Chapter 58
Chapter 58
Kaeleen’s POV
I watched Astrid as the pack members showered her with congratulations. A smile graced her face, though I could see the subtle signs of discomfort beneath the surface.
She was beautiful. I mean I knew that right from the moment I saw her. I was struck with how beautiful she was that even Rebecca had joked about it but sometimes the most beautiful people are the ones with the scars we never expected. If there was one thing I was sure if, it was the fact hay Astrid was going to fit right in with my pack members.
Her smile was a bit forced. It hadn’t escaped my notice that everyone who had stayed behind after the welcome party were now gathered here. I could see Rebecca and Alex huddled together althought at a distance. Rebecca had a soft smile on her face while Alex stared with that same I tensitu and gave me a nod. Although, I suspected Rebecca, or perhaps someone else, had spread the word about our trip to the Shrine.
It was supposed to be intimate. Something that would t alert the members of the pack but that wasn’t likely going to happen since they all knew.
While I knew some still harbored reservations about Astrid, one thing I valued about my pack was their willingness to give her a chance. That was where Astrid had been wrong. It wasn’t that everyone instantly liked her; it was more that they were open to welcoming her, choosing not to be hostile towards someone they barely knew. Why treat her like a criminal when they had no evidence that she had committed a crime? That was how my pack members were.
The pack members escorted us back to the main building, dispersing only after we stepped inside. Tradition dictated that after a mating ritual, even a quiet and modest one, the newly bonded mates would share a bed. Physical intimacy was a key component, typically lasting three days, a period that, in more modern times, often evolved into a honeymoon. And most times people tended to use more than three days, extending it into a week or even more just to enjoy the joy and connection of being bonded.
My sisters even had a weddi v after they had done their mating ritual. Or rather, their mating ritual had been more like a human wedding. But given the impromptu nature of our ceremony and my promise to Astrid that we could bypass the physical aspect, I had no intention of forcing her into anything. We did not need to have sex.
Instead, I walked her to her bedroom, a heavy silence hanging between us.
"Is something the matter?" she asked, her voice soft.