Chapter Eighteen

She saw me shift for the first time into my ultra-rare, stunningly beautiful russet-tipped golden wolf, saw the look of awe and coveting on the faces of the unmated males in that Pack. Too late, they had realised what a prize I was, that I actually carried royal Alpha blood because my colouring only occurred once every five hundred years. Their Elders had told tales of such a wolf being a portent to great change and, more importantly, to a full solar eclipse, because I was that Solar Wolf. I had stepped straight out of the pages of their history books, a wolf so rare I was thought to have powers gifted from the Moon Goddess herself, and the Mountain Pack had abused me so badly that I had rejected them. Their loss was the Midnight Eclipse gain, because, according to him,  I was their Alpha, Kaiden’s fated mate. The Healer had told him that once he claimed me fully, it would release my powers for the good of their Pack, making it the most powerful Pack in the world.

Lucy collapsed from the horror she had witnessed firsthand in my mind, and Kaiden gently placed me back onto his bed, then went to the aid of his Healer. He helped her to sit up, and she placed her hand on his cheek, saying softly,

‘I am sorry, Alpha, but you need to know this.’

Then she linked her mind to his and watched his eyes grow wide with shock at what the Mountain Pack had put his little mate through for the last fourteen years.

‘I’m going to fucking kill him.’

Midnight’s growl was so deep it rasped through his body, and the feeling was shared with Kaiden.

‘No, Alpha, you must stay with your mate, help her adjust and learn. I hate to say this after all she has suffered, but you must claim her quickly to release her powers.’

Kaiden helped the Healer to her feet, and they both looked at the sleeping girl on the bed. The exchange had left her weak and exhausted; she was still so thin and fragile.’

‘I will not force myself on her.’

Kaiden said and turned to the Healer,

First, I will bring her into our Pack formally, in two days, it is the Spring Equinox Ball. She will be presented to the Pack and formally inducted with a blood joining. Once she becomes one of us, it will open her up to all Pack knowledge. Then, I would like you to educate her on her role as Luna so that when the summer equinox occurs, and the Blood Moon is at its zenith, I will take her as my mate.’

When I woke, I found that I was alone and someone had left a delicious tray of food by my bedside, my stomach rumbled hungrily at the sight of the charcuterie board, with fresh, just-cooked rolls, cheese and fruit. My mouth watered as I sat at the small table in front of the bay windows and polished off every last scrap.

It was so wonderful to be warm and have a full belly; these were luxuries I  had never been given, along with the new clothes, the soft, comfortable bed and wonder of wonders, my own en-suite bathroom. All I had ever known was poverty, hand-me-down clothes, leftover scraps of food, and the only way to keep clean was to wash in the river. I slept a lot; my body now had the strength to heal and recover from the constant hard work and physical abuse I had been forced to endure. Regular healthy food with plenty of protein to help my wolf grow and rejuvenate, they gave me three good meals plus all the fruit I could ever want. Within twenty-four hours, my bruises had faded, and after forty-eight, I had even added a couple of pounds to my weight. It would take months of gentle recuperation for me to recover completely and build up enough strength to train with the other Pack members, but the transformation had begun.

Lucy spent all her free time with me, teaching me the ways of the Pack. I  was so naive and innocent, she found it endearing, but time was of the essence. She had her orders, and she knew she had to get me up to speed within three months. First, though there was the blood initiation, to become a full member of the Pack, she told me I would have to kneel before the Alpha and swear my allegiance to him and the Pack. Then he would take my hand and slice my palm and his own with the ancient sacrificial knife that had been used for centuries for this initiation within their Pack. He would clasp their hands together, mingling their blood, and my mind would be opened to all of the Pack's interactions.  

Thanks to Lucy, I knew now what becoming part of this Pack entailed, and it terrified me. When my mother had joined the Mountain Top Pack, she hadn’t known she was pregnant, so I hadn’t suffered the induction ceremony. Lucy tried to allay my fears, going over and over each part of the ceremony so I knew exactly what was expected of me. I never told her it didn’t help my fears; I kept those thoughts to myself, knowing I wouldn’t be able to go through with it.

As midnight approached, the Healer helped me prepare, but there was only so much she could do. When the guards came to lead me onto the dais where Kaiden and the three Elders waited, I hesitated, and this time my fear was palpable.

‘It’s okay, Dakota, Kaiden will look after you; he would never hurt you.’

Lucy encouraged and could only watch as the two guards took my arms and led me up to Kaiden.

‘Kneel before the Alpha.’

One of them said gruffly, pushing me down with his big hands. I wanted to resist. Solar was very close to the surface, and my eyes shone like molten gold.