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“Are those all bonded packs?” I asked, keeping my voice soft. To speak any louder felt like it would be jarring in such a tranquil place.

Mitch just nodded and continued farther into the temple grounds. As we entered the center of the temple, I couldn’t help but gasp. At the heart of the temple was a statue made out of shimmering polished gold that depicted a woman with four men surrounding her, each tied together by thin gold strings. The men were connected to one another, creating a circle around the woman. Then another string tied the men to the woman at the center like the spokes of a bike. Water swirled around their feet as if some magical current kept it flowing when no source was obvious.

“This is Erdis and her pack,” Mitch shared. “It is said she was the first Omega to find men who spoke to her soul and hers to theirs. As a display of that love, trust, and devotion to each other, they wanted a way to display their bond. So mixing red dye and their blood together, they made two marks. One on their hands, a circle around a finger to show they were tied to one another. The second was only for them to see, a mark over their heart to represent they shared their souls willingly to each other and no one else.”

As Mitch talked, he guided us along a wall with paintings depicting the story as he explained it. Each image was masterfully created, bringing life to the tale as we learned about this pack.

“Everyone around them became jealous of their love and grew dissatisfied with their lives here on this small island. So Erdis encouraged them to find the people who spoke to their souls, but when they did, to return home so they could share in the celebration. Erdis believed everyone had someone out there who was exactly who they needed to love and be loved by. I suppose you could say she was the original Scent Matcher,” Mitch said with a grin.

Having reached the end of the story wall, it led us to another room. In the room was a group of older men dressed in red and gold silks seated on cushions. Beside each of them was a gold bowl, a knife, and a few other tools I didn’t recognize. One of the men stood slowly, making his way to us and said something to Mitch in Prio Grian, to which Mitch nodded and shifted to stand beside the older man.

“This is Harta, a descendant of Erdis,” Mitch introduced and continued to translate as the man spoke. “He wishes to know if all of you speak to each other’s souls?”

Stepping forward, I answered for us all. “Yes, they speak to me as I speak to them.”

The older man smiled widely, his eyes getting lost in the wrinkles of his skin. Harta clapped his hands together and bobbed his head as he started to speak again.

“Hearing another's soul is a gift, but that is not all it takes to make a union last. Trust must be given and earned, love must be abundant and grow a little more each day… honesty, clarity, and kindness go hand in hand when speaking the truth to each other. Words prove intention while actions make them true. These are the foundations of a union that will prosper for eternity,” Harta explained, taking a moment to stare into each of our eyes as he spoke. “If you commit all that I have said to heart and vow to live by them day by day, then it would be our honor to bless this pack with a physical symbol of this vow.”

Confused, I looked to Mitch who simply held up his left hand for me to see the thin red line that circled his finger. My eyes widened as I looked back at my Alphas, having no clue how they would feel about doing this.

“It’s up to you, Rosie. I, for one, have zero issues with placing another mark on you telling the world you’re ours,” Lysse said, answering my questioning gaze.

Gareth jerked his thumb at Ulysses. “I’m with him on this. Sign me up, baby girl, because I’m in this for eternity.”

“Omae, you are who I chose to spend the rest of my existence with in this life and any other. If there’s the slightest chance this helps me to find you no matter where we end up in the afterlife, there’s no hesitation on my end,” Yun-Sun stated.

Vili took my right hand and gently traced the white-colored scar of his mark on my finger. “I’ve marked you once, so twice can’t hurt.”

Stepping up, Warrick caught my chin and stared into my soul, exposing all the emotions he was feeling right now, and it was overwhelming. “Even without the mark on your ear or this blessing on your finger, Bailey-Rose, you are my forever.”

There was no holding back the tears that slipped from my eyes at their words. Here, I’d thought we’d gotten through the worst of the mushy, sappy, lovey-dovey stuff over the last three days, but these men were bound and determined to make it so I couldn’t survive a moment without them in my heart.

“That’s exactly how I feel about each of you,” I managed to croak out, my throat tight with emotion. “I thought I could survive without a pack, without all of you, but it turns out I was never truly living until you showed up in my life.”

Warrick used his thumb to wipe away my tears before pressing a soft kiss to my lips. Sniffling, I tried to pull myself together as Harta motioned for us to follow him. Six other men stood and approached us with their gold bowls and the knife. With a squeak of surprise, a man pricked the tip of my pointer finger and squeezed a drop of blood into the bowl. Lucky for them, I’m a rather good bleeder these days and didn’t have to have another finger poked as I added my drop of blood into the six bowls. Once all of us added a drop, we were guided to cushions in front of the man who was going to do our blessing. Adding in some red dye to the bowl, it was mixed, my finger cleaned with a disinfectant that made my nose hairs burn, and a needle was pulled out of a sterile package.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes only for them to pop open as the men began to sing. Even though I couldn’t understand the words, I could feel the intention behind them. It felt like my mother hugged me and kissed me on the forehead, telling me how proud she was of the woman I became. The way the temple was built, it amplified the song in a way I’m sure everyone on the property could hear them sing. It was amazing.

The whole thing was over faster than I expected, and I noticed my blessing wasn’t just a simple red thread. In the center on the top of my finger was something that resembled a flower with five petals. Realization struck me—he’d made a petal to represent each of my Alphas. I flinched a little as he rubbed in an ointment, but soon it tingled and went numb.

“Petals and promises, good reminder when forget,” the man told me, his accent thick, but I understood what he was trying to say.

This blessing was a daily reminder of the promises we made to each other. It would be sitting here on my finger just in case I might ever forget.

“Thank you,” I whispered, clasping his hand in both of mine as I smiled. He smiled back and helped me to my feet.

Everyone else was done before me, then again, I was the only one with the flower so it made sense. Harta gestured for us to follow him, but I didn’t see Mitch anywhere and worried we’d be leaving him behind.

A soft touch on my arm pulled my attention back to Harta. “No worry, this for pack only.”

Trusting the man, I nodded, following after him as he led us into a garden. If we didn’t have a guide, I’m not sure we ever would have found the pavilion Harta brought us to. The air was sweet with all the flowers that bloomed around us, making this moment even more magical. Gauzy curtains fluttered in the breeze, and lanterns were lit, casting light as the sun started to descend. Inside, the pavilion was covered in a soft mat with various pillows scattered around, but in the center was a low table set up with a meal ready and waiting for us. Harta pressed his hands together, bowed, and offered us farewell before he turned back to the temple.

Warrick scooped me up and carried me into the pavilion, setting me down next to the middle spot. He nuzzled the side of my neck, kissing his way up until he reached his mark on my ear. Thankfully, he decided not to torture me and just brushed his lips over it so I shivered in delight. “Well, Mrs. Bailey-Rose, I think it's safe to say you are officially off the market and packed up for life with us.”

Grinning, I twisted to give him a quick kiss, knowing anything else would escalate things, and none of us would be eating. “That same goes for you, mister. What will all the girls at The Fat Mule do now that you’re mine?”

Warrick let out a heavy sigh. “It’s a hard job letting them all down, but somehow, I feel like I got the better end of the deal.”