by Siobhan Muir
As Brenda bristled, suspicion wound through Jeff. How does Cameron know all the details of the men who attacked Julianna? They hadn’t been publicized. No one knew about the apricot perfume until the morning after the attack in the bar. Where did Cameron learn about it?
Anger coalesced inside him once more. Has Cameron been endangering my Luna from the beginning? She’d admitted to spying on Julianna when Sebrina trained her. What else had she been up to? He’d taken a step toward the younger female to beat her into submission when a hot, feminine hand pressed against his chest and he turned his furious gaze to his True Mate.
Julianna wore his shirt buttoned over her chest, and it hung low enough to just cover the tops of her thighs. Snarled tendrils of hair draped around her face, appropriate for a sexually satisfied female, but her expression showed only serenity. Pride and awe stilled his fury, and he halted at her command.
In that moment, Jeff realized he loved her far deeper than just the lustful pull of the mating bond. Julianna represented the perfect female for him, strong, calm, and femininely powerful. He wanted to shout out his love for her, but she turned her attention back to the raving bitch still pacing, and he had to swallow the words.
His cadre wove through the crowd, and Jeff caught Zach’s eye as his First moved into position behind Brenda. Jeff nodded in acknowledgement, and Zach replied in kind, signaling that he and the others would keep everyone else from interfering. Kyle and Thomas already stood behind the Winthrops, and Leo shadowed the Alpha as Richard stepped to the edge of the circle.
Jeff tested the air, drawing in the scents of the pack around him. Most felt a mixture of surprise and excitement for the conflict approaching. He sensed his father’s unease, and righteous anger from the Winthrops, but the rest broadcast anticipation.
Gary and Woody appeared at the edges of the circle, their expressions wary and angry. He sensed their protective instincts and their intent to defend their Luna. They weren’t alone. Tawny and the Grayhound sisters stood there as well. Jeff had never seen his sister look so ferocious, but her stance showed her as a warrior, strong and deadly. Gratitude for his sister’s intent fired through him, and he returned his attention to the tableau before him.
The stage was set. They only awaited the play.
* * * *
Julianna faced her rival with fury and disgust swirling inside her like a tempest. She sensed Jeff’s presence behind her and the blast of his anger as he shifted to one side. She wanted to fling herself at Ms. Winthrop and claw her until her face showed nothing but ribbons of torn flesh. Ease up there, Sister. This is yet another test of our poise as Luna. She reined in her emotions and raised her chin in challenge.
“I don’t wear perfume,” Brenda said. Julianna’s gaze returned to the ad exec’s face. “No true Moon Singer would. I do wash with apricot-scented soap, but I haven’t been in contact with anyone from LA other than the members of my staff. I’ll give you my phone to prove it.” Brenda’s eyes met Julianna’s, and the other woman managed to look submissive as she dropped her head. “I swear, Luna, that I know nothing about the attack on you.”
“Oh, please.” Cameron sneered as she gestured with the pendant. Julianna gritted her teeth with each flash of the aquamarine eyes in the lights of the tent. I want that back. “Why should we believe your lies? You’d say anything to save yourself.”
Brenda reached into her purse and pulled out her BlackBerry. She tossed it to Tawny, who caught it deftly. “Go ahead, check it. I’ve got nothing to hide.” Her gaze returned to Cameron with a look of pity. “The Successor was wise to choose Ms. Morris. You think you’re entitled, and that makes you weak.”
Julianna scented Cameron’s rage flood over the pack and thanked the Goddess she stood across the clearing. It smelled like a combination of burnt hair and sewage. She idly wondered if her own anger reeked as bad.
“I am not weak!” Cameron’s lips drew back from her teeth in a menacing snarl. “I’m perfect!” She focused her wild eyes on Jeff again. “I never stepped out of line. I never drew more attention to myself than was necessary. I wasn’t as flashy as those California whores. I was here, I was perfect, and I love you. I’m your perfect mate. How could you pick her?”
“Because she’s my True Mate, Ms. Winthrop,” he said with his customary half-smile. Julianna read the fury burning beneath his golden irises. “Love can’t trump nature. The Goddess chose Ms. Morris as my True Mate long before you were groomed as a candidate for Luna.”
“That’s just a myth! This isn’t about the Goddess.” Julianna tensed, reading the subtle shift in the other female’s body language. “It’s about who’s the best candidate. And that’s me. I should be Luna!”
“There’s no precedent for this, Ms. Winthrop.” The Alpha’s voice cut through the echoes of Cameron’s tirade. “The tests and the choosing ceremony prove who’s the best for the Successor, and none of our rules have been broken by the chosen candidate. You can’t claim the right to be Luna simply because of a pendant and a story of inexperience. Ms. Morris passed the tests and was chosen by the Successor. His decision stands.”
“Then he chose wrong.” She dropped the pendant into the grass. “And I’ll prove it.”
The change overcame Cameron’s body almost too swiftly to track, and a black wolf hurtled toward Julianna without warning.
Julianna’s Sister wasn’t as slow in reaction.
She met her rival in a crash of claws and teeth, her fury finally unleashed. Cameron jerked aside to avoid her gleaming canines, but Julianna scored the black wolf’s shoulder as her forepaws wrapped around Cameron’s torso. She came down on top of the other female, but Cameron twisted and broke free, surging to her feet to leap at Julianna again.
Julianna reared up on her hind legs, snapping at her rival’s throat. Cameron ducked, and Julianna’s teeth caught her ear, tearing through the flesh. Cameron snarled and rolled, pulling her head away as she scrambled to her feet. The ear drooped a little, and blood stained her cheek while her eyes gleamed with feral rage.
Cameron charged her again, her teeth raking at Julianna’s chest where she’d grabbed the pendant earlier. Julianna tried to pull aside at the last moment, but Cameron’s rage overpowered her, and the sharp fangs tore through the fur, blooding Julianna. Pain shrieked through her awareness, demanding attention, and she yelped involuntarily.
Her anger flared, and her Sister shot forward in a new attack, but Julianna managed to pull her back. The wolf was better at fighting, but Sebrina’s advice flickered through Julianna’s awareness. She had to think to protect them both.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to center her mind as she’d been taught in tai chi. Her Sister’s wrath prowled just outside her calm, but she sharpened her focus and steadied her body until the calm soothed the fury. She watched how Cameron moved, noting any weaknesses or unsteadiness.
She’s running on rage and adrenaline. She probably doesn’t feel anything. That will make her strong but thoughtless. No strategy, only brute strength.
Cameron reminded Julianna of tracking coyotes to their dens. The wily predators had underestimated her intelligence and thought themselves too smart for her abilities. I have to make her think she’s won. What kind of ruse would sucker her in? Cameron wasn’t thinking, but she had enough intelligence to take victory when she saw it.
The other female growled low in her throat and darted toward Julianna’s flank. Julianna spun away, but Cameron’s claws raked her hip and tore furrows in the fur. Julianna snarled and snapped at her opponent, but Cameron had already bolted out of reach.
Pain buzzed at the back of her mind as she turned to watch the other wolf circle around her. The eyes of her opponent filled with a killing rage, rolling white with insanity. How do I lure her into overconfidence?
Her memory served up a vision of watching killdeer birds teasing her neighbor’s dogs each time they went for a run. The birds would feign a broken wing to lure the predators away from their hidden nests, only st
aying a few steps ahead. I’ll feign an injury, then take her down. Who says I’m not related to Ho’a’tote?
She narrowed her eyes and flattened her ears, snarling. She lowered her shoulders to the ground with her butt in the air in the “play” position, tempting her rival to come at her. Come on, bitch. Come play with me. See if you can take me when I’m down. Cameron took the bait and pounced, trying to hold Julianna down. Julianna shot sideways, snapping her jaws over Cameron’s muzzle and clamping down, hard.
Cameron yelped in surprise but still managed to tear her head away just as she dragged her hind claws down Julianna’s belly. Julianna released her opponent and lurched away with a squeal of pain, pretending more injury than she felt. She panted and limped painfully at the edge of the circle, letting her ears droop with feigned exhaustion.
A collective gasp of surprised dismay echoed around them, and Julianna scented Jeff’s distress like a breath of fetid air. She didn’t dare huff a laugh, but she rejoiced in her acting skills.
Julianna hobbled around the edges of the clearing, watching her rival carefully. Cameron believed her ruse and strutted, her teeth gleaming in the lights of the garden as blood slid from the large gash in her muzzle. She snarled triumphantly and shook her head, flinging the blood from her eyes. Julianna wheezed as if too tired to make another charge, but she gathered herself for Cameron’s next move.
Come on, you mongrel! Come at me and see how weak I am.
With a howl, Cameron shot across the clearing at her, and Julianna whimpered for effect, rolling to her shoulder to get her feet up into Cameron’s falling belly. She thrust her head forward and closed her teeth over Cameron’s throat, using the crazed female’s momentum to roll her over and slam her onto her back. Julianna pivoted around her jaws’ grip and dropped her weight onto Cameron’s struggling body, pinning it to the ground.
Julianna growled, squeezing her teeth together. “Do you yield? Do you admit I’m Luna?”
Cameron froze when she heard Julianna’s voice in her head.
“Do you yield to me as your Luna?”
Cameron squealed with frustrated denial and struggled against her.
“Do you yield?”
“Neverrrr!”
“Very well.”
Jerking her head to the side as her jaws tightened, she tore Cameron’s throat out in a rush of hot blood. Her Sister howled at the defeat of her rival, and Julianna embraced her true self, the wolf meant to hunt and defend her pack from all intruders.
Stepping back from the carcass on the ground, Julianna turned her bloodied muzzle toward the current Alpha and awaited his judgment. She’d known Cameron wouldn’t let this go, and she refused to fend her off any longer. Cameron had challenged the Luna and lost, just as any male could challenge the Alpha for mastery of the pack.
Richard’s face appeared calm, but his eyes shone with suppressed excitement. The whole pack waited silently until he nodded in acknowledgement of her victory. The garden erupted with triumphant and mournful howls.
Julianna shifted back into her human form and wiped one hand across her bloody mouth. Jeff’s shirt hung undamaged, but stains formed as it touched her healing body, and her chest burned with the marks of Cameron’s attack. One butt cheek ached, but victory silenced the pain. She sought her Mate’s eyes and found him staring at her with a feral look of lustful joy. She lifted her chin in challenge, and his growl of dominance slithered across the space between them.
“How could you?” Julianna’s gaze snapped to Catherine Winthrop struggling against Kyle’s grip. “She was just a child!”
Julianna growled a warning. “Are you challenging me as Luna, Mrs. Winthrop?”
“She was a better candidate than you ever were. How could you kill her?”
Julianna’s Sister wanted to pounce on the older female, but Julianna held her back. “I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Winthrop, but Cameron was no longer in control. She let her lust for power and prestige overwhelm what she knew to be right. The pack agreed that the tests and the choosing ceremony would determine the next Luna. She rejected the Successor’s choice. If she disregarded the agreements within the pack, then what would’ve stopped her from ignoring the Alpha or the needs of the pack as a whole?”
“She would’ve made a better Luna, you murderous slut!” Mrs. Winthrop screeched.
Growls of anger and protest echoed around them, and Julianna sensed her cadre converging on Kyle and the struggling female.
“It seems to me you need to choose your loyalties, Mrs. Winthrop.” Richard stepped into the circle, his expression hard. “Jeff is the Successor, and your daughter challenged the chosen Luna. She lost. Now you must choose if you’re going to follow the future Alpha and Luna or leave the territory of the Callowwood Pack. It’s your choice.”
“You can’t be serious!” Catherine’s face twisted in fury. “You can’t all take her side. She killed my daughter! She killed my little girl. How can you defend her?”
“She’s the Luna,” Woody said.
“She won the challenge,” Tawny added.
“She was stronger,” the Grayhound sisters said together.
“She’s my Mate and your Luna.” Jeff dropped a hand on Julianna’s shoulder.
“I’m Luna, Mrs. Winthrop, and I earned my place honorably.” Julianna pulled her head up and straightened her shoulders. “Jeff Lightfoot and I are Mated before the Lady Moon and the pack. He chose me in the choosing ceremony. Your daughter defied the pack’s rules and protocols, challenged me to combat, and lost. I asked her if she was willing to yield.” Julianna looked down at the body on the ground. “She said no.”
Catherine let loose a furious shriek and launched herself at Julianna, but Kyle held her back, and she jerked futilely against her own arms.
“You’re nothing but a conniving, thieving, murdering whore!” Catherine howled as she struggled. “We all know you mated with Jeff Lightfoot that night he stayed at your house and skewed the choosing ceremony. My daughter would’ve been Luna if not for your slutty ways. Is that what you learned when you left our town? How to whore yourself to get what you wanted?”
More growls erupted, and Jeff stalked toward the screaming woman with so much menace Julianna feared he’d rip her throat out. She started to move to stop him when Richard’s voice rang out and silenced everyone.
“Get your mate under control, Mr. Winthrop, or you’ll be banished and branded rogues. Be certain what’s most important to you. You know the consequences, and you know the other packs will hear of this.”
Mr. Winthrop blanched white and grabbed his wife, holding her tight against him.
“No, no, Michael! You have to let me go. We have to stop her. She killed our daughter.”
“That’s enough, Catherine!” Michael Winthrop barked, and Catherine whimpered, dropping her head a little at his ferocity. “Come on, it’s been a long day. Let’s go home.”
“But Michael, she killed her—”
“It’ll be okay, darlin’. Let’s go home now.”
Mr. Winthrop spun his wife and dragged her away toward the house, protesting each step. Anger, frustration, and grief wafted after them, poisoning the air along with the reek of death. Julianna didn’t dare relax until they’d disappeared through the doors. Then she let her breath out slowly and looked at Jeff. His whole body radiated tension, and waves of anger rippled around him.
As her adrenaline ebbed, she looked down on Cameron’s body with sorrow. The death of a promising young alpha female had fallen on her shoulders. What a waste. She grimaced. I’ve made enemies of the Winthrops tonight. An auspicious beginning–Not!
Very auspicious. You vanquished a deranged intruder and proved your strength.
“The Luna of the Callowwood Pack is victorious in the Challenge.” Richard waved at Julianna. “Does anyone else wish to issue a Challenge?”
Dear Goddess, please let it be no! I don’t want to fight anyone else tonight. Julianna tensed again, inhaling deeply.
Si
lence reigned in the garden, and only the wind rustling the pine trees dared to break its spell. Julianna held her breath. Please, please, nobody Challenge me tonight!
“Very well, let’s bury the body and go home.” Richard gestured toward Cameron’s corpse. “Enough excitement for one night.”
“Alpha, with your permission.” Julianna raised her hand.
Richard’s cadre paused and looked at Richard, waiting for him to acknowledge her before touching the dead wolf.
“Yes, Luna?”
“Bury her with full honors, please.” She crouched beside the body, the stained edges of Jeff’s shirt brushing her hips. “She fought for what she believed in, no matter how wrong it was, and she was an admired member of the pack. She may have lost the Challenge, but she should be honored for her attempt.”
“You wish to honor your rival, Luna?” Surprise and something else flashed in his eyes.
Julianna shrugged uncomfortably. “She made a bad decision. She shouldn’t be reviled for that. How many of us always make great decisions? She already paid for it. She’s dead.”
Richard looked at her a long time before he nodded slowly.
“Very well. Bury her with honor.”
The packmembers shook themselves as if coming awake, their expressions shell-shocked. Julianna looked at Jeff and saw approval in his eyes. He nodded to her and offered her his half-smile before turning to his cadre and speaking with them for a few moments.
Julianna rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around her body. Emotion and adrenaline still pumped through her with each heartbeat, but she couldn’t decide what she felt. Fear? Anger? Grief? Lust? Excitement? Exhaustion? Part of her just wanted to curl up on her bed and hide her head under her pillow, away from the pack, the politics, and the overwhelming grief of the Winthrops.
She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes. She was Luna now. No more hiding in the crowd. Welcome to the world of the first lady. Always in the public eye. Always the one they’ll all look to for etiquette and proper behavior, even in a bloody fight to the death. Good grief!