Chapter 8
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Harlow
Nine years ago
“Be honest with me, Harlow. You’re fixing to enter the Alpha trials too, aren’t you?” Gabriel asks.
He sits behind his desk, lazily twirling a black pen between his fingers. As a servant in the Scott family household, I have no choice but to stand before him. I keep my head lowered, avoiding his probing gaze.
“Sorry. I just wanted to give it a shot,” I say quietly.
Gabriel, who is still a Gamma, nods slowly. His lips purse as if he’s weighing my words.
“That’s fair enough. Ain’t much of a man if he don’t have a little ambition, right?”
He opens one of the desk drawers and pulls out a small black plastic bag. “I know you’re mighty confident about memorizing that cliff maze,” Gabriel says, holding the bag out to me.
“How do you know?” I ask, frowning.
“I might look like I don’t pay attention, but I watch folks around me real close.
” Gabriel leans back in his chair. “Always wondered why you came back from errands outside Silver Moon’s borders covered in cuts, sweat, and dust. Once Alpha Dawson announced he was stepping down, the whole picture came together.
” A slow smirk spreads across his face, his eyes glinting.
I swallow hard. “So, what now? You gonna report me to the elders?” I ask.
Gabriel chuckles and shakes his head. “’Course not. Ain’t a thing wrong with an Omega getting a head start on training for the Alpha trials. Go on now. Open the bag.”
At his command, I open the plastic bag. The moment the seal breaks, a foul stench rushes out and nearly makes me gag. I hold my breath and peer inside.
“This…” I frown at the sight of a bundle of dead butterflies and insects tangled together.
“You’re gonna leave markers,” Gabriel explains.
“Scatter some of those insect corpses at every fork in the maze so you know which way to go. Nobody’s gonna think twice about it.
Ants or spiders might even drag the pieces back to their nests and make the trail easier to follow.
” Gabriel rises from his chair and strolls around the desk.
“What do you think of the idea?” he asks, his voice smooth. “This way both of us make it to the next stage of the trial. You won’t have to break your back memorizing the route either.”
He pats my shoulder with a casual motion, guiding me toward the door like we are two friends sharing a clever trick.
“Then what happens if we face each other in the final duel?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him. “You gonna order me to surrender?”
“Now why would I do that?” Gabriel replies lightly. “If we both make it to the final duel for the Alpha title, we’ll fight fair and square.”
Those are Gabriel’s final words before he ushers me out of the room and shuts the door behind me.
Just like he said we would, we both pass the cliff maze trial. The insect corpses I scatter at every intersection the day before the exam mark the path clearly enough that I memorize the entire route.
I thought I would get a fair fight against Gabriel. But the Moon Goddess had other plans.
On the morning of our duel, I fall violently ill. The elder judges call me a coward, claiming I’m making excuses to avoid the fight. They refuse to listen to anything I say. Instead, they laugh and mock me.