The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a silvery glow over the land as Fenrir and Aisling made their way back home. Aisling couldn't help but notice the heaviness in Fenrir's demeanor, a brooding silence that seemed to envelop him like a cloak of shadows. Concern etched across her features, she attempted to engage him in conversation, her words falling upon deaf ears.
Growing increasingly frustrated by his unresponsiveness, Aisling stepped in front of him, nearly colliding with his towering figure. "Hey, you!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Why are you so moody, like a human female in her time of the month?"
Fenrir's head snapped up at her words, and to Aisling's surprise, he burst into hearty laughter. With effortless strength, he scooped her up into his arms, lifting her to face him at eye level. "I'm sorry, love," he said, his voice tinged with remorse. "I didn't mean to cause you distress. It's just... I'm frustrated."
Confusion flickered across Aisling's features as she gazed into his troubled eyes. "Frustrated? Why?"
Fenrir's expression softened, his gaze filled with vulnerability. "Because," he began, his voice laden with emotion, "you haven't accepted me as your mate yet, and yet here we are, heading to spend the night in the same cabin. It's going to be pure torture for me."
Aisling's heart skipped a beat at his words, her own turmoil mirrored in his eyes. She reached out to gently caress his cheek, her touch tender and reassuring. "Fenrir," she said softly, "it's not that I don't want to be with you. It's just... I need time to adjust, to process everything that's happened between us. Please understand."
Fenrir's grip tightened ever so slightly around her, a silent acknowledgment of her words. "As much as I do understand," he murmured, his voice filled with longing, "I don't think I can bear it any longer. We both feel the bond between us getting stronger and stronger, my love. It's pure torture for me. I want to mark you and claim you as my Luna. Even your wolf accepts me, yet you keep me at bay."
Saying this, he gently set her down and ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "Perhaps it's best I find somewhere else to sleep tonight," he suggested, his voice tinged with disappointment. "You'll be safe in the cabin, I assure you."
Aisling's heart raced in her chest, her wolf urging her not to let their mate leave, especially in his current state. In a soft murmur, she reached out and grabbed his hand, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please stay," she pleaded.
Fenrir's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze searching hers for any hesitation. But all he found was sincerity and determination. "Are you sure?" he asked tenderly, his heart pounding in his chest.
Aisling met his gaze unwaveringly, her eyes reflecting her unwavering resolve. "Yes, I am," she affirmed. "My wolf never lies, and she says you are ours. And I believe her."
Fenrir's heart soared with happiness at her words. Without hesitation, he swept her off her feet once more, kissing her passionately before carrying her into the cabin.
He summoned the bedroom ambiance to transform into a scene of romance, with scented candles casting a soft, flickering glow and other seductive charms weaving an enchanting atmosphere. With the ease of elvish magic, Fenrir effortlessly orchestrated this transformation, leading Aisling into the room where she found herself once again in awe of its beauty.
"My love, you do know what happens next, right?" Fenrir asked, his tone gentle and filled with anticipation. Timidly and shyly, Aisling nodded in affirmation. Taking her hand, he guided her to sit at the edge of the bed, while he knelt before her on one knee, ensuring their eyes remained level even as she was seated.
Then, in a voice filled with conviction, Fenrir spoke the sacred mate vow: "I, Alpha Fenrir of the Silvermane Pack, accept you, Luna Alpha Aisling, as my true destined mate. I promise to love you, protect you, be faithful to you, and always do right by you, as ordained by the Unseen Creator of the moon and earth."
As he uttered these words, a shimmering silver thread materialized on his wrist, rising gracefully. With a shaky voice, Aisling reciprocated, speaking her vows: "I, Alpha Luna Aisling of the Blazemane Pack, accept you, Alpha Fenrir, as my true destined mate. I promise to love you, protect you, be faithful to you, and always do right by you, as ordained by the Unseen Creator of the moon and earth."
At her words, a radiant golden amber thread emerged from her wrist, intertwining with Fenrir's silver thread. Supernaturally, the threads intertwined and wove themselves into a bow, marking and uniting them as one. The joy that enveloped them in that moment was extraordinary. For had their promises not been genuine, the threads would have burned them instead of bonding them as mates.
Realizing that they were now officially mates, Fenrir pulled Aisling into a tender kiss, embracing her tightly. To her surprise, she felt the warmth of his tears against her skin as he silently wept, overwhelmed with emotion at the depth of their bond.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Aisling's gentle inquiry filled the air, her concern palpable. "Shouldn't you be happy now?" she added, her voice a soft melody of reassurance.
Fenrir, his face nestled in the comfort of her tresses on the nook of her neck and shoulders, spoke in a voice filled with emotion. "I am happy, so relieved," he admitted, his words muffled against her skin. "Finally, I am no longer alone. The Silvermane Pack will rise again," he affirmed, his relief evident in his tone.
Hearing his words, Aisling smiled tenderly and enveloped him in a loving embrace, holding him close as if to reassure him of her presence and unwavering support. Once he had calmed down, Fenrir gently broached the topic that weighed heavily on his mind. "Can you tell me the story of how they got ambushed?" he asked softly, his voice tinged with sadness.
Taking a deep breath, Fenrir began to recount the events of that fateful day with a heavy heart. "It was my recklessness," he admitted, his tone tinged with regret. "I had portaled to this realm to meet my long-lost sister, but in this realm, you can't access our world, so I was unaware that an ambush was occurring."
He paused briefly, his next words laced with a mix of sorrow and bitterness. "I guess you should know now that I am, in fact, next in line for the crown," he revealed, the weight of his heritage evident in his words. "I am the legitimate son of the aged king of our region, but my stepmother, since my mother was an elf, felt I was not entitled to the throne."
He continued, the pain of his past evident in his voice. "My father, the aged king, was bewitched by her after my mother left when she found out he had chosen my stepmother as his mate," he explained, his words laden with the bitterness of betrayal. "They have a son, my stepbrother, two years older than me, but he was conceived out of marriage vows, so he has no claim to the throne."
Reflecting on the horrors of that day, Fenrir's voice grew heavy with grief. "That fateful day, they used demonic powers to ambush my pack," he recounted, his words tinged with sorrow. "They wanted to kill all of us, but I was nowhere to be found."
His expression darkened as he recalled the aftermath of the attack. "When I went back and saw the carnage, I was bereft," he admitted, his pain evident in his voice. "First, I went after the demons and killed as many as I could, pushing the rest back to their realm. Then, I went after the rogues involved, tracing their scents and killing them all."
His gaze hardened with resolve as he recounted his pursuit of justice. "That is how I met the late Aiden," he revealed, his tone solemn. "I was going to finish off my stepbrother and his mother to avenge my pack, but the despicable lot took asylum with the lawless lycans."
His voice softened with a hint of exhaustion as he spoke of his decision to pause and honor his promise to the late alpha Aiden. "I realized I needed to strategize before going after them and taking on the lycans, so I allowed myself a break to come and keep my promise to the late Alpha Aiden," he concluded.