Is It Wrong To Love My StepBrother Alpha Mate?
Chapter 62: The Rite

Chapter 62: The Rite

Romeo nodded.

He knew the Alpha Rite was an oath made in blood, but for some reason, his father’s words carried more weight with them.

"The Blackmoon pack has had a Blackmoon at its helm since it’s founding. Are you ready to be the next Blackmoon Alpha?" Raul asked.

His father was a tall, imposing figure, but Romeo was taller. However, at this moment, he felt like a young boy again, looking up at his father.

"I am, father," Romeo answered in a solemn and deep tone.

Raul raised his arm and gestured for his son to do the same.

Mirroring his son’s actions, Romeo raised it till both their arms hovered above the simple bowl.

"Do you, Alpha Romeo, stand before me of your own free will?" Raul asked.

"I do," Romeo answered.

The question seemed oddly simple, but the weight that came with his words weighed on his shoulders.

"Do you, Alpha Romeo, willingly seek the position of Alpha of the Blackmoon Pack?" Raul asked him with a locked gaze.

"I do," Romeo said, his words weighing even heavier.

Something about the Rite and the questions he was being asked to answer seemed to be different.

’It must be part of the Rite.’ Ryder told him.

’Did you know about this?’ Romeo asked his wolf.

’No, but now I just seem to know,’ Ryder answered.

Ryder’s answer made sense to Romeo. It was only right that the answers he gave during the Rite mattered more.

"As Alpha, do you swear to uphold the Moon Goddess’s will?" Raul asked his son.

"I do," Romeo answered.

Raul took his hand and made a small incision, pressing on it to allow the blood to drop into the bowl.

Romeo’s wound quickly healed as soon as the few drops landed on the bowl.

"As Alpha, do you swear to put your pack ahead of your own well-being?" Raul asked.

Romeo’s chest tightened, and his eyes went wide as he looked at his father.

Raul said nothing, he simply nodded and encouraged his son.

"I do," Romeo answered.

Again, Raul made the cut, and again blood dripped into the bowl, except this time the wound healed a lot slower.

’Helena, do you know what’s going on?’ he asked as he tried to reach out to her.

’I can’t feel her,’ Ryder growled in his head, slowly beginning to panic.

’The new pack link is forming,’ Romeo said as his eyes went wide. ’And we aren’t mated.’

’I still feel something, but it’s faint,’ Ryder said.

’The Blood Moon is nearing,’ Romeo told his wolf as he looked up.

As Romeo looked to the moon and true enough the color was slowly changing.

Everyone looked up after they’d noticed Romeo, and gasps filled the air as other wolves realized that the moon was changing.

"No," Romeo heard Helena gasp from behind.

He watched as she tried to leave, but her mother grabbed her arm and kept her firmly in place.

"You can’t leave," Alyssa told Helena calmly as Romeo listened to their exchange. He worried that Helena would run. "The Rite has to be completed. You need to make the oath to the Alpha."

"But mom," Helena said as she looked up at the moon.

"You can’t keep running from your mate, Helena," Alyssa reminded her.

Raul cleared his throat, drawing Romeo’s attention back to the Rite.

"The moon is going nowhere, son," Raul said.

Romeo nodded, knowing what his father meant.

"Do you, Alpha, swear to maintain peace between packs and to guide the packs to better future?" Raul asked.

"I do," Romeo answered quickly as the weight pressed down heavier on him.

Again, Raul made another cut on his arm and let the blood drop into the bowl.

Romeo felt his exhaustion as he panted, there was more to the blood being drawn from him. He felt like he’d just finished a full workout and was sweating heavily.

Raul then turned to the crowd and raised the ceremonial dagger in his hands.

"Do you, Black Moon, accept Alpha Romeo, my heir as your Alpha?" he asked.

"This isn’t part of the traditional rite," Romeo heard one of the visiting alphas whisper.

"We do," came the answer from the pack.

Raul turned back to Romeo, "This isn’t a traditional question, but one that as your father and Alpha I’d like to ask of you."

Romeo nodded.

He trusted his father.

"Do you, Alpha, promise to uphold what the Blackmoon pack stands for?" Raul asked his son.

"I do," Romeo managed to say.

Again, a cut was made, and blood flowed.

"Do you, Alpha, swear to keep the Blackmoon pack a safe haven for the Goddess’s children?" Raul quickly asked.

"I do," Romeo said with gritted teeth as pain slowly shot through him.

With the cut, Romeo resisted the urge to cry out in pain.

He waited for his father to ask another oath from him but was shocked when none came.

"Helana," Raul said as he gestured for his stepdaughter to approach.

Helena practically ran to Romeo’s side as she checked in on him.

"Do I look like shit?" Romeo asked her with a lopsided grin.

Helena chuckled but nodded.

"The hard part is done," she promised him as she pressed a kiss on his lips.

"I’m glad you’re here," Romeo told her as he looked into his eyes.

He could see the fear and the sadness that clouded her usually stubborn gaze.

"Helena, will you be the first?" Raul asked. "It is tradition for the Luna to make the first oath."

Helena nodded to her stepfather, schooling her expression.

Romeo watched as everyone’s focus shifted to her as she took the ceremonial knife and made a cut.

"I, Helena Stonehill, Alpha Heir of the Stonehill pack, swear my loyalty to Alpha Romeo and the Blackmoon pack," as Helena said this Romeo felt the link to her forming and getting stonger.

’Hey,’ he whispered through the link.

’Wow,’ Helena answered back. ’This is different.’

’Different?’ he asked her.

’It’s different from when I made the oath to your father,’ Helena told him.

"Who is next?" Helena asked Raul.

"The Beta," Raul answered as Neil made his way up to the stage.