"Dad's gone," my cousin's voice was barely above a whisper. "You must come home for the Evaluations," she uttered and the phone line went dead.
*****
After Keri's Uncle - the Alpha of the Silver Bullets pack - loses his battle with cancer, the young...
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The leaves of the Sacred Hazel Tree murmured as the wind lightly pushed them around. It was a perfect June day, the sun pleasantly warm, no dark clouds on the horizon. I looked at the couple before me.
Rhys and Riley were kneeling and facing each other, smiles as bright as the summer sun.
I picked up the silver ritual dagger of my pack and stepped towards them, raising my gaze from the newlyweds to the crowd a few feet away.
The Bullets were gathered at the meadow for the mating ceremony and I was bursting with pride and joy to have my own mate in our midst.
I looked down back at my best friend and his husband.
"Rhys, Riley, give me your hands."
Their eyes on each other, the guys each extendedan arm towards me. I took Rhys' hand first and lightly poked the tip of his index finger with the dagger. A scarlet pearl formed on his skin and I let go of him to do the same with Riley, who, unlike his mate, flinched a little when I poked him.
But he kept on smiling.
I put the dagger on the small wooden table we'd taken out for the ceremony and picked up a silver chalice, already filled with the fragrant red wine that one of my pack members had made.
Once again I reached for their arms in turn - first Rhys', then Riley's - keeping their hands over the chalice until a couple of drops of blood from each of the men fell into it. I shook it a little so the two red liquids inside would mix.
"Rhys, Riley, drink from the sacred chalice. Let your blood mix with that of your mate and link your souls for eternity."
I handed them the cup and each took a sip. I expected Riley to grimace - he'd been grossed out by this part of the ceremony when we'd told him about it - but he was too focused on Rhys to care.
I took back the chalice and turned my attention to the crowd.
"Today we celebrate the mating of two of our members. Let's wish them to share long years, happy and contented in each other's presence. Rhys, Riley, rise."
The two stood up and faced me.
"You are now a mated couple. May the mate bond bring you nothing but joy."
Rhys took Riley's hand and squeezed it, grinning at the younger man. Not really a part of the ceremony, but it wasn't like they were breaking protocol.
I turned around and moved towards the sacred tree, kneeling before it when I reached it. Holding the chalice with both hands, I recited:
"There's a new mated couple in our pack. We beg the Great Spirits of Nature to watch over them, and over us all."
Then I tilted the chalice and let its content soak the ground at the base of the tree. Once the cup was empty, I stood up and faced my pack:
