Page 29 of Swipe Right on the Alpha
“This is more permanent than marriage,” Theo pointed out, arranging something that looked suspiciously like animal bones in a small dish. “The metaphysical aspects create actual changes in your biological structure. Hence all the… witchy stuff.”
Aiden took another sip of the tea, feeling its warmth spread through his limbs with increasing intensity. “And the full moon timing?”
“Our powers are strongest during the full moon,” Dylan explained. “The bond will take better, integrate more completely into both our energies.”
As sunset approached, the preparations accelerated. Aiden was guided through a ritual cleansing—a shower with water infused with herbs that left his skin tingling pleasantly. He dressed in loose pants similar to Dylan’s, remaining shirtless as instructed. When he emerged from the bathroom, the cabin had been transformed.
The furniture in the main living space had been moved aside, creating an open area where pack members were arranging themselves in a circle. Candles provided the only illumination, their flickering light casting dancing shadows on the walls. The air was heavy with the scent of burning herbs—sage, lavender, and something earthier Aiden couldn’t identify.
Dylan stood in the center of the circle, his expression solemn yet filled with anticipation. When he saw Aiden, something fierce and possessive flashed in his eyes.
“Come,” he said simply, extending his hand.
Aiden moved forward, acutely aware of the pack’s eyes on him as he took Dylan’s hand and stepped into the circle. The tea’s effects were becoming more pronounced—his skin hypersensitive to touch, his awareness of Dylan’s proximity almost overwhelming in its intensity.
“We gather under the full moon,” Dylan began, his voice deeper than usual, carrying the authority of his alpha status. “To witness and bless the bonding of mates.”
The ritual proceeded with words in a language Aiden didn’t recognize—something ancient and guttural that the pack responded to with synchronized replies. Dylan never released his hand throughout the ceremony, his thumb stroking gentle circles against Aiden’s palm in silent reassurance.
At one point, each pack member approached to place a mark on both their bodies—a symbol drawn in what Sofia had earlier explained was a mixture of sacred oils and a single drop of blood from each pack member, creating a physical representation of their acceptance.
As the moon rose higher, visible through the cabin’s large windows, the energy in the room seemed to shift and intensify. Aiden felt it like a physical presence—a building pressure that wasn’t uncomfortable but was impossible to ignore. Dylan’s eyes had taken on their amber glow, though he remained fully human in form.
Finally, Dylan spoke words that Aiden recognized as the conclusion of the public portion: “The circle acknowledges this bond. What follows is for mates alone.”
The pack members rose silently, each approaching to touch both Dylan and Aiden briefly—a hand on the shoulder, a kiss to the cheek, gentle contact that somehow conveyed blessing and acceptance. Then they filed out of the cabin, leaving Dylan and Aiden alone in the candlelit space.
For a moment, neither spoke, the weight of the moment hanging between them. Then Dylan reached out, cradling Aiden’s face with gentle hands.
“Last chance to back out,” he said softly, though his eyes betrayed how difficult the offer was to make. “No one would blame you.”
Aiden covered Dylan’s hands with his own. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said with quiet certainty. “I want this. I want you. For keeps.”
Something wild and joyful flared in Dylan’s expression. Without further words, he pulled Aiden into a kiss that contained none of his usual careful restraint—hungry, possessive, and demanding in a way that sent heat racing through Aiden’s body.
The tea’s effects magnified every sensation—the slide of Dylan’s tongue against his, the press of powerful hands at his waist, the heat radiating from Dylan’s bare chest where it pressed against his own. When Dylan finally broke the kiss, both were breathing heavily.
“Bedroom,” Dylan directed, his voice a rough growl that sent shivers down Aiden’s spine.
Chapter 16
The bedroom continued the ritual atmosphere—candles flickering, strange symbols drawn on the mirror and windows, a subtle fragrance in the air that seemed to enhance Aiden’s already heightened senses. The bed had been prepared with fresh linens in deep burgundy, the color symbolic in ways Elena had attempted to explain earlier.
Dylan guided Aiden to sit on the edge of the bed, kneeling before him with an expression of such reverence it made Aiden’s chest ache with emotion.
“I need to explain what happens next,” Dylan said, his hands resting on Aiden’s knees. “The physical bonding is… intense. My wolf will be very close to the surface—I’ll partially shift during the process. The claiming bite comes at the moment of completion, and it will leave a permanent mark.”
“I know,” Aiden said, having discussed these details extensively over the past days. “I’m ready.”
Dylan’s eyes searched his face, looking for any hint of hesitation. Finding none, he continued, “The bite creates the metaphysical connection. You’ll feel… changes. My emotions, sometimes thoughts. A sense of my presence even when we’re apart. And physical changes too—enhanced healing, extended lifespan, heightened senses—not to werewolf levels, but beyond human norm.”
“The full supernatural spouse package,” Aiden said with a small smile, trying to lighten the solemnity of the moment. “Got it.”
Dylan’s answering smile was tender. “It goes both ways. I’ll feel you too—your emotions, your needs. The bond connects us in ways that can’t be broken. That’s why this choice is so significant.”
“I’ve made my choice,” Aiden said, reaching to trace Dylan’s face with gentle fingers. “I choose you. Wolf and all.”
Something shifted in Dylan’s expression—restraint giving way to primal hunger. He rose in one fluid motion, pressing Aiden back onto the bed and covering his body with his own. Their mouths met in a kiss that contained months of built anticipation, the knowledge that this joining was different, more significant than those that had come before.
