Chapter Forty-Five

ASH

They washed themselves quickly in the warm water, spreading soap over each other’s skin before ducking under the surface to rinse it away.

The residue of the soap floated on the top of the pool until it was pulled away by the current from the opening in the side of the wall.

Fresh water bubbled from the vent of the spring, warm under their feet, keeping the pool continuously filled.

He stepped out of the water and quickly dried himself with a towel before wrapping another around Keyara as she rose from the water.

“I can already tell you this is going to be my favorite room,” she told him brightly, her voice ringing through the small cavern. “You don’t even need to show me anything else.”

He laughed, feeling thoroughly relaxed as a result of the warm water and the passion they had shared.

They returned to the main room of his quarters, which suddenly seemed cold as they left behind the warm steam of the cavern.

Keyara stopped at the bed, dropped the towel to the floor, and began to clothe herself in the green dress he had chosen for her earlier.

He continued across the room to the large wardrobe, pulling out a change of clothes for himself as well and dressing in them quickly. It was finer attire than the normal leather pants and white shirt he tended to wear.

This was a formal address to the pack, and he wanted to reflect the appearance of a proper and respectable alpha as much as he could, given what he was about to reveal to the entire castle in just a few short minutes.

The dark gray linen pants fit sleekly over his muscular legs. He tucked in the matching shirt before pulling on a dark green vest that coordinated well with Keyara’s dress.

He chose black leather dress shoes instead of his usual worn boots, the surface polished to a shine. He grabbed a pair of soft leather flats for Key, hoping they would fit her, before returning to her side.

He took in the sight of her appearance with appreciation. The velvet dress hugged her curves and highlighted her figure. It scooped low in the front, revealing her collarbone and the smooth pale skin of her chest.

The long sleeves flared out slightly at the wrists, and the fabric pooled against the floor behind her in a modest train.

“See if these fit,” he said, handing her the shoes. “They’ll be more appropriate than your boots.”

KEYARA

“Hmm, they will indeed,” she said, agreeing with his suggestion. She took the shoes from him and laughed at the idea of wearing her shabby old boots with such a fine dress. What an impression that would make.

She slipped the shoes on quickly, wiggling her toes against the snug leather, testing the fit.

“Do they fit?” he asked her, buttoning the sleeves of his shirt at the wrist as he studied her feet.

“Yes, well enough,” she replied, smiling at him. In truth they were a bit small, but she hoped the soft leather would stretch and mold to her feet over time as she wore them.

“What will happen when we meet with the pack?” she asked him hesitantly.

He looked into her eyes and smiled wryly, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling her into his lap.

“I’m sorry to do this to you, Key, so soon after arriving. I have to tell the pack what I did, to get ahead of it before the council is notified,” he explained apologetically.

“But we must notify the council before the end of the day so no one can accuse us of trying to hide your transformation.”

She nodded in understanding, leaning her head against his shoulder as she listened to his words.

“There are politics involved here I know you may not be used to, and I’m sorry you must face it with very little preparation,” he told her softly.

“I’ll be the one speaking, but I need you to keep your head up, your vision on the crowd. Meet their eyes and do not be the first to look away.

“Any indication of embarrassment or regret on your part could affect the way the pack views what happened, do you understand? We need to appear strong and united.”

She felt a nervous flutter in her stomach as the gravity of what was happening hit her. She swallowed and rose from his lap, standing in front of Ash and taking his hands in hers. “I won’t let you down,” she promised him.

He cupped her cheek softly, running his thumb over her lower lip lightly. “You could never let me down, Key,” he assured her in a deep voice.

He stood up, giving her hands a soft squeeze. “Are you ready?”

She set her jaw and nodded. He kissed her, and placed her hand over his arm, escorting her to the great hall to face the pack.

***

ASH

The pack was already gathered together and waiting for them as they entered the great hall.

Pack members filled the room from wall to wall, and he heard Key’s breath catch slightly at the sight of so many people standing before her.

True to her word, she caught herself and raised her chin, staring straight ahead, a neutral look on her face that gave nothing away.

He felt a surge of pride in her, and they walked slowly toward the raised platform at the base of the massive fireplace.

The crowd parted before them as they moved through the room, making way for their alpha and lowering their heads respectfully as the pair passed them arm in arm.

Energy was humming in the air as they caught sight of their luna for the first time.

Luca was waiting for them by the fireplace at the back of the platform, standing straight with his hands behind his back. His nose twitched as Ash approached, a smile forming on his lips.

~“Glad you two were able to make it on time.” ~Luca greeted him silently.

Ash fought back his own smile, keeping his face serious as he turned to face the crowd before him.

He could see Keyara from the corner of his eye, standing straight, her hand clasping his wrist where it curled around the crook of his arm.

She stared ahead confidently at the crowd, even though he could sense the nervousness she was feeling.

He stayed quiet for a moment, his eyes moving over the crowd shifting in front of him, meeting the gaze of random faces before him, one after another.

He had learned over his years of leadership that silence was often the most effective tool to promote his strength and power. Rushing into words gave off an air of insecurity, while restraint demonstrated control.

“Good afternoon, Kodia Pack,” he finally began in a loud and strong voice that he knew would reach even those in the back of the room.

“As I know many of you have already heard, our latest tour into the human territories resulted in the discovery of my fated mate, much to my surprise and pleasure.”

He crossed his hand over his body, placing it on top of Keyara’s where it gripped his wrist, smiling down at her when her face turned to his.

“It is my honor to welcome Luna Keyara to the pack!” he shouted, his eyes still locked onto hers.

The crowd before them suddenly knelt, seemingly as one, their hands clasped in a fist over their hearts.

He saw Keyara’s eyes flash suddenly with surprise and break contact with his as she turned back toward the motion.

“Do you swear your loyalty to the luna and promise to defend her against harm, on your honor as a member of this pack,” Ash recited to the crowd.

“We do, Alpha!” came the unanimous reply, hundreds of voices echoing through the hall.

“Then rise,” he intoned. He waited while everyone rose to their feet and until the shuffling quieted and all eyes were upon him once more.

“Now that the formalities are out of the way,” he said steadily, “I must already call on your loyalty to your luna, as well as your alpha.”

“After I had marked the luna and claimed her as my mate,” he continued, carefully emphasizing the bond established between them by this point in the story.

“When the beta and the rest of the warriors had returned to the castle, she was abducted by citizens of her home kingdom. They wished to return her to the king, for reasons I will not yet disclose.

“We were separated for a time, and unfortunately, before I could reach them, her captors injured her, fatally.”

A low murmur started to hum quietly through the room at the implications of his words. He stole a quick glance at Key and saw she was gazing at Jill, who stood at the front of the crowd.

Keyara’s head was held high, and he was glad she had a familiar and friendly face to focus on to steady her.

He braced himself for what he needed to say next, before finishing his speech to his pack. “Faced with the prospect of losing my mate, I made the quick decision to change her, hoping the action might prevent her death.

“This is the reason behind our prolonged absence and, as you can see, the luna made it through the full moon successfully.”

The noise from the crowd rose at his words, and not all of it was friendly. These were not the warriors they had broken the news to in the barn, used to following orders without question, and the reaction was much stronger.

He saw Ethan near the edge of the crowd, attempting to reason with another older member of the pack who was clearly incensed and trying to leave the room.

He raised his voice to cut through the noise. “I understand the seriousness of my actions, and we will notify the council tonight about what has occurred. I will face their judgment and accept their decision.”

This seemed to calm the crowd a bit, though there were still many angry faces in the room.

Luca stepped forward, placing a hand on Ash’s shoulder.

~“Don’t~,~”~ Ash warned, wanting to keep his beta as removed from this as possible.

Luca ignored him, addressing the crowd. “The alpha did not make this decision on his own,” he told them. “He sought my counsel and acted on my suggestion. He has my full support.”

The loyalty of his beta seemed to calm some in the crowd, and many of his warriors called out their support as well.

The festive mood that had greeted them was well and truly broken, but Ash finished with an invitation to the banquet that was being prepared that evening to celebrate their return before dismissing the crowd.