Josie nodded once, his expression never changing, then slid his hand away from Dimitri’s and went to help Maura prepare the plates of deer meat.
A buzz of anticipation ripped through the room when the bitches settled back in their seats. More than likely very few, if any, of the werewolves in the room had witnessed this ceremony before. But probably even the cubs knew what happened next. Every bitch filled her cub’s head with the stories that made werewolves the greatest species on earth. Their traditions didn’t change. Regardless of their breed, all of them knew the ways of their kind.
Dimitri waited until Nicolo and Josie carried the large platters of sliced meat over to the card table in front of them. The fresh smell of it filled his nose. He placed his hands on Rosa’s shoulders, pulling her back against him. The two of them faced their pack, and he cleared his throat, ready to finish the ceremony.
“A wild beast, killed with my claws, torn open with my teeth and bled is our gift to all of you. As we share with each other, we vow to always share with all of you. Together we are united, until death.”
Rosa reached for the small knife on the table. Some stories told of the pack leader and his bitch extending their claws, but Dimitri did some research before meeting tonight. Every step of this ceremony would be carried out to the letter. And well into the twentieth-first century, a knife was used now instead of their claws, sterilized to prevent infection.
Rosa didn’t hesitate. She raised her hand, her palm facing her pack, and ripped into her flesh with the knife. Her cry of pain made his teeth grow. The sound ransacked his senses. Grabbing her wrist, he took the knife from her and did the same to his hand, instantly feeling the pain tear at his insides. A collective hiss from those around him showed how much everyone got into their actions.
“We are one,” he told Rosa, placing his bleeding hand against hers.
A tear flowed down her cheek, although the smell of her happiness drowned out any smell of pain that he carefully sniffed for. He intertwined his fingers with hers.
“We are one,” he told her again, feeling no shame when his voice cracked. “I love you, Rosa Spalto.”
She cried out, leaping into his arms very unceremoniously and almost knocking him backward. He couldn’t help kissing her. The quick chatter of those around him, mixed with the sounds of Nicolo and Josie moving in quickly to pass the slices of meat around to the pack faded into the background as he held his bitch in his arms.
He prayed death wouldn’t come for a very, very long time. Life with his sweet bitch would be too damned perfect to allow it to pass quickly.
About the Author
All my life, I’ve wondered at how people fall into the routines of life. The paths we travel seemed to be well-trodden by society. We go to school, fall in love, find a line of work (and hope and pray it is one we like), have children and do our best to mold them into good people who will travel the same path. This is the path so commonly referred to as the “real world”.
The characters in my books are destined to stray down a different path other than the one society suggests. Each story leads the reader into a world altered slightly from the one they know. For me, this is what good fiction is about, an opportunity to escape from the daily grind and wander down someone else’s path.
Lorie welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Lorie O’Clare
Cariboo Lunewulf 1: Taming Heather
Cariboo Lunewulf 2: Pursuit
Cariboo Lunewulf 3: Challenged
Dead World
Fallen Gods: Jaded Prey
Fallen Gods: Lotus Blooming
Fallen Gods: Tainted Purity
Fallen Gods: Embracing Temptation
Full Moon Rising
Lunewulf 1: Lunewulf Law
Lunewulf 2: In Her Blood
Lunewulf 3: In Her Dreams
Lunewulf 4: In Her Nature
Lunewulf 5: In Her Soul
Penance
Sex Slaves 1: Sex Traders
Sex Slaves 2: Waiting For Yesterday
Sex Slaves 3: Waiting For Dawn
Shara’s Challenge
Taking It All
Things That Go Bump in the Night 2004 anthology
Torrid Love: After Dusk
Torrid Love: The First Time
Werewolves of Malta 1: Elements Unbound
Werewolves of Malta 2: Living Extinct
Werewolves of Malta 3: Far From Innocent
Werewolves of Malta 4: Forbidden Attraction
Werewolves of Malta 5: For Life
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
www.ellorascave.com