Chapter Thirty-Two: Alpha Ceremony (Part Six)
Sunday
Emerald's POV:
Why would the twins have any interest in me? I was practically a nobody; I wasn't rich or influential, and my parents were pack warriors, so it wasn't like we wined and dined with the elite of the Dark Storm Pack. Whatever it was, it would blow over by tomorrow. I heard the quads talking about the triplets and twins leaving back to their territories after breakfast tomorrow. Then I could catch a break from all this twin drama.
However, despite how much I said that, I couldn't shake the feeling of intrigue from my head. Why were they always staring? Why were they so protective? They said I reminded them of someone, but who? As much as I knew, they were the only children of the Supreme Alpha and Luna, and they had yet to find their mate. Maybe there was something I didn't know, another thing added to the list that I had to ask the quads. With all these thoughts in my head, Hannah and I walked into the banquet hall, where everyone was supposed to gather before heading out to the west end clearing where the ceremony would take place.
Just like last time, I was left stunned. Luna Crystal had done a fantastic job of setting up the place. Instead of round tables and chairs; several hightop tables with black covers and a dark grey bow attached in the middle were set around the hall, each table had a small cage filled with fairy lights and artificial grass balls. A beautiful fountain was set up in the middle of the hall, and several bars were around the corners. A twelve-foot long dessert table was on the left side of the fountain with deserts I don't even know the names of, and another twelve-foot appetizer table was to the right of the fountain. Several waiters were walking around with finger food as well, and all the guests were dressed to the nines in their branded suits and gowns. You could tell this was a party of the rich, but what warmed my heart the most was despite the presence of all the elite in the hall, I could sense the majority of our pack here as well. That warmed my heart.
I had heard that Alphas and Lunas of most packs usually kept the pre-event things exclusively for visiting Alphas and their Lunas, other high-profile pack members, and the Supreme Alpha and the Lycan Kings. But looking at it right now, Luna Crystal and Alpha Alexander were nothing like those stuck-up leaders. I had big shoes to fill. I hope over time the pack will come to love and accept me like they did Luna Crystal.
You could feel the powerful auras radiating around the room, it was suffocating. Every Alpha trying to get one over the other was a little pathetic. You should be strong enough not to release your aura to show dominance. I was broken out of my inner monologue when I felt arms around my waist and a face was nuzzled into my neck.
I smiled, Sam.
"Baby, you look ravishing, but why is that snow-white neck on display?” Sam asked, nipping my marking spot.
I let out a little moan. Realizing what I had done, I clamped a hand over my mouth and closed my eyes.
I heard someone chuckle from the side, and another face was nuzzled into my neck.
As much as I tried controlling my smile, it broke through, Zeke.
"You didn't answer my brother, my angel. Why is our beautiful mate's markless neck on display?“ asked Zeke, nipping the other marking spot on his side.
They needed to stop; I could feel my arousal growing stronger.
Oh Goddess, make them stop!
There were so many people in here and Alphas who had senses stronger than the average wolf. I didn't need the spotlight on me right now, my nerves were already all over the place.
The two were on a mission; they latched onto each side and sucked and nipped on my marking spots. I was going crazy, the moans coming out of my mouth sounded like a sex-deprived crazed women.
But Goddess, it felt so good.
I grabbed onto each of their hair and tugged. Suddenly, a pair of lips slammed down on mine in a rough dominant kiss, Ezekiel.
He bit my lower lip asking for entrance; even though I wanted to give entrance, wanting nothing more than to feel his tongue against mine, I decided to be bold and keep my lips shut. He licked my lip again and bit down harshly, picking up the little tease I was trying to be. Suddenly, I felt another pair of hands come from behind and grab a handful of breast, pinching my covered nipple a little too roughly, Azreal.
I yelped, giving entrance to Ezekiel’s tongue.
Ezekiel's tongue and mine battled for dominance, but Azreal's assault on my breast as he groped and pinched my nipple had me lose. Ezekiel latched onto my tongue and sucked on it hard.
I moaned, and suddenly I was thrown onto a soft surface.
Opening my eyes, I was broken out of my haze when I noticed we were no longer in the hall, but in what I believed was a guest bedroom on the lower level of the packhouse.
Huh? When did we even get here, and how?
I didn't get any time to ponder on it when Azreal's lips came crashing down on mine.
He went straight for my tongue, caressing his with mine and roaming it around my entire mouth. My hands went around his neck as I sat and tugged on his hair. I felt someone shuffle behind me, and lips landed on the nape of my neck; open mouth kisses travelled down my neck to the right side, where Sam had most likely left a hickey.
Azreal gave my tongue one last caress with his and sucked it for a few seconds before letting me up for air. However, that didn't last long because Zeke attacked my lips.
He was slower; he held the left side of my face in his palm as he slowly caressed my cheek with his thumb. He kissed my upper lip between his first, then went to the bottom. Unlike his brothers, he was savouring our moment. You could almost taste the love in the kiss. Licking my lower lip, asking for access into my mouth, I compiled. Our tongues caressed one another, and we alternated in sucking each other's tongue, all while he never let go of my face, and I didn't let go of his.
My arousal was going haywire, and I was sure I would reek of it for some time. How was I supposed to go back out there smelling almost like a brothel?
Ughh! Stupid mates and their soul-shattering kisses.
Zeke finally let go and backed up. Opening my eyes, I saw all four of my Alphas standing around me on the bed. Just by looking at them, my pussy sent in a fresh wave of juices, soaking me more than I already was.
By Goddess, they looked gorgeous; that was an understatement. They looked breathtaking. Clad in all-black suits, and shirts tailored to fit every curve of their bodies. I could see the definition of muscles from their arms to their thighs. They looked good enough to eat.
Maybe all this she-wolf drama was worth the hassle.
Because, my oh my, I'm ready to jump their bones!
Men in suits, particularly black suits, were my weakness, and I think they picked up on it by the smirks on all the quads’ faces.
Cocky sons-of-bunnies!
"Easy there, angel; we don't want the whole packhouse to know what's going on, do we?” asked Zeke smirking, his eyes were black.
I blushed.
"Uh, where are we, and how'd we get here?" I asked, trying to change the topic.
"Well, baby, we couldn't have our gorgeous Luna looking this exquisite roaming among unmated males without carrying our scent, since that beautiful smooth neck of yours still doesn't have our marks...,” said Sam, Azreal then cutting in, "...plus my love, your sweet scent of arousal was getting stronger by the second out there, and we don't need anyone smelling what should only be for us,” he finished.
Yup! kill me now, this was so embarrassing!
Oh Goddess, what if someone picked up the smell or, even worse, heard me moaning back in the hall. Looking at my mortified expression, Ezekiel came forward and took my face in his hands and said,
"Hey, hey, calm down, little Luna. We would never let anyone hear, see or even smell something meant for us alone. We took you out of there once you became immersed in Sam. We would never do anything to let down your honour amongst others. Despite being very sexual creatures and seeing all this to be normal, we wouldn't want or let any women be disregarded if they are not comfortable,” Ezekiel finished.
My heart swelled with respect for all the quads. They weren't what all the rumours said. Yes, they were playboys, had extensive girlfriends and one night stands. But I could see they respected women and considered their feelings. I wonder if they showed this side to all their exes, or was I the first? I still burned with jealousy whenever I thought of any other girl with the quads other than me, but that was something I knew I would have to get used to. By now I knew they wouldn't cheat on me and wouldn't regret being with me. Because if they wanted to get rid of me, I had given them multiple reasons over the days; by denying the mate bond, momentary outbursts, questioning their loyalty, and withholding any proper sexual interactions. However, I wasn't going to jump the gun and fall into bed with them for a romp; they still had to earn me, I wasn't going to make it easy for them.
I was broken out of my little fangirl moment when I felt Ezekiel tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Little Luna, let’s go. The ceremony is about to start,” he said, helping me off the bed and straightening out of my dress.
"Um, is there a reason other than um, um what we just did you brought me here?" I asked blushing, remembering the intense moment we all shared.
The quads snickered at my embarrassed reaction.
"You’re a clever one, aren't you, angel? Nothing seems to get past you, we have noticed. We may have had an ulterior motive behind sneaking you away,” said Zeke.
"We couldn't have our little vixen looking all hot and heavy without carrying some form of claim on her around unmated males,” said Sam, smirking like the devil himself.
Huh? What was that supposed to mean?
Realization quickly dawned on me, and I sprinted towards the bathroom mirror. I was left horrified. At the base of my neck, where my shoulder and neck met, were two hickies on each side. They weren't the small red ones you would see on the female wolves either, they were purplish-blue and freaking ginormous.
Oh Goddess, what in the name of Selene!
Why would they do this? Everybody could see these, and I doubt they would let me cover them. Leaving hickies on a female's neck was a way to tell other wolves that the she-wolf was spoken for. Like the quads hadn't already raved to everyone in the pack that I was mated to them, and I reeked of them. I could see their ulterior motive now!
Ugh! Why were they so darn possessive? Yes, it was all cute, but they needed to know everything had a time and place, and right now wasn't the time nor place.
I stomped out of the bathroom, ready to give them a piece of my mind, but before I could get a word out, I heard Ezekiel say,
"Calm down, little Luna, you could probably kill with the expression on your face right now,” he said smirking at me.
Oh, the audacity of this guy and his brothers.
"You can't be serious right now, guys. You didn't need to do this! Everyone will see these, and on top of that, I reek of quadruplet Alphas. It's my first time meeting other pack leaders as your potential mate and soon-to-be Luna, what will they all think? That was I was some loose character she-wolf that couldn't even reel herself in at her own mates’ Alpha ceremony,” I said, giving the quads the best glare I could muster up. But as expected, they looked unfazed.
Ugh! Cruse them and their Alpha aura of not giving two flying bunnies if the matter wasn't remotely vital to them.
"My love, it was very much needed. You may think it's not a big deal walking around with a bare neck, but for us, IT IS! A she-wolf without a mark, potential mate or not, is fair game. We will not have our Luna be preyed upon by those pompous Alphas outside. You don't know them as we do, so it is best that you reel in that attitude and not fight us on everything we do. Whatever we do is for you, and you alone,” Azreal said, with a hint of anger in his tone.
I was left baffled; Azreal had always been the loving, soft one. Hearing the hint of anger in his tone and thrown me off. Was I really not considering their angle in this situation?
"Baby, you may not consider yourself beautiful and worthy, but that's where you're wrong. You are the most gorgeous person to ever step foot on this earth, and not only in looks but also in soul. Your love and empathy shine in the aura around you, and we know that any wolf would die to have a mate like you,” said Sam.
"Angel, we know our possessiveness gets to you at times, and I won't lie to you and say it'll tame down over the years, because it will not. It's in our nature to protect and provide for our mate. Yes, we can understand it's annoying, but doesn't it just show how much we love and care for you?" said Zeke.
Whatever Zeke was saying was right, I couldn't deny that. You only are possessive of a person you care about. Maybe I was overreacting?
"Little Luna, we're sorry if we upset you, we indeed are! As for what the guests think, you don't need to worry. Wolves are passionate lovers, and you being our fated mate just means everything regarding our relationship is more intense. You must have even witnessed at the academy how mates interact,” said Ezekiel.
He was right; many of the mated couples I saw around the pack were always groping each other and jumping each other's bones the first chance they got. It was just that I wasn't used to all this, and it would take time. I had always tried staying in the shadows, not wanting to give anyone a reason to notice me. But again, that wasn't fair to the quads. They had been endlessly trying to go about everything my way, I think it was time I started taking heed of them.
I nodded at all their words and gave them a smile in understanding. They all relaxed, realizing I wasn't mad anymore. Kissing my forehand, they turned and led me out of the room and walked towards the clearing outside, where everyone was probably waiting for them for the ceremony. However, Azreal took hold of my hand and turned me toward him before we could step outside.
"I'm sorry I got mad back there, my love; it's just that it gets tricky when you fight back at things we're doing for your benefit. But I understand where you were coming from. It was wrong of me to snap at you. If you are truly uncomfortable with the marks on your neck, you can pull down your hair and cover them, or we can even ask someone to come over and help you cover them,” he said, his eyes showing that he meant every word.
I could tell the rest of the quads were against it, but nodded in agreement to their brother's words. My heart swelled with love for them. They were willing to let their egos slide if that meant I was comfortable. For an Alpha to not get what he wanted was unheard of, but here were my mates, ready to do anything as long as I was happy. I was coming to see the Goddess had indeed truly blessed me with wonderful mates. Yeah, they could be a pain in my bum at times, but if I actually thought about it, it was true whatever they did or said was for my benefit.
Smiling and grabbing hold of Azreal's face, I brought it down and connected our lips in a slow passionate kiss, making sure he could feel my emotions: that I trusted him and I wasn't mad.
"No, it's okay. I am, after all, your to be Luna, people should know,” I replied, blushing as I joined our foreheads together.
All the quads smiled at my response, nuzzling me and leading me out to the clearing. As soon as we reached it, the quads were led to the make-shift stage at the front by Luca, and Hannah came to get me. When she saw my hickies, she had the biggest cat-eating grin possible and started with that hideous gyrating hip gesture again.
Ugh! Like I didn't have everyone's attention on my neck already.
"Ya know, Em, there's a saying that there's a time and place for everything,” said Hannah smirking.
Before I could even say a thing in my defence, Alpha Alexander's voice boomed around us.
"Welcome members of the Dark Storm Pack, visiting Alphas, our leaders; the future Supreme Alpha twins: Alpha Isaiah and Alpha Josiah Stark and of course, their Royal Highnesses the triplet Lycan Kings: King Tristan, King Lucas and King Hayden Whitlock.
Today marks an historic day in the pack's history, as it will be led by not one capable Alpha, but by four for the first time. I have complete confidence in my sons and the future Alphas that they will achieve great things, and help the pack prosper more than it already has…,” said Alpha Alexander, as he went on about his rule with his Luna, their journey with their five exceptional children and how proud they were of all them to have found their mates to begin this fantastic journey.
"...and now I present to you, Alpha Ezekiel, Alpha Azreal, Alpha Zaqeil and Alpha Samuel Thor. The Quadruplet Alphas!” he roared.
As if the quads had been hit with a blot of electricity, they all shifted in their stances, standing taller as the aura around them changed and grew thrice as strong as it was, dropping the pack members to their knees in honour of their new Alphas. The only ones left standing were the triplets, twins and me.
Unconsciously I locked eyes with the twins and triplets, all five of them looking at me like I was a strange science project.
Wait, was I supposed to bend the knee as well?
But I hadn't felt their aura wash over me like the rest of the pack.
Was it because I was their mate, or something else?
No one told me anything! I started panicking; sensing my distress, my mates looked toward me, giving me a small smile, their eyes told me to calm down, but I could see the curiosity and confusion in them as well.
Holy flying mushrooms!
I think I screwed up!
Before I could bend the knee to the quadruplets, I heard one of the triplets say;
"Do you, Alpha Ezekiel, Alpha Azreal, Alpha Zaqeil, and Alpha Samuel Thor swear to uphold the laws implemented by the generations of the past Kings for your pack, set to the accordance of the will of the Moon Goddess, Selene, that you will be fair rulers and will make decisions based on sound mind and body?"
"We swear!” the quads said in unison.
"Do you, Alpha Ezekiel, Alpha Azreal, Alpha Zaqeil, and Alpha Samuel Thor swear that you will do justice to your pack members by punishing the guilty and rewarding the righteous?" asked the second Lycan King.
"We swear!” The quads said in unison.
"Do you, Alpha Ezekiel, Alpha Azreal, Alpha Zaqeil and Alpha Samuel Thor swear to run the Dark Storm Pack in the name of the Lycan Kingdom and pledge your allegiance to your Kings?" asked the last of the triplet Kings.
"We swear!” the quads said in unison.
An omega then brought a golden chalice that had encryptions all around it towards the triplets, handing it to them as she bowed her head and left. Each triplet cut their palm, poured some of their blood into it, and passed it to the quads. Each quad took a sip, and then they all fell on one knee, with their fisted hand over their heart, showing their acceptance and submission to our Kings.
"May your rule bring success to your pack, Alphas,” said the triplets as the crowd applauded and howled in appreciation to our new Alphas.
My new Alphas! My mates!