The Alpha’s Miracle

Chapter Sixteen-Sebastian

I had agreed.

That was the thought that stayed with me when I woke up that morning.

I had agreed to the ceremony.

I had agreed to be introduced to the Shadow Wolf Pack as their Luna.

And even though I still didn’t understand everything about the world I had stepped into, I knew one thing.

I was willing to try.

That night, I had prayed longer than usual.

I had knelt beside my bed, my rosary wrapped around my fingers, and asked God for guidance.

Not for a specific answer.

Not anymore.

I simply asked for protection.

For wisdom.

For peace.

“Please let tomorrow go well,” I whispered. “Help me understand what I’m doing. Help me not to be afraid.”

After praying, I placed my rosary beside my bed and went to sleep.

For once, there was no nightmare.

No howling wolf.

No sadness.

Just darkness and peaceful sleep.

⸻

The next morning, I woke before everyone else.

I prayed again.

Then I showered and dressed.

I still wore my white priestly clothing.

I knew I wasn’t going to become a priest anymore.

At least, not in the way I had imagined my entire life.

But I wasn’t ready to take those clothes off yet.

They represented too much.

My childhood.

My promise.

My years in the church.

My relationship with God.

The person I had been before everything changed.

So I put them on carefully.

Then I took my rosary and placed it inside my pocket.

I wasn’t abandoning God.

I needed to remind myself of that.

I walked downstairs.

The house was already busy.

People were moving in and out.

There were boxes, flowers, decorations, fabrics, and various ceremonial items being carried toward the grounds outside.

It looked like an event was being prepared.

I found Kai’s mother near the dining room.

“Good morning, Mom.”

She turned around.

Her face immediately brightened.

“Sebastian, my darling.”

She walked toward me.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

Then she smiled.

“And I have to tell you something.”

“What?”

“Please keep calling me Mom.”

I blinked.

She touched my arm.

“You’re my son now too, if you’re comfortable with that.”

Something warmed inside my chest.

It had only been two days.

Two days.

Yet somehow, she had made this strange place feel less strange.

I smiled.

“Okay, Mom.”

Her face lit up.

“Good.”

She hugged me.

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”

I laughed softly.

She took my hand and led me toward the table.

“They’re preparing everything for your introduction tonight.”

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

She sat down.

“I’ve arranged most of it, and Aiden has taken care of the rest. But there are some things I need to teach you.”

“Like what?”

“What you’ll say. How you’ll respond. And I need some information from you for the elders.”

“Oh.”

“Your full name, your background, your family information, things like that.”

“Okay.”

We sat down for breakfast.

I automatically moved toward the seat where I had been sitting previously.

Mom immediately stopped me.

“No.”

I looked at her.

“No?”

She smiled.

“You’re sitting beside Kai.”

I looked at the empty chair next to him.

“But—”

“That’s your place.”

I hesitated.

Then I sat down.

A few minutes later, Kai walked downstairs.

He looked powerful.

There was something about him in the morning that was different.

His posture was straight.

His expression was calm.

And the moment his eyes landed on me sitting beside his chair, something softened in his face.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

He sat down.

“How did you sleep?”

“Well.”

“I’m glad.”

Then everyone else began arriving.

Aiden.

Liam.

Jack.

The table suddenly felt much fuller.

I had begun realizing just how large this pack actually was.

Yet somehow, meals seemed to consist of this small circle.

Aiden sat on Kai’s other side.

Liam sat beside me.

Jack sat across from us.

Breakfast was light.

There was bacon, eggs, bread, fruit, and several other things.

Liam leaned toward me.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.”

He smiled.

“That’s not what your face says.”

I laughed quietly.

“I’m nervous.”

“About tonight?”

“Very.”

“Don’t be. It’ll be fine.”

“You’ve seen one before?”

“Several.”

I looked at him.

“So you’re from this pack?”

“No.”

That surprised me.

“I came from another pack.”

“Oh.”

“I found my mate here.”

I looked toward Aiden.

“He’s your mate?”

Liam smiled.

“Unfortunately.”

Aiden looked over.

“I heard that.”

Liam laughed.

I smiled.

“I had to move here after finding him.”

“That’s nice.”

“It is.”

Then he added casually, “I’m also one of the pack doctors.”

I stared at him.

“You’re a doctor?”

“Yes.”

I smiled.

“I studied business.”

“Before the priesthood?”

“Yes.”

“That’s interesting.”

We continued talking.

He told me about his medical work.

I told him about college and the years I spent studying business while preparing for religious life.

Eventually, Liam leaned closer.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

“I think we’re going to be good friends.”

I smiled.

“I think so too.”

“Maybe best friends.”

I laughed.

Then he pointed toward my face.

“And I love your eyes.”

I blinked.

“My eyes?”

“Yes. They’re beautiful.”

I laughed.

“Thank you.”

“But don’t tell Aiden.”

I looked at him, confused.

“Why?”

“He’s going to get jealous.”

I burst out laughing.

Liam covered his mouth.

“Shh.”

“You two are ridiculous.”

“Exactly.”

For the first time since arriving at the Shadow Pack, I felt completely comfortable around someone besides Kai’s mother.

Liam made everything easier.

He didn’t treat me like I was fragile.

He didn’t treat me like I was some mysterious human who had suddenly become important.

He simply treated me like Sebastian.

And I appreciated that.

⸻

The day passed quickly.

Before I knew it, evening arrived.

The grounds had transformed.

Lights hung around the open space.

The ceremonial area had been decorated beautifully.

Pack members gathered everywhere.

There were so many people.

My stomach tightened.

“This is a lot of people.”

Kai looked at me.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

He studied me.

“You don’t look okay.”

“I’m nervous.”

He stepped closer.

“You don’t have to be afraid.”

“I know.”

His eyes softened.

“I’m right here.”

Those four words somehow helped.

I’m right here.

I held onto them.

I played with the hem of my white robe while waiting.

Then Kai was called forward.

He walked onto the raised platform.

The crowd immediately became quiet.

He stood before them with the confidence of someone who had been born to command.

“Good evening.”

The pack responded together.

“Good evening, Alpha.”

Kai looked over everyone.

“It has been a long time since we gathered for something like this.”

He paused.

“Today, I have something important to share.”

My heart started pounding.

Kai looked directly at me.

“I have found my mate.”

The crowd erupted in whispers.

I swallowed.

Kai continued.

“Tonight, I am formally introducing him to you.”

His voice softened.

“My mate.”

He extended his hand toward me.

“Sebastian.”

My legs felt strangely heavy.

I walked toward him.

When I reached the platform, Kai took my hand.

His palm was warm.

Steady.

Strong.

He squeezed gently.

Not enough to hurt.

Just enough to remind me he was there.

Then we faced the elders.

There were five of them.

One stepped forward.

“Sebastian Elijah Bennett.”

I swallowed.

“Yes.”

“Do you choose Alpha Kai of the Shadow Wolf Pack as your mate?”

My heart hammered.

I looked at Kai.

His eyes were fixed on me.

“Yes.”

A ripple moved through the crowd.

The elder continued.

“Do you accept the position of Luna of the Shadow Wolf Pack?”

I breathed in.

“Yes.”

“Do you accept this pack as your family?”

“Yes.”

“Will you protect its members when you are able?”

“Yes.”

“Will you treat them with fairness and compassion?”

“Yes.”

“Will you stand beside your mate and support the pack?”

I hesitated for only a second.

“Yes.”

The elder nodded.

“Give me your hands.”

I extended mine.

Kai took them.

Then he placed my hands between his.

His eyes suddenly changed.

The brown disappeared.

A golden glow replaced them.

I froze.

Then Kai spoke.

“I, Alpha Kai of the Shadow Wolf Pack, welcome you, Sebastian Elijah Bennett, as my Luna and as a member of this pack.”

His voice changed.

It wasn’t simply his voice anymore.

It sounded deeper.

Stronger.

Almost ancient.

“I promise to protect you as I protect every member of my pack. I promise to honor you, respect you, and stand beside you.”

Something happened.

A warmth spread through my hands.

Then it moved through my arms.

My chest tightened.

But not painfully.

It was something completely different.

I gasped.

I suddenly felt something.

People.

Hundreds of people.

I could feel them.

Their emotions.

Their excitement.

Their happiness.

Their curiosity.

Their acceptance.

It was like invisible threads had suddenly connected me to everyone around me.

My mind became overwhelmed.

I could feel the pack.

Not individually.

But collectively.

Like one enormous heartbeat.

I felt something settle inside me.

A connection.

A bond.

My eyes widened.

“What…”

Kai’s fingers tightened around mine.

“Easy.”

I looked at him.

“You feel it.”

I nodded slowly.

I did.

I felt like I had suddenly become part of something much bigger than myself.

Something ancient.

Something alive.

Something that had existed long before me.

Then the ceremony ended.

The elders stepped back.

And suddenly—

A wolf appeared.

I froze.

A man near the back shifted.

Bones moved.

His body transformed.

A huge wolf stood where a man had been seconds earlier.

My heart stopped.

Another person shifted.

Then another.

Then another.

Within seconds, wolves surrounded the ceremonial grounds.

Black.

Brown.

Grey.

White.

Large.

Small.

All of them beautiful and powerful.

I instinctively stepped closer to Kai.

My breathing became shallow.

He immediately leaned toward me.

“Don’t be scared.”

His voice was barely a whisper.

“I’m here.”

I looked at him.

Then at the wolves.

One by one, they raised their heads toward the full moon.

And then they howled.

The sound rolled across the entire pack.

Hundreds of voices.

Hundreds of wolves.

One pack.

I felt the sound in my chest.

I should have been terrified.

Instead, I felt something strange.

Something I couldn’t explain.

I looked at Kai.

His eyes were still glowing.

His hand remained firmly around mine.

And suddenly I understood something.

I wasn’t standing outside this world anymore.

I was standing inside it.

I was part of it.

I was part of them.

I looked up at the moon.

My fingers tightened around Kai’s.

And for the first time since I had left the church behind, I didn’t feel like I was losing something.

I felt like I was beginning something.

Something completely new.

Something I didn’t understand yet.

But something I was finally willing to embrace.