The air is electric, a heavy silence settling over the crowd as we make our way to the center of the pond, every step reverent. To my left, Kellan strides in sync with me, steady and unshakable. I take in the beautiful scene around us; the servants have truly outdone themselves. Everything is perfect.
In the middle of it all stands Lady Kaia, waiting near the altar with an air of quiet authority. A bit further off, I catch sight of Nathaniel and Tristan. That idiot Nate looks like he's holding back tears, which only makes mine threaten to spill over. I take a shaky breath, blinking away the moisture in my eyes. Tonight is too important to let sentimentality take over.
We reach the soft grass by the altar, and I slip off my heels, relishing the coolness against my bare feet. Beside me, Kellan does the same, and together we kneel before the altar. Anxiety flutters in my chest, but it's not from my wolf. She's uncharacteristically calm, letting me know that tonight is my moment—just me, just the human side of me facing this incredible night.
"Under the moon's watchful gaze, we gather here to witness the mating of our Alpha Prime," Kaia's voice rings out, each word steeped in ceremony.
"I never thought I'd be overseeing another mating of this magnitude," she says with a warm smile, her words laced with the honor she feels. "One of the highest honors for any shaman." Her gentle humor makes me chuckle, a sound echoed by the crowd.
"Alright," she says, casting a playful glance at Tristan, "before my godson decides to claw my head off, let's get on with it."
Kaia raises her hands, her voice dipping into the ancient rhythm of an incantation. "I call upon our ancestors," she intones, her voice carrying across the pond. "Let the veil be lifted beneath the light of the moon." She blows into the fire, sending a stream of ash and smoke swirling into the night, a fine mist that makes my eyes sting.
I blink, and the world around me shifts, the scene blurring into a fog. For a heartbeat, panic rises—where am I? But I feel a warm hand slip into mine, grounding me. It's Kellan, his grip reassuring. "It's the veil," he says softly, as though he, too, is in awe.
I didn't expect this. I'd always thought invoking the veil was symbolic, a ritual formality. But now, standing here within it, it feels surreal, ethereal.
"Honey, I told you," a warm, familiar voice says, cutting through the haze. I look up to see a small woman with honey-brown hair and striking gray eyes—Ada Grimlock, Kellan's mother, a presence I've only known through portraits. She's as beautiful as she is fierce, just as I imagined.
Then, from the mist, a low chuckle echoes, and a man appears beside her. He's the spitting image of Kellan, all rugged charm and strong features. Evan Grimlock, the previous Alpha Prime. "Who would have thought?" he says with a boyish smile.
Kellan straightens, his composure momentarily slipping as he greets his parents. "Father, Mother... it's been a long time," he says, his voice touched with an emotion I rarely see. His mother reaches up to wrap him in a fierce hug, her petite frame somehow encompassing him with ease. Kellan, my steadfast, towering Kellan, bends to her embrace, his eyes soft as he holds her.
I'm so focused on their reunion that I almost miss the next figure who steps through the fog, his face half-hidden in the mist. But the second I see him, my heart skips a beat. "Ember?" My father's voice sounds uncertain, searching, and I barely have a moment to register before I'm rushing into his arms.
He catches me easily, his familiar scent wrapping around me. "What are you doing here, Ember?" he murmurs, his hands holding my face as he studies me with that same look of fatherly concern. "Don't tell me..."
I laugh, shaking my head. "No, not that," I reassure him, finding it so typically him to worry in the middle of this otherworldly encounter. Villain or not, in some twisted love story, he'll always be my dad.
"Come with me," I say, tugging his hand, unable to hide my excitement as I lead him toward Kellan and his parents. "Dad, this is my mate. Kellan."
Kellan, ever the gentleman, extends his hand. My dad eyes him up and down before accepting the handshake with a scrutinizing look that makes me want to laugh. Of course, he'd size up Kellan—even in the veil.
"Oh? Nice to meet you," my dad says, a slight edge to his tone.
"It's an honor, Mr. Darkthorne," Kellan replies, unruffled, his tone respectful.
Before my dad can say more, Kaia's voice echoes around us, her form briefly materializing in the fog. "Wrap it up, everyone. I can't keep the veil open much longer." She vanishes again, her presence fleeting but powerful.
Ada steps forward, her gentle hands wrapping around mine, her touch feather-light but grounding. She looks up at me, her eyes kind but fierce.
"Ember," she begins, "thank you for taking care of my son." Her voice wavers, full of emotions she's held on to for far too long. "I was so worried watching him live his life alone, watching him face so much without someone by his side. But then you came into his life, and... I am so grateful."
Her hands press mine tightly. "Promise me you'll keep him in line," she says, her smile soft but mischievous. "And if he ever gives you trouble, come find me. I'll make sure he gets a stern talking-to in his dreams."
I swallow back tears, touched beyond words, and I nod, squeezing her hands in return. "I promise."