Amber palms sweating profusely, she felt a cold sweat run down her forehead.
Aiden brought out a small bottle from his pocket and poured a few drops of the liquid into his mouth, then gave Amber the bottle to do the same.
"What is it?" she looked at it suspiciously as she collected it, smelling its contents.
"A strong portion, to help with our quest," he said matter-of-factly. "Three drops," he instructed.
Reluctantly, she complied, drinking the tasteless liquid as it dropped into her mouth. Within seconds of drinking the portion, a tingling sensation spread throughout her body, and an intense itching feeling sprang up on her chest, causing a red, fang-like spot to appear just below her collarbone.
"It's an ancient dark magic, very hard to detect, appearing as though we have imprinted on each other," he said, pulling down his collar to show a similar mark on his collarbone. "And it creates a delusion in the mind and nose; convincing people we have marked our scent off each other."
Before she could utter a word of protest, he had dragged her by the arm, pulling her across the room. "Let's go."
"Wait!" she yanked her hand free from his grasp. "I wasn't aware it would be this sudden... what happened to preparations? Why the rush?"
"This is business, not a love union," he said, grabbing her hand. "And I, for one, don't have the time to wait. The sooner we get this done; the sooner we part ways." He spoke matter-of-factly, pulling her out of the room and leading her through a series of hallways and stairs. The place was unusually quiet and deserted.
He had a point, she thought. Why would he want any further delay? she was after all the one who wanted to escape her fate, not him. All she could do was stare dumbfounded at the crest on the gold ring on one of the large fingers curled tightly around her wrist. Her eyes wandered from the large hand wrapped around her wrist; her hand, in comparison, looked frail and childlike, as if he could crush her fingers at any moment, sending shivers down her spine. She shook her head to clear the thought. Her eyes then wandered to his arm and the rest of his body. He was huge, his jacket concealing his perfectly sculpted back, toned and molded from years of training and battles. His dark hair was loosely tied back by a ribbon, showing off the side of his neck, where a large, thick scar marred his skin, running from his neck to the side of his chin and down the back of his neck, partially concealed by his dark velvet jacket.
He pushed open a large door and pulled her to the front of a small crowd awaiting them—the heads and grand council members of the pack, nobles, and officers. They were clueless about what was about to happen, why they had been summoned, and, most importantly, who the woman with the alpha was.
"I, Alpha and Lord Aiden Blackwood of the Iron-Fang Pack, have taken a mate," he announced loudly, causing gasps and whispers of shock around the hall. "I have brought her before you, the council of the pack, to introduce her as my mate and the new luna."
The council members exchanged shocked glances, their faces a mix of confusion, dread, and disapproval.
"Sire, if we may speak," the oldest member, a tall, imposing figure with a stern expression, said, stepping forward. His voice was laced with skepticism as he treads carefully. "This woman cannot be your mate unless she and you have been bound by the Goddess of Union, and she has been imprinted on..." The elder's words trailed off as his nose caught a faint scent, and his eyes widened in shock. "It's impossible... it can't be," he said, staggering back.
Aiden's expression remained calm, but a hint of amusement danced in his eyes. "Ah, but she has been, you sense it now," he said, his voice low and confident. He pulled down his collar, revealing the red, fang-like mark on his collarbone. "As you can see, the Goddess has seen fit to bless our union, and her, my mate." His other hand tugged the top of Amber's dress to reveal a similar imprint on her collarbone. The council's eyes widened in shock as they took in the mark. Some of them began to sniff the air, their noses twitching as they caught the scent of the alpha's mate. Whispers and murmurs erupted among them. Amber's eyes darted between the council members; confusion etched on her face. Why did they seem shocked and skeptical at the prospect of the alpha having a mate? Weren't they supposed to be happy?
She looked at Aiden, but his expression gave nothing away; his expression remained neutral. His smile grew, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You can all see the marks for yourselves. And if you're still unsure, I suppose you can try to detect my scent on her. I have imprinted." He raised an eyebrow, daring them to challenge him. The council members exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared to object further.
As the tension in the room began to dissipate, his gaze shifted to the shaman of the pack, a blind old man who remained silent throughout the whole uproar and conversation, although he was blind, he was revered for his connection to the gods and insights into the spirit realm. Aiden spoke, "You have remained silent throughout this discussion."
The shaman's eyes fluttered open, revealing his opulent, milky eyes. His empty gaze seemed to bore into their souls. For a moment, he said nothing, the air thick with tension as everyone waited to hear the shaman's judgment. Then, he nodded slowly. "Yes. The marks on their bodies... it is undeniable. The goddess has indeed seen fit to bless the alpha's union."
The council members exchanged glances, all looking dumbfounded and shaken by the shaman's words. Satisfied, Aiden's grip on Amber's hand tightened, his smile growing. "Then it is settled," he said, his voice ringing out across the room. "She is the new luna of the pack and my mate. I expect you all to show her your loyalty."
The council members nodded, their heads bowed, and their faces showed a mix of acceptance and reluctance. "Long live the luna," they all said in unison.
Amber felt a sense of unease. She knew she was in this predicament due to Aiden's manipulation, and she wondered what other secrets he might be hiding. How was it that the shaman didn't detect the work of dark magic?
The shaman turned toward Amber as all heads were bowed. His pearl-like eyes seemed to bore into her soul, seeing past everything, sensing something beneath the surface. But he said nothing, slowly averting his eyes from her as the council members raised their heads. The mere act sent a crawling, eerie feeling down her spine.
"That will be all, for now," Aiden said, tightening his grip on her wrist. "The initiation ceremony to celebrate the arrival of the new luna will be announced soon," he said as he pulled her across the room, heads turning to stare at them.
As soon as the door closed behind Aiden and Amber, the room erupted into an uproar.
"How is this possible?" someone asked.
"She is clearly an outsider; she reeks of foreign blood!" another person said.
"Why would the goddess make such a union? she is not one of us!"
"How could it be? A mate?!"
The uproar grew louder, with disputes and arguments spreading across the room.
"What do you propose, Radma?" someone asked, and everyone turned to the oldest council member who had first spoken earlier.
An unpleasant, confused look settled on his face. "For now, nothing," he said. "Something is off about this..."
....
Meanwhile, Aiden had pulled his new mate through the hallways to her chambers. Her heart pounded profusely; so much was going on at once. Did it mean she was officially married to the alpha now? She hadn't thought about the prospect of being luna.
Throwing her into the room, Aiden's eyes darkened as he slammed the door shut. His eyes blazed as he strolled over to her. "Let's get down to business, shall we?" he said, his voice low and intense.