It had been hours since Liam Silver had last seen Serenity Williams. He knew she had turned 18 a few days ago but history was the first time he had seen her in a week. All his suspicions had been confirmed. She was his mate. The tears in her eyes had torn his heart to shreds, just like he wanted to do to whoever had caused them. Just the thought of Serenity suffering made his blood boil. It all ways had.
But today as they talked he couldn't help but feel like it was the last time he would see her. When ever they were together she tried to smile and laugh as usual but seemed to be preoccupied with something else.
He assumed that a run through the dark forest would help but all it did was give him time to think about his Serenity. So close and yet so far from his reach. The swirling snow and howling wind mirrored the turmoil in his own mind and he found a strange sort of solace in that fact. He didn't noticed that the calm snow had turned into a white out blizzard. At least not until he heard a cry for help. Carried on the wind and dying almost as soon as it had risen, he was sure he would never find the poor lost soul that had cried out.
Suddenly he burst into a clearing and he saw none other than Serenity Williams on the ground next to a rotting log. What was she doing here? She was still wearing the black dress that she had worn that day. Her red hair was being whipped about by the wind and as he approached her he saw she was stuck under the log.
She looked up and he saw tears frozen to her face, her lips a sickly pale bluish grey. Liam saw a flash of fear in her eyes when she saw him. It was gone as soon as it appeared. "If you're going to eat me do it quick and get it over with." Serenity sniffed as he approached and attempted to pull her leg free to no avail. Liam whimpered and laid down not far from her in the snow. "No. Then why don't you help me." She half whimpered and half snapped at him.
He stood and pushed his head against the log, forcing it to move just enough to allow Serenity to pull her leg free. She sighed and pushed her hair out of her face as she stood up. That was when he saw the large bruise at the corner of her pretty full lips and extending up her left cheek. Liam growled angrily at the hideous mark that stained Serenity's otherwise perfect face.
"Oh so now you're going to eat me? You are a real piece of work, you know that? First you free me then you growl at me and now you look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about!" She started to yell in her frustration and Liam sat there confused, his head tilted to one side. She was angry and he couldn't make it better for her unless she explained why. He so wanted to make it better.
He stood and butted his head to her belly in an attempt to comfort her as she shook and fought against sobs of frustration and anger, possibly even fear. Liam could smell the distinct oder of gun oil mixed with sulfur and lead. She had a gun on her person. So why had she not used it? Was there a reason for her not to?
"Well you're female. No guy would ever try to comfort me." She snorted derisively as she patted his head. Liam pulled back and gave his best offended wolf look. "Oh sorry. I didn't realize you were actually male." She rolled her eyes and Liam snorted. "I guess wolves are different from humans." She scratched behind his left ear and he made a sound deep in his chest that was akin to a cat purring. "At least you won't force me to marry someone I would rather kill.". He growled angrily again and started for the nearest pack way station.
"Rosemary did say to trust the black wolf." Liam heard her say and then the distinct sound of her trudging through the snow. "I might as well listen to her. She is always right." Liam shook his head in amusement as he walked the 200 yards to the small one room cabin.
Once he got to the half sheltered door he scratched at it and waited for Serenity to open it. "Do you know this place?" Serenity asked as she joined him on the porch. "Are you going to eat me if I follow you in here?" Liam thought for a second. He had to admit that the idea had merit, though not in the way she was thinking. "Just kidding." She laughed as she pushed the door and it swung open easily.
Inside the cabin was almost as cold as outside. Liam rushed to the curtained off corner to shift and get dressed. He needed to talk to her and he couldn't do that as a wolf, at least not yet. When he came out from behind the curtain he went straight to the fireplace. He hadn't realized just how blind Serenity was until she spoke again.
"Don't tell anyone this but if I was to marry Liam Silver I wouldn't be complaining about it." She sniffed. "He has always been nice to me and he has enough experience in the bedroom that he might make the consummation enjoyable for me." By then the fire was set. Liam lit a match and tossed onto the fuel soaked newspaper.
"I promise I won't tell." He said as he turned to face her with an amused grin.
"Liam! When did you get here? Where's-"
"The black wolf is me. What all did Rosemary say about me?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You're an ass." She said bluntly.
"Alright. If you don't want to talk about what Rosemary said, how about we talk about what you said. That thing about you marrying someone you would rather kill."
"I'd rather not. Besides I don't plan on marrying him." She shrugged and sat on the edge of the very large bed.
"Good. Because you are mine. I won't allow you to be stolen by some douch bag that thinks he has a right to you." He snapped. Liam ran a frustrated hand through his hair and half turned away from her. "Now that is settled, why do you have a gun?" He asked as he turned back to her. She paled and turned away from him.
"I don't know what you mean." She said dodgily. "I don't-"
"Don't lie to me Serenity! I know what a gun smells like. So unless your scent changed in the few hours since I last saw you, which is highly unlikely, you have a gun on you right now."
"How-"
"Hand it over Serenity." He extended his hand for the weapon and her lower lip stuck out in a stubborn pout. How he wanted to suck that lip into his mouth and nibble on it. "Serenity Silver you hand over that gun right this instant!" Liam knew that his alpha tone would have no affect on her until they officially mated but couldn't help it slipping into his command.
Serenity seemed taken aback that he had used his own last name. But according to custom she was his wife until she rejected him or he rejected her. He was glad she listened because he had a suspicion that she had meant to use it on herself.
"I, Liam Silver, Future alpha of the Silver moon pack, hereby accept you, Serenity Williams, as my mate and Luna. In so doing I swear to love, protect and cherish you from this day until the end of all time." He said in a clear voice as he unloaded the gun and placed it on a high shelf away from the fire. He was sure that the shelf was out of her reach. "I do swear by the gods and first alpha that I will not knowingly put you in harm's way. I will not, by my actions or words, intentionally cause you pain. I will fight for and with you as the need may arise. Your enemies will be my enemies, your battles will be as my own. My life is yours. Do you accept this agreement?" As Liam said the words that had been drilled into his head since he could first talk he knelt down in front of Serenity and took her hands in his. These were the alpha mating vows and all she had to do was accept him.
But Serenity was looking at him like he had just sprouted a second head. "Are...are you proposing to me?" She asked in aw.
"It's not just a proposal. All you have to do is say 'I, Serenity Silver, future Luna of the Silver moon pack accept' and we will be officially husband and wife." Liam explained.
"As in married? Liam there is no minister here. How could we be married?"
"Just say you accept. Then I will explain it to you."
"Fine. I, Serenity Silver, future Luna of the Silver moon pack accept you, Liam Silver, as my mate and alpha. There I said it. Now explain how this makes us married."
"Marital vows are sacred and in werewolf culture are to be kept between the couple and the gods alone. If there is a minister involved the vows are seen as nul and void. In my culture it is more about what a man swears in private before his mate and the gods. Not who he swears it in front of."
"I see." She looked down at their hands, as if deep in thought. "And what about..."
"The consummation will happen only when you are ready for it to happen." He reassured her. "It is part of my vows. I will not, by my words or actions, intentionally cause you pain." Liam felt something wet fall onto his hand and knew she was crying. He wrapped his arms around her and held her in his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. Wither it was from fear or relief he knew that all she needed was to be held safely away from anyone that would hurt her.