Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Coronation

Asher

My breath shakes as Landon helps brush some lint off the back of my gold dress shirt.

“Thanks again for doing this, by the way,” I tell him.

“Well, you are a loner with no friends, so I guess I have to step in,” he jokes bluntly, but a slight smirk creeps on his face. “But I also would’ve been gravely offended had you not asked me.”

I chuckle. “Carter, Tobias, and Jaime were all pissed. I’m sure they’ll get over it, though. Just pick Carter to be your Adiutor for your mating ceremony. Jaime and Tobias will pick each other.”

The Adiutor is similar to a Best Man or Maid of Honor at a human wedding, except we don’t have groomsmen or bridesmaids, and they don’t stand next to us for the ceremony. They simply help their friend or family member get ready for the ceremony. You can only have one, sometimes two.

“Thanks for boxing me into that one,” Landon says. “But I was probably gonna choose him anyway.”

“Well, I promised to be Carter’s, so you’re welcome. We both know he will be a diva on his mating day.”

“Dear, Goddess. His mate better have a boatload of patience. I think his mate is going to be Grayson White.”

“Honestly, that checks out,” I reply, brushing my black slacks for the hundredth time.

“Dude, chill out, you look fine,” Landon says. “Are you nervous?”

“Of course I am,” I say with a chuckle. “It’s a big day, a lot is happening.”

“Ready to commit to one person for the rest of your life?” He asks.

“Of course. I’m not nervous about that part. I’m more sure of Rose than I have been of anything.”

“So it’s the becoming a Sire part? That’s a weird fucking name for a leader,” he jokes.

“Well, Clan Leader and Sire are used interchangeably. I’ll probably go with Clan Leader. In most contexts, anyways,” I reply with a wink, and he gags.

“That is disgusting, and I don’t want to think about that,” he groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. “But I don’t think you have to be worried about that vamp ceremony. You’ll do great. Just don’t lock your knees.”

“Such wise advice, brother,” I reply, nudging him with my elbow as the alarm sounds. “Five minutes.”

“Well, I ought to get out of here so you can start walking to your mate,” he says. “But, for real, this time, I love you, and you’re going to do great. You and Rose seem happy together. I know I just met her three weeks ago, but I can tell she’s special. And she loves you a lot. That’s all we’ve ever wanted for you, man. And, not to get all fucking emotional or whatever, but after you told me about what She Who Shall Not Be Named did…” He chokes up, sniffing as he coughs, clearing his throat. “I’m just so happy to see you happy because you weren’t for a while, and I can tell she has been a huge part of putting that light back in you, and I really missed that. I really love you, man. You’ve always been the best big brother any kid could’ve asked for, and yeah. I really love you, and I love her for loving you.”

“Damn, man,” I squeak, my own eyes tearing up as I pull him into a hug. “Those are the most words to come out of your mouth since you were fourteen. I’m touched.”

“Don’t get too used to it, dickhead,” he teases, gripping me hard. “Now, go out and go get your girl.”

He smacks me on the ass jokingly as I turn, and I shoot him a glare over my shoulder as I take a deep breath.

“Alright, here goes nothing,” I say, stepping out of the heated tent and onto the cool forest floor. It’s pretty deep into fall, but it’s not too cold yet for a ceremony like this. The whole ceremony must be done barefoot and outside, but we had to make it at night so all of her Clan could come. So we’ve put together lengthy lines of fairy lights and stake lamps to line the walkway—some heating lamps and stadium lights for the crowd, plus a dance floor for a reception.

If there’s one thing vampires and werewolves definitely have in common, it’s that we love a good party. And we’ll use any excuse we can to throw one.

I make my way down the path, the one the man walks to meet his mate, at least traditionally. My heart is racing, practically leaping into my throat.

I can’t wait to see her. She has kept her dress shopping a complete secret, working with Lucille to find something at the last minute since we planned the ceremony within a week of marking each other. We didn’t want to wait any longer, especially since this ceremony also marks me as the official leader of her Clan and her of my Pack. It’ll mark our first gathering as vampires and werewolves—the merging of cultures.

This Induction Ceremony slash Sire Coronation is history in the making.

But I don’t care much about that, even if it is a lot of pressure. All I care about is seeing Rose.

My heart stops when I round the corner and watch her waiting, her back turned to me, even though she can surely smell me now. But she has to wait until I touch her shoulder to turn to look at me.

Her dress is gorgeous. It reaches her feet and is layered and ruffled in a rose-like pattern with black on the ends of each layer. The back dips low, and the whole thing sparkles brilliantly in the moonlight. Her hair is braided with black roses and lies neatly on her back, with a dainty gold crown on her head.

She looks incredible, and I haven’t even seen her face yet.

I reach her, extending my hand, the limb shaking as it hangs in the air. But as soon as I caress her cool skin, I relax, and she turns, the biggest smile on her painted red lips.

The top is a tight corset style, which makes her boobs look amazing. I try my hardest not to stare and meet her eyes instead, but I can’t help myself.

She giggles at this as I finally gaze into her gorgeous blue eyes, the crystal lakes that glimmer under the stars and moon.

“Hey,” she says playfully, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“You look breathtaking,” I tell her, wishing I could find a more profound word to describe how I feel.

“You’re also looking extra handsome tonight,” she says, stroking my hair. “I like the way you styled it.”

“Courtesy of my mirror-obsessed brother,” I joke. “But thank you, baby. Are you ready?” I ask, extending my hand for her to take.

“Of course,” she answers with a smile, and we walk down the rest of the path together. We walk toward the stage, just a flattened hill created specifically for this ceremony. That way, the crowd can see the mated pair, but their feet can still be connected to the same earth, which is the most crucial part of the ceremony.

On the stage, her Clan Elders are waiting, a birdbath-esque bowl of water on center stage as they glance over their shoulders to watch us ascend the stone staircase into the lights and the applause of the crowd, filled with my Pack and her Clan. Everyone was invited, and it appears that everyone is in attendance. The crowd goes deeper into the forest than anything I’ve seen before. It’s touching how wholeheartedly they came together, mingled rather than separated in sections.

My family is in the front, along with Margaery and Evander. She was Rose’s Adiutor, a job she took very seriously and enthusiastically when Rose asked her.

“Alpha Asher,” Rose’s Elder Marta Stark announces, the oldest vampire on her council of Elders. She must’ve been bitten when she was very young, though, because she looks like a teenager. “Do you desire to become the Sire of the Crimson Night Clan, ruling alongside your fated and chosen mate, Dame Rose Carver, and pledging yourself to protect the interests of our Clan?”

“Yes.”

“First, you must prove yourself,” she begins, approaching me slowly. “The Test of Will pushes the prospective leader to the outermost edge of pain and requests that they stand proudly on both feet for sixty seconds after being injected with malvenom to earn the throne. After which, you drink a sip of the euvenom, mixed with water, of each Clan Member, thus ending your pain and tying you to your Clan for eternity. We are your torture and salvation. The cause of woe and joy. Heartache and glory. Do you wish to proceed with the Test of Will?”

“Yes,” I reply, lifting my hand for her to take.

I glance at Rose, and she nods in one powerful motion.

You’ve got this, Cato says. I’m here to help you.

“With this bite, I unleash the full fury of the Night God, Giver of Nightwalker’s Life, Deliverer of Darkness, into your bloodstream.” She sinks her teeth into my wrist, and I feel the violent thrust of venom into my body.

I immediately scream, my muscles writhing, my knees immediately wanting to buckle, but Cato pushes me to stay tall, keeping a wide stance. I breathe through the pain as it courses through my body, stinging my mind in the worst migraine of my life. It chokes me, strangling the air out of my lungs, my eyes screwed shut, and fists clenched at my sides. Sweat forms at my hairline as I push through the pain.

“Thirty seconds,” Elder Stark calls.

Fuck, that’s only halfway? Are you kidding? This is not fucking joke!

Fatigue sets in, my muscles twitching from the exertion as the venom still runs its course, coming into a second wind with a vengeance. It’s as if I’m being simultaneously hit by a semi, stabbed by a thousand knives, torn into pieces by rabid wolves, and hit over the head repeatedly with a bat. It’s unbearable. This is the kind of pain that could drive a man crazy if it lasted long enough.

“Drink from the Moonstone Pool!” Elder Stark calls, and I waste no time diving my head into the water, gripping the edges of the smooth stone. I take in one sip, even in my desperation. Rose warned against taking any more because that could be seen as greedy. I’m only supposed to drink the amount that ends my pain, not that it gets me high. She described it as a buzz rather than being drunk on it.

And the relief immediately comes, my body buzzing with delight as I lift my face out of the pool. Elder Stark immediately dabs my face and hair with a towel.

“I hereby present the new Sire of the Crimson Night Clan!”

The crowd erupts into applause as Rose joins my side, beaming with pride as she grips my hand.

“You did amazing,” she says. “I didn’t squirm as much, but still impressive.”

I scoff, squeezing her hand twice as I take a deep breath of the night air.

“Now, you will hear the first address of your new Sire,” Elder Stark says before grabbing the Moonstone Pool and exiting the stage with the rest of the Elders, leaving us alone on the platform. I walk to the microphone in the center of the stage.

“I’m sure in all of your combined years, you never imagined a wolf would be giving this speech to you,” I start, earning a laugh from the crowd. “Neither did I ever expect that I’d be doing this, but I’m honored to be. I’m honored to be loved by your Dame so sincerely that she invited me to participate in this sacred ceremony to assist her in her impeccable leadership of your Clan.

“I look forward to earning your trust and care. I will treat you just as I treat my Pack, with your best interests at heart. I will defend you with the same enthusiasm and tenacity. My loyalty will be the same as any vampire Sire’s, and, most importantly, I promise to love and take care of your beloved Dame as long as she’ll tolerate me.”

Rose rolls her eyes sarcastically, holding my hand tightly.

She addresses her Clan, “I thank you all for graciously accepting my mate as your Sire. I know it is unconventional, but so am I, which is what makes our Clan so special and powerful. This will only solidify us as a prominent Clan in our region and the country, and I intend to continue to lead our Clan into everlasting glory.”

Our Pack Sacerdos, Patrick Boar, who was appointed only two weeks ago since Genevieve had abolished the position and practice, ascends the steps to the stage along with Elder Fray, who holds the black mirror, and Elder Bathroy, who holds the Eternal Flame. It’s in a stone bowl, held on a black stand, a young Apprentice Elder following his steps with the bowl of spices. I’ve been told that the spices come from ancient sources gathered over centuries. Some are from flowers that have been extinct for centuries.

The items are placed on the left side of the stage as the Sacerdos takes center stage. Rose and I fall back as he begins his prayer to the Moon Goddess.