Page 68 of Fated to the Rogue

“It’s not as scary as it seems, I promise. A bunch of people will come to our room to pamper you, and as soon as you’re done, I’ll be right back with you.” I took her hand in mine, gently brushing it with my thumb. “How about we have breakfast with the others before you have your princess day?”

“Sounds good.” She smiled in approval.

Upon leaving the pack hospital, we headed straight to the cafeteria. My friends were just finishing their meal, but they gladly stayed with us while we ate. Although Nisha had been with us for less than a week, she was fitting in pretty well with my Luna and the Beta Female, and I was also happy to see Tina connecting with them. Once we were done, we parted ways. I took my mate back to our room, and almost had to be kicked out by the maids because I was taking too long to leave her.

For the first time since Tina and I met, I had to spend the day alone at my office. At least I had work to distract me, and Dawn to keep me company. My irritating she-wolf sure had some sass,but she also had a fun side. She made time pass by quicker, and before I knew it, it was time for me to get ready too.

The sun had just set when I climbed down the stairs towards the guest suite where I would be getting dressed. Since Valentina was preparing for her ceremony in our room, I had some Omegas bring the stuff I would need to one of the spare rooms on the bottom floor. Tonight was my mate’s time to shine, so my outfit was pretty simple. It consisted of a three-piece forest green vicuna suit, with a white button-up shirt underneath, and a golden tie to finish the look.

Just as I was done taming my wild jet-black hair, there was a knock on my door. I put on my pale gold shoes before leaving. Malin was standing right outside, sporting a silver-gray suit and an emerald green bow tie. He had his golden hair combed back as usual.

“Ready to go get our girls?” My best friend had a huge grin on his face, his eyes twinkling at the simple thought of being with his mate.

“You’ve probably been with Amaya all day.” I rolled my eyes, walking past him to lead the way.

“Correct. But that doesn't mean I wanna see her any less.”

“Where’s Zach and Nisha?” I asked the moment I noticed the Gammas weren’t with him.

“Already at the party. They didn’t bother waiting for us,” he huffed.

As soon as we made it to the top floor, Amaya stepped out of the Beta suite. She was wearing a silver dress that matched Malin’s outfit, which wasn’t surprising; it was traditional for Elite members to wear color-coordinated outfits according to their ranks. My Beta ran up to his mate the second he laid eyes on her. Unwilling to stay and witness their PDA, I told them to go ahead without me and continued on my way towards my room.

In front of the Alpha suite, I took a minute to breathe in Valentina’s enticing fragrance, which I had missed dearly throughout the day, before knocking on the door. As soon as she gave me permission to walk in, I obliged. The moment I saw her, standing mere feet away from me, all of the air suddenly left my lungs.

It was true that I had seen her in her marvelous gown before, but everything else was new to me. Valentina looked even more stunning with her caramel blonde hair styled in a loose waterfall braid that cascaded down her shoulders and back. Her gold and brown makeup enhanced her facial features perfectly, making her eyes pop and her cheekbones stand out.

I thought my drop-dead gorgeous mate couldn’t look any prettier, but here she was, redefining the meaning of perfection.

“You’re gonna catch flies, Alpha,” she chuckled. Only then did I realize my jaw had literally dropped.

I cleared my throat, promptly collecting myself. “Are you even real? You look like an angel.”

My feet moved towards her without my command; I was drawn to her like a werewolf to the full moon, and I swear she shone even brighter than our Goddess. I needed to touch her, to feel her, to taste her. However, when I lifted my hands up to her face, she stopped me by wrapping her delicate fingers around my wrists.

“Careful. You’re gonna ruin the maids’ work,” she whispered, pointing to the Omegas behind her. I instantly noticed that they were all frowning at me. Reluctantly, I took a step back, and she released me from her grasp. “I’ve never worn anything like this. Expensive clothes, jewelry, makeup…” She turned to inspect her reflection in the mirror. “It feels a little weird.”

“It suits you. You were born to shine, sunrise.” I slowly snaked my arms around her stomach from behind, takingadvantage of her distraction to plant a hungry kiss on the crook of her neck. She smiled sweetly at me as I pulled away from her to offer her my hand. “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” When she held her head high, I struggled to believe she had once been an Omega; she was just as badass as Dawn, and my she-wolf was far from belonging at the bottom of our hierarchy.

Arm-in-arm, we exited the pack house and marched towards the Event Hall. The closer we got to the venue, the more stunned I was by the decoration. There were arches entirely made of green and white carnations over the stone walkway leading to the entrance, as well as two fancy mini fountains on each side of the double doors.

The interior was illuminated by yellowish-green lights, and a big golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling. More than 200 round glass tables were scattered around the room, all covered with forest green tablecloths and a white candle that floated inside of a water bowl for centerpieces.

As soon as we stepped inside, leaders from ally packs stopped to greet us. Among them was Sanders, with whom we had a quick chat about our recent alliance; it was our first time meeting in person. A few minutes later, Zachari and Nisha joined us. Valentina complimented their matching black outfits, which I had to admit suited them both well.

As the time for the beginning of the ceremony started, we left Alpha Sanders and the Gammas. On our way towards the center of the venue, we bumped into Alex and her mate. I thanked my Delta for the effort she put into organizing everything, and just as I was done talking to her, Elder Laelius linked me to inform me he was ready to begin.

I squeezed my mate’s hand lightly before leading her through the back towards the big stage. A spotlight lit up above our heads the second we reached the center, where the Elderwas waiting for us. I expected Tina to feel a little shy with the number of people looking at her, but she didn’t. Her posture was impeccable, and the aura she emitted was that of a queen. I took a quick breath before turning my attention to the crowd before us.

“Members of Wind Howlers and honored guests, thank you for your presence tonight.” The sound of my imponent voice echoing through the open space made the crowd go silent. “Today, I present to you my fated mate and your Luna!”

With elegance, Valentina took a step forward, taking the spotlight for herself. “It is with great honor that, tonight, I vow to defend you with all of my power. I promise to fight for a future of greatness, to ensure we keep growing together,” she professed, making the wolves go wild once again.

As I stayed back, Elder Laelius approached my mate. “Valentina Quill, you were not born from our soil, but you’ve heard the wind sing your name. Our lands welcomed you with open arms, and tonight, we ask you to leave your old life behind and fully accept us, too.” He grasped both her hands tightly, but she didn’t move. “Here and now, standing before me, a direct messenger of the Moon Goddess, you must vow to become the mother of this pack. You must swear to put your children’s safety before your own, assisting your Alpha in always doing what’s best for the pack.”

“I vow to do so,” she replied without hesitation, loud and clear.

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