Chapter 9.
1476 Words
Nick paused in his conversation with Liam as Skylar glided down the stairs. He watched her with a disbelieving smile.
When she got to the foot of the stairs, he extended a hand which she took.
"Well, you do clean up nice, Wild Child. Not too bad."
"You don't look so shabby yourself. Hello, Liam."
"Hello, Skylar. Sapphire stepped out just now. Shall we leave?"
"Of course."
****
The Revelation Ceremony was always a big deal, and it was an even bigger deal now that the Blood Alpha had found his mate - something everyone had given up hope of ever happening.
"It is time for the Alpha/Luna dance." came the announcement after the Revealing activities.
Nick and Skylar opened the floor for the traditional dance that had been performed for centuries by Alphas and their mates.
"The crown suits you, Wild Child."
"I know."
They swirled, came back together, and pull apart again, eyes on eyes.
Skylar's Mom wiped imaginary tears from her eyes, and said to no one in particular, "She looks so beautiful, doesn't she?"
The other Alphas and Lunas soon joined.
"Goddess, I can't believe BOTH sisters got Alphas as mates." said a girl to her friend as they watched.
"And not just random Alphas," continued another girl. "The Blood Alpha and his brother?" She shook her head. "The Moon Goddess must have been asleep while working this one."
"Tiffany!"
"I was just joking."
The next activity was getting tattoos.
"Whoever dares to have their mates' name tattooed on their body should come up now. Anybody? Alpha Reed? You look quite stricken by Gwen. Wanna give it a try?"
The large ballroom burst into laughter.
Reed, standing by Liam, raised his glass to his lips. "How about it, Liam? Have the courage to try?"
"I think." Liam downed his drink and made his way to the podium.
Sapphire gasped from her seat.
"Alpha Liam has stepped up to the challenge. Hopefully, setting the tone for others."
Skylar turned to Nick sitting by her on a chair-like throne.
His eyes were closed and he gave a picture of relaxation. "What, Wild Child? Want me to tattoo your name?"
"Um, yeah."
"I find the act of needling my skin very painful."
"Nick," she pouted. Over a few days, there had been a subtle shift in their relationship, and the cat and rat relationship between them had dwindled to teasing and being teased.
She was the one always being teased, and she didn't mind it as she used to. The bond was working, yes, but she also enjoyed his company.
Most often than not, he obliged her with what she wanted and let her do as she pleased.
"I need not do that, Skylar. I believe I already have your name on my skin somewhere. Ginormous, I might add."
She stared at him, "What do you mean?"
"Come, I'll show you."
"Where?"
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Surely, you don't want me to bare it all here for everyone to see?"
Skylar found out she did not like that idea very much, or at all. "No."
Nick was chagrined. "Protective, aren't we?" He held out his hand. "Shall we?"
Skylar took his hand. "But people will talk. It'll be a scandal."
Again, Nick raised an eyebrow. "Living in the Regency Era? Come on. What I say here, goes."
Now it was her turn to raise her eyebrow. "Conceited much?"
They held hands and made their way toward the restrooms.
When they got there, he took off his shirt while admiring himself in the mirror. "Man, I am one fine dude."
"Nick!"
He laughed. "Sorry."
When his shirt came off, she gasped. "Nicolas!"
On the left side of his body, her name was cursively written. It ran the entire length of that side of his body.
She touched it, and he winced.
"It hurts you?"
"Methinks the healing process isn't done yet." As he wore his shirt, he beamed a kind smile at her. "You see, Wild Girl, we don't need a new tattoo."
"When - when did you get it done?"
"I didn't get it done."
"Uh?"
"It's part of the bonding process."
"When? How?"
He steered her towards the door. "When you forced me to have s*x with you. It happens automatically."
"So that means I'll have yours, too?"
"Not yet, sweet."
She turned to face him with folded arms across her chest. "Explain."
"Let's say, for you, the process is a lot more intricate." He planted a quick kiss on her mouth. "Come on, before we eventually start that scandal."
As they walked back, he said, "Your Mother seems to believe she has two perfect daughters. She's had her eyes on you all evening."
"And she doesn't have two perfect daughters?"
"No," he replied. "One of them needs a factory recall. And it's not Sapphire."
"Hey!"
He laughed at her expression and strolled away.
*****
The loud noise came as a shock to everyone.
"What was that?"
People that were nearer to the door, shuffled deeper into the room.
Nick raised a hand and the hall fell into silence as he moved towards the door, Liam and his beta flanking him.
When they stepped outside, Liam was startled by what he saw but Nick was quicker in action. With a sweep of his hand, he created a sandstorm and shut the doors.
He turned to the people. "There is no need for panic. It's just a minor disturbance we will take care of now. Skylar, tend to the mates of the Alphas who are coming with me now. We'll have some betas stay with you and the rest of the others." He beamed a smile at all of them. "Rest assured. Everything's fine."
He swung back to the Alphas and instructed them in more serious tones. "Outside, we have a bunch of wizards who were formerly part of us waiting to cause some damage. I'm sure you all are familiar with those I speak of." He gave out instructions in curt manners and ended with, "The Goddess be with you, gentlemen."
Their mates watched them leave. Gwen, who had lived with humans for a period of her life, made the sign of the cross.
Apprehension cloaked the room thickly and no one said anything. The Blood Alpha was there. Everything would be fine. He was practically a wizard himself.
"What's that sound again?" Liz suddenly said.
"What sound?"
Because Lunas were the weakest links to their Alphas, they had been gathered into a room and it was from the back of that room that the noise was coming from.
Suddenly, a part of the wall caved in from behind.
Liz and some of the others screamed.
"Oh, Lunas." said the girl that stared at them.
They all stared back, stunned.
It was Skylar who spoke first. "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Want to fight?"
Sapphire gaped at her sister.
The girl smirked and dropped the staff with her. "I'll leave you in pieces for your Alpha to find."
The fight against the wizards was brutal and bloody.
Most of the Alphas had shifted into their wolf form, except Liam and Nick who were more than formidable in their human forms.
Arms, sometimes heads, were taken away from their owners.
A sickening crunch was heard and someone's neck snapped.
Nick suddenly focused on another group of wizards that had managed to stay away from the fight till this point. One of them threw what looked like a ball of fire toward the hall. Nick caught it and stuffed it down a wizard's throat. The wizard began choking. He would die in the slowest, most excruciating way and no one on earth could stop that.
"Focus on the brother.“
But Nick seemed to know what they were thinking. He tore his way toward Liam and with a sweep of his hand, directed the arrow meant for him back at the attackers.
"Thanks, bro."
"Stay alive and thank me later."
Few minutes later, Nick winced as he watched his beta plunge the tip of his spear into a wizard's throat.
There had only been one serious injury amongst the Alphas, the rest suffering from minor scratches.
Thankfully, the people in the hall were safe but the Lunas...
"Skylar, that's enough."
"No. Take my crown."
Somebody took it from her and she fell back on her opponent.
The girl on the ground tried to run and Skylar went over her. She swept the girl's feet from underneath her.
”Going to leave me in pieces for my Alpha? I'll leave you in pieces for the dogs."
"Skylar. We'll take it from here."
"Hi. My crown, please." When she placed it on her head, she asked, "Do I look okay?"
"You look perfect, my love." He studied her speculatively. "You okay?"
"We're all fine. Let's get all these cleared up."
- Writer
