Page 14 of Midnight Moon
Hunter huffed beside me, clearly disagreeing, but he didn’t speak out against his alpha.
My father turned back around.
I crossed my arms and resumed staring out the window, no longer focusing on the landscape. Instead, I daydreamed about not only winning more than one contest in the inter-pack competition, but the entire Alpha Games.
While no one would know the details of the four contests until the day of each one, history said they would challenge a shifter’s senses, intelligence, cunning, strength, and logic. My only real disadvantage was in the strength department. As a female shifter, my wolf was lithe and stealthy, whereas males were bulky and large.
But even with that physical difference, I could still best the majority of the males in the Summit Pack in speed and agility. No matter what my father said, I knew I had a chance at winning the competition. I’d dreamed about it for years.
Not only would I return the Summit Pack to Top Pack for the next five years, but winning would prove to the naysayers that I, a female, was qualified to follow in my father’s footsteps. By winning the Alpha Games, I could confidently embrace my future leadership role without feeling the gnawing need to prove myself all the time.
Determination spread throughout my body, and confidence followed in its wake.
By the time Beta Nathan drove onto Badlands’ territory, I was resigned to do everything in my power to make sure I made my mark in the Alpha Games.
My future as the next Summit Alpha depended on it.
Four
The air smelledof smoky wood, crisp autumn leaves, and shifters. Dozens of males were gathered in the room in front of me. Their voices filled the space as they chatted amicably with one another.
A quick whiff confirmed they were all from different packs, and it seemed our pack sent the fewest representatives to the Alpha Games. I counted at least seven shifters from each of the other packs.
I frowned, wondering why my father didn’t bring more of our pack along.
Was it so no one else would see me compete? Was he worried what they would think if I failed?
“Benjamin Hemmings,” a shifter as thick as he was wide lumbered over to our group on the periphery of the Badlands’ meeting hall, interrupting my moment of insecurity. “How have you been, you son of a gun? It’s been ages.”
“Alpha Diego,” my father greeted the leader of the Moors Pack just as the shifter barreled into him, wrapping his massive arms around my father and patting his back. “It’s good to see you.”
Alpha Diego stepped back with a wide grin. His dark eyes swept the group. He nodded to Beta Nathan before his attention landed on me. His eyes widened.
“Mother Moon. This can’t be little Blair, can it?”
“Nice to see you, Alpha Diego.” I stuck out my hand.
He grabbed it and shook with enthusiasm. “I can’t believe it. The last time I saw you, you were missing your two front teeth.”
I smiled. Alpha Diego was the same easy-going jokester I remembered from my childhood. He and Dad were strong allies, and somewhat friends—as much as opposing pack alphas can be friends.
“I remember,” I told him as he released my hand. “You had more hair back then.”
Alpha Diego threw his head back and laughed, drawing more than one set of eyes to our group. “I see you’ve inherited your father’s sharp tongue. He was always quick to deliver a clever blow.”
“She’s a chip off the old block,” Beta Nathan said. He shook Alpha Diego’s hand. “Nice to see you, Diego. This is my son, Hunter.”
Hunter and Alpha Diego greeted one another.
Then, the massive man released a low whistle. “So, it’s true. The Summit Pack is officially handing the reigns to the next generation.” He didn’t say the words derisively, but he certainly sounded surprised.
“By the time of the next Alpha Games, Blair will be Alpha,” my father stated. “The Summit Pack thought it time to expose her and her future beta to the games.”
My spine straightened with pride. From the corner of my eye, I saw Hunter’s do the same. My father’s words carried throughout the meeting hall. If shifters hadn’t noticed our group before, they did now.
Since my birth, I’d been set to become the next Summit alpha, but I doubted any of the other packs had taken that seriously. I believed many of them expected my father to name someone else as his heir—I know members of my own pack did. So, hearing my father publicly confirm me as his heir was nothing short of noteworthy.
“A bold move,” Alpha Diego replied, addressing my father’s not-so-subtle declaration.
