The Courtyard was as glorious as the rest of the manor, once stepping out the stained-glass double doors, Alex found herself walking down a long arcade, with a series of arches supporting one side. Everything was constructed of stone and marble, making her realize that she had left the changing room barefooted. Raising her skirt slightly, Alex took in the milk white of her dainty feet, they were warm against the granite of the ground she stepped on. Following the walkway, she was led out onto a path outlined in wrought iron torches, each spaced a few feet apart. They blazed an abundant of varies colors from orange and red, to a deep blue. Alex felt the pads of her feet sink into the luxurious grass, however they achieved it, it seemed this place had been untouched by the harsh snow of winter. The heady perfume wafted around her, and she took a deep breath in, reveling in the power of mother nature, this place was like a personal heaven to her senses. A sizeable pool of liquid gold was the center attraction, hemmed in large ancient roman plants, far off to the side she seen the gathering of people.
The last to disembark outside had made her arrival draw everyone's attention. Alex lifted her chin high in the air and pressed her palms into the security of her skirt, not wanting anyone to see their trembling, a sign of weakness. Raw animalistic gazes of so many men greeted her, but Alex searched the crowd until she found only one set of eyes that mattered, the violet eyes of the Alpha Lord. On his throne he perched, looking very much the Ruler of Tartarean, a bored Lord at that. Ace's hair was feathered to one side, almost giving him a boyish air, but Alex knew better than to be fooled by such a deceiving demeanor. The Alpha Lord was clever and conniving, he had to be centuries old but did not seem a day over twenty-five. One did not reign that long without being very dangerous and now she was the one entering enemy territory. Their truce would wither end or begin here, right under the haunting phase of the moon, and the mischievous twinkle of the stars. Fate was watching, twisting her magnificent fingers in delight, as she weaved her power around them all this very night.
"Let the Shifting Ceremony commence, in the order in which you all were bid, please step into the area before you." Seymour's voice announced, he stood off to the side waving his hand in the general direction that they were meant to go, when their turn came. "Those that have not participated in The Dance of Soul's before, during your event you must step inside the ring of Moonstone's, once inside you each will perform the dance your soul desires."
Alex found Natalie and stepped closer to her, "What if your soul has no desire to dance?" she whispered the question to her new friend.
"Oh, you will dance, though that does not necessarily mean that your wolf accepts the mating, that part does not come till the end." There was a playful gleam in her eyes as she finished her sentence. "You will see."
"Cynthia Davis." Seymour called out.
Alex watched in mute speculation as Cynthia walked by them, she stepped into the circle of moon rocks and they lit with a faint blue glow. From the distance there came a swell of music start and Cynthia almost immediately began to move, her motions on time with each beat, she seemed almost too on point. The movements looked rehearsed and strained to Alex's eye but when she looked to the faces of the Alpha males, they were all ensnared with the sensual ministrations her body provided. All but that of the Alpha Lords, his eyes to Alex's shock, stayed on her. Looking away quickly, her heartbeat hard against her chest, and through the sheer top she wore, she was afraid that he would be able to see the rise and fall clearly. The last thing she wanted was to let him know just how much this whole epidemic was affecting her. Alex had planned on staying calm and carrying out this ridiculous custom as quickly as she could, regardless of the outcome. The man that had won the bid for Cynthia was knelt just outside the moon rocks, watching intently as her song came to an end, he was completely captivated with her beauty. Still inside the enchanted circle, Cynthia let her clothes fall away, until she stood in front of everyone completely nude. The scene was horrifying, yet Alex could not tear her eyes away from what she was seeing, no one had told her that this is how the Dance of Soul's would end. Was it a requirement to strip in front of so many people that were not your pack? Alex was about to lean over and whisper the question to Natalie but before she could Cynthia started to shift.
Not being able to attend school had shunned her from so many social events, the shifting in front of others, and running with a pack had been denied her. Alex had never watched someone completely shift before and the sight was memorizing. It was a slow and terrible process, the pain lanced with every bone in your body breaking, before you were completely transformed into a beast that at time had a mind of its own. Cynthia had made it look effortless, the way she shifted elegantly, with an air of determination. Her suitor held out his hand, much like you would see someone calming down a wild horse, and he waited. The throng of people held their breath in anticipation, and we all watched as Cynthia's wolf stepped out of the threshold of magic, she tentatively approached the man, and sniffed his outstretched hand. Time slowed down and Alex could not peel her eyes away from the spectacle before her. Cynthia's wolf gave the man's palm a slight lick, then she laid on the ground at his feet, and turned onto her back showing her belly. The sign of submission. Cynthia's wolf had accepted the Alpha male as her mate and was now showing him her submission to the union, acknowledging his power of hers.
Alex released the breath that she had been holding and shook her head, "I did not realize how intense this ceremony was going to be."
Natalie nodded, "It is a righteous tradition going back a millennium, the sacred bonding is not meant to be easygoing. Mating even if just for a season, bonds two wolves together, it is a beautiful thing."
Cynthia shifted back into her human self and the Alpha male draped her in a blanket of his own house, confirming the mating by marking her with something of his, her old clothes were removed from the circle and burned. "Natalie York." Seymour called next, her friend leaned over and gave her a hug, before taking her place. The rest of the girls went up one at a time, each ended pretty much the same way, mating with their suitors. Alex felt herself getting more and more nervous as her own time drew, "Last but not least, Alexis Darling." He stated. Alex bit her bottom lip as she looked over at all the mated pairs sitting off to the side, they all watched her will impatience, Natalie giving her an encouraging smile. Taking a deep breath she forced her legs to carry her to the ring of stones