Tame Me by Jayda Marx

Chapter Ten

Archie

"Should I do something with this?' I asked, combing my fingers through my wild hair.

"No, I think it's cute," Brodie replied with a smile. "Callum loves my natural curls and I'm sure Evan feels the same way."

I knew he was right; Evan loved my hair, even if it was much more untamed than Brodie's. My mate always touched it, swept it from my forehead, and told me how pretty it was.

"And you're sure I look okay? Maybe I should have gone with a fancy suit."

It was the evening of my bonding ceremony and I was having second thoughts about what I was wearing. Evan said that he didn't care about fancy clothes, and just wanted me to be comfortable, so I chose a pair of jeans and a thick cream-colored jumper. It was soft and warm, but now I worried that it wasn't nice enough.

"You look perfect," Ben insisted.

Milo added, "Besides, there's no rule saying that you have to wear a suit to your ceremony. I wore this to mine." He motioned to his long black trench coat. "Bastian bought it for me so it was more special than any tux."

"Evan bought these for me too," I said, running my hands down the front of my shirt. He'd bought all of my clothes, along with everything else I needed. I couldn’t imagine a better provider or protector.

I took a deep breath and looked around at Ben, Brodie, Milo, and Lennox, who were hanging out with me until it was time for the ceremony. “I’m so glad you guys are here.” I was thankful for all of my new friends.

The thirteen of us spent a lot of time together over the past couple of days, eating, shopping, laughing and telling stories, and they were the best days of my life. I was upset that my American friends had to leave soon, but I would treasure every moment with them.

“So are we,” Ben replied. “We better get out there, but we’ll see you soon. Congratulations again.”

“Thank you.” I gave them each a hug (which no longer felt strange; just warm and wonderful) before they left me alone.

Once the room was quiet, my mind ran free with wandering thoughts. I imagined what my life would be like if I’d never met Evan; it would be filled with fear, pain and heartache. I would never have learned my worth or felt a loving touch.

But my future was bright, all because of my amazing mate. He took away my demons. He accepted and cared for me unconditionally. He made me believe that anything was possible, and I couldn’t wait to see what we would accomplish together.

I took a deep breath and patted my pocket, checking for the tenth time that I had my token for Evan. After one more look in the mirror and a quick swipe of my fingers through my hair, I left the room and walked out the back door into the garden behind our home.

It was where I requested that we have our ceremony because it was the place I first saw Evan. The atmosphere was easy and relaxed, and we asked our guests to come as they were. Plus, the view was gorgeous; soft green grass spanned to the entrance of a lush forest. Another beautiful sight was the coven - every last member - standing on the lawn waiting to celebrate my bond with my fated one.

I hadn’t met everyone, but each person I had met was kind and welcoming. They treated me with respect and wished me the best. I was blessed to spend my forever in their company.

A hush fell over the crowd and my friends beamed and waved from the front row as I made my way to Evan, who was standing in front of everyone as he waited for me. My mate looked at me with pure joy and adoration, and my chest warmed more than ever before. I knew now without a doubt that the warmth was consuming, overwhelming love.

I took Evan’s outstretched hands and Callum stepped in front of us, clearing his throat before addressing the crowd. “Our coven has been truly blessed over the past few years, and we are gathered together today to celebrate yet another wonderful occasion. For today, we commemorate Fate’s pairing between Evan and his mate Archie.”

My cheeks blushed as my friends went wild, but Evan pushed support into me as he squeezed my hands, soothing my nerves. When they went quiet again, Callum continued, “Before we begin, I must ask you a question, Archie.” I gave him my full attention. “Is it your wish to join this coven and live amongst its people?”

“It is,” I answered loudly and clearly. “I want it more than anything.”

“Do you offer your allegiance to Duff Coven, along with its Master? Do you swear to honor our royal family and adopt their policies?”

“I do.”

Callum smiled warmly and clasped his hand over my shoulder. “Then it is my honor and privilege to welcome you into Duff Coven. We are grateful to accept someone so kind and humble.”

“Thank you,” I whispered before the whole crowd applauded and whistled; even the ones who did not know me. Their hearts still had room for me.

Callum raised his hand and the audience fell silent again. “Archie and Evan, you have been paired together by Fate. You are tasked with protecting, nurturing, and encouraging one another for all time. But you will find that it is not a task, but a privilege. Because when you find the one who mends your heart and completes your soul, their needs and very happiness become your own. Trust in your love and you will enjoy a blissful life together.”

“Archie, at this time, I ask that you present Evan with your token as a symbol of your devotion.”

I let go of Evan’s hands to pull a long chain from my pocket. On the end was a pendant which Brodie helped me make with supplies from a craft store in the village. I held it out for Evan to inspect, and he smiled at the four leaf clover trapped in resin.

I explained, “I found this clover when I was walking with my friends a couple of days ago. I’d never seen one before. When they told me that it was a symbol for luck, it made sense why I had never come across one; I never had any luck in my life before I met you. But now I’m the luckiest man alive because I get to spend forever with you.”

“You make me feel loved and you make me feel like I’m enough. I promise to never forget that, and to spend the rest of time making you feel the same way.” I also loved the clover because it paid homage to Evan's Irish background. I held out the chain and Evan lowered his head to allow me to slip it around his neck.

“I’m the lucky one, Archie. You are my sweetest dream come true.” My eyes welled up just as Ben’s sniffles could be heard from the crowd.

Callum requested, “Evan, please present your mate with your token as a symbol of your devotion.”

Evan pulled a necklace from his pocket as well, and a tear escaped my misty eyes when I saw the pendant; beautiful handmade glass in the shape of a fox’s head.

“Archie, you are more than enough; you are kind, caring, and thoughtful, and more than any man deserves. This token is to remind you that I love and value every part of you; your fox side, your human side, everything that makes you uniquely wonderful. I swear to love you for everything you are, with everything I am, forever.” He latched the necklace around my throat and I traced my fingertips along the delicate glass. I would always treasure and take care of it.

Callum cleared his throat once more before saying, “Archie, Evan, please celebrate your love with a kiss!”

Unable to contain my excitement, I gripped the collar of Evan’s jumper and pulled him down, pressing my lips to his. He kissed me back fiercely, slipping his tongue into my mouth as he dipped me low to the ground and the crowd went wild.

When we parted, the crowd separated into small groups for conversations and my friends hustled up to us. Brodie beamed as he touched the pendant around my neck. "It's beautiful. Evan, I think this is your best work yet." My mate bowed his head in thanks.

"I'm so happy!" a teary-eyed Ben exclaimed as he snatched me in a tight hug. I held him and gently rocked side to side. I never thought I'd be comforting someone. I never thought I'd have friends and family who cared about me. These men were everything I thought I never deserved. I loved them and I needed them.

My stomach dropped and I thought out loud, "I wish you guys didn't have to leave." Half of my family would be leaving in a couple of days, even though I just found them. "I'll miss you."

"We'll miss you too," Ben whimpered, making my own eyes water.

Milo patted my shoulder and added, "But we'll stay in touch. We can schedule weekly video calls." I nodded quickly even though I wasn't positive what that meant; Evan would explain it to me, and if it meant that I could see them often, it was a great idea.

Dante stepped forward and gave me a gentle smile. "Remember Archie, no matter how far apart we are, we will always be connected by heart. We will always be here for you, and we have many memories yet to come, my friend."

Ben sniffled and pulled Dante into our hug. Within moments, all thirteen of us were gathered into our embrace, surrounding me in love and light.

"Okay, okay, enough of this mushiness," Sam insisted as he stepped back, wiping his eyes. "This is a celebration, so let's party!"

And so we did, allowing our heartache to melt into gratitude and joy. We had so much to be thankful for; not only that we were here together in the moment, but to commemorate the beautiful, unbreakable, undeniable love between Evan and me.

Lachlan and Lennox were kind enough to make a spread of sweeties for our celebration, on which I gorged myself. I gobbled down scones, rolls, and biscuits until I thought I would pop, and then I ate some more. They also provided two giant urns of hot chocolate, which was quite possibly the best thing on the planet. The only person who drank more than I did was Brodie.

Brodie also played a few tunes on his flute as my friends all danced together. I was terrible at it, but no one judged me or even cared. We were having a great time in each other’s company and that’s all that mattered.

We danced, ate, and laughed until the sky was black, illuminated only by dazzling stars. As much fun as I was having with everyone, I was ready for a little alone time with my mate; especially with the suggestive looks he was giving me and the scent of his pheromones in the air.

I curled my finger and Evan leaned down so that I could whisper in his ear, “Do you think anyone would notice if we slipped inside?”

He whispered back, “Maybe, but who cares?”, making me giggle. He took my hand and we hurried towards the back door of our home.

Unfortunately, we were spotted, and were subjected to cat calls, whistles, and lewd suggestions (most of them coming from Sam), but I didn’t care. I needed to feel Evan’s love and didn’t care who knew it. When we reached the door, I gave a wave and sassy smirk to my friends, receiving a round of thumbs up before we went inside.