The ceremony commenced as it usually does. An elder of the pack came over to give a speech about the history of the pack, introduced the person who was going to become the Alpha, and then poured a pot of milk over her head to purify her body and soul. Then a blood oath was made where Laura put forward her palm, slashed it dropped blood into a pot of holy water, and took an oath for the pack.
It wasn't just Laura, whose blood was dripping. Under the table, Astria curled her fist so tight that the nail dug into the skin of her palm and drew blood. Her eyes refused to blink. She saw every second of the ceremony with detail. It burned her heart to watch it all, but she had to remind herself with the pain that this was exactly why she was doing it. That the next time she attends a ceremony, i
