by Winter Rose
“I suppose you’re right, but I’m taking the books,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly.
Picking up a pile too big for Dave to carry alone, I led the way down the wide marble staircase, knowing that they both would follow. The dumpy messenger from the gym stood at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes flashing when he spotted me. As I reached the bottom step, he cleared his throat.
“The Alpha requests your presence in the grand hall.” Nobody spoke.
“Who, me?” I said, shooting a glance to the pair behind me; they both looked as confused as I was.
“Moon, right?” The messenger glanced from his feet toward my feet; I didn’t reply. “Just as I thought, this way, please.”
I passed the books over to Sarah.
“What’s going on?” she whispered.
“Beats me,” I answered with a frown. My review wasn’t until tomorrow. “Eat. As soon as I’m done, I’ll come straight back to our room and fill you in.” On second thought, I looked over at Dave, who was practically attached to her hip and whispered, “Take your time.”
I followed the man across the campus and into the main building. I had been in the Council chambers here on campus a couple of times, but it was usually the place where the Council discussed politics. Which was why I had no idea why I had been summoned.
At the end of the stark, clinical corridor, wooden double doors were manned by two male Lycans. They took one look at the messenger and allowed us both entry.
“Ah, Miss Moon.” Kingsley said my name as if it left a disgusting taste in his mouth. “Just in time.”
The room was large, rectangular, and emerald green. Cherry wood benches sloped from either side where members of the Council sat all wearing brown cloaks. Kingsley sat in a raised box with several other high-ranking Lycans directly facing the door. His wife was next to him, wearing her usual pinched expression.
“The Council has come together to review your … unique case,” he smiled. The messenger made a sympathetic noise as he put his hand on my lower back, pushing me through the doorway.
A box jutted out of the opposite side to where Kingsley and his cronies sat. The messenger made a motion for me to sit and backed away, bobbing in Kingsley’s direction as he left the room. The Alpha’s face turned up in a cruel smirk as his eyes ran over my body, glittering with excitement.
“Miss Moon, the Council has come together to discuss the League’s successful applicants such as my son and Mr. Myers.” No way did James defeat a Siren without foul play. Kingsley’s tongue jutted out of his mouth, dampening his thin bottom lips while his eyes bore into my own. He was trying to make me submit; I refused to.
“You successfully attained your mark, Miss Moon, which would normally mean a place in the League’s ranks.” I stiffened at the word normally.
“The, erm, manner in which it was done …” his eyes ran down my body, undressing me in front of the pack’s Council, “is not with the skills that the League desires from its applicants.” He paused, allowing this information to sink in. He’s saying that I prostituted myself.
Anger swelled in the pit of my stomach, causing my spine to straighten and my fists to clench. There is no way I was allowing him to implicate me like this.
“It was my job to attain the mark by any means necessary,” I spoke coolly. “The women that you are used to, Kingsley, may only have talents that reside in that department, but I am a Warrior. Ask your son what happens when you step into the ring with me.”
Both Alphas were practically vibrating with rage; I smirked and continued, “I do not need to justify my fighting abilities; every Wolf in this room knows what I am capable of. This time brute force was not an option. I did what needed to be done without compromising myself.”
Mrs. Kingsley chuckled harshly, “Miss Moon, the entire academy saw the truth of what you are. Deflect all you want but the League is looking for Warriors, not women who spread their legs.”
Several members of the Council shifted, uncomfortable with the direction of the topic. The fire in my stomach boiled, clawing its way up my sides. It took everything in me not to jump from the stand and rip her head clean from her shoulders.
“As it happens,” the bitch continued, “You did complete the other tests, though, we are now unsure the means in which they were achieved.”
This cannot be happening.
“I am the best fighter in The Estate, Kingsley, and you know it!” I demanded. “Not one of your instructors has managed to land a hit on me in years and your precious son,” I hissed, “has never been able to.”
Mrs. Kingsley shifted in her chair, leaning forward, her mask of composure showing cracks.
“You are nothing compared to James. He will be Alpha of his people one day, while you will be on the streets selling yourself like the rest of the mongrels.” A few Council members shifted uncomfortably.
“Now, now, dear.” Kingsley patted his wife’s hand, chuckling as though she was an unruly pup. “We are here to discuss Miss Moon’s application for the League, and the Koray’s willingness to sponsor her.”
My whole world stopped. My vision narrowed; Mrs. Kingsley smirked when she saw my reaction to Kingsley’s statement. She raised her voice, so it carried across the room.
“Our Alpha is right. You have heard how this Recruit achieved her missions. We also know that Miss Moon is not Lycan. Though we took her in twenty years ago out of the kindness of our hearts,” she paused, closing her eyes reverently while placing a hand over the place her heart should be. “We cannot pretend that we know what she is.”
Muttering filled the room, and I could hear people saying words like mongrel and shame. I’m royally fucking screwed.
“Koray Council, as you know, the Recruits that we put toward the High Council have to be the cream of the crop. Each Candidate represents the Lycan’s of the Koray, and we now must come to a decision. Should we put Miss Moon forward with the rest of our victors, risking shame on our great lineage? Or do we put a stop to this?” My blood ran cold.
The murmuring continued. My future was at risk, to be decided by the whim of the people in this room. My whole miserable life had led up to this moment. Being a female in the Lycan community meant one thing: you are a Council member or a breeder. Or, well, let’s just say, the Underworld is filled with nameless women. I wasn’t Lycan so the latter would be my only option.
Being a League member was all I had ever wanted, all I had ever dreamed of doing. I was stronger, better, and faster than any one of the fully-fledged League members stationed at The Estate. The Kingsleys were clutching at straws, trying to find a reason why they shouldn’t sponsor my application, and I was going to lose it at any second.
“We must come to a decision.” Kingsley rose out of his seat with his fist up motioning for silence. “You have heard Miss Moon’s history. You have been given both sides of the debate. I have brought Miss Moon to this meeting to make one last plea for her case.” The word plea stirred up the fire in my stomach. There was no way in the Underworld I was begging these Wolves; I go rogue first.
Everyone turned to face me, and I made sure that my face was impassive. I refused to let them know what this was doing to me. Stiffening my spine, I made direct eye contact with Kingsley,
“You have already made your decision,” my voice echoed through the great hall. “Nothing I say will convince you otherwise, so get on with it.”
The joy that spread across the Kingsleys’ faces was oil to the fire in my stomach. My grip on my hidden power slipped once more, awakening my senses.
A familiar smell hit me, so delicious, it was almost difficult to breathe. It was the same smell that attacked my senses in the gym, smoky and rich, and I needed it.
“All those in favor of Miss Moon remaining a Koray Elite candidate, say aye.” I could see the fibers that made up the cloaks that adorned the Council members.
“Aye.” I could hear the beating of fifty heartbeats, each one I could easily differentiate.
&
nbsp; “All those opposed, say nay.” I could feel the invisible thread that pulled me toward the side of the room where the seductive smell beckoned me.
“Nay.” That one word boomed around the chambers, and my entire world shifted on its axis. It was over.
“It is decided. Miss Luna Moon, your application to be a Koray League Candidate has been denied. You will stay here in service of The Estate until your debts are settled, but all training and uses of any training facilities are hereby revoked. You will be expected to move to the servant quarters effective immediately.” An unrecognizable laugh escaped me; my whole body twisted toward the direction where Kingsley had just spoken.
When I was fourteen, James tried to get a little handsy at a Lunar festival. Tried, being the operative word. I broke his wrist, and he never tried anything like that again. Right now, I wanted to break more than his father’s wrist, and Kingsley’s paling complexion indicated my expression conveyed as much.
The familiar lick of heat and power filled my senses, and I gave into it willingly. What was the point in holding back anymore? As I focused on his face, I could hear his breathing. It sped up as I lean over the stand, my fingers splintering the wood beneath them, like it was made of clay. Kingsley knew right then that he was a dead man.
“The Elites will sponsor her,” a deep voice sounded, and the entire room gasped collectively. I spun my head around to find the man from the gym. Holy shit balls.
“As you know, I am here at your request on behalf of the Elites, Alpha Kingsley.” My head was reeling as I recalled our fight, the guy was in the fucking Elites! He had obviously changed; his new black military armor had no signs of our earlier fight.
“I reviewed your son’s performance, as requested.” I did my best not to laugh at the thought of James thinking that he was good enough for the Elites. He walked to the stand with a lethal grace. As he neared, the hair on the back of my neck rose.
“While I was here another Candidate drew my attention… Miss Moon.” The Kingsleys shifted in their chairs, visibly fuming with this revelation. The man stopped once he reached my side, and the power that surrounded him made my head spin. What in the Underworld was this guy?
“Moon’s history is not of the League’s standard. I suggest you look at her files, Prince Ignis. She is not a worthy Candidate.” I withheld a groan. I made a prince bleed.
“I have learned, Alpha Kingsley, that the files you keep cannot measure a Candidate’s true abilities. I prefer a more practical approach. Moon passed the Council’s eight trials without any complications, and in the fastest time. What surprised me, Kingsley, was how she seemed to fail all The Estate’s classes, but still got put forward as a Recruit.
Your paperwork doesn’t match up. Her results are not consistent; even her description is wrong. It seems that your scoring system is flawed, and the Elites will be recommending that the Council looks into this.”
Kingsley attempted to stand, but his wife placed a hand on his shoulder. I was loving every second.
“What we don’t want is Candidates with perfect scores falling short in the field … not unlike your son.” I tried to hold my laughter in … tried and failed. Mrs. Kingsley gave me a reptilian smile, her eyes like slits.
“James’ trial was ridiculous, which was why he was granted special consideration. He was doomed from the start,” she cried, her cool slipping.
Prince Ignis let out a frustrated breath.
“Miss Moon had the most challenging task. One which she completed in record time without her birth status giving her an advantage.” He ended the statement on a hiss that made a shiver run down my spine.
Mrs. Kingsley’s eyes sparkled. “We all know the manner in which the task was completed, Sire. I wasn’t aware that a man with your status would be in need of such talents.” Mrs. Kingsley’s words were respectful, but her tone was anything but. I tensed at the same time as the prince. She could see the effect her words were having.
“She’s a mutt and property of the Koray. Luna will have a job here in The Estate with the rest of the mutts that we kindly took in. She will not need your charity, Your Majesty.” The prince clamped his hand around my wrist and pulled me back before I realized that I was moving forward.
Something sticky dripped down my hand, but I could not see what; he held it firmly behind my back.
The prince cut me off before I could defend myself. With eyes blazing, he faced the judge.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Judge Brown, but hasn’t the enslavement of Hybrids have been illegal for hundreds of years?”
Judge Brown was old even for a Wolf. Looking at the man now, I was unable to determine his age. His energy signal was weighted, something I have only sensed in the pack’s elders. He was at Kingsley’s right, dressed in the Koray’s formal color of brown. If I had to guess his age from his energy signal, I would say he was at least four hundred, maybe older.
“Prince Ignis is correct. The Estate does not have any rights to the girl because of her species. She does, however, owe The Estate a debt.”
I deflated, knowing that the judge was right.
Each member of the Koray pack worked up a debt. Housing, food, and other necessities were provided for each member. If you were not from a wealthy family or managed to get a job with the League or the Council, you were given somewhere to live within one of the Koray towns.
In return for the accommodation, a job was assigned, allowing you to contribute to society. No Hybrids born into the Koray attended the academy, but the cost of living alone kept them enslaved to the pack through their debt. I was completely screwed.
The Estate had been keeping a tally from the day I arrived. Every meal, training session, and night in accommodation gave me no hope of ever legally escaping the pack. Without a job in the League, the pack basically owned me. Even though enslaving Hybrids was illegal, the Kingsleys had found a way.
Sarah had offered to pay off my debts, but I hadn’t let her, knowing that I would soon become a member of the League. I never even saw this coming.
“They’re right,” I whispered, deflated. My future was looking as bleak as the weather outside.
“The Elites will take over Miss Moon’s debt,” the prince retorted, making my heart skip.
“That is not …” Mrs. Kingsley began but was stopped abruptly by the prince, who was still holding me against his front by my wrist.
“The law states that Miss Moon can leave The Estate if she has a payment plan in place, or if her debt is paid. Her debt will be settled in full with The Estate this evening. There is nothing more to discuss.”
The prince turned to address me, “Miss Moon, do you wish to spend the rest of your life here at The Estate scrubbing floors?” He moved next to me in the stand so I could look into his eyes. They were so dark that they were almost black and swirling with emotion.
“Never,” the word tore from the pit of my heaving chest.
“It has been decided then,” the prince addressed the room. “Miss Moon is henceforth renouncing all ties with the Lycans of the Koray. The Elites came to the Koray to find worthy Candidates, and we found that in Miss Moon. James Kingsley’s application has been denied. There is no further need for me to stay here, so Miss Moon and I will be departing now.”
Judge Brown banged the gavel to gain some order, while the room descended into chaos. The prince’s hand on my wrist tightened, and I looked down to see that our hands were laced in blood. Confused, I looked up to see the side of his mouth raised is a smug smile.
I realized then, at that moment, that I was free from The Estate. I had somehow managed to go from scrubbing floors to being accepted into the most revered department in the entire League. I couldn’t help it; my face spread into a grin. The freaking Elites!
After a few beats where the prince looked down on me intently, he led me out of the room toward the main staircase. My eyes focused on the blood dripping down his wrist onto my hand.
Once we were far enough away so that the
cries of outrage had faded into nothing he stopped.
“I am sorry that I manhandled you. I thought that you were going to go for Kingsley.” He let go of my hand, awkwardly shifting as he checked for people coming over my shoulder.
“I was,” I admitted, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Thanks.”
His obsidian eyes twinkled, holding so many emotions beneath their stormy depths. His face, however, remained stoic, a perfectly sculptured mask. He paused a beat as if he had all the time in the world to memorize my features. He was so big; his presence dwarfed every other thing around him. The prince eventually dragged his gaze away, turning on his heel before he continued in the direction of the dorms. Neither of us mentioned the blood, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself looking at it.
I followed his lead without a word, up to the door of the dorm room I shared with Sarah. He reached for the handle and hesitated.
“We need to leave here before they find another reason to keep you. I’m sorry, but you won’t have a lot of time to say your goodbyes.”
I shrugged. “I was able to see the people that mattered anyway. I’m not exactly popular here.”
Shaking his head, he opened the bedroom door and was greeted by a high-pitched scream.
“Lu! What in the Underworld is happening? Who in the Underworld is this, and why are you bleeding again?” She looked at my hand that was stained with the prince’s blood.
“It’s not mine,” I said weakly as my erratic friend wrapped cloth around my hand. It was then she realized the prince was still in the room, and her face paled.
“Miss Black, I am Prince Vulcan Ignis of the Infernious.” Sarah’s sharp intake of breath told me she knew exactly what and who he was, which made one of us. “Please excuse the interruption, Miss; I am here to escort Miss Moon to the Elites.” Sarah’s eyes bugged and then shifted to me.
“They kicked me out, Sar. By the sounds of it, they never intended to let me apply for the League; they just wanted to make me indebted.” The prince made a sound that reverberated in his chest,
