Two, my wolf rumbles.
He’s counting Aster. Our mate. Except Aster isn’t part of my pack. She’s another problem I haven’t worked out yet.
I frown. What trouble? I sign.
Liora’s chest sags, like a cinderblock just lowered on it. “She was selected to be bred by the alphas.”
I stare at her, sickened.
Then we’ll take her, too, I sign.
I see a flash of hope flare in Liora’s eyes before she looks over her shoulder.
I tense, not sure if she heard something.
“She’s locked up and under guard.” The tears shine in her eyes again. “I don’t want her to go through the Alpha Rites.” She fingerspells the words Alpha Rites, so I know it’s the proper name of a ritual. She shakes her head. “They’re terrible, and she’s too young.” She looks at me with that sliver of hope again. “I can’t leave without Oriana.” She’s pleading with her eyes. She wants me to help.
To save my sister from some cult ritual.
I shove my hand in my pocket and pull out two tiny trackers, like the one I slipped into Aster’s handbag at the museum. “Can you get one of these to her?” I sign. “They’re trackers, so I can find her when I come back. Find both of you.”
Fuck, I want to free all the females in Moon Hollow who’ve been brainwashed into serving males instead of being protected by them.
Liora takes the tracker, looking over her shoulder again. “I need to get back before they come looking for me. When will you come back?”
“When is the ritual?”
I catch the scent of a male on the breeze and jerk my head up, scanning the direction she came from. Liora’s eyes fly wide, and Aster tenses.
On the lunar eclipse. Liora’s fingers fly as she starts to back away. Run! She hurriedly scoops up the herbs she dropped and darts back down the path as Aster grabs my hand, and we race through the woods in the opposite direction.
My heartbeat thuds in my ears as we flee down a worn path, the one I started to follow earlier before Aster stopped me. The stress returns to her scent, and I understand why when we reach a stone thronged clearing, and I smell the fear staining the area. The whole place stinks like death, pain, violence, and old blood. The ground is worn from many feet, as if throngs of pack members stood and participated in the ceremonies conducted on the massive obsidian stone lying in the center of the granite pillars. The air is heavy, almost too dense to breathe. There’s a buzzing in my head, a pressure like claws scratching on the inside of my skull.
Aster’s face is pale and pinched. If I’m picking up uncomfortable vibes, she must be suffering. I pull her along faster, and she follows my lead without hesitation, picking up speed even as we race uphill towards the bluff. It’s a relief to disappear into the woods and leave the clearing behind.
The hike back is long and grueling, with sweat trickling down my back. I can only imagine how hard it must be for Aster. My muscles and lungs scream for a break. As soon as I can, I stoop and lift her into my arms, ignoring her mouth moving in protest as I run. She’s light as a daisy, and it’s a pleasure and privilege to carry my mate to safety.
Finally, we emerge on the road where I hid the rental car.
“What was that place?” I ask Aster after we climb in the car.
Her scent is sour, her voice sad. “That’s the Celestial Cradle. The Hollow within the Hollow, where the rituals take place. They tie the young females to the altar and force them to breed with the chosen males.”
“The Alpha Rite?” I feel sick, imagining my mother going through that.
“Yes. That’s where you were conceived in the Blood Heir Alpha Rite and where I’m to be forever bound to Aiden Adalwulf.”
Chapter Fourteen
Aster
Noah’s eyes flash gold. He normally feels safe to me, but a sense of violence blasts from him, reminding me he’s a dangerous alpha. He’s more of an alpha than Aiden, and I know what Aiden is capable of.
I freeze. We haven’t really discussed what we are to each other. Noah said I was his mate, but I didn’t acknowledge it even though I know it must be true. I haven’t unpacked what that means. We certainly haven’t agreed on what we’re going to do about it.
Now, I suddenly realize I may not have a choice in the matter. Noah may not let me go.
“That’s not going to happen,” he snarls. Again, I feel the blast of violent power, but when I jerk back, he cups my face, showing me a tenderness I never experienced from an alpha male.
