My Mate Is An Omega
My Mate Is A Virgin Chapter 31

Andromeda

POV

After the meeting with my mother, I returned to the Princess' Chambers with Jasper. I knew he was still quite shaken, not only because I could feel his uneasiness through the bond we shared, but I could also see it in the way he restlessly paced around the room. It was only natural for him to feel that way though. Tonight's ceremony would forever change our lives, and he certainly didn't need another reason to worry. I could only imagine what was going on in his already complicated mind. Realizing he needed some space to organize his thoughts, I decided to leave him be. He came to sit beside me on the couch when he was ready, and I tried to comfort him as best as I could. My fingers ran through his auburn hair as he let his head fall on my shoulder. I loved having him close, but it pained me to see him in such a state, especially when he had just started to come into his own.

"I'm a f*****g freak, aren't I?" he finally broke the silence, and his words made my heart ache.

I immediately pulled him to look at me. "Of course not. You're amazing, Jasper. I thought you could finally see it."

"I thought so too, but then...this happens. I also haven't heard a word from Phoenix ever since he..." He sighed heavily, covering his face with his hands. "What if he's cursed? What if I'm cursed?"

"I find that hard to believe after watching him play with my little brothers." I smiled, hoping to take away some of his tension. "He's probably just...shocked. Like you are."

"Maybe. But it sucks that he's not helping me figure this s**t out." He massaged his temple in distress. "I kinda wish your mother would have canceled the coronation. That way, we wouldn't risk having me set the castle on fire."

"For someone so insecure, you sure do overestimate that new gift of yours." I chuckled. "During the challenge, all Phoenix did was burn Wade. He didn't blow up the arena, and even if he's able to, I doubt he would do it tonight." "You can't be sure of that."

"I'd just rather stay positive." I took his hand in mine, brushing my thumb on his skin. "I'll be with you the whole time. If it gets too much, or if you feel... I don't know, different, just let me know and we'll ditch the party. I promise." It was relieving to watch his expression turn lighter. "My mom is already on the case, but if it helps you feel more at ease, we can also try to do some research."

"Well, we have a royal library with lots of books. We can probably find one about magic, or even pyromancy. Though Mom should have them in her possession by now..." I remained thoughtful until an idea crossed my mind. "What about your old pack? Maybe they can help too."

He blinked a few times before standing up. "Good idea. They have a witch there who might know something." "It's worth a try."

My mate dialed his old Alpha's number as soon as he grabbed his phone. We had invited the ranked members of Diamond Tempest to the coronation, but sadly, they couldn't make it; with the recent birth of their heir, as well as the preparations for his presentation party, they had a lot in their hands. Thankfully, Alpha Lancaster wasn't too busy to pick up his phone.

Jasper was hesitant at first, probably unsure of where to start, but I could feel him relaxing the more he talked to his old friend. To my surprise, Lance immediately agreed to help, saying they would do some research as well and hopefully find a solution by the time we came to visit them. Even with everything going on in their lives, they didn't ask questions or tried to come up with excuses. The former Gamma wasn't even part of their pack anymore, but at that moment, I realized it didn't matter to them.

It made me understand just how serious Jasper was when he told me they were family.

After their short talk, my mate's mood was visibly lighter. His old Alpha didn't provide him with an immediate solution, but just his support seemed to be enough for my prince.

Since there was nothing else we could do for now, we decided to put the matter aside to focus on our important night. It was almost lunch time, and because we didn't have breakfast, we were fairly hungry. I ordered a special meal for us to eat inside, enjoying our final moments of peace and quiet before the ceremony.

Following our clan's tradition, I was supposed to have servants come to help me get ready, but it didn't feel right to leave my mate to prepare alone. Instead, I took my ceremonial bath, which had special salts to revitalize the skin, with him. I got dressed by myself, but in order not to ruin the surprise for him, I decided to do it behind the curtains of the elevated living area in the room.

The maids arrived at around 4PM, only to work on my hair and make up. Two hours later, they were done. As they carefully walked past the curtains to leave, I noticed my mate shyly pacing in front of them, eager to see me. Before I finally let him though, I took one last glance at my reflection in the small mirror of the dressing table to make sure I looked perfect.

A sigh of surprise broke through my lips as my eyes landed on the woman staring back at me. Was that really me? I looked incredibly powerful in the silvery-white lotus silk dress I had personally chosen for my coronation back when I was still fifteen. I had fantasized about the day I would wear it so many times, yet the details of the delicate, yet majestic piece still took my breath away.

The upper half of the gown had a triangular patch of crystal rhinestones that glistened in different spots as the light hit them. The rhinestones were also present in the second layer of the long skirt, which was visible through a slit in the center of the first layer. The fine diamond jewelry I was wearing added to the glamor. To complete the royal look, a royal mantle made with the same material and color of the dress, decorated with white faux-fur, hung from my shoulders, secured by a thick chain decorated with black onyxes. "Dree?" My mate's voice pulled me from my trance. "The ceremony begins in twenty minutes. Are you ready?"

I had to blink a few times, taking a deep breath before answering, "Yes. I'm coming out now."

The moment I pulled the curtains open, revealing myself, Jasper's jaw dropped. His pale blue eyes shone with admiration as they slowly scanned me from head to toe. For what felt like hours, he simply stood there, awestruck, taking in the sight before him. Still in a daze, he finally took a step forward. He reached out for my hand, lowering himself to plant a soft, long kiss on the back of it. I had lost count of how many times his lips had pressed against my skin, yet this time, the sparks of electricity that rushed up my arm and down my spine were more intense than ever.

"You look resplendent...My Queen." Hearing him address me by the title I longed to take made my head spin. In a wonderfully good way.

"Thank you, My King."

I brought my hand up to his cheek, caressing his light stubble with the back of my fingers. As we stood there in front of each other, I took the opportunity to take a good look at him. He was wearing the expensive, silver sequin satin suit with a black italian baroque pattern and black peak lapel that had been bought especially for tonight. It intentionally matched my outfit. Underneath it, he had a light-gray button-up shirt. A black tie, decorated with a pin of a diamond-encrusted canadian lynx, complemented his powerful regalia.

"I could say the same about you," I replied at last. A small smile lit up his face, but he failed to let out any words. Judging by the spark in his eyes, I realized he was too mesmerized to remember the world around us, or the event we had gotten dressed to attend. "Shall we?" I tilted my head to the side just a little. My question successfully brought him back to reality. "Yes. Of course." He cleared his throat before helping me down the single step.

Arm-in-arm, we marched towards the event hall in the south area of the castle. From the corner of my eye, I noticed his utter focus. He was attentive to his posture, his rhythmic stride, and even his breathing. It filled me with pride to see him fitting into his new role so well. We stopped in front of the double doors. He flashed me one last glance before we smiled and nodded reassuringly at each other, readying ourselves for the night of our lives.

The second we stepped into the ballroom, all eyes locked on us. If it wasn't for the music playing, there would be only silence as everyone acknowledged our presence. The one hundred plus guests didn't make me nervous; as a born princess, I couldn't possibly have stage-fright. Thankfully, my mate didn't seem hesitant either. Although he surely wasn't used to being the center of attention, he was probably accustomed to being surrounded by large crowds, especially considering his pack had a lot more members than Snow Pelt.

Together, we walked down the black carpet towards the center. Every lynx we passed by immediately dropped to their knees in respect. Not once did either of us look away from where we were headed to - the thrones.

Mom and Dad were already standing on the elevated stage, both dressed in their royal regalia. They greeted us with curt nods before gesturing for us to take our seats. I took a deep breath as I sat on the queen's throne. Looking at my people from here felt so... surreal. I could tell Jasper was thinking the same, though he masked his nervousness very well. I barely had time to get used to my surroundings when the music suddenly stopped. My mother's deep, firm voice soon followed. "Dear members of Snow Pelt Clan, we are gathered here tonight for the coronation of your future queen and king." She made a brief pause, holding her hands in front of her body. "For two decades, I have served you, always striving to offer you the best life. With great pleasure, I now step down from my post to trust my daughter with this honorable responsibility."

My mother glanced at me for a brief second before turning to my father, giving him a silent command. She then gracefully walked around me until she was standing behind my throne, while Dad did the same with Jasper. I had been preparing for this very moment for my entire life, yet my stomach still turned as the queen removed the delicate diamond white gold crown from her head to place it on mine. I swear I could feel the weight of my new duties on my shoulder, but it didn't put me down at all - it actually felt liberating.

"Long live, my daughter," Mom whispered. If I didn't know her well, I would have thought I heard a hint of love in her words. She faced the crowd again, raising her voice to deliver one final command, "Snow Pelt, rejoice!"

"Long live Queen Andromeda!" They all cheered, making my heart race with joy.

Without another word, my parents stepped down from the stage. It was on me now to proceed with the ceremony, but I wasn't scared; I knew exactly what to do. I rose from my throne to stand in front of my mate, who was still in his seat, wearing my father's crown. I looked down at him and waited for him to nod.

Without hesitation, he held his hand out to me. Genevra lent me her strength for a moment, and I let her black claws break through my skin. Stretching my mate's palm, I dug one of my sharp claws into his skin to draw an ancient rune on it. He took the pain, and by the time I was finished, his eyes clouded over, indicating that the ritual to officially link him to our clan had worked.

"Members of Snow Pelt, it is with great honor that I present to you my mate and your new king, Jasper Stray!" I announced, and he immediately stood by my side.

"Long live King Jasper!" The crowd sang again.

I couldn't resist the urge to flash my mate a small smile before proceeding. "Tonight, I would also like to proclaim Adriana Knight as my right hand!" The guests applauded as my best friend joined me on stage. "And of course, I would also like to formally introduce you to the backbone of our clan, our Huntresses!" All eight women stood side-by-side right in front of the stage, as I proceeded to call out her names, followed by her titles. Once I was done, my eyes scanned through the crowd as I tried to look at each and everyone of them. "Thank you all for your presence and patience. Without further ado, let's feast!"

The lynxes cheered one last time as I stepped down from the stage with my mate, our fingers intertwined. He was still shaking a little - or was that me? Damn, even with all my training, it was hard to keep my emotions at bay. Thankfully, once everyone returned to the party, they didn't pay a lot of attention to us anymore. Since there weren't so many eyes on us, we quickly exchanged smiles.

"That crown looks really fitting on you," I broke the silence as I straightened my head to look forward.

"Good to know. It's heavy as s**t," he said playfully, almost causing me to choke as I tried to hold in my laughter.

"It's the weight of your new responsibilities, my King," I joked, unable to keep a straight face.

"You don't seem too affected by it. Are you happy, my Queen?"

"More than I've ever been," I replied sincerely. "I finally have everything I ever wanted - my title, and..." I looked straight into his eyes as we stopped by the buffet table. "You, my King."

He blinked a few times, overwhelmed with emotion, before a serene smile spread over his lips. Then, his attention fell back on the table, and he fetched us two glasses of champagne. "Long live, my Queen."

"Long live us," I corrected.

We cheered, but as we were about to take our first sip, someone interrupted us. "King Jasper! Congratulations on fully taking your title!"

My mate turned around to find my step-sister standing behind him with a huge plastic grin on her face. I could tell she was about to throw herself into his arms, and I was ready to step between them to shove her away. But before I could, Jasper did something I truly wasn't expecting. He immediately stretched his hand out to her, causing her smile to fade.

"Thank you, Mackenzie." He smirked. The girl's gaze shifted between his eyes and his hand, confusion written all over her face. Soon enough, it turned into rejection as she took his hand, her eyes immediately landing on my mark showing from under the sleeve of his suit jacket. All she did was force a baffled smile, hurriedly excusing herself.

"My Queen. My King. How are you enjoying your ceremony?" Adriana approached us before I could even laugh about how my mate shut down my audacious sister.

"Siblings are a pain in the a*s," was all I could say, rolling my eyes.

"Tell me about it." My best friend mimicked the gesture as she grabbed herself a glass of champagne.

"At least Tigger seems to be behaving tonight. He has been keeping his distance from me," Jasper chimed in.

The confused expression on Adriana's face was priceless. "Ti- You mean my brother?" Without denying or confirming, my mate silently took a sip of his drink. The woman burst out laughing. "You're gonna be one hell of a king, I can already tell. "Thank you, Adriana," he replied playfully.

"Should we go join the other huntresses?" She asked.

"Sure. Go ahead, we'll be right behind you." My right hand winked at me before disappearing into the crowd, leaving me to enjoy a few more minutes alone with my mate.

Our eyes met yet again, and for a good few seconds, we just stared at each other in silence. I took his hand once more, as if it would help me read his emotions. In a way, it did; being in contact with him strengthened our bond, making it easier for me to feel what he was feeling. His nervousness and excitement were the same as mine, but I could also sense his hesitancy, his uncertainty, his concern. My lips parted to let out a sigh.

"This has always been my dream." I looked around me at the party before locking my eyes on him again. "But I know it wasn't yours. Are you alright?"

He looked away for a brief moment, running his hand through his hair. "It's been hectic lately. I still don't know who or what I am, and I'm honestly scared of what the future holds, but..." He took a deep breath. When his gaze landed on me, the sincerity in them took my breath away. "But like you said, everything will be fine as long as we're together. You are my world, Andromeda. I know there's nothing I can't do if I have you by my side."