Page 22 of Marked By Moonlight
Rowena smiles softly, basking in the attention. Her beauty shines even brighter as she grins. She’s strong, standing with all the confidence in the world and showing no fear at all. She doesn’t cower in front of any of the alphas. It’s as if she was born to be an alpha’s mate. It would shock me if one of these men wasn’t her mate.
Rowena’s hands grip her gown and bunch it up at her thighs before lifting it over her head.
I gasp at her nakedness so easily on display in front of the others. She doesn’t flush or show any sign of embarrassment.But why would she?She’s gorgeous—flawless skin and a perfect hourglass shape to her curves.
She nods to the first alpha. He walks forward, circling her slowly as they both size each other up. Their eyes lock, and nostrils flare at each other. Growls leave each of their throats.
I flinch at the sound. From the way they are staring at each other, I can’t tell if they are about to kiss or tear each other apart.
Suddenly, the male backs down and returns to his spot in the circle.
The dance repeats itself thirteen more times with each alpha. Despite the growls being distinct every time, each still sends shivers down my spine for different reasons.
Finally, the last one approaches her—Nyx.
My eyes widen at the sight of him. I don’t know how I didn’t recognize him earlier around the circle. Of course, he’d be here. He was the alpha of the Bloodmoon pack, and I’m his offering.
I grind my teeth together and fist my hands at my side. If anything happens to me tonight, it will be his fault.
He circles Rowena quickly, barely sniffing her before returning to his spot. His eyes hardly look at her. Instead, they look flat and bored with this entire event.
My own eyes scan his body like they have every alpha. He’s as attractive as I remember, wearing the same dark pants as every man here. Without a shirt, I can see every line of muscle on his body. But unlike the others, I’m not turned on by looking at him. All I see when I look at him is anger. I want to make him pay for putting me in this situation.
As Nyx settles into his spot, I hold my breath again, not sure what’s about to happen next.
A howl leaves Rowena—long and fierce. The other alphas howl back. It’s as if they’re calling to each other, searching for the howl that matches their own—their mate.
And then, Rowena shifts.
My eyes widen at the beauty of watching her turn into her wolf form. A flash of gold surrounds her, and then a golden wolf with piercing yellow eyes stands where Rowena just was.
Her wolf form is as beautiful as her human one. Her fur is sleek, glowing with long, lean legs and a feminine fierceness in her eyes. She walks around the circle, sniffing each alpha.
None of the alphas shift.
None of them so much as move in her direction.
None of them are her mate.
None of them are choosing her, and she’s not choosing any of them.
I may not know much about this ceremony, but I know that much.
Isolde sighs, standing just out of the circle.
“Blackwater is next,” Isolde announces, defeat in her voice.
The alphas part, making way for Rowena to exit. She jumps off the back of the stage and disappears into the darkness of the forest beyond.
She lived.
I exhale.
She’s alive.
I can live.
If none of them are my mate, I can live long enough to find the shifter who is my mate. That is, if they don’t throw me out when they realize I can’t shift.
