Next to the Scopan Lake Alpha, the Luna gasps. The Beta locks my gaze, hate and disdain pouring from his eyes. No doubt he thinks I put my sister up to this. Only the Alpha keeps an even face.

"Considering you are a female, I'll give you one chance to repudiate your words and walk away."

Cassum raises her head. Even though I can't see her face, I don't have the slightest doubt that she is smiling. "I'm prepared to fight to my death. The challenge stands."

"So be it. Trials will start tomorrow and any Alpha-born of this pack can accept to fight you or forfeit his birthright." His gaze flicks to me. "As to your companions, they can stay on the territory until after the Trials without making their presence a declaration of war. However, the packhouse and settlement are off limits." He smiles with teeth. "Not that I'm trying to be inhospitable, but we simply don't have the space."

I expected that much. No respectable Alpha invites his archenemy into his home. My fighters will sleep in their wolf form and Cassum mentioned a comfortable cabin in the woods that will do for me and Raelyn.

When I reach for Raelyn's arm, the Luna steps forward. "She is my son's mate and will rejoin our pack."

Over my dead body. "She's under my protection."

"Then where is the pack tattoo that makes her a member of your pack?"

Fuck, we never got around to it. I gaze at Raelyn with a quirked brow. War might be inevitable under the circumstance.

Raelyn rests her hand on my biceps, taking some of the charge out of the air. "It's fine. I can handle them."

"But they'll—"

"Let it go. For Cassum."

I roll my eyes. Everyone expects me to do a hell of a lot of groveling for my sister. When this is over, she'll owe me enough favors to last a lifetime.

"Well, if you are sure."

"I am." She walks to the back of the SUV and opens the trunk. Pulling out her duffel, she turns toward the packhouse.

Dante jumps in her way. "Let me get that for you."

When his fingers stroke mighty close to Raelyn's breast in an attempt to snatch the bag out of her hand, my wolf rumbles in my chest. Only her pleading eyes stop me from leaping for his throat.

"Give me twenty-four hours and your stench will be out of her system." Dante's words are so low that his lips are barely moving. "By next week, she will have forgotten about you."

Man, he won't survive another twenty-four hours. Hasn't he seen the muscles on my sister? Next to her, he looks like a wimp.

"We'll see about that."

He flings his arm around Raelyn's shoulders and they move toward the house. Without exception, the females of the pack take a knee to welcome home their future Luna. This pack is seriously delusional if they don't realize that their whole world is about to change.

"Where to now, Alpha?" Nicollo asks.

"Cassum mentioned a cabin in the woods."

"I know where it is." Andrenior snatches the keys out of my Beta's hand.

I stare at him. "Seriously? Do you even know how to drive?"

"I lived a hundred and seven years. That's plenty of time to pick up a few useful skills."

That doesn't exactly answer my question.

Rikka opens the backdoor of the other SUV. "Come on, Nicollo. You can ride with me."

"Be careful," I mouth.

My Beta laughs is off and endures one of her flirtatious giggles as he slides into the car.

I glare at the packhouse; my gut tells me I shouldn't leave Raelyn. The roar of an engine tears me out of my daze. If I don't want to be left behind, I'd better get a move on it.

As the SUV rolls down a small path along the lake, I strain my neck to catch one last look at the packhouse. It lies peacefully in the mid-afternoon sun, the snow on the roof glistening in an array of rainbow colors. Unease prickles under my scalp; it's as if the Trials aren't the only challenge my family will face.

~~~~

With the image of Raelyn next to Dante in the bed boiling my blood, I barely close an eye all night. I get up at the crack of dawn to go hunting with a few of my fighters. We manage to ambush a herd of deer, and with our stomachs filled to the brim, we set off to witness the Trials.

The whole Scopan Lake pack is gathered on the large clearing behind the packhouse. Glares are upon us as Nicollo, the two warlocks, and I make our way to the wooded area on the other side of the field. My fighters are scattered between the trees, keeping my back clear. I scan the crowd for Raelyn. She finally appears with the Luna, wearing a hideous long dress that looks like something my granny would've liked. At least the boots look sturdy. After a rapid word exchange, she jogs over to us.

"Can't stay long, but I convinced Harla that I should check on you to ensure you have everything you need."

I sniff the air around her. A slight hint of Dante's scent sticks to her, but it's not as bad as expected. Her mate mark is swollen and red.

"I didn't share a bed with him."

My heart jumps in relief. "How are they treating you?"

"Really odd. Everyone pretends as if nothing happened. They made a big fuss over how I got my tongue back, and the Alpha asked me a bunch of questions about the warlocks, but otherwise, it was as if I never left. The Luna even brought all my things down from the attic and helped me put them back into the closet. I think they honestly believe Dante will win the Trials and I'll stay with him."

One word: delusional. "I hated being apart from you."

"You do look a little tired." She rummages through the pockets of that awful dress. "Here, can you keep this for me? I don't want them to find it."

She sets a necklace with a moon pendant on the palm of my outstretched hand, but before I can pocket it, Andrenior grabs it.

"Where did you get this?"

"It was a present from my grandma."

When she tries to snag it, Andrenior holds it out of her reach. "Rikka, come and look at this."

The warlock strolls over and takes the offered necklace. She runs her fingers over the symbols carved into the crescent moon and rubs the center clean with her thumb. "The signs carved into the moon represent the five powers of the Sentinels and the stone looks like it could be one of the sacred ones."

"She said her grandma gave it to her as a gift."

Raelyn twitches under Rikka's incredulous stare. "Well, technically, my mother gave it to me on the day of my claiming ceremony with Dante, but she said my grandma had it made for me when I was born."

"Then your mother lied to you. This necklace is thousands of years old and likely belongs to one of the Sentinels. I'm afraid I can't give it back."

I'm not gonna have her steal Raelyn's only possession from under her nose. With one swift move, I twist Rikka's arm onto her back, pulling upward until she releases the jewelry. With a triumphant grin, I step back. "I'll hold on to this until we can determine proper ownership."

Rikka's glare shoots daggers my way and she raises her hands to her side. I get ready to shift, fully intending to put up a good fight. The witch is getting on my last nerve; I won't let her intimidate me with her threats.

Before she can pull one of her golden spear stunts on me, Andrenior steps between us. "Not here and now. I think Kendrick is right, we need to investigate this further." He turns to Raelyn. "Where is your mother now?"

"Her pack borders with this territory in the South."

"Then lets go and visit her."

I snort. "Now? Fuck, no. The Trials are about to start. I can't leave Cassum."

"We don't need you. Raelyn, Rikka, and I will be fine on our own."

I bare my teeth. Time to put my foot down. "We can go once the Trials are over. I'm sure a few days won't make a difference."

He crunches his brows, his eyes measuring me up. I have no idea what skills he possesses in an attack. Facing a certain element of surprise isn't the best position to be in, especially on enemy's territory. Best to take some of the tension out of the air. "Look, you said you wanted to be by Cassum's side throughout the Trials. Are you going back on your word after she saved your life?"

With an overdramatic eyeroll, he puffs his cheeks. "I guess we can visit Raelyn's mother after this is over."

I can't hide a grin. Sometimes, manipulation is so much easier than brute force.

Raelyn gets on her tiptoes to peck me on the cheek. It draws the attention of hundreds of hostile eyes on us. Dante's glare is so vile, the anger practically steams from his ears and nose. I relish the attention. Raelyn belongs to me.

"Please, just hold on to the necklace," she mumbles against my skin. "And watch out. I don't trust the warlocks, especially Rikka."

"Don't worry. I'll keep a close eye on them."

She spins on her heel and heads back to the group of Scopan Lake females. A few snapped words from the Luna divert her gaze to the ground. My wolf grumbles. He doesn't like the situation.

Cassum walks onto the clearing with the other Alpha-born and after a quick bow at the Luna, she steers right toward me.

"How are you feeling?"

She smiles. "Terrific."

"What happened last night?"

"Not much. We had a pack dinner where everyone pretty much ignored me. They were all cooing over Raelyn as if she were the long-lost daughter, returning to her pack, and not an outcast they tried to kill. A few times, Dante almost started to argue with her, but the Luna kept him in check. Everyone is on edge. They know the Trials will be tough."

"No concerns from your end?"

Her gaze rests on her two opponents. "If this goes south for any reason, don't underestimate the Beta. He's too powerful for his own good. You killed his son, and he swore he'll take revenge, so make sure you'll watch your back."

I search the crowd until I find the Scopan Lake Beta, standing tall next to a woman with disheveled grayish hair. "What's his name?"

"Lance Ward." Cassum points to a girl who sits on a tree stump a little away from the others. Her shoulders are slumped and she looks absolutely miserable. Her right leg ends in a stump. Everyone ignores her with so much purpose that it appears she's being shunned. "That's Savannah. They cut off her foot as punishment for running away with her true mate after she refused to mate with the Beta's son you killed. Whatever you do, don't leave her behind. She doesn't deserve this life."

"Hey, you sound like you're gonna lose."

"You never know." Her lips twist to a grimace as if she's about to hurl. "I'm not worried about Jos or Dante, but the Alpha. . . He might be hard to beat."

I rub her shoulders in a rotating motion to loosen the tense muscles in her neck. "You're not only in your prime but also well trained and mentally prepared. It's natural to be nervous but don't let that distract you. None of these opponents have anything on you."

"Were you nervous in our Trials?"

"Hell yeah."

"Well, it didn't show. You were so intimidating. And when you tore into Loyal, I knew I didn't stand a chance. Walking away was the only thing to do."

Her words fill my mouth with sour acid. Cassum is lucky; she'll fight wolves who mean nothing to her to step into the Alpha role. I had to kill members of my own family. That was hard and left some deep scars.

When the Scopan Lake Alpha walks up, silence settles over the clearing. His gaze travels over the gathered pack, stopping on his sons. Turning, he glares at my sister. His eyes hold so much resentment that I instinctively take a step closer to her in my natural need to protect a weaker member of my pack. My wolf smiles with teeth, my claws extended. If he shows any sign of aggression, it will difficult to control my nature.

"Cassum Raynes has rightfully called for Trials and challenged the leadership of this pack." His voice is steady and carries easily across the clearing. "As the first task, all three candidates will hunt to prove that they can provide for this pack. Go now."

Cassum, Dante, and the other Alpha-born shift and dive into the woods. This is an easy test for my sister. No doubt she will return with the largest prey to pull ahead in the Trials.

I settle in the snow. As participant, this part of the Trials had been thrilling since it gave me a chance to show off my hunting skills. I had caught a small bear all by myself. Even Cassum beat Loyal when she returned with a moose.

The wait turns into a nerve-wracking exercise. I can't stop looking at Raelyn who sits next to the Luna, straight as a stick. Her necklace seems to burn a hole into my pocket. Why did her mother give it to her? And how did her mom get it in the first place? I can't shake the feeling that all the crap about Raelyn's dark aura and repelling magic is connected to this. Hell, she could be one of those hybrid pups Andrenior told me about. What do I do then? Taking her back home could endanger the pack but abandoning her is out of the question.

With a sigh, I stare up at the sky. Why are things so complicated lately? This used to be the time of year to relax before moving out to conquer new territories. Now, it has all gone to shit with this constant stress.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I watch Dante reenter the clearing. The buck he killed has a nice size but is far from extraordinary. His brother joins him just moments later with a slightly bigger elk. Now let's see what Cassum got?

She doesn't disappoint me when she drags a big moose into the clearing. Her face is smudged with blood from the kill, her eyes sparkling. She is so high on adrenaline that her blood must sizzle under her skin.

It only takes a moment for the Alpha to declare the winner. "Cassum Raynes will be allowed to choose whom of my sons she'll challenge first."

My sister's gaze flicks from Dante to his brother. Always take on the stronger opponent first. It's a rule I rammed down her throat for the past four months.

"I'll take Jos."

The other Alpha-born looks sturdier with more solid muscle tissue than Dante. Good choice.

Cassum shifts and bares her fangs. She's ready to taste blood. Only one wolf will walk out of this fight alive.

Raelyn leans forward on the tree stump. Her teeth tear into her lip. My chest tightens. I don't like the way she looks at Jos. Memories from the night of her kidnapping come flooding back. She showed him mercy then, and he had been more reluctant than the others to kill her.

"Your instincts are correct, Alpha. There's history between them."

I stare at Andrenior with narrow eyes. "How do you know?"

"I saw them. One afternoon, when I returned to the cabin where we were staying, they were there. I had forgotten to cloak the cabin and they were making out on the porch. It was apparent they were about to go all the way. Jos tried to attack me, but his skills were a joke. He's nothing but a rumbustious pup."

Says the warlock who looks like a freaking child. "Did you fight him?"

"Didn't have to. I knocked him out and put a forget-spell on him that wiped his memory clean of anything relating to the cabin, including making out with Raelyn. Tried to do the same with her, but it didn't fully work."

"Do you think her necklace might've protected her?"

"I didn't sense it on her, and I don't believe she was wearing it."

"But how else does she repel magic?"

"Let's just say, I have my suspicion, but I need to talk to her mother first to make sure."

My focus returns to Raelyn. She has chewed her lip bloody, her face twisted with a despair that shows she truly cares about the little punk. Fuck, he kidnapped her and almost killed her. Doesn't that matter to her? My wolf stirs with unrest. He wants to break out and end the prick himself.

Jos hasn't moved an inch and doesn't show the slightest inclination to shift. What the hell is he waiting for? Cassum snaps her teeth at him. She's so fired up that she might kill him with the first bite.

He gives the Luna a fond smile and drops down on one knee before his father. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to fight her. Trying to become the Alpha of this pack is not worth my life."

His father glares at him. "Coward."

Jos rises to his feet. "You are the coward. Not only did you cheat on your mate, but you also killed my mother right after giving birth, not even affording her a chance to defend herself. I don't owe you any loyalty." His gaze scans over the assembled wolves. "This is not my pack."

He spins around, shifting as he leaps into the forest. I have to hand it to him. He might have lost all respect and will have to turn rogue, but hell, the pup knows when to quit. And he did it with style. The resentment toward his father must've been eating at him for years.

I watch the color drain from Raelyn's cheeks. Confusion is edged on her face. I halfway expect her to turn she-wolf and follow Jos into the woods, but she stays bolted in place. Still not sure how to feel about that.

A fresh breeze whips across the clearing as all eyes move to Dante. My sister doesn't have to shift into her skins to challenge him; he's the only one left. Her gums are drawn back and she growls. With one jump, Dante transforms into a black wolf. Time to battle it out.

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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