Chapter 14
They ran as wolves from Copper Pack territory, cutting through stretches of human land before reaching Slate Pack territory.
Several of Erik’s wolves escorted them part of the way, their scents steady and familiar.
When it was time to split off, the Copper wolves bid them goodbye with sharp yips before turning back.
As they crossed fully into Slate Pack land, wolves were already waiting.
Seriously.
Nadia slowed, disbelief flickering through her even as she kept moving.
The pack members were clearly happy to see them.
She could feel the welcome in the air, the relief and excitement rolling off familiar scents.
Still, laws were laws, and apparently that meant Caidrik had to endure yet another trial.
She didn’t wait around.
Nadia headed straight for the family home and ran inside, shifting back to human as she went.
Warmth wrapped around her almost immediately.
She stood in a hot shower in no time, steam filling the bathroom as she leaned her forehead against the tile and let herself breathe.
It had been wonderful seeing her old friends again.
The happiness lingered, buoying her thoughts as she started cataloging possibilities.
Maybe they could link Slate Pack and Copper Pack territory through a series of farms that connected their lands. They’d have to buy some of the property from humans, but such a plan might be workable. She would love to farm with her old friends again, and the endeavor would help both packs.
She finished showering, finally warm, and pulled on thick pajamas and wonderfully plush socks. Her muscles loosened as the chill faded.
Hopefully Caidrik was safe and not being forced to jump into more freezing water. Her body was deliciously sore from her night with him, and her anxiety way up. Feelings swamped her, and she tried to focus. The guy was overwhelming, and she wanted him. Again. Maybe forever.
But what was best for him? For the pack?
She reached for her laptop just as her phone buzzed. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Em. What are you up to?”
It felt good to have somebody who cared. “Oh, so much.” Nadia sank onto the edge of the bed and gave her sister the full lowdown of the last few days.
“Whoa. You and Caidrik. I always saw it happening, but not during the trials. What if you guys get caught?”
Nadia rubbed her nose. One part of her still felt chilly from being dunked in the river. “We weren’t thinking about that, but you’re right. We’ve got to be a lot more careful.” She swallowed. “When are you coming home?”
“I am home,” Emily said softly. “But I’d love to come see you as soon as all this is over. We got tired of Dad pacing the place, so we sent him on a cruise.”
Nadia burst out laughing. “You sent Philip on a cruise?”
“A singles cruise,” Emily snorted.
“That’s awesome,” Nadia said, already scrolling through code on the laptop. She needed Solomon’s help. Soon. “Ooh. Interesting.”
She’d typed in odd snippets she’d collected written in the unknown ancient language, and it looked like she was getting closer to creating some sort of translation program.
She’d meet with Solomon the next day to actually use some of the language from the grimoire, if he let her.
For now, he was overseeing the trials tonight.
Thank goodness she didn’t have to participate.
“Um, Emily? Could you give me a list of older pack members who might remember the last time we had a challenge for the Alpha position?”
Emily sighed. “Sure, but I can almost guarantee they don’t remember what’s in the grimoire, even if they knew at one time. Dad already told you that.”
“I know, but text it to me anyway, okay?” She had to know what was in that darn book, just in case there was a gray area or a way out that Solomon hadn’t found.
A knock sounded at her door.
“Hello, dear,” Bussy said.
Nadia’s fingers stilled over the keyboard. “Oh, hey. Em, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“All right,” Emily said, then clicked off.
“Come on in.” Nadia sat on the bed with a blanket over her legs and moved it aside as Bussy walked in, Margaret right on her heels.
“We’re stationed at your home until these trials are over,” Bussy said.
“Yes, I know,” Nadia said. “The whole chaste thing.”
Margaret rolled her eyes. “Exactly.” She took a chair near the settee. “We just wanted to make sure you’re okay after being dunked in the river. We can’t believe Bulwark did that. He, of course, is being disqualified.”
Margaret nodded vigorously. “Yes. We’ve been searching for a way to get rid of that jerk for assaulting you, anyway.
Right now, Solomon’s looking through the language on how to do that publicly, because Bulwark won’t be the Alpha of this pack.
You and Caidrik might have to make statements tomorrow. ”
“Okay. No problem.” Nadia had been waiting for details. Her chest tightened anyway. “Please tell me somebody found Isaac.”
Bussy sighed and looked down at her hands. Unlike yesterday, today she wore a bright pink tracksuit, dulled only slightly as she sat next to Margaret, who was wearing bright yellow. The colors almost hurt Nadia’s eyes, but she appreciated the normalcy of it.
“I’m afraid so. Isaac didn’t make it,” Bussy said.
Nadia closed her eyes for a second and mourned the male she had barely met. He’d seemed like a nice guy. Honest. Maybe a little judgmental, but that wasn’t terrible.
“It’s so sad,” Margaret said slowly. “We’ll return him to his people. For now, we need to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am. Caidrik saved me again,” Nadia said.
Bussy clapped her hands together. “It’s a good thing we like him. Although Luca’s being surprisingly resilient.”
“They’re the only two left standing,” Margaret said. “You go on one of Luca’s challenges with him tomorrow, correct?”
Nadia gulped. “Yes, but I don’t know what it is yet. I’m not having much luck with the trials.”
“I know,” Bussy said, frowning.
“Solomon didn’t tell us what you’ll be doing tomorrow,” Margaret said, “but we’ll make sure there are more safeguards in place. I’m quite surprised it’s been this dangerous.”
Nadia glanced at her laptop. “I know.”
Margaret’s rings flashed in the dim light. “I do wonder if the trials have always been this devastating. Solomon hasn’t said anything like that.”
Nadia shook her head. “Only the laws are in the grimoire, not the pack history.” She paused. “Where are the pack histories?”
“Oh, probably in the library,” Margaret said.
“We have a library?” Nadia asked.
Margaret paused. “Well, kind of. It’s at the high school.”
Truth be told, Nadia had never even wondered about a library. “We should have one. Like a real one. Don’t you think?”
“Sure,” Bussy said. “Plus, I’d assume you can do anything you want once you become the Alpha female. Honestly, you could probably do it now. You’re the closest thing we have.”
“What about Taryn?” Nadia muttered.
Margaret glanced aside. “Yeah. She’s been meeting a lot of people. She’s kind of nice.”
Dread swirled in Nadia’s stomach. “I’m glad she’s nice.”
“She’s also a decent fighter,” Margaret said, smoothing her velour pants. “She offered to give self-defense classes to some of the younger wolves at the high school.”
Nadia’s shoulders dropped. She needed to take self-defense classes, not to teach them. “Maybe Taryn really would be better for the pack.”
“But you’re a Nightsom,” Bussy burst out.
“Am I?” Nadia asked quietly. “My last name’s actually Hodge. I didn’t even know Philip until a couple of months ago.” She looked down at her hands. “I really do want to do what’s best for the pack, even if that isn’t me.”
The idea of Caidrik mating anybody else, especially the statuesque Taryn, made Nadia want to throw up all over the pretty lace eyelet bedspread. She pressed her lips together and shook her head, focusing on breathing instead of the sudden churn in her stomach.
“Tradition matters,” Margaret said. “And you’ve been here a couple of months. You’ve been kind to everybody. You organized the heck out of Mrs. Miller’s shop.”
“I like to organize,” Nadia said lamely, glancing toward the doorway and then back at them, the room feeling suddenly too small.
“And the lodge,” Margaret added loyally. “You’ve got that thing in shipshape condition. We like you, and it’s not just because of your bloodline. You belong here.”
Warmth spread through Nadia’s chest, unexpected and uncomfortable at the same time. They were sweet. Earnest. She believed they meant it. Still, doubt lingered, heavy and persistent. She blinked. “Hey, who’s on chastity patrol for Taryn?”
“Gertie McFall and Lillian Jones,” Bussy said. “Don’t worry. They’re making sure she doesn’t sleep with anybody outside of the challenges or trials either.”
Nadia scrubbed at her face and rubbed her eye, suddenly bone tired. She’d broken several of the laws last night—several times.
“You should know,” Bussy said, looking down at her thick boots as if the answer might be there, “Taryn has requested to go on another challenge with Caidrik.”
Nadia blinked. “She has?”
“Yes,” Margaret said, her jaw firming.
Just fantastic. Nadia sighed. “I didn’t even know we could do that.”
“She asked Solomon,” Bussy said. “He read it in the laws. I guess he was surprised anybody would want to go on another trial after everything that’s happened to you. But that’s the only time contenders can get intimate, so…”
“Oh,” Nadia muttered. That explained more than she liked. “Then I’ll request another trial with Caidrik.”
“You haven’t gone on yours yet, dear,” Margaret said gently. “You have a trial with Luca tomorrow and then Caidrik the day after. After that, you can request another one. And you should.”
“You really, really should,” Bussy added, nodding.
Nadia ground her palm into her eye. A headache was building, sharp and inevitable. She could already feel it pressing in. “So you don’t have any idea what Caidrik’s doing tonight?”
“No,” Margaret said, chewing on her lip. “I hope it’s not too dangerous, but Solomon let it slip that each challenge gets more dangerous than the one before. And Caidrik’s only on number five.”
Bussy nodded. “He’s gone through most of them easily.”
“And he still had time to rescue you,” Margaret said, trying to sound encouraging. “That has to mean something, right?”
“It does to me,” Nadia said. “When exactly is Taryn going to go on another trial with Caidrik?” The words tasted bitter the moment they left her mouth. She hated the idea with more heat than she would have thought possible. She’d slept with him the night before. That had to mean something, right?
Margaret looked away, this time tipping her chin toward the ceiling.
“Margaret?” Nadia said slowly.
Margaret exhaled. “She’s on a trial with him right now.” She glanced toward the darkened window, the night pressing close beyond the glass.
Insecurity snapped sharp and sudden through Nadia. “Well,” she said, forcing it out. “Okay.”
Bussy shifted. “Nadia.” Her tone softened.
Nadia wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them to her chest. The fabric of her clothes creased under her grip. “I know. It’s an Alpha move, really.”
“Well, yeah,” Bussy said. “I mean, if that’s what she wants, you’ve got to admire her for fighting for it.”
“Yeah,” Margaret added after a beat. “That’s a good point. You should do the same.”
Nadia blinked. “How? I’m not even supposed to see him again until what, the day after tomorrow?”
“You just can’t get intimate with him,” Margaret said. “You can still see him.” She stood. “In fact, I know where the trial is tonight. Should we go?”
Nadia stared at her. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to go on the trials.”
“You’re not,” Margaret said, shifting her weight, all attitude. “Doesn’t mean you can’t wait outside. Caidrik was there for you when the tunnel exploded. Maybe you should be there for him.”
Nadia tapped her lip. Her thoughts tangled. She wasn’t even sure she was the right person for this. She hated the idea of Caidrik being with anyone else, but wasn’t the role of an Alpha female to put the pack first? Ahead of personal feelings?
What were her feelings, anyway?
“I am kind of curious where he is,” she admitted. Curiosity could be enough, right?
“Excellent,” Bussy said, clapping her hands. “Once you get dressed, we’ll meet you downstairs.” She paused. “You should probably wear all black.”
All black? What in the world?