CHAPTER 18: Pack Acceptance*_∼
833 Words
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*CLAIMED BY THE ALPHA*
*CHAPTER 18: Pack Acceptance*
_∼
*Day 53*
Damon woke me up with coffee.
And nerves.
“I can feel them,” he said.
“Who?”
“The pack. They’re coming.”
“For what?”
“For us.”
I sat up.
“What do you mean?”
“Mating ceremony. Real one. Not the court one. Not the PR one. The pack one.”
My hands shook.
“Damon I don’t—”
“You don’t have to do anything. Just stand with me. That’s it.”
He kissed my knuckles.
“They need to see you. See us. So they stop doubting.”
---
*6pm. The Pack Grounds.*
Torches.
Hundreds of people.
Alphas. Betas. Omegas.
All staring.
I was terrified.
Damon wasn’t.
He held my hand.
Tight.
The head Alpha spoke:
“We gather to witness the bond of Damon Blackwood and Abigail Carter. Permanent. By choice.”
Elena was in the back.
Didn’t look at us.
Then it was our turn.
Damon stepped forward.
“Pack,” he said. Voice steady. “This is Abigail. She’s not a contract. She’s not a scandal. She’s my mate.”
He looked at me.
“And I’m hers.”
Then he did something I didn’t expect.
He knelt.
In front of everyone.
Took my hand.
“Abigail Carter, will you stand with me? Not as my omega. Not as my responsibility. As my equal. As my mate.”
Everyone went silent.
I was crying.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes, I will.”
The pack roared.
---
*The Ritual*
They braided our hands together.
Red cord.
For blood.
For bond.
For forever.
They marked us.
Not with teeth.
With paint.
On our wrists.
Matching.
His name on me.
Mine on him.
“From this day,” the Alpha said, “they are one. Protected by the pack. Honored by the pack. Loved by the pack.”
Then people came up.
One by one.
To meet me.
Not as Damon’s omega.
As Abigail.
An old omega hugged me.
“You’re safe here, child.”
A beta gave me bread.
“To feed your home.”
An Alpha nodded at Damon.
“Good choice, brother.”
---
*Later. Fire.*
We sat on the ground.
Like everyone else.
No table.
No suit.
Just us.
Damon’s arm around me.
My head on his shoulder.
People laughing.
Music.
“This is nice,” I whispered.
“What is?”
“This. Being part of something.”
“You’re part of everything now, Abi. Because of me.”
He looked down at me.
“You okay?”
“I’m more than okay. I’m home.”
He smiled.
Real one.
“Good. Because I’m not letting you go.”
---
*Midnight.*
People left.
Torches died.
Just us and the stars.
Damon laid back on the grass.
Pulled me on top of him.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi.”
“Did you hate it?”
“No. Did you?”
“I loved it. Because you were there.”
He traced the new mark on my wrist.
“Abigail,” he said.
“What?”
“My name. On you.”
“I know.”
“It feels right.”
---
*1am. Home.*
We didn’t go to separate rooms.
We went to OUR room.
Damon sat on the edge of the bed.
Pulled me between his legs.
Back to his chest.
“The pack accepts you,” he murmured.
“I know.”
“No one can question it now.”
“I know.”
“No one can take you.”
“I know.”
He kissed my shoulder.
Right where the rogue stabbed me.
Right where his mark was.
“Mate,” he whispered.
“Yes?”
“Thank you. For standing with me.”
“Thank you for asking me.”
---
*Morning. Day 54.*
We woke up to gifts.
At the door.
Blankets.
Food.
A book for me.
_‘How to Teach Pack Children’_
From the old omega.
Damon read the card.
“She thinks you should teach here.”
“I do too,” I said.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. If you’ll let me.”
“I’ll do anything you want, Abi.”
---
*That night.*
No danger.
No Elena.
No board.
Just dinner.
At the table.
With pack members.
They treated me like family.
Because I was.
After, Damon and I walked.
Around the grounds.
Hand in hand.
“Do you regret it?” he asked.
“The ceremony?”
“No. Us.”
“Never.”
He stopped.
Turned me to him.
Kissed me.
Under the stars.
With the whole pack watching.
And no one said a word.
---
*11:59pm. Text.*
*Unknown: The pack loves you. I love you. Come to bed.*
*Me: Coming. To you. Always.*
*Unknown: My mate.*
*Me: Your mate.*
Bound by his name.
For 50+ chapters.
And tonight the pack said it too.
---
_END OF CHAPTER 18_
- Writer
