Hunter's Secret

Hunter’s POV

It has been two weeks since Raine, and I first fully completed the mating bond. Her body was perfectly made to be with mine and she has somehow become even more beautiful. And River is even more protective now, hardly letting me leave her side without throwing a tantrum in my head. I don’t really mind though because I don’t want to leave her side either.

I know she feels the same way because she is always touching me. Holding my hand, resting her hand on my arm, putting her legs over my lap when we watch TV, and I definitely don’t mind that either. She is mine. Fully mine now and nothing could make me happier.

I have worked with her on controlling her mind-links. Now that she is my Luna, fully my Luna, she has access to all of the mind-links to every member of the pack. It is a little overwhelming to have your head flooded with hundreds of voices all at once, especially when most of them are commenting on how excited they are that we finally slept together. So, I have been teaching her how to filter them out and how to open and close the ones she wants to. She is really fast learner which was great until she learned how to block me out too. Like she is doing right now.

I have been trying to link her for the past five minutes because she is running behind schedule, but she keeps blocking me out. I am standing at the altar, waiting for my beautiful Luna to walk down the aisle so I can officially introduce her to my pack. I shift my weight back and forth and Ryan places a firm hand on my shoulder, doing his best to calm my increasing anxiety.

As much as I appreciate him stepping back up to become my Beta, I desperately wish it was Cameron standing next to me. An intense wave of sadness washes over me at the thought. I always pictured Locks standing next to me as I introduced my Luna to my pack. I pictured him teasing me for my mark, making fun of me for being intimate with my mate. I just pictured him always by my side. I sigh and Ryan squeezes my shoulder, understanding my thoughts. I look to him, giving him a tight-lipped smile before I blow out my breath, the sadness being replaced with anxiety once again.

What if she isn’t ready for this?

Raine’s POV

“I am so NOT ready!” I shout out, feeling incredibly overwhelmed. I can’t get my hair to lay right and my necklace keeps slipping off center.

“Rainey, you need to calm yourself down. You look beautiful. You are ready. He is ready. You can do this,” my dad gently says, standing up from the chair and coming over to stand by me. I glance at myself in the mirror, and I agree that I look beautiful.

The white lace wedding dress has an off-the-shoulder neckline that perfectly displays my mark. It contours to my body before flaring out mid-thigh into a long train. The dress is beautiful and fits me perfectly, but I don’t feel beautiful. I just feel nervous. Don’t get me wrong, I am so incredibly happy to be marrying Hunter and officially becoming the Luna, but I am so nervous.

If someone had told me that I would be getting married to the brown-haired, green-eyed stranger who showed up at my apartment door, I would call them crazy. And if they told me I would be marrying him after only six months of knowing him, I would check myself into the hospital, obviously having lost my mind. But here we are. And I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Ash stands next to my dad, and he turns to give her a quick kiss, making me smile. Ash holds up my veil in a silent question which I respond to with a nod of my head. She comes over to my other side and I slightly lean back so she can place it in my hair. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before opening them. The floral lace-lined veil fans my face before falling down my sides, extending all the way out to the train of my dress. I really look like a bride now. I glance at my dad whose eyes are glassy.

“Don’t cry, dad. I am just getting married this time,” I tease, my own voice full of emotion as my eyes start to mist over too. He lets out a small laugh before sniffling.

“You look amazing, Rainey. I am so honored to be the one to walk you down the aisle,” my dad’s voice cracks with pride.

“He’s right. You are gorgeous. You might give that Alpha of yours a heart attack when he sees you. Try not to keep him waiting too much longer,” Ash winks at me in the mirror and I let out a small laugh. She continues, “I love you, sweet daughter of mine,” her eyes matching the gloss in my mine. She gives me a quick hug before brushing a stray piece of hair out of my face.

“I love you too, mom,” I whisper, feeling a tear roll down my face. She sniffles and gives my dad a sweet peck on his cheek before turning to go take her seat in the front row. I watched her disappear out the door and I let out a sigh.

“You ready?” my dad asks, offering me the crook of his arm.

“Wait, let me link him so he doesn’t come looking for me and then yes, I’m ready,” I quickly say and open a mind-link.

‘Hunter?’

‘Is everything okay? I have been trying really hard to not come check on you. Are you okay?’

I smile at the anxiety in his voice, ‘Yes, I am okay. I am just a little nervous. But we are heading out now. See you soon.’

‘If it helps, I am nervous too,’ he whispers, making me smile again because it is not like anyone can hear us anyway.

‘Okay, talking to you is not helping me. I love you. See you soon.’

I close the link before he can respond, taking a deep breath and placing my hand on my dad’s arm. He pats my hand, and we start walking. We make it to the aisle and all eyes fall on me but the only one I am looking at is Hunter. He slightly laughs and quickly wipes the tears out of his eyes, smiling the biggest and brightest smile I have ever seen him have. Just seeing him eliminates all my nerves and now all I feel is excited.

My dad and I slowly make our way toward him and when we reach him, Hunter reaches his hand out for me and he helps me step up onto the platform before stepping down and turning to my dad, pulling him into a hug, thanking him. Hunter steps back up and he leans into me, whispering in my ear.

“You look breathtakingly beautiful, Luna.”

“Well, you look pretty handsome, Alpha.” I whisper back and I watch his eyes immediately turn black. I stifle a smirk. He blinks a few times as his dad steps up to the podium behind us. His eyes also are misty as he smiles at the two of us.

“We are here today to celebrate the joining of Hunter Levitt with Raine Hart, tying them together as well as to the Blue Flame pack. Please, take each other’s hands,” Jackson’s deep voice gently commands.

Hunter reaches for my hands, and I face him, placing my hands in his.

“Do you Hunter Levitt, current Alpha of Blue Flame, take Raine Hart as your mate and Luna?” Jackson asks Hunter and he responds with a very eager, “I do,” which earns a few laughs from the crowd.

“Do you Raine Hart, potential Luna of Blue Flame, take Hunter Levitt as your mate and Alpha?”

“I do,” I smile.

“Hunter, do you promise to protect and honor your mate and Luna, providing for her as long as you shall live? Do you promise to place her needs above your own? Do you wish for her to take her place beside you, as your equal, until you pass the Alpha title down to the next Alpha? Do you pledge to sacrifice yourself if necessary to keep her and your pack safe? Do you vow to love and cherish her for all of your days?”

He smiles deeply at me as he responds this time, his eyes misty as he conveys all his love through his gaze and firm grip on my hands, “I do.”

Jackson winks at his son and turns to me, “Raine, do you promise to serve and honor your mate and Alpha, supporting him for as long as you shall live? Do you promise to place his needs above your own? Do you wish to take a place beside him, as his equal, until you pass the Luna title down to the next Luna? Do you pledge to sacrifice yourself if necessary to keep him and your pack safe? Do you vow to love and cherish him for all of your days?”

“I do.”

“Well then, please stick out your hands, and be prepared to accept your title as mates and rulers over Blue Flame,” Jackson says, pulling a knife out of his pocket. Jackson slices Hunter’s palm and Hunter does not react at all, not even as his blood fills his palm.

Jackson moves to my hand next and slices my palm, I suck in my breath as my blood also springs to the surface. Hunter grabs my hand, mixing our blood together and I feel power flood my body, swirling between our hands. I slightly gasp as I feel my connection snap into place as the entire pack cheers and celebrates.

“Now, you may kiss your bride!”

Hunter keeps our bloodied hands locked together as he grabs my waist with his other hand, pulling me closer before placing a sensual and passionate kiss on my lips. The cheers get even louder, and he pulls away before taking the wet cloths from his mom. He cleans off his hand, the wound already healed on his palm.

He cleans the blood away from my cut next, careful not to cause it to start bleeding again. Then he surprises me by bringing my hand up to his mouth, his tongue trailing the entirety of the wound. I gasp again as the sting from the cut disappears and is replaced by intense pleasure. I feel my face heat up as he unashamedly continues to lick my wound.

His tongue moves back and forth across my hand, and I have to take a deep breath as he heals the cut with his mouth. When he finally removes his mouth from my hand, it is completely healed, leaving only a small pink scar behind. An eternal sign of my connection to the pack. He glances up at me before dropping to his knees, bowing his head deeply, a sign of complete submission to me. I ruffle his hair and he stands back up, capturing me in another kiss before gently taking my hand again and leading me off the platform and through the celebrating crowd.

We make our way to the ballroom, trailed by the entire pack and the music starts as we filter onto the dance floor. Hunter places one hand on my waist while I place mine on his shoulder. He takes my other in his, holding it out to the side as we start to dance together. He doesn’t say anything but the huge smile on his face is enough for me to know what he is thinking. I grin back at him, our bodies swaying in sync as we dance.

The song slows down more, and he drops my hand and places both of his hands on my waist as I wrap my hands around his neck, playing with his hair at the nape of his neck. He groans as he pulls me closer to me, making my body become flush against his. His voice fills my head as we continue to gently sway to the music.

‘Mmmm Raine, you better be careful. You are playing with fire here.’

‘I don’t know what you could possibly mean…’ I tease, twirling his hair around my fingers before lightly moving my fingertips across the back of his neck, earning a shiver from him.

‘Raine…you know what...that does to me,’ his voice practically drips with lust, and I smirk up at him.

‘Hmm, well maybe I want to reward my Alpha husband for being such a…’ I pause.

‘Such a what?’ he asks, as I feel his desire flood our bond.

‘Such a…good boy,’ I reply and he lowly growls, before lifting me up, announcing to entire pack that we are leaving for the night but to continue celebrating and enjoying themselves. His announcement earned some snickers from the crowd and a loud giggle from me. He carried me out of the ballroom, his legs moving as fast as they could to our house. I use the opportunity to tease him some more. I slip my hand between the buttons of his shirt, and I feel his muscles tighten under my touch as he groans again. I giggle in response, continuing to caress his skin under his shirt.

The door barely gets shut and we definitely don’t make it upstairs before our clothes are on the floor. But I am not complaining. I like it when he claims me as his, over and over again, until I am left completely exhausted but always happy. And loved. Always always loved.