Page 19 of You Will Crave Me
I rolled by eyes. “We’ll both bare it.”
I called a dragon over and ordered him to fetch the brand from my office.
“What does it look like?” Elliot asked.
“My crest with a large crown over the heads of the dragon and wolf.”
“That is badass. Like the thrones.” Elliot turned to look at the design that was carved in our thrones. “Why add the crown to your original crest?”
“Rank distinction from all others who bare my crest. Same reason why I added the crossed swords to Hexon and Tylendel’s crest,” I said.
Elliot nodded then. “Yeah, I get that. Marks things permanently ours.”
“Yes.” I turned in time to see my dragon return with the brand.
“My Liege,” he said, handing me the long, polished wooden box containing the branding iron.
“I’m surprised you’re getting it too,” Elliot said.
“I wouldn’t ask you to do something I’m not willing to do myself,” I stated. I took the box and rose from my spot. “Silence,” I yelled, and all the voices died down instantly. Those who were engaged in sex paused their movements to look up at the dais. Elliot rose as well, catching on. “You will now witness your King and Rajah and Alphas brand each other as a sign of loyalty to one another and to our army.”
To that, the crowed erupted in cheers and loud applause. I saw both Tylendel, Hexon, and Valier nodding their heads in approval, which meant a lot to me to know that they agreed with this decision.
“To my Rajah and Alpha mate, I swear my loyalty until death,” I said the oath to Elliot and handed him the brand. I heated it up with my fire, then bared my neck for him to brand me. He smiled, then pressed the white-hot brand to my flesh. I squeezed my eyes shut tight as the searing pain sizzled my skin. I gritted my teeth and managed not to cry out, but it was that bad. Finally, it was over. Elliot handed me the brand, as he knew he was next.
“To my King and Alpha mate, I swear my loyalty until death,” he said. “You are mine,” he added, and the assertive way he laid claim on me sent a jolt of excitement straight to my balls. Because I felt like that should have been my line, but he’d said it, and said it with so much authority. God, I knew he was an alpha male in every sense of the word, but damn!
I felt my arousal rising all over again as I heated up the brand. Like me, he bared his neck, same side I did. I pressed the brand to his flesh and he let loose a low growl, a slight furrowing of his brow, but that was it. Not even a flinch. I removed the brand and placed it on the dais to cool off. We kissed and the crowd cheered again, seeing their King and Rajah and Alphas moving closer together as a union.
This night was turning out to be one of the best nights of my life.
CHAPTER THREE
Dominic
“You look tense,” Lee said as he approached me from behind. I’d stopped calling him by his first name, Wei Xian, a few weeks ago and he didn’t mind. I think he preferred it, actually.
I turned to look at him. He was only wearing jeans and nothing else. I tried hard not to focus on how seductive his muscles moved under his golden flesh. He was beautiful and I hated that I desired him. His soft brown eyes raked over me, trapping me in their gaze, and I had to turn away or I feared I’d drop to my knees and suck his cock right there in front of the entire pack and a few vampires and hybrids.
“I am tense,” I replied as I looked up at the moon. It was getting close to the time of the change. Something I’d been dreading the whole month. I was hoping against hope that I wouldn’t transform. I didn’t want to feel that pain or even be that closely linked to the pack. It was bad enough that I was a vampire and thirsted for blood and cum. But to have to turn into a wolf every month, to feel my bones break and splinter and reform until the transformation was complete? Shit, I could do without it.
“You feel it, though, don’t you?” Lee asked. “The energy is flowing through your body… you can feel it tying you to your nature.”
I rolled my eyes, because I wasn’t ready to hear this werewolf propaganda bullshit. I turned to him, frowning. “I am hoping that you and Dante are wrong. I don’t want shit to do with your pack,” I snapped.
“Get over yourself,” Dante said. I felt him before he spoke, my Sire. “I can sense the blood of the wolf in your veins, Dom. It’s happening, so you best accept that fact. The more you fight it, the worse it will feel.”
“I’ve been trying to prepare him all month, but you know how your son is, Sir,” Lee said with an evil smirk playing on his full, shapely lips.
Dante snorted. “The most stubborn fuck I’ve ever met. Yeah, I know.”
“Standing right here and I have ears,” I retorted since they were talking about me like I wasn’t around.
“Good, then listen. You need to relax once the change takes over. It’s best if you go to all fours, because that’s how you’ll end up. You will love it once it’s done. The feeling of running and hunting with the pack can’t be matched.” Dante was beaming, so excited for this night to take place. He gestured to my forearm. “Does it still hurt?” he asked, referring to the brand I now had seared into my skin.
I looked down to see the River Rock brand of wolves howling while standing on rocks in a river brook. “It stopped hurting about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Sir,” Dante said.
