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CHAPTER 20:
“Beautiful.”
My mom spun me toward a mirror, clapping gleefully as the men and women around us began to compliment me. I felt… off.
I didn’t look like myself. I was staring at a made up stranger. His skin was dewy and shining, with charcoal smudges around his eyes. The intricate painted symbols on my face felt heavy. My face looked longer, sagging under the weight of my new appearance. My hair, usually a wild mess of curls, had been oiled and dried in such a way that they appeared as tight black ringlets. Who was this person?
“You’re ready, my darling.” My mom kissed my temple, squeezing my shoulders reassuringly. “Aren’t you excited?”
Excited? Was I? I looked around the full room, wondering how they all looked so happy when I felt so… anxious. Not only had I weaned off my suppressants for the last week and stayed with Nico to avoid Noah, but the body pains coupled with the mortification that all these people planned to watch me fornicate made my stomach turn. I was not excited. I was nauseous. My whole being ached unrelentingly. “Yes, Ama.” I answered, turning back to the mirror.
“The ceremony begins in just a few minutes. Why don’t you go upstairs and grab your jewelry. I put it in your old room’s closet for safe keeping.” My mom directed me, already turning away to ask someone if the Palanquin had arrived yet. The Palanquin was essentially a throne that they would lift to carry me to the bonding ceremony. My throat tightened at the mention of it. I rushed upstairs if only to escape my anxiety for a few moments.
I shut my old room door behind me, pressing my back against the cool wood. I felt so many emotions at once I had hardly had any opportunity to process them. Now, alone in my childhood room, the first feeling that hit me was embarrassment. I could see myself in the reflection of a nearby window, my body practically naked aside from the shortest pair of silk shorts I had ever worn. My whole body was covered in painted symbols, only half of which I could read. It was a dead language and the idea that my body said things I couldn’t read made me even more anxious. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this.
Just as my mind processed those thoughts, I smelled a familiar scent approaching my door. Panicking, I rushed into my closet, desperate not to be seen. The room door opened hesitantly, a familiar head of wavy hair peeking in. “Micah?” Nico opened the door completely, shocked not to see me. He sniffed the air, seemingly confused by the room that still retained my scent. I knew it was silly to hide from Nico, but I just wasn’t ready for him to see me. I wasn’t ready to be seen by anyone. “I could’ve sworn…”
“What are you doing in here?” Von appeared in my doorway, closing it behind him. “Are we hiding?”
Nico rolled his eyes. “I was looking for Micah. I thought I smelled him in here, but… wait, why are you here?”
“Excuse me? All are welcome to attend this momentous occasion for our pack.” Von feigned insult, before coming to stand behind nico and sniff his throat. “But your mom asked me to be one of the people who carry your brother to the ceremony. I couldn’t say no to my Luna.”
“Get off. Someone might come in.” Nico chastised, pulling away from Von. I realized now I was eavesdropping and was debating simply coming out and apologizing.
“Would it be bad if someone came in?” Von asked. “What did you think I wanted to do?”
“Don’t be weird.” Nico snapped, but through the slits in the closet door I could make out a pretty deep blush. “Do you have any idea what kind of gossip they’d come up with?”
“Let them talk.” Von shrugged.
“This is Micah’s day.” Nico changed the topic. “I wanted to talk to him before it was time to go.”
“It can’t wait?”
Nico laughed sarcastically, sitting down on my old bed. “Micah… I know he must be scared. He’s the big brother and he’s always acted like it… but call it intuition or maybe a premonition, but I feel like he needs me. Everyone is laughing and smiling, but I know today is probably the worst day of his life.”
“Worst day? He finally gets to bond with his mate. I thought they made up.”
“It’s not about that.” Nico insisted. “Micah is… pure. He hung on our parents every word growing up about how magical finding his mate would be. He never so much as held someone’s hand. He didn’t have crushes. He’s never flirted. And now… he’s going to have sex in front of every single person he knows and then some. I know he understands the mechanics of it, but I don’t know if he’s really mentally prepared for this.”
“I see… well, I’m sure the mate bond will kick in.” Von sat down beside my brother.
Nico laughed again. “You don’t seem to understand how strong Micah is. The mate bond doesn’t stand a chance to his sheer force of will. Still… he’ll probably go into heat. He’s been teetering on the edge for a while anyway.” I blushed, suddenly even more embarrassed that my predicament had become so obvious to everyone. “I know it’s dumb to worry about something like this. I know it should be a happy day. I just felt like I needed to look into his eyes and make sure he was okay.”
“And what if he isn’t?”
“Then we’d run away.” Nico said it so quickly it shocked both Von and myself.
“Run away? You think it’d be that easy?”
“I didn’t say it was easy, but if he needs me to, i’ll protect him.” Nico explained. “I’d do anything for Micah.”
“You’re so good.” Von ruffled his hair. “I’m very lucky my brother is such an idiot.”
“Don’t say stuff like that.”
“Why not?”
“Do you have brain damage or something?” Nico cried. “You keep… you keep saying these things and… and you shouldn’t say those things to me.”
“You told me you were sure there was a mistake and that your real mate was out there somewhere. Why don’t you think that could be me?” Von asked instead. “Don’t you feel what i feel?”
“You have Veri…”
“I willingly gave up veri.” Von countered. “I won’t do that with you.”
“Von… I told you-“
“And I told you that you’re mine. My brother be damned. The whole pack be damned. Nile and Veri could change their mind this very instant and I wouldn’t care. I know you’re who the goddess destined for me.” Von grabbed Nico as he stood to escape this conversation. “I know you feel it.”
I shouldn’t be listening to this conversation. I was intruding on something I shouldn’t be, but before I could act, they continued. Von yanked Nico back to him, and I bit my tongue to keep in my gasp as Nico seemed more than willing to be sitting in Von’s lap. “Von…not here…” Nico gasped as Von kissed his neck.
“You say that, but I can smell your ambrosia.” Von growled, squeezing Nico’s ass. I had to contain my squeal, closing my eyes and turning away to avoid seeing my brother get felt up. There was moaning and groaning and with every passing second I realized I needed to come out before they truly did something I would never be able to scrub from my mind. “You smell so good. I want to taste it.”
There was rustling on the bed and I decided it was now or never. I couldn’t listen to my baby brother get his ass eaten. I would rather die. I spun back around, ready to throw open the door and run out of the room when my mom screamed from downstairs, “The Palanquin has arrived! Micah! Nico!”
“Shit.” Nico cried and then there was a thud. “Go! Go before my mom sends someone up here!”
I opened my eyes just as Von and Nico ran out of the room, closing the room door behind them. After a couple shaky breaths I stepped out, clutching the jewelry my mom had sent me in for and attempting to pretend the last few minutes had all been a horrible dream. I rushed downstairs, nearly smacking into someone at the foot of them. “Woah! You okay?”
I looked up, startled to be seeing Nico this soon. “What?” I asked, still kind of shooken up.
Nicos face twisted in concern. “Are you alright? What’s wrong?”
“Huh? No. No! Everything is fine.” I assured him, slowly regaining my composure. Nico didn’t seem convinced. “Honestly, i’m okay. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to do this.” Nico whispered. “To hell with tradition.”
I lifted my free hand up to cup Nicos cheek, touched by his concern. “Promise me you’ll leave before it starts?”
“You couldn’t pay me to stick around.” Nico chuckled, placing his hand over mine. “It’s okay to be scared.”
“I’m not scared.” I smiled, my first real smile of the day. “Noah will protect me.”
———————–
Being carried on a palanquin wasn’t quite the glamorous trip one would think. It was bumpy and kind of nerve wrecking. I was getting motion sickness and having a mini heart attack anytime someone tripped.
“Gentle!” My mom snapped at one of the people carrying me. “We’re almost there, micah. Are you doing alright?”
I nodded, wondering if my face was green. It felt like it. “Come on, Micah. Noah will be banging you around quite a bit more than this.” Nico joked.
“Nico!” Ama snapped as several people began to chuckle.
“I really can walk.” I groaned, desperate for this trip to end.
“No, you cannot.” Ama insisted before stiffening. She raised her hand, halting everyone. “Shh… there’s a group nearby.”
“Group? Out here?” Nico asked, making her shush him again. I swallowed my nausea, closing my eyes and sniffing the air. It was calm for a second, with just the scent of the forest in the breeze, when a rotten smell reached my nose.
“Sun kingdom.” I gasped. “Put me down! Nico-“
“No.” My mom stopped me. “You need to go to your bonding ceremony.”
“Ama!” I cried under my breath.
“Nico can handle it. He will not engage. He will go see who is here, how many… and he will report back to your father and I.” My mom ordered.
“No. Absolutely not.” I argued.
“Micah, it is not up for debate.” she snapped at me, turning to Nico. “Go safely.”
“He can’t go alone.” I continued. “Ama! Send someone with him… send Von!”
“Von?” My mom looked at the man currently holding one of the corners of the palanquin. “He is big… fine. Rez, replace Von.”
“I can handle it alone.” Nico grumbled.
“No.” My mom, Von, and I all said at once. Rez stepped up, switching it to his shoulder so Von could step away. I groaned as I was jostled yet again.
“Now go.” Ama sighed. “Report back immediately. Again, do not engage.”
———————-
“Now… because you’re no longer on suppressants, it’s going to hit you fairly quickly. I would say you have a minute before you’re fully in the thick of it. Your father will have already transferred his strength to Noah so… you’ll be let down and… and he’ll remove your clothing and- and take you into his arms… and the elders will say a few things and then he’ll kiss you… and after that… well… hopefully you two make it to the bed.” My mom explained as we approached the ceremony.
“Oh goddess.” I groaned, my stomach turning for two reasons now. My mom reached up, grabbing my hand in hers and squeezing it reassuringly.
“I was nervous too.” She admitted. “It will be okay.”
“Ama… please don’t let people linger.” I whispered, not even sure if she heard me. She squeezed my hand again just as we reached the clearing with the newly constructed glas building. The sun had almost set completely at this point and the large group standing in front of the entrance were shrouded in darkness.
Ama released my hand, beginning to walk ahead of us. She reached the crowd first, the people parting to create and aisle for us to proceed down. At the very end stood all the elders including my father… and Noah. He was dressed similarly to me. Tight golden shorts resembling underwear and red marking adorning every curve of his body. He had been given some kind of shawl or drapery to put over his shoulders and as I shivered in the cold night I burned with annoyance and jealousy. When we made eye contact he smiled at me and my mouth went instantly dry.
Ama joined the elders, standing beside my father and taking his hand just as we reached the entrance to the glass house. I gripped the fabric beneath me as the men carrying me fell to their knees. I nearly toppled over, saved only by my nails digging into the cushion. Noah looked down at me as I tried not to shiver. I could hear Crescent informing everyone how he would now undress me.
If Nico was here… I probably would have taken him up on his offer and ran. Unfortunately, I was very much alone. I let my eyes fall to my knees as Crescent instructed me to lean back. My eyes began to burn. Where was my heat? Where was the bond that was supposed to make this easy?
I felt cool fabric brush against my skin, looking up into Noah’s eyes as he took his shawl off and placed it on me like a blanket. People began to whisper. This was not our traditional practice. Noah leaned toward me, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” He whispered in my ear quickly before pecking my cheek. He reached under the blanket. His hands sliding up my thighs before hooking in my waistband and slowly sliding them down. Without exposing me, he pulled them out and held them up, as was customary. I averted my eyes as he removed his own, accidentally making eye contact with a woman who licked her lips at Noah. When she saw me looking she averted her eyes, clearly embarrassed at having been caught.
I took a deep breath, ignoring the cheers and comments of those around us. I focused on Noah, who made sure I was fully wrapped in the shawl before taking me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face in his neck to avoid having to make eye contact with anyone else.
We stood there, him cradling me as the elders recited things I would never remember. Occasionally he would adjust the shawl, making sure I was still covered as much as possible. I nuzzled the spot behind his ear, eager for this all to be over.
As quickly as my mouth was dry, it seemed to begin to water. As if a switch had been flipped, my whole body began to vibrate and my mind seemed to sizzle with electricity. Noah’s hands felt so cool against my burning skin and I was eager for him to touch me in many more places.
My mind was blank. What were we even doing here? Noah’s grip tightened on me and I groaned into his ear. “You smell really good.” I whispered, my lips brushing the soft lobe. It was so soft I wanted to bite it.
“Micah, look at me.” His voice made me painfully hard. I pulled away from his throat, desperate to do as he asked and please him any way I could. He smiled at me, his soft, plump lips pulling apart to reveal porcelain like teeth. “You’re mesmerizing, Micah. I love you.”
I wanted to respond, but my mouth didn’t seem to want to work. Instead, I pulled his face to mine, bringing our lips together with what felt like a volt of electricity. I moaned, pleased when he made no move to push me away.
People were talking, but I wasn’t at all interested in anything anyone but Noah had to say. His lips were so soft… I bit one. Noah gasped, his mouth opening up against mine. I pulled him even closer, hesitantly bringing my tongue out to trace against his bottom lip. Noah growled, yanking his face away from mine. He looked away from me, snapping, “Are we done then?”
I was still recovering from our kiss as Noah carried us through the threshold of the glass house. I began to kiss and lick his neck, desperate to taste every part of him that I could. “Noah…” I whined, unsure of what I was even asking for.
“Wait.” He ground out through clenched teeth. He tossed me into the bed, making me squawk in surprise. As my butt connected with the fluffy mattress, I felt my ass clench and release what must have been the most ambrosia I’d ever produced in my life. Noah groaned, slamming closed each side of the canopy. I could make out only shapes at this point. The canopy was thick like I had asked, obscuring us to the point of just shadow figures. I couldn’t hear the festivities outside anymore either, hopefully meaning they couldn’t hear us either. Noah climbed on the bed, closing the last canopy behind him. When he looked at me, I moaned. It felt good just to make eye contact. “Fuck, Micah.” He groaned, wrapping his hand around my ankle. In a second he had yanked me toward him, my back slamming down against the bed. His hands were rubbing against my legs, making me tremble.
“It feels weird where you touch.” I gasped as his hands touched my thighs. He stopped at my words, making me whine. “No, keep going!”
“You’re so sexy, Micah. I can’t take it. Fuck, what if I cum right when I put it in?” Noah stopped touching me and I sat up, shocked to see him covering his face.
“Are you upset?” I asked.
“No! No… i’m just… so fucking nervous.” He chuckled, uncovering his face and smiling at me again. “I don’t think i’ve ever been this turned on. I don’t want to disappoint you. This is your first time.”
I was still overwhelmingly horny. I was trying to be empathetic, but my brain was only half working. What could I do? How could I make him happy? I rolled over, keeping my chest to the bed and lifting my ass in the air. “If you cum, just keep going.” I said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “You’ll stay hard because we’re in heat.”
“Goddess, Micah why… why would you say that?” He groaned, his hand already on my ass. I moaned, pushing back against his hold. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you? You don’t even realize what you’re saying.”
“I dont know what i’m doing.” I agreed as he squeezed my ass. “Show me what to do, Alpha.”
I wasn’t a dirty talker. Like Nico said earlier, I didn’t even know how to flirt. I just wanted to have sex at this point. Noah cursed again, burying his face between my cheeks. I gasped, shocked as his tongue made contact with my twitching entrance. He lapped up the ambrosia, groaning and licking and sucking on my skin as I moaned and shook my hips in encouragement. “You taste delicious, micah.” He growled, reaching forward and wrapping his hand around my cock. I cried out, losing feeling in my arms and smashing my face into a pillow. “I can see you twitching. Do you want me to put it inside that much?”
“Yes! Yes!” I cried as he began to work my cock and force his tongue inside me. “I want to feel you!”
“Fuck, micah, you make me want to just shove it inside you.”
“Please, please Alpha put it in.” I gasped, a weird part of my brain seeming to flip on and take control. “Put your cock inside me! Make me feel good, Alpha!”
Noah released me, shifting his stance behind me. I had no time to formulate even a single rational thought as he slammed into me, making me scream out in shock and delight. “Fuck, you’re so tight! You’re squeezing me! Fuck, I don’t want to cum yet!”
“Cum in me.” I gasped, my hips beginning to force myself back on what felt like the largest penis in existence. “Fill me up! Don’t stop! Fuck, I want you to give me your alpha pups!”
“Goddess, Micah, don’t say that.” Noah cried, tightening his grip on my hips and forcing me back faster. He was pumping into me at an unrelenting pace and I was not in my right mind anymore. I had no control over my body or my mouth. All I could do was sit front seat and experience wave after wave of pleasure as it crashed over me. “Shit, you feel so good. So, so good.”
“I want your cum so bad, alpha. Fill your luna up with your cum! Make me yours!” I was screaming as he spun me around and began to kiss along my neck, nipping at my throat. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Bite me, Alpha! Bite me! Bite me!”
“You’re so sexy. So fucking sexy. I wanna bite you so bad. I wanna mark you and make you mine.” He groaned in my ear, biting the sensitive flesh hard. I cried out, the bite to my ear making me cum instantly. Noah hissed, gasping as I became even tighter. This release did nothing for me. I wanted, no, needed more. “Fuck if you move your hips like that i’m going to cum.”
“It just feels so good.” I cried, unable to stop the grinding of my lower body against his.
“Goddess damnit, Micah!” Noah cursed, sitting us up against the headboard. This new position shifted his member inside me, pushing himself even deeper inside me. I felt like I couldn’t possibly be any fuller, but then he began to rock his hips up into me, reaching even deeper.
Unable to take it any longer, i leaned forward, licking at his shoulder once before extending my fangs and sinking them into his skin. He hissed, gripping my hips so tight I couldn’t move and began to buck up inside of me wildly. I released his shoulder, moaning as he pulled me into a kiss, swirling his tongue in my mouth.
“Shit… Shit… I’m gonna cum, Micah…” He groaned, not slowing his pace.
“Yes! Fuck, cum in me! Fill me up! Don’t stop!” I cried, clinging to his shoulders as he seemed to pound even harder. “Fuck i’m gonna cum again! Fill me up, Alpha! Fill me with your pups!” I cried just as he shot inside me.
He growled, leaning forward and biting into my throat, making me cum yet again. He continued pumping inside me, prolonging both our orgasms. However, after a couple moments, I realized we had not slowed down and had in fact just begun again.
I whimpered as he slammed me back onto my back, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin of my throat. How long was heat supposed to last again? A week?
Fuck.
If I didn’t die I would certainly be pregnant. However, in the moment of unbelievable pleasure, I couldn’t find it in me to care.
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