14th Wing

“Arakiel, Araxiel, what I’m about to ask is something that I want you to think and consider carefully,” father looked at us as he sipped the wine before placing it down on the table.

Xiel and I just exchanged a look and nodded back to father. To say we were nervous was an understatement.

“As you are already aware, you are each other's mate,” he pauses and took a sip again.

“After what just happened, I wanted to know whether you want to do the mating bond and the mating ceremony, just to make everything more official.” father just waited and looked at our gaping expression.

“I…” Araxiel said but closed his mouth when nothing came out after a while.

“I would love to do it,” now Xiel was gaping at me as he wasn’t expecting my answer.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while but totally forgot about it when that happens.”

Xiel grabbed my hand from across the table and smile. I studied his face and took a deep breath before continuing again. I turned to look at father he was smiling and the atmosphere became lighter and easier for me to speak.

“I was planning to have a small ceremony and exchange moonstone, but when I don’t know yet.” father just hummed and stop to think.

“I advise you to think about it some more and present the notion at the next council meeting as I have this feeling that we would be in so much time constrain that you would have no other time do it, not in the near future.” father spoke after a while.

We bit good night to father and thank him for dinner before proceeding to our quarters to retire for the night. Araxiel looked daze while we were preparing for bed as if still trying to process what had just transpired during dinner.

That at least four hours ago. Now it’s just past midnight and I am still wide awake. Araxiel was passed asleep two hours before, now murmuring something intelligible in his sleep as he curled close to me pressing his face to the crook of my neck near to the scent gland.

I stared at the ceiling and just let his breath filled my hearing. But it seemed that wasn’t enough to quiet down the noise in my mind. I recalled the conversation with father one again and ponder on it a while more.

“Hmm…Kiel..your thoughts are too loud,” Xiel squirmed closer if it was possible.

“Let’s just talk and think bout it during breakfast,” I hummed and wrapped my hand around his middle and just letting his body heat and sent seeped to my being.

Finally, sleep washed over me, and everything just blackout and muted. By the time I was awake Xiel was not beside me and his part of the bed had been cold. A shuffling and a soft sizzling sound was heard from the open bedroom door before a mouth-watering sent entered the room. I headed to the bathroom for my morning ablution before heading to the kitchen.

Once there, I have to admit the sight was pleasant and amusing. Xiel was swaying his hip to CNCO’s Se Vuelve Loca while flipping the french toast. On the table two plates with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and baked beans, a carton of milk, and two mugs of coffee at the side. I slide to my usual chair and watched Xiel, who’s still dancing but to a different song now.

“Dear God, you surprise me,” Xiel flinched once he turned with a plate stacked high with french toast.

He sat opposite me and place the golden toast in the middle. My stomach started to grumble and Xiel just chuckled as he sipped his coffee. We ate in silence but not for long as I remembered last night's conversation.

“Xiel?” he just hummed signaling me he is hearing even when his hand and mouth were busy cutting and chewing the bacon.

“About last night,” I scooped some baked beans and eggs, placing them on the toast before eating it.

“Do you want to do the mating ceremony and officially be my mate?” Xiel just smiles.

“Kiel, since when we were presented as each other's mate, I have known that I only want you and only you for me to be bond to.” he grabs hold of my hand and squeezed it.

“For me, it’s the same too, so I was wondering is next month too soon for you?” he just chuckled and shook his head.

“No, that would be perfect. Not too soon yet not too long to wait, just enough time to find the moonstone for the ceremony and plan the ceremony itself” he nodded and smile brightly.

“I’ve already thought of a place for the ceremony, I was thinking the Lotus pond, where we used to try to catch the Koi father placed there,”

“That would be perfect,” Xiel was beaming now.

“Alright, that settled now we just have to wait for the next council meeting.”

We finished our breakfast and when for a patrol before drowning ourselves with more paperwork and ceremony planning. We agreed that the attire we would wear would be made by Charmaine, one of the omega and a well known local designer (who is also Eligor's mate).

The foods and drinks will be handled by the father as he loves tasting food and beverages (even though he won’t admit it if you ask directly). For the moonstone, we will search for it separately as Xiel stated it was for the element of surprise.

The week went by with more training, patrolling, and a mountain of paper works. Soon the waited council meeting came in a blink of an eye. As usual, the elders were as chatty as always when Eligor presented us before proceeding to his seat.

“Alpha Wolfrik greets the council,” I begin as I saw there were no stopping of the chatting.

“Thank you for your attention, before I proceed with the main agenda, I would like to make way for Araxiel to update on the Atos situation,” I said once the elder quiet down and move to my seat.

“Thank you Alpha Wolfrik,” Xiel nodded to me.

“We all are aware that Atos is prone to some degree of violence when we tried to be in contact with him,” the elders murmured agreeing.

“So I have scouted a suitable place for the suppose meeting with Atos with Alpha Wolfrik and Elder Wolfrik.”

“May we know if the place is secluded enough?” Elder Edmund was the one questioning as usual.

“I suggest Jack Layton Park, both Alpha Wolfrik and I have scouted and discussed on the specific.” the Elders nodded.

“The area is wide and has a secluded area that would be more than enough if a fight or unwanted shifting would occur,” Araxiel finished his explanation.

“Very well, we will send out a wisp to inform Atos about the meeting,” Elder Edmund finally announces after they discussed the pros and cons.

“Now, I understand that there’s another notion that would be brought up in this meeting,” Elder Wolfrik said and looked at me.

“Yes,” I walk to the center as Araxiel went to sit at his place.

“I would like to inform the Council and seek your blessing to hold a Mating and Bonding ceremony between Araxiel and me,” the Elders just nodded and take that as a sign to continue.

“I understand if any of you would think that it seems to rush or unsuitable as we felt like a war would happen sooner or later, but I feel that the time is right,” I turned and looked at Araxiel and smiled.

“We don’t know what the future might hold, or if we are even alive at that time, so I would like to ask the Council to give their blessing for us to hold the ceremony by the next full moon,” I finished and it feels a bit lighter.

“I Elder Dagon Lycaon Wolfrik, bless you,” father was the first to say and smile.

“I Elder Edmund Harlow, bless you,”

After the other four Elders gave the blessing we proceed with the details of the ceremony, which consist of the venue, food and beverages, attendees, and the stone exchange.

“I have another important notion to be discussed,” I spoke out when the ceremony details were finalized.

“I would like to appoint Eligor Durham as the next Beta once Araxiel is officially my Luna and Callan Emersyn as the next Delta,”