Filed To Story: Their Bullied and Broken Mate by Teri Petry
He cleaned the blade with rubbing alcohol and had me sanitize my hands. He stood up straight and looked me in the eyes.
“Gunner, give me the palm of your hand,” Maddix said. I reached out my right hand, and he sliced my palm. He repeated the gesture with his own hand, and placed it against my cut. “This is a blood-bound oath. Once made, it is only severed by a mutual agreement between the two of us, or death. Do you understand?” he asked.
“Yes, Alpha. I understand and agree,” I replied. He closed his eyes and gave a slight nod, and continued.
“Good, Gunner, please repeat after me. I, Gunner Vincent, swear to uphold and protect the laws of the Blood Moon pack and its people. I swear to uphold the laws with integrity and honesty. I pledge my loyalty to my Alpha, Maddix Young and my Luna Riley Young, and any of their successors hereafter. On my honor, I will willingly lay down my life for the protection of my pack, and only by death will I falter.”
I repeated every word he said, and when I finished he declared me Beta of Blood Moon and Ruby Meadows. I felt the bond snap in place, and although I had access to link everyone in the pack, the connection became much more intense. The bond was so strong that I nearly lost my balance.
Riley told me to sit, but I chose to continue standing. My hand was still in Maddix’s when my wolf, Axl, came forward. He looked our Alpha dead in the eye and repeated part of what I had just pledged.
“To the death, Alpha. I will protect you, your lineage, and this pack with my life just as my human will. I promise you.”
*Maddix POV*
ONE WEEK LATER
I had been expecting to hear from the council or the king himself, but surprisingly, there was no backlash. I had even spoken to Declan, and he said that the king mentioned my stubbornness and the beauty of my mate’s wolf, but that was all. Maybe he respected me enough for speaking my mind and standing my ground, but whatever it was, I was thankful there were no repercussions.
I spoke with Addie a couple of days ago, and she said that he even approved her pack’s name change. She said she had a surprise for me when I got there, and that it was something mom and our dads had already agreed on. I had no clue what she had in store, but I was eager to find out.
We were already on route to her inaugural ceremony, and I had already laughed more on this ride than I have in weeks. Hell, probably months. Appointing Gunner as my Beta was definitely a wise choice. He fits in so well, and him and I are quickly getting closer.
He is in the very back seat behind the babies, and listening to him talk to them both has been comical. He was born to be a father. Hopefully, he finds his mate soon, and that can become a reality.
I know he has chosen not to leave Blood Moon very often, mainly because of his duties as a warrior and his worry about his aunt and uncle, but now, his position will put him in a situation where he will have to from time to time. I hope that it will lead him to his mate.
Sterling had started to get fussy, and without hesitation, my beta decided to softly sing ‘Danny Boy’ to him. He replaced Danny with Sterling’s name, and after a short time, my little one was lulled to sleep.
“You have a way with kids, and you don’t sing half badly either,” Riley said to him. He thanked her and expressed how much he loved kids.
“I love kids, they are our future. It’s our job to treat and raise them right. Make sure they grow up to be honest and kind people,” he said.
“Gunner, you are going to make someone a great mate, I’m sure of it,” she said.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.