I breathe in slowly.
I envy them more than I should.
How many times have I stood here?
How many Lunaris nights have I presided over as king, watching others claim what I may never have?
Too many.
I can command anything into existence. Exceptthat.
“Approach your king,” I bellow.
The first pair steps forward and walks onto the dais.
They kneel before me, heads bowed. They’re a young couple. Barely the age I was when father died, and I took the crown.
I thought my queen would arrive imminently.
Two decades later, and she’s still not here.
The thought makes my heart ache.
Focus. Do your job.
These shifters have waited their whole lives for this moment. I can’t make it about me and my despair.
“Rise,” I say in a deep, commanding voice.
The male’s hands tremble at his sides as he rises to his full height. He barely reaches my chin. I know how large and imposing I am. It helps as a king. It shouldn’t, but it does.
“Face your would-be mate.”
They turn and face each other. The fear evaporates. Love and lust take their place as the two stare at each other with sparkling eyes and silly grins. They hold hands. She tilts her head to the side, exposing her neck as she licks her lips. He lets out a low growl of primal anticipation.
The trust in her eyes is moving. She knows he will never leave her. There’s no doubt that he will be true.
It’s a certainty with mates. It’s a core trait of our species.
It’s our way of life.
I lift my hand, and the courtyard stills.
“Before the moon, the pack, and the crown,” I say, “you stand to bind yourselves.”
I look at the male first.
“Do you claim this woman as your mate,” I ask, “to guard her with your life, to honor her above all others, and to stand by her side for as long as your wolf draws breath?”
“I do,” he says without hesitation.
I turn my gaze to the female.
“Do you accept this man as your mate,” I ask, “to walk beside him in strength and in struggle, to share your lives, your bond, and your fate, and to choose each other for all your days?”
Her smile trembles. Her eyes shine.
“I do.”
