CHAPTER FIVE

Raven's POV

The banging on the door sounded like a hammer against my skull. Through the thick wood, I could hear the faint, annoying screech of Miss Freya’s voice telling us to get moving.

I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head, but it didn't help. My roommates were already starting to stir. Sheila, who was always in a bad mood, sat up and rubbed her eyes aggressively.

“That woman is so annoying,” Sheila muttered, her voice raspy from sleep.

“I agree,” I whispered back.

I peeked out from under my blanket and looked at the window. The sun was barely even rising. The sky was that weird, dark purple color you only see when it’s way too early to be awake. Why would she wake us up now? We had gotten into bed so late last night. Miss Freya definitely takes her job too seriously.

Despite the complaining, we all stood up. Nobody wanted to deal with her wrath this early in the morning. Dan looked over at me and offered a small, bright smile.

“Good morning, Raven,” he said.

I crinkled my brows, wondering why he was being so cheerful at what must be six in the morning, but I tried to be polite. “Morning, Dan. How did you sleep?”

“Great,” he said, grabbing his towel. “I’m going to go hit the showers before the line gets too long.”

I nodded. I didn't need to go since I had showered right before bed, so I just sat on the edge of my mattress. Sheila left the room a moment later without saying a word. She really did seem like the kind of person who was just born angry.

I picked up my hairbrush and started taming my auburn hair. It was a mess of tangles from the bus ride and the night of tossing and turning. Diane came over and sat on the edge of my bed, already buzzing with energy.

“What do you think they’re going to make us do today?” she asked, watching me brush. “Do you think we’ll be in the kitchens? Or maybe cleaning the main hall?”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll involve a lot of walking,” I said. I pulled my hair back into a tight updo, making sure it was secure so it wouldn't get in my way while I worked.

I looked at Diane and noticed her hair was already styled perfectly. It was in the same tight bun she had worn yesterday.

“Did you seriously sleep with your hair like that?” I asked, leaning back to look at her.

Diane shrugged. “It saves time in the morning.”

I couldn't understand that for the life of me. How can someone sleep with their hair pinned up like that? It sounded incredibly uncomfortable, but as the saying goes, to each their own.

We waited for Sheila and Dan to get back, then the four of us left the room together. The hallways were already filling up with other pack members. We followed the flow of the crowd, feeling a bit small. There were only about twenty of us from the Inker Pack, and as we entered a large hall, I realized just how many wolves were actually here.

Pack members from both the North and the South were gathered in one space. It was a sea of unfamiliar faces. Up at the front, a man stood on a small platform. He was a complete ginger with bright red hair and a matching beard, and he looked like an Alpha. He stepped forward to address the crowd, and his voice was so powerful it seemed to vibrate the floorboards.

“We have all come from different lands and different packs,” he shouted. “North and South we are, but here, we are just wolves. One Goddess, one kind!”

Everyone started clapping. It was a nice sentiment, but I wondered how many people actually believed it. The tension in the room was still thick enough to cut with a knife.

“Today is just for socializing,” he continued once the clapping died down. “Move around, talk to each other. Make friends and alliances.” He gave a playful wink. “Meet your mates!”

The crowd chuckled at that, and I felt a small pang in my chest. Yeah, right, I thought. Like that ever goes well.

“In the afternoon, the games will start,” he said. “They are meant to bond us together. Roles will be shared and rotated among everyone except the leadership. Be respectful, be responsible. That is all.”

There was more clapping, and then the room turned into a flurry of motion. People were being pulled aside and given assignments. Diane was whisked away to some other part of the building, leaving me standing there with Dan.

I decided to just walk around. I didn't have much interest in socializing with a bunch of strangers who would probably look down on me the moment they scented my rank. Dan stayed right at my side like glue.

“Go on, Dan,” I said, shooing him with my hand. “Go make some friends. This is your chance to see the world.”

He rolled his eyes. “Who would want to be friends with a male Omega? Unless they’re men with bad intentions, I’m not exactly at the top of the guest list.”

I stopped walking and looked at him. I realized then that Dan truly had it worse than I did. At least people expected females to be Omegas. For a male, the stigma was even harsher.

“How old are you, Dan?” I asked.

“Twenty,” he replied.

“And when did you shift?”

“Four years ago,” he said.

“Well, at least you didn't have a delayed shift like me,” I said, trying to find a silver lining. “Do you wish you’d meet your mate here?”

He looked at his shoes. “It would be nice, I guess. But honestly? It’s not likely they would want me. Not many wolves are looking for a mate who is weak.”

We walked around for a long time after that, sharing our woes and talking about what it was like back at the Inker Pack. Before I knew it, the afternoon had arrived. It was time for the games.

A voice boomed over the speakers, asking everyone to gather in the courtyard. I knew I wouldn't be competing, though. I had been chosen as one of the servers to hand out drinks while the Alphas and other wolves showed off.

I told Dan to go ahead and find a good spot to watch. I headed for the kitchens, which took me forever to find. The place was a maze of nice looking hallways. When I finally got there, it was chaos. Trays of drinks were being lined up, and other servers were rushing in and out. I grabbed a heavy tray filled with different juices and water and began the long walk back to the courtyard.

When I got there, the first game was already starting. It was a contest to see who could shift into their wolf the fastest. A group of volunteers were already getting undressed. In the werewolf world, nudity isn't a big deal so nobody seemed bothered by it.

I moved through the crowd, handing out glasses. My tray was empty before I knew it. I hurried back to the kitchen for a second round. As I was coming back toward the courtyard, I took a shortcut through a narrow stone archway.

I was moving fast, trying to not dawdle, when someone else stepped into the archway from a side path.

We slammed into each other.

The impact sent a jolt through my body. I lost my balance, my feet slipping on the smooth stone. Oh no, I thought, closing my eyes. I was supposed to not make any mistakes, and now I was about to dump a tray of drinks all over a stranger.

But the crash never came.

A pair of hands grabbed the tray with scary-good reflexes, and another hand gripped my waist, hauling me back upright.

I steadied myself and looked up to apologize. My breath caught in my throat.

Dark hair. Intense amber eyes. A strong jawline and a face that looked like it was carved out of granite. It was Darian Callisto. The King of the South was standing right in front of me.

I gasped, my heart stopping, and immediately lost my balance all over again. He frowned, his grip moving to my upper arm to keep me from falling.

And then it happened.

Sparks.

The moment his skin touched mine, a jolt of electricity shot through my entire body. It was like a dam had broken because his scent flared up, and a wave of pure, overwhelming dominance washed over me, making my knees go weak.

He smelled incredible. It was the scent of old paper and wet sand, the exact smell of the air right before a heavy rain. It was heavenly. It was intoxicating.

Why? I screamed internally. This shouldn't be happening! I already have a mate!

But Eva wasn't sharing my panic. She rolled her eyes in the back of my mind, her tail wagging with a force that made my head spin.

He is our mate, stupid, she said.

My head swam, the world tilted, and for the third time in a row, I felt my balance give way completely.