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“You ready?” I ask, gripping the dagger in one hand and holding out the other toward him.
Without hesitation, he places his hand in mine, palm-up.
In order to join the mind-link, Javi and the other members of his pack have to spill their blood onto the earth with the intention to bind their wolves to the land. Even though we’re technically in Westfield’s territory right now, the binding ritual extends to all the lands of the six-pack, linking the entire alliance. It’s similar to what we’ll do for my eventual Luna ceremony where I’ll take vows to bind myself to my new pack. We’re not doing that tonight, though- Javi and I decided to wait until our pack is settled on our own land so we can make it special and have a proper celebration. Tonight, it’s all about the pack claiming their new home.
My father moves to stand beside Javi, lifting a hand to settle the anxious crowd. He offered to lead the ritual tonight. It feels like the ultimate stamp of approval, and as I watch the two of them exchange smiles, warmth blooms in my chest.
When our bond first snapped in, I wasn’t sure we’d ever get here. Now, things have come together more beautifully than I even imagined.
“Alpha Javier Cruz, is it your intention to seal yourself and your pack to this land through the blood rites?” my father booms, his deep, commanding voice echoing in the space around us.
“It is,” Javi responds evenly.
Dad nods, pausing for a moment before continuing. “And in binding yourselves to this land, do you and your pack vow to honor and protect it?” he asks.
“We do,” Javi and the rest of our pack answer in unison.
“Then proceed with the blood rites,” my dad directs, the corner of his mouth kicking up in a proud smile as he turns to me.
Still holding Javi’s hand in mine, I lift the dagger, pressing the blade to his palm and applying pressure to break the skin. He doesn’t even flinch as I drag the sharp edge down the center of his palm, blood pooling up on his skin.
Pulling the dagger back, I cast a glance toward our other pack members, watching as they, too, draw blood from their palms, waiting with bated breath to proceed.
Javi closes his fist, holding it up as blood begins to drip from his hand onto the earth below. “I, Javier Cruz, bind myself and my wolf to this land,” he declares.
The rest of our pack makes the same declaration aloud, filling in their own names in place of Javi’s as they spill their blood onto the ground, and my wolf surges forward with a rush of energy, my skin prickling with the urge to shift. I swear I can feel something in my chest expand, some subconscious part of me registering the joining of their wolves with my own.
One look at Javi tells me that he’s feeling it, too. His irises swirl with golden shimmers as he gazes at me adoringly, a triumphant grin spread across his face.
Thatgrin.
It gets me every time.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much as I stare back at him, tears of happiness springing to my eyes. My father collects the dagger from me, tucking it away and making the final announcement to draw the ceremony to a close.
“Having performed the blood rites, the binding is sealed and the ritual is now complete,” he proclaims. Then he turns to Javi, tipping his head with a grin. “Welcome to the six-pack.”
The crowd erupts in a roar of cheers, and Javi lunges forward to lift me up in his arms, spinning me around and crushing his lips against mine. A feeling of pure euphoria rushes through me and I kiss the hell out of my mate before he sets me back on my feet, a giggle leaving my throat as we untangle ourselves from one another.
“Well, should we run?” Iver calls out, clapping his hands and rubbing his palms together eagerly.
More whoops and cheers rise up from the crowd, and my brother glances toward Javi with a smirk, flicking his head to beckon him.
Traditionally, visiting packs shift to runafterall the members of the home pack, but tonight, we’re doing things a little bit differently. It was actually Iver’s idea- he suggested that he and Javi shift simultaneously to lead the run for both packs since after performing the blood rites, they’re technically not visitors anymore. It feels like a true unification, and it’s so much more than I ever expected. The fact that my family has welcomed Javi in with open arms and is now publicly claiming him like this is just the icing on the cake.
As Iver and Javi walk toward the treeline together to strip down and shift, my mom comes up beside me, slinging an arm over my shoulders and tugging me in close.
“Are you happy, honey?” she asks, hazel eyes sparkling with joy as she gazes into mine.
“Sohappy,” I breathe.
Mom beams a smile at me as she wraps her other arm around my shoulders, squeezing me tightly. “I’m glad,” she whispers, pressing a kiss to my hair before letting me go. “I’m so proud of you, baby girl. So is your dad.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I sniffle, raising a hand to wipe a tear from my eye as it slips free. My emotions are on overdrive tonight and I’m having trouble containing them.
I feel my wolf push forward again, and I look toward Javi just in time to see the air shimmer around his naked form as he starts to shift. His bones snap and rearrange, and moments later, a gorgeous black wolf is standing in his place, sleek and muscular and absolutelystunning. He turns to look toward Iver’s wolf, and they both throw their heads back to let out a low howl, signaling the start of the run.
My wolf shoves forward, and I can barely get my clothes off in time before she’s pushing through my skin. She’s been close to the surface all day, buzzing with anticipation for tonight, and the sight of Javi’s wolf just put her over the damn edge. I shift in the blink of an eye, landing on four paws and charging toward the woods to follow my mate.
