Obsession: the Lycan king's Human Mate

Chapter 333 - The Mating Ceremony - III

The temple was as beautiful as it looked at its entrance. Slowly as Adaline was inside with Xavier standing right next to her she noticed how beautiful just everything was.

It was amazing that without technology, people had managed to curve so many designs with clarity and creativity into rocks. 

Because this temple had been made by rocks and a little marble that was available. Yet it looked more beautiful than any she had ever seen.

Even though she had the least understanding of their culture, the beauty of it could tell her that it must be just as beautiful inside as it looked outside. 

Her eyes moved to every inch of the place and never settled on one thing because the moment she is so something she found the next one equally intriguing.

But why had they chosen this place as the next destination for the ceremony instead of the Palace? The Palace was bigger than the temple, which would leave her with the religious explanation.

The entrance gradually narrowed down to a smaller path. It was enough to fit three people walking in it together before it opened into a bigger and more wide room.

This must be aware that they would be conducting ceremonies and such. 

"Hey," she felt his grip tighten on her hand making her look towards him. "You have to go there." Xavier pointed with his finger making Adeline follow the direction.

There was her family. 

Frowning lightly she turned to look at him, "where are you going to go?" She whispered to him and watched him point into the direction in front of where his side of the family was sitting.

Understanding that it was now time to depart, she relished the kiss that he placed on her forehead one last time before moving to set with her uncle. 

"Adeline," Korr whispered to her and received the attention of the young girl immediately. "For today's ceremony, Xavier is going to receive a mark from you." 

"From me?" She repeated, a little confused. "But I don't have sharp teeth like him." 

It was definitely easier for shifters to leave a mark on the neck of their meals because their sharp and long teeth had no problem in piercing the skin. But for me it would be extremely difficult, given that her teeth were as blunt as a rabbit's would be. 

He chuckled and nodded. "I agree with that young lady. But he will receive his mark in another way that we test is endurance. The mark would be.." he hissed lightly, "the mark would be branded onto his skin." 

"What?" She spat before her head turned around to look in the eyes of her Alpha mate who was staring at her knowingly. He had definitely heard the conversation between her and her uncle. 

"If you leave a mark on him, with his alpha and Lycan genes, it would be very difficult for him to retain that mark. In fact If you bite into his skin the blood could poison you, which is why we end up branding the alphas, especially with human mates." 

Adeline's lips parted as she stared at Xavier in shock.

Staring into his eyes that were right in front of her she slowly shook her head letting her discomfort and disapproval be known. 

In return to her small shake off her head, she received a wink from him.

That was when I decided to look away and her eyes went to the burning furnace that she now noticed was in the corner of the room. 

A silent gasp left her mouth when she saw the hot poker being burnt in the furnace that held her name Adaline. 

Oh god, it was really going to happen.

"Why?" She hissed to her uncle who glanced at her. "Why is it necessary for you to burn him?" 

Korr sighed tiredly before he replied to her, "whenever someone received a human made, people always tried to have them bite and leave a mark constantly. A few of them really got sick because the poison in the veins of a lycan or a wolf affected them. Which is why we settled for branding the skin, burning it to the point where the marks should remain."

Adeline felt disgusted by the knowledge. She had always been against the branding of animals and only to know that a human was signing up for it is specially because of their only hurt and discussed her more. 

"No," she told Korr firmly. "It's not—"

The small shake of his head silenced her. 

"Traditions and rituals that have been going on for not decades with thousands of years cannot be changed just because you are against that. It would have been considerable if the king would be against it but he is not," Korr shook his head. "The two of you have been through alot but now that you have decided to be with each other you should do it right."

Adleime scoffed in disbelief, "do you understand how much pain it is going to cost him?" 

"That pain should tell you what you went through for the three months. And if I am to be honest with you, his pain would vanish after the evening because of his genes." Korr gave her one last disappointed look before looking away and talking to someone else. 

That was not fair. It was not fair to punish him for those three months that Adeline had spent in complete depression.

It was her who had let herself be slipped into a certain stage of darkness where she did not know where to go and that she had also stressed everyone around her but Xavier could not be punished for that because he had his own things going on. 

Not only had he taken the responsibility and blame of his brothers that he had also taken the blame of her father's death that she had never placed on his shoulders. 

But what she noticed was it was tradition and Xavier did not look like he was on the verge of backing out. Instead he looked like... he was ready for it.