POV: Aria
I was unable to breathe a moment. I could not take my eyes off the man by the Alpha.
The man from the bar. The very one that I had been making so much effort to forget.
My chest tightened. The crowd had died down to a wailing murmur, and, except for the sound of my own heart being beaten heavily, I heard no more.
The candles surrounding the ritual area became as grey as possible, until a loud shout woke me up again, in a deep, commanding howl that rumbled through the night and drowned out the conversation.
"Lucian Vale, the son of the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack!" A young soldier yelled.
The name reverberated in the night, as Lucian left his seat next to the Alpha, his father. Every head turned in unison. Gasps and murmurs, murmurs of people who could not believe what they had just heard.
He came out, so calm and so tall, that he did not need to make himself noticeable. He spoke in a voice that was strong enough to silence the rest of the people when he started speaking.
"Good evening, folks," he said, in a pleasant but firm voice. "It is weird to be standing here once more after so long being away. I dropped this pack when I was a boy, and now I come back when I am a man-- and yet one of you, and still proud to be called one of you."
There was a ripple of cheers. He smiled, small but genuine.
"My parents," he added, looking at the Alpha and the Luna, "had always told me that going out of home would make me responsible, that I must first learn to serve, before I could lead. I thought they exaggerated."
Some gentle laughs arose out of the audience. "Turns out they were right. My time in exile taught me that there was nothing like territory, nothing so title, as Blood Moon Pack. It's family."
He stopped and glanced about the crowd, a mere gesture, but it seemed to him he was looking at all, at every face.
"I missed my home," he said. The smell of the forest, the power of our togetherness and the fire of our people. It's good to be back."
Applause followed. He waited till it died, and then proceeded.
"I come back, ready to occupy my place, where the Moon wills," he said, and his voice grew a little deeper. "I am finished with my education, and I am prepared to serve, as a son, as a soldier, and, should the Moon be kind to me, as a mate."
A moment his words were suspended in the air. Then he said a little, and smiling, "I can see that I have surprised some of you. I understand you can not fault me, you know, going missing and not coming back in years was not the best thing to do to have a lasting impact."
There came laughter in the crowd. Even the Alpha smiled, faintly.
Lucian chuckled too. "But tonight isn't about me. It is about us all of us, the ones who will find their destined ones and begin new histories. I pray that the Moon goddess has penned mine somewhere in the stars to-night. Or I'll have to give another speech next year." He said, earning another round of laughter from the crowd.
He bowed his head slightly. "May she bless this ritual, and all the ties that are made to-night."
The crowd erupted in cheers. Howls filled the air. I could not help but be impressed by the strength of his words, by the manner in which he delivered them in a calm, confident, and warm way, as though each word was heartfelt.
Beside me, Lyra was beaming. "He is wonderful, mom, she said to herself."
I managed a small nod. "He is," I murmured. My throat felt tight.
And there came the Elder, who had a long scroll in his hand. His voice was dramatic and full of pride.
"You have come back to your people, Prince Lucian Vale, strong and honourable. Moon shines on you to-night. You will not be waiting another year to have your mate."
Lucian blinked, confused. "Elder?"
The old man smiled knowingly. "You already have a mate written in your stars to-night."
Gasps ran through the crowd. I felt my stomach twist.
The Elder rolled up the scroll and read aloud the name which changed everything.
"Lyra Damien Hale!"
My world stopped. I was deaf with silence though the whole pack had begun cheering and all heads turned to us. My daughter stood still next to me and her eyes were open in disbelief.
"Me?" she whispered.
I couldn't answer. My lips were moving, but no sound was produced.
Lyra looked at me, hesitant. I forced a trembling smile. "Go on," I whispered. "It's your moment."
She paused a moment and then took a step forward. The people cleared a path to her and she slowly strolled towards the stage.
Lucian stepped down the steps, and looked at her with an expression that was gentle. As their hands touched, the crowd that surrounded us screamed, applauded, cheered.
I stood there, acting as though I were smiling, acting as though I were happy. My heart was racing with disbelief, guilt and what can be described as fear.
Since the man before my daughter, the soon to be Alpha, the pride of the pack, was the same man who had touched me in the dark just a few hours before.
I swallowed, my lips closed together, and i whispered to myself.
"My one-night stand," I said to myself, "will be the future Alpha... and the mate of my daughter?"