by Cara Wylde
“I want to say ‘yes’, and I will, as long as you believe it’s the right thing for you.”
“It’s the right thing for us, Karl. And me becoming a hybrid.”
“I don’t know about that…”
“You want to say ‘yes’ to both.”
“I do, I really do.”
“Then do it.”
He looked straight into her eyes, and all he saw there was love and determination.
“I love you,” he finally said to her for the first time.
Her lips curled up in a huge smile.
“Is that a ‘yes’, Mr. Blackmane?”
“Yes. Yes, let’s do it. If you think the mating ritual and the cure are the right choice, then they are. I trust you.”
“Good. Because I trust you too.”
She pecked his lips, and he pulled her into a slow, passionate kiss.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Mating Ritual
They spent the whole day on the terrace while Matt was off to procure the antidote for wolf venom and the rest of the pack was preparing for the full moon and the mating ritual. The cook and her assistants were busy making more food than they could all eat, and Karl asked the oldest member of the Dark Wolves to perform the ritual. Usually, that was the job of the Elder of the clan, but the old man in question was at Schloss Blackmane because Avelyn needed him more since she had three hyperactive pups running around. Giving little wolf-shifters a good education wasn’t easy, and she needed all the help she could get. The oldest Dark Wolf was a nice lady whom Claudia liked the second she met.
Claudia insisted she didn’t want anything too fancy or complicated, so when the night of the full moon came, all the Dark Wolves were gathered on the roof, in a circle, waiting for their Alpha and his bride to speak their vows. Claudia and Karl stepped to the center of the terrace and joined hands in front of the old woman who was officiating the ceremony. Karl was supposed to go first, and Claudia couldn’t wait to hear his vows. In truth, none of them had had time to prepare. The last two days had been crazy. After Karl had told her everything about the war, Sabine, and the scars on his body, they had become inseparable. The bathroom was the only place where they didn’t go together.
Karl cleared his throat and took a deep breath. The big smile on his bride’s lips made it almost impossible for him to focus. He just wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until they would both be on the brick of suffocation. “Too dark,” he chastised himself and tried to remember what he was supposed to say. He hadn’t written anything down, but he had thought about some things. Unfortunately, the pressure was too much. Everyone was looking at them, waiting, excited beyond belief. Finally! Their Alpha was getting married. Officially. Once the vows were spoken and the Elder gave her blessing, Karl would bite Claudia, then she would take the antidote so she wouldn’t shift into a wolf on the next full moon. There would be no turning back then.
“Claudia,” he began, “I was lost when I came to Alma Venus. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, and I certainly didn’t know what to expect, but the moment I saw you was the moment when all the noise in my head turned to silence, my mind cleared, and my heart started beating again. I… I had forgotten it was there, in my chest, waiting for you to bring it back to life.”
“Awww…” Claudia chuckled. She tried to help it, but it was in vain. She had never thought she’d live to hear Karl say such sweet, silly things.
“Shut up,” he whispered, but he could hardly keep a straight face. “I’m doing my best here.”
“More! We want more!” cheered Matt.
The rest of the pack repeated his words, and soon Karl had to glare at them to remind them this was an important moment and they had to stay silent. When everyone settled down, he turned back to Claudia.
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he said. “I never even dared dream I would find someone like you, someone who would choose to be by my side despite… despite knowing who I am.” He squeezed her hands gently. “Claudia, thank you for saving me. I promise to love and protect you, to keep you and our children safe. I, Karl Blackmane, take you, beautiful Claudia, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you, to love and cherish you until death do us part.”
Everyone cheered, then it was Claudia’s turn. She was impressed by Karl’s words, and now she was almost afraid her vows wouldn’t even compare to his. She tried to remind herself that all she had to do was be honest. Clear, concise, honest. There was no need for many words, just for the right ones.
“Given that I was raised to be a shifter-bride, this might be hard to believe but… I fell in love with you and knew you were the right one for me the second I stepped into the office at Alma Venus. At first, I thought you had come to bring me news about Avelyn, but seeing you standing there, hearing your voice… I caught myself hoping that was not the reason you had sent for me.” She made a pause, but this time no one cheered or demanded more. “Before you came, I had no idea what my future would be like. It was as if I was trapped in a bubble from which I didn’t know how to escape. I guess I wasn’t even sure I wanted to escape. After all, where would I have gone? Before you came, I was terrified that no one would ever want me, that I would turn 25 and…” she stopped and shook her head. “But that doesn’t matter anymore. You did come, you took me away from there, you gave me a new reason to be. And for that I thank you, Karl Blackmane. I promise I will always be truthful and devoted to you. No matter what happens, I will be right here, by your side.”
Applause started rising to the night sky, and the old she-wolf waited patiently until they quieted down. She stepped closer to the two lovers and placed her bony hands above theirs, squeezing lightly, keeping them united. In a soft, pleasant voice, she spoke:
“We have gathered here to witness the union of two souls who have found each other. Karl and Claudia have spoken their vows and promised to love, honor, and worship each other for the rest of their long, long lives.”
A shiver ran up Claudia’s spine at the words. She smiled at Karl, trying to hide the fact that she was nervous. She was still human now, so she could only live for about… what? 70 years? Once the ritual was over, Karl would bite her, let the venom spread through her body, then the cure would turn her into a hybrid and she would have the long life span of a werewolf, along with some very cool powers. Speed, enhanced senses, maybe a bit of that telepathy the werewolves were known for… It all sounded very good. Oh, and the ability to heal quickly. She couldn’t wait to have the perfect immune system of a wolf. Not getting sick ever again, not catching a single cold… sounded like heaven.
The Elder closed her eyes, tilted her head towards the full moon, and let out a long breath, as if she was cleansing her body before giving Karl and Claudia her blessing. Suddenly, the air was filled with something out of this world. The streets went silent. Even though there were cars driving past and voices rising from the sidewalk, it was as if they couldn’t reach them. Claudia tried to focus for a moment, strained her ears to catch the tiniest outside noise, but there was nothing there. Just the compelling, yet slightly frightening pressure of magic on her shoulders. On everyone’s shoulders. It was wild and ancient, and the elder was the only one who could control it.
The old woman opened her eyes, and for a fraction of a second, Claudia could swear the full moon shined brighter upon them.
“May the road rise to meet you,” the Elder said,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rain fall soft upon your fields,
May you see your children’s children,
May you be poor in misfortune, and rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.”
Her hands moved to their heads, and she murmured a couple more words before she gently pushed them towards each other.
“You may seal your union with a kiss.”
The tension in the air dissipated, and bot
h Karl and Claudia sighed in relief before falling into each other’s arms and initiating a long, sensual kiss. Everyone cheered and applauded again.
“Man, I was never a fan of these ceremonies,” Matt told Ethan while rubbing his arms as if he had been cold for the past few minutes and now he was just warming up. “There’s this… this… I don’t know what to call it. Weirdness? Every time an Elder opens his or her mouth, it’s like the Earth stands still. It freaks me out.”
“At least it proves there’s still some magic left in our faction,” Ethan shrugged.
“I can do without magic, thank you very much.”
When Karl and Claudia finally broke their kiss, everyone stepped closer to congratulate them. Unintentionally, they made a line, and Claudia found herself hugging every member of the Dark Wolves one by one. Some of these tall, strong men held her so tightly that she lost her breath a couple of times. Once it was over, no one left, however. Usually, this would be the end of the mating ritual, but now that the werewolves had the possibility to turn their brides into hybrids, a new act had to be added to the traditional ceremony.
Karl squeezed Claudia’s hand. “Are you ready?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Do it.”
He stepped closer to her and brushed her hair to the side, revealing the dark skin of her long neck and the tiny ear he loved so much to lick and bite. He closed his eyes and inhaled softly, relishing in the scent of his mate. It was intoxicating, addictive. He could stay like that, with his nose buried in her hair and neck, for hours on end. He wouldn’t need food, water, sleep. He only needed her. It wasn’t necessary to bite her neck, but they had decided it would be more romantic this way, after they had made some very bad vampire jokes, of course.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too.”
Karl let his wolf take over for a few seconds. His teeth elongated and sharpened, and he sank them into her skin, carefully, tenderly. She yelped and shuddered, and he held her closer to his chest. He felt the venom pour down his incisors, and he stayed like that for a long moment to make sure it entered her blood stream. When he pulled away, her neck was soaked in blood. His instinct was to lick it off her, but he clenched his jaw and commanded his wolf to stay down. The beast’s time was over. Matt handed him a towel, and he pressed it to Claudia’s neck to stop the bleeding.
“It’s fine,” she said. “I’m okay.”
She was trembling a bit, and it wasn’t because of the pain in her neck. It was because Matt was holding a phial filled with a transparent liquid. The cure for the wolf venom. It had been easy for them to get it. Naturally, the women who wanted to be turned into hybrids had to fill out a ton of forms to request a dose. For now, only the cure for the wolf venom was available, and the Council had decided the only ones who would be allowed to take it were the shifter-brides who married wolf-shifters and decided on their own that they wanted to be turned. A thorough investigation had to be conducted to make sure the decision hadn’t been made in haste. But Karl Blackmane was the main adviser of the wolf councilor, and that had its perks.
Matt held out the phial for her, and she took it with a trembling hand. The antidote could be either ingested or injected. The result was the same. She pulled the cap off and sniffed it tentatively.
“What does it smell of?” asked Karl. He was just as nervous as she was.
“Of long life and incredible physical strength,” she laughed.
Everyone laughed at her joke. They knew things would go perfectly because the cure had been tested, but it still wasn’t easy. Claudia counted to five, then drank the liquid in one single gulp. When she handed the empty phial back to Matt, she felt the same, and the wound on her neck was still bleeding.
“Councilor Harington said the first signs will take some time to show,” said Karl.
Arthur Haringon was the councilor of the human faction and the one who had discovered the cure.
“It’s okay,” she said. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”
“Yes, we do.”
He pulled her into his arms again and held her there for long minutes. At some point, people started getting bored of their little display and switched their attention to the delicious food waiting for them on the table. It was time to celebrate for real.
***
Karl removed the bandage on Claudia’s neck and traced the fading scar with the tips of his fingers.
“It’s almost healed,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
She shrugged. “The same. It doesn’t hurt anymore, though.”
They were sitting in the middle of the bed, facing each other. The mating ritual was over and many of the Dark Wolves had retreated to their homes. Only Matt, Ethan, and Terry were still on the roof, determined to drink the last drop of booze. Karl and Claudia had excused themselves long ago, eager for some privacy. It was almost morning, they had been talking for hours, but they were far from tired.
Karl leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly, then moved down to kiss her jaw and neck. They were both naked, very horny, but also determined to take things slowly this time. Claudia sighed and tilted her head back to give him better access. She ran her hands up and down his arms as he descended to take a nipple between his lips. She now knew all his scars by heart, she had kissed each of them, and had carefully traced and massaged all his hard, massive muscles. When he bit down on her nipple, her hands found his thick cock and started rubbing it lightly. Karl grunted and pushed her on her back, but she immediately protested.
“No, it’s my turn on top.”
Well, he couldn’t argue with that. He grinned up at her, then changed their position so she would lie on top of him. She sat up between his legs and started running her hands all over his chest, abs, and thighs, drinking in the sight of him. Oh, he had a perfect body! All hard and well sculpted… His long, thick cock was resting on his belly, a drop of translucent liquid shining on the tip. Her pussy throbbed at the thought of that big piece of meat stretching her, thrusting in and out until she screamed his name and came. But no, she wanted to take things slowly. She wanted to enjoy every second and every inch of his body.
She cupped his heavy balls with her left hand and kneaded them slowly, carefully, not wanting to squeeze too hard. Karl closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure. She smiled and moved up to the length of his rod, curled her fingers around it, then circled the tip with her thumb, spreading the pre-cum and getting the engorged head wet and slippery. She couldn’t resist her curiosity anymore, so she licked her lips and leaned down to have a taste. She licked the head gently, like a kitten who wanted to make her treat last.
“Oh God, Claudia…”
Karl looked down at her, and the sight of her small tongue lapping at his cock made him release even more pre-cum. She smiled in satisfaction and licked him clean again. His taste was tangy and unique, nothing like she had expected. Hungry for more, she took his length in her mouth, trying to relax her jaw and throat so as to cover as much of it was possible. No matter how hard she tried, however, he was too big for someone so inexperienced as she was, so she used her hand to pump the base as she moved her head up and down.
“Not gonna last long if you do that,” he said.
He couldn’t help but sink his hands in her soft, wild curls. The gesture made her moan around his cock, sending delicious vibrations right to his balls. All his muscles tensed as he struggled to hold himself back. He was very close to the edge, but he didn’t want to come in her mouth. There would be enough time for that. He wanted to bury himself in her wet pussy and fill her with his seed, claim her again and again now that she was his official bride who had willingly let him bite her so she would be his forever.
Claudia smiled around his rod when she realized he was so close. She let him pull her up, though, and she straddled his hips. She took his cock in her hand and positioned it at her entrance, but took her time to torture him a bit by rubbing her clit with the round, dark pink head. She loved the way
he bit down on his lower lip and looked at her as if she was his goddess and he was at her mercy. For a second, she thought it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to tie him to the headboard, just as he had done to her. It would have been symbolical, of course, because Karl could tear the silk scarf to pieces with the mere flick of a finger. Then she thought better of it and gave up the idea. It was her first time on top, after all, and she needed his guidance.
She slid down on him, her walls stretching to accommodate him. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of impaling herself on his cock, of being in control of every movement, of her own pleasure. She stopped a bit when he was fully sheathed, then rolled her hips tentatively and decided it was a motion she liked, so she did it again, and again.
Karl grabbed onto her hips, his fingers leaving marks on her dark skin. When she started moving up and down, her eyes still closed in bliss, her teeth biting on her full lower lip, he felt like his heart would burst and he would come on the spot. Her breasts bounced freely on her chest, the hard nipples pointing upwards, urging him to let go of her hips and rub them, squeeze them, pinch them. He did just that, and Claudia yelped in surprise, then looked down at him with a wicked smile on her lips. She leaned into his touch and placed her palms on his wide chest for better balance, then started riding him hard and fast.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
She raised an eyebrow and clenched her walls around his cock. Her little trick gained her a moan. She was pretty sure it was the first time she heard him moan, and it gave her a feeling of power and confidence. If she could do this to a proud, stubborn Alpha like Karl, then she could truly handle him. Now and forever.
“I’m close, baby,” he warned her.
The truth was he could barely hold it in.
“Touch my clit,” she demanded.
His right hand went between her legs immediately, and his thumb found the throbbing nub between her folds. She was wet and hot down there, and he licked his lips, thinking of how much he wanted to lick her right then. Doing everything at once was impossible even for werewolves, who had such flexible bodies.