What do you think of the contestants? Any favourites yet? ;)
“Where's your guard?” Jess scoured the pub as she downed the rest of her drink. “That’s the best part.” Maddie grinned. “Now I’m a contestant, father can’t show any favouritism, even to me. The only thing he’s been allowed is for me to stay in my own bedroom, and that was only because we ran out of guest rooms.” “So, no more guards until the games are over?” “Nope.” The pair shared a mischievous smile, remembering days gone by when their plans had been foiled by the Silver Moon warriors that the Alpha had placed to watch her. With them gone for at least a month, there would be no limit to what they could get up to. “So...” A gleam filled her friend’s eyes, immediately putting Maddie on her guard. “Did you find anyone special at the scent trial?” Her eyebrows wiggled as if Maddie needed any help to understand her meaning. “Nope, you were the best one there.” “I knew it.” Jess grinned, before jumping up to get another round. Maddie took a long sip of her lemonade. She wasn’t sure
The morning sun brushed across the sky in faded oranges and pinks, gently coaxing the day to wake up. Maddie’s arms stretched high above her as she convinced her body to do the same. It had been difficult tearing herself from her bed so early, but she was reminded of the crisp refreshing air that the morning gifted her. It rushed her lungs, making her hum as its chill spread throughout her form, chasing away any lingering fatigue. The usual thrum of life from the pack was subdued and she quietly wondered if the other contestants were still in bed as she continued to warm up her muscles. She had expected more to be up and about, but she hadn’t seen any on her way downstairs. Behind you. A voice sung in her mind. A smile curled the corners of Maddie’s lips as she turned to find Jess walking towards her. She was dressed in haphazardly thrown on joggers and a crinkled t-shirt, her hair pulled into a rushed ponytail. Her chest warmed at the sight. “You don’t have to do this. It’s against
Maddie had never showered faster in her life. She didn’t bother with her hair and simply scrubbed her skin of the morning’s jog. She was in and out in moments, before she was throwing on whatever clothes were in the top of her drawers and rushing from her room. She threw a look at the clock, seeing she had ten minutes before her father was due to get to his office. In the mornings, he usually had some area of the pack to visit, whether he supervised the warrior training or inspected the docks, but he was always at his desk by eight o’clock. The warrior training would have wrapped up too, but they would head to breakfast before getting changed for the day. Nothing as small as being a bit sweaty would get in the way of a hungry warrior and their breakfast. That gave Maddie a small window where her father’s office would be empty with no chance of one of the warriors coming in to surprise her. Before she could rethink her hastily scrambled together plan, she flew out of her room and acro
The crowd of Silver Moon wolves roared their appreciation at the three pairs of contestants fighting in the middle of the training field. Only the fighters and umpires were allowed on the field, leaving a small gap before the civilians grappling for a look. Some hung from the windows of the houses at its edge, cheering on whichever wolf they liked the look of; usually the bigger strong one of each pairing. Maddie was stood in the one part of the field which had been sectioned off for the waiting contestants and the Silver Moon upper rank wolves to oversee the weapons trial. She stood at Jess’ side, working out her nerves by keeping her body warm. She jumped on her tiptoes, her eyes scanning the group for the wolf she had been paired with. When her father had announced each challenge, she had breathed a sigh of relief that he either hadn’t noticed the change or was happy to overlook her involvement. Either way, she was sure he only did it because he thought her defeat was inevitable an
Maddie was wooden, each movement forced as she walked to the chest at the edge of the field and claimed her weapons. The small daggers gleamed with their recent polish, the silver hilt fitting like a glove in her hand. They had been a gift from her father the night she had gained her wolf. She adored them but hadn’t had much chance to use them. Wolves trained with their bodies more than weapons. Why carry a dagger in human form when you can attack with the razor-sharp claws of your wolf form? She palmed the blade, spinning the flat of it around her hand before grabbing the hilt again. Her muscles remembered the small movements required to make her daggers deadly, just as her skin remembered the cool metal of the blades. Maddie sunk two into holsters at her thighs, keeping hold of the other two as she walked onto the field. Murmurs burst out from the crowd, eyes moving from the two other pairs, already in the heat of battle, to her. The pressure of their gazes was familiar and pulled a
The smirk pulling at Jason’s lips made her skin prickle, but Maddie pushed aside her swelling anger. Instead, she forced every part of her attention on the Wild Shore warrior, dissecting his every move and catching every flicker in his expression. It was clear that he didn’t think much of her. Not only did his features betray the condescension of his gaze, but he was also hanging back, waiting for her to take the first move. He was acting like they were in a training session, and she was a newbie he had been lumbered with. Her fists clamped tighter around the daggers, but she centred her calm. Rather than letting herself anger, at how little he thought of her as an opponent, she would use it instead. He didn’t think she was trained, he didn’t think she was strong, he didn’t think she could win. It was perfect. All she had to do was bait him into believing his own assessments and then strike quickly before he realised what was going on. First though, she had to test the waters. Contor
The games halted while Jason was led from the field by two Silver Moon warriors. He was being taken to the packhouse to grab his belongings and then would be escorted off the territory to go home. Maddie didn’t envy the day he had ahead. He was the only Wild Shore wolf to make it through the scent trial and now he had to go back to his pack to tell them he was bested by the Luna-to-be and then injured her in an unprovoked attack. She watched him go with an air of satisfaction. He wasn’t suitable to be an Alpha, nor her mate, and now she was one step closer to winning. “Are you alright?” Her father drew alongside her, his eyes dropping to her wrist. A dull ache throbbed deep in the bones and she had it cradled to her chest while her other hand tried to rub away the feeling. The cut on her forearm was dripping blood down her leather armour and hurt like a bitch, but she disregarded it under his gaze. She set her jaw and met his eye. “I’m fine.” The Alpha stared at her for a moment lo
“Ouch. Shit, Jess. Be gentle.” Maddie hissed as another pinch of pain added to her already throbbing arm. “Don’t be such a baby.” Jess grumbled. “Here, take this.” Of all the things her friend could’ve handed her, she wasn’t surprised that it was a shot of vodka. Her eye roll was interrupted by another flash of pain, and she quickly downed the drink, its burn stealing the heat off her arm. The gash Jason had gifted her, before she beat him, wasn’t too deep, but it travelled the length of her forearm and hadn’t decided to stop bleeding yet. She had bandaged herself well at the field side, giving her enough time to watch the rest of the matches, while letting everyone see she was unbothered by the commotion her opponent had caused. It was only when the fights were over and the ten wolves continuing onto the speed trial were announced, did Jess notice the red seeping through her bandages and dragged Maddie from the group. It had been worth it to get a chance to watch the figh