Bear with Me (#2, Completed)

33. Celebration

CALLUM

"Flame, if we don't hurry up, we will end up missing the ceremony," I shouted from the bottom of the stairs as I reminded my mate, yet again, that we had somewhere to be.

Knowing that my words were probably in vain, I resigned myself to fixing my hair once more in front of the mirror before I poured myself another glass of whisky. At this rate, the bottle was going to be empty very soon. 

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out what was taking her so long, especially now that I was no longer in the room to distract her.

"That's what I told you after round three before you dragged me back to bed again, Callum," she protested after a couple of minutes. From how distant her voice sounded, I knew that she had not even made it past the bedroom door yet.

Well, okay....maybe it was true that our lateness was partially my fault but who could possibly blame me for wanting nothing else than to sink myself between the legs of my perfect mate. She was a temptation destined to be mine, my little piece of heaven on earth. Her scent was my drug, her touch- my addiction. Her smile alone was enough to render me powerless, entirely at her mercy.

Yeah, I was fucked- well, literally fucked as well- but I wouldn't have had it any other way. She was my weakness and my strength, and I couldn't imagine my life without her bubbly, quirky personality and kind, loving nature.

The door creaked open, and the clicking of heels on the hard wooden floor followed.

Finally!

My gaze shifted to my watch, relieved to see that there was still a good chance that we were going to make it on time for the cocktail before the ceremony started.

Frankly, I would have preferred to spend that time with Flame but being the Alpha required also networking and socialising; building new alliances, where necessary, and keeping existing allies happy.

Riley, Rafe and Aiden's ceremony was mainly a private affair, open to friends, family and members of their packs and clan. Still, creating a new tribe, particularly one that was a complete precedent in the shifter world, also required certain political support. There was no better way to ask your allies to prove their backing than by inviting them to attend the ceremony.

Of course, our presence there with Flame was more than just formal support- the three of them were our friends, so we would have been there no matter what- but the event was also an important occasion for us. It was going to be the first occasion to introduce Flame as my Luna and to gain the acceptance from other sleuths, packs, clans and skulks of our unusual bond. Not that I cared about what anyone else thought. However, I knew that my mate did.

Yet, when I looked up, my mind went blank. I was speechless, unable to do anything but stare at the magnificent beauty that made her way down the stairs. My fiery girl was a striking vision in her emerald green dress. The moment I saw it at the boutique, I knew it was made for Flame, but it looked even better on her than I'd imagined. The colour of her dress contrasted her hair perfectly, the front thigh slit exposing her long legs and her mating mark.

Then I saw the pin which rested proudly on her waistline. The jeweller had done a superb job, turning the sleuth's crest into an elegant brooch that was fitting for my queen, and I really needed to thank Aiden for his recommendation. Trust a dragon to know all the best places for shiny, expensive things.

"You look...wow," I muttered, my breath caught in my throat. Just the sight of her made my skin tingle, our bond stirring with appreciation. And not just the bond.

I think that maybe it's best if Flame rides me to the ceremony, Mahon jumped in the middle of my thoughts.

Are you fucking nuts? She is wearing a gown, you moron- she is not going to ride a bear, not even you. We're going with the Land Rover, and I will give her a day to remember.