Chapter 44

A/N: You are such an awesome audience that I want to give you something for Christmas. Which one of these Dogs, Bats & Monkeys extras would you be most interested in reading?

- A one-shot with Riley and Alec (set during Sentiments & Reason; no spoilers on Keri's story)

- Humans & Humanoid Species 101, Sentinel Training Edition - Shifters (basic information about the different shifters as presented in the Sentinels' textbook)

- A character interview with Keri or Kennedy

*****

I took a moment to collect my thoughts, sorting them so I wouldn't confuse my mate once they were out of my mind and I spoke them aloud.

"When a new pack forms and they settle down, they plant a tree," I started. "When my ancestors came to Woodbury, they planted a hazel tree - it can be any tree though - in a special ceremony. If you are interested, I'm going to give you the details, but some other time."

"Oh, yeah." Riley looked all too happy to be spared the info dump. "One ceremony at a time."

I nodded and went on:

"During a mating ceremony, a pack gathers in front of their sacred tree. Closest to the tree, with their back to it, is the Alpha whose role is like that of a priest. Before him or her, facing the tree, is the to-be-mated couple and behind them the pack as witnesses."

I leaned back into the couch, finding a more comfortable position.

"The Alpha narrates certain words - like the priest goes 'dearly beloved, we are gathered here today' and so on - and at a certain point cuts each to-be-mated person with a ceremonial dagger..."

"Whoa, whoa..." Riley's voice was loud, the color in his cheeks faded. "There will be blood?"

"Just a little prick on the finger, Riley," I tried to reassure him, "like the one you get during a blood test in a clinic," I added, biting my lower lip. My heartbeat quickened; he was already not pleased that he had to get that tiny cut... How would he react when he heard the rest?

"Rhys, what aren't you telling me?" His eyes narrowed.

"It really is a tiny cut, but then..."

I hesitated. The more anxious Riley got, the less of a chance I had to convince him to mate me.

"I told you before: pausing and beating around the bush only makes things worse for me."

"We have to drink it," I shot out before I chickened out.

"Drink what?" He asked slowly.

"The blood."

He jumped up and took a step back, raising his hands in front of his slender body.

"We have to what? No!" His arms waved as if to push any ideas of making him go through that out of my head.

As if I would ever force him.

"Riley..."

He cut me off:

"I'm human; we don't drink blood."

"Riley..." I tried again.

"I thought you didn't too!" He went on, hands still franticly moving left to right and up and down without a rhythm.

"We don't," I insisted.

"Then why..."

"It's symbolic," I hurried to explain before he spoke again. "It shows that you and I... That the two people in the mating ceremony," I corrected myself; at this point, there was no him and me to go with a mating ceremony, "are becoming one. It's just a couple of blood drops - it's like if you split your lip and sucked on it - and the blood is mixed with wine. A human probably wouldn't even notice."

"A human wouldn't have to notice, because a human wouldn't go through such a thing."

My body slumped and my head fell back against the couch. My eyes closed as I tried to suppress two whimpers - a human and an animal one - from spilling through my mouth.

A human wouldn't... A monster would.

The soft couch dipped under Riley's weight; he was back by my side. His fingers entwined with mine and my eyes opened, finding his face contorted with regret.

"I mean, a human usually wouldn't go through something like this," he attempted to soften the blow from his previous words. "So, what happens after people drink the blood?"

"Erm..." I took a deep breath, wishing I was outside in the forest. The air in the room wasn't stale, but it felt insufficient to calm me with its cool.

"Each person from the couple takes a sip," I began to narrate, "after which they hand the chalice back to the Alpha who says a few more words and spills the rest of the wine and blood over the roots of the sacred tree. A prayer is said, the dagger is given to the now mated couple - they get to keep it - and everyone celebrates. Eating, drinking, dancing... Things like that," I concluded lamely, aiming for a sense of normality, a piece of something Riley could connect to.

"So, it is like a real... human wedding? It's a big deal, not like changing the 'single' status on a social network?"

I tried not to squirm at his question.

If I said yes, it would be true, but it would also be too much for Riley as he couldn't experience the mate bond; if I said no, it would diminish the importance of one of our holiest rites.

In the end, I opted for the truth, avoiding the nerve-inducing wedding comparison.

"Yes, it is a pretty big deal for us."

"And you want us to go through that ceremony?" He was talking very slowly, out of anxiety or because he was confused, I could not tell.

I took another deep breath and then:

"Yes."

"Oh."

I did not know what I'd been expecting, but "oh" most definitely hadn't been it.

His tone was even, casual some would say. My senses were only slightly enhanced in my human form, but a thud-thud was audible - barely, but still heard - and it went along with the speeded pulse I felt underneath my fingers as they lay on his wrist; that was the only indication that maybe he wasn't too stunned to think, that perhaps he actually understood the importance of our rite and was reacting to it.

"You don't have to answer me now," I told him as I didn't want to pressure him. If he had been one of us, a shifter, we would have already had this conversation, minus the sticky sweat that was running down the back of my neck and with happy giggles and wide smiles replacing his blank face.

But Riley could not feel the mate bond and the desire for a mating ceremony was not something engraved in his soul, something he would've looked forward to even when he'd been a child.

"You are still shell-shocked to find about our world," I went on, "and I understand it might be too soon from your point of view. This is, after all, a serious commitment..."

"Rhys."

I was so nervous, I wasn't sure I wanted to hear what he had to say.

The streak of sweat found its way between my shoulder blades, wetting my t-shirt.

"... I mean, I know how I feel - as I said, we recognize our mate when we see them - but it's different for you; you are human and..."

"Rhys!"

He let go of me to put a hand over my mouth, hushing me.

"Yes."

I blinked at him in rapid succession.

Was Riley agreeing to what I thought he was agreeing to?

For a moment I couldn't breathe and it wasn't because his hand was still covering my mouth.

He had said yes... Right?

My mate lowered his hand and I kept silently staring at him, contemplating on what else he could've meant, what reasons there could be that this was all a misunderstanding.

It had to be; it was all too good to be true.

First Riley accepted me as a shifter, then he didn't break up with me and now he was agreeing to our equivalent of a wedding?

Something had to be wrong.

I could never be this lucky.

Seeing my confusion, he repeated "yes" and added:

"I want to go through the mating ceremony with you."

"No."

I startled both of us with that one short word.

"'No' what?"

It was his turn to be perplexed.

"I can't accept your answer now," I clarified.

"W-why not?" His lip quivered with sadness, but his eyes hardened. "Because you didn't propose it in a romantic way?"

I sighed and shook my head.

Gone were years of planning for the perfect mating proposal, wasted on this awkward offer. I could never bring it back - it would never be romantic with the memory of today - but that wasn't what worried me the most.

"Because in the last two days, you found out of the existence of supernatural beings, you saw me shift and you've learned a lot about my world; I don't think you can make a clear decision, Riley, and I don't want you to regret agreeing after you've calmed down."

"I am calm." He shouted at me. "If I am slightly not that calm, it is because you proposed to me and when I gave you my answer, you disregarded it."

"Riley..."

I wanted to kiss his pouted lips.

"I'm not a child, Rhys; I know what I want."

"Riley." I tucked my index finger underneath his chin and rubbed the right side of his jaw with my thumb to sooth him. "Even the most rational person can make a foolish choice when they are emotional. I can't be with you if I feel I've pressured you into something you wouldn't normally give a positive reply to. So I want you to promise me that when you get home and you are on your own, you'll think this over."

He opened his mouth to interrupt, but I hushed him and went on:

"Take as much time as you need, Riley, and the next time you give me your answer, it will be what you really want and not a 'yes' just for the sake of not disappointing me or going back on your word."

He nodded and leaned his head on my chest. Kissing him on the forehead, I made a silent promise that the next time I made a proposal, it would be done right with me on my knees and with a ring in my hand. Then we can be wedded by his laws and mated by my people's traditions.

*****

A/N: Wedding bells, anyone? A cake with two grooms, maybe? :D

What did you think of the chapter?

Did you expect Riley to say yes?

And did you expect Rhys to say no?

What do you think of his promise to make up on the lousy mating proposal with a romantic wedding one?

Don't forget to tell me which Dogs, Bats & Monkeys extra you want to read next month!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES AND COMMENTS! HAVE A GREAT TIME WATTPADDING! ❤