CHAPTER 43: 43. FATHER’S CHOSEN RING STONES

THE NEXT DAY

MICHAEL

I woke up to the faint sound of fabric rustling and someone whispering very close to my bed.

"Does he always sleep this peacefully?" Someone asked in a hushed, overly dramatic tone.

"Only when he hasn’t fainted the day before." Came Rose’s deadpan reply.

I groaned, burying my face into the pillow.

"You all have no sense of privacy,"I said.

A chuckle low, warm came from right beside me.

"I tried to make them leave." Zavier murmured, brushing a thumb across my jaw. "They said the seamstress demanded a dawn fitting. I said no. The Goddess said yes."

Of course she did. When I finally peeked one eye open, the fitting room was once again a battlefield of ribbons, jewels, and floating divine light. The seamstress had returned alive, energetic, and already armed with her army of assistants.

"Oh, my prince!" She gasped dramatically. "You’re awake! You fainted so elegantly yesterday, like true royalty! Now, up! Today, we bring glory to fabric!"

I blinked.

"I’d prefer breakfast."I said.

"No time for that." She chirped, already circling me like a vulture. "Royal attire waits for no one, not even nausea!"

Zavier growled softly behind her, voice dangerous.

"He will eat first."Zavier frowned.

The seamstress froze mid-spin, looking over her shoulder.

"Ah. The protective Alpha. Very well. Fifteen minutes."She said.

"Twenty." Zavier corrected, narrowing his eyes.

"Fifteen and a snack during fitting." She bargained.

"Deal." Rose said before Zavier could argue, tossing me a croissant.

The moment I took a bite, Zavier visibly relaxed, sitting back but never taking his gaze off me. The seamstress, satisfied I wasn’t about to collapse again, clapped her hands.

"Now then! Bring the attire!"She said happily.

Two assistants approached carefully, carrying folded garments wrapped in pale moonlit cloth. When they unfolded them, I forgot to breathe. The outfit shimmered layers of silver white silk and soft navy embroidery, each thread alive with faint magic that seemed to pulse with my heartbeat. It wasn’t flashy, it was ancient. Like it remembered my ancestors. Selene, standing nearby with the Goddess herself, nodded approvingly.

"This was the final design chosen by your family line." She said. "Symbol of balance, moon and sky, heart and bond."

I touched the sleeve, my fingers trembling slightly.

"It’s... beautiful."I whispered.

The seamstress beamed.

"Of course it is! I made it!"She said happily.

The Goddess’s laughter chimed like bells.

"You outdid yourself." She said warmly. "Even I couldn’t have chosen better."

Zavier, who had been silent so far, finally stepped closer. "He’ll look divine in it."Zavier grinned.

The seamstress tilted her head, smirking.

"Would you like a matching piece, Alpha?"Semestress asked.

He blinked.

"I what?"Zavier asked.

"Oh, come now. The future King can’t look dull next to his royal mate!"She said happily.

Before he could refuse, Selene raised a brow.

"She has a point."Selene grinned.

Zavier groaned under his breath, muttering something about ’fate being cruel’ as the assistants turned toward him.

I snorted.

"Now you know how I felt yesterday."I said.

"Revenge isn’t noble, love." He said dryly, lifting his arms as the seamstress began taking his measurements.

"Oh, but it’s satisfying."

Charlie entered at that exact moment with Adrian, Terrence, and Xavier following him all three instantly stopping in the doorway at the sight of Zavier half dressed while I stood surrounded by divine light and floating silver threads. Charlie whistled.

"And I thought breakfast was exciting."He said.

Adrian smirked.

"You sure we’re not interrupting a private ritual?"He asked.

Zavier didn’t even look up.

"Leave. All of you."Zavier asked.

The Goddess, still radiant and thoroughly entertained, interjected smoothly.

"No, no. Let them stay. It’s good for them to witness the union’s preparation, and learn patience."I said.

"Patience isn’t my strong suit."Terrence muttered.

"Neither is subtlety." Charlie teased, earning himself a sharp look from all three alphas.

While the others bickered softly, Selene approached me, holding the small box I had seen the night before. She opened it, revealing the silver circlet and the ring that had belonged to my father.

"Try them now." She said gently. "They must align with your aura before the ceremony."

I took the ring first, sliding it onto my finger and the room pulsed with light. Every rune on the fabric glowed brighter, threads of energy weaving between the Goddess’s sigils and my bond mark. I gasped softly, the air crackling with warmth that felt like recognition. Zavier turned instantly toward me, his wolf flashing through his eyes.

"Michael?"Zavier asked.

"I’m, fine." I whispered, overwhelmed but not afraid. "It’s... responding."

Selene’s smile softened.

"Because it knows who you are." Selene said.

The light dimmed slowly, leaving only a faint shimmer around my hands. Zavier exhaled shakily, crossing the space between us to press his forehead against mine.

"Next time, warn me before glowing like the damn moon."

I laughed weakly.

"I’ll try."I said.

Behind us, Charlie clapped his hands.

"Okay, but imagine the wedding photos!"Charlie said excited.

Adrian rolled his eyes.

"You just want another excuse to stand near three alphas."Adrian said.

Charlie smirked.

"Maybe I do."Charlie asked.

The Goddess sighed fondly, brushing invisible dust from her gown.

"You mortals are chaos wrapped in silk. But I suppose that’s why I adore you."Goddness said.

Zavier squeezed my hand, murmuring against my ear, "Let’s get through this, then maybe hide for an hour."He said.

I smiled up at him.

"Deal."I said.

Selene caught the look between us and shook her head, amused.

"You two are going to make the entire castle melt with all that sweetness."Selene said.

The seamstress laughed lightly, holding up the final silver thread.

"Good, they’ll shine brighter that way. The royal wedding will be perfect."The seamstress said.

And for the first time, I almost believed her. The castle had gone quiet for once, no seamstress shouting about fabric, no alphas arguing over flower arrangements, no Rose smuggling pastries from the kitchen. Just the faint hum of wind slipping through the high windows. After the morning’s fitting chaos, Zavier had been dragged away by the Elder to discuss ceremony security, something about keeping territorial alphas from starting a fight mid vow. I’d taken the rare moment of peace to wander the library. It smelled like old ink, cedar, and the faint trace of moonlight that always lingered in the royal archives. My fingers brushed along rows of ancient books, all bound in leather and lined with silver runes that shimmered faintly under my touch. The ring my father once wore, now warm and familiar against my skin pulsed faintly as if it sensed something. I frowned, holding my hand up. The silver gleamed once, twice... then tugged. Not metaphorically, like actually tugged.

"What the..." I muttered, letting my instincts guide me.

The pull led me toward the farthest shelf, half of which was hidden behind draped curtains. The moment my fingers brushed one particular spine, ’Lunar Bonds and Celestial Vows’, a soft click echoed through the room. The entire section of books shifted, and one slid out, landing gently on the floor. Beneath it, something small and ancient rolled free a box. It was carved from pale wood, the lid engraved with a crescent moon wrapped around a pair of intertwined wolves. My heartbeat stumbled as I knelt and lifted it.

Inside were two small stones, one silvery-blue like moonlight trapped in ice, and the other deep gold, glowing faintly from within. My father’s handwriting lined the inside of the lid.

’One for the heart that binds, one for the bond that protects.’

I swallowed hard, fingers trembling as I picked up the silvery one. The moment I did, warmth spread through me, the same pulse that had answered my bond mark before. My ring, my father’s ring shimmered, the gem shifting like liquid light. The stone seemed to recognize it. Without thinking, I pressed it gently into the hollow at the center. It sank in perfectly, sealing itself with a small flash of moonlight. The air around me shimmered, and suddenly, the Goddess was standing near the balcony, light trailing from her like mist.

Her smile was soft, knowing.

"Ah... so you’ve found it."She said proudly.

I turned, startled.

"This belonged to my father, didn’t it?"I asked.

She nodded.

"Yes. The twin stones were a gift from the Moon Forge symbols of unity between fated souls. One ring was made for your bloodline. The other..." Her gaze shifted toward the open box, where the golden stone still glowed faintly. "Was meant for his bond."

I hesitated, looking at it.

"For Zavier?"I asked.

The Goddess’s eyes gleamed like starlight.

"For the one who carries your heart. He cannot wear your father’s ring, but the bond can be forged anew."Godness said.

She raised her hand, and the golden stone floated up, encircled in divine light.

"Selene!" She called softly. The air rippled, and the High Priestess appeared, her white robes trailing silver dust.

"You summoned me, my Lady?"

"Yes. It is time to craft the companion ring." The Goddess said, voice low and certain. "For the future King."

Selene bowed.

"As you will." She glanced at me with a small, knowing smile. "I’ll need his measurements, his energy, rather. I assume you can guide him?"

I nodded slowly, still trying to find my voice.

"He’ll probably grumble the whole time, but yes."I muttered.

The Goddess laughed softly.

"He’ll grumble because he feels too much. That’s the way of devoted souls."Goddness said.

Her gaze softened as she looked back at the box in my hands.

"When you exchange rings under the moon, these stones will bind not just your vows, but your line, your future. Remember that, my chosen one."She explained.

The light dimmed slowly until only Selene and I remained in the golden hush of the library. I exhaled shakily, clutching the box close. The faint pulse of the twin stones echoed against my palm, one warm, one cool.

Zavier’s voice drifted from the doorway.

"You disappear for ten minutes, and the whole castle starts panicking."Zavier said.

I turned toward him, heart hammering.

"You won’t believe what I found."He said.

His gaze flicked to the box, then to my ring, which was still glowing faintly. His wolf surfaced in his eyes instantly.

"What did you do?"Zavier asked.

"Something my father meant for us." I whispered. "And apparently... you’re getting your own ring."

Zavier blinked once, then twice.

"You’re serious?"He asked.

Selene stepped forward, calm and serene.

"He is. Come, alpha, it’s time you had one worthy of your bond."Selene said.

Zavier groaned softly, muttering something about divine meddling, but he still followed her. As he passed me, his fingers brushed mine, a grounding touch, warm and sure.

"Whatever it is." He murmured. "As long as it links to you... I’ll wear it."

The pulse from the stones answered like a heartbeat.

And I knew, somehow, this was exactly how it was meant to be.