“Now.”
“Very well, very well.” Thomas doesn’t waste time with fancy words. Instead, he simply gives us the chance to say our vows to one another.
In a few days, Red and I can head to town and worry about getting a human marriage certificate, but the vows we make as shifters will be legally recognized in the meantime. Shifters aren’t required to go through the human process of marriage licenses, but I’ll do it for Red. She worked in a legal office before running into the woods and falling in love with the likes of me, so she knows the importance of having as much legal paperwork completed as possible.
“Nash,” Thomas says, forgoing the use of my title Alpha. In a mating ceremony, Thomas is the highest ranking shifter: not the Alpha. As the spiritual leader of the pack, he’s the one who says whether or not we’re able to wed. He’s the one who decides whether or not Red and I can devote our lives to one another. Of course, if Thomas refused to let us go through the mating ritual, I could always have him excommunicated, but he’s been in The Silent Canines even longer than I have and I trust him completely.
I take Red’s hands and we stand facing each other in front of Thomas. A small crowd gathers to watch. Some of the pack has already gone inside and a few are cleaning up the bodies, but for the most part, the shifters want to see this.
It’s not every day an Alpha gets mated, after all.
“Yes, Wise One?”
“Do you give yourself to Scarlett of the humans of your own free will?”
“I do, Wise One.”
“Scarlett?”
“Yes, Wise One?” She repeats my words even though I know she doesn’t really know what to expect or what to say.
“Do you give yourself to Nash of The Silent Canines of your own free will?”
“I do,” she blushes, then adds, “Wise One.”
“Nash,” Thomas’ eyes go soft. “Your vows, my son.”
This is the part where I promise to love her. This is the part where I tell her everything is going to be okay. This is the part where I promise that no matter what happens, we’ll always have each other.
When I look at Red, my heart swells. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. She’s sweet and kind and generous and brave, but suddenly, I’m choked up and I can’t say the words I long to. I close my eyes for a moment and squeeze her hands, but she pulls away from my grip and I feel her hand on my cheek.
“It’s okay,” she whispers. “Take your time, baby.”
And then I know exactly what I need to say.
“Scarlett, I promise to love you. I promise to be kind to you. I promise to care for you as I do for my pack. The road will not be easy, but I will be with you every step of the way. You make me feel like I can conquer any kingdom, win any battle. You give me the strength I need to lead, to protect, and to care for my pack. You are my mate, Scarlett. To you I will be true.”
“Scarlett,” Thomas says. “Your vows, my daughter.”
Red doesn’t hesitate. I don’t know if she’s been thinking about what she might say or if she’s just so filled with emotion that it’s easy to find the words, but she begins to speak in her sweet voice and my heart feels full.
“Nash, I promise to love you. You are my one and only. When the road gets dark, I will be your light. When you feel alone, I will be your friend. When you start to wander, I will be your anchor. You give me the strength I need to keep going when I feel like the world is caving in. You are my mate, Nash. To you I will be true.”
“Very well,” Thomas says, then looks at Scarlett. “Have you been told about the blood ritual?”
She nods and bares her throat. We don’t need much. Just a small amount of blood to seal our promises and Scarlett will be my mate forever.
“I’ll be quick,” I promise.
“I trust you.”
Shifting only my hand, I bare my claws and cut a small, one-inch wound on her neck. Scarlett hisses, but holds still, and I shift my hand back.
“Blood of my mate,” I whisper. “I take thee.” Then I lick the blood.
“My turn,” Scarlett whispers, and Thomas hands her a small knife since she doesn’t have claws to cut me with. I bare my neck to Scarlett and she moves forward. She cuts me and while it hurts, I can tell she’s trying to be gentle. Besides, it’s still nothing compared to the battle wounds covering my body from my recent fight.
Carefully, she licks up the blood the pours from my neck, then she whispers the words.