Page 7 of The Wolf Moon

“I’m not a lycan,” I told her firmly.

“You smell like one,” She answered, lowering her head carefully, “Sometimes.”

“I’m not a lycan,” I repeated and then I turned away. I rummaged through a nearby cupboard, quickly picking out something sharp before moving towards the door.

“You shouldn’t leave. Alpha Roman demanded you stay here,” The woman told me, twisting her hands together nervously.

I hesitated, hearing his words echoing in my mind. Mate. I didn’t know what he was talking about. I didn’t know then and I didn’t care to know now. If it was enough for him to call off the hunt, maybe it just meant there was a mistake. Maybe it meant I could go back home to my family. Or maybe there was something worse waiting for me than a hunt. I couldn’t sit here and wait to find out.

“Don’t follow me,” I threatened the waif of a woman, pointing at her with my small pointed sort-of-knife. She watched me a moment before looking away nervously. I had never felt scary before, but something in the way she refused to look in my eyes made me feel just that. It probably was because I had killed one of them. I still didn’t know what to make of that.

I bolted from the door, looking both ways before creeping along the wall of the clinic. When I moved around the corner, I caught the attention of another woman who merely looked away and walked the opposite direction. I frowned, tightening my grip on my sharp object.

It became apparent after a few meetings with the shapeshifters that they weren’t going to try stopping me. In fact, some even arched forward when seeing me, tilting their heads as if baring their necks to me. It was confusing and weird. I ignored them and ran for it.

I wasn’t sure how to get out of the clinic, but I followed my instincts. I hated buildings like this one. I preferred being outside. I liked having space. It would have been better if there were more windows, but I suspected many of the windows were in the rooms behind doors. And I’d be damned if I purposely walked into a room filled with lycans.

I was creeping along the hall towards what looked like a door leading to the outside when it was opened by a large figure coming inside. I recognized the King Alpha immediately and stiffened. He didn’t seem to have expected to find me here, but otherwise showed no signs of what he might be thinking.

On impulse, I immediately opened the nearest door to me and ran inside, shutting it and attempting to lock it. But of course, the door didn’t have a lock. I looked around at another room similar to the one I woke up in. My only relief was that it was empty, but that was the extent of that relief.

I ran for the window, opening it swiftly. Just as quickly, two hands were beside mine and easily slammed the window shut. I made a noise of disbelief, twisting around to find myself trapped by the King Alpha. I planted my back against the window as though I could just teleport through it.

“You’re awake,” He stated, those cold blue eyes taking me in intensely. I tried to find some place to focus on his face, but it was like looking into the sun. It didn’t seem right that something so beautiful could exist. I closed my eyes tightly, deciding to just focus on his words.

“Nice observation. I can see why they made you the King of Alphas,” I responded, the sarcasm in my words laced with fear and anxiety.

“You’re mocking me for pointing out the obvious,” He stated once more. I wasn’t sure if it was a question or an accusation. Or just a statement. “To become the King of Alphas, I started at the bottom.”

His hand was suddenly on mine, twisting open my fingers until I was forced to drop the small weapon I held in it. Then he stepped even closer to me, lifting my hand to his face carefully. I opened my eyes widely, watching as he breathed deeply, scenting me as he had before when selecting me for the Wolf Moon hunt.

“I killed my way to the top and now I kill anyone who challenges me,” He finished simply, turning those eyes from my skin to my face suspiciously. “You don’t smell like a wolf or my mate. But during the hunt, you smelled of both.”

“I’m not a lycan,” I repeated, deciding I should probably wear this statement as a sign around my neck.

“Do what you did in the forest,” He demanded, narrowing his eyes as he watched me expectantly.

“I didn’t do anything,” I answered quickly.

“My wolves say you called to the Mother and they believe she answered. Do it again.”

I stared at him with disbelief.

“I…,” I was suddenly embarrassed. I didn’t want to admit what I had really done in that moment. It was admitting that they had actually turned me into a sobbing child calling for her mother in the moment before death. I became frustrated. “Get off of me.”

I pulled my hand from his grip forcefully and began to shove him with irritation. When he didn’t move, I twisted and turned, scampering from under his arms until I was free from his suffocating presence.

“You’ll learn to do as I tell you to if you wish to remain here,” The King Alpha growled dangerously, turning with me to watch me stumble into the center of the room.

“I don’t want to remain here,” I snapped in exasperation. “What am I doing here? I want to go home.”

He shifted, walking towards me in such an intimidating way. I took a couple of steps back by habit, but didn’t look away from those intensely cold eyes.

“You’re here because I demand it. You’re in this clinic because you were injured. I need you to heal fully before we can complete the challenge you issued on my pack and I,” He told me, his tone dark and dangerous. My brow furrowed as I stared at him with utter confusion.

“Wait, what? A challenge?”

“A challenge. My pack has accepted you as superior to them, after all you challenged each of them and they submitted. You killed one of us; something I thought impossible with someone of your stature. And you challenged me,” He growled angrily, obviously displeased with this thought. “Our battle was interrupted. It’s part of our etiquette to allow the challengers to be in full health before completing a challenge. So I’ll allow you to heal and then-”

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