Just a Wolf

Corinne

It’s been a nonstop rush of activity all day. I’ve been washing dishes, and chopping veggies, and helping to arrange place settings, and carrying prepared dishes into the big walk-in fridge to wait until we pull them out to heat up just after the ceremony.

Nobody seems tired despite how hard we are all working. Everyone is energized, happy, cheerful. I’m trying not to show how stressed I am, and just working quietly. I’m doing the best I can, working hard, staying busy, taking care of things quickly. This is the last day I’ll be doing it, and I want to at least be doing a good job for them.

I plan to start looking for my chance after the ceremony. I don’t know exactly what is going to happen, or when I’ll be able to slip away, but I’m pretty confident I can do it. Everyone is going to be distracted, probably congratulating the Alpha and Luna. Hopefully nobody is going to be paying any attention to me. I almost wish the weather had stayed terrible, it would be easier to hide my scent, but I’m sure I’ll be able to find a stream to walk in to cover my tracks.

I plan to make my way back to the one cave outside of Arcata that the packs didn’t explore, because I know Xavier will bring the rogues back there soon. He’ll find me, and I will beg forgiveness, and accept my punishment, and hope that whatever he does to me doesn’t hurt my baby. Then I’ll watch for the chance to warn my sisters, and try to find a way to help them escape before the battle.

In the late afternoon, the guests start arriving and gathering on the lawn. The sun is shining, and the ground is drier after the rain. They have me stationed at one of the refreshment tables at the back, helping any guests with beverages or snacks. I watch as the chairs that have been arranged on the lawn underneath the canopies begin filling up with people. I think the whole pack will be here, it looks like at least a couple hundred folks are finding their seats. Maybe more. I’m not good with numbers.

As the sun starts slipping behind the trees on the west side of the compound, a hush falls over the crowd. I stand behind my refreshment table, watching, but nobody is here, they are sitting and waiting for the ceremony to begin.

There is a central pavilion with a slightly elevated stage underneath, decorated with gold and silver ribbons and drapes. I see two groups of people approaching it from either side, the last rays of the setting sun gleaming out from behind it.

The Beta and Gamma of River Moon are on one side, and the Alpha and Luna of Dark Woods are on the other. How strange that I recognize them all. I’m just a rogue. It’s crazy to me to realize that I have spent time with the leaders of both packs. And I am planning to betray their hospitality and run away, repay their kindness by abandoning them. I force myself to pay attention, I don’t want to allow myself to get emotional.

Alpha Kanen comes up to his Beta and Gamma, and they lead him up to one side of the stage. They are all dressed in black and silver, which I guess are the colors of River Moon, wearing dark suits with silver ties, and they look intimidating and impressive. Alpha Kanen’s blond hair reaches past his shoulders and it makes him look even bigger, stronger, like a character from a story. From where I am standing, he looks very serious, but I’m sure he’s happy. Everyone here is happy. Except me.

On the other side, I see Luna Janine walking forward with the Dark Woods Alpha and Luna, who are wearing dark blue and gold clothing, I guess the colors of their pack. He has a dark blue suit with a gold tie, and Darlene has a blue dress with gold trim, and they both look serenely happy.

Janine is wearing a beautiful shimmering silver gown, sparkling like moonlight, appropriate for a Luna joining the River Moon pack. She looks beautiful, her long dark hair flowing down her back, and her face is shining like she has the moon herself within her.

The two groups meet in the center of the stage, facing each other, Kanen and Janine standing back behind their companions.

Alpha Ross says, loudly enough for everyone to clearly hear, “I bring to the River Moon pack a new Luna, a leader worthy of Alpha Kanen, his fated mate, destined by the Goddess to share his life and his leadership.”

I feel so privileged to be witnessing this moment. I have never been anywhere near such an event before. Either as an omega or as a rogue, I would never be permitted. The air is full of both profound meaning and powerful joy. Everyone in the crowd is silent, watching raptly as the spectacle unfolds.

Janine steps past Ross and Darlene, and stands in front of them, facing the men from River Moon, her hands clasped lightly in front of herself.

Beta Malcolm says, “Welcome, Luna Janine, to the River Moon pack. As its Beta, I am responsible for ensuring the well-being of every member of this pack, including our Alpha.” Alpha Kanen is standing behind him, silently, his hands held at his sides, but I can see that he is smiling past Malcolm, locking eyes with Janine. Malcolm goes on, “Luna Janine, do you vow to dedicate yourself to the health, safety, and welfare of every member of River Moon pack?”

“I vow,” she replies, her voice clear and steady. I could never speak so calmly at such an important moment, in front of so many people.

“Do you vow to be faithful to Alpha Kanen, to love him, to protect him, to remember always that you are his true mate, and to act accordingly?”

“I vow,” she says, and smiles at Kanen, her love so clear on her face, and the crowd whispers and nudges and sighs.

Alpha Ross then steps forward and asks Kanen, “Do you vow to be faithful to Luna Janine, to love her, to protect her, to remember always that you are her true mate, and to act accordingly?”

“I vow,” he says immediately, loudly, strongly.

“Do you vow to share your leadership of River Moon pack with your mate, to listen carefully to her suggestions, and to make decisions jointly with her to promote the pack’s well-being?”

“I vow,” he says, more quietly, seriously.

Really? In this pack the Alpha is expected to make joint decisions with the Luna? Not just to dictate what everybody has to do? That is so different from what I know. I again have the compelling desire to find a way to join this pack, and it breaks my heart to know that it will be impossible after what I am about to do. Once I violate their trust, I will only be a rogue to them. I will never be able to come back. But it is the only way I can try to help my rogue sisters.

Alpha Kanen steps forward, and he and Luna Janine clasp hands, looking intensely into each other’s eyes.

Alpha Ross says, “In token of this mating, and to demonstrate to all those gathered here that you are truly fated mates, you will now renew your marks upon each other.”

They embrace each other, and Kanen puts his teeth on Janine’s neck, and he bites her, and I can tell that it doesn’t hurt at all, it seems to be the opposite. She melts into him, clasps her arms around him, and throws her head back, giving him full access to her throat.

When he is done, he leans back, and we can all see the red mark on the side of her throat close to her shoulder, the imprint of his teeth, the mark of their mating. They are both breathing heavily, affected by the moment, and they are paying no apparent attention to the fact that an audience of hundreds of people is watching, riveted, as they mark each other.

Kanen quickly loosens his tie and undoes his top couple of buttons, allowing her access to his throat. She stretches up on tiptoes to reach him, he wraps his arms around her, and she presses her teeth to his throat. I see his body grow rigid, he throws his head back like she had, and after a minute they part again. Her mark is evident on his throat as well.

The crowd erupts in cheers, which go on for several minutes. After people start calming down, the Alpha waves his hands to silence the crowd. “Thank you everyone,” he says, “for supporting me in mating with this remarkable woman. I have never been happier.” There are a lot more cheers. He waves his hands again. “We’ll have some more speeches later, I‘m sure that a lot of you will be wanting to make your thoughts known as we are toasting over dinner. But for now, I just have one more announcement to make.”

I wonder what this is? Is it going to be about the rogues, I think nervously?

“This is not the only joining tonight,” he continues. I happen to be glancing over at Amelia, who is standing near me holding her clipboard which she has been consulting all day. She looks strangely alarmed for a moment, until Kanen continues, “I want to announce that Alpha Ross of Dark Woods pack and I have formalized our alliance, and our two packs are now officially joined together as allies.”

A moment of silence, followed by an even more enormous cheer.

Ross waves his hands for silence this time. “Dark Woods is honored to be an ally of River Moon. We’ll be establishing a lot more details over the next few weeks. But for now, I believe it is time to party!”

Everyone bursts out of their seats, laughing and talking exuberantly. A huge flow of people start approaching Kanen and Janine to congratulate them.

I see Amelia move off, and observe where she is going. She is the person most likely to be paying any attention to me, so if she is distracted I have a better chance of getting away.

I watch her approach Dom, lean up and say something quietly to him, then they both quickly walk away behind the building.

I look around. Nobody is nearby. Nobody is paying the slightest attention to me.

Now’s my chance.