81: The Oath of the Eighth

Quincy St. Martin

The snow crunches underneath my riding boots. The ground, the trees, and the roof of the palace are covered with several inches of snow. The sun is already low in the sky even though it’s barely 3 p.m. The cold wind picks up, and the soft, thick, brown fur lining of the hood on my cape rubs against my cheek.

The cape is black velvet with a deep red lining that peeks out with every step that I take.

A bodyguard named Günter is leading me away from the palace toward a building that I’m guessing is a stable. He reminds me a bit of Darius, tough looking, quiet, and stoic.

He’s the same guard who took me to see Jorden and Jonah at their quarters this morning.

I didn’t stay too long because Jonah told me that they needed to run an errand at a werewolf pack nearby. He didn’t elaborate on what the errand was, and I didn’t get the chance to ask.

When I got back from seeing Jonah and Jorden, François had my lunch ready and handed me a note from Caspian.

The prince asked me to put on the riding habit and join him at the stable.

François had a black, tight-fitting jacket, a crisp white ruffled top, a pair of black riding trousers, gloves, and riding boots all laid out for me in the bedchamber. He held up the cape for me just before I walked out of our guarded area.

So, now here I am, trekking my way across the snow-covered land with a bodyguard behind me. My puzzlement turns to excitement when I see Caspian waiting by the stable.

He looks dignified and aloof, yet our bond zings with awareness, lust, need, adoration, devotion, and possessiveness as he watches me.

His riding boots are visible underneath his cape. He’s in all black as far as I can see, except for a red scarf around his neck. His golden hair glistens in the late noon sunlight, and his electric-green eyes are mesmerizing. His sensual lips are red, and his cheeks are pink from the cold.

He doesn’t even look real, just stark relief against the white snowy background. He’s so beautiful to look at he makes me breathless. The air is charged with electricity, a thousand butterflies flutter in my stomach, and my heart thunders whenever he’s near. Will it always be like this every time I see him?

When he holds his gloved hand out for me, I don’t hesitate to take it.

“Thank you, Günter. I’ll take it from here,” he says to the bodyguard without taking his eyes off of me. I hear Günter’s retreating footsteps soon after.

“Are we really riding the horses?” I ask him. “Why can’t we just run?”

“Where is the fun in that?” he says, tugging me into the stable with him. A wolfish grin pulls at his lips as he flashes me his gleaming straight white teeth.

He grips my hips and closes the gap between us. “Did you miss me today?”

He doesn’t wait for my response. He leans in and covers my mouth with his. I wrap my arms around his neck as he deepens the kiss.

I love the taste of him on my tongue, the way his mouth molds to mine, the way he sucks my lip and our tongues dance together.

“I missed you,” he says after he pulls back. We’re both breathing hard.

“You’re always in my mind. I yearn for you all day. It took everything in me not to come and seek you out earlier.”

“You know I missed you. I walk around like I’m missing a limb when you’re not with me,” I confess, even though I’m sure he knew that already.

“Good,” he says smugly. “Now we need to go, ~moya printsessa~.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” His lips curve up into a boyish grin as he steers me deeper into the stable.

The last time I was on a horse was when Nana took me to visit her older sister for a week in a neighboring pack when I was fifteen. Her sister had five horses and a donkey on their farm. She gave me a lesson, and I rode every day when I was there, but that was three years ago.

“Don’t worry, horses have a very good instinct when it comes to us. Even the most stubborn horses will not give us any trouble. But you’re welcome to ride with me if you want.”

“No way! Give me my own horse, Your Highness,” I tell him.

***

Sunlight is so fleeting in winter. Twilight falls over the horizon, shimmering between the trees as we ride through the snow-covered woods. We come to a stop when we enter a clearing and Caspian dismounts, helps me get off the horse, and then sets both horses free.

“They’ll find their way home,” he says. “We’ll go back on foot from here after we’re done. We’ll run.”

“After we’re done with what?” I say.

I smell them before I see them. We are greeted by the sight of six figures in black cloaks, standing around a big roaring bonfire as we come around a pine tree. My hand is firmly clasped in Caspian’s as we approach them.

Genesis, Constantine, Lazarus, Serena, Penny, and Darius. They all turn to look at me as we move to join their circle. Their perfect, gorgeous faces are aglow, warm and golden from a raging bonfire.

“Welcome,” says Serena. A small peaceful smile on her lips, warmth filling her amber eyes.

I can feel the heat. The tall bonfire dances wildly as the wind picks up speed. It is crackling and popping. The smoke rises, and the smell of wood burning fire fills the air.

The clearing isn’t too big. We are surrounded by tall pine trees.

“This is where it all began,” Constantine announces. “This is the place where Caspian, Lazarus, and I took our oaths to be pack brothers. On this very spot, 160 years ago.”

“The oath has served us well, my brothers,” says Lazarus. “Mate and sisters,” he adds.

All of them nod in agreement.

Caspian turns to face me. “Quincy Romanov, my love,” he says, “it’s time for you to follow your path, take your oath, and stand next to me to be part of the pack.”

Lazarus, who is holding a copper chalice, steps forward.

The chalice looks like an antique with carvings of a crown flanked by a lycan and a wolf. It has strange symbols carved around the edge. Constantine steps forward as well to stand on the other side of Caspian. In both hands, he carries a very old-looking dagger with symbols on the blade.

A big, brilliant red ruby is embedded in the handle. It is surrounded by gleaming emeralds.

“Do you agree to be a member of this pack, and do you take this oath willingly?” he asks.

“Yes,” I answer. My heart is beating wildly. Caspian told me about this, but I can’t believe today’s the day.

“So it shall be,” says Darius, and he moves forward and drops a lighted match into the chalice.

The fire flares, then turns into a strange brilliant blue flame. The girls step forward to stand next to their mates. Everybody takes the gloves off of their left hand, so I do the same.

Caspian nods, and Constantine hands him a dagger.

Caspian holds the blade up, and then he draws it across the middle of his palm.

“This blood symbolizes our lives, our vows, and my bond to you and yours to me,” he announces.

“Follow my lead and repeat after me,” he tells me before he tilts his already healing hand and lets a drop of his blood fall into the goblet.

Suddenly, the flame burns bright. It pops and fizzles, then turns back into the blue flame again.

“I swear my life to you, my mate. Our souls are one. You are privy to my feelings and senses, the keeper of my secrets. I pledge you my protection, on my honor. My loyalty shall be yours. My strength shall quell your weakness, my courage shall absolve your fear. This is my pledge to you,” he vows, looking deep into my eyes, right into my very soul.

He presses his hand that holds the dagger into mine. I wrap my fingers around the handle, feeling the weight of it in my hand.

I lift it up and make a cut in the middle of my palm. As soon as my blood drops into the chalice, the fire glows brilliantly before it crackles and pops and settles down into the blue flame again.

The flame seems bigger and brighter.

Caspian recites the oath again, and I repeat it after him. My palm is already healing even before I finish reciting the oath. When I’m done, he pulls me to him and presses a quick but searing kiss on my lips. After he releases me, he takes the dagger from my hand and passes it to Constantine.

“Do you agree to be a member of this pack, and do you take this oath willingly?” asks Constantine.

“Yes, I do,” I answer him.

He raises the blade and makes a cut across his palm. A few drops drip into the goblet, and the fire glows brilliantly before it crackles and pops and goes down again.

“I swear my allegiance to you, as a member of my pack. Our souls are linked. You are privy to my feelings and senses, the keeper of my secrets. I pledge you my protection, on my honor. My loyalty shall be yours. My strength shall quell your weakness, my courage shall absolve your fear. This is my pledge to you,” recites Constantine.

After I repeat after him, he nods solemnly and leans in to drop a brotherly kiss on my cheek.

Constantine hands the dagger to Genesis, who does the same thing. This, I repeat with Lazarus, Serena, Darius, and, finally, with Penny.

When we’re done, Caspian takes my hand firmly in his once again. The rest of our pack members drop to their knees before us and lower their heads.

“We trust you to lead our pack. We pledge you our lives,” says Constantine.

“We pledge you our lives,” repeat the others.

My eyes burn, and my lower lip quivers. My heart is full. I’m honored that they have accepted me so readily and now they trust me enough to lead the pack next to Caspian.

I’ve never felt as though I’ve belonged this strongly. I feel my soul connected with each and every one of them. I feel our bond deep in my bones.

“Thank you for trusting us with such an honor,” says Caspian.

His hand squeezes mine. “I know I’m fabulous,” he says with a smirk. I hear snickers, and I can see Penny trying hard not to roll her eyes.

“But I think we both would prefer that you treat us as equals.” I squeeze his hand in agreement.

“Speak freely and provide us counsel without fear or hesitation as usual. We, too, pledge our lives to you. We are more than a pack. We are a family. You are all our brothers and sisters. We shall protect each other as we’ve always done. Now please rise.”

They all rise, and Genesis is the first to grab me and pulls me into a hug. Tears are brimming in her eyes. Everybody soon joins in.

I just pledged my loyalty, my soul, and my life to my pack and my mate, and they did the same to me.

This pledge is forged with our bond and honor, sealed by blood. I will not fail them. These are my brothers and sisters.

This is now my family.