Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Arion took several deep breaths. It was time. The day he’d waited his entire life for.
Chapter Four
Jezebel was trembling from head to toe as she waited for her mate to arrive. She couldn’t stop the tremors no matter what she did.
As was custom, she and her parents had entered the official mating room a half an hour before her mate and his parents would arrive. She was now kneeling on an ornate soft white pillow in the center of the small circular room that was located in the courtyard of the government center.
Her parents stood behind her. She could feel their presence as she tried to focus on the space in front of her. The carpet in the room was a dense, lush maroon. The curtains were also maroon. Elegant with gold ties holding them open.
Natural light spilled in from windows all around the room, but they were high from the ground, preventing anyone from being able to see the proceedings from the outside.
There were no chairs. In fact, the room had been empty of anything but the pillow when they’d entered. The ceremony would not last long enough for anyone to need to sit.
As was also customary, Jezebel knew to keep her gaze lowered from this moment on throughout the ceremony until her mate asked her to look at him. It was challenging keeping her head bent and her eyes on the floor, but her mother had practiced this with her several times, instructing her that the easiest thing to do was to pick a spot in front of her and not move her gaze from that spot.
Eventually, her mate would step into her line of sight. She would then keep her gaze on his shoes until instructed otherwise.
It seemed like it had been longer than a half an hour when the door opened and people shuffled into the room. She flinched when the door closed behind them, sealing her fate.
That was absurd of course because her fate had been sealed when she’d been conceived. She was simply carrying out Fate’s demands with today’s ceremony.
Long legs appeared in front of her, and she held her breath as she learned so very little about her mate from this initial contact. He had legs. He also presumably had feet. The thoughts nearly made her giggle, but she was far too distracted by the seriousness of this ceremony to laugh. Her thoughts were merely a distraction.
His shoes were black and brand new. Freshly polished to a shine. His suit pants were pressed and dark, nearly black. His legs were long. His stance wide. His presence daunting. He was certainly not skinny or slender. He was built. As expected. After all, he was a member of the Alpha Protectors. His size and stature were in his blood.
She concentrated on not fainting and falling on her face over his shoes while her parents and his formally greeted each other. Her mate had yet to speak.
Jezebel got a glimpse of his father’s equally built legs to one side and his mother’s flowing elegant gold dress to the other. Her own mother had on a similar gold dress. It was customary for the parents of the mated to wear gold. Her father’s tie was gold, and she suspected her mate and his father also had gold ties.
Jezebel could not focus on the words that were spoken. It wasn’t entirely necessary. She’d been told the basics of what this ceremony would entail. All that mattered was maintaining her balance and not swaying too much to either side. She’d be mortified if she fell.
With her hands clasped at the small of her back, her balance was unsteady. She’d practiced this. She’d done so many times in the past few months. Kneeling in this position for over an hour sometimes to ensure she could maintain the position today.
Her mate’s father did most of the speaking. He sounded powerful and older. He was leading this ceremony. His voice was strong and deep. Dominant. As expected.
Her parents spoke several times when it was requested, agreeing to the mating, giving their approval, confirming their wish to turn over the care of their youngest daughter to her intended mate.
His parents spoke similar words, reassuring her parents that Jezebel would be loved and cherished for all of her days. Thanking her parents for raising her and keeping her safe so this mating could be possible.
Finally, it was time for her mate to speak. This was the first time she would hear his name as his father said, “Arion, do you promise to love and honor this precious mate of yours, Jezebel… To nurture and guide her… To teach her the ways of our pack… To hold her in times of sorrow… To laugh with her in times of happiness… To protect her from harm… To discipline her when she strays… To cherish her for eternity?