Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)

Chapter Twenty Twp

Chapter Twenty Two

The day went by in a flash, and soon it was already evening.

"You should get dressed now; do you need help with that?" Axel asked.

"No. I know my way around those," I said, picking out a green gown from my wardrobe. Surprisingly, all the clothes here were my size, and that was very... creepy. "The red one"

"What?"

"The red one would be better," Axel said, and I picked out the red gown. It was a beautiful piece, and I wondered how much it cost. I imagine it cost a lot. "You are right."

I didn't do much with my hair; I was too nervous to even try, but I left it down, brushing through it a couple of times.

"Thane is here," Axel announced, even before I heard the footsteps. Just then, Thane walked in, and my eyes traveled to him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" sneered at him.

"Tell you what?" he asked, his gaze trailing right back to Axel, who shrugged innocently.

"You told me I was to attend some party; you never told me it was some joining ritual."

"You would have found out in the end."

"You should have told her, bro," Axel chipped in seeming to enjoy this more than he should.

"Which side are you on?" Thane wondered aloud

"I'm just stating facts. I'll be outside if you need me," Axel said before walking out.

Thane was silent for a while, and then he looked up at me. "It's no big deal..."

I cut him off, knowing fully well that that irritated him. "It's no big deal! We never talked about

you marking me this so soon. How is it no big deal?" and worst in front of the pack, and then the... other things?"

I hated the blush that formed on my cheeks.

"I told you, I would mark you if it came to that, and as you can see, it finally came to that."

"You should have told me it was happening the next freaking day; maybe that way I would have been prepared."

"You won't be as prepared as you are right now," he says, and though that was true, I wouldn't say it out loud. "Why does the idea of being 'marked' scare you?" he questioned.

Chapter Twenty Two

"You know why; stronger bonds are formed between mates after the "Joining","

"But we are not mates, remember?, and It's rare for any kind of bond to be formed, so if this is your worry, you should be rest assured."

"That's not the only worry. I can't do 'it' before everyone."

It only took a second for Thane to piece it all together.

"Sex? I told you, I wouldn't touch you, not till I had confirmed from the healer that you were ready."

"Axel said there is always a rise in your hormones; what if you can't control it?"

To that, he gave no response.

"I see you are fully dressed. It's time to officially meet the pack."

The hall was already buzzing with activity by the time we arrived. The song was a soft, beautiful melody, and partners paired up, dancing in rhythm. I might have seen the beauty of it, if not for the nerves I felt. Thane led me into the hall, and many paused to watch, their stares burning into me. Axel followed, a short distance behind us. There were two huge chairs, something I would envision being made for a king and queen, sitting in the middle of the hall. Transparent curtains had been placed around the spot, with an opening letting us oversee all the ongoing activities.

Thane led me up the few steps, and then he took his seat, and I took mine beside him. The cheers grew louder.

Axel walked forward.noveldrama

"We introduce Luna Riley Kaidon to you all; she would be a part of us; any form of disrespect against her would be an insult to the Alpha, her mate, and to the pack as a whole. Let the mating process begin," Axel announced. If I didn't know better, I would believe he was unaware of the truth-the truth that I wasn't the Alpha's true mate. He had spoken with so much confidence.

The pack members cheered, this time louder.

In the crowd, far from every other person, I could spot the Alpha King, Slade. He had a small frown on his face, and I imagine he wasn't at all pleased to be here. Freya stood a few feet behind him; she was in gold this time-her dress, her veil, the gloves-everything was in the color gold. Her attention snapped to me once, as if she could sense me looking at her, and just as quickly, she looked away.

I looked through the faces of the people, and while some cheered, I noticed a few who stood very still, and among them was my mother. Her eyes stared up at me, cold, and then she looked away, disappearing into the crowd.