Why My Mate Cries
Chapter 52

REID’S POV

When the day of the unification ceremony finally arrived, I came to realize a lot of things that did not cross my mind before. One of those things was the truth that even if I did not feel the mate bond the first time I met her, I would have still loved her; that Aliyah brought out the best version of me just when I thought I was the worst Alpha among all Alphas; and that when she set foot into my territory, she also brought meaning to my life, and made me feel at home once again after a long time.

“Are you nervous?” Klaus asked me as I waited for Aliyah’s presence.

“No,” I answered, clearing my throat.

Klaus gave me a wide grin and then tapped my shoulder. “You better get your shit together and don’t stutter later.”

“F**k off,” I cursed at him.

I breathed in heavily and swallowed hard. My palms were sweating so hard that I had to rub them on both sides of my pants. I couldn’t wait to see my mate any longer. It had been two days since I last saw her. I could hardly believe that it was only for purification, as I was so sure it didn’t purify me but torture me.

The crowd cheered. It was at that moment that I stiffened in my place and looked over at the familiar woman who was walking slowly into the garden.

As I watched her walk down the aisle, my heart was jumping in joy. I couldn’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy ever since my parents died during the pack wars. All thanks to Aliyah, I found my way to smile and be happy once again.

She never failed to take my breath away. Aliyah was no doubt stunning in her wedding dress, and the way she smiled at me was a constant reminder that I should be grateful to the Moon Goddess for blessing me with such a wonderful mate.

I badly wanted to rush towards her, wrap my arms around her and devour her with k****s. The mate bond was still so strong that it made me want her the moment our gaze locked. However, I kept my cool for the time being as I didn’t want to look like an obsessive Alpha who craved to make love to his mate, even though it was true…

I freaking crave her…

The all too familiar warmth went through me the moment I heard her vow. She said it in the most genuine way, and that made me want to k**s her endlessly. She looked up at me, and all I did was squeeze her hand tight, assuring her that all those things she vowed to me were appreciated.

Aliyah’s full attention was on me as it was time for me to speak my vows. I stared down at her, making her feel that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and that my eyes were only made for her.

“I, Reid Lockwood, Alpha of the Jewel Pack, vow to the most brilliant woman in front of me, my mate, that I will love, protect, and lead her. I will remain faithful to her and swear to the Moon Goddess that I will never abandon or hurt her. I will respect the mate bond, and even if I were without it, I’d love her until my very last breath…” I intoned.

Aliyah’s tears didn’t stop as she listened to me, and I couldn’t help but move my hand to wipe her tears away before I continued, “I would also like to take this opportunity to proclaim her to hold the position of being the Luna of the Jewel Pack—a Luna who is meant to lead and assist, but more importantly, to be the best person of the Alpha.”

The elder asked, “Do you, Aliyah Harper, accept the position as Luna?”

She then chuckled and nodded. “Yes, I will be happy to accept the position of Luna for the Jewel Pack, to help Alpha Reid lead his members.”

The ceremony went on, and during those times I was only looking at Aliyah, and still could not seem to grasp that a woman like her decided to bond with me forever. After the b***d compact, we got to finally seal the unification with a k**s.

The overwhelming desire boiling inside of me made me devour her. Aliyah made a half g***n before she giggled and then slightly pushed me back. I blinked when she eyed me playfully, and it was followed by a low growl.

“Everyone is watching,” she whispered softly.

“And so what?” I furrowed my brows.

The elder cleared his throat, and then he spoke, “I am pleased to present to you, Alpha and Luna Lockwood of the Jewel Pack.”

Our pack mates began clapping and even howling to cheer for us. They were evidently so happy to witness our unification, and the fact that we had a Luna in the pack made a lot of difference this time. I knew they hoped for a new beginning from this day on, and I would never let them down.

“Cheers to the newly wed!” Klaus announced.

People were congratulating us as we walked down the aisle while holding each other’s hands, and I was so content to see my wife laughing heartily with our pack members. She blended into Liana’s group. I was dragged by Klaus and Sage to the other side of the aisle, where all the other warriors were gathered to congratulate me.

“Calm your d*ck, Alpha. You will have some alone time with your wife later.” Klaus smirked as he tapped my shoulder.

I clenched my jaw and fought the urge to kick his foot. My eyes landed on the group of women on the other side of the aisle, where I saw Aliyah being teased by her friends. They were teasing her about the honeymoon that would happen tonight, and I swore to God, it was one of the important highlights of the ceremony I’ve been meaning to experience.

Sage offered me a drink, which I accepted. “Congratulations, Alpha. You were so f*****g cool when you spoke your vows. You’ve really found your match.”

I smirked at him and sipped from the wine glass. “Yeah, it may sound strange, but I’m beyond the moon right now.”

“So, are we expecting a lot of pups for the next few years?” Klaus laughed.

I punched his chest a bit while I grinned. “No, I will respect Aliyah’s preference for having kids. You…” I pointed my finger at him. “You better pursue your mate into marriage so that the pack house will be filled with pups.”

“Nah, Liana hates kids. That woman is weird.”

The three of us laughed. My eyes went back to where Aliyah was once again, and I smiled when I noticed that she was also gawking over at me.

This time, as a curious wife.

That thought made me feel the all too familiar warmth in my groin.

Damn it… I couldn’t wait for the night to come, as that was the only time I could have her all to myself.