Ever Cynical

Chapter 28- Joining the Pack Part One

Kieran POV

It was finally Thursday, the day Anais was to join my pack, become my Luna, and shift for the first time.

The day we would finally mate and mark each other.

The last six days had been tough, even if we'd used our mouths to ease each other's desire. More than once a day? Probably. We were feeling pretty desperate. Ironically, our wolves were the ones keeping us back. Ri'dubh, after Claire and Anais had gently insisted on waiting, had been firmly resolute that we reach our goal.

Helga had insisted that we not see each other from the morning until the ceremony, setting up a staging area for Anais in her room, since I'd insisted she live in mine since the whole fiasco with the envoy. I just had to have her close as often as it could be accomplished. Helga had also insisted that Sean wait to claim her until after Anais and I had done so, though they'd announced their mateship to the pack, much to everyone's utter delight.

Helga in the role of Delta female felt right and natural.

Nobody outside the pack had been invited, or notified of our ceremony except for Ekezeic, but we had extra men on patrol just in case. The pack elders had no issue with anything, a rather relaxed bunch for elders, including my father. Reminded me of a bunch of old rockers smoking weed around a bonfire talking about "before electricity, I had to... blah blah blah." We had no idea if Ekezeic would make an appearance. I was both excited and incredibly nervous.

I'd learned a lot about Anais' body in the last week, and I was fairly sure tonight was going to be everything we both hoped for, but the first time is just that. You don't have any experience, and the last thing I wanted was to hurt her or, goddess forbid, c*m before she did. Obviously, my mate would forgive me, but I felt an incredibly strong need to demonstrate my virility and longevity in the sack (likely spurred by male pride, but dammit I am an alpha). The only person I could really ask was my dad, and there was just no way I could bring myself to get the words out.

Can you imagine, hey Dad, how do you make sure you don't ejaculate prematurely? Right. Not happening.

I'd left everything to my mother and Helga to plan. Anais, they'd said, had no idea how to plan anything, but it was clear that they loved doing it for her. My mother had been team Anais since she asked her about her feelings. My dad was team Immortals, so from the moment she was mated to one of us, he'd have died for her, it's just who he is. Quiet but fierce. My team had become the brothers she'd never knew she needed, and as much as they gave each other s**t, it was clear they were thick as thieves. I just wished my Beta and Gamma could also find their mates like Sean and I had.

Really complete our team.

I donned the fancy white dress shirt and black fitted slacks that Helga had insisted Sean force me into. The shirtsleeves were rolled to my elbows and I wore no shoes. I was not a man that enjoyed fancy s**t. After the ceremony we would be shifting, no point. Sean patted my back as we walked into the area they'd set up outside. Somehow, they had found time to make an arch of branches and decorated it with fairy lights and white tulle on the ceremonial dais. The lights were also strung like a ceiling over the seating area. The chairs had white tulle bows, but this was the only decoration. There was a table in the back with some champagne and refreshments, if people wanted afterward. It was not going to be a pack run, as we were not sure how long Anais would take for her first shift.

As I walked to the dais, every single pack member was grinning ear-to-ear and offering hearty congratulations.

I took my place on the dais, waiting anxiously for my Luna to appear.

Anais POV

I was shaking like a leaf. Helga kept telling me not to be nervous, but it was impossible. Besides the mating part, I was worried about what was going to happen with my shift. And after... I shook my head. One thing at a time, right? Helga was holding something made of white satin out to me. Was that a... dress? The last time I wore a dress was when women weren't allowed to wear pants unless you wanted to be a social pariah. At the mutinous look on my face, she huffed.

"Luna, come on. You will look beautiful, and it's easy to take off for your shift. No unders required at all." She winked playfully. "Please?" She begged, her gray eyes compelling me to agree. Ugh, fine, if my bestie wants me to wear a dress, who am I to deny her? After the stunt I pulled with that Luna command, it was the least I could do. I held my arms out waiting for her to slide the silky fabric on me. "I'm doing your makeup too, Luna." She giggled, but the look in her eyes told me I wasn't denying her that, either. I rolled my eyes. When she was finished poking and prodding, I could hardly believe it was me in the mirror.

I wasn't one to dress up, hence my comfortable and practical wardrobe of pants and shorts paired with whatever top suited the season best. That didn't mean that I disliked beautiful things, no. My life just didn't have room for it. Until now.

She'd done a dramatic and sexy smoky eye with champagne accents and sheer lip gloss. My inky black hair was in long and loose waves other than a chunk that had been braided and wrapped around my head like a crown. Helga had placed pearls throughout the braid, and pearl drops in my ears. I wore no shoes and as promised, no unders. The dress was silky white satin, with an open back other than the two thin criss-crossed straps that held up the drapey cowl neckline. It fell in an a-line to the floor, with a slit to the hip on each side. It floated around me when I walked and felt like heaven.

Okay, I approve. Jeez!

Helga's eyes twinkled in pleasure, knowing that the beautiful simplicity was absolutely perfect.

She clapped happily, pleased with the outcome. She herself wore a simple pale rose peasant-style long gown made of a soft crinkled rayon. She was being sworn in as Delta female too, and Sean was taking her off to the mating huts just like me and Kieran. Thank goddess they were soundproofed, I thought, for the second time. This time, because I didn't want to embarrass my best friend like that. They'd been stocked with food and our clothing already so we could just go straight there.

"Come on Luna, let's go." She smiled widely, leading me downstairs to the outdoor picnic area where the ceremony had been set up. It was simple and beautiful. She and Cressida had outdone themselves. I saw Kieran waiting for me, and I suddenly wanted to run to him, His eyes were shining, and I knew if I looked closely there would be tears. Big softy. He looked dashingly handsome in his crisp white shirt and black pants, his hair in a tidy man bun, just like the day I'd met him. My breath was shaky as I walked to him.

This was it, no going back now!

Kieran POV

Holy s**t she was beautiful. I could feel tears pricking my eyelids. s**t.

I didn't know where they'd found her such a beautiful gown. I knew for sure it wasn't hers, but I was not complaining. As she reached the dais, I held out my hand for her, and pulled her up next to me. Our sparks had intensified day over day, and tonight it felt like even the air around us was charged from our mate bond. My team stood with me, and Helga stood with Anais. My father was doing the honors or conducting the ceremony and hosting the party after we went into the woods for Anais' shift.

"Tonight we are gathered to celebrate the induction of not only our Delta female, but our new Luna. Son, step forward with your Deltas first." Helga and Sean stepped up with me to a table with a silver knife resting upon it. "Do you, Helga Tilde MacCraith, pledge yourself to the role of Celtic Moon Delta? This pledge means that you shall forsake all others in protection of Celtic Moon, upholding its laws as dictated by our Alpha Kieran. Your mate, Sean Flanery, has sworn the same, and by partaking of this oath, it is now shared between you. Do you so pledge equal loyalty to your pack, your alpha, and your mate?" My father continued. He dearly loved ceremonies. Not my thing, really, and I was happy to let him do it.

"I do so pledge." She agreed adroitly. Declan turned to Sean.

"Do you, Sean Paul Flanery, pledge to continue protecting Celtic Moon and upholding its laws, in conjunction with your mate, always protecting both your mate and your pack?" Dad's voice resonated across the pack gathering. I swear I heard a few sniffles. The people in our pack would, of course, view this much like a wedding.

"I do so pledge." He intoned graciously, a bright, wide grin the only clue as to how happy he was to finally be able to claim his mate. I don't know how the man waited nearly a year for her. I doubt I could have done it. Most mates feel that initial desperation, even if they end up rejecting a person for whatever reason. No way could I ever have considered rejection. I really don't get it. I loved Anais so much within hours, she was just so perfect.

"Please bring forth your hands." The former alpha declared, lifting our ceremonial silver dagger, a beautiful artifact with its emerald encrusted hilt and handle wrapped with green leather and gold wire.

We sealed their pledge by slicing their palms and mine, grasping hands with me. Everyone felt the bonds snap into place and cheered. You could feel the anticipation for what was to come next. Nobody had said it, but they had longed for me to find my Luna for decades. They also knew I would never take a chosen mate.

They then returned to their places. "And now, Anais, please step forward to join your mate." Anais stepped forward, but her face looked a little off. As she approached my father and me, she hesitated.

"Um, I'm not sure how we can do this," She whispered. I looked at her, confused. She sighed. "It's better if I show you." She held out her hand to my father to be cut, but nothing happened. I stared in shock. She was impervious to silver! We all just sort of looked at each other for a moment, before a voice called out from the back of the room.

"Looks like I arrived just in time." Came the deep and masculine voice, with its signature gruff German accent.

"Ekezeic!" Anais cried happily as she turned toward the hulking man approaching the dais.