Chapter 76 We Are One

• The elder tucked the chalice away and instructed the couples to stand within the circle she had drawn. As the moon reached its peak in the sky, Philip, Rachel, Uriel, and Sara tilted their heads upward, and the elder chanted more words in an ancient tongue. Then, she scattered something along the circle’s edge, sending a swirl of smoke curling around the four of them.
• With that ritual, the Moon Goddess’s blessing was complete, and the union of the couples was sealed. They turned to face the pack, and every member dropped to one knee, tilting their necks to the side in a gesture of respect. The next step was for the couples to shift into their wolf forms before the crowd. This transformation would symbolize their full acceptance of each other, binding not only their human lives but their existence as werewolves.
• Philip peeled off his shirt, and Uriel followed suit. They shifted first, their powerful forms drawing cheers and applause from the onlookers. The garlands still draped around Rachel and Sara’s necks were gently removed and returned to the earth, a gesture of reverence and a plea for fertility. Then, it was the women’s turn to transform. As Rachel and Sara shifted, the women of the pack began to dance and sing traditional songs, kicking off a celebration that would last through the night.