Ten—
We woke up later in the afternoon and I was in severe pain. Kai had to run to the store to get me some extra strength pain killers...and wash my sheets. My mom kept humming and shooting me sly looks which had me red as a tomato for the remainder of the day.
"Kai, honey, are you going to stay for dinner?" My mother asked sweetly. He was sitting next to me at the counter rubbing my thigh soothingly.
"Sure, if that's alright."
"Of course is it! We're going to be family soon!" she gushed and I face palmed.
Way to contain your excitement, mom.
Kai brushed his lips against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
"Are you still in pain?" he whispered.
I shrugged. "A little but nothing unbearable."
"It won't hurt as much the more we do it," he murmured lowly.
My mother twisted around, dicing up some vegetables for dinner with a smirk on her face. Can she be any more obvious that she's eavesdropping?
"And one day, you're going to be filled to the brim with my litter," he whispered in a raspy tone.
My face heated up considerably.
"Kai!" I swatted his arm incredulously. My mother giggled. "Mom stop eavesdropping! It's freaking me out!"
Mom held her hands up in surrender with a guilty smile before continuing her cooking.
After dinner was finished we had a nice family meal. My mother was gushing about the bonding ceremony that was postponed until the day after tomorrow. And my father was already discussing the hunts he and Kai would go on together. Overall, they were embarrassing me.
But it was nice.
And I ended up going back to Kai's. We went to bed a little early because I had to get up early. My mother, Kai's mother, and Mel wanted to take me out to have an Omegas day. We were going to get primped and pampered for the bonding ceremony.
I was actually really excited. This was actually happening. It wasn't just a dream anymore. Kai Hemming was going to become my mate. I was going to be Drew Lyall Hemming. I've been dreaming of this day for years and it's finally going to happen!
"You're squirming," Kai mumbled in his sleep, his arms tightening around me to hold me still. I grinned sheepishly even though he couldn't see it.
"Sorry," I whispered.
After that I tried really hard to go to sleep. In the end I only ended up sleeping four hours but it was fine because I had plenty of energy for the day. I woke up before Kai and made his breakfast, then left him a note to tell him it was in the microwave ready for him to heat up.
The girls were ready and at my door with smiles on their face. I looked from my own mother's kind brown eyes and short brown locks to Kai's mother's long black tresses and brilliant green eyes and Melrose's big brown eyes and wild dark curls. Each of them were positively beaming and the excitement was contagious.
We started with massages that ended with seaweed wraps and mud facials. Then we went to the salon to get our hair done, trimmed, neatened, highlighted, and washed. Our nails and skin were buffed to perfection. The girls got manicures and pedicures while I had my facial hair waxed. Then we ate a nice lunch at a restaurant with outdoor seating. Thankfully it wasn't the same place I had my episode in, I don't think I can ever step foot there again.
After lunch we headed to the stores to find outfits. Well...they did. I have my traditional furs to wear that I hand crafted myself. It was a brown hide sewn into a skirt with ankle cuffs, arm cuffs, and a shoulder mink. My mother helped me with the design and Mel was going to help me with the tribal paint. When we went to the salon, I had the sides of my head shaven for this special occasion. I wore a hat so Kai wouldn't see it until tomorrow.
When we were all done, we made our way back to our houses. I thanked everyone and bid them farewells until tomorrow. I was thoroughly exhausted and it was well into the night by the time I got back.
Kai was in his office on the phone. I was going to leave but instead, he offered his arms to me. I fell into them happily, savoring the feeling of his strong chest. When he was done with his phone call, he kissed my forehead and hugged me tight.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" he mused.
"Are you?" I joked back.
"Of course. I'm about to mate the most perfect Omega in all existence, how could I not be?"
I snorted but grinned anyway.
"I just wanted to see you before I had to leave," I murmured not really wanting to spend a night without him but knowing it would be worth it in the end.
Kai chuckled, knowing exactly what was going through my head.
"We'll be together again tomorrow, and this time...it will be official."
I hummed in agreement.
"You look exhausted. Go get some rest okay? And I'll see you in the morning."
He kissed my lips tenderly before smacking my butt and ushering me upstairs to go get my things. I packed an overnight bag and waved goodbye.
As I was on my way back to my house, I saw someone pass behind the neighbors' house. Curiosity getting the better of me, I followed the figure until I saw them.
Whoever it was realized right away that they weren't alone and darted out of sight. Something in my gut warned me against pursuing them, so I listened to my instincts and hurried home.
Who was sneaking around at night?
I wanted to think about it more, but I was dead tired and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and eager.
"Morning sweetheart! Time to get ready!" My mom called, peeking her head into the room. I grinned at her before undressing and getting into my white robe. The ceremony began the moment I awoke. Everyone else has probably been awake for hours, setting everything up. My mother opened my door and was holding a wooden board that held bottles full of herbs. Kai's mother took my hand and led me down the stairs and out the front door. Omegas from all over the Community lined up outside my door all dressed in white, like my mother. I knew all of the Alphas would be dressed in black. As Kai's mother led me through the lines of Omegas, they reached out and touched me, all giving me their graces.
They led all the way to the sacred spring where I would take my purifying bath. It was a large hot spring with a natural stone wall diving down the center. My heart raced as I approached the edge. Just beyond that wall, Kai was doing the same thing.
My mother pulled the robe from my body and Mel waited for me in the water. She was my Earth substitute. Their job was to wash the Omega and blessed them with the revitalizing herbs. She too was dressed in white with a crown of flowers pushing her wild mane back. My mother passed her the board of herbs which floated along the top of the spring to my best friend. She started with my back whispering prayers to the Goddess. I could feel the coldness of the bottle herb solutions that she was rubbing on me. Then she poured another herbal liquid into my hair and massaged it into my scalp. When I was fully washed and cleansed, we held hands and stepped out of the spring. My mother wrapped a towel around my best friend's shoulders while I shifted into a wolf. My fur dripped until the first rays hit my skin, drying it instantly. My fur glowed and I howled.
I heard Kai's answering howl and my heart thundered in my chest.
He's really here.
This is really happening.
I nearly stumbled in my excitement, making a few of the Omegas laugh. It the older and already mated ones...they understood my eagerness. I shifted back into my first form and sat on a stone while my mother and Kai's mother dressed me in my furs. Kai's mother brushed my hair while Mel began to draw the tribal markings on my skin with gold paint. I nearly cried with happiness when I was finally able to walk to the ceremonial circle. The Omegas shifted into Wolves howling as they followed me to the ceremonial circle. When we finally broke through the tree and into the clearing...
I saw him.
He was even more beautiful than I dreamed him to be on this day.
His furs were dark and dominant like him. His hair was wild and the mink around his shoulders complimented his tanned skin wonderfully. The furs around his waist was shaped like a loin cloth and the ones around his ankles accentuated his long and powerful legs. Around his neck was the traditional necklace of Wolf fangs, formed together by the past Elders. The current Elders stood in a line behind Kai. They were all huge and in their Wolf forms.
The Alphas, dressed in black circled the clearing. Once I reached Kai, the Omegas fanned out joining the Alphas.
I grasped Kai's hand in mine and let his bite each finger. He let me do the same. I stepped close, tears glittering in my eyes, dropping to my knees and tilting my head back as the ultimate sign of submission. Kai beamed down at me, gripping chin and leaning down to bite my neck, then kiss the bite softly.
I raised from my knees and held Kai's hands again.
That's when the Elders began to move. The circled us, offering a lick to our skin, providing their own blessing. When the sun finally rose in the sky, the Elders bit each other's tails forming an incomplete ring. It became complete when the Elder behind me and the Elder behind Kai bit into our sides.
I cried out in pain and fought to stay standing. The Elder behind me licked the bite and back away. The Elder behind Kai did the same. I fell against my mate who caught me and held me tight in his arms. The Elders began to howl, causing the Alphas to howl and the Omegas following after them.
Oh Goddess.
It's official.
Kai is my Mate.
*
"Smile any more and your face will split in half," Mel laughed.
I just couldn't stop grinning. I leaned into Kai's side, snuggling as close as I could get. He's mine. Officially mine. No one can take him away from me...I won't let them.
Yesterday after the Mating Ceremony, Kai and I accepted many 'congratulations' and praise. There was a feast for the joining of the two families that really warmed my insides. I got to meet Kai's siblings. He had a two sisters and a brother. They were all mated already and living with their beloveds, whom I also got to meet. Maya and Ella were his sisters and they were mated to Alpha Tasha and Omega Eric. His brother was named Galen and mated to and Alpha named Jordan. It made me think of my own siblings who weren't strong enough to survive outside our mother's body. They died at birth and I was the only one who survived in the litter.
Dad always use to call me their miracle child.
I called him ridiculous.
But it was a nice dinner and made me kind of eager to start our own family. But that would wait until we were ready to raise children. Pups were a handful.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Kai murmured in my ear.
"Just thinking about our future together and starting a family."
Kai beamed, kissing my lips. "I can't wait," he whispered.
Today was just a relaxing day with our friends in celebration of our union. It was a happy day. Well it was until a certain human decided to show her annoying face.
I dug my fingers into Kai's arm as she came over to our spot in the grass. Kai winced and looked down at me worriedly. His hand came down into my hair and he pushed my face into my neck, massaging my scalp.
He was trying to distract me from the boiling hot rage I felt in my veins.
"Hey Kai! Jackson!" I heard her chirp, as if she wasn't the one who ordered her little lapdog to stick a syringe in my neck.
Wait a minute...
I remember!
Wait...what did I just remember?
Shit!
I growled in frustration.
Kai hushed me.
"Robin, I really don't think now is the best time. You know how my mate feels about you and I don't want to upset him during the afterglow of our Mating," Kai told her.
Finally!
Finally he stuck up for me!
Finally I came first!
I yipped, licking his neck happily.
He scratched behind my ear and I found myself curling in his lap contently. He started to rub my stomach and I smirked at the human triumphantly.
She looked at me solemnly before giving Kai a sad smile.
"I understand. Come see me later, I have something to discuss with you," she said, shooting a smirk at me and disappearing.
I growled at her retreating form very close to shifting.
"Easy Drew, relax."
I huffed, rolling over to hug his stomach.
Mel snorted at me.
"I thought mating was supposed to mature you. You're acting like a pup all curled up like that."
I barked at her and ignored everyone's laugh.
They can laugh all they want, I'm happy just where I am.
Though knowing that Kai was going to meet up with her later did worry me...a lot. I knew I had to trust him but it was really aggravating having to keep that vermin's dirty hands off my man.
"You're growling again," Kai pointed out.
I tried to focus on his finger on my scalp. It was soothing and helping to calm my nerves. I listened to his voice as he talked and laughed with Jackson and Mel.
This day was peaceful and it would stay that way.
When we got home, I wanted to take a bath together but Kai told me he had to leave.
"You're going to meet up with her, aren't you?" I accused.
Kai sighed.
"Drew—"
"It's okay, I know. It's Alpha business," I whispered deflated.
"Hey, look at me." Kai tilted my chin up with his fingers, forcing me to stare into his evergreen depths. "I love you, okay? I'll come home every day to you. You're my mate and I will do everything to protect you. When I get back tonight, I'll show you just how much I love you, alright?"
I nodded my head numbly.
He kissed me tenderly before backing away and leaving the house. I groaned, collapsing on to the bed. All I could do was mope until Kai came back.
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