Inevitably Yours

QUINN

“Please join me in congratulating the Stary High Graduating Class one more time!” our principal called happily over the speaker system. All the graduates started tossing their hats in the air. I tossed mine up too, even though I sat on the stage in front of my class with the rest of the Top 10. Michael smiled at me from his seat in the front row section of special guests. The Alpha was very welcome today.

Everyone scrambled to gab a cap and headed out of the auditorium. M waited right where he was seated, his heated stare fixed on me. I couldn’t help but blush as he pushed tidbits of our morning into my head.

I stayed with M and Nic in the hotel when we left my parents’ house. The next day, we all started to make the packhouse liveable. We just needed a couple of rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen to get through. I concentrated my effort on the bathroom first while they went to bedrooms.

M found out there were unpaid utility bills for months but convinced them to work with him to get all the debt paid. Nic and I couldn’t make heads or tails of all the financial issues created by Lawrence, so we focused on making the packhouse habitable.

I still had a few weeks of school left, so they trained while I went to school then we all worked on the packhouse after. Michael told me his father would be coming soon, and I promised to help get his mom back as well.

Senior Week was bittersweet. I felt like I was already well beyond high school as I helped Michael start settling into his Alpha position and looked forward to being Luna.

I wasn’t brave enough to ask my parents if they were coming to graduation until the night before. All I could manage was a text message. I left their tickets with someone at the door but didn’t find them in the crowd. If they were here, they weren’t making it obvious.

Finally, the last of the crowd was leaving the auditorium, and Michael started coming toward the stage. I came to the edge, looking down at him.

“I can see under your dress, Luna,” he teased.

“Michael!” I gasped. He just laughed and held his arms up. I bent down, letting him grab onto me. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled me off the stage. He spun me around, eliciting a giggle.

“I’m so proud of you. You are incredible,” he whispered as he kissed right below my ear.

“Thank you, Alpha,” I laughed. “Do all the graduates get such sweet treatment from their Alpha?”

“Only my graduate,” he smiled. “Can I take you out? I think we need to celebrate.”

I frowned for a small second, then pushed it away. Michael looked at me, concerned. “No, let’s go home and cook something together. We need to save every penny to get the pack back on track.”

“Are you sure? I just want to celebrate you,” he said.

“Please, M? Just us tonight,” I requested.

“Whatever you want,” he agreed, pecking my lips. “We have all the time in the world.”

“Well, not really. Did you forget our Alpha and Luna ceremony tomorrow?”

MICHAEL

Quinn was nervously running her hands over her pale blue dress, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles. I watched her with a smile from my place on the bed.

The top part of her hair was pulled back into a braid that disappeared into her blue waves. I flexed my hand thinking about those blue strands fisted in my grip last night.

“We have time,” Eros mused.

“Goddess, I would, but she’s too nervous right now,” I sighed. Quinn was like a drug; I couldn’t get enough of her high. No matter how tired we were, we landed in bed tangled in each other, and she was screaming my name before I let her sleep.

Eros was ready to run with Sapphire, and he didn’t have to wait much longer. Quinn turned, and I could see her hiding the panic. I stood and sauntered over to her. My favorite part of this ceremony was the outfit and the bare feet. Her toes were painted to match the dress.

I cupped her face, and she leaned into the touch, her eyes falling closed. “You look perfect. Stop worrying.”

“Will they come?” she whispered. Her parents. It was bugging her more than she wanted to admit.

“I don’t know. But I’m there. Nic will be there,” I promised her. It’s all I could do.

“Okay,” she said. Her eyes opened, and her usual determination was back. “Let’s do this.”

–

“I solemnly swear to protect this pack with everything I have. From now until the moon sets on my time as Alpha,” I swore.

“Quinn?” my dad prompted her.

“And I solemnly swear to support my Alpha with everything I have. From now until the moon sets on my time as Luna,” she repeated.

We went over this hundreds of times so she wouldn’t be nervous. I couldn’t be anything but ecstatic; I had my mate and my pack. I was home and taking my rightful place as Alpha. This was just the beginning of my happy ending.

“Members of Stary Pack. Do you accept this pair as your Alpha and Luna?” my dad called loudly.

A resounding howl filled the air. As everyone’s voice came into a harmonic sync, I felt it. The full power of being and Alpha blasted through me. Quinn gripped my hand impossibly from within its ceremonial binding. She was feeling it too.

My dad bowed away, and I stepped forward with Quinn. “Stary Pack!” I addressed them. Everyone came to attention. “Let us run!”

I turned to Quinn, and she carefully undid the wrapping around our hands. Then she undid the buttons of my shirt and pulled it off me. Then began to undo my pants. I could hear the pack following suit.

My back faced the crowd as I started to undress her. She agreed to this part of the ceremony but didn’t want to be seen by everyone. I had no issue showing off my prize but never wanted to make her uncomfortable. Nic suggested I block the view of her until she was shifted.

Her dress fell to the ground below us. We just managed to clean up the front of the pack house in time for today. Quinn stepped back and shifted smoothly into her wolf.

Sapphire was a sight to behold. Her fur matched Quinn’s hair and shimmered in the sun like it was lit up. I smiled at her before shifting myself.

She rubbed her nose on me sweetly, and I returned the gesture. We both faced the pack, who were all now shifted and waiting. I reared my head back and howled as Eros stepped forward.

“Run with me, Luna?”

“Endlessly, Alpha.”