Gently, Cas dragged me behind him through the hallway and the living room until the glass door. Our houses were a little bit similar but not completely.
Right at the door and also connected to the wall of the house was a slightly bigger tent which had green and white strips. Inside were a few bar tables at which a few pack members stood who immediately saw us when we left the house.
After passing through the tent, we walked over grass, out onto the fresh air – it was stuffy inside the tent even though the curtain was wide open.
My parents were with the Alpha-couple who had a conversation with obvious happy expressions. Kiana and Kenneth probably were happy about the fact that they could give us the leadership over the pack.
However, just the thought about the responsibility Cas and I would carry in the not even far future, I felt sick. And maybe many of the members wouldn't even accept me as their Luna.
A gay Beta didn't matter to them – moreover they knew that you couldn't choose your mate – but a gay Luna that normally should have been their Beta? I could already imagine how many would argue against me, though I didn't want to imagine it.
I always hoped I could study medicine or be a teacher – after Canada my decision obviously fell on medicine.
My expectations for my future were never leading a pack. As a Beta was one thing, but not in the place of a Luna. A Luna was like a figurehead of a pack and I wasn't worthy of such a role.
My past wasn't really stocked with fortune. Cas and I never really got along with each other, which wasn't normal for an Alpha-Beta-relationship.
Then the marking that turned me into a traitor and with those traitor scars I should act like the Beta and Luna too.
Well, and then there was the fact that I was a defective Beta.
»You have that expression on your face again,« Cas said and pulled me out of my destructive thoughts and made me flinch. Cursing, I lowered my head and lifted it again after sighing.
»I'm just nervous.«
His hand tightened around mine for a moment before he let loose again. He tried to give me confidence with this gesture and it touched my heart in some weird way.
How did he change so much in those few years?
»I'm nervous too. Maybe more than I seem to be. But trust me, sweetheart. They will accept you and me, much more you.«
Sighing I nodded and let him drag me to my parents and my future in-laws – weren't they already my in-laws? In some way, Cas and I were already married through the marking on our napes.
And only the thought about us being married made me blush.
»What are you thinking now?« Cas laughed, and my heart responded with a quickened heartbeat.
What was wrong with me today?
Irritated, I looked up to him and shrugged my shoulders. It was good that it still wasn't too warm, so I hoped that the cold evening air would cool down my hot face. And it was good too that the cold air didn't really matter to our kind.
Well, I could get affected by it, but the other werewolves – except the Omegas – didn't mind the cold.
»There are our main actors of the evening!« Alpha Kenneth greeted us with open arms and made me flinch back.
I knew him as kind and friendly but normally he still wore the strict mask of a leader. As an Alpha he needed to wear such a mask. For the safety of the pack, he couldn't show weaknesses.
The blue eyes of my father dug into my skin and when our eyes met, I saw that he flinched – only Mom noticed it too and looked at him with a frown.
»Tristan?« she asked carefully but he just shook his head and kissed her cheek. Timid she nodded before she turned to Kiana again who immediately started talking again.
»The pack is almost gathered, most of them are already here,« my father said and looked for a short moment to me before he turned to Alpha Kenneth again.
»Good. You two know what comes now?« Kenneth addressed Cassian and me and we responded with a nod.
Cas nod was lively – almost happy – but on the other hand mine was stiff and like I was a robot. Damn it, this fear was going to kill me!
»Then you two can leave now and party a bit before we announce it.«
Relieved, I dragged Cas behind me and moved towards Cal and Elli.
»Not so stormy,« he laughed. Quietly, without him hearing, I grit my teeth. Didn't he get that I was fucking scared?
All of a sudden, he pulled me back so I jerked against his chest and gasped because his body was like a solid wall. Damn muscles!
»I will get us something to drink. What can I get you?«
He wrapped his arms around my belly and spoke so close to my ear that I could feel his hot breath. Shivers went down my spine and made me tremble.
And then, he wandered lower and touched my neck with his lips, I flinched and needed to grind my teeth to not whimper in desperation.
Just what was wrong with my body?!
Okay, we never really were deep with each other. Kisses that went a little bit deeper and longer, yes, but we never really made out with each other – only our first kiss would I count as making out.
»Cas...« I croaked with a tremble in my voice.
He growled in response and his deep, greedy growl awoke a desire in me I didn't know I had. God, what was wrong with me?
»Cassian! Before you undress him and start performing a live-porno for us all, could you let go of him? My little brother seems to break down!«
Abruptly Cassian let go of me which made me stumble two steps forward and I needed to pull myself together to not sink to my knees. My legs felt wobbly.
With wide eyes Cas stared at me, shook his head and blinked in confusion.
»I will get us two beers, that's okay, right?« he asked and didn't sound like he was himself at all.
»Y-Yes...« I stammered and saw him run away. I looked after him for two seconds before Ellinor grabbed my arms and pulled me up to her and Caleb.
»What's going on with you two? I know you two have a relationship now, but Cassian's eyes glowed like he wanted to rip your clothes off and do you know what,« my older sister said, flabbergasted.
»No idea.« I really had no idea.
I only knew that I reacted more sensitive than ever to his touch and that my heartbeat quickened with every gesture, laugh, smile and only when I looked at him was enough. And, I would keep it a secret, I wouldn't have minded it if he had undressed me.
»Maybe it's because of the Luna-announcement. Maybe the wolves inside you guys feel that they take over the pack today and it's known that the bond between Alpha and Luna gets stronger when they lead a pack. Maybe that's the reason why you react that extreme to each other.«
I nodded slightly. Caleb theory sounded right, though there was more.
»Did you give him our gift already?« Elli asked, and I flinched.
»Dammit!« I totally forgot about that.
»I'm right back,« I said and rushed through the pack members that filled the yard by now.
I never really thought about it but damn it, we really had many. Almost too many if you asked me. Did they even fit in the yard of the Walkers?
»Kyran, I was just on the way back to you,« Cas said, surprised when I met him on the way.
»We turn around. I need to talk to you, best would be in your room.« Frowning, he nodded, gave me my beer bottle and followed me to his bedroom.
Quietly he closed the door behind him and then sat down next to me in his big bed. Without really having control over it, I wrapped my arms around him.
»Happy birthday,« I mumbled and heard him laugh and then he tightly hugged me too.
»You already said that, sweetheart. But thank you, again.«
Right, I already congratulated him for his birthday. Embarrassed, I blushed and pushed him carefully away.
»So...« I stammered and looked down on my finger which I played with. »At first I didn't know what I should gift you.«
»I had no expectations for a gift.« I ignored his words.
»I don't know what you would like too. However, I thought it would be quite nice and... I don't know. Maybe I should have thought about my words beforehand.«
Inside myself I cursed at myself that I sounded like an idiot. But his laugh made me feel better and made my heartbeat quicken.
With trembling hands, I pulled out the envelope from the pocket of my coat and held it out to him.
»You aren't giving me money, right?« Excuse me, what did he think of me? Offended I looked up and shook my head.
»Good, because I have enough of that already,« he laughed and kissed my cheek, which made me blush again.
I should keep it a secret that I thought about giving him money for a moment.
»Open it.«
Smirking, he opened the envelope on which back was his name written in a curved writing – Leandra always had a beautiful handwriting. Tormenting slowly, he pulled out the card with a wolf on it – that was pretty similar to him.
»A card?« he asked, confused and made me roll my eyes.
»Usually is something written on a card.«
With his stupid behaviour he let me forget my worries and I was fucking thankful for that. And I was sure, he did that on purpose to make me worry less and calm down.
In silence he read the few words I had written down and his head jerked up in surprise after finishing, only to shine at me with his sparkling green emeralds.
»Are you serious?« he questioned and sounded like an excited kid.
»If you agree with it, then we will make a trip in summer to the Lake Garda in Italy and will camp there and after that we drive to Austria and have a little ski vacation and stay in a hut.«
I still had no idea how I got the idea to make a trip with Cas. But I thought that the trip could bring us even closer together. And now that he enjoyed the idea like a little kid, I was happy I chose right.
Elli would lend us her van from which we would take out the backseats. Inside we would put a mattress and would put up some fairy lights. She said we should have it cozy and she would take care of it.
I would still help her but I couldn't talk her out of the things she already had planned. If she had set her mind on something nobody could talk her out of it.
And when we drove to Austria I let my booking skills out and found a little hut for not much money that looked quite fine in which we would live for two days. The whole living space was in one big room, only the bathroom was separate. The bed was reachable with a ladder because it was kind of above the living room.
That I was a natural talent in snowboard driving would I still keep a secret. But I knew from Kiana that they already were on a ski vacation and Cassian wanted to do it again but they never found the time.
And Austria was the perfect place to have a ski vacation, even in summer.
»You are unbelievable!« And suddenly I was squeezed against his chest. »That is the best gift I got today!«
Smiling, I petted his back. »Glad to hear that. But that wasn't everything.«
Frowning he let go of me and I pulled out the small boy from my pocket.
»Don't misunderstand. That is no proposal!« I growled and opened the ring box.
»I got those two rings,« I lifted my hand to present my ring, »from someone. And actually, I thought I would lock those rings away because the situation from which I got them was more than strange. But something inside myself tells me that I should wear this one and that I should give you the other one. The old woman that gave me those rings told me that they are for me and my mate. No idea if you even want to wear it but I wear mine and maybe it could be a kind of marking too, for humans or so... Because they don't know our kind of marking.«
Hesitatingly I looked up to him and saw how he stared thoughtfully at the ring.
»Does this one even fit if someone gave them to you?«
I shrugged my shoulders slightly. He did the same as I and slid the ring over his finger and surprisingly, it fit.
»That's surprising. It seriously fits,« Cas said with wide eyes.
Gently he grabbed my ring-hand with his ring-hand and lifted it to his lips to kiss my knuckles. »I couldn't have a better birthday.«
»Wait. The evening still isn't over.«
And right in that moment, his bedroom door opened. »Are you coming? It's time.« Caleb stood in the doorframe and looked at us. Both of us nodded and jumped onto our legs.
Just when I passed by Cal, I noticed that his cheeks were unnaturally red.
»Everything okay?« Worried, I frowned and eyed my little brother who only nodded.
»I just feel a bit hot.«
Just when we arrived outside everyone looked at us. If it was because of Cas and my entangled hands or...
No, there couldn't be another reason. It was because of our entangled hands.
Together we walked over to the little grandstand, Caleb right behind us. We joined Alpha Kenneth and Luna Kiana, who already smiled at us. My brother went to our parents and our sister who stood behind the Alpha couple and us.
Kenneth nodded to us with a quick movement of his head and then turned to the pack members. His voice was loud and clear, sounding like the voice of a leader, as he spoke to our pack.
»Welcome to the retry of my son's birthday!«
Every pack member lifted their bottle or glass into the air and growled together what almost sounded like a howl and the ensemble playing of the howling was so overwhelming I almost lost my foothold.
I would have never thought that the howl of a full pack could affect me like that.
And right now, they all were in their human form and couldn't even howl like they would in their wolf form. If it affected me like this, how would it be if they all transformed?
»I know, I know!« Kenneth yelled over the crowd that immediately quieted down. Smiling, he turned to Cas and me.
»Cassian turned 20 and is ready to take over the pack at his age. Only the absence of his Luna made us hesitate. The Luna that was still absent a few months ago.«
Now I felt thousands of eyes digging into me, well more of a few hundred – we only were about 300 wolves in our pack.
»Back at Cassian's 18th birthday the goddess didn't choose a mate for my son. We naturally assumed that his future mate is from another race or pack. But without us knowing his mate was already a member of our pack.«
More eyes burned my skin. Some whispered to each other.
»Two years ago, the future Beta, Kyran Crimson, went abroad. There were a few rumors about the reason, some were right, some were wrong. I won't go into detail but it was necessary that he left because it was possible that his life was on the line. Now, we didn't expect that he would be the chosen one of my son.«
Some pack members gasped, others looked interested and open. Did I worry without reason?
»On the day of his return, they recognized each other as mates and marked each other. Now I ask you, if you can accept both of them!«
If it was possible, then his voice sounded even louder and clearer – full of authority. It scared me how mighty his power radiated. And at the same time, I questioned myself if Cas had the same radiating might if he let his full Alpha power out.
Nervously I squeezed Cassians hand and felt his grip tighten too in response. He gave me energy. The pack was still quiet before it suddenly broke out in a storm of bellows.
A agreeing, enjoying, happy below.
I rejoiced. They accepted me.
»We still know that Kyran was born with the rank of a Beta. But we will think of a way for him to fulfill the responsibility of both ranks, so he will be Beta and Luna in one. There was never the same kind of situation in other packs and naturally we don't have answers, but we try to solve them. Hopefully, you will understand it if something doesn't go correctly right away.«
Some cheers came from the members.
»Now to the next topic!«
The crowd quieted down again and now, Kenneth looked at us with a prompting expression that made Cassian and me step forward.
»When an Alpha turns 21 and has his Luna at his side, the rules say they take over the pack. And like that, the rule affects Cassian and Kyran! They still need to graduate and fully get comfortable in their roles which is why we will stand at their side for a year. Now ask you! Will you accept the two as your Alpha and Luna? Will you accept them as your new leaders? Will you accept them as your new Alpha-couple and will let them lead you?«
If I had thought before that their bellows and howls would take the ground away beneath my feet, I was wrong, because right now they seriously did it.
Cas needed to wrap his arm around my hip so I didn't drop to the ground.
They accepted me – us.
Tears welled up. They didn't repudiate me, they didn't hunt me down, they didn't curse or swear at me. No. They accepted me.
»See? You had no reason to be scared, they love you.«
Softly Cas kissed my cheek and against my skin I could feel him smile. And just when he pulled his head back, I could have sworn I heard him mumble something like 'just like I love you'.
But that couldn't be true. Right? I mean, it was Cassian.
»Then welcome them! Alpha Cassian and Luna Kyran!«
And all of a sudden something changed. The heat around us rose and the air almost seemed to crackle. Just like in the summer when the horizon seemed blurred, so warm got it. But it wasn't because of Cas or me.
Abruptly I turned around and looked to Caleb who had a pain twisted expression and held his head.
His aura seemed to grow, to pulsate and grew mightier, grew similar to the one of our father.
And then he jerked his eyes open and gold-coloured eyes stared at me.
The eyes of a Beta.