The Mating Ceremony

[NOUR]

"You have got to be fucking kidding me. What the fuck was that for? You didn't have enough to stay there? And you can create portals like him too? Why won't you tell him that the both of you are siblings?

"What are you hiding Delbert? Is that even your real name?" Nour asked furiously when he found himself back at the mating ball.

This wasn't what he had been expecting when he came to the ball, but then as it was, he hadn't expected that Alanor would be hurt too. It was all just so insane and the sooner he faced that reality, maybe, just maybe things would be alright for him too, right?

But then nothing would ever be the same. He had just learned that the man he was standing next to, was the hsi best friend's brother and to make matters worse, he wasn't even ready to come clean to Alanor.

What the hell was going on and what was he planning on doing at the moment?

"It's none of your business. Go find your mate. He is there, alright," Delbert said as he pointed towards Grant, something that once again got Nour shocked. How was he even supposed to be sure that Grant was his mate?

All of this just didn't make any sense to him. But then this was the beginning of the long confusion, one that would breed so much pain it would even hurt for him to breathe right. But just like everything, life had a genesis, and so was Nour's.

With Delbert gone, Nour figured that he would walk around and see what the hype was about the goddamn party that every race had made an appearance to. What was it about mates that had even the craziest lining up for?

Then again, there wasn't a crazier duo than Alanor and Nour in the same setting, but that was something that the world would eventually know of. The best friends of doom, the children of hell, and the creators of silent chaos.

******

"I— I'm sorry I screwed up the ceremony," Alanor said when he regained consciousness. He looked so lost and frustrated. He didn't want to be here, but he knew he had to be.

He may not have wanted a mate and may have wished to not see Grant tonight, but he needed to be here for his mission, which was to begin his operations in Udrad and against the lycan king, Edison Stitt.

He wasn't going to give up.

"Hey, relax. It's okay. Look around, they are fixing everything. Besides, it was just a rough gush of wind. I know they won't cancel the ceremony just because of that, and Edison sure wants to prove to everyone that he is still the most feared creature on the islands.

"He won't shut down the ceremony. How are you feeling," Ulrike asked softly. He didn't want him to be sad about what had happened and if he could, he would fix the young Wynter. But he couldn't.

"I feel like shit, and look around, I even ruined my clothes and everything that you guys worked so hard for. I'm such a screwup today, fuck."

"Oh come now, darling, we know your magic can fix this up in a bit, Plus, you must be the most handsome one at the ceremony, or I'll say I'm married to you. We all know you wouldn't want that, or do you?" Zelina asked and Alanor looked at Ulrike's hopeless face.

Alanor knew Ulrike liked Zelina and he knew Zelina was trying to force him into making a quick decision.

"Alright, alright. Move a few steps back then," Alanor said before casting a reformation spell that brought him back to his original state. His friends high-fived each other for the success of a spell they hadn't even known existed.

Maybe the books they had read in Criselda's library were finally paying off.

"Now you look so damn hot. Let's go to the party, little love," Zelina said and Alanor let out a hearty smile. No matter how many times he told Zelina to stop babying him the vampire wouldn't ever stop and the same was for Criselda and Ulrike.

Only Heide thought he was a little too old to be a baby, but even he was a little too protective for someone who believed Alanor could handle himself. Then again, wasn't that what family did for each other?

"Liar."

"I could whistle and let's see if the women and men don't watch you with lust. Wanna try that?" Zelina asked and Alanor flinched for a moment.

"Bro, no," Alanor said quickly, not even realizing how he had casually addressed Zelina. He was slowly warming up to her and it was progress on their end.

"Great, then let's get moving," Zelina said as they made their way to the ceremony. As they had agreed, Alanor walked in alone, while Zelina and Ulrike walked in through the other.

They were not worried about Alanor leaving the ceremony anymore because if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have fixed himself to look better than he had been when they had come from Greroth.

Maybe he was slowly trusting them completely and appreciated them.

Walking through the ceremonial entry for the unmated males, Wynter wasn't sure what he expected. The ceremony was so beautiful that for a moment, he cursed himself for almost ruining it. But then they had fixed it and that is what mattered the most.

'Wow,' Alanor said, marveling at the sight before him. Sure, the setting brought bad memories to him, but just for now, he was going to pretend to be just another warlock in here.

The witches of Greroth were called warlocks outside of their territory since it was a reminder to every one of who was more powerful.

Sure, the lycans were it, but the warlocks had much more power than could be comprehended, and right now, Alanor was here as Gideon of Greroth. Unsure of where to go, Alnor went to the bar first.

He needed to sit down because he didn't know anybody here and it would be easier interacting with drunks than with sober people who probably didn't even want to interact with him. But who was to tell him that the moment he had walked in, he was the center of attention in the ceremony?

"Gideon of Greroth is here, man, he's hot!"

"Oh shit, it's really him."

"I hope he's my mate, that would really be awesome!"

"Imagine having him as your partner. He looks so regal, and he looks better than the lycan prince today. Damn."

"Maybe we should approach him, yeah?"

"Why does he look that good?"

"I look better than him."

"Stop lying to yourself man, he looks better than all of us combined. You just don't understand it."

"Damn."

"Who are you guys looking at?" A voice asked and it took everything in Alanor not to turn back and look at the source of the voice.

It was one he had known so well, a voice he had wished to what aunty and every time, but also a voice he was unfortunate to hear at a mating ceremony where the unmated of the midlands were.

"Gideon of Greroth," one of the wolves said to Grant and his breath hitched.