"Shall we proceed?"
The officiant's voice startled me, snapping me out of the haze.
I quickly tore my gaze away, remembering the Luna was present, and fixed my attention on him instead.
I couldn't read his expression, nor guess what lay behind those eyes. But the coldness in his gaze told me enough—the Luna was right. He had gotten over it. Relief flooded me. It was good news. It's not like I had been expecting him to feel something for me, but the last thing I needed was to deal with emotions where survival was at stake.
"We are gathered here for the sealing of the Alpha's breeder," the officiant began. "The Moon Goddess has chosen to bless this Pack with a breeder for its future. Tonight, we are not only here to seal this bond, but to bless it."
His eyes found mine.
"Miss Bambi, are you certain about this decision—to breed for the Alpha and devote both your body and soul to him and him alone?"
I swallowed hard. "Yes."
He turned to the Alpha. "Alpha Dawn, are you certain about this decision to make Miss Bambi your breeder, to claim her body and soul as yours, and yours alone?"
"Yes." He didn't waste a breath. His husky voice stirred something sharp inside me. That voice, paired with his intoxicating scent, was a dangerous combination.
"To seal this blessed union, you must now go through the Lynx Ritual."
I frowned. What is that?
"In this ritual, Alpha Dawn must feed his soon-to-be breeder his blood."
What?
The officiant nodded toward him. "Please, proceed."
Alpha Dawn raised his wrist, tearing it open with a swift flick of his claw. He lifted it to his mouth, sucking the blood out first, his long lashes fluttering against his cheek. He looked devastatingly beautiful. The Luna was lucky.
Then his hand shot out, gripping my jaw, prying my lips open. Before I could process what was happening, his mouth was on mine—firm, commanding—as he poured his blood down my throat.
The taste flooded me, raw and metallic, but heat roared through my veins. I swallowed, a wave of emotions and sensations crashing over me. Power. Confidence. Strength. Feelings I had never known as an Omega.
Overwhelmed, I reached for him before he could pull away, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and kissing him back. My lips devoured his bottom one, sucking, desperate.
His strong arms clamped around my waist, crushing me against the hard wall of his body. The kiss deepened, turned frantic. We bit, sucked, devoured. Guests murmured somewhere in the background, but his hand slid up to my throat, giving it a firm squeeze that sent a rush through me.
I broke away first, gasping for air, then leaned in again—this time to lick the blood trailing down his chin, catching it with my tongue. The taste of him lingered as I finally stepped back.
Our gazes remained locked, breathless, ragged.
The officiant cleared his throat. "The breeding has been sealed. The process is complete. May the Moon Goddess protect this union."
He stepped down, excusing himself along with the guests. One by one, they left. The Luna, too. But we didn't move. We were still staring at each other, locked in something dangerous and unspoken.
I lowered my gaze at last, bowing. "I'm sorry if I overstepped, Alpha—"
"Look at me." His voice was sharp, husky, commanding.
I raised my head slowly, my heart hammering.
He reached out, brushing his thumb over my lips, smearing away what I assumed was a trace of blood. He sucked it off his thumb, smirking.
"You taste good."
My eyes darted around, making sure no one had seen. But the hall was empty. Completely empty.
I faced him again, seizing the chance. "I don't remember that night, Alpha."
His lips curved slightly, a dangerous glint in his gaze.
"What part?" His hand dipped into his pocket.
"I only recall the first..." My cheeks burned. "The first round."
"I deliberately left that part."
"W-what do you mean?"
He stepped closer, closing the distance between us. My heart skipped violently.
"The protocol requires me to erase my breeder's memories after sex. But I didn't erase all of yours. I wanted someone to share the memories with—because the way you fucked me drove me mad."
My throat bobbed as I drowned in the intensity of his glass-like gray eyes. Beautiful. Terrifying. Addictive.
"I woke up on the couch," I whispered. "H-how many times did we…?"
His hand slid to my waist, pulling me into him. "Six."
My breath caught.
Six rounds??
He smirked, his hand catching my chin again, stroking it with sinful leisure.
"You look flushed. If you want, I can restore the rest. But be warned—you'll remember how rough you were with me." He leaned down, lips brushing mine. "I begged you to go easy, but you rode me like it was your last day on earth."
Heat scorched my skin.
"Do you want me to restore it?"
"N-no. I don't. I just—"
I looked around nervously. What if the Luna was watching?
But his hand redirected my face back to his. His other hand slid down my waist, gripping my ass.
"It's just us, baby. They think we've already left."
My eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"I manipulated their minds. They believe we're gone. That's why they all left."
Mind manipulation. His power was insane.
His hand trailed from my ass to my thigh, sliding up beneath my dress. I gulped, stopping him before he reached my panties.
"I'm sorry, Alpha, but this isn't right."
His frown was instant. "Why not? You're my breeder. I own your body—"
"But the rules say we can only be intimate on full moon nights. There are still twenty-seven days until then."
"Rules?" His eyes darkened. "I don't care about rules. Rules are mine to make—and to break. This is my Pack. I do as I want."
"I-I know but—" The Luna will kill me.
"Don't you like me?"
I froze.
"I thought you liked me," he pressed, "after the way you kissed me."
My throat tightened. I hated this.
"Alpha, this is not—"
"Dawn," he interrupted. "Call me Dawn."
I breathed unevenly. "You are the Alpha. I can't bring myself to call you that."
He smirked. "I can work with that. Then tell me—why are you afraid of me?"
"I-I'm not scared. I just—my life—"
"—is in safe hands," he cut in firmly. "No one touches you as long as I breathe." His hand cradled my cheek, thumb stroking. "No one."
I pulled back slightly. "Not even the Luna?"
His eyes narrowed, a deep frown settling over his face. "The Luna?"