Kiss Of The Alpha : A YA Paranormal Romance

Chapter 111: Chapter 111

Heather

The pack was supposed to meet up in the quad. The whole area was grassy, and on nice days people lay out doing their homework. Besides the cafeteria, it was probably the biggest gathering spot on campus.

I wasn’t sure how many people went to a typical ceremony. I assumed everyone in the school pack, but since we had so many visitors, I wasn’t sure. Maybe everyone would come.

I’d avoided the ceremony during the last full moon. I was still a little weak from the vampire bite and not at all comfortable with the idea of shifting, so I’d let Dr. Gonzales at me with one of her needles. I’d slept through the whole thing.

Serena and Brent had explained that everyone got together as a pack, shifted, and ran. I had an idea of what was going to happen, but knowing about it and actually doing it were two totally different things.

As soon as I stepped outside the dorm, I stopped walking. "Oh my God." In the hour or so I’d been inside, campus had become a zoo. People streamed into the quad from the path to the parking lot. Already, a crowd of at least a few hundred filled the square plot of grass.

How had everyone even found parking?

Serena bumped her shoulder against mine. "Bonding ceremonies don’t happen very often, and people really like to see them."

"I thought all the girls got paired up." Even if I thought it was odd that girls got matched before they turned eighteen, that was the norm among the Weres. That meant my ceremony was nothing special—or at least it definitely shouldn’t have been such a big draw.

"Lots of people are mated, but only True Mates do this exact ceremony. It’s been a long time since the last formal bonding. Plus, people are already in town for the Tribunal and you made a lot of people interested... So..."

"This blows. And I totally blame you." Only the students had really heard about me before Serena’s curse fiasco.

"Me? No. You should be blaming Brent. Breaking the spell was one thing, but he bit you and that was a huge freaking deal. Word’s gotten around about the True Mate thing."

True Mates were extremely rare, but that was what Brent and I were. Nothing could’ve kept us apart. We were two halves. And apparently ’True Mate’ was Were for ’freak show.’ I wiped my sweaty palms down my robe. I wished I wasn’t totally nakey under the damned thing. It must’ve been wishful thinking that the ceremony was only a big deal to Brent and me. Crowds weren’t my thing, but since I showed up at St. Francis’s, I’d found myself in the center of a few of them. It never got any easier.

I made my way through the quad and past the stares. Each surrounding building was only a few stories tall. The dark brick was lit by lights hidden in the trees. People stood around, chatting as they waited for the ceremony to start. Everyone was dressed in robes, but theirs were plain black like the one Serena was wearing.

"This looks really cultish."

Serena laughed. "You’d rather see everyone in their birthday suits?"

"Well...I mean some of these guys—"

A growl rang through the crowd, and I rolled my eyes. I recognized that special timbre. "It was a joke. Jeez."

"Cherie." Brent’s voice had more than a little wolf in it.

The crowd parted and I finally saw him. He wore a red robe, too. His dark curls were tucked back behind his ears. I met his golden gaze. There wasn’t any turning back now, and crowd or not, I didn’t care. I didn’t want to turn back. "Let’s do this."

We moved as a group to a clearing in the woods. The moon rose as we walked, and I could feel its energy burning through me. My skin itched as the wolf rose to the surface. Only Brent’s firm grip on my hand kept me from shifting.

Why do I feel like I can’t hold this form?

It’s hard during the full moon. That’s why we have the ceremony. It’s important to be together as a pack and get out in the wild. The newer or less dominant the wolf is, the harder it is to keep the human form. It gets worse as the moon rises.

Perfect. I scratched my arm, but it didn’t help alleviate the itch at all.

When we got to the spot for the ceremony, I was surprised that I recognized it. We’d held the meeting here when we discussed whether to kick Callista out of the pack. The moon provided more than enough light to see by, illuminating the unlit bonfire area off to the side.

Slightly deeper into the woods, piled rocks and boulders from the nearby creek formed a circle of seats, and a stone dais sat in the center of the ring. The platform part probably weighed a million pounds.

Mr. Langdon, Donovan, and Sebastian all stood on the oblong stone wearing black robes with the hoods down. Donovan and Sebastian were both members of the Seven—the council that ruled all werewolves—and Mr. Langdon ruled the local pack. All three were seriously strong alphas.

I was sure some of the other alphas called in for the Tribunal were around, but I wouldn’t know them if I saw them. Not unless they tried to push their power at me.

Brent pulled me along until we were standing in front of the dais. Everyone else crowded around behind us, some taking seats on the stones, others just standing, waiting for the ceremony to be over so they could shift.

Mr. Langdon and Donovan stood in relaxed poses, while Sebastian stood a little off to the side. He was grinning, and his blue eyes glowed bright.

Donovan had been really easy to get along with. He was only intimidating when he needed to be, but Sebastian was a little more so.

When I first got to St. Francis’s, he’d pushed himself into my mind, which wasn’t fun at all, but ever since that one unpleasant experience, he’d been really nice. Super smiley. It was kind of weird, but I’d take that over scary Sebastian any day. I’d never fully gotten over that first impression.

Donovan stepped forward and the few whispers of the gathered wolves immediately died. "The moon has risen, and the ceremony shall begin. Have you both approached clear of heart and mind?"

"Yes," Brent said.

Donovan turned to me.

Right. I had to say something now. "Yeah." My voice cracked. "I mean, yes." God. I’d been over it in my mind a million times the past couple of days and I still managed to mess it up.

Donovan gave me a wink. "Good. Then let’s get started."

Sebastian stepped to the edge of the rock. His white-blond hair looked even whiter against his stark black robe. "This is the joining of two wolves whose like I’ve not seen before. Both more alpha than Dono or I were in our youth. When I was called here to assess them and determine what had happened, I was not prepared for this one." He pointed to me. "Her strength and magic will do well for the pack."

I was really grateful that my hood blocked out my peripheral vision. Only the three on the stage could see my face and how red it was getting.

Donovan held up his hands, and the whispering crowd finally settled. He looked at me for a second and it felt like he was seeing into my soul. I struggled not to move under his inspection.

"Before we proceed with the incantation, you must complete the exchange of flesh."

Brent turned me so we were facing each other. He held out his arm.

Oh God. This was going to be a disaster. I suddenly felt cold. I wiped my sweaty palms on my robe. "I can’t bite you." I’d known it was part of the ceremony, but hearing it and actually having to tear into Brent’s arm were totally different. "That’s just...nope...not gonna happen."

His eyes flashed to bright yellow. "You don’t want this?"

Was he messing with me? Of course I didn’t want to bite him. That didn’t mean I didn’t want to be with him. "No. I mean. Yes. I mean." God. I was sounding like a real moron tonight and so people were here listening. I let out a shaky breath. "I don’t want to hurt you. Because it totally hurt when you bit me. More than a little bit. It was not cool. At all."

A few chuckles rang out through the crowd and I stared down at the ground.

"I thought we were different than vampires..." I muttered softly, but everyone heard me. Full on laughing came from the crowd.

Who knew I was such a freaking comedian?

Shit. I had to do it. And not make an idiot of myself in front of everyone.