Chapter 708 Bond of Lust and Love
Voren was amused by the whole thing.
During the Full Moon Festival, he had wished only for the woman he loved so he had no problem with the moon goddess granting that wish. In fact, it made him happy, a warm satisfaction settling in his chest like embers glowing in a hearth until he realized the full effect of the wishes others had made.
The amusement faded, the warmth cooled when he got roped into it all.
“Alpha Oren, do you dare to challenge the moon goddess? Those wishes must be granted and corrections made for the real mate bond to take effect. If this is not done, it will affect the mate bond when the moon turns crimson,” Luna Oriana’s voice echoed through the pack ground.
Some of these Alphas liked manipulation and even at a time like this, they still wanted to bend the rules to thier favor and when it wasn’t working, Alpha Oren’s face contorted with fury and fear, his hands curling into fists at his sides. His mouth opened, then closed, the words dying in his throat.
“Luna Oriana.” Voren’s voice cut through the rising panic, overriding all others with the weight of absolute authority.
“Do as the moon goddess instruct.”
Oriana stepped back and the shaman took over, her presence commanding, her voice carrying across the pack grounds like thunder rolling over distant hills.
“The moon goddess says that most of you have created messes in your heart that you want her to clean for you, but she won’t.”
She paused, taking in the sight of the people around her. Their faces were pale, their hands trembling, their eyes darting from one to another like trapped animals.
“Everyone, put on your blindfolds and by the time you remove them, the rottenness of your hearts shall be exposed.”
Shame covered the faces of many, a collective blush of guilt and humiliation. Luna Joyce suddenly spoke up, her voice small and desperate.
“Shaman, is it possible to be excused from all this? I’m no longer interested in the restoration of the mate bond.”
A lot of heads bobbed to her request.
If the shaman allowed her off, then they could also be let off the hook. If one person escaped, then surely others could follow. Hope flickered in their eyes, fragile and desperate.
Joyce was afraid. If her wish during the Full Moon was exposed, her husband might reject her even if they turned out to be fated. The thought of it sent ice through her veins, froze the blood in her heart.
“It’s too late for that, Luna Joyce. No one is escaping this. Tonight is not just for the restoration of the mate bond, but also the cleaning of the heart. The level of lust among you youth is extreme and will not be ignored by the moon goddess anymore. She has heard every cry, every plea, every prayer, and every supplication. Now it is time to hear her response.”
Ravyn’s expression darkened. He too, had made wishes he wished to take back but now, it was too late. The memories of those wishes surfaced unbidden, shameful and raw. He had wished for things he had no right to want, for people he had no right to claim.
The shaman’s voice continued to dominate the pack grounds with supreme authority.
“She is hereby granting all wishes of the Full Moon Festival. Everyone, put on your blindfolds and remember, you can’t take it off until I tell you to. Vows made with blood under the full moon must be granted at all costs, and you all made wishes with your blood under the full moon.”
The reluctance was clear but the blindfolds were put on eventually when they realized their mistakes. Hands trembled as fabric was tied. Breath came in short, panicked gasps. The world went dark.
The shaman’s voice echoed through the walls of the pack grounds.
“This is the mate bond you all wished for. Feel the mate bond of lust and love. Allow the bond to move you to your lustful or love mate.”
The shaman called on the elders to move the chairs and tables away so they could move freely. And this time, even Daisy was freed temporarily from her chains. The metal clinked as it fell away, and she rubbed her ankle, confusion flickering across her features.
A strange force was pulling everyone under a blindfold.
It was a strong force, something they had no control over. For some, it was one and for others, it was a multiple feeling. It tugged at their souls, pulled at their hearts, whispered promises of pleasure and pain.
It was strange and from all the signs, it felt like a mate bond. Though they knew it wasn’t real, it was strong, giving them a taste of what the real mate bond would feel like.
In less than ten minutes, werewolves had paired with she-wolves, some two, some three, others more.
Those who had more felt a greater discomfort.
Seraphine wanted to mindlink Voren. She had wished for him during the full moon, and hers was a love bond. But she knew best to wait for the shaman’s order because what she was feeling was too much. It was draining her, pulling at her energy, leaving her weak and trembling.
Voren was not having it any easy, feeling multiple bonds at the same time. The sensations crashed over him like waves, each one demanding attention, each one pulling him in a different direction.
So was Corvine. So was Liah.
“Before you take off your blindfolds, you have to understand that what you are feeling is just forty percent of the actual mate bond. Some of you are being drained by the multiple bonds, so just imagine if the moon goddess had granted all these wishes during the blood moon. Wouldn’t lives be lost?”
Her voice was hard, unyielding, a blade that cut through the silence.
“Now, remove your blindfolds, and see the messes your evil hearts have caused.”
When Voren opened his eyes, his gaze landed on the one person he wished for but something that was terribly wrong.
She was surrounded by countless werewolves.
Her face had paled, the color draining from her cheeks like water from a cracked vessel. Her eyes were wide, unfocused, filled with something that looked like terror and exhaustion.
“Sera.” He reached out just as she collapsed into his arms with three words.
“It’s too much.”