Page 132 of Blood and Trouble

Butterflies swirled in my stomach, and the anticipation of what would happen next beat against my rib cage. I knew Lycan and Poe would be waiting for me at the ceremony. They’d never leave me. This was a culmination of the last few months, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

“Good,” I said. “I’ve never been more ready for anything.”

Maeve and Channing put the final touches on their designs before I stood and walked to the mirror to examine my reflection. My dark hair hung in ringlets around my shoulders, and my eyes glowed with my wolf’s acceptance of what was to come. My sisters had spent the last hour decorating my skin with symbols sacred to the pack: spirals, triangles, and looping circles that represented unending loyalty and devotion. I wore a floor-length white dress with a halter top that flattered my figure and made me look almost virginal.

I snorted to myself.

Virginal.

The version of me that left for Europe all those weeks ago may have narrowly fit that description. She was overly critical and afraid to put herself out there, judging her worth only by how much she did for others. She didn’t have time to slow down, to consider romance, to let herself love and be loved for who she was.

The one looking back at me in the mirror had left that person behind. I loved her; I loved all my past selves. But I wasn’t her anymore. I’d shed that skin like a snake and chosen to fully embrace who I’d become. Life could so easily be snatched away. Things like love, peace, and desire were worth time and patience.

A knock at the door had me looking over my shoulder at Orion, who smiled and walked up to Sol. She put an arm around her mate’s waist and grinned up at him.

“It’s time,” he said. “Are you ready?”

I nodded and grabbed Maeve’s hand, intertwining my fingers with hers. We walked from the cabin into the woods, the sounds of the autumn night echoing around me. The chilled air brushed my skin, and the clear night sky cast a heavenly ambiance to the magic drifting through the space. Fire torches lit the path ahead, and I sensed my mates waiting for me, their steady thrumming hearts syncing with mine.

“I’m proud of you,” Maeve whispered, squeezing my palm tighter. “You went through most of this alone. I, at least, had Guin to help me.”

“You helped me, too,” I said. “I’m glad you’re here.”

When the treeline opened into a clearing, I paused to take in my surroundings. Most of the pack stood on either side of the aisle, some faces I recognized from London, some I’d only seen in passing, and some I’d never met before. Kodiak stood in front of a stone column, decorated with the same designs as on my skin.

Poe stood on Lycan’s left, both of them dressed in white linen trousers. Their bare chests bore matching designs and dots, their powerful arms on full display. Both of my mates had dark paint smeared around their eyes and foreheads, their irises marking a striking contrast to each other. Poe’s a dark, radiant brown. Lycan’s a beautiful storm gray.

Mine, my wolf growled. Mine.

“Come here, Trouble,” Lycan whispered telepathically.

“You look beautiful,” Poe added.

I held my head high and walked down the aisle to my future. The rest of the crowd fell away, their whispers dulled into silence. I only had eyes for my mates. I didn’t care about anything else. When we stood in front of them, Maeve turned to me and leaned in to kiss my cheek.

“You’ll do great,” she whispered. “It’ll be over quick.”

She stepped away and fell in next to Guin and Sol as I turned to face Kodiak, standing between Lycan and Poe. I took Lycan’s left hand and interlaced my fingers with his, grounding myself in his steady strength. I did the same with Poe on my right, and together, our energy bloomed. The bond hummed blissfully, and I imagined it twisting around us in a cocoon of safety and adoration. Lycan’s wolf nudged against mine, welcoming my magical self into his soul, and Poe’s reciprocated, brushing his head against both of us, nipping at our snouts with playfulness and affection.

“Brothers, sisters, family, and friends,” Kodiak started as he opened an old leather-bound book. “Thank you for coming to the mating of Lycan, Ava, and Poe.”

I steeled my nerves, refusing to shake in front of all these people. I wouldn’t show them weakness. I was here with my two favorite shifters in the world. I had nothing to be scared of.

“Were you a good girl?” Lycan asked.

I schooled my features into apathetic nonchalance. “Of course, sir.”

I’d followed the directions he left for me in our bedroom this morning, even if I’d almost cried from the tenderness of it all. Leave it to Lycan to insist on controlling even this most sacred of moments.

Lycan internally snickered, his amusement rolling through me and into Poe.

“What did you do?” Poe asked, keeping his focus trained on Kodiak as our alpha continued.

“Patience, my dear Poet. It’s a present for you,” Lycan replied.

“Ava. Tonight, you will join the pack. You’ll become a Royal Bastard in name and spirit,” Kodiak said, glancing up at me with his dark, serious gaze. “Do you accept this invitation?”

“I accept,” I said with a nod.