Page 116 of Want It All
My stomach dropped.
‘Both students are formidable scholars, placing equal second in the first-year cohort. Both embody the values we strive to cultivate at Banksia House: excellence, dedication, curiosity, and ambition. In addition, both these students have, over the past year, demonstrated traits we hope to see in all our students moving forward – bravery and resilience.’ Carla smiled, looking almost as proud as her son. ‘I need to add here that I am not a member of the Revels and had no part in the selection; anyone with questions about the process may contact Ada in the administration office.’
Tristan turned to Sebastian and me, his green eyes wide.
‘I am pleased to give you the joint winners of this year’s Banksia Prize: Sebastian Worthy and Rosemary Morris.’
The audience began to clap; behind us, I could hear Tristan’s mother cheering wildly. I sat still, stunned, until Sebastian caught my hand and dragged me upright, towing me towards the stage.
Carla enveloped us both in a warm hug. ‘Well done, both of you. I’m so proud,’ she whispered. She handed us both a rolled-up parchment. ‘There used to be a trophy, but now your name just gets engraved on the wall. I hope that’s okay.’
Sebastian turned towards the audience, glowing beneath the stage lights, shooting a smile that could only be described asgleefultowards his parents. ‘I know it’s bad to do things out ofspite, but sometimes, it just feels sogood.’ He took my hand in his, and turned his smile on me; it softened, became adoring. ‘Fuck yes, Rosebud. You’re amazing.’
‘So are you.’ I lifted his hand to my mouth and kissed his knuckles. ‘My omega.’
‘My omega,’ he murmured back. ‘I guess we have to stick around Banksia for longer now.’
My eyes found Byron and Tristan in the audience, both on their feet, applauding, with matching wide smiles. ‘I can’t wait.’
Sebastian laughed, the sound at once joyful and smug. ‘I wonder what the second-year prize is?’
The audience was smaller the following day.
We’d only invited our families – our parents and Tristan’s younger siblings. We’d talked about location for hours on end over the last six months, with suggestions ranging from the ridiculous – Tristan suggested the Natural History Museum in London – to the practical – the tiny local courthouse – but once I’d suggested the beach, we’d all gone quiet.
‘Yes,’ Sebastian had said, and that was that.
None of us were devout, so we’d engaged a celebrant rather than the traditional two priests for the ceremony. She was a cheerful beta with ash-brown curls and an ever-present friendly smile. She hadn’t known who either Tristan or Sebastian were, so we hadn’t had to worry about her leaking details to the media, even after two photographers were arrested outside the gates of Banksia trying to get a story about our pack.
The four of us stood together on the cliffs, facing the sea, our parents seated behind us. I wore a flowing dress of soft gold withwhite sandals, while Tristan and Sebastian had coaxed Byron into tan chinos and a white linen shirt so the three of them matched. He had a pair of aviators perched on his nose, and Sebastian had pinned tiny sprigs of wattle to their breasts; I had a similar sprig tucked into my hair.
My eyes darted to the place – a few metres away – where Byron and I had first kissed. As if he knew what I was thinking, he grinned and brought my hand to his mouth, pressing his lips to my knuckles.
‘I never imagined this,’ Tristan mused softly, watching the sun sink over the horizon, the sky lit with shades of pink and orange as the tide surged below us, ‘but somehow, it’s what I’ve always wanted.’
The celebrant looked us over and began.
‘We are here this evening for the best of reasons,’ she said, smiling, ‘to witness the bonding of the Morris-Worthy pack. All packs are special and all bonds sacred, but this pack’s journey wasn’t simple, nor easy. They have worked – both together, and as individuals – to overcome the barriers that separated them, and are stronger for it. And as a pack with not one, buttwoscent-matched pairs, I think we can all agree that they have found something rare, something precious, and something worth fighting for.
‘They told me they didn’t want to write vows which, I must admit, I found surprising, given they are all intelligent, articulate people. But Byron said to me:how could I ever put this into words?’ She paused. ‘I understood, then. Some things are bigger than words, more powerful than language. Some things can never be captured by mere sounds or symbols. So, instead of words, instead of vows, let your bonds speak for you; let your hearts say what your lips cannot.’
I sniffed as a tear ran down my cheek. Sebastian wiped it away, his own eyes bright.
‘Usually, the head alpha would bite their pack first,’ she continued, smiling at Tristan. ‘But that isn’t the case today. I was informed by both alphas that the omegas were the core of this pack, and they would be the ones forging the bonds. Rosemary and Sebastian, I invite you to begin.’
I took a shuddering breath and turned to Sebastian. He took my hands in his, gently squeezing my fingers. ‘Ready, beautiful?’ he whispered.
I was nervous, but I wasn’t scared. This was my omega, and I loved him. My canines pushed down, sending a dull ache through my jaw. ‘Ready.’
He tilted his head, baring his neck to me; I leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his scent gland, then bit down. His blood spread over my tongue, cherry-sweet with a slight metallic aftertaste. I moaned softly as warmth spread through my body, an awareness chasing after it – not of the environment around me, but ofSebastian. Of my other half, my perfect match, my omega. Of his golden sunshine, of his flirty cheerfulness, of the steel backbone he obscured with smiles and his big blue eyes. I splayed my hand over his heart, closing my eyes as his love surged through me. ‘Oh, Seb,’ I whispered.
‘Rosebud,’ he said, panting slightly. ‘Rose, I –’
I tilted my head. ‘Bite.’
It hurt, but only for a moment; my limbs shook as he gripped me, moaning my name. I felt lightheaded, as if I was floating away; the next heartbeat, I was anchored by the echoes of Sebastian’s emotions, by his gratitude and admiration and adoration.
I pushed my love for him down the bond, trying to show him just how strongly those feelings were returned. He staggered slightly; I held him up.
