As soon as Demetri and I stepped into the building, we were accosted by a few paparazzi.

Not as much as was at the hospital, but enough to make me uncomfortable.

"Just ignore them," Demetri said sensing my discomfort, "We're going in there anyway."

He led me past the people with flashing cameras and shouted questions, and into a room with a beautiful eighteenth century decor.

There were chairs lining both sides of the room while a long deep red carpet sat in the middle of the room.

The carpet led right to the foot of the Dias where the King and Queen were speaking with a few old men in robes.

"Are those supposed to be the members of the council?" I inquired quietly as Demetri and I made our way towards them.

Their heads now turned awaiting our arrival.

"Yes, a few of them are missing though."

"They look very old." I said and he suppressed a chuckle,

"I mean like really old." I said again with slight worry as Demetri struggled to keep a straight face.

"Aren't you concerned that they will just collapse and die during the ceremony?" I inquired with genuine concern while thinking that it wouldn't be all that bad if they do.

No elders, no ceremony.

"You give a lot of trouble, you know that?" He said flashing me a smile.

I almost swooned, but then I remembered that he's a punk and I hate him so I just stared at him with a straight face.

"What did I say?" I asked confused and he just wrapped his arm around my waist as we arrived before his parents and the council members.

"Hello." I said to them.

"Jessabell, you came." Luna Alaine said gathering me into a hug.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." I flashed her a smile masking the sarcasm perfectly.

"Jessabell, these are our elders," Alpha Alexander began,

"Yes, elders." I muttered under my breath but Demetri was so close he actually heard.

"Please stop." He said in my mind and I looked over at him with a smirk.

"Elder Abraham, Elder Roosevelt, and Elder Kennedy."

All three of them dropped into a short bow before addressing Demetri and I.

"Your royal highnesses." The said together in their elderly voice and I was a little creeped out.

"Elders." Demetri said bowing his head shortly in respect.

"Hello." I said nodding at them.

"Princess Jessabell, since this is the mating ceremony, your ladies will not be on the scene with you." Elder Abraham said and I nodded in understanding,

I did know that before.

"They will assist you in preparation for the ceremony and they will assist you afterwards and at a small portion in the middle of the ceremony, but they cannot partake in the ceremony or get too close to you during such." Elder Kennedy finished.

"Okay, I already knew that." I told them fiddling with the strap of my bag.

"Well, in that case, we will simply give you a pre-seis of what will occur." Elder Kennedy said again.

"You will enter in your wolf form and walk along the red carpet, accompanied by the queen, towards the Dias where your mate along with us, will be awaiting you." It was elder Roosevelt who spoke this time.

He didn't look or sound as old as the other two elders and I vaguely wondered at his age.

In fact, I wondered at all their ages, they look old as fuck but they still move with a type of youthful accuracy.

"We will bless you, and tie the sacred thread around your necks before reciting the words to bind you with the thread." Elder Abraham said

"Since you have both been marked already, that part will be unnecessary so there will be a moment when we bring out the curtains so you may shift back to your human forms and be adorned in the council robes before the blood bond is performed." Elder Kennedy spoke.

"After the blood bond is performed, we will anoint you with the enchanted water, you will both be crowned, then we'll bless you as one union prior us leading the way down the aisle and out the doors." Elder Roosevelt finished again.

"And that will be the end?" I inquired and they all nodded simultaneously.

"There will be the post mating dinner at the castle." Luna Alaine said and I nodded my head once to show that I heard her.

"Wait, don't they have to do something?" I asked motioning towards the King and Queen who stood to the side of the elders.

"They will be the ones crowing you." Elder Roosevelt said and I responded with an okay.

"Let's get this show on the road then." I said.

"Jessabell, you have to shift." Demetri told me turning to look me in the eyes.

Are you fucking kidding me?!

"Why?"

"Because the ceremony is performed by wolves, not humans." He said his lips tightening in annoyance.

"I can't shift, I didn't bring extra clothes."

"The bathroom is through that door there." He said pointing to a door behind his parents. "Take your clothes off, shift, then come back."

"Fine." I muttered sullenly not wanting to argue with him in this sacred place.

I walked sluggishly into the bathroom and did as I was told.

Removing my clothes, I folded the dress in half before stuffing my panties into my purse.

Don't want anyone looking at those.

I shifted into my red wolf before taking my clothes into my mouth and exiting the bathroom.

My purse was dragging on the ground due to the long strap which was lodged in my snout.

Luna Alaine came and took my things from me.

I made a sound at her before nudging her with my head in a way of saying thanks.

She patted my fur and responded by saying "you're welcome honey."

I looked towards where I had left Demetri to see that he had shifted into his large black wolf who was patiently sitting on his hind legs with his front paws positioned regally before him.

He looks like royalty even as a damn dog.

"Princess, please make your way in from the door." Elder Abraham said and I trotted along the path towards the door with Luna Alaine following behind me.

We stood side by side until a peculiar type music started playing then Luna Alaine said,

"We start walking the second time this plays."

On the second tune we started a slow elegant trot towards the Dias.

"Hold your head up and look straight." She said And I did as I was told.

When we arrived at the Dias, I stood before Demetri, much like any human bride and groom would stand at a wedding.

The elders recited a few words in a different language before informing us that this is the part where they would tie the sacred thread around our necks.

"You will both shift back to your human forms, then step up here." Elder Kennedy demonstrated as he pulled out a golden dagger decorated with jewels which I have no doubt are real because they are dazzling my eyes with their brightness.

"We'll make some small cuts on your palms with this," Elder Roosevelt announced, "Large enough to get the accurate amount of blood but small enough so that it may heal quickly."

"The cup for the blood will be placed on the table, after the spell it will combine and evaporate, that's when we sprinkle you with the water but you must be on bended knees during the serenading."

I nodded my wolf head once to show that I understood.

Luna Alaine walked over to me as Alpha Alexander walked over.

"We'll crown you both and announce you." Alpha Alexander said and I just stared at him.

the alpha and Luna walked before us and down the aisle, followed by the elders who walked single file unlike the royals who walked side by side.

Demetri nudged my side with his large dark wolf head, motioning for me to start walking down the aisle.

We walked together due to the strings that were tied around our necks, connecting us.

At the door way, the queen pulled the string and released us.

"We'll have the dinner after you're both dressed." Elder Abraham said

Luna Alaine accompanied me to the washroom where I shifted and redressed before moving towards the door so that i could rejoin the party awaiting the Luna and i on the outside.

However, before i could exit, Luna Alaine grabbed my upper arm and spun me to face her,

"Jessabell, you are so well behaved today." She said smiling at me, "It is very commendable."

"Thanks." I said annoyed by her praise, as i pulled my arm from her hold.

More than that, i am upset by the fact that she sits by and watches as her husband and son make my life a living hell; actually, she doesn't just watch, shes an active participant in the continuous destruction of my life.

Moving once more towards the door, she grabbed me again.

"It would be so easy for you to accept that this is your life now Jessabell." She spoke, twisting me so that i was facing her. "I have endured more than you are at present and i'm still okay, dont make the mistakes that i did when i was younger."

"I too thought i was entitled to a life of my own, and no mate should dictate anything to me but after i met my husband i learnt otherwise." She said taking my face between her hands, "You can fight all you like Jessabell, but Demetri will win, the royal males always win. No matter how strong you think you are, he'll always be stronger than you, the more you fight the stronger he will get."

"I'm being compliant, you said so yourself." I pointed out to her.

"You're just pretending to be compliant for the evening, that's not true submission." She chided and i pushed her hands off my face. "If you fight him, you'll get hurt. When you get hurt, he feels hurt too and i don't like seeing any of my children in pain. I consider you my daughter and i dont want you getting hurt."

"I am not submissive." I told her, "And i never will be." Spinning around and exiting the room quickly before she could grab me again.

Demetri was already redressed in his pants and dark blue button up shirt, his hair was not as neat as it was before his shift, similarly, my hair was left in a flowing mess around my shoulders.

His arms immediately wrapped around me as I entered the main hall.

"You okay?" He inquired and I nodded once as I shrugged out of his hold and took one of his hands in mine.

"We will go to the Pelican restaurant for dinner." Luna Alaine announced as she turned and walked towards the door.

To avoid a public altercation, I pulled on Demetri's hand when he was about to follow his mother through the door.

"I'm not hungry." I informed him softly when he turned to look at me. "I had way too much to eat after you left and the thought of food right now makes me feel sick."

"How much did you have to eat?" He asked looking amused.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"I wouldn't dare." He said flashing me a smile that I couldn't resist returning.

"Good, you better not." I teased punching his shoulder, "But I really don't want to go for dinner."

"We'll go, but I won't force you to eat, you can have wine or juice but no food if that's okay with you."

"Are you giving me a Choice?" I asked incredously

"Yes, its up to you whether or not you want to eat." He said, "Besides, I don't want you throwing up on me again."

"I have never thrown up on you." I said defensively

"Yes you have."

"No, I haven't."

"Don't you remember the morning after the ball, last year." He inquired, his eyebrows coming together I'm confusion.

My face flooded with color as I recalled the incident which he spoke of.

"Oh." I muttered.

"Yes oh, let's go." He said placing his hand in the middle of my lower back and leading me out of the building.

Dinner with his parents and the elders weren't that bad. I had a small slice of chocolate cheese cake and a glass of sparkling white wine as they engaged in conversation.

When Demetri wasn't eating his fingers were playing with mine under the table and as we sat there together I allowed myself to try and imagine the kind of life that I could have with Demetri.

A life of party's, charity functions, press conferences and royal treatment.

It's not what I want but I could learn to live with it, I was offered the option of a community college which is better than no college at all.

If I continue to fight him, I will get hurt. The Luna told me so, I wonder if her mate put her through what Demetri has put me through already.

"Are you alright?" Demetri asked snapping me out of the thoughts that have infested my mind since dinner.

Now that Demetri and I are alone in the confined space of his car, he seems to be picking up on my state of distraction.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Jessabell, I can sense the direction of your thoughts and I promise that you can go to college here, I won't stop you but I can't allow you to leave."

"I know."

"I'm being selfish, I know, but I can't help it, I won't survive without you if you leave." He told me squeezing my hand.

"You're hurting my fingers." I mumbled not really feeling any pain but not wanting him to hold me so tightly.

"I'm sorry." he said lifting my fingers to his lips and placing a kiss on my hand.

"Will you try to be happy with me if we come to some compromise?" He inquired hopefully and in the brief glance which he slanted at me I saw two different futures for myself.

A future of pain and sadness if I refuse him.

Or a future of contentment and small moments of happiness if I agree to try.

Not knowing fully what Demetri is capable of, I picked the smart choice and said,

"I'll Try."