by R. E. Butler
“On the night of the full moon.”
“Wonderful, I’ll send some males with a mating gift for you.”
“That would be sweet, thank you.”
“No, I’m the one who should thank you. Because of you, there’s peace between our packs now. We’re better united than divided.”
“Agreed.”
Veltris and Gemma took a copy of the book with them, then left with their pack. Isolde went into her house for a few minutes then came out with two large satchels. She set them both on the table.
“These are for you,” she said.
Trinity lifted the flap on the first satchel and saw her favorite top. “Oh! You got my clothes?” She pulled the dark green top out and grinned.
“Since you’re not able to pass through the portal without trapping yourself in your former world again, I thought you might like to have some things. There are clothes in that satchel, and toiletries and knickknacks in the other.”
“I can’t wait to see what you got for me, thank you so much!” Trinity hugged Isolde. “Will you come to our mating ceremony?”
“I’d be honored.”
Wrath nodded. “It will begin at sunset.”
“I’ll be there.”
Trinity put one of the books in the satchel with the clothes, and Wrath took it, giving Cael the other to carry. Their group said goodbye and headed home, Mytan padding along beside Trinity.
“Veltris’s female was right,” Wrath said as he took Trinity’s hand.
“About what?”
“Without you, there wouldn’t be peace because I was so damn miserable. I took that pain out on everyone and everything. It’s a good thing Veltris is a forgiving male. We could just as easily have been at war with his pack forever.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Trinity said. She glanced at him with a smile. “But more than him being forgiving is that it’s really clear that you’re different. I think they didn’t want to believe it at first because they had this idea of who you were. There are some who don’t believe people can change at all.”
“I’m very different because of you.”
“I am, too.” She stopped, and he turned to face her. Rising onto her toes, she gave him a kiss and smiled when his wolf chuffed in happiness.
“Let’s go home, sweetheart,” he said. “There’s much to be done.”
Chapter Sixteen
The full moon came quickly, and Wrath hadn’t gotten as much done to their new home as he would’ve liked, and there was an overwhelming number of tasks still needing attention. Not to mention the full moon preparations.
Before Trinity, Wrath and his males only handled the full moon in the sparsest of ways, such as going for a hunt as a whole pack instead of in small groups. Purebreds had a big celebration every full moon with a bonfire and food. He’d always thought it was pointless to eat before hunting. But now that he had Trinity, he understood why the purebreds did what they did. If a wolf had a true mate who was human, he or she wouldn’t be able to go hunting. In order to include them in the celebration, they created a party beforehand which allowed everyone to be involved in some way.
Keeping that in mind, he’d crafted a unique first full moon celebration for them. It wasn’t just that they were going to officially be mates and Trinity would take on the mantle of leadership; he wanted her to take part in everything related to the pack.
Wrath felt Trinity walking up from the tunnel and he turned to greet her.
“It’s almost sunset,” he said, giving her a kiss. “Are you excited?”
“Very much. I can’t believe I finally get to see you shift in person.”
He spanned his fingers along her back, his wolf dancing in his head at the night’s prospects. “That’s not all you’ll get to do or see.”
Her eyes darkened as the scent of her arousal bloomed. “I get to be yours in truth.”
“You already are, this is just official.”
She looked past him and said, “What are those blankets doing up on the house?”
“That’s for later. For now, we need to head to our new full moon meeting place.” He took her hand and led her to a cleared area a hundred feet from their home. A fire pit had been dug, lined with river rock, and filled with wood. Around the pit were cut logs laid on their sides for seating, and a table set up with food for their pre-hunt feast.
“Oh this looks amazing,” Trinity said. She greeted the pack who was milling around the area, waiting for them, along with Isolde.
Wrath hadn’t let her see the preparations for the full moon. He wanted everything about the night to be a surprise.
The pack beamed with pride. Their hard work would ensure that tonight was a night no one would forget, and the first of many, many full moon hunts.
Trinity hugged Isolde, who handed her a small box. Trinity set it on the table and opened it, gasping in surprise. Inside was a cake covered with white cream and decorated with flowers.
“There’s a great bakery in that hotel,” Isolde said. “I picked up a cake for you before I closed the portal.”
“So the portal is really closed? Forever?”
Isolde nodded with a smile. “The portal that brought you here won’t be opened again. It’s not to say that I wouldn’t open a portal into that realm for another reason, but you won’t ever be able to go into your realm again.”
Her old realm, Isolde explained, was now cut off from her forever. Only a magical person like Isolde could go into Trinity’s former world. Now that the seven days were up, Trinity wouldn’t be able to go through a portal for any reason.
Trinity touched the necklace that hung around her neck. “Do you need this back?”
“Nope. It’s yours.”
“Good. I was hoping I could keep it, because it’s a reminder of what brought Wrath and I together.”
Creek appeared with something wrapped in a colorful blanket. “This is from Veltris and Gemma, who wish you a wonderful mating and safe hunt.”
Trinity unwrapped the item and found a paper-wrapped slab of bacon.
“Oh holy crap, bacon!” Trinity said.
Wrath laughed. “I think Gemma picked a great gift.”
“She sure did. I love bacon.”
“Who doesn’t?” Isolde asked.
“I’ll fry some pieces up for our meal,” Creek said. He handed a card to Trinity and then hurried away with the bacon.
She opened the card and read out loud, “Best wishes on your mating night and becoming alpha female of the Blood Wolves. May the great wolf smile down on your union and make every future hunt a success. Blessings to you both and your pack, Veltris and Gemma.”
“Aw,” Trinity said. She set the card on the table and said, “I’m ready to get this night started.”
“Hungry, little wolf?” he asked with a teasing tone.
“Starving. You’re extra-strength horny on the full moon. You kept me busy through breakfast and lunch.”
“It’s just because my true mate is so tempting.”
“I agree completely.”
Isolde cleared her throat. “Thank you for including me in your celebration tonight. I have something special for you both.”
“You’ve given us each other,” Trinity said. “You don’t owe us anything. We owe you everything.”
“It’s part of my nature as a witch to do good,” Isolde said. “That I could bring you two together makes my heart happy. But there’s more I can offer, and that’s a glimpse of the future.”
She held out her hands and encouraged Wrath and Trinity to each take one. The moment he put his hand on Isolde’s, his vision darkened, and an image bloomed in his mind. He saw Trinity, her stomach swollen with child, her face beaming as she sat underneath a tree with a piece of charcoal and a stack of parchment. The image began to move, and he could hear her humming as the charcoal scratched across the pages.
“Mama!” a little voice called.
“Here sweets,” Trinity said, putting the charcoal a
nd paper aside and holding out her arms. A little girl, with dark hair and emerald eyes, bounded into her arms, careful of her swollen belly. “Did you have fun?”
“I did! Papa took me hunting, and I caught a bird. But I let him go. He was pretty.”
Trinity kissed the little girl on the cheek. “You’re so very sweet, my little love. I’m the luckiest mama in the world.”
“Both worlds?” she asked, her head tilting curiously.
“Every world.”
Wrath watched himself stride into view and lift the little girl into his arms. “She’s going to make an excellent alpha when she grows up. Fierce but kind.”
The little girl beamed at him and then flashed delicate fangs, a little growl in her chest. “I’ll be queen.”
“Alpha,” he corrected.
“Alpha queen.”
With a chuckle, he kissed her forehead and smiled at Trinity. “You can be whatever you want, little one. The world is yours.”
The image began to fade, and Wrath’s heart ached with the desire that filled him.
His eyes stung with tears as his vision returned, and he looked down at Trinity who was crying. “That’s really our future?” Trinity asked.
Wrath brushed the tears from her cheeks.
“Yes,” Isolde said. “You only get that once from me; I can’t look into the future too often for a person or it skews things. If you know too much, it can alter the path of your life. But I thought an excellent gift for you both would be to see a bit of your future happiness.”
Trinity hugged Isolde and thanked her, then returned to Wrath’s arms. He smiled at the witch as he hugged his mate. “Thank you for everything,” he said gruffly.
“It’s my pleasure.”
Wrath called for quiet, and everyone faced them. He stared at the faces of his pack. They weren’t just wolves like him—hybrid outcasts in a world that didn’t want or understand them—they were his family, and he was honored to know them. “Joining with Trinity tonight does two things: it sets her place in our pack as alpha female and it charts a new course for our people. We won’t be trying to take over the world, we’re going to do our damnedest to make it a better place. We’ll build homes and create a safe haven for blood wolves, and we’ll search far and wide for our own kind to bring them under our protection. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for any of you because we’re family. We’re not at war anymore, and it’s all because a witch opened a portal into another world and brought Trinity to me.” He looked down at his beloved mate, seeing the love and hope shining in her eyes. “I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you, too.”
He kissed her, and the pack cheered, Mytan adding his happy howl.
Ending the kiss, Wrath stepped up to the fire pit and accepted steel and flint from Rook. Kneeling, he struck the two together over a bed of kindling until the sparks caught the brush on fire. He stuck the flaming kindling into the center of the wood and caught the other kindling on fire, watching as it swiftly blazed and licked at the cut wood.
Wrath handed the steel and flint to Cael, then rose to his feet. He held out his hand to Trinity and she joined him. They faced each other and linked their hands.
The pack moved to circle them. Isolde stood just on the outside, able to watch the ceremony but not officially take part in it.
Wrath cast his gaze up to the darkening sky and the rising full moon. Then he looked at his pack, and finally, his mate. “Tonight, under the light of the full moon, I vow myself to you, Trinity—as your mate and alpha. I swear to protect you and our offspring with my life, to lead our family and pack with honor, and to love you to the best of my ability. Will you vow tonight to be mine?”
Her eyes glistened with tears. “I will.”
She inhaled shakily and said, “Tonight, under the light of the full moon, I vow myself to you, Wrath—as your mate and alpha counterpart. I swear to love you and our offspring with my whole heart, to help you lead our family and pack with honor, and to love you to the best of my ability. Will you vow tonight to be mine?”
His wolf lent his voice a growling undertone as he said the most important words he’d ever uttered. “I will.”
“Love you,” she mouthed.
“Love you,” he mouthed back.
She turned slowly and faced the pack, brushing her hair to one side to bare her neck. He would’ve much rather done this when she was hazed with pleasure, but it wasn’t their way. This marking—of a male to his female, of the alpha to his true mate—had to be done in front of the pack as witness, and there was no male wolf on the planet who would allow his female to be seen hazed with bliss by any other males. While he didn’t want to cause her pain, the mating bite in front of the pack was a significant moment, marking her as the alpha female in truth.
He inhaled and shook away the nerves, catching her sweet scent and smiling. His fangs slid smoothly from his gums, and his fingertips itched with the need to bare claws.
“I’ll make this up to you later,” he whispered.
“I know you will.”
She crossed her arms over his, anchoring herself to him. He closed his eyes and savored the moment, and then he struck, burying his fangs into her throat. She stifled a gasp and her body jolted within his embrace. Extracting his fangs, he nicked his tongue and swiped his blood into the wound. He drew his face away from her neck and watched as his blood healed the wounds swiftly. Only two scars remained—which would forever mark her as his.
He hugged her tight and tilted his head away from hers, letting out a possessive howl.
His pack dropped to their knees and howled along with him, a joyous sound commemorating her as their alpha female and his true mate.
When the last echo had faded and the only sound was the crackling fire, Wrath turned her in his arms and kissed her.
“You okay?”
“That wasn’t bad,” she whispered. “I feel different.”
“How?”
She shrugged. “More connected to you.”
“I feel the same way.”
The pack got off their knees and congratulated them. Wrath led Trinity to one of the log seats, and while she sat, he went to the table and filled plates for the two of them. The pack followed suit, and in minutes they were all eating around the fire, laughing and talking. While Wrath had always felt a camaraderie with the pack, he couldn’t remember the last time they’d done this. Just hung out together. He’d been too consumed with planning his next move in his bid to take over everything and amass as much power as possible that he’d never taken time to enjoy what he already had.
It was about damn time.
When they’d eaten all they could of venison, mashed root vegetables, and Wrath’s favorite honey roasted carrots, Trinity cut the cake, giving a piece to everyone.
Wrath looked at his slice of cake. It had three layers of yellow cake, with a white cream and red berries of some sort in between, topped with more white cream and flowers made of sugar. He sniffed it, finding it smelling pleasantly of fruit and sugar.
“You guys don’t have cake here?” Trinity asked, taking a bite and humming in pleasure.
“Not like this,” he said. They had honeycakes, which were small round cakes drizzled with honey. But he’d never seen anything like this.
He cut a piece with his fork and ate it, surprised at the sweetness and delicious taste. At his urging, she explained the berries were called strawberries and the cream was actually frosting, made with sugar and milk.
“We don’t have strawberries,” Creek said. “Too bad, because they’re amazing.”
“There seems to be most of the same fruits and vegetables here as in my old world,” Trinity said. “I like strawberries, too, but I can definitely live without them because I get to be here.”
Wrath smiled at her, thankful for the magic that had made a path between two vastly different worlds to bring them together.
When their meal was finished, Isolde promised to clean up before she headed hom
e. Wrath called for his pack to shift and hunt together, and to enjoy the night. He took Trinity into the woods, Mytan sniffing loudly around them, his tail wagging.
Once out of view of everyone, he kissed her deeply.
“Wow, let’s skip the hunt and go to bed.”
He chuckled. “You don’t really mean that.”
“No, but you’re very tempting.”
“So are you.” He pulled his shirt off and she took it, draping it over a low-hanging branch. “I’m still me in my shift. While I can’t talk to you, I can understand what you’re saying.”
“Can I go with you?”
“You can’t shift.”
“I know,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But I can walk with you. I mean, unless you need to run to satisfy your wolf. I’d rather be out in the woods with you tonight instead of sitting around the bonfire with Mytan just waiting for you to come back.”
It hadn’t occurred to him that she’d likely be bored. “I’d love that. And for the record, my beast is perfectly content right now just being with you. I’m shifting because it’s the full moon and it’s a tradition after a mating announcement, not because I have a deep need to do so.”
“Then I’d love to join you.”
He finished stripping, waiting until she’d hung up his things and was watching him before he called his shift forward. The change came over him quickly, onyx fur covering skin, bones cracking and reforming, hands and feet replaced with big paws. He shook himself out and stretched, then moved to her. Her eyes were wide and her smile was broad as she cupped his head and kissed his nose.
“That was amazing! You’re so gorgeous. I mean, you’re the sexiest guy I’ve ever known, but your wolf is beautiful.” She walked around him slowly and ran her hands through his fur. He loved feeling her hands on him.
“Let’s go,” she said. “The sooner you can shift back, the sooner we can make our mating night official.”
He loved that idea hard.
They headed deeper into the woods, Trinity walking at his side. His pack occasionally passed by as they chased the furry creatures that called the woods home, but Wrath wasn’t interested in chasing anything. He was the most content he’d ever been. Everything within him was at peace now that Trinity—the missing part of his heart—was finally his in truth.