8. Elena

CHAPTER 8

Elena

I knew when my sister had sent that tiny, snow-white haired baby to me she held great power. Dimitri had bestowed upon me the gift of knowing Aurora's true birth parents. To think the dragon was the true mate of Anca amazes me. I knew that Anca wasn't fond of the Lycan Alpha. It was a political mating more than one out of love. Now, to see the woman that Aurora has become makes my whole heart swell with joy.

My son was instantly taken by her when he met her. He held her every day and halfway into the night every night. I knew what she was to him. To watch him miss her and pine for her all this time has been torture. There's only so long a male can hold out on urges, and he impressed me, waiting fifty years before touching another female. I knew nothing would ever come of it. Then there's that psycho, Ravenna, who thought using her father would get her the prize she wanted. Sadly enough, it had almost worked— almost . Even if it had, if his true mate showed up, Ravenna would have been tossed aside like the trash she was.

My eyes drift towards the head and heart I had placed on the ceremonial table. At least the wicked bitch is dead and no longer an issue. Watching Sebastian interact with Aurora's guardians makes me so happy. The first leg of her journey is now complete, and the next is very difficult. My hands glide over my scrolls. I'm searching for the one on the dire bloodlines here in the states. Looks to be only one Alpha left here, and he's somewhere in the Grand Canyon.

He's been blessed with four sons; one set of twins, and two single births. Sadly, the jackass sends the females to battle the prisoners he's collected over the years. No female has survived the Wendigo or the Ice Dragon he's got. I suspect the Ice Dragon is Aurora's father. If I'm right, and she can survive long enough to battle him, he will know his bloodline by scent and not harm her.

Herbs are gathered by my acolytes and placed in their proper places upon the table. I arrange the dagger and the bowl, even though I know neither of them wants a hand binding; they will use their canines to mark their mate. Both are warriors and strong, stronger than most that live in these current times. Aurora will gain the strength of my son after they complete the mating tonight. Each mate will gift her a particular attribute unique to their species. The dires, there are so many possible gifts… wow, there are so many unique traits. She could gain shadowmancy, their toxic bite, a traditional wolf form, and the list goes on. A throat clearing makes me look up to see my beloved son waiting for permission to approach.

"Come in, please. After all, this is where you need to be." I smile at him and come out from behind the table to embrace my boy. It doesn't matter how old he gets, he'll always be my little boy.

"Mother, must we have Ravenna's head and heart present? It's kind of weird for a mating ceremony." He scrunches his nose like he always does when something is distasteful to him.

"Baby boy, I was honored by your mate with these gifts. They deserve to be in a place of honor. That, and to remind the others to not fuck with the two of you." Yup, I can be the evil priestess when I need to be. With all the bullshit concerning the Alpha, he needs to be reminded where the real power lies. That power is in a pure-white Lycan hybrid named Aurora, my future daughter-in-law. My son starts to laugh; he's learned to read when I have a wicked thought.

"Mother? You're trying to scare the Alpha, aren't you?" He tilts his head and looks at me, smirking. Damn, I'm busted. He freaking knows me too well. I raise one hand to my chest in the who me motion, and he laughs harder—yup, totally busted. Moments pass and the pack starts filtering into the hall, taking their seats.

The Alpha approaches me and glares. "So, how much damage did my daughter do before her demise?" He just smirks—almost laughing. What an asshole!

Before I can answer, Aurora makes her entrance. The doors bang against the wall making everyone jump, including the Alpha. "No damage. She wasn't strong enough, fast enough, or skilled enough to lay a single claw on me," Aurora practically growls out her sentence. "If you want Alpha... you can meet me in the ring in the morning, and you can see for yourself if it was just a fluke." Her eyes swirl between mercury and steel-grey—it's quite apparent she is fighting for control at the moment.

Thankfully, my son moves and touches her arm, drawing her attention to him. I let out a relieved breath and nod slowly, signaling for the lights to be lowered and the candles to be lit. I raise my hands slowly, drawing the pack's attention to the front of the room. Once everyone's eyes fall on me, I begin.

"We have gathered here tonight to bear witness to the mating ceremony of my son, Sebastian Lupi, and Princess Aurora Marelup. We bore witness to her strength and power today; we felt she was the true heir to the Lycan throne." I move and start to pour red wine into the chalice. In my right hand, I grab hold of Ravenna's heart and hold it up high. "As in ancient traditions, I was offered the heart of her enemy. I, in turn, offer the heart to the wolf Goddess Morrighan! May she smile upon this union." I take the heart and place it on the copper platter, then set it aflame. As it burns, the flames change colors several times until they turn white before the heart turns to ash. A smile crosses my lips, having witnessed the white flames; the Goddess has accepted our offering. I raise my hands again.

"Our Goddess has accepted our offering!" The crowd erupts in cheers; it truly is a blessed day. I turn my gaze back to the smiling couple before me. "As per tradition, I must ask if any in this hall objects to this union before we proceed." Silence greets us for several moments before the Alpha steps forward.

He has a wicked grin on his lips, I know he's up to no good. "I claim my right as Alpha to take the princess as my own!" A bold statement, but also a fact. He doesn't realize a true mating trumps his claim. Sebastian and Aurora begin to growl at him. Over half the villagers are growling at him as well. It's about to get really interesting.

Aurora's laughter rings out and fills the hall. She moves to stand before the Alpha. The full weight of her dominance ripples throughout the room. Her eyes are pools of liquid mercury as she stares at him. He's trying like hell to keep his eyes locked with hers. He squirms where he stands, and shortly after the staring contest begins, he turns his head and lowers it. Aurora shifts her right hand and places a talon under his jaw to raise his eyes to meet hers. "You are not worthy. You are a weak, pathetic excuse of a male." She scrunches her nose, giving him a look of disgust. "Look at yourself; you pissed your pants all because I stared at you, you pussy." Aurora turns and faces Sebastian, locking eyes with him. Wave upon wave of power come off both of them, but he doesn't submit. Aurora smiles and approaches him.

Her eyes close, and she touches her nose under his jaw in submission. She holds her position until he releases her. Steel-grey eyes meet Sebastian's white-blue, the eyes of his wolf. Ever so slowly, she bares her neck to him. Sebastian leans in with an open mouth and lightly bites her throat, holding her there. It's more for show, but it's a massive symbol of the trust between these two titans.

Once he releases her, he stares at the Alpha. "With all due respect, Alpha. She'll kill you in a heartbeat without question. That is if my wolf doesn't beat her to it." Sebastian's voice holds the growl and power of his wolf.

The Alpha lowers his head and backs away. He mumbles that he withdraws his claim as he runs out of the building. "Okay, so now that ," I wave my hand in the direction of the departing Alpha, "bullshit is over, let's get back to the important part—the sharing of blood to start the bond. By scent and sight, your wolves have accepted each other. Now by blood, they become one. You have two choices: cut your palms, bleed into the wine, and drink; or, you can go traditional and bite each other. The choice is truly yours."

As one, they turn to look at each other. No words pass between them as they shift to their wolven forms. The unexpected shift makes many of the pack nervous, others sit there in wonder. A traditional bonding hasn't been done in public since my day.

Aurora chooses to submit first and bares her shoulder and throat to Sebastian's black wolf. He closes the distance between them and licks the area he intends to bite. A slight nod from Aurora and Sebastian opens his great maw and clamps down on the muscle between her neck and shoulder. He holds her like that for what seems like forever, her white fur stained red from her blood.

Carefully, he releases her and licks the wounds clean, healing them instantly, and leaving a black ring where her fur changed color from the bite. Aurora raises her head and nods slightly again, and he crouches down slightly for her. When Sebastian is ready, he rests his taloned hands on her wolven hips to stabilize himself before baring his throat to her. Aurora slowly lowers her muzzle to his shoulder and begins to clean the chosen area. Her eyes turn to watch Sebastian for a moment; he nods, letting her know he is ready.

Aurora draws in a deep breath and opens her maw to bite at the muscle between his neck and shoulder. Her taloned hands rest on his shoulders, careful not to slice him to ribbons. Sebastian's blood could be scented in the air but not seen. When she feels she held him long enough, she releases her grip on his shoulder. Gently, she cleans his wounds, sealing them instantly. A pure white ring of fur covers her mark upon his shoulder. Both wolves turn to face me.

"I bless this union. May their lives be filled with love and longevity… and many pups!" I had to throw that in. The look on both of their faces is priceless. In the corner, Aurora's guardians stand there like sentinels. Poor Andre is having a hard time with his little girl growing up. He's an emotional mess but still standing tall and proud, even with his puffy eyes. Aurora and Sebastian bow to me before they leave the hall out the back door. Now is the time for their hunt and the true mating to occur. At least some things are still kept private, thank the Gods. I move towards her guardians and shake both of their hands. "Gentlemen, we have succeeded in our missions. Aurora has ascended and found her first mate. I call that a win."

I watch Dimitri rubbing the spot where the binding mark once was. His eyes eventually find mine. " Da , we did. Now it's just a matter of time before time catches up to Andre and me. Don't get me wrong, we are grateful for the extra time, but now we know the end is near. We just hope we live long enough to help her ascend the throne and take her rightful place." Dimitri hugs Andre to him and holds the overly emotional bird to his great chest.

I study them closely, and the sands of time have begun the run. Delicate wrinkles now grace the creases of their eyes. A sprinkle of grey hair can be seen on their temples. A soft sigh escapes my lips as I watch them. I feel horrible about what's to come. My sister's magic gave them the extra time, and perhaps I can extend it again. I leave them to have their moment and walk back to my hut to start studying my sister's notes. Maybe I'll find a solution for them. I can only hope.