Pledge

••• Kyson’s POV •••

“So, that’s what you feel when you are around her,” Colton said before downing his drink in one gulp.

I spent the morning discussing what our scouts had learned about the Black Heart Pack. There was undoubtedly a judgment and banishment, but we couldn't find out who it was or what it was regarding.

And here we were now, after lunch, talking about the girl in lavender.

“Maybe she hasn't turned eighteen yet?” he asked.

“If she were my mate, I would’ve felt it even if she hasn't turned eighteen yet,” I pointed out. I’m 25 years old now, I would feel the mate-bond even if she couldn't yet.

“Are you really going to take her in?” Colton asked.

“Night wants it,” I replied casually.

“Night?” That damned Colton snickered.

I rolled my eyes at him. He knew damned well I was using Night as an excuse.

“What if she let you to your demise?” he turned serious.

“She might be my salvation, too,” I pointed out. It irked me that he thought of her badly. It seemed like my protectiveness toward her had begun to surface.

“Just keep in mind, no matter what, she could be your damnation too, Kyson,” Colton said as he reached out for the wine bottle to pour us another drink. His drink collection was impressive. All the alcohol was made for werewolves, and I could feel the effect starting to affect my body.

I rejected his offer as I still needed to drive back to the pack.

“I need to go back to the pack,” I told him as I stood up. To her.. I need to go back to her.

He snickered again, obviously knowing my real thought. Ignoring him, I walked back toward my car.

“I can't wait to meet the Lycan’s Luna, Kyson!” I heard his voice and waved my hand without turning back.

I was halfway up the mountain when I heard Liam’s voice through our mindlink, “Kyson, she’s awake.”

And I floored on the accelerator, sending the car flying as I maneuvered it expertly toward the many turns of what was left of the drive.

I jumped out of the car the second it screeched to a halt. Night was jumping around excitedly in my mind. He couldn't wait to see her awake and well. Well.. He wasn't the only one.

I ran to the pack’s infirmary and opened her doorknob to find a view that made both Night and me growl.

She was clutching Liam’s hand in her tiny hands as she said, “I promised to pledge loyalty to Crimson Blood Pack, and as I’ve told you before, I was wrongly accused and judged.”

Her words made me happy, but those hands..

I growled again as I kept looking at their hands. What the heck are they doing?!

Liam seemed to realize what was amiss and yanked his hand away from her clutch as if she had burned him.

“Al.. Beta Kyson,” Liam corrected himself quickly as he greeted me.

I gave him a curt nod and walked to stand next to the now-conscious girl. If I thought she looked beautiful when she was unconscious, then would be Goddess-like now. Fair skin, large dark brown eyes nearly as dark as my onyx eyes, pink cheeks, and slightly red full and plump lips.

“Beta Kyson, thank you for saving me. I’m Aleena,” she thanked me and introduced herself while extending her hand.

“Kyson, she’s so beautiful. And her voice is..” Night howled in my mind and panted with his tongue out like a sex-crazed dog in heat as he tried to take control of my body. His reaction affected my body, too, causing my dick to twitch in my pants.

“Calm it, Night!” I ordered and pushed him back from my mind with all my might. The last thing I wanna do was to lose control and pounce on her when I wasn't even sure if she was my mate.

“But..” he started whining.

“Shut it! We’ll take her when we are sure that she’s our mate!” I growled at Night, and he luckily went back to the back of my mind even though he was sulking.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down. Thank Goddess, her scent wasn't special.

I felt a strange sense of warmth coursed through my body, and that familiar feeling that I experienced when I first saw her face returned to me as I took her hand to shake it.

“I am Kyson Night, and you are welcome,” I told her, deliberately excluding my title as all I wanted for her to address me was ‘Alpha’ and not ‘Beta’.

“Beta Kyson, Alpha Liam told me I could join the rogue pack..” she said, and my eyes narrowed as they snapped to Liam, and Night let out a dangerously low growl.

“How dare he tell her that! She belonged with us!” Night growled again.

Liam stood there awkwardly with one hand on his hand, the other rubbing his nape.

“But I think I prefer to stay here if you guys will take me in,” I heard Aleena continue.

Night became quiet, and his anger dissipated as fast as it appeared. “She wants to be with us too!” he exclaimed cheerfully and began jumping around in my mind. and I swore I could hear him sing, “La la la la la,” as he skipped around.

“We’ll take you in,” I told her without hesitation.

“But Al.. Beta..” Liam said, and I narrowed my eyes again, resulting in him shutting his mouth from saying anything.

“Pledge yourself to the pack,” I commanded her.

She nodded and pledged herself, “I, Aleena Bell, pledged my loyalty to the Crimson Blood Pack.”

We waited.. and yet nothing happened.

Damn it! I knew this would happen! All of us knew for me to take her in, I would need to disclose my secret to her, and there would need to be a blood pact. Lycan’s blood was like poison to werewolves, especially once it made contact with their blood, which was why we never took anyone in. That, and the fact that I was actually the Alpha.

“Alpha, how are we gonna do this?” Liam mind-link me.

“We’ll take her in,” I kept my decision resolute, and closed the mind-link before Liam could protest any further.

“Aleena, how old are you?” I asked the girl in front of me.

“I just turned eighteen, Beta,” she answered.

Huh.. She had just turned eighteen, and yet she didn't show any signs of recognizing me as her mate. Maybe she wasn't then, maybe she was just a girl who would be my savior or demise.

“Kyson, what about our blood? What if she couldn't take it?” Night asked.

“She’s the girl in the prophecy. Nothing will befall her before she helps or kills us,” I told him.

Returning my attention back to the current topic, I asked, “Aleena Bell, you will pledge your loyalty to the Crimson Blood Pack, especially to me?”

She looked confused when I said ‘to me’ as she knew me only as a Beta, but she answered with determination, “Yes, I will, Beta Kyson.”

“Will you abide by all the rules of the Crimson Blood Pack with absolutely no exception?” I asked as per the rules of taking new members in.

“Yes, I will, Beta Kyson,” she replied with a straight posture and her head held high.

“Will you promise with your blood and life?” I asked her the last question of the ceremony.

“I promise, Beta Kyson,” she said, still with a determined glint in her eyes which made her look even more attractive.

I opened my palm to my side, and Liam placed a scalpel on it.

“Pledge yourself to the pack and me,” I told her. The determination glint in her eyes turned into confusion once again as she saw the supposedly Alpha bending down to do what the supposedly Beta wanted.

But she must be desperate to belong to a pack as she pledged herself once again, “I, Aleena Bell, formerly of the Black Heart Pack, pledged my loyalty to the Crimson Blood Pack and its Beta..”

“Alpha.. Alpha Kyson Knight,” I cut her off as I emphasized the word ‘Alpha’.

Her beautiful huge eyes turned even larger, nearly bulging out of their sockets.

“Pledge,” I commanded, and she obeyed with no hesitation once her shock had settled down.

“I, Aleena Bell, formerly of the Black Heart Pack, pledge my loyalty to the Crimson Blood Pack and its Alpha, Alpha Kyson Knight.”

I cut my palm with the scalpel and handed it to her. She winced when the scalpel made contact with her skin.

I extended my hand until she shook it to finish the blood pact ceremony.

As our blood connected, I felt a strong current of electricity passing through my whole body. I had to grit my teeth to stop myself from reacting, and I knew she felt it, too, as she gasped and her body trembled.

“Mate! She must be our mate!” Night exclaimed, but I ignored him. I gripped her hand tighter when she wanted to yank hers away.

“Aleena Bell, from herein forth, you are officially a member of the Crimson Blood Pack.” I finished off the last sentence of the ceremony.

She gasped once again as she felt new mind links forming in her head, her body trembled even more, and she swayed.

I caught her shoulders before she fell to the floor. Her trembling stopped after a few minutes, and I mind-linked her, “You okay, Aleena?”

“I’m alright, Alpha,” she replied through the mind-link and looked up at me with a sweet smile.

For a moment, I wanted to smash my lips against her plump ones, but I quickly got a hold of myself.

I sniffed her, yet her scent was just an ordinary Crimson Blood pack member's scent. Trying to find a connection between us.. Yet there was nothing.

“What’s happening?” I asked Night.

“Nothing is happening. It must be because she has no wolf, that’s for sure,” Night kept denying that she wasn't our mate.

I let out a long breath. “We should find out more about her.”

“Aleena, tell us about yourself. You have no wolf, and no healing ability, yes? And you said you were from the Black Heart Pack? Were you the one being banished?” I asked.