“Virgin.” One of them gasps. Then the hushed whispers sound around me. My cheeks flame as I wrap my hand around my robe, stifling the blood.
“Virgin blood, in the temple room.” The tall, priest stammers, flipping his hood back to stare at me. No, he’s not bald or receding, no three eyes or crooked teeth — instead, he looks unfortunately quite ordinary. I, on the other hand, feel the heat of every eye turn to me, still standing. A virgin wolf is as rare as a dragon. They don’t exist. That’s the first thing a female wolf sheds before eligibility to mate for this very reason. They don’t want to be a target.
“A virgin?” A male in a green robe stands.
My entire body is aflame as I stumble back into my seat. The chair falls with a clatter as more males rise from their seats.
“Everyone, remain seated.” Thorn’s demanding voice causes me to make eye contact with him. Mistake, big mistake, for his eyes are no longer serious, but surprised. That somehow makes it worse… so much worse. I glance to Cullen who nods approval for me to be dismissed, and I pull Roman to his feet. We dash out of the hall with tears brimming in my eyes as whispers resound behind me.
In the hall, I release Roman and let the tears fall.
“Well,” he sighs, “that was…dramatic.” He continues as we walk, “Probably a little more than I needed to know about my sister.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. Defeat and embarrassment sagging my shoulders. I tried so hard to protect him that I ended up leaving myself vulnerable. Now it’s too late because if I lose my virginity during mating season, it’ll mean something. It’ll lock me into a whole season with them.
“If all trials are dramatic like this, I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
Unfortunately, I was thinking the same thing, but not with any of his excitement.
Chapter 7
THORN
The double doors of the temple slam shut behind the Shadow pack’s female.
The virgin.
I’ve been attending the Mating Trials for nine seasons, nothing surprises me anymore. Fights. Betrayals. Frenzied bonds that didn’t last the moon cycle. But never this.
Avirginfemale making it to mating eligibility? Well … it’s unheard of.
Now, every male in the room is on edge. Olcan is salivating as he watches her leave after just disrespecting her and her brother. A virgin wolf is an omen. It’s said to make a great, devoted mate. Plus, a rare blessing like that sets off every primal instinct in this place.
I’ve never really thought about it being a possibility. I’m more interested in the promise of the trials bringing me a fated mate as they were designed to do. I couldn’t care how many partners the female has had.
Virgin. I assumed the child with her was her son, but if she’s a virgin, who is he to her? The fact that she would bringhim with her to something so sacred tells me that he’s special to her.
“Virgin. Virgin blood,” the elder priest murmurs, his hood still fallen back, forgetting his carefully constructed ceremonial persona. The hushed, and not-so-hushed whispers slow and then cease. The priest collects himself, lifting his head slowly, eyes gleaming under the moonlight. “Virgin blood spilt in the holy temple under the moon is a divine sign.” He breathes, voice nearly reverent. “This 100thseason will be the best yet, yielding powerful unions that sire hearty offspring that will lead a nation. The trials will continue with this great moon blessing. Tomorrow is the first trial; Howl will commence… meet in the great valley when the moon is at its highest point.”
He bows his head and disappears through a side corridor, muttering with the other red-cloaked priests like carrion birds circling a fresh kill. The room buzzes in his absence. Meat is passed, cups refilled, and conversation resumes as if this very room wasn’t rocked by this revelation. As if this poor girl didn’t just make herself the target of all the males across four packs.
Olcan leans over to Koa. “Can you believe we have a virgin this season? How many wolves do you think will be heading for her?”
“All of them.” Koa rolls his eyes as if it’s obvious.
“Yeah, a virgin mate on the 100thanniversary of the trials, that’s got to be a sign,” Olcan returns. I don’t like his tone. His determined voice almost insinuates the blessing is for him.
Protectiveness rises in my chest. I don’t look at them as I state, “Silence, you two. Only an idiot would choose a mate based on how many partners they’ve had.”
Olcan smirks. “Don’t pretend you’re not thinking about it, Alpha. You’ll be sniffing after her same as the rest of us.”
I turn, cold and slow. “I won’t chase anyone who isn’tmeant for me. That’s the entire purpose of the trials, to find a mate — not a trophy. You’d be wise to focus on that.”
He laughs. “Maybe that’s why you haven’t chosen anyone in a decade. Too busy waiting for fate while the rest of us are making things happen.”
“And maybe that’s why none of your pairings last.” I sigh. “You treat this like a game. All while you forget the consequences.”
The brothers snicker to each other and include Steele across the table from them, and I catch the word ‘unworthy’ once, but I’m past the point of caring.
