Three

Catriona's POV

The Urguen cave is at the heart of the Ironbound territory and the last time I was here, I was accompanying Hela for her fourth Ulfara rite. The Ulfara is a thousand-year old tradition in Ironbound pack where every boy and girl that manifests her wolf is brought to this cave and tries to retrieve Eirwyn, the one thousand year old Sword buried into the earth in the depth of the cave. Dad and Mum tried to uproot the sword when they were of age; Vekra, Orion and Hela have all tried their hand but none of them had any success retrieving it.

Time is however of essence and our pack weakens with every cycle that goes without an Ironbound warrior freeing the great sword Eirwyn and fulfilling the prophecy. The myth passed down for a thousand years says that the werewolf community was once besieged by powerful wolf-like abominations called the Orkeli and we were losing the war until the werewolves merged all the clans, bringing forth the strongest of their warriors to push them back. It was here in Ironbound territory that they finally succeeded after seven moons, taking the Orkeli king's head with Eirwyn before burying the sword in the dirt. The prophecy says that the strongest warrior of Ironbound descent would release Eirwyn into the world again and when they did, peace would reign.

But after one thousand years of Ironbound warriors trying and failing to fulfill the prophecy, our enemies have grown bolder, eating into our territories with eyes set on Eirwyn. Their whispers have become loud and vicious; they think that Ironbound wolves were never worthy, that they also deserve to have Eirwyn and the power it promises. If any of my siblings, my parents or any Ironbound warrior was capable of freeing it, we would not need the war Alpha's alliance or his armies. The magic of Eirwyn would suffice to make us the undisputed leader of the werewolf clans.

As usual, there are two werewolves guarding the cave mouth and the air here feels charged and otherworldly... alive and watchful somehow. I smooth a hand down my goose-fleshed arm and step out of the bushes.

"Declare yourself!" One of them shouts and I startle, my legs shaking. I can still turn back before it gets back to Dad that I was here but if my timing is right, then by the time he finds out, I will be too far away with Hela to bear his displeasure. I clear my throat, my voice embarrassingly small as I call out.

"It is Catriona Hugh, daughter of Alpha Hugh. I will perform my Ulfara rite." I infuse my voice with every bit of confidence and swagger into the clearing like I imagine Hela would. They exchange a glance and my heart thumps and I'm afraid they'll see me for the impostor that I am.

"Ermm, we were not informed that there would be any Ulfara tonight." The bald older one says, peering at me. That look should be enough to strip me of my blustering but if I could escape the suspicion of Vekra's hawk-eyed gaze, surely I can manage to fool a duo of tired and probably overworked guards.

"You are being informed." I announce and without waiting for their response, stride confidently for the mouth cave.

They stare at me another moment but have to choose between colliding with me and making way and they shift to the side. I bite my cheek to hide my grin, I can't believe that worked. Finally! I'm practically skipping as I make my way down the well-lit cave, let them think it is the evening's festivities that caused the neglect.

I'm under no illusions that I'll draw Eirwyn, not when Dad who is the strongest man alive could not, nor Mom nor any of my siblings. No, this is simply the thrill of doing the exact opposite of what I was commanded to do. Vekra has tried over ten times, Orion tried twice and Hela four times while I was simply banned from trying. No amount of begging convinced Dad to let me in here so I simply have to take matters into my own hands.

I've never been inside the cave so I gawk at the large glowing stalactites hanging from the high cave roof. They emanate a faint bluish hue that's not entirely dispersed by the dimly-lit torches burning every few feet along the cave wall. I'm grateful for the light because without my wolf and the night vision she would afford me, I would have been stumbling around in the dark.

I walk until my feet start to twinge with discomfort, each step echoing as my thoughts drift. What if I'm attacked by something in here? I'm so deep inside that the guards might not hear me scream. As the cave starts to narrow, the scones of light do little to penetrate the film of blackness which seems to emanate from the cave itself and yet I push onward, drawn like a moth to a flame. I can just feel it ahead, something strange and powerful and a few steps later, I get my first glimpse at the legendary sword sheathed in a scabbard embedded into the wall.

I step closer as if in a trance, my breath caught in my throat at the beauty of it. The hilt has engravings in a language I recognize as one of the lost languages and the visible part of the blade glows the same ethereal blue shade as the cave. A loud hum in the air sounds suspiciously like it's coming from the sword.

Slowly, I wrap my fingers around the hilt and snort derisively when my fingers barely encircle the thick breadth, the spell broken. I've never been fond of sword fighting and this particular sword is so huge that I can imagine only Father and Vekra wielding it. Nevertheless, I take a deep breath and recite the oath all Ironbound warriors are taught at birth.

"By the blood that runs in my veins, blood of Gibril and Ufuka, I call on the strength to protect my clan and the wisdom to lead them to greatness." I whisper and steeling myself, I pull Eirwyn with all my strength.

The next few moments leave me in shock. It was so ridiculously easy to pull it out that the force I used sends me staggering back and I land on my ass, the giant sword glowing in my lap.

"Huh?" That can't be right.

I stare at the sword and the humming in the air rises acutely, making me wince before cutting off abruptly, along with the blue light.

After that, I panic. All I can think is that I ruined it, I spoiled it somehow. Father was right to ban me; a thousand year-old prophecy has turned into a pathetic joke with the touch of my hand. I broke the stupid legendary sword.

Acting on my panic, I leap off the floor and haul the great sword up, groaning under its weight. I'll just put it back where I found it, perhaps the magic will take and hold it in place again and the next person that comes in will easily take it out. But I've not taken more than one step when the cave begins to heave and I watch with horror as a rock clatters across the floor.

Within a few seconds, I know without doubt that the cave is going to collapse in on itself now that the magic that was holding it up is gone and I need to be out of here with Eirwyn before I'm flattened to a pulp by the debris.

Snatching the scabbard from where it fell, I sheathe the great sword and race out of the cave, my heart in my mouth and the heavy sword dragging slightly behind me. The cave crumbles faster and I have to dodge falling rocks and the occasional falling stalactite. When a rock smacks the back of my head, I cry out with pain and go crashing to the ground, the pale mouth of the cave looking small and impossibly far in the distance. My vision darkens and I realize I might die in this goddess-forsaken cave because of this hulking sword I was never meant to draw but the sound of running boots makes me blink the darkness away. It's the guards; I hear them yelling something but my ears are still ringing and they help me up and drag me behind them in a run as I clutch Eirwyn in my grip.

We barely make it out before the entire cave collapses. I kneel in the dirt, coughing out dirt and trying to catch my breath when I notice their wide-eyed stares. They look between me and Eirwyn; instantly recognizing the sword and my grip tightens on the hilt as I get ready to defend myself- but they both fall to their knees and press their brows to the floor.

"Khafal!" They yell; it means the Chief of Chiefs, Alpha of Alphas and it is absolutely ridiculous that they're referring to me.

They remain on the ground until I realize they await my orders. I don't understand, I'm the weakest werewolf alive, every other wolf manifested before eighteen while I'm still wolf-less at twenty one! But none of that matters when I hold Eirwyn in my hands. For the first time I feel a fragile hope in my chest, a budding excitement to take this back to Father and show him what I did.

I hold the sword up and examine it. I unsheathed it when thousands couldn't, if this is not evidence that I'm as much a warrior as Vekra, Orion and Hela, I don't know what is. Father will be overjoyed.

"You can rise." I say, trying to contain my excitement. "You'll remain here and secure the sight while I inform Father."

The cave is totally collapsed in and there's no way that commotion didn't attract our clans men.

"No one is to touch anything here until Father says otherwise." I tell them

"Understood, Khafal." They chorus and I grin, spinning around and hurrying back, struggling with the weight of the sword.

The Selection ceremony is in full swing back at home, people talking and drinking merrily. Nobody pays me any mind as I slip through the shadows, Eirwyn hidden within my cloak as I catch my first glimpse of the courtyard.

Father sits with Mother and The Council, his face set in a grim line that turns my stomach queasy.

"Why does he look so pissed?" I whisper.

"The war Alpha just refused the last of the Presented ladies." Someone says by my ear and I jump five feet in the air but it's only Cassy, Council Elder Vane's niece and her twin sister Daisy. She gives me an odd look and peers excitedly back into the courtyard.

"Why would he?" I blurt, my eyes searching for Hela and I find her stalking to the back to meet the other Presented ladies, swiping a light sheen of sweat off her forehead.

"Your sister fights like a hellcat." Daisy says, her voice vibrating with admiration. "She defeated all the other ladies and yet the war alpha picked none of them."

"What the hell?" I mutter, affronted on Hela's behalf. The show is to allow him his choice of the powerful ladies and of course Hela is the strongest. It's not a show she even wanted to put on and the war alpha has the audacity to turn her down?

"Perhaps none were to his liking." Cassy replies.

"It is an insult to the pack and to the Alpha, that is what it is." Her twin Daisy sniffs. "He rejected Hela and Alpha doesn't look pleased."

"We should beg Uncle to try." Cassy says excitedly, eyes twinkling. "Perhaps the right maiden hasn't been presented yet."

"And you think it's you? Were you not mocking Floe just last night that she might be chosen by the 'brutish' war alpha?" Daisy snickers. "You advised her to look weak and pathetic because such an alpha would never pick the weakest."

"I was obviously delirious with hunger, and that was before I saw him." Cassy practically has stars in her eyes as she stares into the courtyard and I try to find the war alpha that caught her fancy but he has his back to me. "Goddess, have you ever seen anyone more delicious? I would do 'anything' for a night with him. Come, we must find Uncle at once, he can even offer the both of us to sweeten the deal."

"Cassy!" Daisy's shrill voice is scandalized and I forget the huge secret hidden in my cloak and laugh at their dynamic. The twins are such polar opposites despite being identical and Cassy is practically a whore compared to her prudish twin.

In the courtyard, the war Alpha's back stiffens and he rises in his seat, towering over everyone as he turns in my direction.

The air is knocked from my lungs and I stagger as I come face to face with the stranger from last night. Across the distance, his eyes find me immediately, rooting me in place. He raises a finger and points it directly at me.

"I'll take her." He declares.