AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I think this is part of the reason I’ve found these trials so difficult. Not the actual tasks themselves, but the fact that this is challenging my beliefs about what I am and where I belong. While I always knew I was different from my fellow pups and that I wasn’t born into the pack, I was never treated that way. I knew I belonged. Now, though, after having learned that I’m not a hundred percent werewolf like I believed I was, I am beginning to question my place. Worry gnaws at me, and that little voice of doubt whispers that even if I survive the trials, I could still lose my family and home because of this. Will they ever still look at me the same?
No. Even if that did happen, I’ve got Joel, my mate, and I’ll always have a home with him.
I’m agitated by Scott’s question, not so much because I don’t like him asking, but because I don’t have an answer for him.
“I’m a werewolf,” I snap. “At least part wolf. Isn’t that why I’m here?” I remind him. It was publicly announced by the council that I’m not fully wolf when they tried to have me executed for witchcraft. I was only saved by the fact that I’m goddess blessed and have a mate mark on my shoulder, something that only werewolves can possess. The council then offered me a space in the trials to prove myself.
Scott has either already made up his mind or isn’t listening as he stares over at where the creature had been standing.
“You killed that creature.” He turns back to look at me with awhat the fuckexpression. “You werefloating. Is that normal for witches?”
Growling in the back of my throat, I debate whether or not to set Star on him, but then I decide against it. He did just try to help me, after all. “I’mnota witch,” I grind out instead. “We don’t know who my birth parents were, but I was raised by wolves, Iama werewolf.”
I know he sees right through my insistence, and this time Star snarls half-heartedly on my behalf, picking up on my annoyance. He turns his attention to her, and awe shines in his eyes as he senses that he’s in no real danger from her.
“Can I touch her?”
Usually, I’d be more hesitant, but his manner towards her is telling enough. He respects her like a real wolf and admires her for the unique creature she is. For that, he earns my respect.
“Ask her.” I gesture towards her with a jerk of my head. She may be part of my soul, but she’s also an entity of her own. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s not all that different from how regular werewolves share their conscience with their wolves, they just turn into the wolf when they shift.
Instinctively, he knows I don’t mean verbally, so he turns his full attention to Star. Keeping low, he slowly holds out his hand towards her, allowing her to scent him and his intentions. She turns those deep, soulful, star-flecked eyes onto him, and I see the moment he falls for her. The corners of his lips pull up into the most genuine smile I’ve seen from him in the short time we’ve been partnered. “Hey, beautiful,” he whispers as she nudges her nose into his palm, accepting him.
He huffs a laugh, and delight blooms on his features at her soft, physical touch. Sometimes it looks like your hand could travel right through her, but she’s fully corporeal and begging for scratches. Whining, she pushes her snout farther into his hand, demanding attention.
“Flirt,” I mutter under my breath as Scott panders to her behaviour.
I watch the two of them together, smiling slightly at seeing such pleasure from them. We should get going, we’re under pressure to get to the centre of the arena, but after the horror we just went through, I think a few minutes of quiet so we can recover are necessary.
With Star as a buffer between us, Scott looks over at me. I can’t work out his expression, but it makes me shift uncomfortably.
“You were trying to help me, weren’t you?”
His comment catches me off guard, and I blink as I process what he’s saying. The thought of him dying had awoken the creature within me. This raises a whole heap of questions that I don’t want to examine right now, such as why would I risk everything for a relative stranger? Sure, helping him was the right thing to do, but for the darkness in my soul to break through my carefully constructed barriers and completely take over to save him? That’s something different altogether. He can’t know about that though. Embarrassed and confused, I attempt to shrug it off.
“Well, I couldn’t let you die. You know, the rule…” I trail off, seeing his raised eyebrow and realising how lame my comment sounds. Clearing my throat, I change the subject. “You got the ring?”
“Yeah.” Extending his arm, he opens his clenched fist, revealing a chunky golden ring in his palm.
I take the ring from him and examine it, running my finger over the council’s symbol stamped into the gold. We went through all of that, for this tiny ring, so we better make it to the beacon in time.
Scott must be thinking along the same lines, because he shakes his head as he stares at the artifact in my hand. “I knew the council wouldn’t make it easy for us,” he comments dryly, “but that was something else.”
I nod in agreement. I assumed that the only dangers in the arena were the other contestants. Apparently, I underestimated the lengths the council would go to during these trials.
Sighing, I slip the ring into my pocket and rub my hands over my face. I’m already exhausted, and I get the feeling that this trial is only just beginning. “We should get going before someone stumbles across us. Do you feel okay?” I ask Scott, taking in the injuries on his leg. They already look better, the open wounds now red, shiny scars.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go, we’ve hung around too long anyway.”
He stands up, and Star makes a dissatisfied grumble as he stops stroking her. Usually, that would make me smile, but I’m a little preoccupied by the fact that I’m suddenly greeted with Scott’s naked body. When he was attacked, he shifted underwater, so his clothes would have been shredded in the process.
Growing up around werewolves, I’ve seen a lot of naked bodies, so nudity doesn’t faze me. However, there’s something about seeing Scott naked that brings a blush to my cheeks. Of course, he notices this immediately, his lips twitching in amusement. Thankfully, he doesn’t say anything about it.
“We need to find you some clothes,” I remark, my voice tight.
Snorting, Scott looks around, exaggerating the movement. “I don’t think they’ll have handily left out some pants for us,” he replies.
He’s right, the chances of the council leaving out clothing is very slim. They don’t want this to be easy or comfortable in any way, so walking around naked would just be a part of that.
