by Winter Rose
Chapter Four
The dining hall was a large white space filled with wooden benches, tables, and serving stations. Each section had different food that was available at all times, mainly for League members whose missions made for unpredictable eating patterns.
I headed straight for the self-service buffet, loading my plate with meat and greens. For me, food was fuel; I didn’t care much for the taste, unlike most of the Wolves here. Ever since I could remember, I had a constant hunger in the pit of my stomach that the bland food kept manageable.
We headed to our usual spot in the corner, away from the prying eyes that always followed us. Today those eyes seemed particularly hard to avoid. Whispers followed us across the dining area; I kept my head down as I slid into the side opposite Sarah. Luke, like always, sat next to me.
“What’s their problem?” he grumbled using a chicken leg to point out a group of older, whispering pack members.
“You guys are the first back from the trials. James isn’t back yet,” Sarah whispered, nodding toward the woman in the middle, who I now realized was James’s mother, Mrs. Kingsley. Kingsley’s wife would often let me know how grateful I should be to the pack, and especially to her, for not tearing me to pieces as an infant. All in all, lovely woman.
She was the Koray’s female Alpha, and gods know she liked to remind us. Actually, I was confused as to why she was slumming it in the dining room with us peasants.
Short, with dirty blond hair, her thin features always looked as if she was chewing on something sour. Like Mr. Kingsley, she stopped aging in her early twenties, but there was nothing youthful about her. Her body was the result of years on the Council; she wasn’t fat, just soft. Her soft hands looked like they hadn’t seen a day’s arduous work.
My gaze shifted to my own hands. Years of training, fighting, and missions had left my nails permanently short. My palms were hard, the skin now healed from the scratches I gained climbing the castle—perks of whatever species traits I hold.
Lifting my head up again, I was startled by the woman in question now standing at our table.
“Oh, Sarah, dear. Why don’t you come and sit with the others?” She pointed to the table that she just came from.
“Thank you, Alpha, but I am spending the last few days with Luna. Maybe in a couple of days.”
Mrs. Kingsley had had her eye on Sarah as a possible mate for her son since her energy signal had formed. A supernatural’s energy signal allows others to sense how dominant and powerful the other supe may be. The fact that she was friends with me meant that Sarah had a mind of her own, and she was not easily manipulated by gossip or mean girls. Let’s face it, Mrs. Kingsley was a glorified mean girl with a title.
“Mr. Myers, Miss Moon,” she sneered in my direction. “How happy we are that two of our Recruits have already made it back to us.” She said this loud enough for the room to hear, but her eyes looked anything but happy.
A Recruit was a Candidate that had earned the right to represent their species for a place within the League’s ranks. For the past year, I was put through a rigorous testing schedule, which involved both physical and mental trials designed to separate the Warriors from the pretenders. Only the top ten percent became official Koray Candidates. Once that happened, we were put forward for eight Council-crafted trials that would determine our ability to join the League.
The last of the eight trials was the most difficult of all. Each Candidate’s test is uniquely designed to exploit their weaknesses. I had no weakness, which was why I had never heard of a final trial to be as impossible as the one I had just faced.
I was not sure who in my class would have been strong enough to survive this month. I had no way of knowing who else had passed. This was the first time I had been back to The Estate since Trial Month had begun.
There was never any doubt in my mind that Luke would be successful. Luke was destined to be a League member. He was strong, fast, and able to shift as a pup. He was also the only person that challenged me in a fight. Well, in the past anyway.
James, the Alpha’s spawn, was a spoiled brat. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, everyone treated him like he already earned the title Alpha. Like most Wolves, he was a decent fighter, but his dominance level within his energy signal was nowhere near as strong as Luke’s.
Each of the Lycan packs had two Alphas and one Beta. The Alphas were always husband and wife, their animals forcing their mating, to keep the pack’s bloodlines strong. But I knew deep down Kingsley wasn’t powerful.
James and Luke would one day go head-to-head for the title of male Alpha, assuming that James even manages to pass Trial Month. If he wasn’t successful, his pack would never respect him as a Warrior, and his position would always be challenged. I knew that he had made it down to the final ten percent, but I believed that it had more to do with his privileges than his skill set.
“Thank you, Mrs. Kingsley,” Luke said, eyes widening in a silent warning for me to behave.
“Congratulations on the completion of your task, Mr. Myers. Elves are a dangerous opponent.” I looked over my friend in awe. Elves were the greatest weapon wielders in all the realms, especially Elemental Elves. Their prowess on the battlefield is the stuff of legends. Luke was a badass.
“And you, Miss Moon,” Mrs. Kingsley peered at me, her sour face screwing up even more. “What did you do when faced with a Vampire warlord?” I heard a collective intake of breath. Sarah’s hand grabbed for my hand under the table, and murmurs broke out across the room.
Vampires were considered one of the most dangerous species. They were renowned across all dimensions for the fierce Warriors that they were. Almost impossible to kill, a Vampire possessed every skill that a Warrior coveted. Speed, strength, invincibility, and their ability to predict battle strategies was just the tip of the iceberg. I had just broken into the castle of the biggest, baddest Vampire clan of all: the Dracars.
Our female Alpha turned her body toward the crowd that we had attracted, obviously reveling in the attention.
“You slept your way into victory!” Mrs. Kingsley ended with a gleeful tone, almost clapping.
Now, I would like to think of myself as a very calm and calculated person … I would like to, but I’m not.
“You,” I started, looking pointedly in her grey eyes with my hands flat on the table. I didn’t get any further though before Sarah squeezed my knee, followed by a punch in my thigh from Luke. I stood up, weighing the possibility of being able to launch Mrs. Kingsley across the dining room while still being allowed into the League. Instead, I resorted for the next best thing, “Pray tell, Mrs. Kingsley, how did James, the obvious choice for our future Alpha, fare in his mission?”
She flinched as if I had hit her, eyes forming slits atop her sharp cheekbones. To not call an Alpha by their title was blatant disrespect. Satisfied that I had hit a nerve, I pushed past her and headed for the door, blocking out any response she may resort to.
Not wanting to stay in The Estate any longer, I headed outside for the running track. I needed to work through this rage and running allowed me to do that. My sore muscles pushed into a gentle jog as I breathed the crisp winter air into my lungs.
Arcadia was the Lycan realm, home to the eight Wolf packs. Picture a dense green forest with unforgiving terrain and drizzle that leaves the ground permanently damp, and you have Arcadia. I had been away for a month, and nothing had changed. After getting a taste of what my future may hold, I could no longer wait to escape this gods be damned prison.
Tensing my muscles, I pushed out into a sprint wanting to leave The Estate far behind me. Running into the woods that tapered away from the track, I allowed my instincts to take over. I had always felt an affinity with the earth, being surrounded by it grounded me.
Visions of the Kingsleys and their torment flashed through my mind, and I growled as I attempted to expel the anger that was now coursing through my body. The heady scent of pine and damp crept into my nose, and the sounds of scu
rrying indicated the small animals around me. I concentrated on those sights and smells, willing the roots under my feet to absorb my emotions.
Pushing deeper into the tree line, I sped forward, letting go of the cautious pace that I saved for the public eye, too overwhelmed to care. The faster I ran, the more the world around me slowed down, allowing me to take in every detail.
My thoughts drifted off to the previous tasks I had completed. The group exercises were easy. We were split into teams and given strength and endurance tests. Being in a team was difficult for me; other people slowed me down. I was used to being excluded from so many things that being alone now was second nature to me.
Sarah adopted me when I was eight. We were in species studies when James pointed out that my silver eyes made me a freak. I remember that Sarah walked over to me and sat down, her little hands moving my hair away from my eyes.
“I like her eyes,” she said. “They look like diamonds.”
From that day on, I couldn’t shake the shadow that was Sarah. She would follow me around talking animatedly about something she had learned, and I just watched her, waiting for the time when she would leave. By the time we were eleven, I had grown accustomed to the idea that she wasn’t going anywhere and allowed her to request a room for us both.
This year I hardly spent any time with her. The months leading up to the trials were filled with training for us both. Sarah was ready to sit for her exam in two days, and without a doubt, I knew she would exceed all expectations. I had one whole day left with my friend, and then I would go back to being alone.
Feeling the sense of something tailing me in my peripheral, I pushed forward. Mrs. Kingsley had probably sent one of her disciples to spy on me, and I was in no mood to play nice tonight. My body responded to my innate desire to get away, and my legs hurtled me forward, away from the shadow.
I only tested my body like this when I was alone. I had no desire for the people in The Estate to find out that I was a bigger freak than they originally thought, but tonight I didn’t care.
Energy that I locked deep within me burst forward, and I reveled in my heightened senses. The woods swam past me in shades of green and brown, and my troubled thoughts melted away. The more I let go, the sharper everything became.
Scents of the forest now invaded my scenes, and sounds felt like someone had turned the volume up in my ears. Everything was so overwhelming that it bordered on painful. I could swear I heard the trees breathing.
Latching onto one of the larger pines, I began my ascent. Throwing my body toward the treetops, I broke out of the darkness that covered the woods. At its apex, the moon loomed over the canopy; the stars twinkled as if they were trying to match its light.
Stopping, a wave of cool air washed over me. Everything I had felt just moments before blew away with the harsh wind that the trees were previously guarding me against. My rush of adrenaline died, and the volume was once again turned down. The sense of loss I felt was crushing.
I was alone again.
Vulcan
The noises that surrounded that gods be damned Estate was deafening. How those Wolves could even think, let alone prepare for the trials that they faced, was beyond me. The trial season back in the Highlands and Infernious was a time of reverence and rightly so. Here, the organized chaos that surrounded me was enough to make my scales crawl.
Not being able to stand the small talk that these beings held in such high regard, I broke away from their pitiful Council meeting as soon as the gavel sounded. Shifting the second I entered the courtyard, I launched my giant frame toward the sky.
Wings beating against the frigid wind, the fire within me blazed, acting as an internal heater from this vile climate. Everything about the Arcadia made me long for my home. This moon was something that I could never get used to though, its haunting beauty was worlds apart from the blood suns in my old realm.
My body pushed higher toward its heartbreaking call, clearing my mind of the idiotic court that was just in session. Leveling myself so that I could ride the wind’s current without any effort, I looked down into the wooded area—the foreboding trees sprawled below with small nocturnal animals unaware of the threat that loomed above them.
I hated this time of year; the endless meetings and viewing pathetic training sessions that featured pitiful hopefuls that will inevitably be crushed by the trials we placed. Very few Candidates made the cut to become a League member. Most didn’t even pass the physical.
I was here because the Glade Council had put forward their Alpha’s son for the Elites. He was a bland and underwhelming mutt that had no place in the League, let alone the Elites. Much to my dismay though, when an Elite Candidate was put forward by high-ranking Council members, we had to give them a fair shot. Politics.
The mutt would soon find the last of these trials to be a rude awakening. I thought of the pup facing off Eros the Siren, and my laughter rumbled throughout my body.
I was here because two other Candidates were secretly being considered for the Elites—Myers and Moon. I had not met the pair yet, but my status enabled me to meddle a little. Myers had an impeccable school history, his files showing that he was the top of his class in every subject. Moon, on the other hand, had flunked almost everything except combat. I would never have given him a second look if it was not for the flawless execution of his trials.
Unsure of why his grades didn’t match the way he completed his trials, I decided that a more advanced task was fitting for his last. Moon’s previous three trials were passed with full marks, something that had not happened since my brothers and I were novices. Something in my gut told me that there was more to the boy than the Lycans were telling us and being the competitive type, I felt it my job to really test the pup.
Feeling an abrupt surge of power in the atmosphere, I shifted my direction toward the wave of energy coming from the center of the forest.
I personally created the last trial that the novice undertook. It was a cruel test, both on the Candidate and my comrade in arms. Cruel because Magnar Dracar is the greatest warlord to have ever graced the universe. Over the past millennium, Magnar’s battles had become the stuff of legends. Never defeated, he was the best fighter and strategist I had ever had the pleasure of working with. He was also my brother-in-arms.
Challenging the boy to retrieve the medallion that I told Magnar to guard with his life was a cruel trick. Never in a million ages did I imagine that the novice would get into the same building as the medallion, let alone retrieve it.
Magic called out to me from under the tree canopy. Although it didn’t seem evil, the power that it exuded set my instincts on high alert as I followed the energy signature. I shifted back to my other form, landing on one of the taller pines to break my fall. I now had the ability to blend into my surroundings.
Movement caught my vision, and I instinctively made myself invisible from whatever shook the tallest pine, lying flat onto a nearby tree. Holding my breath, I readied myself to face whatever was responsible for creating this amount of energy.
The most ethereal creature that I have ever laid eyes upon burst from atop of an ancient pine. Her ebony hair danced around in the wind, caressing the sides of her elegant body. It was her face, though, that caused my lungs to forget to fill. Her snow-white angular face juxtaposed the soft fullness of her lips.
She wore a livid expression that would cause any battle-hardened Warrior to retreat. Breathing heavy, she straightened her posture. Her whole body was tense, almost vibrating with power.
Edging closer without my mind’s consent, I drank in each one of her features, sure that if I blinked the vision would disappear. Her eyes scanned over to my direction, and a strangled noise escaped my throat. They were the same hauntingly brilliant silver as the moon above.
Those eyes searched the heavens, and her breathing slowed, melting the menace from her face, leaving a heart-wrenching, pained expression.
I never knew a being could seem so powerful and yet so fr
agile until now.
The power that crackled around me suddenly disappeared, bringing a profound loss in its wake. She parted her lips and let out a noise that shattered my heart into a thousand fragments. I wanted to make whoever did this to her pay.
If it was not for my years of training, I would have thrown myself at her feet and begged to swear my life to her service, then and there.
Digging my fingers into the bark to ground myself, I crouched down, watching her upturned face call to the moon. Its light pooled around her highlighting each perfect feature burning them into my brain forever.
It couldn’t be …
Chapter Five
Luna
The Estate’s obnoxious horn sounded, dragging me awake. Groaning, I threw the linens over my head, my body screamed, pain radiated through each muscle where I pushed myself too far the day before. Hunger gripped my insides, tightening around my stomach and forcing me to get up.
Lazily, I rolled over to find Sarah dressed in a formal, blue gown sitting on her bed, surrounded by open books. Her thin eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she pushed a quill against her pursed lips. Her hair was styled into soft curls, and the light caught the golden tones each time she moved her head. Who looks that perfect in the morning?
“Good morning, sunshine!” Miss Perfect smirked at the disarray my hair was in. I replied with an eloquent grunt and dragged myself into the bathing room.
Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I noticed that my skin looked paler today, probably due to how tired I was. My silver eyes were stark in contrast to my raven hair. I looked so different to anyone here at The Estate; my strong bone structure and coloring was so far removed from Sarah’s pretty heart-shaped face. I often wondered what species made up my genetics for me to look so different.
Pulling my hair back into a French braid, I washed my face and cleaned my teeth. This was about as far as my beauty regimen went. Back in the room, I put on a simple black tunic paired with black trousers made from thick, skin-tight material and a leather jacket. As it was technically my day off, I only took two knives from my bedside. One went into the sheath on my thigh and the other on my hip.