Chapter 2 - The Ceremony

"Becca, it's time to leave for the ceremony," I heard my mother say softly as she knocked on my bedroom door.

I let out a deep sigh of discomfort as I thought about the upcoming event. The mating ceremony of the future Alpha was a significant event, and no one could be absent without express permission from the Alpha. Unfortunately, I was not granted that privilege and had an obligation to attend. I wanted to avoid any risk of my family getting into trouble by deliberately staying away. Heartbreak was not an acceptable excuse for not showing up, and I was not ready to face the Alpha’s wrath. I put on a pair of simple skinny jeans featuring distressed fabric at both knees, paired with an elegant white top.

My parents were waiting for me in the sitting room. When my father saw my chosen outfit, it was clear that he did not approve of it. Before any harsh comments could be made by him, my mother pulled him aside and spoke to him privately, away from earshot. After successfully resolving this issue between them, we walked as a family towards the wide-open meeting space, which had been festively decorated.

Both my parents flanked me while tightly gripping each one of my hands protectively as we moved through crowds bustling excitedly around. My parents were the head warriors of the pack, but instead of sitting in our usual front seats, we took the back row today. I believe my parents deliberately aimed to send a message to Elyon's family with this.

As we sat comfortably in our seats, my father squeezed my hand encouragingly, while my mother draped her arm over my shoulders. Not long after, Elyon stepped onto the stage with Xena on his arm. He traversed through the audience, scanning every familiar face until eventually locating mine amidst all of them. I read regret in his eyes, but that was pointless at this moment since my life had already been shattered anyway.

"Breathe deeply through your nose and exhale gradually," I heard my father say from far away. "This is going to be terrible."

The sound of his words washed over me like a calming balm as I braced myself for what was to come. I never expected this impending ordeal to be easy, but with his reassuring presence at hand, I summoned all the courage within me to endure whatever discomfort may arise from this trying experience.

After the completion of the installation procedure, the eventful moment arrived when Elyon had to mark his mate. He hesitated at first, slightly shifting his eyes towards me. An impatient hint from his father, and a second later, Elyon's sharp fangs pierced into Xena's neck, solidifying my fate.

The agony I felt in the depths of my chest was almost intolerable, causing me to emit a heartrending cry, and tears welled up in my eyes anew. As if on cue, every head turned towards me with keen interest. Elyon himself took a step forward as though he wanted nothing else but to come over to offer me comfort during my distressful moment. But his father quickly intervened and directed him back into place next to Xena.

I turned around and ran towards the dense forest behind the packhouse at high speed. I dashed over fallen tree stumps and shallow streams of water as far as my feet could take me. Countless small animals halted their daily activities to gaze in amazement at me along the way. They were no doubt curious about what had caused such haste for me.

Eventually, my body succumbed to the incredible exertion, and I crumpled onto the sloping edge of a small waterfall. My muscles were spent and bruised from running through harsh terrain. With nothing left in me but despair, I sprawled out beside the flow of water before drifting off into unconsciousness.

When I opened my eyes once more, there was only one name occupying my thoughts.

Elyon!!

The man of my dreams, with whom I thought I would have a future filled with many lovable pups and would grow old together. But now he is claimed by someone else—from this day forth Xena will be the one lying in his arms, marking him as hers again when night falls. I never thought that this day would ever come; I was totally convinced that our love could overcome all obstacles, including broken mate bonds. Sadly, it seems not to be so.

Due to the overwhelming feeling of weariness, I fell asleep under the open sky once more. My tears were done, and there was no more left in me. Every inch of my body felt stiff from all the intense emotions that had ravaged it.

When I finally opened my eyes, it was already late in the evening. As soon as I looked around and cleared my blurry vision, it became obvious how warm and pleasant everything felt. Normally at this time of year, the air was quite chilly.

When I lifted my head, I noticed that I was lying next to a lively blaze of firewood. I felt a folded towel under my head, surely that allowed me comfort to be able to sleep soundly. Sitting up straight, I looked around me. There were no signs of any individual; only the dark forest loomed over and watched silently upon me.

"Wake up already?"

An unexpected resonant and masculine voice erupted behind me. Startled by the sudden sound, I swiftly spun around to face a towering young man with white-blond hair and bright blue orbs who had intruded upon my space.

"I, uh... I mean...," I faltered nervously, taken aback by the sudden appearance.

I wasn't sure if this meeting would be the end of my life. I had never seen such a peculiar stranger in our pack territory before. Judging from the scent, he was not a rogue, but could possibly be half-bred or human. Regardless of his origin, he left me questioning his intentions and whether I should tread carefully around him during our interaction.

"You are in violation," I conveyed to him after recovering from the shock. "You have trespassed onto private property and could be attacked or jailed if you stay here without proper permission."

The man lifted both of his arms above his head in a sign of surrender. "Listen, I mean no harm. I'm just camping, and I'll be gone in a few days," he explained, while his acutely observant gaze fixated upon me. "I was under the impression that these grounds were liberally granted for public use by our government." As I glanced upwards at him towering over me, I felt an inexplicable aura of genuineness emanating from the man.

"Zane Coovens, nice to meet you," he introduced himself.

I raised my hand to match his height, and as our hands touched, a powerful surge of electricity coursed through me.

"Becca," I responded kindly.