Chapter 28

SAMANTHA

For the next forty-eight hours, I found myself in a whirlwind as I moved from greeting one arriving alpha to another.

Jonathan and Jackson were my ever-present bodyguards, especially when I came upon an alpha who was yet to mate. After that, I made sure to keep Emerick close.

This earned him a fair share of resentful looks, but no one dared to voice their displeasure in my presence.

Emerick, my dad, and the former alphas of my pack were polite to our guests, but I could sense their unease. Their wolves flashed in their eyes whenever a male got too close.

The mated alphas and their wives were quite the contrast. They seemed to have no hidden agendas and were genuinely interested in me and in strengthening the ties between our packs.

I’d underestimated how much the ceremony served as a diplomatic opportunity and became determined to make the most of it.

As it turned out, not all the alphas had come just to see me.

One of the mated alphas admitted that when he heard how many other leaders would be attending, he decided to seize the opportunity and come too.

“Alphas rarely meet outside of the annual gathering at King Ivar’s manor for the winter solstice,” he told me.

I found it odd that the king still hadn’t shown up by Saturday morning, the day of the ceremony, but I didn’t have much time to ponder it.

Cassie arrived at my place early, bringing Michael and a team of makeup artists and hairstylists. She’d planned several coordinated “looks” for the festivities.

Apparently, one wasn’t enough, and after the ceremony, I’d have to get changed again for the “official unveiling.”

The first look was understated. My hair was styled in soft waves, and the form-fitting, gauzy outfit had a criss-cross pattern that looked like a blend of high fashion and sci-fi warrior attire.

It reminded me of a Jedi from ~Star Wars~, minus the long robe.

“I want something that shows you can be powerful ~and~ a woman,” she explained. “Because you are. Plus, we don’t want to go overboard if you’re going to shift.”

I had to admit, Cassie nailed it. The outfit made me feel like I could lead armies, yet I still felt beautifully feminine.

She put her chin on my shoulder and looked over it so we could see each other in the full-length mirror. “Are you ready, Alpha?”

I gave her hand a squeeze. “Let’s go!”

We left the room, and as we made our way to the top of the main staircase, I could hear Luke and Emerick’s deep voices over everyone else’s.

“So, with all that chaos with Emilia, I never did manage to go to school. Maybe you could take me on Monday?”

I could hear Emerick hesitate slightly. “Maybe we should talk to your mom? She might not be ready for you to start just yet.”

“I know, I know, but it’s not like life is going to get easier after I shift. Maybe I won’t be the next alpha, but I want to be as good a member of the pack as I can.”

“I need to get started.”

I could hear the joy in Emerick’s voice.

“I think that sounds great, Luke. But why do you want me to take you? What about your mom? What about your pops?”

I reached the top of the staircase but held back a little.

“Well, you’re planning on being around for a while, right?” Luke said, a smirk on his lips.

Emerick’s deep chuckle trailed up the staircase. “Yeah, I guess I am. So long as your mom will have me.”

Luke gave Emerick a soft punch in the shoulder. “Then we should get to know each other better.” He paused for a moment. “And besides, maybe we could go in that cool car of yours.”

Emerick laughed again. “Oh, okay, I see.”

My heart fluttered a little. It was important to me that he and Luke got along if we were going to be in a relationship. Not that Luke needed a new father figure, but I wanted them to be friends.

Cassie ushered me forward, and as I descended the staircase, all eyes were on me. My mom squealed in delight, while Emerick’s hungry gaze roved over me. I couldn’t help but grin back at him.

Cassie had insisted that my entire family, including the Reddings, and Michael as my beta wear coordinating outfits.

I’d agreed while insisting that she be a part of it as well. We had grown close, and I considered her to be part of my inner circle.

Emerick wore his own well-fitted tux. He wouldn’t be part of the ceremony since we weren’t mated, but I made him promise to stay nearby throughout.

“Is everybody ready?” I asked, my nerves making my voice waver slightly.

“Whenever you are, Alpha Paulson,” Michael replied, his tone as serious as ever.

I gave him a curt nod, and our group headed toward the vehicles parked in the driveway.

In the backseat of the SUV Emerick was driving, Luke took my hand. I was surprised as he rarely showed this kind of affection, especially in public, but he must have sensed my need for it.

I smiled at him, realizing that my little boy wasn’t so little anymore. When had his chubby cheeks turned into the angular face of a young man?

“You’re going to be a great alpha, Mom,” Luke said softly.

“Thank you,” I whispered back. “I love you always, kid.”

“Love you more. To the moon and back.”

We arrived at the rear of the pack house in just a few minutes. The ceremony was being held near the pond that I had grown to love, despite the recent ordeal with Emilia.

A beautiful wooden amphitheater had been built, and there was limited seating for the older pack members. The rest of the crowd was standing.

The sheer number of people took my breath away. There must have been thousands.

“Oh, wow,” my mom said beside me.

“Almost the entire pack is here,” Cassie said, sounding in awe. “Even at events involving the more distant communities, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many of our people in one place.”

As we approached, the crowd fell silent. I led our group with Luke at my side, followed by my parents and the Reddings. Cassie and Michael brought up the rear.

We ascended the stairs and took our places with a sense of drama.

Katrina, the witch overseeing the ceremony, greeted the crowd with a mystical smile and spread her arms wide, her robe glittering around her.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” she began.

A hush fell over the crowd as the ceremony began.

***

The ceremony went smoothly. I recited the oath, but I was so nervous that I stumbled on some of the words, despite having practiced them numerous times.

Afterward, I shifted into my wolf form so that Katrina could anoint me, symbolically binding me to the pack and the pack to me.

Suddenly, light swirled around me, glowing brightly. I heard several howls from the spectators. Their voices seemed to blend with the otherworldly light, igniting a fire in my veins.

As far as I could tell, the glow wasn’t emanating from anything I could see or touch. I could only assume it was something Cassie had neglected to tell me that happened at alpha ceremonies.

Whatever it was, I felt the power of the alpha more intensely than ever before as it faded around me.

“A beautiful display indeed!” Katrina exclaimed next to me as I shifted back to my human form. “It is safe to say we can expect marvelous things from Alpha Paulson!”

The crowd roared with enthusiasm, while I raised an eyebrow at the witch.

She leaned in to hug me. “I would like to speak with you after the ceremony,” she whispered in my ear.

I nodded. Despite my confusion, I kept my smile firmly in place.

We parted, and I turned to face the crowd.

“It is my honor to serve you! Let the festivities begin!”

The guests started to talk among themselves again while others split off to enjoy food, dance, or partake in any of the festival games and rides.

I felt someone at my elbow.

“Let’s go inside for a moment,” Serena said hurriedly. She pulled me toward the pack house.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Umm, yes. Probably. I think so?”

“Serena, what did I miss?” I asked, stopping her in her tracks.

“That glow wasn’t…normal,” she admitted quietly. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

I stared at her blankly. While no one had mentioned a glowing effect, I’d just assumed it was another werewolf thing people had forgotten to mention because they took it for granted.

Suddenly, Emerick looped his arm through mine and gently tugged me toward the pack house. The rest of my party followed, smiling and waving at the crowd as though it were all planned.

When we stepped inside, Emerick closed the doors and pulled the curtains.

We all stared at each other for a while. Seemingly, nobody wanted to be the first to ask.

“Hey, great ceremony, Mom,” Luke said somewhat awkwardly. Like me, he wasn’t aware anything was amiss or why our group was acting so strangely.

Katrina came through the curtains and scanned me from head to toe with her amethyst-colored eyes. Against her ebony skin, they almost seemed to glow.

As she approached, her sparkling silver robes swished and shimmered in the low light. How anyone could mistake her for a normal human was beyond me.

“Katrina,” I said, my throat suddenly dry, “you wanted to speak with me? I assume it has something to do with the, um, light…thing?”

She nodded gracefully. “Yes, dear. Quite the sight, wasn’t it? Not the usual way of things, though.”

“So I’ve heard,” I told her. “What does it mean?”

She smiled gently. “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. I’ve only heard of something similar happening once before.”

“When?” my mother asked in a shaky voice.

“Over a thousand years ago,” Katrina said, meeting my gaze. “On the day the king was named alpha of his pack.”

“Erm, what do you mean when he was named alpha?” I asked after a moment. “It was my understanding that King Ivar doesn’t have a pack.”

“Not since he was crowned as king,” Katrina explained. “But before he was king, he was an alpha.

“When war broke out among all the supernatural beings a millennium ago, the various species selected their leaders.

“King Ivar was selected as the single most powerful werewolf and led his people to victory by forming an alliance with the witches. It is why we still work so closely together today.”

“What does that mean for my daughter?” my dad said, sounding agitated. “She doesn’t want to be queen. She didn’t even want to be the alpha at first.”

“Sometimes, destiny has its own plans for us,” Cassie said quietly.

“Indeed,” Katrina agreed. “I don’t know what this means for you, Alpha Paulson, but know that I do not see a simple future for you. Prepare yourself for what may be to come.”

“Thank you, Elder Katrina,” I said, bowing my head.

I turned to everyone else. “I know everyone is a little thrown off, but I need game faces.”

Luke snorted next to me. “Mom, we just found out you have some crazy big destiny or something. What are you talking about, ‘game faces?’”

“Our entire pack and more are out there, probably as confused as we are,” I explained. “We are going to go out there and show them nothing is amiss. Business as usual. Everybody got it?”

They nodded stoically.

Cassie stepped forward, clasping her hands in front of her. “Okay, people. It’s go time,” she said brightly. “Let’s get festive. Everyone has their assigned roles. We are mingling!”

Emerick took my arm again and started to lead me over to where guests were already engaging in carnival games and registering for competitions.

“Are you ready?” I asked him.

“No,” he said without a hint of humor. “I’m worried for you.”

“Why?” I asked gently.

His brow furrowed deeply. “What if King Ivar sees you as a threat, Sam? He didn’t look pleased.”

I felt my skin grow cold. “H-he was there? During the ceremony?”

“Was he that big serious guy in the front row?” Luke asked, catching up to us. “The one who didn’t smile? He looked sort of like a Viking or something.”

Emerick nodded.

I hadn’t seen him, but it didn’t surprise me. I’d been so nervous about saying the right words and performing the right actions at the right moments that the ceremony already felt like a blur.

“We need to find him,” I said in a hushed whisper. “I need him to know I’m not an enemy.”

“Alpha Paulson,” a calm voice said.

I turned my head to see a tall, well-built man. He appeared to be in his thirties, but something about the way he carried himself told me he might be older.

His dark hair had been cut neatly just above his brown eyes, and his clothes looked well-made and expensive.

“Hello,” I said. “I’m sorry. Have we met?”

There was an aura of great importance about him. “No, Alpha. My name is Aidan. I’m King Ivar’s second in command,” he informed me.

I could feel my heartbeat quickening slightly at the mention of the king. I struggled to maintain my composure.

“He looks forward to meeting you this evening,” Aidan continued.

“I look forward to it as well,” I replied with more confidence than I felt. “Will he be at the unveiling?”

Aidan smirked in a way that made me feel like an outsider to an inside joke. “He likes to keep a low profile. But rest assured, he’s quite eager to make your acquaintance.”