Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“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?
Chapter 15
Caidrik ran in wolf form with the female beside him and eased his pace so she could keep up. Taryn was faster than most wolves he’d run with, her stride smooth and efficient, but he still shortened his without conscious thought. Dark Lake curved wide and silver under the night sky, the packed trail beneath their paws. Frost clung to the low brush, and their breath plumed white in the cold air, each exhale sharp and clean.
The night smelled of pine and ice and distant smoke from pack fires. It was the kind of night meant for running. His muscles felt loose and powerful, responding without strain.
It had been a good run. An easy one. He wished, not for the first time, that Nadia was at his side. She loved to run when she let herself, when she forgot about duty and rules and expectations. He could almost picture her pacing him, her laughter carrying through the dark.
The long run back from Copper Pack territory to Slate Pack land had surprised him. It had been fun. Free. For a while, anyway. Then he’d felt it, that subtle shift in her scent and posture. Her lightness had dimmed the moment they crossed back over the boundary. It sat heavy in his chest now, a weight he hadn’t shaken since.
Maybe this wasn’t the right place for her. He would never force her into a life that dulled her shine. Nadia was meant to be light and happy. If this pack couldn’t give her that, then asking her to stay would be selfish.
Or maybe the trials were just weighing on her, and once everything had calmed down, she could relax. Yeah, that could be it.
He slowed as they reached the fourth and final post, shoulder-checking it until it toppled into the snow. The sound echoed briefly before the forest swallowed it. As challenges went, this one had been straightforward. Run the lake circuit within a set time, gain the four talismans, and carry them forward. He’d done it easily, even holding back, the restraint chafing more than the effort. He shifted slowly back into human form, the cold biting harder against his skin.
Taryn did the same, breathless and laughing, her cheeks flushed from exertion. “That was fun,” she said.
“I agree,” he said, and meant it.
The final task remained. He lifted the four totems he’d carried in his teeth, their carved surfaces slick with frost. They had to be taken beneath the ice and secured to hooks sunk into the lakebed, proof of endurance and control. “Why don’t you stay up here?” he asked. “I’ll be back.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m supposed to do all of this with you.”
The clouds parted then, revealing a full moon that spilled light across the frozen surface. Snow sparkled like scattered glass. He extended the claws of one hand and slashed into the shoreline, carving a rough opening through the ice, water sloshing dark and cold beneath. He could shift just part of his body at a time, if needed, although it took energy. His claws were the easiest to extend. “It’s going to be cold,” he said. “Taryn, wait on the ice. I can handle it.”
She straightened, shoulders squared. “Being Alpha means strength and agility. I need to prove I have both.”
He swallowed, the words he hadn’t planned forcing their way up. “You need to know Nadia’s my choice.” Saying it out loud felt like drawing a line in the snow. And still, doubt lingered. Was this pack really hers? Had he ever truly asked her what she wanted, without the weight of expectation hanging over them?
Taryn cocked her head. “Are you sure she belongs here? I saw how much she lit up talking about her farming friends the other day. We were at the lodge while you all were off doing trials.”