
Alphas are always revered for their power and leadership, but it’s the Luna who truly calls the shots and finds that deep connection with the others. Any decent alpha knows that.
To my surprise, a smile formed on Nati’s face, and she crossed her arms in front of herself. “Congratulations, Levi and Jane. Not only are you fated mates, but the Goddess herself has blessed this bond.”
Even if it wasn’t what I had expected, relief flooded my system, and it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
In some twisted way, Sam’s plan to humiliate me worked in my favor. He handed over my fated mate all to save his skin and to feel like he had won.
Little did he know, he handed over the catalyst that would give me more power and strength than he could ever hope to have. The only problem was she despised me, and that connection wasn’t fully there yet. Without a strong soul tether, it would be just like not having a mate at all.
While my shock was strong, Jane’s was overwhelming from next to me. Glancing over at her, I met her eyes, and she was quick to avert them away. Color entered her cheeks, and with that new knowledge, something in me thought it was endearing.
Even if we didn’t start on the right foot, I was optimistic that we could find a common ground and develop that bond to its full potential.
“With the Goddess as your witness, are you, Levi Ramos, willing to follow through with this ceremony and swear your unwavering loyalty and commitment to the woman next to you?” Nati continued, looking more pleased with such a divine reading.
With a steadying breath, I nodded. “I am, and I swear.”
