The hot spray of water pounds relentlessly against my back, stinging and burning with every dropletâHe's actually going to make me do it.
Being inducted into a pack for a werewolf is already painful; however, the usual presence of the wolf takes the edge away and allows for less pain and more of a feeling of connectedness. But for unshifted wolves, it's grueling. I've heard stories of people dying when attempting to undergo induction while unshifted.
I guess something about Jaxon's Alpha blood and the Mistletoe "potion" will keep me alive. I don't think he'd care if I died, anyway. Only his wolf would care.
The shower curtain is suddenly pulled open and I shiver at the sudden cold air. "Oh, dear, let's get you out of here," Jaxon's Mother waves me out of the steamy cavern and I slowly do as she says. She instantly wraps a large towel around me and beckons me into the bedroom, "Full Moon is in a couple hours. You'll need to be ready before then."
She busies herself with towel-drying my hair and preparing things around the room. I sit on a stool in front of the vanity table and stare at my reflection. My brown hair limply hangs around my face and frames my somewhat slimmer cheeks and paler skin.
My eyes contain nothingâ no emotion, no fear, no hate.
"Now, you'll need to choose a white dress. I have four here for you to choose from. Of course, Jaxon will have to approve it, but we want you to pick the one you like," She smiles at me in the reflection of the mirror.
You're not letting me have the future I want, so a dress makes up for that?
"It's not that simple, Isabelle," She states, and it's then that I realize I had voiced my thoughts.
I ignore her and look at the dresses. All are very conservative with sleeves, high necklines, and longer hemlines. The one on the end attracts my eyes and I stand and approach it, running my fingers down the side.
"I'll wear this one," I murmur, my voice cracking slightly.
"Great," She smiles before putting the rest back into a large garment bag. I sit back down onto the stool and stare at myself again, the unhappiness shining through my impassive expression.
"For what it's worth," She begins, coming to stand behind me, "Jaxon is only doing this for you."
"He's doing it for himself," I instantly snap back. "If he inducts me into the pack, I can't testify against him to the Council. If he inducts me, I'll be linked to everyone including him. If they have him killed for my accusations, myself and everyone else here will die.So, no, he isn't doing this for me," I meet her gaze in the mirror. "He's doing it for himself."
"Iâ" She starts, a stunned look on her face.
The door flies open and in comes Jaxon's sisters. I've never met any of them, except for Annabeth, the youngest, but from what I've heard (mainly from Grant), they're all handfuls. Three of them are younger than me, thirteen and fifteen, while the other two are older, eighteen and twenty-five.
"Wow," The second youngest, I'm assuming, gazes at me, "Jaxon has a pretty mate."
"Yes, he does," The oldest smiles as she cradles her young daughter in her arms.
"I'm Rosie," The second youngest introduces.
"Isabelle," I say blankly, not even attempting to be civil.
If only they knew what a monster their brother is.
"I'm Titania," The middle sister introduces.
"I'm Laurena," The second oldest says.
"And I'm Jocelyn," The oldest says, giving me a half-smile.
"Annabeth is napping, if you were wondering," Jocelyn continues to smile at me and I look back to the mirror.
"I wasn't."
"Oh," Titania's eyebrows shoot straight up and I can tell they're talking to one another telepathically.
"Can we just get this over with? The sooner this is over, the sooner I can go back to the cottage," I say irritably, annoyed that they're speaking about me right in front of me.
"UhâSure. I'll do make-up. Laurena, help me. Titania, you do hair. Rosie, help her," Jocelyn orders and they instantly begin their work. I dully sit there, ready for all of this to be over.
Maybe I'll die during the inductionâ that would be quite a treat, wouldn't it?
Stop wishing yourself to be dead! A booming voice appears in my head so loudly that I wince when it comes.
Of course you're listening in on my thoughts.
Can't have you devising some sort of plan, can we? He's there again for a moment but then gone as quickly as he came.
I sigh and daze off into a dreamâ a dream of home with Jon and other pack members. The pack house. My room. My school. Everything about it. I go over the intimate details in my mind, clinging to them as if they were driftwood floating within a vast sea and the only things allowing me to stay alive.
"Done," My eyes fly open when I hear that word and I'm met with a different appearance than usual. My make-up is lightly done in a natural sort of way and my hair is down and wavy over my shoulders. You can't tell I've been crying. You can't see any signs of depression. All you can see is a pretty face.
"Stand up so we can get you dressed," Jaxon's mother says glibly. I stand slowly and allow them to dress me, careful to not get any make-up on the white dress. Once everything is all clipped and zipped, I stare at myself in the mirror. The white dress has a high neck, but from above my breasts and up to my neck the material is sheer and lacy. The sleeves are the same way and the bottom of the dress has an overlay that looks similar.
"You look beautiful," A masculine voice from the door startles me and I look up to find Jaxon's icy blue eyes implanted on me.
I exhale slowly and cross my arms about myself before shifting my eyes to the ground. The sound of his footsteps crossing over to me is clear in my ears, yet I don't move a muscle. He stands behind me, both of our reflections in the mirror now.
His lips come beside my ear and the front of his body is pressed against the back of mine. One of his hands reaches up to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear while the other gently cups my arm. "So innocent," He whispers, his fingers tickling down the side of my face now.
"Soon, we'll be one," He murmurs, both of his hands on my arms now.
"I don't really have a choice in that, do I?" I mumble and his grip tightens. Not so tight that it hurts but tight enough to warrant eye-contact in the mirror.
"There's always a choice, Isabelle," He says, his voice harder.
"Really? Then why did you drag me here? Why did you mark me? Why am I being inducted? None of these things would've happened if I'd had a choice," My voice rises in volume and he exhales sharply and steps away from me.
HIs fists clench and he turns around, evidently trying to hold in his anger. "You had a choice," His words drip venom as he pointedly enunciates each syllable. "You had a choice when you sent that letter to the Council."
"I had to, Jaxon!" I exclaim, turning around to face him.
"No, you didn't! You betrayed me, Isabelle!" He yells.
"You betrayed me first by forcing me here, marking me against my will, finding a 'replacement' Luna, locking me in the cottage, and, now, forcing me to be inducted into the pack!" I say just as loudly.
"None of those things can kill you! Reporting me to the Council can have me beheaded!" He shouts, the veins in his neck bulging.
"Half of those things can kill me, actually. Force-marking, finding another 'mate', and inducting me into the pack," I say, my nostrils flaring.
"Yet here you are, alive and breathing. The induction won't kill you since I'm an Alpha," He states a matter-of-factly. "Also we've acquired this talisman from Mistletoe." He loops an emerald gemstone on a chain around my neck." It will protect you."
"It's not about what is deadly, Jaxon," I press my nails into my palms, "it's about trust. Mates are supposed to trust and love each other. I don't trust or love you, so there's something wrong with this picture!"
"It's not my fault you don't trust or love me," He shrugs.
I widen my eyes, "Yes it is! You give me no incentive to trust or love you. You find a new Luna, you force-mark me, and the list goes on. I've tried to make this work and you've done nothing!"
"You haven't tried anything. You resist me at every turn!"
"Because you never consider my feelings!"
"This isn't about you, Isabelle," He grits his teeth. "The world ceased to revolve around you when you became my mate. It's about us and the pack."
"We can't be good leaders if we aren't connected," I shoot back.
"You can't be a good Luna because you're immature," He hisses.
"You can't be a good Alpha because you're abusive and cold," I lash back and he goes silent.
I can see the hurt flash across his expression before he masks it with stone. "Everyone is waiting in the woods. Let's go," His posture stiffens and he leaves the room.
I slowly follow him down the stairs and out to the front yard where a golf cart is waiting. Grant sits in the driver's seat, a bright smile greeting me, "Ready, Luna?"
"No," I mutter, climbing in next to him.
Jaxon clears his throat as he stands next to the driver's seat, indicating for Grant to move to the back.
"Catch you later," Grant murmurs, slipping into the back. Jaxon slides in next to me and I scoot as far away from him as possible.
He doesn't say anything as he starts the cart and drives us across the vast expanse of Moonlight land into a deeper section of the woods I've never been to.
We stop just outside a clearing and Jaxon grabs my wrist firmly, pulling me from the cart. My bare feet connect with the grass and I wince at the feeling. I notice that everyone else is barefoot as well as a way to remain connected with nature during this process.
Jaxon is wearing a loose white t-shirt and black jeans with his black hair tousled across his head. Everyone else stops at the edge of the clearing while Jaxon continues to pull me to the center to a large stone. There's writing etched into the stone, the words of old, and a silver dagger atop it.
"The silver weakens you to represent your dependency on the pack," Jaxon murmurs to me, picking up on my train of thought.
"You're going to stab me?" I question, fear and resistance creeping in.
"No," He says, adjusting his grip on me so I can't run away.
"Jaxonâ"
"Moonlight Pack!" He says loudly, his voice resonating throughout the clearing. "Tonight is the night we gain a new leader, a Luna, and our pack becomes stronger than ever before!"
Hundreds of cheers are heard and I realize that everyone from the pack is here. At my old pack, only the core leaders were allowed to be at inductions.
"Tonight, we celebrate a new age! A new dawn!" He continues on and I tune him out.
"Isabelle," He nudges me and I come back to attention. "Do you answer the call of the fates and the Moon Goddess to be joined with this pack for as long as you may live?"
His stare pushes me to answer, "Y-Yes."
"Do you vow to protect and uphold the laws of this pack as well as the members of this pack?"
"Yes."
"Do you vow to do your duty as Luna and serve the pack and your Alpha to the best of your ability?"
"Yes."
"Do you vow to lead truthfully, justly, righteously, and wisely?"
"Yes."
He turns his attention away from me to the dagger. He grips the handle and the blade makes a low sound as he pulls it off the stone.
"With this silver dagger, I will weaken Isabelle and myself. This weakness will represent our dependency on the pack and the blood tie we have to each and every one of you," With those words, he pulls up the hand he'd been holding onto and slices quickly across my palm.
I wince and tears fill my eyes at the unexpected pain. He does the same to his hand, then presses our palms together, clasping his fingers around mine. "With this action, our blood is flowing together. This represents the unity of the pack as we stand, hand-in-hand, together against any force that threatens us."
He releases my hand and quickly grips my chin. With a swift motion, he cuts a small line downward in the middle of my bottom lip and I visibly jump backwards. He catches me by grabbing my wrist and yanking me back towards him. He then slices open his own lip, grabs the back of my neck, and presses our mouths together in a kiss.
I cringe away from him at first, confused as to what's happening, but then give in as I feel my body weakening from the silver and from his lips on mine. He pulls away moments later, blood coating his lips and chin.
"The kiss symbolizes our connectedness as Alpha and Luna and our promise to be united for the best of the pack."
He takes my still-bleeding hand and places it atop the stone, the blood forming a hand-print shape. He presses his hand next to mine and whispers, "Simul nos sunt."
The same words rise from the crowd in a loud chant until it's all that can be heard. Warmth floods my body and my chest feels as if it's going to explode. My head pounds as the chants grow louder and I squeeze my eyes shut.
Jaxon continues to chant, his eyes locked on me. The pain intensifies as the noise does and soon I find it hard to stand.
"Jaxon," I cry, tears streaming down my face, "I can't."
I begin to keel over, but he presses my hand in place with his free hand. "Not yet," He commands, his Alpha voice sending painful tingles through me.
"Ah!" I cry out, sobbing now as the voices are so loud in my head that I'm sure my head will explode. The pulling in my chest increases and the warmth turns to burning.
"Fire," I wheeze, "Jaxon, I'm on fire."
"Quiet," He orders again and I continue to struggle.
I can feel the blood running down from my lip and onto my white dress, staining it red, red, red.
When I feel as though I'm going to die from the pain, I hear a small whisper from Jaxon, "Terminatum est."
The chanting stops and he unpins my hand. I fall onto my hands and knees, wheezing and coughing. Remnants of the pain are still there and I struggle to somehow relieve them.
"Shifted wolves!" Jaxon addresses the crowd. "It's time for you to go on a run. The moon is full and the woods are ready for you!"
Cheers are heard from the crowd and the sound of hundreds of footsteps are heard as they disperse into the forest. "Unshifted, go back to your homes. Stay indoors. Get some rest."
More footsteps are heard and soon it's only Jaxon and I left.
"How's the pain?" He asks, looming over me.
"Bad," I wince.
"Well, when you have hundreds of souls binding to yours, it's bound to hurt," He mumbles. "Come on." He extends his hand to me and I hesitantly take it. He uses his wolf strength to pull me to my feet and half-carry me back to the golf cart.
Instead of driving to the pack house, we go back to the cottage. The familiarity of it makes me smile and I'm happy to be back.
"You're happy," He observes and I nod.
He doesn't say anything else as he leads me off the cart and into the house. He carries me up the stairs and into the bedroom I've been living in. He sets me down in front of the bed and stares at me for a moment, his blue eyes piercing into me.
"It's tradition for Alpha and Luna to spend the night together after one or the other is inducted," He says, then pauses as if waiting for some sort of protest. I don't argue, mainly because his presence relieves the pain somewhat. When I don't say anything, he nods and says, "Stay here."
He then leaves the room for a moment, only to come back with a wet towel and gauze a few moments later.
"The wounds will heal quickly because of their purpose," He says, dabbing at my bloody hand with the towel and clearing away the dried blood before wrapping the wound with gauze. He uses the other end of the towel to clear away the blood running down my neck and chin.
He softly dabs at my skin, his eyes focused on the task while mine stare deeply at his handsome features. Such a beautiful face.
"I should also let you know that induction leads to a closer bond between mates. It will be harder to hate each other now. No matter what our emotions, biology will eventually take over," He says.
He's talking about sex.
"Iâthat's not what Iâ" I stutter out, but he hushes me. I stay frozen as he aimlessly rubs my chin with the rag, his focus derailing from the task to me.
He's distracted for only a moment, but pulls himself back together quickly. He shakes his head and presses his fingers into his eyes, "Uhâstrip."
"Excuse me?"
"Strip. You can't sleep in a bloody dress."
Without thinking about it, I unbutton the collar and turn around. He slowly unzips the garment and his fingers trail down my spine as he does so. A shiver runs through me and I exhale loudly.
The dress drops to the floor and I turn around to face him. "Your turn," I mumble and he slowly peels off his shirt and pants until he's standing before me in only his boxers.
We're both breathing heavily, standing a foot apart, until he grabs the back of my neck and smashes his lips, and body, into mine. We kiss passionately and for some reason, I simply cannot get enough.
My body is enveloped in warmth again and I feel our bond growing stronger and stronger. He pulls back, only for a brief moment, to whisper, "Simul nos sunt," then we continue in our passion.