Page 60 of Marked By the Alphas

“To find the maid who delivered this. She must have tampered with it in some way,” I said, trying to move around her, but Naya wouldn’t let me.

“What if you accuse an innocent maid? If your mates hear this, they won’t even wait to hear her side of the story before they condemn her. For all we know, she could be innocent. She’s not the only one who has had access to this box, and to accuse her alone would be unfair,” Naya said, and her words made me pause.

I turned back around and moved to pull my phone from the charger. I had missed messages from Kai, Rhys, and Rowan, each telling me how they couldn’t wait to see me later in the day. The messages were from hours before, and so I knew it might be ineffective if I just texted them back. I knew they might still be busy with planning. I immediately began dialing their numbers, but as I expected, they all just went to voicemail.

“I need to find them. I need to tell them about this. Silas could be within the pack already and we wouldn’t even know,” I said, but before I could move again, Naya held onto me. I looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.

“Calm down, Elara. I feel as panicked as you do. All of this is an attempt to unsettle you. This ceremony has to take place, for your sake and the sake of your babies. If it gets canceled, then it’ll be a win for him. Your mates have been out all day and I’m pretty sure that they would put every security precaution inplace to make sure you are safe. I don’t think Silas will want to try and snatch you from right under their noses. I’m not saying you shouldn’t tell them. All I’m saying is that you wait until the ceremony is over,” Naya encouraged me.

Her words made a lot of sense, but I couldn’t bring myself to calm down.

Another knock on the door made me jolt and Naya moved to pull it open, revealing Pierre, the guard who had accompanied us to the mall yesterday.

“Alpha Kai has requested I bring you to the venue,” he announced and I swallowed before nodding, allowing him to lead me out of the room.

The grand hall was a maelstrom of activity when I arrived. It was filled with men and women anticipation flooded the space. Kai was at the entrance, waiting for me when I arrived. I took the hand that he offered, blushing when he dipped his head to kiss me in the presence of all these people.

“I’m so blessed. You truly are the most beautiful woman alive,” he said to me, and I blushed to the tip of my toes

Rhys and Rowan stood at the head of the hall, their figures imposing against the backdrop of opulence. My heart pounded like a war drum as Kai and I made our way toward them. Rhys and Rowan’s eyes were sparkling with emotion when I got to them. The Alphas looked like a formidable trio of power and authority and as I stood with them. I felt a cocoon of safety surround me.

Kai cleared his throat, bringing the hall to silence. “Golden Moon Pack, over the last couple of months, we have beenwitnessed to the most peaceful time our pack has known in decades and all of that began with the arrival of an Omega in our territory. It is with intense pride and joy that we not only present to you the source of that peace, but we also officially introduce our mate to you.”

The hall erupted in a thunderous applause, but Kai was quick to bring it to silence again.

“Elara has not only brought us peace, she bears the mark of the prophecy that has been foretold from generation to generation since time immemorial. Within her are the seeds of our future,” Kai finished.

I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting from the second part of the announcement, but maybe because of how well the first part had gone, I had hoped that it would continue that way. What I never anticipated was the deafening silence that settled in the air following the announcement.

This was it!

One of my deepest fears was coming to life.

The people did not want me. My heartbeat roared in my ears, and I could have sworn that it was the longest ten seconds of my life. Before I could even react, the hall erupted with cheers, shouts, whistles, and howls of celebration. The sudden noise shocked me enough to cause me to lose my footing, but thankfully Rhys was able to catch me before I could hit the floor.

“You are what the people want. You should never have doubted it,” Rhys whispered into my ear, and the euphoria that filled me was enough to drive away some of the gloom that occupied my heart.

The mating ceremony followed after, once the people had settled enough, and Kai, Rhys, and Rowan stood with me in front of the makeshift altar that had been made. An elderly man who I had never met before came forward with a bowl in his hands. His voice was low and resonant as he invoked ancient blessings while walking around us in circles.

“We are all aware of the mating ritual that provides a sacred bond, a union of the souls and bodies of those involved, and by the moon and the stars, we have all gathered today to witness this sacred union. Not only are these the leaders of our pack, they are our future, and so today, in the presence of the Moon Goddess, we ask that she look upon this union with blessings.” His voice echoed in the quiet space.

“Stretch forth your hands,” he instructed only for our hearing.

With swift efficiency, he slit tiny cuts across all our wrists with a single blade, allowing the drops of blood to gather into the bowl in his hands. Once he was done, he took a swipe of the blood and applied it to our palms.

“Now join hands again,” he instructed and we did, forming a chain with our joined hands.

A wave of warmth spread throughout my veins like liquid fire the moment our hands linked again. It felt like a primal sensation, a connection formed at the deepest level. For the first time, I heard my wolf howl in excitement in my head.

“May your love be as enduring as the mountains, your bond as unbreakable as steel, and may your offspring be a beacon of hope for generations to come. And finally, may this union be blessed and protected.” With these final words, the crowd erupted in cheers once more.

Kai stepped forward, his hands resting on my shoulders as he gently pushed me so I could stand in front of him. “And so, we proclaim Elara, bearer of our heir, Luna of the Golden Moon Pack. May she reign with wisdom and compassion,” he declared and was met with howls and cheers.

Music filled the hall, and the feast began. Many people approached me to offer their congratulations, and my anxiety returned in full, knowing that among them could be an enemy, someone who could have been sent by Silas to cause us harm.

Although I was worried about Silas, I knew it still wasn’t the best time to mention seeing Scarlett as Kai, Rowan, and Rhys were mingling with the guests. Exhaustion crept into my body from standing for so long. My body was starting to ache, and the noise and relentless attention worsened my distress.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Rhys asked after a while, and I shook my head.

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