by Sara Snow
“Xavier might get angry over me, but Axel is upset about other things. I don’t see how he and I are mated. I know I feel the bond differently from you guys, but it’s like he feels nothing.”
“Or he tries not to,” she added, and I shook my head.
“Well, he has a future in acting. I can’t imagine Xavier ever leaving me in a dungeon. With the way you have all said this mate thing works, I was surprised Axel could do something like that to me. Shouldn’t I be feeling more?”
The side of her mouth arched upwards as she hunched her shoulders, “No one knows what you should or shouldn’t be feeling. What do you feel when you’re around them?”
I bit down on my lip, and a shy smile made its way onto my lips as I thought of Xavier. “I don’t feel this instant overload of love, or whatever, but I feel warm and comfortable around Xavier. I know he’ll do anything to protect me, he’ll do anything to keep me safe.” My smile fell away, and I covered my face. “Despite what Axel has done, and I do want to cut his dick off, I…I feel…protected around him. That’s so fucked up considering what he’s done, so maybe that’s not the right word, but there is this thing about him...he’s like a mean bodyguard, you know. We might argue and get on each other’s nerves, but if it ever comes down to it, I know he’d protect me. That’s what I feel. But then he yanks me around by my hair or leaves me without water for days, and I think he’s just soulless. There’s no way he can be feeling the bond.”
"They both feel it, trust me. Think of it as Xavier just being more open-minded than Axel. Axel is older than Xavier, and he might have had terrible experiences with humans in the past. He's grown up in a pack that is still trying to stick to how things were immediately after the war between wolves and humans. Look at it this way - he’s the alpha to be., It’s a big role to fill to start with, then add in having a human Luna in a pack that hates humans, and you have a big problem. He must be stressed. If he doesn’t reject you, his pack will force him to. He’ll have to choose between you, or what he was born to be. That’s a terrible choice for anyone to have to make.”
When she explained it that way, I could understand the rock and a hard place he must be stuck between. His life had probably been going as planned for him to be the next alpha. All of a sudden, here I come, a human girl that he feels compelled to be with on a deep level, yet he can’t because he has to stick to some twisted hatred passed down generation after generation.
“Yeah,” I drawled. “I guess his mind must be a little effed-up right now, but that won’t save him from my wrath. That bastard left me in a dungeon!”
Natalie raised her fist, and I bumped mine against it. “That’s my girl. But I need you to come with me.” I gave her a look, and my chest tightened as she stared back at me with regret. “He wants to do the trial tonight.”
“Olcan? Why?”
I felt like the world around me froze. A chill danced down my spine as my eyes widened, and I began shaking my head. No, no, I’m not ready. I thought I had one night to prepare myself and now this?
“What’s going to happen?” I asked. “What’s the trial going to be like?”
“I wish I had time to explain, but they’re waiting on us.” She got up and held her hand out to me. I could only stare at it, and I knew she could hear my racing heart. “I need you to trust me. I’ll be right there, Ruby, right beside you. I promise.”
I had trusted Natalie from the moment I had met her. That moment seemed so very long ago. While I was still curious to know what inspired her hair transformation, I knew hair wasn’t the only thing that had changed about Nathalie in the time since I was abducted.,. From the time we first met, I had been drawn to Nathalie's spunkiness, her bubbly and chatty nature. I could consistently count on her to flash one of her charming Nathalie grins that practically touched her ears and made her eyes twinkle, and before I knew it, I’d be beaming right along with her. But now her smiles didn’t even reach her eyes.
I took her hand, and she pulled me up. “Natalie, what happened?”
She blinked once, seemingly caught off guard by my question. “Nothing that didn’t need to happen. I’m okay.”
“Are you sure? I mean, your hair is the same as the Enchanted that came with Olcan, Reika, or whatever her name is. Coincidence?”
“Enchanteds of a certain power level have white hair.”
I looked from left to right. So within the short time I had been gone, she became so much more powerful. How? No wonder she had been able to find me. Now wasn't the time for me to press her for answers though. Olcan was waiting, and I’d rather not piss him off before this trial even gets started. Knowing me, there would be more than enough time for that to happen later, whether I wanted to or not.
“Okay, we should go, but this conversation isn’t over. I want to know what happened because I know something did.”
We exited the room. I followed behind her slowly, my legs taking short steps. “I got a little help with seeing the world a bit clearer.” She said almost inaudibly. “That’s all. I know I’m not myself, but sometimes seeing more than you wanted or needed to see changes a person.”
She stopped walking abruptly, and before I could react, she pulled me in for a hug. At first, I just stood there, shocked and mildly confused, before I wrapped my arms around her. I sank into the hug as she did, and we both sighed at the same time. While Natalie is only twenty years old to my nineteen, she has become someone that I look up to. She is an old soul, and I’m sure that was why so many people gravitated to her.
“No matter what happens tonight,” she whispered. “I’m happy I met you.” She pulled away but kept her hands firmly on my shoulders. “Us odd girls have to stick together.”
I cupped her cheeks. “I’m ready.”
◆◆◆
Axel
I stood by the window with my hands buried in my pockets and my eyes glued to the starry sky. Natalie had told Mathieu she'd wake Ruby, but that was almost half an hour ago. The longer they took to come downstairs, the more irritated I grew at being forced to be in the same room as these people.
Xavier had no right to talk about my father. I’m here. I’m handling things, and that’s just the way things are. How dare he act like I don’t know what I’m doing? My eyes wandered from the sky to the towering trees and I clenched my jaw. This land, this entire fucking land, belongs to my people, too. We barely have enough space in the area where we’ve been forced to settle for years, whereas both packs could easily spread out on this land and never even come across each other in passing.
I glanced over at Xavier whispering to his father, low enough that not even I could hear. They looked at me at the same time before Xavier stood up straight and crossed his arms over his chest. I looked away, not bothered in the least by his attitude. Olcan and Reika were busy talking about a fundraiser, the two of them not bothered by Natalie and Ruby taking so long. I would have thought Olcan would have torn the house apart by now.
Was this the Council that everyone fears?
I wanted this over with. Everything had been going smoothly for me until I came to this damn house and picked up on Ruby’s scent. I looked out the window before closing my eyes, my senses taking me back to that day. I had never before smelled something, someone, so mouth-watering. I had tried to picture her just by her scent, but nothing in my wildest dreams could have prepared me for those devastating green eyes, vividly red hair, and that heartbreakingly human heart.
Then I had smelt Xavier on her, and I completely lost it.
I couldn't believe my mate was human. But even more than that, I couldn't believe my mate, my other half, was also mated to another wolf. It didn't make sense to me then, and it doesn't make sense now. I never thought I’d even find my mate so soon. That has never been something I was eager about.
After meeting Ruby, however, I've felt more torn than I ever have before. I can feel her, smell her, and I constantly sense the pull of our bond. But I can’t bring myself to trust her. I feel like this
isn’t real. A human mated to a wolf brings about so much tension, so many questions. How will a human survive a wolf pregnancy? When I do finally mate, I plan on staying that way for life. I won’t become attached to someone that will just leave eventually. At this point, she’s more Xavier’s mate than mine anyway. She has made her choice.
That scent, that hypnotizing scent, drifted into the room, and I looked to the door as Ruby appeared with Natalie. She looked my way as she walked in. I could see the fear in her eyes, but otherwise, she appeared calm. That's something I could easily admit to admiring about her. Even in the face of danger, she puts on a brave face and tries to stand her ground.
“You ladies certainly took your time,” Olcan said he took a seat and nodded to Reika. “I’m sure everyone wants this over this. So, how about we begin?”
Ruby said nothing as she held Olcan’s gaze before looking at Reika, who stepped towards her. Her eyes darted to Xavier, and my hand twitched as their eyes locked. They stared at each other, an unspoken message passing between them before she looked at Reika once more.
I wasn’t jealous.
Okay, I was. But at the same time, I don't want to be with her. We have zero possibility of a real future together. She is just a means to an end to get what I want. Mate or not, she’s human. We’ll never work out, and mate or not, Xavier broke the law to spare her.
“This will be simple and painless,” Reika said as she held her hand out to Ruby. However, Ruby only looked at her hand before looking at me. I stared back at her, not sure why she was staring at me so intently. I nodded to her nonetheless. Reika shook her hand that was still outstretched, pulling Ruby’s eyes away from me. “Take my hand. I’ll create a mind link to see within you. That is all.”
“That was already done,” Xavier said. “Natalie did that, and it didn’t work. There is some kind of block in her mind.”
“We’re here to find out who she is, Xavier, to start,” Olcan replied. “That is what we will be doing.”
Xavier shook his head, “Trying again might hurt her. You can’t force through a block like that. It takes time, breaking it piece by piece. It should not be done by brute force.”
I wasn't going to say it aloud, but I agreed with Xavier. Yes, I wanted to have this all figured out, but I didn't want Ruby to suffer unnecessarily. Wolves fear the Council so much, but they should remember that the Council is just wolves like us. They only want the best for all werewolves. The Council members over the years have remembered and held onto many of our old ways in order to secure our safety and protect our secrets. We must do so at all costs, even if it means that some lives are lost in the process.
Nevertheless, my deal with Olcan hadn’t included hurting Ruby. I would reject her. Xavier would be given the choice to, though I knew rejecting her was something he’d never do. He didn’t have the balls to make the tough calls for the pack. He, his father, and the entire Blackmoon pack would then be dealt with accordingly. That is what would happen here.
Though I had to admit, I was curious. How could a human girl, who was already responsible for bringing so much chaos, also be capable of sealing off her past so tightly that an Enchanted couldn’t get through? What exactly had happened to her? What did she want so badly to forget?
“If something in her past was hidden behind such a strong block, then it must be important. Maybe it’ll explain who she is, where she really came from. Maybe it’ll explain why she can be mated to two wolves.”
“I’m a normal girl, Axel. You keep talking about me as if I fell from the sky or something,” she replied, and I shrugged.
“We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?” I replied.
“Of course, you wouldn’t care if she gets hurt or not,” Xavier shot my way, and my brow knitted.
“I care about getting this thing over with. I don’t care if…”
"Enough!" Ruby yelled, and all eyes turned to her. "Can both of you stop it?" She looked from me to Xavier. "I can handle it okay. I want to know what's locked away in my mind, hidden from even me. I can do this."
Olcan leaned forward. “Okay, that’s enough. Xavier, your opinion is welcomed, but this will be done whether or not you or Ruby want it. I want to know who this girl is. I want to know if she can be trusted with our secrets. Mathieu, you’ve allowed a human to walk free amongst our people without knowing her true self. You should have broken through whatever wall was there before you made a decision like that. Whatever is concealed in her mind might hurt more than just your own pack. She could very well be dangerous to all wolves.”
Mathieu remained reclined in his seat, his left leg crossed over the right. "She was spared because she is the mate to a wolf, human though she may be. Yes, our law is to protect our secrets at all costs. However, I didn’t think it was my place to break another even more important law in order to uphold that law. Harming another wolf’s mate is punishable by death.”
Xavier looked my way. I knew he was thinking - I could see it in his eyes. If only I weren’t Ruby’s other mate, he’d have been well within his rights to kill me with his own hands for abducting her. If she wasn’t my mate, I would have no reason to be here other than to watch the fall of the Blackmoon pack.
Olcan sat back, a cunning smirk on his lips. “Right you are, Mathieu. But,” he lifted a finger, “that law is for female wolves, not humans.”
No one spoke for a while as Olcan and Mathieu continued to stare at each other. Olcan was right about that, and Mathieu knew it. Olcan then looked at Reika and nodded, and she took both of Ruby’s hands into hers.
“I’ll help,” Natalie suddenly announced as she walked up to Ruby to stand behind her. “Maybe with the two of us it won’t be as much pressure on you or Ruby. We’ll take this slow.”
Reika stared at her for a moment before looking at Ruby, who nodded her consent. She was beginning to look more terrified, her bravado slipping, and I couldn’t blame her. I’d hate to have anyone roaming around inside my head. Reika released Ruby’s hands to press her fingers to Ruby’s temples, while Natalie placed both hands on the sides of Ruby’s head.
Natalie closed her eyes as Reika did, but Ruby’s eyes remained open. I watched as she swallowed hard. I looked away, annoyed that I was starting to worry about her. This is what I hate, this connection to her that won't allow me to maintain my indifference like I want to.
Both Enchanteds began to speak under their breath, their chant growing steadily louder. Ruby’s eyes fluttered close as her body grew stiff, and even Mathieu sat forward. I could not understand their words as their voices grew louder and louder, but I could feel the sudden burst of power within the room.
I stepped forward quickly but stopped myself just as Natalie and Reika stopped chanting. Then the heads of all three women fell back at the same time.
◆◆◆
Ruby
I was on the verge of shitting myself as Reika and Natalie both held me. I had been doing my best to hide my fear, but I couldn’t cover it fully any longer. These women were about to take a deep dive inside my head, and no one knew what was going to happen when they did.
I swallowed as I heard them begin to whisper words I didn’t understand, and a chill went down my spine. It didn’t take long for whatever they were doing to kick in because soon, my body started to feel weak and my eyes fluttered closed.
The moment my eyes closed, there was a burst of blinding light. I opened my eyes slowly as it began to die away, and I found myself standing in a white room. It was more like a box with no doors or windows, just white walls.
I looked down at my hands before touching my face and exhaling. I’ll never get used to how real this all feels.
“Natalie?” I turned in a circle. “Reika?”
My echo was the only response. Within the next second, there was a loud boom, like a bomb going off, and I crunched down. The white world around me began to change. People started appearing around me, along with cars and buildings. Everything was hazy and hard to see, preventing m
e from making out faces or anything distinctive. All I could tell for certain was that the people running were all humans.
I was facing one way, and they were all running towards my direction, their cries and screams mingled together. They were running from something, but I couldn’t tell from what. I started walking, moving out of the way to dodge them, although I knew they would just run through me in this fake reality.
What is this?
If this was a memory, when had this all happened? I stopped as a woman tripped and flipped onto her back. I couldn't tell what she was looking at, but she was crawling backward on her hands. A black shadow appeared before her, and my brows knitted. It was a shadow of another person, and as they jumped on top of her, I screamed.
As I reached out and screamed, a large crack appeared just between her and the shadow.
“Ruby!”
I spun around as Natalie called my name, and another crack appeared, followed by yet another. I looked back at the woman on the ground and the frozen shadow above her. I took a step forward, and as I did so, a sharp pain surged through my head. I hunched forward, my hand on my head, before glancing up at the shadow once more.
It was shaped like a human, but why was it black? I could tell the color of the clothes of all the humans and their complexion despite everything being hazy, so why was this human just a black shadow.
My eyes widened.
A supernatural?
“Ruby!”
This time it was Reika’s voice, and then another sharp pain, worse than the first, had me falling to my knees. The hazy world around me began to speed up, the humans began to run faster, and more black shadows appeared. The screams got louder as the humans were attacked, and I grabbed my head and hunched forward until my forehead was touching the cold ground.
What is this?
“Ruby!”
That voice I didn’t know. It was contorted, neither male nor female, but a mixture of many voices. It was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.