Ayn's Healing

Chapter 28 - Kari

My mother has barely spoken to my father and I since the day of our fight, and when she did, it was to reproach us angrily that, because of our lack of self-control, she now has to organise her first born's ceremony on short notice, like some poor pack that doesn't have resources to plan a proper party.

She also reminded us that we have destroyed her strategy for Ayn's Luna training. She had now to rush the poor girl through all the knowledge she needed to have for the role and, if my mate wouldn't have been such an amazingly fast learner, our pack would have been in great trouble.

Some days before our ceremony, the fast learner and I are laying in bed next to each other, holding hands and watching the ceiling.

"Are you sure about the marking?" I ask her.

"Kari, you have asked me this every day since we promised your mom we will do it. I am starting to think you are not sure about the marking" she smiles and playfully touches my nose.

"In all truth, I wish we hadn't agreed to it. I don't want to hurt you."

"You cannot hurt me. Mia said marking doesn't hurt. She actually described it as pleasant. OK, her exact words were *imagine your most mind blowing orgasm and triple it.*"

"Well, between lycans it feels like that. But Ayn, I have no idea how it feels for witches."

"Maybe like only one orgasm? That should be good enough."

I have to laugh but then I remind her that I am trying to have a serious discussion. So she continues:

"What is the worst that can happen? Can you accidentally turn me?"

"No, I am not biting your neck, I am biting your marking spot, here" and, when I touch with two fingers the back of her round shoulder, I instantly get aroused.

"Kari, focus." she smiles "What else worries you?"

"I don't know, love, that I will exsanguinate you in front of our pack and allies, just because we weren't brave enough to tell my mom we'll get matching tattoos or something."

"But the older books say that, in the pre-Split times, witches and shifters sealed their bond sometimes and marked each other. It is supposed to help with enhancing each other's powers. There is no mention of shifters accidentally killing their witch mate."

"When you say older books, you mean those indecent ones you were reading in Sybille's back room? "

It's Ayn's turn to laugh and blush a little.

"Maybe they are not solid scientific references... but Kari, even if it hurts or I bleed, I can heal myself and I promise I will not hold it against you. OK, I will, but just a little...speaking of Sybille, here she is calling me?!"

I have to smile when Ayn pushes on the speaker button, so she can get dressed quickly when talking to her former teacher. It's not like she can video call with her giant patchwork phone. I make a mental note that I have to put in a request for new devices for us two.

"Good evening, Healer Ayn."

"Good evening, Clan Leader."

"I am calling you because I have received the invitation to your mate bond ceremony."

The voice that comes out from the ridiculous machine is laced with contempt. My mother invited Sybille, ignoring Ayn's arguments that, for the Teaching Clan Lead, an interspecies mate bond is not necessarily something to be celebrated.

"When were you planning to tell me that I can stop spending my time looking for a solution for your next year? I gather you won't be moving anywhere in the near future?"

Ayn's face is burning red.

"No, Clan Leader."

"Now Healer, as your mentor, I have to say I am disheartened. All that education invested in your core, down the drain! You do realise that, with your choice, you have obliterated all your chances to be eligible for the Witches' Council?"

I am watching in disbelief how my mate, the only person in this pack who laughed at an Alpha while looking him in the eye - and lived to tell the story - bends her neck as a submissive wolf under the sound of Sybille's voice.

"I...was not really Council material, Clan Leader."

The witch at the other end of the line is not impressed, and her irritation at Ayn's shaky argument pours out of the receiver with icy notes.

"Of course you were, Healer! Next to your mother, you have the strongest core I had the privilege of seeing grow, despite your attempts to prove otherwise with your misbehaviour."

Ayn's eyes are filled with tears and Storm is flashing a fang at the machine that is upsetting our mate. The voice continues, vaguely softer:

"But of course, I am also to blame for this... I have not considered Morgane could have been right, and I have sent you across the River, directly in the path of that shifter."

"I am sorry, what?"

"After you were born, I berated your mother repeatedly for letting Ray move in. It was bad enough that she had found her soulmate, but living together could have been a killer move for all her career prospects.

She gave me again the example of her shifter friends, who were true mates, sharing everything and successfully leading their pack in Land Core. Morgane said that Teresa was an impeccable Luna, though sadly she had to mother one of the rowdiest, angriest, uncontrollable males she had ever seen."

I notice a Clan Leader's voice is slightly working on lycans too, because I feel a bit embarrassed hearing her description of the teenage me. Storm however wags his tail at her words, because he perceives all of them as compliments.

"She mentioned in passing that the only two things that worked for settling him were his mother's presence... and yours...I remember her laughing and saying it was ridiculous how soft and tame he was around her baby. And that her demanding baby - that's you Ayn, you were like this since birth - miraculously relaxed when he was near. Like soulmates, she joked."

Ayn is sobbing over the phone that is lying between us while I am trying to decide if I want to kill this witch who is making my mate cry, or thank her for convolutedly conveying us Morgane's blessing.

"Ah, please Healer, stop howling. It's done now, no need for such an undignified outburst. I was on your mother's side, regardless of the choice she made and I will be on yours too. Note that I am coming with History Teacher Francine as my plus one, and make sure there is a vegetarian option for me. Francine will have the meat."

The call is ended, but Ayn's tears keep falling silently, escaping from closed eyes.

"Why are you crying, love, she said she's on your side...and she's coming." My hand rests on her cheek, wiping away salty drops with my thumb.

"Did you hear the rest of it?"

"That your mother tried to make sure you will meet your adequate male? Yes, yes I did."

I am afraid that, even if my plan works, to treat Ayn like the Goddess she is, my debts to Morgane will never be paid in full.