The Luna Trials

The crescent moon had just passed its peak when Cassy arrived at the arranged meeting spot. The Ash Mount packhouse was built into the mountainside, its base giving way to rough rock formations that jutted out in a cliff that overlooked the pack. It was a demanding structure that boasted a strong fortress, but those who had grown up on those rocks could navigate them with ease. Cassy had met Zac on those rocks as a newly initiated Ash Mount pup, and spent her youth playing there with him and Alex, climbing and racing on their dangerous edge. She knew every safe footing, every sharp point and every quiet spot where she could meet her secret boyfriend. Zac stood on a flatter area of the rocks, his back to her as he watched over the sleeping pack. He was early, typical really. Cassy was a little early herself; her nerves had twisted her too tight in bed while she waited for 01:00am, so she had decided to just go, even if it meant waiting in the cold alone. Though the packhouse did a g

Among the chattering women, Cassy felt like she was the only one whose stomach was thick and heavy with the desire to turn around and run. The walk up to the packhouse wasn’t unfamiliar, she had been there many times for pack meetings and often accompanied her mother if a ranked wolf was sick or injured, but it had never felt so daunting. For the first time, she glimpsed the packhouse like an enemy about to face its rock face walls and sheer edges. She gulped and moved her attention to her feet. They suddenly felt rubbery, the steep rocks looking to trip her up before she had the chance to attempt her goal. It was only knowing Zac was inside, and one of the women around her would become his mate if she didn’t make the top ten of the trials, that kept her feet moving. The crowd passed through the large front doors in a bustle of excitement. Cassy knew the wolves around her, all hoping they’d be the ones to make it to the end to get their strong mate, but most kept their distance from h

They called the first trial an environment test, but it was an obvious cull designed to trim most of the participants down to the fittest wolves. That or they wanted to be rid of the women who had come from other packs. Either way, Cassy couldn’t help but wonder why they were attempting to chop the numbers so quickly. Alpha Jason said less than half would likely continue on after the trial, expediting the whole process. A Luna Trial would usually take at least a month, dragged out with parties and visits from other packs, but by the sounds of it, he wanted a Luna at his side within the week. Not that it really mattered to Cassy. The sooner she made the top ten and Zac chose her to be his mate, the sooner she could keep her head down and return to a life of obscurity. “Break a leg.” Alex grinned, as the group was herded out of the hall to the start line. “You shouldn’t say that when I probably will.” Cassy grumbled. “Oh, I didn’t mean your leg.” Cassy caught Alex’s nod towards K

After handing a sobbing Emily to her mum, Cassy sprinted to collect a token. Something within her wanted to stay with the hurt wolf, but she didn’t have the time. She’d have to deal with visiting her after the race instead. The token was a small gold nugget pressed into a rough circle and printed with the number 35. It should’ve been a relief that only 34 others had collected their token so far, but Cassy knew most of the women were already running too far behind to complete the race in time. If she didn’t haul ass, she’d be one of them.  Token in hand, she raced back to the rocky cliffside and st

It wasn’t until Cassy spotted a bird, frozen in mid-air, over Alpha Jason’s shoulder that she realised her new bloodline ability had activated again. Immediate heat flushed to her cheeks — another aspect not affected by her slowing down time... Delightful. She had thought they were sharing a moment, but she couldn’t tell when the ability had kicked it. It had felt like an endless moment of intrigue to her, but what if the power had activated immediately? Had he been staring at her too, feeling the same, or had she frozen him in simple moment of eye contact? Cassy had no way of knowing, and even if she did, what would it matter? Anyone would feel something after being rescued, right? Zac was still the mate she wanted. With a bit of trial and error, and a touch of willpower, time moved on again. Immediately, she looked away from her Alpha, knowing she’d gone beet-red, though she hoped he chalked it up to adrenaline from the fall. Thankfully, the pain returned to her hands with unapolog