Healing The Ruthless Alpha

Chapter 35

With the speed at which they rushed towards us, I thought they might run into us but they stopped a foot away and shoved microphones toward our direction.

“Alpha Calhir, after twenty-seven years, how did you find your mate?” One woman shouted in our faces.

“Miss Sihana, who are you?” Another asked.

“Alpha Cahir, Miss Sihana, where did you meet? What is your story!?” The bombardment of questions made me stick closer to Cahir because I feared I may be overwhelmed to the point of fainting which was not something eded to happen to me on such an important day. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Why were there reporters here? Luna Ceremonies were common and not as prestigious as Alpha Ceremonies which were planned for months on end. Very few Alphas had reporters covering their succession and most of the time, the reporters were from local news houses so why were there international reporters at a Luna Ceremony.

I spotted a reporter from The Wolves Channel and Werewolves Broadcasting Network, which were two of the biggest international news houses on the planet.

How did these people know of something as mundane as a Luna Ceremony and why, for the goddess’ sake, had they come!?

“Alpha Cahir, why did you decide to show your face to the world today after five years of hiding?” The reporter from the Werewolves Broadcasting Network asked and everything clicked in my head.

Even when Cahir became the Alpha of this pack, there was no international coverage for his succession ceremony despite it being one of the most talked about events that year. So why were there people shoving microphones in my face for my Luna Ceremony?

It answer was simple. He called them.

My chest tightened as I connected the dots.

Why would he do something like this to me? Was he setting me up to be humiliated on a wider scale than I had been before? What would he gain from something like this?

The fact that he suddenly announced a Luna Ceremony was suspicious in the first place. It was less than a week since we mated and I had not even settled into the pack. I didn’t even know who planned the ceremony which I should have planned myself. He sprung the news of a Luna Ceremony on me and he brought all these reporters who watched me like hawks.

I would be in the news tomorrow or maybe even this night. What would they say about me? What did Cahir tell them to write about me? Why was he doing this to me!? Even if he had no ill intentions, which I doubted, even if he did not call on all these people to watch me make a fool of myself, there was no way he did not know that I wouldn’t want them here. How could he not have figured out that I didn’t like people watching me? If he could not ask me whether I wanted the event to be covered, the least he could do was tell me there would be reporters so I prepared beforehand.

This man – This same man was the person Laura wanted me to love. Laura expected me to care for a man who did not care for me? How could he help me heal when he was the one breaking me the more?

I became lightheaded and swayed on my feet yet again.

“Step back,” Cahir growled at the reporters inching forward with their microphones. The reporters complied without pause. “I invited everyone to witness my mate’s Luna Ceremony because I felt generous,” he answered one of the reporters then continued. “My mate is Sihana Armani, originally from the Silver Moon pack but today, she officially joins Alpha Blood as her Luna.”

This was another thing I was scared of. To become the Luna of this pack, I had to be a member of the pack but I was still tied to Silver Moon. If I stayed away from Silver Moon pack as a solitary wolf for up to a year, my bond with the pack would naturally break due to distance and lack of emotional connection but now, Cahir would have to forcefully break my bond with Silver Moon through this ceremony. And it would hurt.

“How did you both meet? Was it love at first sight?” More questions started up again but he raised his hand to silence them.

“Sihana will answer your questions after the Ceremony if she is in the mood to.” With his hand around me, he marched forward and the sea of reporters divided for us to pass through.

The members of the pack who had all rushed out when they heard we had arrived chanted our names with big smiles on their faces as we entered the central pack house.

The walls were decorated with welcome messages with balloons and ribbons decorating the ceiling as we walked into the pack house.

“It’s the man and woman of the hour!” Aristo walked towards us with two blond women hanging off his arms. “Congratulations on your mating, Sia.” He beamed at me, untangling himself from the women clinging to him.

“Thank you, Aristo.” I was happy to see a familiar face in the mass of unfamiliar ones staring at me.

“You look stunning today, even more than usual.” Heat spread through my skin as he winked at me, eliciting a growl from Cahir.

“Aristo, eyes off my mate,” Cahir said, his tone quiet.

“I can’t help it when your mate is this sexy –“ The Beta ran off when Cahir took a step forward as if to charge at him.

“That bastard –“ He growled, tucking me closer to his side as we continued forward. “I should wring his neck.”

“Cahir,” I called in a small voice, careful of aggravating his anger at this point but the question burning inside me wanted to be let out. “Why – Why are you doing this to me?” I asked when he gave me half of his attention.

“What have I done this time?” His tone rang with incredulity despite his blank expression.

“Why did you spring a Luna Ceremony on me from nowhere? Why did you ask all these reporters to come?” The final question caught in my throat – Why do you like to humiliate me?

“A Luna Ceremony is required for every Luna. You must show yourself to the people you are to rule over for as long as I am Alpha,” he said in a slow voice, purposely misinterpreting my question. “The pack needs to know your face and you know they have wanted to since they heard of you.”

“It doesn’t explain the reporters swarming me,” I countered.

“You are the Luna of Alpha Blood pack. The world is curious about you.” His tone rang with finality that told me he didn’t want to continue the conversation but I pressed on for one last question.

“Why didn’t you tell me? You know – You knew I would not be comfortable with it but you still set me up.” It was the same thing he did in Kade’s office all those days ago. What game was he playing and what was his reason?

“There are things you must get used to from now on.” He shut me up with those words right as we reached the banquet hall.

My heart bled from his nonchalance. He didn’t seem to care that he was hurting me. He was hurting me on purpose!

He led me to the platform and we took our seats while the people who first rushed out swarmed in after us, taking their seats in the hall.

“Members of Alpha Blood pack, it is I, your Beta!” Aristo took the microphone and started in a goofy voice. People chuckled as he struck a weird pose. “You all know why we are here, right?” A resounding yes from the crowd almost made my ears bleed. “Our queen is here! Can I get a yass queen from everyone excited!?”

“Goddess, this boy needs to grow up.” Cahir massaged his forehead as his beta continued to rev up the crowd making them yell and shout and cheer.

“Alright, now let’s hear a word from our beloved Alpha who will introduce his mate to us!” Astro gestured at Cahir and the people again went wild with clapping and hooting as Cahir stood but the room went dead silent as soon as he cleared his throat.

“Sihana, come up here,” he said in the quiet room. I did as I was told, walking towards him on shaky legs.

He put a hand around my waist when I stood next to him with my head bowed. I lifted my head for a brief second but I saw everyone gawking at me. It made me feel – I hated the spotlight as every time I found myself in the spotlight, it was often because something had gone wrong.

“This is Sihana Armani, my mate and your Luna. You will accord her the same respect as me if your value your lives.” I blanched at the threat and the room went so quiet, a pin dropping would have been too loud.

Someone in the crowd gave a weak clap, then another joined, then another, and in a minute cheers and claps rent the air.

“Do you have anything to say to them?” Cahir asked me. I wanted to shake my head and run away, but I knew that would be the wrong move so I nodded.

“It is an honour to be amongst you all here today,” I started in a quiet tone to hide the shiver in my voice. “Thank you for the warmth with which you have received me. I hope we all get along well.” I bowed my head as I finished and applauses resounded in the air.

We went back to our seats as Aristo took the stage again.

“And now, for the initiation!” My heart fell at that exclamation.