Moon Song - Stolen Oath by Taina Chapter 5
What would become of me if I died in here? I'd surveyed the blackened hole several times, not once finding an outlet or potential escape.
Between my coming mating ceremony, and being stuck in here for a lifetime until I'm gray and withered, I'd pick getting mated, even if it was to someone I didn't like. I tried to not think about the possibility of never seeing light, but the more I scraped around looking for an exit, the more my irrational thoughts settled with the imminent fact of my impending doom. If I were to turn, I'd be clothe less, and starving. Not such a good idea, especially for a female wolf in mating season.
The only problem that raised a high concern, was staying in wolf form when I was starving.
There was little to no compromising, but I decided staying in wolf form would keep my fear intact. My emotions were too out of whack to entertain my human form. I'd definitely go insane.
I paced the expanse of the pit, sniffing out weird pungent smells, hoping and praying that someone came for me. Telling time by how the sun moves was the most common, but without light, I had to rely on sounds. By blocking out my own thoughts, and reveling in the sounds around me. The technique though, comes down to the fact that if you could pinpoint a certain sound, and somehow relate it to a certain time, then you've mastered the art.
My senses stretched out a mile away, and the soft sounds of owls came drifting through the air. I let my head fall against my front legs, settling down in the dirt. Overall, I was stuck in a ditch. Literally.
A rustle of leaves perked my ears into action, swiveling toward the opening where I'd fallen through.
Looking up, I spotted blue eyes staring down on me. I growled, hating the smug look on its face, as he peered through the opening.
I howled as a way to call for my pack, but the wolf just shook his head.
Not gonna work, pup. I mean, sure I had a habit of going missing for long periods of the time, but someone in my pack has to know a shift of sorts had gone amiss. I glared at him, baring my teeth. Hopefully planning to rip your heart out?
He shook his head, and a light chuckle escaped his muzzle. Nope! Why hasn't Satchel put out a search party? The truce with the Wyoming Pack. They're officially working partners. I glared. Your pack has to recognize you as an alpha under the eyes of our Moon Mother.
He cocked his head to the side. I'm aware of that, but law also has it that a lone male wolf isn't eligible or worse; accepted as an alpha unless they have a female mate to reign with.
My claws sprang from my paws, piercing into the soft soil. You're crazy if you think I'm going to agree to that! I would never, over my life, accept you as my mate.
He growled. I thought you might say that, so I took out a little insurance policy...
I watched him change into his human form, and shrug a pair of tatted jeans on, disappearing briefly from the opening, and coming back with a struggling wolf tied by the hooves, and its muzzle.
"Swear the oath, and vow under the Moon Mother that you will my mate, and this will all be over."
I shook my head, and growled, scraping up at the wall trying to leap for him.
He twisted the wound and a hollow screech escaped her lips.
"Swear the oath, and you'll be free. The haunting howl that escaped her lips made a shudder flow through me, and I caved. I changed back into my human self, letting my long curls cover my modesty. My cousins howling wretched my ear drums, and I squirmed.
"Okay! Okay, just please, stop!"
He did, and instantly, she fell limp to the ground.
My head lowered to the ground, and a spark of caramel eyes darted behind my eyelids. Cairo's eyes formed, and that hum was again in my chest.
"Swear the oath, and be mine."
Swallowing down my fear, I gritted my teeth..."I swear..." I managed and gulped in more air. If I finished this sentence, all hell would break lose. If I could cry, I would. Saying those sacred words would demean not only myself, but my pack. Looking up at my cousins limp body, I channeled her inner beast, grasping on to the notion of knowing she was still breathing. I wouldn't forgive myself if she'd died when I could stop it. There were two ways of a sacred mating ceremony to be complete.
One way was the most common, where the male and female are in a ceremony circle, and at the moons peak, they would be robbed of all human thoughts, as they struggle to recognize each other, for the first time in wolf form. The male would choose his mate by casting their scent on the female.
Swearing an oath, if done right, under the Moon Mother, would mean a whole different story. It didn't matter if he wasn't right for me, or that I did, or never would love him, or that Satchel didn't approve of him, by law I would be forced into a mating ceremony, with our Moon Mother as a witness.
"I'd like to remind you that this would be a lot entertaining if you'd hurry it up. Your friend here is losing her precious life. "
I curled further into a fetus position, and focused on my cousins breathing. My mouth opened, and I glared at my captor. My eyes watered, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing them fall, as I pictured ripping his heart out. "I swear on the life of my mother, I would make it my sole duty to kill you, flesh by flesh."
"The oath, now!"
"I hereby swear an oath, as my Moon Mother as my witness, to vow to have you..."
"Ochrien Crow," he offered his name.
"Ochrien Crow," I croaked, slowly dying inside.
I grated my teeth, as a tear escaped the rim of my left eye. "As my lawfully, wedded mate...."
A form of white dispersed from my lips, as if a ghost of my own soul left with those sacred words, and I felt lightheaded. My heart seemed heavy in my chest. My fur summoned involuntarily, and I transformed back into my wolf. The minute my words sunk in, a symphony of howls escaped the air. Ochrien let out a mocking howl, hooting and hollering in triumph. When the cacophony died down, I growled.
A smirk formed on his lips, as he held a small dart gun up in my direction that I recognized as a tranquillizer.
"That's my girl," he murmured sinister-ly, chuckling in triumph.
View next Chapter Bellow by Tania
Chapters
Chapter 1: Prologue by Tainia
Chapter 2: Wolf Scent by Tainia
Chapter 3: Marking Territory by Tainia
Chapter 4: Rude Awakening by Tainia
Chapter 5: Stolen Oath by Tainia
