Keeping Secret (Secret McQueen) - By Sierra Dean Page 0,68

the fire pit. The flame caught instantly, roaring to life with hot ferocity, its crackling arms reaching to the sky, trying to consume all the oxygen. It was as if the fire wanted to burn the night itself.

Heat licked my face, and I blinked at the sudden brilliance of a secondary sun in our midst.

“We have a special treat tonight,” Callum announced. “Tonight we will bear witness to the union of two royals, a very rare event indeed. Our own Secret McQueen will wed her mate Lucas Rain, and we will celebrate their love when we make our change.”

There were so many wolves here, so much energy in one place. Between the barely contained animal wildness and the heat of the fire, I felt like I was being electrocuted. It was thrilling, but more than anything it was scaring the crap out of me.

Callum guided Lucas and me to the head of the circle, and before I had a chance to have any more second thoughts, the ceremony had begun.

“Lucas Rain, son of Jeremiah, King of the Eastern pack. You stand before us in good faith. Do you declare your intention is to marry our pack daughter, Secret McQueen?”

“It is.”

“You will be her mate, her protector, and your strength will be her strength?”

“It will.”

My heart throbbed inside my mouth when Callum turned his attention to me. “Secret McQueen, daughter of Mercy, Princess of the Southern pack. You stand before us in good faith. Do you declare your intention is to marry the Eastern king, Lucas Rain?”

No, my brain screamed.

“It is,” my mouth said, defiant.

“You will be his mate, his protector, and your strength will be his strength?”

No, no, no.

“It will.”

“The knife.” Callum held out his hand to no one in particular. Someone in the pack knew their role, because suddenly an old dagger was in his palm. “Your hands,” he instructed Lucas and me.

We held out our hands, and Callum dragged a cut through each of our palms. He bisected my long lifeline, and I felt the sudden urge to cry or scream and throw myself to the ground. I wanted to run far and fast and be gone from here.

Instead I stared stupidly at the blood pooling in the cup of my hand.

“Blood to blood.”

Lucas and I said it in unison, “Blood to blood.”

“Love forever.”

“Love forever,” we parroted.

Callum took hold of our hands and slapped our bloody palms together. “Now and always.”

Lucas said it, but my mouth just moved soundlessly.

You stupid fool.

It was too late anyway. The moment our skin met something extraordinary happened. Energy flared between us like a living thing. I staggered back, but his hand held mine tight. A light flared between our clasped hands, pure white and brighter than the fire. The wolves closest to us had to look away, but I stood transfixed, blinded by the magic we had created.

The light swelled outwards, enveloping Lucas and me in a bubble of cool, quiet energy where there was nothing—no sound, no people, just me and him in pure, perfect harmony with each other. Then the light retreated in on itself like a reverse big bang, sending my hair swirling and shaking the hem of my cloak.

It collapsed into nothingness with a loud pop.

I gasped for air.

Lucas was wide-eyed.

We pulled our hands apart, and I looked at my palm. Nothing, not a bloodstain, no sign of a scar. As if the cut had never happened. I healed fast, but no one could heal a deep cut in five seconds. Even a vampire needed to concentrate in order to heal.

This was magic, pure and simple.

“Congratulations,” Callum said, seeming a little wobbly. I’d never been through a werewolf wedding ritual, but I had a feeling it wasn’t supposed to happen like this. “You are now Queen of the Eastern wolves.”

Great, and I’d just started getting used to princess.

The circle of wolves bowed before me, as low now as they had for Lucas, and they spoke as one, “Your Majesty.”

Creepy.

I rubbed my hands together self-consciously and gave a weak smile. “Thanks.”

“Now,” Callum continued, clapping his hands together and shucking his robe off his broad shoulders. “Let’s get onto the fun stuff.”

The wolf chorus howled their approval, and I remembered what I’d really been afraid of.

Getting married had been the easy part of my night.

Lucas took my hand, and I jumped. “It’ll be fine,” he soothed.

Callum called to Lucas, and my…husband shook his robe free. The two naked kings stood in front of the fire, their skin glowing gold in

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