“Morning.” I return my glare to the horizon. We still have half a day before we’ll arrive at the castle and the air feels wrong. Too still. Too quiet. We’ll have to hustle to make it.
“You’re brooding again,” she says, stepping beside me.
“Just focused.”
“You always say that.” Tala rolls her brown eyes.
Since her mother remated and left the pack, I’ve taken her under my wing. She’s become a little sister to me, and with that closeness comes the ability to read my every emotion. A weakness an Alpha shouldn’t display.
“No more than usual. Just trying to arrive on time.”
“Oh, in a rush to find a mate, are we?” She nudges my shoulder.
“The Alpha, find a mate?” Olcan scoffs, wavy dark hair and wide frame sauntering toward us with Koa, his younger brother, on his heels. Although born a year later, Koa could be his twin. Steele follows closely behind the brothers, like his namesake, his hair, eyes, and aura are stormy steel gray. The silver-eyed Bane follows a few steps behind, his black hair tied back, making his eyes stand out against his tan skin. Koa, Steele, and Bane are a few of the younger wolves who just became eligible for the Mating Trials this year. For some reason, they’ve attached themselves to Olcan, who’s attending his second season.
Olcan continues, “Not likely.”
Koa and Steele snicker. Even the ever-quiet Bane smirks.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Olcan,” I deadpan. Olcan is another one whose parents have left the pack. He hasn’t taken it as well as Tala.
“I’m starting to think you like to compete with us younger guys. I’ve taken two mates since; again, how many times have you attended?”
“And you couldn’t keep either, so maybe you shouldn’t be giving advice,” Tala interjects.
“Let’s face facts, he’s the only Alpha without a mate,” Olcan shoots back. “Doesn’t that mean something?”
I take a slow breath, “I’m not willing to mate out of desperation like some people.”
“Oh right, you’re waiting for a fairy tale,” he scoffs. “You preach of gods, but it looks like you’re not worthy of their blessing.”
Because I won’t settle for anything less than fated. Maybe it is a fairy tale.
“You want a mate or a ghost?” Olcan grins, “Either way, your line ends with you.”
Tala bristles beside me, claws unsheathing, “Say that again.”
Olcan smirks. “Didn’t mean to offend. Just figured we should know whether we need a new Alpha before the snow melts.”
That lands like a blow to my stomach. The Alpha I challenged was dead after a long winter. His crimson blood melting the snow beneath his body. Scar just happened to be Olcan’s grand-kin.
The younger wolves look to me, not with fear. With doubt. And that’s worse.
I step closer to him, shoulders square. My voice low as I state, “Be careful what you wish for; the last person who threatened me was turned to ash.”
I step forward again, looking from Olcan and Koa, then Steele to Bane. It’s Bane who drags Olcan away.
“It’s only a matter of time, Thorn. Count your days,” Olcan yells over Bane’s shoulder.
I sigh, kicking my foot in the snow. I’ll have to shift soon before I get frostbite.
Tala approaches my side. “I haven’t heard this talk; it’s just Olcan, don’t worry about it.”
“It’s only a matter of time, Tala. I’m the only Alpha without a mate.”
“How can they think you’re not worthy? Did they not see you win Alpha from Scar?”
“I chose not to take a mate; I preach these trials and journey annually and it doesn’t even work for me.”
