ARTEMISIA
The moon shines on Cayden’s gorgeous face, illuminating his face like on the night we first met.
I remember clearly how he tried to kiss me, my skin sizzling as my thoughts wander back to that moment, and to how much I wanted him to kiss me.
And then he got attacked by my brother.
Tonight, my brothers are standing in the crowd, looking a bit grumbly while standing behind my mother who is looking up to the stage with sparkling eyes. My father has put up his usual cold expression, even if I can see that he is about to cry.
If it’s because he is happy or sad… who knows?
The Elder of the pack lifts his hand to the crowd as we turn to each other and Cayden sets his eyes on me, his happy expression and his eyes filled with love.
I take a shaky breath as I lay my hands into his as he holds them out to me. He closes his grip around them, pulling me closer slightly as the Elder begins his chant to the Moon Goddess.
Closing my eyes shortly, I take up all the positive emotions he is sending me through our bond to soothe me before I smile up at him.
I jump slightly as the Elder lays his hands onto our wrists, smiling brightly as he tears us out of our collective trance. “Alpha Cayden, are you accepting your wife, Artemisia, to be your Luna as well as the Luna of this pack, and to lead with her at your side, by trusting in her support and relying on her opinion?”
I chuckle lowly as I lift my eyebrows at him, making him grin at me. My heart flips in my chest as I mind-link him, ‘That means no secrets.’
“I do,” Cayden answers, without taking his eyes off me.
My heartbeat picks up as his intense gaze bores into my eyes, and I clear my throat, trying to block out the dirty thoughts he is sending me as he must be loving my dress.
“Artemisia, are you accepting your title as Luna of the Blood Fang and promise to stand by your Alpha in good as well as in bad times and to cherish your new pack as much as you cherish him?”
I push down a gasp exploding from my throat as Cayden sends me the image of him passing his tongue along my neck as I’m straddling him as he moves his hands, squeezing mine tighter.
“Yes!” I burst out. “I do!”
Cayden smiles, lowering his head and bringing my hands to his lips to kiss my knuckles.
The sparks he generates travel up my arm and down my spine, making me shudder pleasantly.
“Members of the Blood Fang!” The Elder shouts in excitement. “Welcome your new Luna, Artemisia Blackwood.”
“Oh, my Goddess,” I whisper, as I feel the bond to the pack snap.
Goosebumps rise on my skin as I hear the gasping of the crowd, signalling to me that they felt it too.
The Elder lowers his arms which he had lifted widely into the air as he lowers his voice. “May the Goddess bless your bond.”
A burning sensation sizzles on the inside of my wrist and I squeeze Cayden’s hand to make the pain more bearable.
He flashes me an encouraging smile and leans in to kiss me while the crowd erupts in cheers and starts chanting our names.
I always knew I loved this cult.
Laughing happily as Cayden breaks the kiss, I lower my head as heat creeps up my cheeks while my heart explodes with joy.
My cult.
***
“Oh, this is gorgeous,” Ramona gushes as she turns my wrist under the lights of the huge pavilion we are celebrating in. “Oh, I wish I could get one too.”
I smile, not getting enough of the sight of the Luna mark which appeared on my wrist.
The small swirl ends into half of a moon which should fit to the piece that appeared on Cayden’s wrist.
I’m really not happy about what he had to go through and the heartbreak that he suffered, but I can’t thank Rachel enough for throwing what she had with him away.
“It’s the best,” I say with a small smile.
Looking up at her, I get surprised by her scrunching up her face.
“Oh, no, babes, what happened?” I say worriedly, getting her to hug me aggressively.
She sobs and I hug her back, caressing her back. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she whimpers, hugging me tighter. “I’m just so happy! You deserve all of this and much more. I’m so glad it all turned out right for you after what the bastard did to you.”
Sighing, I lean my head against hers to comfort her until she breaks the embrace, holding my hands. “And thank you for welcoming me into your pack.”
We laugh, and I shake my head, “You are such a crazy person. And I can’t wait to be part of your mating ceremony.”
A clearing of throat interrupts us, and I turn around to find Logan smiling at me. “I’m sorry to interrupt you and I know that you are strictly a Luna today, but maybe I can ask for a dance?”
Turning back to Ramona, I squeeze her hands. “Are you going to be okay?”
She nods, smiling. “I’ll find Gregorius in the crowd. Have fun you two.”
“Then I’ll love to dance with you,” I answer, taking the hand Logan is offering me.
“Awesome,” he whispers, beaming at me before he pulls me to the dancefloor, spinning me around.
He wraps his arm around me, his hand resting on the small of my back, and pulls me close, taking my other hand in his. We sway to the music while he is careful not to move too hastily as my pregnancy sickness is getting worse towards the end.
“Are you really okay with your new title as Gamma?” I ask him, disrupting our comfortable silence.
“Of course,” he smiles. “I get to see my wife as much as I want as an excuse that I’m working, and I guess Fynn’s head is just too big for staying the Warrior King.”
“Oh, whatever you do. Don’t tell him this! He would be obsessed with it and force everyone to call him that,” I gasp, making him roar with laughter.
He shakes his head and I grin up at him. “You are right.”
Getting on my toes, I get him to lean in and kiss me. “Sorry, I know this isn’t allowed today because we didn’t want to freak out my family, but I had to.”
“I’m really glad you did it. I was missing it.”
My heart jumps in my chest as he smiles at me, “Thank you for forgiving me.”
“You were just as a victim as we all were, sorry for not trusting you earlier,” I say, and he pulls me closer.
“I won’t object you now, my Luna. But I will live to make it up to you. And I can’t wait for all the guests to be gone, leaving just the five of us.”