CHAPTER 1 #3
A lot of our packmates condemned and judged the city wolves for where they chose to make their dens, but I’d never really moved past pitying them. They had imprisoned themselves in their ivory towers. To shift only once a month… the thought made me want to cry.
We filed out of the mouth of the trail and into a large clearing.
To the west, the sun sank behind the mountains, bathing the crowd in crimson and gold.
Our pack had used this place for centuries to worship the Goddess and perform our moon rituals.
In the center of the dell lay a natural hollow that we’d built upon over time.
Now, three concentric rings of amphitheater-style seating were shaped into the grassy slopes, large enough to hold a crowd even of this size.
On the very lowest level—which served as the stage—five granite monoliths punched up through the earth like the fingers of a titan breaking free from Tartarus.
At their center lay a massive stone plinth.
Women had given birth to alphas upon it.
The dead were laid out across it in mourning.
Afterward, we scattered their ashes over the ground beneath, consecrating the land with the remains of our ancestors.
This was a sacred, hallowed place. Even those unfamiliar with our territory sensed it, quieting their conversation as they entered, so that the clearing was filled with whispers so hushed, they sounded like the sighing of the summer breeze.
Gia and I found seats in the upper row, being some of the last to arrive.
The Kolbecks found their own on the opposite side of the hollow.
It wasn’t that I’d been watching them, just that it was hard not to notice where they went.
Conversation and movement stilled when they neared.
Openings suddenly appeared for them to pass through, like everyone worried that what the Kolbecks had might be catching.
The difference between the ease of those around me and that of the city wolves was stark out here in the open.
Where they were in three-piece suits, the rest of us wore faded shorts, threadbare T-shirts, and flip-flops—clothes that were easy to shuck off if the desire to shift overcame us.
While Michael and Nathaniel seemed unnerved by what they’d walked into, the overall mood of the crowd was excitement and anticipation.
I felt another momentary pang of empathy for them, but, like Gia said, they’d made their own beds, and my focus now had to be on my friend. I turned toward her. “Are you excited yet, or still worried?”
She grinned, flashing canines. “Mostly excited. Don’t get me wrong, I’m anxious, but my mind is made up, so I don’t want to dwell on the negative.”
I smiled back at her. “Remember the bonding ceremony we snuck into when we were in middle school?” It was the last time our pack had played host to one.
“Oh, yeah. I’ll never forget it. My mom was so pissed at us.”
“So were my parents.” Mom and Dad had read me the riot act for disappearing without telling them where I was going on a night when our territory was full to bursting with unfamiliar wolves.
Gia’s grin slipped. “How mad do you think they’ll be this time?”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” I said.
Like last time, we hadn’t told our parents where we would be tonight.
First off, we were in our early twenties, so we didn’t have to.
Second, Gia didn’t want her mom here on the off chance that she wasn’t matched.
My parents had been planning a hot date, and even though they’d want to support my bestie, it didn’t seem right for them to be here if Gia’s own family wasn’t.
Hopefully they’d forgive me afterward. I knew Gia’s mom would forgive her anything if she showed up at her house later with a mate.
Please, Goddess, let her show up with a mate, I prayed.
Gia grabbed my arm. “Look.”
From out of the forest walked a woman. These ceremonies were hosted on a rotating schedule, so no one pack was favored above the others.
The same was said for the mystics who oversaw them, and this woman was a stranger to me.
She must have been in her eighties, with white hair that fell loose to her elbows, and a lined, weathered face.
The green dress she wore was sleeveless and long.
Her ankles kicked the hem with every step.
Despite her age, her spine was unbent and her legs carried her swiftly toward the edge of our makeshift amphitheater.
“Good evening,” she said, her voice resonating in a way that wasn’t natural.
It sounded like she’d spoken from right beside me.
The words were so clear that I detected a slight Southern drawl to them as she continued.
“Welcome to the eastern packs’ annual bonding ceremony.
Would those choosing to take part in it please come forward. ”
Gia turned and gave me a fierce hug. “This is it. Wish me luck.”
I squeezed her back. “You won’t need it, but good luck.”
She let me go and joined the others making their way down the steps.