Page 7 of The Alpha's Daughter
Chapter Seven
LOU
“Lou,” Gunnar brought his hand up to rest on my cheek, “it’s time. Come on.”
I blinked up at him for a short moment before I registered what he meant. It was time. To seal our mate bond. Fucking hell. My eyes must have grown wide as I followed him up to the stage like a toddler being led on their first trip to the dentist. The faint mist of our fated bond still swirled around us as Titus approached. As the hosting Alpha, it was his duty to give his blessing to all of the unions, but his hard look as he passed us made me feel uneasy.
“We are truly blessed indeed to have been able to bear witness to this fated mate bond between the Bravemaw and Wild Ridge packs. In her wisdom, the Moon Goddess has seen fit to grant this pairing her highest blessing which will surely strengthen the packs for years to come. Gunnar Aslanov, alpha of the Wild Ridge pack, do you accept this mate bond and with it give your solemn vow to honor our most sacred tenet — Mate, Pack, Council?”
“I accept this bond and vow it shall be.” Gunnar’s voice was steady and he held Titus’s gaze for much longer than necessary, which was a dangerous game to be playing. The alpha power was so thick around me that I could hardly breathe as they stared each other down, neither one initiating a formal challenge but neither one willing to be the first to look away. Finally, Gunnar broke eye contact and looked over at me, his expression unreadable.
“Ramona Griffin, daughter of the Bravemaw alpha, do you accept this mate bond and with it give your solemn vow to honor our most sacred tenet — Mate, Pack, Council?” Titus asks, clearing his throat. He gave a subtle shake of his head and I frowned. Was he seriously trying to tell me to reject my mate? An Alpha? After everything he had done to keep me away from Jax and made sure I married at the proper station?
Don’t reject our mate, my wolf bristled. Down, girl.
“You can say no,” he murmured, raising his eyebrows pointedly at me.
It was then that I realized that, no matter what my father wanted, at this moment the power was mine to choose. He could rage and fight and claw, but I would no longer be his to control the moment I accepted this bond. While I didn’t know what the future would bring with Gunnar and the Wild Ridge pack, it only took one glance back at him for me to believe I would be safe.
I raised my chin and stepped closer to Gunnar, fitting myself to his side. His arm snaked around me like a cloak. “I accept this bond and vow it shall be.”
"Damn right, she does." I barely heard Gunnar's murmured words.
“Your vows have been heard,” Titus’s eyes and voice were colder than ice. “No longer are you two wolves, but are united as one. Mark your mate, so that you may be forever known as mated under the Goddess.”
I turned toward Gunnar and peered up at him. He pulled his shirt away to expose the soft flesh between his neck and shoulder, knelt down on one knee, and offered up his body to me without hesitation. Stepping forward, I let my wolf bubble to the surface as I leaned over and sank my teeth into his skin, marking him as mine forever. He stood up and stepped toward me, tiny droplets of blood staining his white shirt collar.
I swallowed and tilted my head, preparing myself to feel the sting of his bite. Instead, he pressed a soft kiss to my neck just under my ear. Slowly, he kissed his way down, his breath and lips tickling and warming my skin as he went. I felt his tongue lazily drawing circles as he worked his way back up. He gave my ear a tiny nip. “It’s okay. I got you, Shortcake.”
I brushed my cheek against his and felt his slight stubble as he started to pull away, but I needed more. Yanking him closer, I brought my mouth to his neck, repeating the same distracting pattern he had just used on me until I felt a jolt of pain near my shoulder. Almost instantly, the pain receded and I was brought back to reality. He was my mate, and I had the mark to prove it.
