The calm after the King said he wasn’t her father was more chilling than if he had exploded in a fit of anger and cursed her mum out for making a child with her affair partner. Instead, William asked for Cassy to be taken to a secure room and did little more that wish her a good sleep before she was all but dragged from the hall by two warriors. With the revelation that the King wasn’t her father and still not knowing where her mum was, Cassy couldn’t sleep. Even if she was tired, she wouldn’t want to. She had convinced the Silver Spear wolves to let her stay in Alex’s room, knowing about the hidden stash of weapons inside, but they searched and cleared them all before leaving her alone in there. Still, her friend’s scent being all around her helped calm her shot nerves as more and more questions built up in her mind, tormenting her with the danger beyond the bedroom doors and the situation she was in. In amongst the storm of fear and uncertainty, a small glimmer of happiness preva
The path to the packhouse was flooded with warriors. It was disheartening to see both Ash Mount and Silver Spear wolves standing side by side on guard, all watching her as she approached the packhouse. Its windows were still as lit up as when she had left the ceremony but the music had stopped. Had the King known about who she was then? Barely a couple of hours ago she had been on the stage with him as he pressed her to share her pheromones so she could be claimed by one of the High Guard. Is that why he had pushed so much? Had he wanted her to reveal herself in front of the pack? Even so, he must’ve already taken her mum by then. Was it all a game to him, pretending he didn’t know their secret? Cassy didn’t know. She had too many questions boiling inside her, and there was only one way to get answers. Nobody tried to stop her as she walked up to the packhouse and went inside the large building. There were less wolves inside, but Cassy noticed they were from the King’s pack and not
Cassy didn’t think she had ever run so fast in her life. Not even when the time was running out on the first game of the Luna Trials and she was far behind everyone else. She wondered if this was how fast her mum had run when she was escaping the King all those years ago. Running like her life and the life of her daughter were on the line but never feeling fast enough as danger nipped at her heels. Cassy felt like she was moving through sludge. Though they were speeding through the pack it felt like they were progressing too slow, but her legs moved as fast as they could. Her muscles burned with the effort but couldn’t work any harder. Her only consolidation was that Alex and Katie were flanking her, keeping pace and following her lead. ‘I can’t get through to Jace, can you?’ Cassy asked for the third time, hoping for good news. ‘No. Nothing. I can feel him there, but he won’t answer me.’ Alex answered with a grunt that barely hid the note of worry in her voice. ‘Perhaps he is distr
“I’m never going to make the mistake of trusting you again.” Cassy eyed Zac, but curiosity outweighed her unease. She’d never love him again, but she wasn’t lying when she said she thought he wasn’t evil. He was just a man whose loyalty wavered when a pack of women were suddenly competing to be his mate. An asshole but harmless. “But, you can tell me what’s going on.”Relief crossed the Beta wolf’s expression, before his eyes turned to the scenery. “It feels too exposed here. We should go somewhere else.”
As soon as the official part of the choosing ceremony was over, Cassy fled. The pack cheered for the newly agreed upon mates and wagered bets on who would be their next Luna; Roan or Sarah. Most wanted Sarah. She was a clear favourite among warriors and civilians alike, and with her ruthlessness Cassy was sure she would win. Then, she’d be Jace’s mate and the Ash Mount Luna. Cassy’s inside’s boiled with frustration, anger and betrayal. How could Jace cast her away like that? How could he stand by while Zac claimed her as his mate in front of the pack? How could he give into the King like that and kick her out of the Trials?She knew the answer of course. Because he was the King, with a Kingdom of wolves at his back. To anger him would be to put the pack in danger. Pushing to keep Cassy in the Trials also ran the risk of exposing her as his mateand
There was an odd feeling in the hall and Cassy couldn’t shake the notion that everyone kept glancing her way. Maybe it was the huge cast on her arm running from her bicep to her forearm, or maybe it was the blatant rule twisting that had her up on the stage alongside a pissed off Sarah that had them throwing doubt her way. Though Cassy was hopefully Jace could spin the results, so she progressed to the finals instead of Sarah, she didn’t see how that was possible. Sarah had beat her, there was no question she had. After Cheryl forfeited, it should’ve been a clear win for Sarah, and the pack were left confused why it wasn’t.Sweat beaded at her neck, her stomach rolling with every passing minute the King and Jace kept the room waiting. She felt like she was under a magnifying glass, each eye turned in her direction a beam of sunlight, scorching her throug