Chapter 30: The Answer

“Atticus,” I said on a panicked breath, “I love that you are going to get up there and show everyone what you are, but I am not there yet.” I tremored as I spoke.

“The idea of getting up there in front of three packs? One of them being extremely suspicious of the magic you suggest? I can’t do that. No—”

“Shh. Shh,” Atticus said, grabbing my hands and pulling me into him. “There’s no pressure, Fox. I just thought it might help both of us to have us both up there together, but I can do it alone.”

I hated that there was a flicker in his eyes when he said that, but I couldn’t be what he wanted. Not yet. Not with all the eyes on me, the judgment.

What if Silas heard me again? What if he was out there now, in the woods waiting for his chance?

It would mean getting people I loved killed again, and I couldn’t do that. It couldn’t be my fault again.

So even though I hated the hurt I created in him, and the fact that he would be showing up by himself, I couldn’t do it.

I wanted to; I dreamed of the day I could just sing when I wanted and not be worried about who was going to get hurt because of it.

But the idea of that being today? Made me terrified.

“Hey, it was just an idea, Fox. Calm that rapid heart of yours. I can be satisfied with just hearing your voice in bed.” He grinned, then kissed me again.

I wasn’t about to argue when he kissed me like that. I kissed him back, needing to make sure he wasn’t mad at me. He didn’t seem mad when he lifted me onto his waist. I grinned as he pushed me against one of the wooden huts we stood between.

His tongue pushed inside my mouth, and I danced mine with his. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled his pant strings apart.

“Won’t the packs know what we’re doing? Sense it or something?” I whispered.

Atticus chuckled, “What do you think they are all doing to prepare for this thing and control their urges to compete or show strength near other wolves?”

I grinned at that and kissed him. Atticus shoved my dress out of the way, slipping his finger inside me. I buried my face in his neck, kissing and scraping teeth along his skin as he fucked me, adding a finger, reaching the spot inside me that made me scream.

I moaned and gasped, pleasure radiating through my bones. My core was on fire, and my skin too.

Heat built up in my body until it had nowhere to go, and when I was on the cusp of giving in, Atticus pulled himself out and pushed inside me.

I cried out, burying my sounds in his shoulder. He filled me so deep, his thick cock stroking me well enough to have me moaning and gasping all over again.

I pulled his lips to mine, kissing him, sliding my tongue against his as our bodies met. Over and over again, he pushed pleasure through me. So much of it I could barely breathe.

I rocked my hips against his as he slammed me between his body and the wall of the hut. It was a brutal fuck that had me throbbing in all the right places.

It didn’t take long before Atticus had me at breaking point. Between his body and his lips, I was one live nerve ending.

When I came, his kiss took my voice away, making sure it didn’t escape because it had been about to. It was getting harder to hold back—especially when I was being fucked or even just touched by the alphas.

I kissed him back, my body exploding, the tension in me breaking. I fell apart against him. My pussy clamped down and I moaned out the last of my orgasm, riding it out on his dick. As soon as I hit the tail end of mine, he growled and came, filling me with his cock and cum, slamming his hips into me.

I held him tight, letting my body feel the last of our pleasure before sagging against him. He kissed me softly, his forehead damp, “The other two are going to smell you all over me.”

I smirked, “Good. They can come find me next,” I grinned.

Atticus laughed and pulled out of me. He put me on the ground and we straightened our clothes. I pushed my hair from my damp face then let out a breath.

“I need to go practice or at least get my head around what I’m about to do,” Atticus said, pushing his own hair back.

“I have to go find Taylin. He wanted help with something earlier.”

Atticus nodded, kissed my cheek, then met my eyes, “I know it’s not fair to ask, but my mom still isn’t that comfortable around the pack, but she wanted to come tonight. She’s in a hut a while back from the main ones. Would you mind popping in to see her?”

I nodded, “Yeah, of course.”

I said goodbye to Atticus and then left in the direction he said his mom was.

It didn’t make me feel any better about him singing knowing that his mom was still an outcast. I wasn’t sure whether that was entirely the pack or if it made Serafina more comfortable.

I found her hut easily; she had put candles and beads all out the front. It looked so welcoming. I smiled and walked up to the door, knocking on it lightly.

“Come in, Kassie,” she said in a sing-song voice.

I went inside, and she was setting up tea for us. I smiled and sat by one of the cups at the floor table.

She came and sat down with me, crossing her legs. She took a big breath in, then let it out. “Doesn’t it feel so right when all the packs come together like this?” Her eyes fluttered closed.

“Yes,” I agreed.

That had her opening her eyes to stare at me. She frowned. “Then why are you so nervous?”

I fidgeted, taking a sip of tea. “Atticus is going to perform tonight.”

She paused and put her cup down. The room filled with a tense silence.

“I see.” Her voice was filled with emotion, her eyes too. “You know, it is hard to see him hide that part of himself. I am glad he has found the courage to expose that.” She eyed me, and I sipped my tea, averting my eyes.

“I am too. But I see the way you are outcast, and I’m worried for him,” I admitted.

She nodded. “Appropriately. But maybe this is the start of a different way of things. For Atticus and myself. For you too,” she smiled, sipping her tea and eyeing me over the rim of the cup.

I hoped she was right. More than anything, I wanted that to be true. My heart was racing to think of Atticus getting up there and it going badly.

“I should probably get to the ceremony before it starts. Are you joining?” I asked, emptying my cup.

She nodded. “I’ll watch from the doorstep.”

I hated that she had to do that, but I couldn’t interfere yet. Not when Atticus was about to get up there.

I said goodbye to Serafina, thanked her for the tea, then made my way over to the platform and the packs seated in front of it.

I met the alphas by the stage, the moon rising.

The packs were drinking ale, chattering among themselves.

I took the moment with my alphas.

“Are we ready?” I asked. Zachariah pulled me into him for a kiss.

“We’re ready,” Dorian answered.

I finished kissing Zach, then pulled back. “Let’s do this then,” I whispered.

Zach led me over to a seat near the platform. I sat with Atticus and Dorian. Taylin got up with Zachariah, and they addressed everyone.

“Welcome, everyone, to our honoring ceremony. We’re not normally so formal with it, but since all the packs are here tonight, we wanted to make it special.”

Taylin cleared his throat, beaming with pride at getting to be a part of the ceremony. “We’re going to use a blade to give our blood to the goblet. Once our blood is mixed, we’ll give it back to the realm.”

I thought that might make the packs weary, but they all seemed rather relaxed. Half of them leaned into their chairs, almost all of them drinking.

Even when the ritual blade started going around, the goblet too, they all let a droplet fall in.

When the cup got to me, I put my drop in too, then passed it to Dorian.

“We’re the alphas, Sweet Siren, that’s how it works. We are relaxed and okay with the other packs being here, so that means they are. They feed off us.”

I nodded, hoping that would help Atticus.

The goblet was passed around, the blood combined, then it went back to Zachariah, who tipped it onto a patch of soil underneath a fire pit in the middle of the platform. Taylin lit the pyre, then stepped back—the flames roared.

The wolves cheered and clapped, some howling.

Taylin read out a verse about how much the realm had given us, how we were grateful for it. I agreed, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Atticus getting up there.

After what felt like forever to my clammy hands and throbbing chest, Zachariah announced that Atticus had something to share.

Atticus kissed me on the cheek, then grabbed the neck of his four-string instrument and went to the platform.

With the flames behind him, he wore flowing blue pants, his necklace dangling down on his abs.

I sucked in a breath and looked over his pack. They looked on, and it was the first hint of wariness I had seen.

They sat up straighter. Some narrowed their eyes; some even glanced over their shoulders at Serafina’s hut.

I swallowed hard and followed their look. Even Serafina looked worried.

My palms were tingling, dampening. My heart raced and my head throbbed. I couldn’t leave him up there.

Fucking hell, he was by himself. He wasn’t meant to be by himself.

We had found his music and my voice together in that music room. I had to honor that. We were at an honoring ceremony, after all.

Atticus cleared his throat and looked down at his instrument. “We’re here to honor the realm and the magic we have been given in it. So that’s what I’m going to do,” Atticus said.

Before he could start, though, something in me flared, some urge to be there and do this with him.

I got out of my seat and went up to him on the platform.

My heartbeat was so loud in my ear I could barely hear. Atticus smiled at me, and I gave him a timid one back.

“We are going to do that. Together,” I announced.

I had no idea what the reaction to that was because I kept my eyes on Atticus. He grinned and started playing at the same time I opened my mouth to sing.

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