MATE AND HIS LOVER 5

20. Enough to last a lifetime

"This will look good on you," Nina says as she lifts up the blue dress to my front. She tilts her head left and right to see if it suits me.

I don't care. I don't care about the dress. I don't care about the ceremony. But I'm stuck here.

Ascension is a once in a generation ceremony, and is treated as such. The houses and streets are decorated. And the open venue where the ceremony will take place is now being made to look like a grand stadium.

I should be happy about my brother's ascension but all I can think about is Cole and Bianca's mating.

I let Nina choose my ceremony outfit.

Most of the time I'm cooped up in my room, except for when I've to greet the guests with my family, who've come to congratulate my father and brother on the ascension.

If only we could be happy just by being in a happy place, then I would be overwhelmed with joy now. Such is the atmosphere in our pack.

But inside me, it's the opposite: dark and gloomy, like a cloudy sky that neither wants to rain nor wants to clear up.

And just like that the dreaded day arrives. I join my mother at the side while the Alpha and the Beta are at the center with their sons.

An elder member of the pack performs the ceremony. Rick's ascension takes place first.

My father's strong voice spreads out as he stands before my kneeled brother and says, "I, Lester Egan, the Beta of Ronan Valley, has chosen, Rick Egan to carry my title and duties forward. Does anyone wish to challenge my decision?"

A brief silence falls over the place. My father nods. "The Ronan pack pledges our loyalty to our Beta, Rick Egan."

The crowd breaks into a deafening cheer as Rick raises and hugs my father. I wipe the signs of tears in the corners of my eyes. My mom, on the other hand, is openly crying, feeling proud of the two men she loves the most.

Then it's Cole's turn. My chest tightens when he kneels in front of his father. In just a few seconds he will become our Alpha. And I'm feeling so many emotions, as his mate, as his pack member, as the sister of his best friend, and as the girl who saw him grow.

But his ascension will soon turn into the end of my bond with him.

The Alpha says, "I, Patrick Adams, the Alpha of Ronan Valley, has chosen, Cole Adams to carry my title and duties forward. Does anyone wish to challenge my decision?"

"I do," We hear a loud voice speak up. From the crowd walks out, Ian Adams. "I challenge your decision, Alpha. And I challenge, Cole Adams, for the title."

Murmurs of disapproval pass around the crowd. I'm too shocked to think of anything. "Silence," Alpha's voice falls sharply on everyone's ears.

He looks down at his son. "Cole Adams, do you accept the challenge?"

"I do," Cole says. I feel sick to my stomach.

Without any prompting the crowd makes space for the fighting field. We all know the drill. Some of them here had seen our Alpha, Patrick, fight his brother, Charles.

Now their sons are about to fight.

The wolves of Ian and Cole circle each other at the center. I hold my stomach, feeling like I'm about to faint any second.

I don't care about who Cole mates anymore. I just want him to be safe.

As soon as they charge at each other, the crowd becomes dead silent. I can't hear my own breathing.

The growls of Cole and Ian's wolves are the only sounds.

I bite my lips, unable to look at the fight, unable to look away, either.

As time passes, my knees begin to give in. I bend forward slightly. My mom notices my condition. "You should leave," she whispers to me. I shake my head. I won't leave Cole. Not now.

I look at my brother. He's at the sideline, fists tight and watching his friend fight. He's also probably scared. He should be, as I am.

Even when I haven't seen many fights before, I can tell Cole's wolf, Black, is losing. Ian is older and more experienced than Cole. More importantly, Ian had already ascended as the current Alpha of a pack. The fight is not matched equally.

Ian's wolf bites Black's upper leg and throws him to the side. I see blood running down all over the ground from Black's legs. The fallen Black tries to get up but his leg doesn't cooperate.

Ian's wolf is ready to finish the job. Everyone knows this is wrong, but no one is stopping Ian.

Ian's wolf go to Black and gets ready to grab the neck.

"Black!" I shout. Everyone looks at me, but I don't notice them. All I can see is Black. I don't even know if Black can see me. His face is covered in blood. "Please," I whisper.

I need Black to be strong. He has to be, so I could see my Cole again.

Ian's wolf is also looking at me, then it turns its attention to Black, ready to finish the job.

But Black springs up, grabs the other wolf's neck and lifts its body and slams it to the ground.

When Black's head rises up, there's a chunk of flesh from the other wolf's neck.

In a split second, I go from being scared for Black to being scared of Black.

Ian's wolf is still alive but it can't move anymore with half of its neck gone. The damage is done.

Black won.

The stunned crowd then erupts into a celebration. Ian's wolf is quickly taken away by the medics to treat. Although Black is injured, too, he stands strong and tall.

I turn around and leave, not waiting to see Cole's ascension. I've seen enough to last a lifetime today.