Page 197 of His White Moonlight
I glanced at Bennett.His smile was chilling as he set me down.
“I was about to remind you of the same,” he said.“Let’s both act as witnesses.”
“Are you sure you want to witness this challenge and not your mother’s?”
I knew from Grandma that anyone in the pack could challenge the Alpha to take his position as Alpha.The only reason to challenge a pack member who wasn’t the alpha was to take their position in the pack.In Mom’s case, it would be her position as the Alpha’s mate.
My heart skipped a beat, and the men smirked knowingly at me.
Don’t let them smell your fear, Wrenly.That’s what they want.
Bennett’s hand settled on my shoulder.
“Who is dumb enough to challenge my mother?Everyone knows my parents are devoted to each other,” Bennett said.
“As the Luna, your mom is responsible for guiding the next Alpha in his or her choice of a mate, a mate who will strengthen our pack, not weaken it.”
Bennett’s laugh wasn’t filled with humor.
“Then you’re challenging the wrong people.Who I choose as a mate is up to me, not my parents,” Bennett said.
“Fine.Then I challenge you for the right to ascend.”
The man shifted back into his wolf form and sprang toward Bennett.Bennett stepped in front of me, knocking the wolf aside.I retreated a step, then another as Bennett shifted to his fur, too.
The other two wolves watched me, rather than either of the fighting pairs.
“Let the chase begin,” I said under my breath before I pivoted and ran.
Running on paths was fine.Running over obstacles was a lot harder.Almost four weeks of paved runs hadn’t softened me, though.The muscle memory from my days of being chased down alleys and parkouring off trash was still there.
I cleared fallen tree trunks, hurdled over brush, and ran like my life depended on it.Because it did.
Spotting a large pine ahead with dead lower branches, I adjusted my path and, without slowing, caught a lower limb.I climbed hard and fast through the branches, scraping my palms and legs in my scramble.The pain didn’t slow me down.Neither did the blood.The sap kept my grip from slipping.
When I heard a sharp crack below me, followed by a thud and cursing, I knew I’d climbed as high as I dared and stopped.I looked down and saw a man on the ground, lying on his back and dazedly staring up at me as he tried to draw in a breath.His partner was still on the tree limbs, trying to reach me.
“I’m lighter than you by at least fifty pounds,” I said.
The rest of my warning died as the branch he grabbed broke.He lost his balance and fell, taking out several branches on the way down to join his friend.
I grimaced as he landed.
The first man to fall shifted to his fur and howled.An answering howl came from nearby.I looked off in that direction then up at the sky, trying to determine what direction it’d come from.Bennett’s or the river?
“What’s the point of climbing up there?”the second man who’d fallen asked.
I looked down at him.
“What’s the point of chasing me?”
“You don’t belong here.”
“Yeah, I’m more of a pizza and movie streaming person than a run through the woods and climb a tree person, but I guess that’s life.It’s full of surprises.”
“You’re as mouthy as Storm said.”
“Oh, I’m mouthier.I just don’t know you well enough to give it any real effort.”
