บท 25: Trinity - Strange Dream, and the Morning of the Marking

Trinity

In my dream, Reece was there, standing before me. He was being nice to me for once, which was how I knew it was a dream. His scent was filling my nose and my mind, making my body melt. I could feel him embracing me in a sweet gentle hug.

"You sure are a handful." He whispered with his arms wrapped around me. He had a sweet gentle smile on his face. It was difficult to visualize because I had never seen the look on him before, so his face kept going fuzzy. Nothing else seemed to happen, and the dream ended shortly after that.

I woke to the sound of the alarm blaring on my cell phone, where it was lying on my nightstand. Somehow, I had gotten back to my room. I was confused and disoriented. I didn't remember going back to my room. I started to wonder if that was really a dream last night, or did Reece really carry me to my room?

No, he would never do something like that. The most likely scenario was either Leslie carried me back or he woke me up enough to make me walk back but not enough for me to wake up and remember it.

I looked down and saw I was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. Well, that's actually comforting. I thought. I didn't want someone changing me in my sleep.

I washed my face and got dressed for the day. I wouldn't be showering until I got ready for the gathering, no need to shower twice in one day. Vincent came by shortly after I was ready for the day to take me down for breakfast, he must have been on morning duty today.

The only thing I was looking forward to about tonight was not being under house arrest anymore. I would be allowed to roam about freely without Reece being afraid I was going to run away again.

It was pointless anyway. I could feel the pull of fate. I could tell I was meant to be with him. The universe was pushing us together. And that draw for each other would only get stronger. So why should I bother fighting?

Sure, I might not love him right now. But I probably would, sometime soon. That's how mate bonds work. It's what we were all taught growing up. Your mate is like your other half. Without them, you feel incomplete. You will feel drawn to them. Once you meet them, fate will push you together at all costs.

I'm sure it was only a matter of time for us too. Things were just so new. And there had been my bad decisions in the beginning. If I hadn't tried to run away, maybe we would have spent this week getting to know each other instead of me being trapped in my room.

Oh well, live and learn, right? We will make up for lost time. Once I'm marked, and I can move about the house freely, I will see him more often, and we should be able to talk more. I'm sure we will get along.

During my mental ramblings we had made it down to the kitchen, it was time for me to have breakfast with Reece. Things were marginally better than the first day. We hadn't argued or snapped at each other like we did at the first breakfast together. Mostly they were silent, though.

We were eating in silence alone in the room again and working our way through French toast, bacon, and eggs. Abigail had learned how much I could eat and had stopped overfilling my plates, which was good, I hated to waste the delicious food she had made.

We were nearly done eating when I heard him clear his throat to get my attention. I looked up to see him staring at me for once. My eyes locked onto his and held them. Looking into them, I was able to feel just how strong the pull of the mate bond could be, when I was around him, it was like I lost a bit of control over my rational mind.

Staring into his eyes was like falling into a deep warm pool. But if you weren't careful, that pool could be filled with fire or acid. Right now, he seemed to be trying for a relaxing mood, so the rich honey color felt inviting.

"I have a meeting after breakfast with the Elders about tonight, they would like you to be there." He told me, his deep, smooth voice washing over me. I almost didn't catch what he wanted from me, finally my brain clicked.

"Alright." I answered, a little slow. He seemed almost annoyed at my response but said nothing. Once we were finished, I followed him to his office, moving silently behind him.

We had not been in the office for more than two minutes when there was a knock on the door.

"Alpha, the Elders are here." Well, he sure knows how to time things down to a T. I thought to myself. I was sitting in the same seat as before. Reece was sitting at his desk, unlike last time. Noah escorted the five old men into the room and then stood at attention behind Reece. If we were living in feudal times, my cousin would be called an attendant instead of an assistant. I just hope he didn't perform all the same jobs that they did in feudal times. I had to fight not to smile at the idea that had popped into my head.

Reece and the Elders were discussing how tonight was going to progress. I was to get ready before sundown. The ceremony would not happen until it was full dark, but I had to be in the forest before the others. I would be waiting in the trees with my escort guards, Vincent and Leslie, while I waited for Reece to explain why the meeting had been called.

When the time came, Reece would come to me. He would then guide me to stand atop the stone that served as the podium and stage for gatherings in the Lunar clearing.

The Lunar clearing was a place of power for our pack. It was a natural clearing that had nearly a perfect view of every full moon, no matter the season. The moon shone down on us all, connecting us with the Moon Goddess.

The stone we used for the podium and stage was a large natural formation that was in the shape of a perfect circle. It was also a bright white color, making it stand out among all the red of rocks and mountains around us. It actually looked like a full moon came to rest on the ground for us. And just by being in the clearing any member of the pack could feel stronger for a while.

Once Reece escorts me to the platform, he will announce me to the pack as the new Luna and his mate. That is when Michael, one of the Elders, would come forward and help us finish the ritual. It was like a cross between me being sworn into a political office and getting married at the same time. I had to take vows of a sort.

The most important thing was supposed to happen after the vows, Reece would mark me. This meant that he would do a targeted shift, only bringing out his long and lethally sharp wolf teeth. Then he would sink his teeth into the soft flesh and muscle where my neck curved into my shoulder.

I listened to them giving me the description of what was to happen. I tried to make it feel as academic as possible, detaching myself from it as much as I could. But try as I might, the thought of him biting still made me nervous.

I looked at Reece out of the corner of my eye. I wanted to see if he was anywhere as nervous about this as I was. The look I saw on his face was one of anger and annoyance. That was completely opposite of what I was expecting.

The meeting wrapped up shortly after. There was not much for me to contribute. The reason for my presence had just been to make sure I understood what was expected of me. Reece stayed at his desk while Noah escorted me and the Elders out.

"Get some rest until it's time for you to get ready, you hear." He whispered to me before he turned and went back into the office.

"You will do fine, child." One of the Elders told me, I didn't know his name yet.

"Thank you." I smiled at him.

"Just relax and let the boy handle it. He may be young, but he is a good Alpha." He added. I nodded nervously.

"We will be there as well, Luna, so no need to worry." Michael said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, smiling warmly.