Page 35 of The Chosen Fae

"But I cut the rope bridges, getting rid of our competition in the Rope Bridge Trial," Rune said.

"Aye. And you saved the smallest competitor, if you know what I mean. Lolita would never have made it if you hadn't interceded. You could have cut her rope too, but you didn't. And it wasn't because you didn't think she would win anyway. You hoped she could find the idol first, and you were proud of her for winning the Escape the Room challenge. Just continue what you're doing and prove you have what it takes to be leaders, even if you don't want to be."

"We're lone wolves," Rune said.

"Sometimes a lone wolf can make the best leader. Pack members who must take over two packs might not get along as well because they favor their own pack over the other. But the two of you don't have that consideration." Then he smiled at Rune. "Except you have each other."

"We're lone wolves," Stone reminded him.

The man smiled again. "Who have found a common mission and come from a common background."

That was true, Rune thought.

Then the feast was done, and the dragons waited to return them to the Phantom Fae realm.

Rune was so glad they could ride on a dragon, which was exhilarating in and of itself, and didn't have to try to go across the treacherous sands of No Man's Land again.

Once they were in the Phantom Fae territory, they didn’t have any need to stay overnight there, so they were taken back to the game location late into the night.

It was so late when they returned to the gaming facility that it was time to go to bed. They were told they would see their advisors in the morning before breakfast. What Rune didn’t expect was for Iris to be moved to her room. She liked having a room to herself. She just hoped Iris wouldn’t try to kill her as Maeve did. Then again, Rune had helped Iris across No Man’s Land to safety.

As soon as Iris entered the room and shut the door, she hurried over to give Rune a hug, shocking her to pieces. She didn't trust any of the fae in the two packs except Lolita and wondered if Iris was planning on spying on her for her packmates.

“You probably figured out that my roommate is gone,” Iris said.

“Pari?”

“Yeah. She tried to get the sandworms to eat you. I couldn’t believe it when she started throwing rocks at you. That was an ugly thing to do. Anyway, I was told that her leg is still numb, and because of her trying to kill you and her leg being useless, she was sent home.” Iris got into bed. “If you didn’t know, that’s why they sent Maeve home also.”

Rune realized that pack members needed to work together, not kill each other, or they wouldn’t have a pack to manage.

"I'm so thrilled I was chosen to room with you, though Lolita looked so disappointed. But she still has Xena as a roommate." Iris began unpacking her bag.

Poor Lolita. Of any of the fae, Rune wouldn't want to be stuck with Xena. She figured Xena would try to eliminate Rune next. Xena was a gorgeous, amber-furred wolf who surrounded herself with a circle of admiring yes-wolves, isolating and humiliating any female who threatened her alpha status. Evil.

Iris could talk all she wanted, but Rune planned not to speak with her as much as possible, not wanting to give away any of her secrets.

Iris finished unpacking and putting her clothes away as Rune climbed under her covers, planning to sleep, turning away from Iris, and closing her eyes.

Rune listened to Iris sit on her bed, not lie down, not pull her covers over—their sensitive hearing would have picked up all of that—and she didn't seem ready to sleep yet.

"I want to help you win the challenges," Iris said.

Rune opened her eyes and turned over on her side facing Iris. "Why?" She really didn't believe her.

Irish shrugged. "We're here because we need to have new leadership for the two packs. You and Stone are natural-born leaders. I love seeing you share your winnings with Stone. I believe you could lead the packs in the right direction. Despite Lolita being the smallest wolf, you take care of her like she's one of your pack, not like she's an outcast as the others do."

"And you?" Rune knew Iris hadn't behaved any differently than any of the others toward Lolita.

"I'm a beta. What can I say? You and Stone are alphas, but you have heart. Xena and Vesper are alphas also, but they rule more by bullying than anything else. They have no empathy for anyone else. If either of them takes over the packs, we'll continue to quarrel. I think you and Stone can change that."

"Maeve and Pari tried to kill me. I don't see how taking charge of a couple of packs would work when the people we would rule want us dead," Rune said. So much for not speaking much to Iris.

"That's only at the games because they want to win so bad."

"But not you."

"I don't want you dead. I'm glad Maeve and Pari were sent home. Once you and Stone began winning and you helped us at No Man's Land, offered us the chance to tackle the pirarucu⁠—"