Midnight River Shorts

Inductions and Rituals

Teddy's POV

It's been a month since I woke up. I still can't believe my baby girl is five months old. It just feels weird.

"Teddy, please focus." Mattie calls my attention to the task at hand. "We need to get these symbols exactly right, or the opposite of what we want to happen will happen."

"Sorry, Mattie." I say, returning my attention to drawing the symbols just how Mattie had shown me.

"Okay." He sighs, once the circle is done. He kneels at the edge and places his fingertips at the outer edge of the circle. "Copy me, Teddy."

I move quickly to copy his posture.

"Good. Okay." He takes a deep breath. "Don't speak, just stay still and let me handle it, okay?" He turns to me.

I nod at him.

"Okay." He breathes. "Hear me, Guanlian. Hear me, Serliantis. Come to your vessels." He says, bellowing into the air.

Wind swirls around us as two figures appear. They look down at us, kneeling at the edge of the circle.

"Rise child, and speak." One says.

I look at Mattie, who nods and stands. His toes still touch the circle, so I make mine do so as well.

"O Great Ones." Mattie bows, which I copy. "We wish to sever the link to godliness."

I watch as the figures solidify. One is a very muscular man, his long hair flowing wildly behind his back. The other is a slimmer man, his long hair tucked in a braid over his shoulder.

"Why have you chosen so, child?" The muscular man asks.

"We have found our Mates and wish to age and die with them, O Great Ones." Mattie bows his head.

"You wish this as well?" The slimmer one asks me.

I look at Mattie.

"Go ahead, Teddy." He says.

"With all my heart." I say to the god. "Ashton has saved me time and time again. I love him and our family. I can't just leave them behind to live forever."

The slimmer god smiles at me. "Well said, child."

"Very well." The muscular god says. "We shall grant your wish. Should you need us, you can always call upon us."

"Thank you, O Great Ones." Mattie says, bowing his head again.

I follow suit and bow my head. "Thank you, O Great Ones." I whisper.

The wind kicks up again, and I open my eyes to see that the gods are gone, and so is the circle.

"We're mortal now." Mattie chuckles. Then his chuckles turn to wild laughter. "We're mortal!" He yells, a little off. Then he starts sobbing.

"Mattie?" I ask softly, trying not to irritate him.

"Oh, my Baby." He murmurs. He wraps me in his arms. "I never thought I'd welcome mortality, but it's worth it."

"I'm glad, Mattie." I say, hugging him back. "Are you okay though?" I ask, worried.

"I'm okay." He chuckles with a slight sniffle. "Just a lot to adjust to suddenly. You haven't really known your immortality, but I have. So, losing it suddenly was..." He breathes deeply. "It was almost like having an infected limb removed. It caused pain, but I was living with it. Then it got removed. And suddenly that pain doesn't hurt anymore... But the limb still feels like it's there." He releases his hug and looks up at the sky. "I'm not a god anymore, but I still have those memories. I'm still me, but now I'll age."

I hum and hug him again. "Ready for part two?" I ask softly.

"Yeah." He chuckles.

Ash? We're ready. I link my Mate.

On our way. He replies.

A car pulls up and parks. Then Alpha Stacy, Ashton, Dad, and Kenneth climb out.

"Ready?" Alpha Stacy asks.

"Yes." Mattie and I nod together.

"Alright." She smiles, taking out the ceremonial dagger. She slices her palm and looks at us. We hold out our palms and she slices each one, wiping the blade clean in between. She clasps Mattie's hand first. "Mattathias Joseph Carina, you are hereby welcomed to the Midnight River Pack. Do you solemnly swear to protect this Pack and all in it?"

"I do." Mattie says seriously.

"Then, welcome aboard." Alpha Stacy says with a smile.

I watch as Mattie's eyes grow wide. "Whoa." He whispers.

Alpha Stacy cleans her hand, then grips mine. "Theodore Orion Sterling, you are hereby welcomed to the Midnight River Pack. Do you solemnly swear to protect this Pack and all in it?" She asks me.

"I do." I say, nodding my head.

"Then, welcome aboard." She grins as she lets go of my hand.

The old, tattered feeling link to Higher Parks falls away. My old Pack link dissolving, and with it, who I used to be. The Pack link for Midnight River rushes forward, making me gasp. The love and support of this Pack floods my being.

Welcome, Teddy. Alpha Stacy says in the Pack link.

A thousand voices all clamor together. Welcome Teddy and Mattie to the Pack! They all say together.

I look up at Ashton, tears in my eyes. He wraps me in his strong arms.

"Welcome to the Pack officially, Angel." He kisses my head. "I love you so much."

"I love you." I lean back to look at him. "I love this Pack."

"Good." He grins, and kisses me sweetly. "Now, let's get back home. Mel's not gonna be happy if she wakes up and we're both gone." He chuckles.

I giggle through my tears. "Yeah, okay." I grin, gripping his hand.