Her stomach rolled like an unsettled sea as Maddie headed down the path she had taken the night before. There was a lightness in her chest that bubbled with excitement, but she schooled her features to a perfect neutrality. They had decided to not broadcast their training to the rest of the contestants and agreed to meet at the southern cliff edge after breakfast. Though still sore from the early morning warrior training, a new energy filled her, and she was at the edge of the township before long. There was a quietness in the pack that morning that was unusual for the hour. Maddie looked up at the dark clouds blanketing the sky, which had brewed overnight. She felt the oncoming storm on her skin like a warning. The other Silver Moon wolves would feel the same and be staying in their homes to shelter from the rain. Instead of doing the same, she awaited its arrival with the same eagerness she had as a pup, when her father had taken her outside to watch the lightning dance across the

As if he heard her silent plea, Michael slipped his hand under her shirt, pressing his palm to her stomach. Sparks crackled between their flesh, shooting a red-hot pleasure through her body, leading to her core. His earlier teasing still hummed there like embers, which reignited at the new spark. Maddie moaned as his lips found her neck once more, eagerly exploring the vulnerability she exposed for him. She arced her back, her hips rolling against him while she squirmed in his hold. She was desperate to free her hands and twist them into his hair, to drag his lips hers. To feel him. His fingers skirted over her belly, alternating between grabbing at her, like he couldn’t believe he could touch her, and delicately brushing his fingertips over her skin. Both had her groaning. Being in his arms just felt right. With his lips hovered over the sensitive spot at the base of her throat Maddie couldn’t help the way her pheromones burst free. Her scent pooled around them, thick with need.

It took a few moments to realise she wasn’t in her bed when she woke up. The usual comfort she was wrapped in was replaced by a damp surface that stuck to her cheek as her eyes drifted open. An earthen scent filled her nose and, as she blinked back the blurriness of her vision, she saw tall trees surrounding her. They reached high to a pale sky, which had the pale hues of the early morning painted into its blue. A jacket slipped from her shoulders as she pushed herself up and rolled the sleep from her aching muscles. Whatever position she had taken on the cold floor, her body disagreed with it and already yearned for the familiar snugness of her own bed. She had slept on the floor many times before, often when she was a pup and convinced her father to let her camp under the stars, but there was a difference that morning. An added danger, an uncertainty, for it was officially the start of the third trial of the Alpha Games. A buzz carried over her skin as she got to her feet and p

Maddie had never taken watch before. She had done all nighters at parties, but she was beginning to see how much harder it was to stay awake without the stimulation of alcohol and music and a man or two. The only entertainment she had was watching the soft rise and fall of Michael’s chest as he slept. Strangely, it did help to pass the time. It soothed her and she quickly found herself lost in its rhythm. After a while, she had grabbed his jacket and tucked it over herself like a blanket. She told herself it was to fight off the chill of the night, but the mild air taunted her of that lie. It had been hours since he had finally fallen asleep. He fought it for such a long time, jerking at every owl’s hoot or flap of a bat’s wing, that Maddie was convinced neither of them would get any rest that night. However, each time he woke, his eyes fell to her and he relaxed. Then he would drift back to sleep, falling deeper and deeper every time until he stopped waking. Pride swelled in her

Maddie couldn’t move. She felt leaden. Every muscle had been pushed past its limit and refused to listen to her, however she couldn’t stay where she was. The body beneath her was rapidly cooling, the blood now dripping from its neck in a steady trickle. Bile clawed up her throat, giving her the reason to push one last time and roll away. She whimpered as she caught herself on her wounded hand, and the last of her resistance shattered. She puked. Everything she had eaten that night came up, punishing her, until there was nothing more to come. Then, she forced herself to crawl away from the disgusting smell before flopping to her back. She could hear the whines and cries of other wolves nearby, but she couldn’t find the energy to lift her head. None of them sounded like Michael though. She was certain she would know if he got hurt. Instead, she stared at the sky above, gentle and unaffected by the attack and the wounds she had gained. A final crack and gurgle sounded before the cleari