Ryker pushes my hair from my right shoulder, and once again, I feel his teeth press lightly into the tender skin there, but this time, his teeth are a lot sharper, and I know his fangs are out and ready to mark me. And then I feel my own fangs brush against my tongue when I clench my teeth together.
“Do it,” I urge him.
He kisses the spot softly before he sinks his fangs into the spot where my shoulder and neck meet. The pain is sharp and shooting, but it quickly goes away, and only a warm sensation is left. I freeze for a moment and shudder against him as the warmth spreads throughout my body. Ryker leaves his mouth there a second more before he pulls away and tenderly licks the wound with his tongue.
“Your turn,” he whispers into my ear, his voice husky with desire.
I run my tongue over my sharp fangs and try to push down the nerves. At his tender urging, I lean down and copy his actions. First, I kiss the spot gently before sinking my fangs into his flesh. His blood rushes into my mouth, and I expect to be disgusted by the taste, but shockingly, I don’t taste the coppery flavor I was expecting. It tastes like him.
Ryker stiffens up for a split second but quickly relaxes when the pain of the bite goes away. I lick away the blood just as he did when I retract my fangs.
The air around us starts to hum with energy when I lean back to look at him. At first, I swear it’s the moonlight playing tricks on my eyes, but I quickly realize what it actually is. The mating aura that has always surrounded Ryker is growing and expanding all around us, and with it, a blanket of warm air falls over us, making my skin tingle.
The power grows strong and makes the air thick with magic. The comforting warmth that spreads over us grows hotter by the second. When I look into Ryker’s eyes, I expect to find his usual blue ones, but instead, his wolf’s golden ones shine back at me. I don’t have long to wonder if my eyes have also shifted into my wolf form because another, more intense wave of power rushes over me and causes me to throw my head back and yell out. Ryker’s fingers dig roughly into my hips, and I swear I hear him shout, but the rushing sound of the energy around us muffles any other noise.
Suddenly, the glow that had been growing around us explodes with a bright flash of light. There is so much power behind it; I see the leaves of the trees blow and sway in the rush of wind.
After everything stills around us, I look back at Ryker and find the mark I had made on his shoulder is glowing gold, the same color as the mating aura that is no longer around him or us. The bite glows for a second longer before it fades into his skin.
Panting, I collapse against his chest. I feel his large protective arms wrap around me, and I hold him close. My wolf is the most content she has ever been since I’ve been aware of her.
I would be lying if I didn’t also find gratification in knowing Ryker is officially mated to me. No more can someone try to come between us because we are bound to each other and each other only.
“We’re mates,” he says softly into my ear.
“We’re married,” I tell him back.
When we walk into the Weylyns’ house the next morning, we are shocked to see everyone sitting in the living room waiting for us. I’m even more shocked to see Addison, Noah, and Esme there. The second the front door closes behind us, everyone jumps from their seat and starts talking over each other, their voices becoming increasingly louder.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us about the book Esme found!” Margot shouts.
“I—” I am cut off when Remi marches closer.
“That would have been good information to know!” She puts her hands on her hips with an annoyed huff.
“I’m sorry,” I tell the group. “I thought it would be better to wait to tell you. I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up in case it didn’t end up coming true.”
I haven’t even had a chance to tell Ryker yet, and I can tell from the look on his face he is completely lost on what we’re talking about. I explain to him what Esme had found in the book with the original script that elaborated more on the meaning of the prophecy and the bloodline requirement. He’s a little upset I didn’t tell him before the mating ceremony.
“She didn’t want to add any more pressure to you,” Ransom jokes. “It would have been awkward if you couldn’t have…performed properly will all that stress.”
“Ransom James!” Margot scolds before slapping the back of her youngest son’s head. “I swear, sometimes I wonder who raised you.”
I shake my head at him and turn my attention back to Ryker. “Like I said, I wasn’t sure if it was true, and I don’t understand why everyone is up in arms over it. Did something happen?”
“You could say that…” Addison drawls. I notice an odd look pass between her and Noah. “Last night, Noah could suddenly see the mating aura around me—it just appeared, and as of this morning, we are mated.”
Everyone in the room is silent as they look back at me. I stand there in shock as I process what I’m hearing.
“Holy shit, you really are the white wolf!” several exclaim in unison.
The sound of our families laughing and talking from the upper patio fills my ears while I stare at the lake.
