The sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky on that cold Alaska morning. Aidan led me to a beautiful, open meadow in a clearing nestled deep inside the woods. The snow had fallen the night before, leaving a thick, powdery blanket across the land. The air smelled of pine needles, and I could see my breath when I exhaled. I had flowers in my hair wrapped in ice buds from the trees; they formed a beautiful crown that sat atop my long, loose waves.

I’d insisted on wearing white. It wasn’t shifter custom, but it was the last vestige I had of my human traditions. I wore a long ivory velvet coat, lined with thick wool and a sheep sheared collar. Around my neck, I had a silky white scarf that contrasted with my dark flowing hair. My lips were red from the chill, and my cheeks were flushed. There was no music. Only a small crowd had gathered in the forest to witness the ceremony. This wasn’t how I pictured my wedding, or my mating, but it felt right.

My boss, Percy, was the only human there besides myself. He looked out of place amongst the shifters, but he was the closest thing to family I had. The rest of the crowd was mostly populated with wolf shifters from Aidan’s pack. They were easy to spot. Dark hair, gray, blue, or yellow eyes, and long, lean musculature. At six foot two, Aidan was the tallest of the bunch.

The bear shifters were larger – small giants among us. The men were easily seven feet tall, and wide. Some of the bear shifters were in hibernation, I was told. It was their choice whether to keep that ritual, and for many, the long cold winter was the perfect reason to bundle up and stay indoors until the first thaw.

After a moment, the crowd started humming a low tune they all seemed to know. I walked towards Aidan, who was standing next to the high priest. The high priest was an old man, wizened, with deep crevices lining his leathery cheeks. He might have been five thousand years old for all I knew.

He said nothing, simply nodded, and motioned us to walk forward, until we were out of the sight of the crowd. I looked back at those who had gathered and saw that they had fallen out of our view. We were alone in the woods now. Ahead of us was a small clearing leading to an enormous oak tree with a canopy of icy leaves. Despite it being winter, the leaves hadn’t shed from the tree. Next to the massive oak was a small chapel made entirely of ice. It glistened in the fading sunlight and took my breath away.

“What do you think?” Aidan whispered.

“It’s perfect.”

The high priest led us to an altar in the center of the ice temple. He placed my arms around Aidan’s body and Aidan’s arms around my waist. Aidan pulled me in tightly towards his chest, until there was nothing separating our two bodies. I could feel his heart beating quickly against my breast. He was just as nervous as I was.

The high priest took a golden chalice and a long, sharp hunting knife from his cloak. He set them both before us upon the altar. Then, he started chanting something in a language I didn’t recognize. I gazed up at Aidan. He seemed to understand what the man was saying.

When he was finished with his song, the priest closed his eyes, and placed the chalice in front of us. The area around us was so silent, I heard the rush of the wind outside the ice walls.

“Of one body, you shall become. Of one blood, you shall remain.”

The priest gazed down at our arms. He pulled them forth, and laid them across each other in a cross formation. My pale skin contrasted boldly against Aidan’s natural olive tones. The priest took the blade and ran it down Aidan’s arm first. He pricked the skin, and Aidan’s blood spilled out onto the white snow floor below us. Aidan winced in pain, but remained strong.

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” He kissed my forehead gently.

“It is,” I said steadily. “I’ve never been so sure of anything before in my life.”

“You’ll be okay. I’ll be right by your side.”

I laid my arm across Aidan’s and closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain I knew was coming. The priest sliced my wrist lengthwise. The knife’s blade was so hot, it burned my skin. Immediately, blood spurted from my open vein. The pain was intense, as my blood flowed out rapidly. Aidan held me firmly as the priest pressed our two arms together and bound them tightly with a long silk tie. The fabric turned from lily white to deep crimson as our blood mixed together as one.

I rested my head on Aidan’s shoulder, already feeling woozy from the loss of blood. The wind smelled like metal and seared flesh from the heat of the bowie knife. As our arms pressed together, and our blood mixed, I felt a subtle change overtake my body.

Aidan leaned in close for a kiss, and an electric surge pulsed through my core. My body shook as my skin burned from the inside out. My breath escaped from my lungs, and I panted, trying to suck in the air around me. My heart pumped quickly inside my chest, racing past my ear-drums at a deafening pace. And then…I blacked out. The world around me became dark, and I heard nothing but screaming voices.