The top male guards were all gathered at the rear of the pack house in the light of the bonfire. Everyone else in the pack was engaged in Midsumr’s Eve festivities—dancing, eating, and general rrymaking as Indigo’s folk band played music—but this select group of males were going stag hunting.
"I know this is tradition," Grae said, his arms akimbo on his hips as he addressed the males gathered around. "But as you know, August is quite close to her due date."
"No no!" Lucas laughed. "You are not getting out of this!"
"Lucas, you haven’t even marked your mate yet," Seth said quietly with a sober expression as he glanced at Grae.
He understood their Alpha’s concern. He hadn’t been there when his pups were born, and he would do anything to go back and change that. It wasn’t sothing he wanted anyone else going through, particularly Grae as he was such a good Alpha male and a good mate to their Luna. He would beat himself up about it forever if he missed such an important mont in their lives.
Lucas frowned, a flash of anger in his eyes. "What does that have to do with anything?"
A few of the guards laughed. Lucas had been endlessly teased in the beginning about his and Neoma’s decision to wait to do the marking until after the commitnt ceremony. The guards who were stupid enough to say he was afraid or having second thoughts never made that mistake again once he got ahold of them. But there were still snickers and smirks.
Not from Seth, though. Seth felt like a junior Grae or a second Beta. Everyone knew he had been the lycan leader under Zagan, and it was clear why. He was soone everyone naturally respected, and he treated them with respect in return.
"I just an," Seth said, glancing at Grae again to gauge his reaction, "you may not fully appreciate the connection yet. If Neoma were heavy with your pup..."
"I appreciate the connection," Lucas growled.
Oh, he appreciated it alright. It was one of the most difficult things he had ever had to do... waiting months to mark Neoma. It felt like an eternity—like the longest eternity. And despite their decision to wait, he had co close a few tis.
But it was sothing he wanted to give her—the symbolic commitnt of his pledge to her and to their lives together with the Moon Goddess and the entire pack as witnesses before he marked her. Because he knew that the mont that he did and they felt that most intimate of connections with one another, that lycan part of him would beco part of her and remove the scars that had gotten her here to this point with him.
The scars on her face that Andreas had left had pearlized and turned white. They weren’t the angry red marks that they had been before. Lucas didn’t notice them at all when he looked at her. And he wanted her to realize that—to truly believe it.
As much as he wanted to heal any trace of what Andreas had done to her—and he would, Goddess, he would—he wanted her to realize how much he cherished every part of her as well. He wasn’t going to try to erase anything that had imprinted itself on her life or her experience, because it made her who she was today. It made her a warrior. It made her his mate.
His mate. Goddess, to have a second mate. Lucas was so grateful.
He had cried on many occasions with Neoma—weeped was more like it— as he just held her close to him, unable to believe he had been gifted sothing so precious again. Maybe that was part of why he hadn’t marked her yet, too. She was so precious—so perfect and fragile in a way even though she had proven how capable and powerful of an alyko she was.
Maybe he was a little afraid. He was afraid of hurting her.
"Hey guys," Sam ran up to the group, drawing everyone’s attention.
"What are you doing here?" Grae frowned.
"Finn took over for ," Sam panted, gesturing over his shoulder with a thumb.
"Finn?" Grae’s frown deepened. "As in... Finn?"
"Alright!" Lucas’ smile was back. "See, now you have to go. Sam abandoned his twin pups just to join."
"I didn’t abandon them," Sam rolled his eyes. "My mom is there, too. Were you not going to go?" He asked Grae.
"The pup could co at any ti," he raked a hand through his hair before glancing back at Sam with a crooked smile.
"You don’t want to miss it," Sam panted. "I get it. This is going to be a long night. Stags don’t exactly grow on trees," he chuckled. "And we have to cross the Grimm."
"Wait... you’re supporting this?" Lucas exclaid.
"When Neoma is heavy with your pup..." Sam started.
"That’s what I said," Seth interrupted. "He’ll understand one day."
"Seriously, man. You won’t leave her side," Sam nodded. "I guarantee it."
"Childbirth is risky. It’s risky," Seth nodded too, humming as he thought again about his own mate who had done it all alone. Thank Goddess she and both pups had been fine.
"And we’re talking about the Luna. The pack’s heir," Sam sighed, resting his hands against his hips just like Grae.
Lucas looked back and forth between the Beta and the pack’s newest addition to leadership and groaned. There was no point in arguing. It was like Seth and Sam had the sa mind when it ca to stuff like this. And Grae too. Grae would never pressure soone into leaving their pregnant mate behind for a stag party.
"Fine. So are none of us going, then?" He mumbled and kicked his feet in the dirt. He had really been looking forward to mounting a stag skull from tonight.
Grae and his Beta exchanged a look.
"You all go ahead," Grae finally said. "I’m sorry to disappoint you. I owe you all an epic hunt with your Alpha leading. I just can’t leave her to go that far. Not tonight."
One by one, the males slapped their Alpha on the shoulder before running off into the woods. Sam stayed behind, and both he and Grae chuckled at the whoops of excitent that danced back to their ears.
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