10. Lumi
Chapter 10
Lumi
“ T he Bloodmoon offering,” Isolde says, staring at me like just saying the name of the pack is going to cause her to break out in hives.
There are murmurs and whispers all around the hillside amphitheater. I know the Bloodmoon wolves aren’t popular, but I don’t know why. It’s clear they are at least tolerated, unlike my own pack. Maybe everyone is intimidated by them?
I stand up, my legs shaking as I feel the intense stare of the entire crowd on me. I’m the last to go, the last chance at this offering to break the curse. I can feel a swell of hope from everyone here all concentrated on me.
I’m not going to break the curse. It would be impossible, based on what I know of the ceremony. All I can do is survive.
I swallow down my fear, knowing it won’t do me any good, and force my legs to move forward. When I reach Isolde, I say in a soft voice, “Lumi, my name is Lumi.”
She nods and announces, “Lumi—the Bloodmoon offering.”
More gasps echo through the hillside around me, but I don’t dare look up. I’m too focused on what I have to do next and how to survive it.
The two alphas closest to me part, opening a space for me to enter the circle. Staring at my feet, I enter the circle, terrified I’ll trip and embarrass myself further or blush at the sight of the naked men surrounding me.
Finally, hours into this ceremony, it’s me standing in the center of this circle of alphas. My legs have stopped trembling, and I feel a warmth spread through my body.
Strange.
Is it a spell Isolde cast to keep me in place? Or is it being surrounded by the alphas that calms me?
When I look up, I don’t feel afraid. I don’t shake; my pulse has calmed, and my breathing has slowed.
“Remove your gown,” Isolde’s voice whispers into my ear as if she’s standing right next to me. My head whips in her direction. If I don’t do it on my own accord, she’ll use a spell to force me.
Every man here is already naked. The women before me were as well. Nakedness isn’t as sexual among wolf shifters as humans. It’s a normal part of life seeing others naked. And I might as well be naked since this thin gown under the light of the moon is doing nothing to hide my body.
I pull the gown off my shoulders and then slowly lower it down my body, shimmying a little to get it over my hips until it’s a puddle of cloth at my feet.
I don’t allow myself to blush, but I feel the stares of the crowd and the nearby alphas on me. Slowly, I purse my lips and breathe out, remaining calm and confident. Looking at the man across from me with a steady gaze and a soft smile, I’m ready for whatever is about to happen.
Baelor is the alpha across from me, I realize. My smile drops, and my eyes well at the sight of him forced to continue after what happened to Adaluna. I don’t know how any of them expect him to try to mate again after what happened.
To his credit, he doesn’t hesitate. He’s the first to approach me, probably to get this over with.
I stiffen as he gets close. In his state, he might do something reckless. He’ll realize I’m a fraud as soon as he gets close enough to smell me. He’ll notice I don’t belong to the Bloodmoon pack.
He circles me once, barely breathing in my scent. I’m so frozen that I don’t allow myself to sense anything from him. Baelor stops in front of me, his red hair blowing in the breeze and the scar around his eye looking more menacing than before.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
I probably shouldn’t speak, but I can’t help but tell him how I feel.
His narrowed gaze and flared nostrils tell me he doesn’t appreciate my sympathy. It would mean showing weakness to show that the loss of Adaluna affects him beyond what he’s already shown.
I bite down to force myself from saying more but catch my cheek with my teeth and wince as a drop of my own blood spills onto my tongue.
Baelor returns to his place, huffing once in my direction like I disgust him.
I sigh.
I won’t be making that mistake again.
The next alpha approaches, and I hold my head steady and my emotions blank. I don’t look at his naked body. I barely even notice which male is circling me.
But then he stops in front of me and breathes in heavily, his brown eyes locking with mine.
My pulse ticks up, and my skin grows warm and clammy under his gaze. I start to squirm as he continues to gaze at me while breathing in my scent.
The wind changes direction, and I get a whiff of him. He smells like the woods—of earth, dirt, and evergreens. I move, just a millimeter toward him, wanting to breathe in more of him.
For a second, he tries to move closer to me before stopping himself, too. But then he quickly retreats back to his spot in the circle.
Fisting my hands, I clear my emotions as the next alpha approaches. This man is taller than Baelor and at least a decade older, with a few gray strands in his jet-black hair.
He circles me in the same way the others did. I try to hold my breath, but his bold, peppery scent hits me hard. Warm desire floods my system, and my cheeks flush as he stops in front of me.
I swallow hard as he eventually retreats back to his spot.
I close my eyes briefly, trying to think of anything other than these alphas in front of me. I’ve only had three of fifteen approach me so far. How am I going to survive twelve more?
I’m attracted to them all. I want them all.
Closing my eyes was a mistake, as I can smell them more easily now. Hits of different fragrances overwhelm me—musky, fresh, citrusy, spicy, and woody from every direction.
An ache grows between my legs, and my nipples begin to harden under their gazes. My pulse drums in my chest, and every time the wind blows I’m afraid I’ll moan from the brush against my sensitive body.
What is happening to me?
Is this how all the other women felt? This confusion and overwhelming desire toward all the alphas? Or is it just me?
I open my eyes, whirling around to look at all the alphas and Isolde, wanting to ask my questions out loud but stopping before I do. I pant, wanting the next alpha to come near, wanting so much more. I want to sink my teeth into any of them and…
This is because of the curse, I realize. I can’t tell who my mate is between any of them. I want them all. I have no idea how they feel toward me, but I’ll never be able to tell who my mate is. We are all doomed.
Another man approaches me, and I plant my feet firmly on the ground, holding my breath as best I can. But even holding my breath, I can smell his manly, fresh scent. It stirs dark lust in my belly.
The man smiles at me in a wicked way as if he feels it, too.
Fuck, my mind races, clearing of everything except how I can get with these men, how I can make them choose me.
“You better get ahold of yourself, or this is going to turn into an orgy.”
My eyes fly open at his voice. I didn’t even realize I had closed them as Nyx stands in front of me. His hair is perfectly tousled on top of his head, accentuating the sharpness of his jaw.
Suddenly, the heat leaves my body, and the ache vanishes. They’re replaced by red-hot anger.
Nyx smirks as he shakes a dark lock out of his eyes. “Better, although I can still smell your arousal. No wonder all the males here are going mad.”
“What do you mean?”
He raises an eyebrow up in the direction of the crowd.
Gods .
Howls and panting meet my gaze. All the males seem to have gone mad, pacing and longingly gazing my way.
“You better hope you’re mated tonight, or you’re going to have to fight off a lot of guys if you want to keep your virginity.”
I narrow my gaze at Nyx. “At least I know you aren’t my mate.”
His smile rises. “At least we know that.” He finishes circling and stops in front of me as they all have.
“I don’t know how, but I’m going to make you pay for this.”
“You’ll have to survive first,” his coy voice teases.
I growl.
His dark chuckle echoes in my head before he returns to his spot.
The anger inside me remains as the next two males take their turns. All I can think about is Nyx, about the twisted fates that have led me here. Why did Nyx choose me as his offering? Why not someone from his own pack?
The world goes quiet as the largest alpha approaches, stopping right in front of me.
My breath is heavy in my chest as I let my gaze slowly sweep up his body. From his thick calves, getting a quick eyeful of his cock that has me blushing, over his rippling abs and strong chest, and then to his face.
His golden eyes glow in my direction, and his dark black wavy hair with specks of gold rustles in the wind as is brushes over his shoulders. But it’s his lips framed in dark shadow along his sharp jawline I can’t tear my gaze from.
His lips are parted, and I have the strongest urge yet to kiss him. I need to kiss him. I have to; I’m not sure I’ll be able to take another breath if I don’t kiss him.
I blink, and he circles me slowly. I try to compose myself, to feel nothing, but hot, wicked desire burns through me. My skin crawls with need to touch this gorgeous man.
He’s mine.
The words spread through my body like wildfire.
Mine, mine, mine.
Ambrose, I remember this man’s name. Ambrose— mine .
He stops in front of me and takes a deep breath through his nostrils.
For once, I let myself breathe him in, and I shudder at his smell. He smells of the evergreens, of the earth, and of something far more ancient than this forest that I can’t quite distinguish.
He smells like mine .
The howl that leaves his body rattles through me and makes my heart sing. I howl my own response, matching his tenor in perfect harmony.
In the blink of an eye, Ambrose shifts. Where the naked flesh once was is now large rippling muscles beneath black fur with specks of gold and glowing yellow eyes.
“I’m Ambrose, alpha of the Moonlight wolves,” comes Ambrose’s voice in my head.
I gasp at the easy intrusion of his voice in my head. The mating bond—it allows shifters to communicate with each other in their heads.
“Lumi,” I think back, unsure if he hears me or not, if I’m doing it right. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing.
“Lumi, so beautiful. I’ve never seen such gorgeous moonlit hair as yours.”
I blush. “ Thank you.”
His eyes bear into mine, and I swear he grins in his wolf form.
I smile back.
“Shift,” he tells me.
My heart races at his command. What do I do? I can’t tell him that I can’t shift. I can’t say I’m from Wintermoon, and the magic that allows our pack to shift has long ago dwindled.
“You can feel the bond between us. I know you can,” Ambrose says.
Deny you feel anything. Stay alive, Rowena’s words haunt me.
But I can’t lie. I can’t pretend that I don’t feel the bond to him stronger than any male here, even if it means the death of me.
I nod.
“Ours is a true bond; it’s not like what you witnessed between Adaluna and Baelor. Ours is real. I’ve never felt anything this strong in my life.”
“Me neither,” I admit.
“Then trust me. I won’t let you die. Shift, so we can finish the ceremony. So we can mark each other.”
“I can’t.”
“You can. I can tell how strong you are. That’s why we’re mates. You’re worthy of an alpha, so strong. We have to accept the mating bond.”
“I can’t,” I say again.
“You can. We are strong. Together, we can break the curse.”
I shake my head. Fear ripples through me.
“You can mark me first. That’s how strongly I know that we are mates. If you mark me first, and I’m not your mate, then I’ll be the one to die, not you. Trust me.”
“I do. I trust you with every part of me. I trust you completely.”
“Then shift. Accept the bond.”
A tear rolls down my cheek. If there was ever a time to gain my wolf, now would be it. I look up at the moon. Please, I plead with it.
But nothing happens.
I look back to Ambrose.
“I can’t shift. I never gained my wolf.”
His eyes widen. Even in his wolf form, I can tell the shock ripples through him.
“No, then how can you be my mate? This can’t be true. You seem so strong. How could I have been so fooled?”
Suddenly, Ambrose’s head snaps in Nyx’s direction.
Nyx snickers, as if he knows exactly what’s happening.
I wrap my arms around my naked body, unsure of what to do or how to save myself.
Ambrose shifts back into human form. “What did you do, Nyx? What half-breed did you offer?”
“Lumi is full wolf,” he responds.
“A wolf who can’t shift isn’t a full-blooded wolf,” Ambrose snarls at Nyx, moving to him in an instant and grabbing him by the throat. He could squeeze the life out of him with the closing of his hand.
“Who is she? She’s not even Bloodmoon, is she?” he rages.
Nyx looks bored. No fear marks his eyes even though Ambrose is far larger than him and has his canines awfully close to his throat.
“No,” Nyx says.
My pulse races. He’s going to tell Ambrose the truth, that I’m from Wintermoon. I have no doubt the alphas will rip me apart in punishment for my pack causing the curse.
“I found her wandering in the woods. I scented her wolf, but she had no alpha to draw from to help her shift. I’m sure as soon as she’s initiated into a pack, she’ll be able to shift.”
Nyx chuckles and continues his explanation.
“I sensed her power, just as you do, and I knew she had to be my offering. And I was right—she’s your mate, Ambrose.”
Ambrose growls.
Then all eyes snap to me. I don’t know why Nyx lied. I don’t know what he thinks he can gain by hiding my secret. I’m sure it’s for nefarious reasons, and I don’t trust him.
“Leave after the ceremony finishes if you want to live.” Ambrose releases Nyx and then turns to me.
Ambrose’s gaze on me has me hot and bothered and aching with lust-filled desire for him. Mate or not, wolf shifter or not, I need him to fuck me—now.
Ambrose’s eyes widen in fear as he looks at me, and I’m not sure why.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him through the bond.
“Run. Find Emeric. He’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“I don’t want to leave you. What’s happening?”
“The curse—every male here can smell you. You’ve become obsessively desirable to them. Since you’re the unmarked mate of the strongest alpha who has ever lived, every male here wants a taste of you to try to change your mind before I make you mine. Run. Find Emeric. He’ll hide you away while I deal with these beasts.”
It’s a command I feel through my entire body—an alpha command. His power must be immense if he can command those not in his pack.
I turn and run through the circle and into the forest, hoping Emeric will find me. I won’t be able to outrun a wolf shifter who wants me, and Ambrose can’t take down fourteen alphas and hundreds of others on his own.
So I run for my life.