Chapter Sixty-Six

KEYARA

She had just finished the last of her modest breakfast when Ash and Mateo returned to the camp.

She studied her mate’s face as he approached and tried to absorb what he was feeling through the mate bond, curious as to what they had agreed upon.

She couldn’t quite get a read on what they had decided based on Ash’s current mood.

There was a sense of slight apprehension, as well as the contradictory emotion of confidence about him as well, which really could apply to any of the options they had discussed previously.

The two men walked straight toward her, and Ash took her arm gently when he was close enough, continuing his long strides uninterrupted and guiding her out of the camp, Mateo by their side.

He eventually came to a stop when the three were out of earshot of those left behind.

“We will form a new pack now,” he told her, wasting no time to explain, perhaps sensing her eagerness to know. “I will travel with you to Anne’s, and Mateo will stay behind in case we need to reach him with any news.”

She nodded excitedly, while her stomach flipped nervously for some reason. She had known this was coming, so she didn’t know why she reacted in such a way to the news.

She met Mateo’s dark gaze. “Are you sure?” she asked him.

“Yes, Luna, I am sure,” he told her confidently.

She shook her head softly; nothing ever seemed to faze him.

“So how is that done?” she questioned, turning back to Ash. “How do you create a new pack?”

“A small blood ceremony,” said Ash dismissively, clearly not concerned about what was to come.

“It only needs to be between Mateo and I, as the alpha and beta. Other members will just have to pledge their loyalty once they are ready to join.”

“So that’s what I’ll have to do?” she asked him carefully.

He smiled at her. “No, love, as my mate, you’ll feel the new pack bond immediately.”

“What will we call it? The new pack?” she asked, wrapping her arms around herself to still the fast thumping of her heart.

She was almost embarrassed asking the question; it didn’t seem very important at the moment, but it was what had popped into her mind.

“We do need a name before the ceremony,” Ash replied thoughtfully, looking at Mateo, who simply shrugged.

She felt validated that it wasn’t a ridiculous question after all.

Ash turned back to her, his deep green eyes studying her face intently. “What about the Key Stone Pack?” he finally said. “You’ll be the one that holds us together, after all, as luna.”

She blushed, touched by the thought, and nodded in affirmation.

“Do you want to stay?” he asked her. “While we perform the ceremony.”

“Yes, please,” she replied, as she nodded again while taking a few steps back to give them room for whatever they needed to do.

The two men turned to face each other. Ash placed a hand on Mateo’s broad shoulder, leaning toward him until their foreheads met and pressed together in a strangely intimate act.

His blond hair and Mateo’s black locks rustled in the sudden breeze, the strands mixing together in a fluttering dance as they stood in a huddle.

Ash began to murmur something quietly under his breath, the wind blowing the sound away, too low for Keyara to pick up even with her enhanced hearing. Mateo spoke next, perhaps repeating the words, just as quietly.

Ash reached with his free hand to his waistband, still gripping Mateo’s shoulder, and unsheathed the small knife he kept there.

He sliced his palm in one quick, hard motion, dark blood filling his cupped hand while Mateo took the knife and mirrored the action. They clasped hands firmly, blood dripping to the ground beneath them, soaking into the dry soil.

When the wounds in their palms had healed, they stripped off their clothing, carelessly wiping away the excess blood, before shifting into their large wolves.

Together they howled in unison, the deep sound echoing around them as their snouts pointed to the sky.

The strength of it made Keyara shiver, the feeling intensified by the sudden presence of a new pack link snapping into place in her mind.

When the sound had finally died in their throats Mateo’s dark wolf rolled over in front of Ash’s white paws, showing his tender belly and exposing his neck, a symbolic declaration of submission to his alpha.

Ash dipped his head, touching his beta’s neck to accept his show of loyalty. Mateo rose to his feet, shaking out his fur lightly.

~“Now we go for a run,”~ Ash explained to her, cutting his eyes briefly to where she stood in invitation. ~“Will you join us, Luna?”~

She nodded and smiled, stripping off her clothes as they turned away respectfully. She shifted with ease, taking her place beside Ash’s left shoulder.

She wondered fleetingly how the small life inside her could withstand the transition but knew Ash never would have suggested it if it wasn’t safe.

Mateo walked slowly in front of them, rolling over in front of her as he had previously done for Ash, showing her respect and acknowledging her as his luna. She huffed in response, tipping her head briefly toward him.

He rose and returned to Ash’s right side, the honorary place of the beta. They took off as one, dashing through the trees, their first run together as a new pack.

Keyara couldn’t help the joy that rushed through her as they ran, the feeling of returning to a pack erasing the wild feeling that was a constant creep at the edges of her mind during their time as rogues.

This seemed right and natural, and she felt more connected to her wolf side than she ever had before.