Dinner ended and we all made our way outside and to the huge bonfire that lit up the night.

Satish had held my hand over his forearm the entire time, his beta and a few more of his pack flanking our sides, front and back subtly because of the threat discovered at dinner.

The warmth from the bonfire was immense and kept away the chill of the night, which I was grateful for in my thin clothes, but Satish burned almost as hot beside me as he guided me to a boulder just in front of the fire, the sides sanded down and engraved with the ancient runes of our people.

I squeaked a little as he grasped my hips and easily lifted me up and onto the large boulder, effortlessly climbing on after me and standing to face the crowd that had gathered.

"This is the last part of the Luna Choosing, a ritual we have done since the birth of our kind, where the first Alpha chose who would be his mate and lead alongside him as his Luna." he slipped my hand into his and gently squeezed it. "To honour the first Alpha and Luna we follow in their footsteps, continuing on the traditions they started." his voice carried to the very edges of the crowd, speaking from deep in his chest with a clear and even tone.

His mother, the previous Luna approached the boulder and presented a white coloured bead in her open palms.

"To mark the occasion, the first Luna wove a carved wooden bead made from Crape Myrtle into their Alpha's hair, to symbolise the love that will grow and bloom from their mating." he slowly sank to his knees and with shaky hands, I took the offered bead from his mother, chose a piece of upbraided hair and from my mother's many hours of teaching me intricate braids I carefully wove the bead into his hair, and as I did he continued to speak.

"The bead is also there as a reminder for the Alpha, so he shall never forget his Luna and the special bond they share, nor take it for granted or sour it by laying with another."

Once I finished the braid he took my hands in his and kissed each palm, his intense silver eyes staring up at me with a tenderness that left me breathless.

I sank down beside him after he gently tugged at my hands and his father offered up a silver chalice filled with dark red liquid which Satish took.

The chalice was more like a large silver bowl with a small stem and base, it looked like you could probably fit a whole bottle of wine in it, not that I have any experience with alcohol, but the bottles I'd seen in my mother's wine rack seemed to contain the right amount of liquid to fill the chalice.

His father nodded slightly before stepping away and Satish cupped the bowl of the chalice between us with both hands and I hesitantly covered his hands with my own.

"The first Alpha and Luna shared a cup to celebrate their union, but to also show that what they have will be shared equally between them. They drank red wine to symbolise life, in the hopes that their union would bear fruit as sweet as the berries it is made from." Satish tilted the chalice and drank heartily till he'd taken his fill before holding the rim against my lips and I nervously started to drink the red wine, finding it dry yet surprisingly sweet, which is not what I've heard wine tastes like, although I could feel the alcohol burn as it went down my throat.

Once the chalice was empty he set it down and it was taken away by his father.

Satish took my hands in his once more and started to speak again, his silver eyes not leaving my face. "The first Alpha gifted two things as a promise to always care and provide for his Luna. One was a pelt from a giant beast he'd slain, to show his strength and hunting skills, but to also ensure his Luna was never cold on dark winter nights." I felt the heavy weight of a large pelt settling over my shoulders. The fur of the pelt was soft and downy, and of the darkest of blacks, it couldn't be anything other than the giant cave bears that live high up in the mountains, the fur so thick and dense that not even the lowest of temperatures or the deepest of chills could get through it.

"The second thing he wanted to gift his Luna was a necklace made from the most valuable materials he could find, to show that he would go above and beyond to make his Luna happy, but he could never find anything to match his Luna's beauty or their worth to him. So instead, he climbed to the top of the highest mountain, to where only the mountain goats go." a smile played on his lips as he told the story. "And he found those goats munching on the prettiest flowers he'd ever seen, their petals such a deep purple and the fragrance coming off of them was so heady and sweet, he couldn't help but pick them for his Luna.

He knew they wouldn't make the journey back, so he went to a local witch who lived on the mountain and asked her if she'd bless the flowers so they'd never wilt or lose their fragrance. She refused but offered a different solution; that the Alpha should plant the bulbs of the flower in his Luna's garden and tend to them himself, she told him that it showed much more dedication than climbing the mountain just once and that if he ever neglected those flowers and allowed them to die she'd curse him with bad fortune and luck, and that one day a goat would cause his demise." he voiced with a slight chuckle.

"Every Alpha makes that journey before choosing his Luna and takes the same vow to care for those flowers to show his everlasting commitment and just how dedicated he is to his Luna."

He stood and helped me up before climbing down from the boulder and he lifted me up and back onto the ground, where he took my hand and led me to the left of the bonfire and the crowd of onlookers, where a garden of flowers was in full bloom. He guided me down the path that was lined with pretty little lights that softly illuminated the garden, so many different flowers blossoming in their beds, but none notably purple until we reached the centre where a raised bed stood and I laughed a little when I saw the statue of a goat standing amongst beautiful purple Crocus flowers.

I leaned closer and sniffed the vibrant petals, smiling at their sweet and heady scent, just how Satish had described them. The smell reminded me of lilies a little, but sweeter.

The garden was also wonderful, I could see myself walking down its paths or sitting down on the few benches scattered around and reading on a nice day.

I also enjoyed gardening and would love to tend to the other plants and flowers. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment to see my careful tending bloom so spectacularly.

To my surprise, we didn't go back to the bonfire, but down a different path through the garden, until we were at a door that led back into the castle.