The Silver Guardian Bk. 01 Ch. 09

A huge thank you to my editor Tex Beethoven for another amazing job and collaboration, thank you Tex you rock!!

Book 1

Chapter 9

While everyone headed back to the compound there was excitement in the air about the party.

About 50 yards into the mile-long Green that began directly across the road from the Manor House, had been assembled a medium sized stage, and a huge bonfire about 25 yards further in. Unmanned tables containing snacks and buckets of drinks had been set up all around the clearing for everyone to enjoy refreshments and the party atmosphere. On the stage were a few microphones, several speakers, a drum kit and several other musical instruments: guitars of different sorts and a tenor sax.

Lily and Dante had decided to slip up to their suite and change before attending the festivities. Dante had changed into his normal look of a tight black t-shirt with tan cargo pants and his military boots, while Lily had changed into an attractive red halter dress that looked fantastic on her, but would keep her chest contained and well supported while she danced and celebrated with her mate and her Pack.

Dante had spoken with Odin earlier in the afternoon and had set something up for tonight as a surprise for Lily and the rest of the Pack. As Dante and Lily stepped back outside, they saw Alpha Odin and Madame Alpha Victoria up onstage addressing the Pack, getting ready to kick off the party. Dante took Lily's hand and guided her up onto the stage with him as she followed with a puzzled expression.

Once they arrived, Alpha Odin handed the microphone over to Dante so he could say a few words. Dante grinned, looking sideways at Lily as he spoke into the microphone, excited to surprise his mate.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight and celebrating with us! I have a surprise for everyone to thank you for welcoming me into the Pack, and for celebrating Lily's and my mating.

"Music has been my bastion since I was young. It has spoken to me and soothed my soul throughout my life, helping me through hard times and always remaining a passion of mine. Tonight a few of our Pack members have agreed to join me in an impromptu mini concert, and I'd like to entertain you all, as well as surprise my mate with some live music!"

The crowd cheered, excited for the music to begin, while several people climbed onstage, preparing to play.

Lily was open-mouthed and shocked, not expecting this at all! Dante stepped aside to strap on his old acoustic guitar that he had secretly handed off to Odin earlier in the afternoon in preparation, before walking back downstage to Lily.

"Baby, I want you to stay onstage for at least the first two songs for me: I want to sing those songs to you directly. Can you do that for me?"

Lily was overwhelmed with emotion: nobody had ever done something like this for her before and it was so romantic and special, that tears threatened to spill down her face. Nevertheless she smiled a smile that lit up the night, nodding her head in agreement.

Dante stepped up to the microphone and spoke to the Pack, "I spent the first 25 years of my life alone; I never had any close friends and never a sweetheart, and no place to call home until I met Lily, and all by herself she transformed my life. These first two songs are for her, and I hope you enjoy them too! We're starting tonight off with a song by Dierks Bentley called 'Long Trip Alone'."

Dante glanced at the other musicians, then started playing the guitar and began the song. His voice poured out rich with feeling, and a rich tone like a cross between Haggard and Nelson as he started to sing...

'It's a long trip alone over sand and stone

That lie along the road that we all must travel down

So maybe you could walk with me a while

And maybe I could rest beneath your smile

Everybody stumbles sometimes and needs a hand to hold

'Cause it's a long trip alone

It's a short piece of time but just enough to find

A little piece of mind under the sun somewhere

So maybe you could walk with me a while

And maybe I could rest beneath your smile

You know we can't afford to let one moment pass us by

'Cause it's a short piece of time

And I don't know where I'd be without you here

'Cause I'm not really me without you there

Yeah, yeah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, oh

So maybe you could walk with me a while

Maybe I could rest beneath your smile

Everybody stumbles sometimes and needs a hand to hold

So maybe you could walk with me a while

Maybe I could rest beneath your smile

Maybe I could feel right beside you till I'm home

'Cause it's a long trip alone, a long trip alone'

Lily had never been overly emotional or cried much before she'd met Dante, but lately it seemed she couldn't help herself, as he was continually doing things that made her heart melt and her soul cry out in joy and love! As she gazed back into her Dante's earnest face and listened to her mate romancing her in front of the entire Pack and professing his love for her, she couldn't keep tears from running down her face even as they maintained eye contact and her smile lit up the night sky. As Dante finished the song, a roar went up through the crowd as clapping and whistling and the ubiquitous wolf-like yips and howls rang out. Dante swung the guitar to his back as Lily wrapped herself around him and mashed her mouth against his, kissing him long and hard, showing him how much she loved him and appreciated his singing to her!

Lily unwrapped herself from Dante and stepped back to allow him to begin the second song. Dante once again addressed the Pack, "I don't normally play two of the same artist's songs back to back, but this one fits so perfectly I don't really have a choice, and this song is also for my mate, expressing how she makes me feel after our ceremony tonight! Here is 'Black', once again by Dierks Bentley!"

'The moon outside

Too bright, those blinds, yeah let's just keep them closed

You know, my hands they know where to go, to find your fingertips

Trace them back to your lips, take you on a trip, flip that switch

Make my world go black, hit me like a heart attack, knock me flat on my back, yeah

Just keep doing that, that thing you're doing there, brush me with your hair, I swear

I don't know how long that I can last

Make my world go blackkkkk, blackkkkkk

Make my world go blackkkkk, blackkkkkk

Like your dress on the floor, yeah, the one you don't need anymore,

Black like the sky with no stars, just find me and fall into my arms

And make my world go black, hit me like a heart attack, knock me flat on my back, yeah

Just keep doing that, that thing you're doing there, brush me with your hair, I swear

I don't know how long that I can last

Make my world go black

Make my world go blackkkk

I don't wanna see a thing, baby I just wanna feel your touch, feel your rush

I don't wanna see a thing, I just wanna feel your loveeeee

Make my world go black, hit me like a heart attack, knock me flat on my back, yeah

Just keep doing that, that thing you're doing there, brush me with your hair, I swear

I don't know how long that I can last

Make my world go black, black

Make my world go black

Make my world go black

I don't wanna see a thing

I just wanna feel your touch, feel your rush

Black

Blackkkkk'

***

As Lily listened to Dante seduce and make love to her again, this time with his words and his deep rich voice, she shivered at the heat and passion running through her. She felt like she was melting into a puddle. As an actual puddle began pooling in her panties and her core heated up, and the slick lips of her sex rubbed back and forth against each other, she swayed and moved to the music onstage, her eyes closed, dancing just for Dante in front of everyone, as he played and sang just for her.

When he finished Lily, feeling quite worked up, walked up again to Dante, now with a sensual sway to her hips. She cupped her lover's face in her palms and leaned in, kissing his neck, running her tongue up until she was within range to gently bite his ear, making him groan.

Just as they had lost themselves in each other earlier, when they had mated together both as humans and as wolves, oblivious to the crowd observing them, so again did the crowd fade from their awareness. She raised her face and kissed his lips deeply, feeling his tongue take control of hers as she showed her love for him without a care for anyone else in the world.

She broke the kiss and looked into his eyes and spoke, her melodic voice just loud enough for him alone, "That was the sexiest, most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me! I'm yours forever! I know we made amazing love not long ago, but I'm so worked up right now that I can promise that you won't be getting any sleep tonight, as I show you just what you mean to me, my mate!" Dante grinned in anticipation at the promise, his member thickening in his pants as he gave up silent thanks that his cargo pants were somewhat loose and heavy, partially hiding his thick erection.

As they backed away from each other for now, they each realized that the cheering of the Pack had continued long and loud after the song and during their romantic spectacle, and still didn't let up for a little while longer.

Alpha Odin and Madame Alpha Victoria climbed upstairs onto the stage once again, each carrying a small box.

Dante stepped back from the microphone as Odin waved his mate Victoria forward to address the Pack this time. Both she and Odin had huge proud smiles on their faces.

Victoria spoke into the microphone, "It's traditional for the parents of a newly mated pair to present the couple with a mating gift. As we all know, Dante doesn't have any parents since he's an orphan, so my mate and I are stepping up as his new parents and we wish to present both him and Lily their gifts. Dante and Lily, please come forward."

In accordance with the gestures they received, Dante approached Victoria and Lily walked up to her Father.

Victoria opened her box to show Dante a beautiful, thick, rope chain made of platinum with a thick, curved shield suspended from the center. It was engraved with an elegant line drawing of Lily in her beautiful, slender and lithe wolf form, with two larger lilies, flowers, engraved on either side of the wolf.

Dante reached out and reverently ran his fingertips across it, speechless with awe. It was so beautiful and so perfect!

Odin had opened the box he was holding to show Lily her mating necklace. It was a more delicate version of Dante's necklace, but still a wonderful match. Hers had a great howling wolf engraved on it, chest outthrust and muzzle raised high, with copies of the symbol that had appeared on Dante's chest just last night on each side of the central figure. Lily's emotions played across her face as her Father took it from the box and handed it to her.

Victoria removed Dante's necklace from the box and handed it to him, hugging him as she whispered in his ear, "Go to her, and congratulations again on finding each other! I love you, my son!"

Unsuccessfully Dante tried to keep his emotions in check, since now at long last he had a home and a family and a mate to cherish, and he needed to force his words through sobs as he replied hoarsely to Victoria, "Thank you, Mom, I love you too, and I'll always protect my new family, including you and Dad."

Dante gently, reverently kissed his Mother's cheek, then walked over to Lily as she turned to him. Still overcome by emotion he held his mating necklace out to her, silently asking her to fasten it around his neck. She nodded and took it from his hands as he bent down, allowing her to place it around his thick, muscular neck. She secured it and kissed him once again.

Dante then straightened up and received her necklace from her hands and she held her luxuriant hair away from her neck, allowing Dante to fasten her necklace around her neck as he returned the gesture and briefly kissed her as well.

Odin and Victoria explained to everyone that they had given rush orders to one of the Pack members who was a jeweler, and that they were long enough not to require removal before shifting, and could stay on without issue.

Dante had gotten himself under control by the time Lily and her parents walked off the stage and into the crowd, and he spoke with the band, planning the set they would play that night. Being lead guitar and vocals, it was up to Dante to introduce the band and each song they would play, although he had to ask most of them their names, since they'd never played with him before, and he'd only met a few of them earlier that day.

Setting down his acoustic and picking up an electric guitar, Dante spoke into the mic, "I listen mostly to country, and rock and roll, so tonight will be a mix of some faster and slower stuff all over the board to give y'all a taste of everything! We're going to start things off with a song called 'Nothing to Lose' by a band called Operator!"

The band started, and Dante led in on the guitar to the hard-driving song, with the Pack cheering and going wild, dancing and having a great time! They finished that song and moved into Eric Church's 'Jack Daniels' for a fun song that many could relate to and laugh and sing along with, although he sounded more like Willy Nelson than Eric. He moved into Everlast's 'Put Your Lights On' which was a huge hit as his deep, rich and velvety voice delivered the moody song, perfectly matching his style.

They took a five-minute break to grab a drink and catch their breath, then returned with a classic rock song from a smaller band called Firefall with 'Livin' Ain't Livin', which everyone loved and sang along with the chorus. They moved next into another Eric Church song that was a bit slower, 'Like a Wrecking Ball', which many of the mates and wolves in the crowd grinned and cheered at, thinking of their own times when they'd felt and acted like the lyrics in the song. Dante had decided to do a small set with some classics and slower songs that he thought would be enjoyed. 'Dear God' by Avenged Sevenfold was well received as the Pack loved the fusion of rock and country, then they moved into Hozeir's 'Take Me to Church', which Dante belted out powerfully, his deep melodic voice reverberating through the crowd as they felt the music and emotion of the song.

He paused before starting into a darker and deeper version of Simon and Garfunkel's 'Sound of Silence' that was extremely powerful and was one of the favorites of the night!

The band finally wrapped up the concert with a classic, 'Simple Man' as made famous by Lynyrd Skynyrd, that the entire Pack sang with the band. The applause and cheering and howling was long and loud and lasted for several minutes, and the Pack couldn't remember a night that was so much fun and such a great celebration as they demanded at least one more song!

Dante picked his guitar up one more time and decided to show off just a bit to Lily and treat the Pack to wrap up the concert on a high note. He walked to the very edge of the stage and with a big ol' shit eatin' grin he announced he was going to try something fun for everyone. Throughout the concert he had been switching between his two guitars, one electric and the other acoustic, both of which he had owned for years. He'd picked up his electric guitar this time and as he opened the song, his guitar screamed out the chords that he was shredding out as Van Halen's guitar solo 'Eruption' poured out of the speakers! As one of what was considered the greatest guitar solos finished, he segued into 'Ain't Talkin' Bout Love' for a scorching finish!

***

As the concert wound down, the Pack was still partying hard and everyone had loved the music and had a great time.

A quiet, unmentioned undercurrent throughout had been the fact that, aroused by witnessing Dante and Lily's explosive mating ceremony, a constant trickle of couples, mated or unmated, had drifted off into the woods throughout the evening for various periods of time, and even while part of the crowd, had often exchanged loving and intimate touches.

Multiple people had come up to Dante, going on about how blown away they were by his guitar ability and how great his voice sounded. He was a little embarrassed as he'd always worked to stay out of the spotlight before, and wasn't used to all the praise.

In less than a week he had changed dramatically from the lonely and quiet young man who kept his pain wrapped around himself like armor. Finding Lily and discovering his love for her and hers for him, finding the Pack and his new parents and finally having a home and a place to belong had opened him up and changed him so much!

Lily loved seeing him grow right before her eyes! Dante hadn't been able to take his eyes off her while he was playing, watching her dance in front of the stage, looking up at him and showing him how much she loved the music he was singing and playing.

He was on cloud nine as he left the stage to join his mate in the clearing to socialize and mingle with the Pack... with his Pack... with Lily at his side. He still didn't know more than a small handful of people very well, and Lily helped smooth over the slight awkwardness that would sometimes come up.

After the band had cleared off the stage, someone had taken over DJ duties and began playing more music, so everyone could continue dancing and having a great time.

As they wandered around, Lily and Dante encountered Ben and his mate Sara and they chatted for a while. Sara had a wicked sense of humor and complemented Ben perfectly. They were a lot of fun, and the two couples swapped for a dance, with Dante dancing with Sara and Lily dancing with Ben. A short time later they found Odin and Victoria and traded off for a little Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dancing as well. Dante was surprised by how closely Victoria held him as they danced together. She was noticeably sensual and even a bit flirty with her son in law, although not blatantly sexual. Lycans seemed to be noticeably closer to nature than most of their human counterparts!

They enjoyed the party for a while longer, mainly mingling and chatting, when a sultry song came on with a deep driving bass beat, that Lily wanted to dance to with Dante. She stepped in close, very close, and started swaying to the music, pressing against him as Dante mirrored her body movements. He could feel her breasts and lower body moving against him, and he loved the sexy, naughty look in her eye and the tantalizing motions of her hot body against his. She turned around and she wrapped his arms around her, placing one hand low on her abdomen just above her mound, and the other onto a breast, holding his hand against the large swell of her breast in his hand and pressing the hard pebble of her nipple into his palm as she ground her ass into his hard cock, making him grit his teeth and growl lustily into her ear. His hands were now taking charge, squeezing and caressing her body, stoking the fire in her loins, sending dirty and raunchy thoughts running through her mind about what she wanted him to do to her.

She turned back around and captured his lips, slipping her tongue into his mouth and deepening the kiss. Covertly, so no one else could quite tell what was happening unless they looked closely, she took control of his hand and slipped it under her skirt, running his fingers up the inside of her thigh until she was pressing them into the hot wet fabric of her panties covering her sex. As she felt his fingers stroking her silk-covered lips, she ground against him wanting more, so he slipped his fingers inside the silk and stroked her pussy directly, slickening his fingers in her warm juices. He pushed his large forefinger deep inside her as he crushed her to his chest and kissed her, synchronizing his tongue with the probing of his finger. He could feel the hot wet vise of her pussy suck his finger in, and her entire sheath squeezing and rippling around his invasive digit.