Chapter 18
Nadia stomped her feet against the packed snow.
Her boots thudded in short bursts as she tried to force warmth back into her toes.
It wasn’t working. The cold clung to her in a way that felt much deeper than before she’d been stabbed with silver.
Being dumped into the river had hurt her more than it should’ve.
The silver threaded through her blood, slow and stubborn, and the healers said it would take a while to burn out completely.
She believed them because her body didn’t feel right. Not yet.
Her sleep had been a mess ever since Bulwark had tried to kill her, but she wouldn’t share that sad fact with anybody.
She’d awakened before dawn that morning, convinced she was still underwater.
In the dream, she’d been sinking. The river had closed over her head again, black and heavy, and no matter how hard she kicked, she couldn’t reach the surface.
She’d come awake, sitting straight up in bed and wishing Caidrik had climbed through the window to hold her.
Protecting the pack was more important, and she felt grateful he’d been doing that all night. Was she starting to depend on him too much? Her mind moved to Caidrik’s kissing abilities, and suddenly she felt warmer.
“That’s a pretty smile,” Luca said.
Nadia glanced sideways. Oops. Had she just smiled?
He stood a few feet away with his hands shoved into the pockets of his black jacket. His boots were scuffed and planted solidly in the snow. His blond hair stuck out from under his hat with the edges dusted white. He looked relaxed, almost cheerful.
She snorted. “You’re easily impressed.”
He laughed. “It’s still pretty.”
They stood at the top of Bombay Mountain, though calling it a mountain was generous. It was more of a broad hill compared to the peaks that ringed the territory. Even so, the drive up had been slow and careful, tires crunching over ice while enforcers rode ahead and behind them.
“All right.” Solomon stood a short distance away with his feet braced wide.
His long coat snapped in the wind, fabric pulling tight around his legs.
His cheeks were pink from the cold, and his eyes were bright with something that looked like excitement.
“This challenge,” he said, “is an interesting one.”
“Of course it is,” Nadia muttered.
Luca tilted his head. “What is it?”
Solomon smiled and bounced on his heels. He clearly enjoyed this part. “I’ve named this one the Trial of the Turned Stone.”
Nadia frowned. “You named it?”
“Yes.”
Wait a second. Just how much power did Solomon have? Nadia’s breath puffed in the cold air. “You named all of the challenges?”
“Yes,” Solomon said.
Luca stared at him. “Did you make them up?”
Solomon coughed. “Not exactly. The grimoire outlines the different types of challenges that have worked through the centuries. I adapted them for modern use.”
That didn’t sound comforting, but it did explain the use of the drones.
He gestured toward a massive slab of slate lying half-buried in the snow a short distance away. The stone was flat and wide, its edges sharp where frost had eaten at it. Snow clung to the surface in uneven patches. It looked heavy. Impossibly heavy.
“You should be grateful,” Solomon added. “Several pack members had to haul that up here.”
Luca frowned. “What are we supposed to do with it?”
Solomon’s smile widened. “You’re going to move it, showing the pack you can solve problems and work together toward a common goal.”
Silence settled over the ridge.
“Take it from here,” Solomon continued, pointing to the stone, “to the old mineshaft entrance down the slope.”
Nadia followed the line of sight. The ground dropped away into trees and rock. The path wasn’t steep, but it was uneven and slick with ice. Snow drifted across it in shallow waves before it disappeared into the trees that led up another mountain.
Luca let out a slow breath. “You’re kidding.”
Solomon shook his head. “You may use wolf form or human form. You may not use tools. You may not ask for help.”
Nadia’s stomach tightened. She looked at the stone again and then at Luca. His shoulders rolled back as he studied the distance. He wasn’t smiling anymore, and neither was she.
The wind howled across the ridge and rattled the trees.
Snow whispered along the ground. Somewhere below them a bird took off, wings beating hard against the cold air.
Nadia wrapped her arms around herself and swallowed.
She sucked in a sharp breath, and steam burst from her mouth into the frozen air.
“Are you kidding me? That’s two miles away. ”
Solomon nodded, completely unbothered as snow skittered across the ridge. “I know. It’s not meant to be easy.”
“This is stupid,” Luca said flatly. He planted his boots and stared at the slab of slate. “Who even cares about this?”
“The pack does,” Solomon replied, his tone calm but firm. “This challenge requires brute force and an understanding of slate as well as problem solving. Slate is what this pack was built on.”
Luca glanced at Nadia, his mouth twitching. “I’m not going to lie. If I never see another slab of slate for the rest of my life, I’d be fine.”
“These challenges have been intense.” Her shoulders tightened as the wind cut through her jacket.
Solomon inclined his head. “That’s the entire point.”
Her feet had gone numb. Now her ankles ached in a dull throb that crept upward every time she shifted her weight. She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re enjoying this.”
Solomon ducked his chin, almost sheepish. “I really am. Being the scholar around here gets boring. It’s nice to do something that actually matters.”
Nadia turned away before she said something she’d regret. The wind whistled through the trees below them, carrying the scent of snow and pine. The forest felt watchful and quiet in a way that made her skin prickle. “I don’t sense any soldiers nearby.”
“Oh, you won’t,” Solomon replied. “They’re out there. I promise. They have to keep their distance, but they’ll guard you both.”
“I’ll keep you safe,” Luca said without hesitation.
She lifted her chin. “I’m capable of protecting myself.”
He blinked. “I thought you couldn’t fight.”
She bristled. “I can fight. Just not well.”
That earned her a thoughtful look.
“Taryn is a very good fighter,” Solomon added helpfully.
Luca frowned, looking between them. “They don’t have to fight each other. Do they?”
Dread pooled low in Nadia’s stomach. How fast could someone learn to fight well enough to survive? Taryn had both size and experience on her, and she’d need some good moves just to keep standing.
“No,” Solomon said quickly. “That isn’t how it works. Once the Alpha is chosen, that person declares a mate from the females who endured at least one trial with him. Or her, of course.”
Luca looked back at the massive slab of slate and shook his head. “Does the grimoire say that an Alpha challenger could’ve been female?”
“Absolutely,” Solomon said. “There was no restriction, even back in the day. Anybody with Alpha blood could’ve challenged to be the pack Alpha. Only five of you stepped forward this time, and you’re all male. It’s too bad. I would’ve liked to have seen a strong female Alpha in these trials.”
“There’s Taryn,” Nadia said quietly.
Solomon nodded. “I asked her why she didn’t challenge for the Alpha position outright. She said she doesn’t know the pack well enough, and also that she doesn’t want to spend her life fighting off challengers.”
Nadia swallowed. “I totally understand.”
“All right,” Solomon said cheerfully. Far too cheerfully.
He rocked back on his heels as if this were a picnic and not a test meant to break bodies.
“Good luck. Once you reach the closed mine, don’t worry.
You only need to propel the slab inside.
Somehow.” He smiled that intelligent smile of his. “Best of luck with that.”
“Thanks,” Luca said dryly.
Solomon turned, walked toward his still-running SUV, climbed in, and took off down the narrow trail. Snow sprayed behind him as the engine growled and disappeared through the trees.
Nadia stared after him. “I am absolutely going to help get him fired someday.”
Luca scoffed. His cheeks were red from the cold, eyes sharp and alert. “First thing I do as Alpha.”
They walked together to the slab, which sat half-buried in snow, a massive round disk of slate taller than Nadia’s waist and thick enough to look immovable. Frost rimmed its edges. Snow clung to its surface in uneven patches.
“So,” Luca said. “Any ideas?”
She stared at it. “We roll it?”
He crouched and shoved his hands under the edge, muscles standing out as he lifted with a grunt. “Fuck. It’s heavy.”
“I think it’s supposed to be,” she said. “Everything about these trials is supposed to be miserable.”
He tilted the slab up onto its rim. It wobbled once, then settled. “All right,” he grunted, his face turning red. “I’ll roll. You scout ahead. Tell me where to turn.”
“Got it.” She moved ahead, boots crunching through snow, scanning the ground for roots and rocks.
The forest closed around them fast. Pines rose tall and close together, their branches heavy with snow.
The air smelled sharp and clean and faintly metallic.
Wind threaded through the trunks and set the trees creaking softly overhead.
They hadn’t gone far before the slab started slipping.
“Careful,” she called, doubling back to brace it with her shoulder.
“Yeah,” he said through clenched teeth. “This is a pain.”
Snow kept falling. Fine at first, then thicker, turning the ground slick. The slab slid faster than expected, forcing them both to scramble. Nadia dug her boots in and grabbed the stone with both hands, cold seeping straight through her gloves.
They moved like that for a long time. Push. Stop. Adjust. Push again.
“How serious are things with you and Caidrik?” Luca asked suddenly.
Nadia stumbled and caught herself on a tree, shoving branches aside so the slab could pass. Bark scraped her palm through the glove. How much did he know? “What do you mean?”
“Come on. He’s been your enforcer for a while. There’s something between you.”
“Yeah,” she said softly, unwilling to give him any more. If he discovered she and Caidrik had broken the rules, he’d surely turn them in. “Why didn’t you drink the tea the first day?”
He sighed heavily, his gloved hands gripping the slickening slate. “I don’t like tea. It’s that simple. I give you my word that I didn’t poison anybody.” He slipped and caught himself, knocking the slate into branches. “I think Bulwark did it.”
Nadia pivoted again, using her hip this time to angle the heavy slate the right direction. “Yeah, but he got sick, too.”
“That asshole is reckless enough to have poisoned himself just enough to make it look real,” Luca said, his voice rough as he strained to move the slab around an ancient pine tree. “It killed Dax. Should’ve killed Caidrik, since he drank two cups.”
Yeah, Caidrik was seriously tough. “It could’ve been Bulwark,” she agreed. The jerk.
Luca hesitated. “When I become Alpha… would you ever consider being my mate?”
The question landed heavy, and she didn’t know the answer. Her entire future was beyond her reach, and she didn’t know the right move to make. What was best for the pack? For Caidrik? For her?
Luca cleared his throat. “Just think about it. Both you and Taryn are impressive females who’d do an excellent job for the pack.”
That was a kind thing to say.
The mine appeared suddenly through the trees, a dark mouth carved into stone. Rusted beams framed the opening. Snow drifted into the entrance but didn’t soften the blackness inside. “Oh thank God,” Nadia breathed. “We made it.”
“Speak for yourself,” Luca said, straining as he rolled the slab forward. “But yeah.”
They guided it into the opening, and he shoved it inside with a rough push. The stone clattered and bounced, the sound echoing deep and hollow. It soon disappeared into the blackness of the cavern. Then came a heavy boom that shook the ground.
Luca huffed out a breath and dusted off his hands. “That was satisfying.”
Nadia laughed. “Agreed.”
Then the wind shifted. She felt it before she heard it. A change. A tension. “What was that?” she asked.
Luca turned.
A tall figure stepped from behind a tree in green and white clothing that blended perfectly with the forest. He was at least seven feet tall with flowing white hair. “Hey,” he said.
Panic surged through Nadia.
He raised his arm and shot several red darts toward them.
Pain exploded throughout her entire neck.
The world tipped.
Darkness swallowed her before she hit the frozen ground.