Chapter Thirty-Five

Jasmine’s POV

I have always wished I could read minds.

Not for any particular reason other than to know what others were thinking sometimes.

I hadn’t seen Sooni since our encounter in the pack house at the coming of age ceremony and when I had asked Lena, she had simply shrugged and said.

“It’s better that you do not know”.

That had done nothing to ease my curiosity but I knew better than to ask again.

However, the topic everyone had started to ask about and discuss was my mating ceremony to the Alpha.

Shortly after the incident with Sooni, Nana had started to insist the we pick a day for our mating ceremony and so, left with very little choice on the matter, we had.

Regan had insisted on me choosing the day, saying that if I wanted to become his mate the very next moment, it would still be perfect for him.

So, I had talked with Lena and we had finally decided on a date for the mating ceremony to take place.

After announcing the date, I had barely heard any sentence that did not relate to our mating ceremony.

Despite their good intentions, Nana and Lena were part of those who always spoke about it. Not that they had any choice since we had put them in charge of planning everything.

Unfortunately, I had very little idea on what and how exactly to plan a mating ceremony so I just left the choices up to them, knowing they would do their very best to make it a success.

All I was truly interested in, was becoming Regan’s mate.

This meant that the two she-wolves were fully immersed in the preparations and could not spend as much time with me as they normally would.

The only consolation I could find away from topics related to the mating ceremony was from my training sessions with Luke.

Somehow, we had grown closer with each session and even though I still knew there was a darkness about him, just like Regan, I was no longer scared of him.

Luke was a simple werewolf.

He did his duties and fell asleep wherever he could. He had several duties filling up for the Gamma whose mate’s delivery day drew closer.

But from what I observed, Luke loved carrying out the tasks.

It was almost as if he used it as an excuse to avoid something altogether, but I knew we had not become close enough for me to bring up such observations.

The day of the mating ceremony finally came and I found myself in yet another training session with Luke at dawn.

He had told me the previous day that we would still have our morning sessions irrespective of if it was the day of my mating ceremony or not.

If I was being honest, I needed it.

I had grown fond of our sessions as they were mostly the only time I could spend with Luke who I had began to see as family.

But also because it was the only place where I did not have to think about the issues surrounding my life.

I slashed my nails across his face as he had taught me to, feeling the sharp points cut into his skin before sweeping my leg under his and pushing, causing him to loose his balance and fall to the ground.

Before he could stand, I jumped onto his chest, bringing my knee down on his neck but making sure I didn’t bring it down hard enough to hurt him badly, before bringing two of my fingers to poise themselves just above his eyes.

He choked from the hit to his throat but otherwise made no move.

Slowly, he tapped the ground twice, an indication that he had yielded.

Smiling at my success, I watched as his wound from the cut began to heal as I stood up and moved away from him.

Now coughing slightly, he rose to his feet.

“That was good”, he said. “You were fast and unpredictable so I did not see you coming”, he praised as he brushed off blades of grasses from his clothes.

“I know you held back because you did not wish to hurt me”, he said. “But next time, attack me as you would an enemy”, he corrected. “Slash at the eyes and bring your full weight to the knee at the throat. And do not hesitate to finish off by going for the eyes”, he instructed.

“But you could get seriously wounded”. I told him. “I don’t want to hurt you”.

“Jazzie, I’m a werewolf”, he said, calling me by the name he had somehow coined from my actual name. Regan had certainly not been pleased but I liked that Luke had become comfortable enough to form a name for me.

It was certainly better than being called ‘Blackmoon girl’ or ‘pup’ as he had referred to me before.

“I will heal eventually”, he continued. “And whatever I cannot heal from, I assure you that Nana would try her best to make sure I recover from”, he told me.

“I would rather not test the limits of Nana’s abilities”, I told him and made my way to sit on the fallen tree trunk under the large tree in Rage’s Sanctuary.

“Besides”, I continued as I sat. “She should save the use of her abilities for those that truly need it rather than wasting it away on healing wounds you receive from our training sessions”, I told him.

He placed his hands on his hips and looked up to the sky.

“I swear that you are as stubborn as your soon to be mate”, he said with an exhausted shake of his head. “It is no wonder you will both be mates soon”.

I laughed softly at his expression before he dropped his arms and made his way over to me.

“But you must promise me one thing”, he said as bent to crouch in front of me so he could meet my eyes.

“Anything”, I responded readily.

“When it comes to a real fight”, he said, his tone suddenly serious and his eyes intense. “Do not hesitate”, he said.

Seeing the seriousness of the request, I nodded.

“I promise”, I told him. “I will not hesitate”.

“Good”, he commented, the serious atmosphere instantly disappearing as a smile appeared on his face. “Now be a dear and stay put while I nap”, he said and began making his way towards the back of the tree.

“But I need to speak to you”, I told him, knowing he was going to shift into his wolf.

“You can speak”, he said, his voice coming from behind the tree. “I can listen while I nap”, he said and the next sound that followed was that of breaking bones as he shifted into his wolf.

Lane walked out a moment later and came to lay on his paws beside where I sat, immediately shutting his eyes.

Knowing that was my cue to speak, I began to talk, certain that he would indeed be listening despite all contrary appearance.

“I suppose I am a little nervous about the mating ceremony”, I told him. “I know I hold strong feelings and emotions for Regan, but I fear I may never properly connect with him as a mate should, since I do not possess a wolf”, I said. “I may never feel his emotions as mates should and I may never be able to calm his wolf as I ought to”, I confided. “I may never be a strong enough Luna”, I said, turning sad at the truth behind that statement.

I fell silent at that as several thoughts flew around in my head.

“But I suppose none of that matters”, I finally said, voicing out my final thoughts. “Because at the end of the day, I still love him. And he still loves me”, I concluded. “And that is all that matters”.

As I let that confirmation sink in, I saw from the corner of my eye as Lane stood up and made his way over to where I sat.

When he got to me, he pulled on my skirt as if telling me to stand, and when I did, he pulled on my skirt again to bring me to sit on the grassy grounds of the Sanctuary.

Then he laid down on his paws as he usually did and simply looked at me.

It took me a moment and an irritated eye roll to finally realize that he was offering to comfort me.

Seeing that, a soft laugh escaped my lips as I leaned in, placing my head onto his furry back and shutting my eyes.

Before long, his soft snores had pulled me into a peaceful sleep that had escaped me all night.

I don’t think either of us realized how much time we spent asleep on the soft grounds of the sanctuary, but I finally realized why Luke seemed to enjoy it so much.

It was a very peaceful place for a nap indeed.

I finally woke up to Lane’s movement.

Opening my eyes, it seemed he had heard something or someone making their way towards us, and judging from his still relaxed position, it seemed it was someone he recognized.

So neither of us were surprised when Lena made her way into the clearing of the Sanctuary grounds.

“Unbelievable”, she declared with her hands on her hips on catching sight of the position Luke and I were in.

We had not moved from our former position, simply opened our eyes to see who the intruder was.

“There we are”, she began, making her way over to us as she spoke. “Running all around and trying to get everything ready for your mating ceremony when you both are here napping”, she said, shooting us both a glare.

Sluggishly, I lifted my head from Lane’s fur and sat upright, stretching as a loud yawn escaped me.

“Well, don’t you look well rested”, she commented with sarcasm.

“Sorry, Lena”, I said, battling another yawn. “I didn’t sleep too well last night”, I said.

The annoyance slowly disappeared from her face.

“Well, alright”, she said with an eye roll. “Get up so we can get you ready for your mating ceremony”, she said, offering her hand to help pull me to my feet and putting an arm over my shoulders to lead me away.

We were almost out of the Sanctuary when she suddenly stopped and turned back to face Lane, who still laid with his eyes shut despite noticing her presence.

“And you”, she said, turning around to point an accusing finger at him. “Thank the Moon Goddess that I was the one that walked in to such a sight rather than Regan”, she said. “If not, rather than a mating ceremony, it would be your funeral ceremony instead”, she told him and turned to lead me out of the Sanctuary and back to the house.

“Now”, she said as she shut her room door behind us. We were using her room since it was bigger than mine and since I would be moving into Regan’s room after the mating ceremony.

The thought of that alone brought a flush of color to my cheeks.

“It is custom that the male cannot see the female until during the mating ceremony so we will get started with preparing you for the ceremony”, she said, oblivious to my thoughts. “We will have our morning meal and meet Nana down at the stream for your bath then come back here to fix your hair and begin to dress you for the ceremony”, she informed me.

“Is that all I am to do?” I asked, surprised that there didn’t seem to be more.

“Not quite”, she said pulling me to sit on the bed. “Afterwards, Nana would tell you everything you will be expected to do during the ceremony and then…” a blush suddenly stained her cheeks and she looked away as she continued. “She will talk to you about what to expect during your mating ritual”, she finished.

“Mating ritual?” I asked, confused.

She nodded, still not looking me in the eyes. “It is when you and Regan fully become mates. During which he will mark you”, she said.

I had heard about that.

That was when mates became…intimate.

How had I not thought about that?