Devon

The next day was irritatingly busy. After finally having Amber in every way, all I wanted to think about was her, but it seemed the pack and the world had other ideas for my limited time. Many people believed they wanted to be an alpha, but few realized the distinct downside of it. If I'd been any other wolf in my pack I would have given myself the week off and wouldn't have let Amber leave the bedroom for most of it.

But I didn't have that luxury under the circumstances.

We had finally received word that we had our breakthrough. The scouts located the hunter base where we suspected Megan had been taken and my attention was pulled away from my mate and towards the goal of finding and saving Silvia. She had to still be alive. I would know if she wasn't, right? Oliver believed she was still alive, too.

Dan wanted to leave at once to rescue the prisoners—although I was sure his thoughts were only on Megan in spite of his pretence of only being present as a queen's representative. I refused because the timing was bad. I too wanted to rush off and save them as soon as I could as well, but we would have only one chance before the hunters knew we had discovered this base and we had to maximize the chances of success, even if it meant leaving my pack members in there clutches for a few more days.

My wolf hated it as much as the vampire did. I remained resolute both against his arguments and my own instincts. With the full moon upon us, our powers were heightened, but our control was low. There was little hope that a force largely composed of agitated werewolves could effectively sneak in and save the prisoners or even get near undetected.

Coordinating with allied packs and a vampire liaison, we began to plan our operation for two days after the full moon, once our wolves had run their hearts out, but while we were still slightly more powerful than usual.

I was almost nervous when the day came to bring my mate into the pack. Her decision had been so sudden it was hard to believe it was actually happening. A small part of me feared how she would react to the pack bond after how upset she'd been by the link after I marked her. I had been truthful in that I had done my research. Other human mates, and even just humans close to packs, had been brought in before and nothing problematic happened. I was confident it would be fine.

While I could rationally consider and dismiss the risks, my wolf was keeping me on edge. Finally fully mating with Amber had not calmed him much, but it might have been the combination of the nearness of the full moon and everything moving so quickly.

Nevertheless, once I had done everything urgent, I left my office and searched her out. She was sitting outside on the porch curled up in a cushioned wicker chair, reading again. I'd been watching her struggle through one book after another, and I was proud of the amount of effort she was putting in. Every struggle she had only reminded me of how much I wanted to kill the people who had so mistreated her. The idea of a young Amber being bullied and neglected was enough to make my wolf long for another taste of their blood.

But perhaps a quick death would be too easy for them. Maybe I would bring her torturers back and make them suffer for everything that they did to her, maybe one year of captivity for every year she'd been their prisoner before I finally ended their suffering.

My wolf really started acting up and my vengeful thoughts were not helping the situation, so I gave in, pulled off my clothing, and shifted. Amber raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything as I let my wolf move to her and put my large head on her lap. She absent-mindedly tangled her hand in my fur, and at least for that moment, the beast inside me was soothed.

—————

It was the full moon, and I stood in the center of the clearing where my pack always began our wild moonlight runs. We had begun here for generations, and this was where all new members were inducted into our group, and where the young first joined us after their first shift. While to an outside observer it would appear to be just a simple field of flower dotted grass, for my people it was a place rich in history and meaning.

I waited in the centre for my mate to arrive, with my ranking warriors except my brother flanking me, and my pack stretched out before me. I'd left her in Oliver's care, so I wasn't worried, but my wolf remained agitated without her. He was trying desperately to free himself from my skin, but there were things I had to do first before I let him have his head.

Finally she came towards me, Oliver beside her. She was wearing white as was typical of these ceremonies, mimicking the moon, and the dress hugged her curves in the most mouth-watering display. Rhianna had not been exaggerating about the dress they had found for her, it was perfect. She was truly beautiful and I counted myself fortunate to have been given her as my mate, and even more so now that she was willingly here with me after I had nearly sabotaged everything like an idiot.

Even when I had thought she was a threat to my pack I had known she was gorgeous, but her beauty was highlighted even more in the silvery light that clung to her like a royal crown and mantle.

She moved nervously as she walked towards me, like a deer moving through a pack of wolves that was ready to flee at the slightest sign of Danger. "You're safe," I reminded her.

Her eyes flashed towards me and her smile was tentative. "Are you sure? I remember your warnings."

"You are. You're one of us, now, and they all know it. And I would kill anyone who hurt you, love."

"I don't really want you running around killing people, Devon."

"Only in extreme cases," I said, modifying my previous statement.

I was pleased to see that she was more relaxed by the time she reached me, whether because of our private conversation or because of our proximity. Oliver took his spot beside me as beta and I turned my attention to the words I'd learned by heart from my father before I became the alpha in my own right.

"Amber Lyndon," I said, hiding my bitterness at the surname of those who had mistreated her, "human formerly of the hunters, tonight you are here with us join Marrowcliff as a full pack member. We will be yours as you are ours, for now and as long as you run with the pack, and even beyond."

I took the blade that had been used for this purpose by generations before me, and I sliced my palm, deeply enough that the wound would not seal before my task was done, then I took my mate's hand and made the shallowest cut possible in her delicate skin.

She took the wound without complaint or acknowledgement, but smiled when I interlaced my fingers with hers. She took a step to steady herself when the pack link connected, and the added rush of connection built between us as individual members of the pack, and my wolf's increased protectiveness of her. Not only was she ours, but now she was also our pack's.

Not releasing her hand as I typically would with a regular pack member, I turned her to face the pack along with me. "I present to you, Luna Amber," I said. My words were met with a cacophony of howls and cheers depending on the state of the members, and her hand grasped mine more firmly, and her happy shyness leaked through our bond to me. My brave mate was handling it as well as a werewolf, I was proud to note.

I pulled her closer to me by our interlinked hands so that she was flush against my side. My wolf was ready to shift and I tilted my head down to look at her. "Will you run with me tonight, my beautiful luna?"

"Of course, Alpha," she agreed, her eyes sparkling. In that moment, I could not have loved her more.

All around us, our pack members and visitors who had remained in their human forms for the ceremony began to shift, while the youngest pack members who could either not yet shift or not keep up were escorted away to be guarded and cared for throughout the night by parents and volunteers. I stripped off my pants, readying myself for the change, when Amber's blood curdling shriek split the night, followed by a terrible crack.