Shattered Bonds

CLAIRE

I can’t believe this day is finally here.

My wedding day. I’m getting married.

My heart thumps an unsteady rhythm in my chest, my palms slick with sweat as I wait for my cue to enter wedding hall and walk down the aisle. Even from my place in the waiting area I can sense the way that the grand hall is overflowing with anticipation and the overwhelming fragrance of flowers.

Even though I had agreed to this arranged marriage—a marriage set up by my parent for the good of the Pack—and had known this day was coming for weeks, it all still feels surreal. You can do this, Claire. You can do this to keep your people safe. Everything will be fine. It’s for the good of the pack.

Shifters usually experience their first shift when they reach around eighteen or nineteen years old. And here I am—at twenty two years old— never having shifted. And with no sign of a shift in sight. It does happen occasionally, for pack parents to give birth to a child that inherits a stray recessive gene in the genetic lottery who in turn grow through the age of first shifts without ever having one. In the case of Alphas and Lunas as powerful as my parents, though, it’s practically unheard of to birth Shiftless children. For their daughter to be born without a single shifting form is synonymous to a tragedy for them in their political position.

From the time before I was even born, it was expected that I would have multiple shifting forms. Enough power to easily claim a place leading the Silver Light Pack as my parents slowly phased out of their roles. But as time dragged on with no sign of a shift in sight for me, my parents took the initiative to get me settled in a position of power regardless of my shifting status. And when the opportunity to forge an alliance with Ember Claw Pack and their Alpha through marriage—securing me a leadership position while simultaneously setting up an important alliance for the Pack in the process-- they immediately agreed. It was an offer too good to pass up. And all before my “Shiftless” status can be confirmed. All in all, it was a veritable miracle from the gods themselves according to my parents.

I fidget, wiping sweaty palms against the skirts of my flowing white gown—a gown that was chosen to accentuate my subtle curves. The dress feels tight as I force myself to breathe through my quickly fraying nerves.

Finally, I get the cue signaling that it’s time. The guards at the door pull open the heavy double doors so I can enter.

Breathe. Just breathe.

The great hall is filled with rows of high ranking shifters from different packs who came to bear witness to the union between James, the Alpha of the Ember Claw Pack, and me the daughter of the Alpha and Luna of the Silver Moon Pack. Ornate decorations in silver and amber adorn the space, symbolizing the merging of two powerful packs.

I feel the weight of all of their stares as I begin my walk down the aisle with measured steps. My heart races, nerves tingling beneath my skin, but I push myself to keep my pace steady and my face serene. The scent of lilies fills the air, it’s even stronger here in the room, more potent and cloying.

My eyes finally lock onto James, where he stands with a strong presence at the end of the aisle. My almost husband. He’s donned in the usual ceremonial attire, standing tall and commanding at the altar. He exudes a confidence I wish I shared. His sandy blonde hair and muscular build speak of strength and authority. From a physical sense, the attraction is undeniable.

As our gazes lock and meet, there’s a flash of appreciation in his eyes. The pack mothers worked hard to get my appearance just right for the ceremony, to get the crimson waves in my hair to curl in perfect ringlets down my back. The coal they lined my eyes with and the paints they used on my lips bring out the green in my eyes and turn them it into something more vibrant. Seeing the approving glint in James’s expression makes the extended primping session suddenly worth every second.

A fleeting, fragile sense of hope brushes against my mind, taking root in my heart. Maybe, just maybe, this arranged marriage can evolve into something more than a political alliance. I make it to the end of the aisle and stand in front of him, trying to keep my breathing steady.

As with all marriages between packs, the pack elders preside over the ceremony and vows. The sound of their solemn voices weave a magical thread that will bind us together. The weight of my responsibility increases with each passing moment. As the ceremony unfolds, James and I exchange vows scripted by tradition. The vows, ancient words etched in the fabric of our people’s lore, echo through the hall.

I’m glad when my voice comes out steady in spite of my nerves. Each syllable feels like a binding spell, sealing us together. My lips move mechanically, reciting promises not of our choosing, but of the legacy woven into the tapestry of our bloodlines. James repeats the vows after me, his voice a calm deep sound that I feel all of the way down to my bones.

The exchange of rings, a ritualized gesture, marks the invisible chains that now tether James and me together. The real Marks, the ones we’ll give to each other when we bind ourselves to each other at a later date will replace the rings that we’re now exchanging.

I risk a swift glance around at the audience while the pack elders conclude the ceremony. I make note of each present Pack and their associated colors. Silver for the Silver Light Pack—my pack. My old pack— I quickly correct myself. Amber for the Ember Claw Pack, the neighbors directly to the east of the Silver Light Pack. Ember Claw is James’s pack and the pack I will call home after today. Black for the Swift Wind pack that resides to the west. And last, crimson for the pack that resides in the north, the Blood Moon Pack.

I’ve heard that the alpha of the Blood Moon pack is James’ older brother and the fact that their pack holds a prominent place in the audience today seems to confirm that fact. The shades of crimson ceremonial garb among the guests is nearly as prominent as those adorned who are adorned in silver and amber. The place that us usually reserved for the Everglades pack is starkly empty— a bruise in an otherwise colorful tapestry of guests. Ever since the incident a few years back with the Everglades, things have been more than tense among the remaining packs.

I yank my attention away from the guests and my distracted thoughts when the pack elders call for James and me to take each others hands. I reach out tentatively as he takes my hands in his larger ones. His palms warm my chilled clammy fingers. My eyes meet James’s and his blue eyes flicker with something hidden beneath his confident demeanor. Is that a spark of hope or is that merely me projecting my own feelings onto him?

The elders conclude the ceremony, calling for the usual conclusion of sealing the bond with a kiss. I swallow hard and meet Jame’s blue eyes yet again. He hesitates for only a moment before his full lips tilt up at the corner and with the hands he’s already holding, he tugs me closer.

It happens so quickly that I barely have time to brace myself as his lips dip down to my own in a brief heated press. He pulls away just as quickly, leaving me breathless. My heart is racing again, barely contained in my chest.

The elder’s voices ring out for the audience, “We introduce you to the Alpha and Luna of the Ember Claw pack.”