Page 31 of Alpha Hunt

“Ready?” I’m confused for a moment.

“For the ceremony.”

“The what?” It’s Casey now.

“The mating ceremony, Stone. It’s what you do when you find a mate.”

“I know what it is!” She’s blinking rapidly. “You mean we’re having it now?”

“Of course we are.” Jagger joins us. She opens her mouth – no doubt to argue further – but Jagger’s steely gaze lands on her, and she snaps it shut again with an audible click. “The traditions will be upheld,” he states, leaving no room for debate. “Edirn has rightfully claimed you as his mate. You will respect that.”

I feel the moment that the fight goes out of her.

“You’re right.” She turns to me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have behaved like that.”

The sudden about-face leaves me a bit shocked, but I nod in response. The speed at which things are moving has left me unsettled, too. To be honest, I hadn’t thought this far ahead either. But it seems right, somehow.

I listen silently as Callum comes over and runs through the rites with me. I commit them to memory, a little surprised as I note Casey doing the same. When Jagger puts a hand on Casey’s shoulder, and then my own, I allow him to guide us toward the podium in front of the Gathering Hall.

The crowd of shifters go quiet as we face them.

Jagger grins. “I never thought I’d see this day, but here it is.” He shoots a look at Casey and winks before facing the crowd again. “Today, I ask Edirn Alpen and Casey Stone to share their intentions to announce their mate bond.”

There’s a murmur from the gathered shifters. In the front of the crowd, I see Gage and Savannah, each holding a child. I feel a small swirl of warmth.

“Go ahead,” Jagger prompts me.

I turn back to the woman beside me and focus on her. “Casey,” I say, taking a deep breath. “I, Edirn Alpen, vow to protect and cherish you. With you at my side, I know that I am capable of anything. Two become one.”

“Edirn,” Casey says, “I, Casey Stone, promise to be your mate and your true companion. I will stand by your side, forsaking all others, and face any challenges that come our way. Two become one.”

Jagger walks up and faces us, resting a hand on each of our shoulders. “And so the bond is forged before the pack and before your Alpha.” He fixes a firm look at us. “Now it rests upon you to seal the bond of the flesh.”

I sense Casey stiffen as he says it. When I look over at her, she doesn’t meet my eye. And it doesn’t take a mind reader to know what’s going on in her head. This is something else she hadn’t considered.

The bond must be sealed.

And there’s only one way that can be done.

Jagger continues, “Now that you join our ranks as a mated pair, we eagerly anticipate the arrival of your strong, healthy pups to swell our ranks. Good luck.”

There’s a taut hush that lasts all of a second, and then the silence is broken by cheers. I feel my shoulder being clapped and my back soundly slapped. People are talking all around us, and Casey looks…stupefied.

Without thinking, I step closer and set a hand on the small of her back. This time, she doesn’t pull away. In fact, she seems to lean closer.

My mate.

Strong, healthy pups…

Something tightens and clenches within me. A feeling that takes me a moment to identify. It’s an overwhelming need to shelter her. Even this throng of happy revelers is making me edgy because it’s unnerving her.

Then again, that’s not what’s unnerving her.

I am.

She stares up at me, and for the first time, I’m not facing resistance. I draw in a breath as we lock eyes. A sea of raw emotions pulls me in. Confusion, surprise…hope. And I’m lost. I don’t care what it takes; I’m going to win this woman. It won’t be a chase. I won’t hunt her down.

She’s going to give herself to me.

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