by P. C. Cast
A loud neigh suddenly sounded, followed by the pounding of hooves, and a young black horse with a white face rushed up to April and the pup she was clutching in her arms.
Her name is actually Cleopatra, but she says to call her Cleo.
The strange voice echoed in Mari’s head, much like how Rigel communicated with her. Mari stared at the young horse that was reaching out her muzzle to nuzzle the girl puppy.
Is that you, beautiful girl? Am I hearing you? Mari asked, more to herself than the young horse.
The filly turned her head so that Mari could look into her eye. You hear me, Moon Woman. How strange!
Mari stifled the urge to laugh hysterically and instead bowed her head slightly to the horse. I am honored to hear you.
“Wait, did she just call that pup by name?” Nik asked.
“She absolutely did!” said Mari. “That little girl pup just Chose April!”
Nik laughed, and then he raised his voice to shout joyfully. “The pup has Chosen!”
“What? Chosen? How—” River began to ask as she made her way to her sister, but before she could continue there was a painful yip at her feet as she accidentally stumbled over another puppy. “Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t even see you down there, little—”
River’s eyes widened in shock—a shock that was mirrored in Mari’s body as River continued to speak. “Kitkat? Your name is Kitkat!” River bent to scoop up the puppy as her gaze found Mari’s. “Why did I hear her name in my head? And why am I filled with such incredible love and happiness that I did?”
Because she Chose you as her own, just like little Cleo Chose April! Anjo’s response came before Mari could speak—and the Lead Mare’s voice also echoed through the Moon Woman’s mind.
“River, Kitkat told you her name because she has Chosen you as her Companion, just as Cleo has Chosen April!” Mari explained, feeling dizzy with excitement and surprise.
River’s expression mirrored her sister’s. They blazed surprise and happiness like a rising summer sun. Anjo trotted to her Rider, lipping the puppy as Kitkat wriggled happily.
This canine is exceptional. I am going to like her very much.
Anjo’s voice drifted through Mari’s mind as she heard River say aloud, “I agree! Kitkat is exceptional!”
“The second pup has Chosen!” Nik shouted. And then he strode to River and April. Both girls were clutching and stroking their puppies, cooing to them as their horses sniffed and lipped the pups. “Do the two of you accept their Choice? Do you vow to love and care for these two canines for the rest of their lives?”
“How is this happening?” River asked, her eyes damp with happy tears.
Nik shrugged. “A pup’s Choice cannot be influenced or understood—it can only be celebrated. And these two pups have definitely Chosen. Do you accept them?”
“Yes, I do,” River said.
We do, Anjo echoed.
“Oh, yes! Absolutely!” April said.
Yes! Yes! said Deinos.
Nik turned to face the watching Pack and the gathered Herd. “May the Sun bless them!”
“May the Sun bless them!” echoed the pack
Then each of the Pack canines raised their muzzle to the sky and howled joyfully.
From the Herd a tall, dark-skinned woman stepped forward. Mari instantly saw the resemblance between her, River, and April. At her side was an incredibly beautiful white mare. The woman held herself regally—like a queen or a goddess. Her beauty was timeless, and her gaze was strong and steady as it took in the Herd and then the Pack. Finally, she turned to River. Mari could see that her dark eyes were shining with emotion.
“Daughters, I would like to meet your new Companions.”
“This is Kitkat,” said River, holding up the pup so that her mother could stroke her small, fluffy head.
“Hello, little Kitkat. Welcome to Herd Magenti,” said the queenly woman.
“And this is Cleopatra, but she likes to be called Cleo,” said April.
The girls’ mother turned her attention to the second pup, smiling as she caressed the young one. “I am happy to meet you, Cleo. You made a wise Choice in my daughter. It seems this Pack has immediately become woven within our Herd,” she said.
“It sure does,” said River as she petted her puppy.
Mari noticed how, even though River was clearly obsessed with her new pup, the girl’s gaze kept returning to Dove, still seated contentedly on the big stallion’s back.
“‘Woven’—that’s an interesting choice of words,” Mari spoke as she made her way to them. She met the tall, older woman’s gaze and felt an instant rush of warmth as something within her eyes reminded Mari of her own beloved mother. “Many of us are from a Clan named Weaver, and we are experts at weaving.”
River and April’s mother smiled. “I thought I felt the hand of the Great Mother Mare in the events of today, and now I know.”
“I feel it, too,” River said. “Mari, this is my mother, Dawn, Rider of Echo, and retired Lead Mare Rider of our Herd.”
“I’m glad to meet you, Dawn. I am Mari, Companion to Rigel, and Moon Woman to the Pack, along with my co-leader, Sora.”
Sora, careful to keep an eye on her Chloe, who was still frolicking between Tulpar’s hooves, bowed her head in acknowledgment of the introduction.
River’s mother turned to her daughter. “Might you grant me the honor of making the announcement?”
River smiled and nodded. “Of course, Mother.”
The woman turned to face the Pack. She spread her arms wide, and in a voice that carried throughout Pack and Herd alike she pronounced, “It is my great pleasure to welcome this Pack to the Plains of the Wind Riders—your new home!”
Her words were followed by a shocked silence. Just as Mari thought her heart might explode with happiness, Nik raised his fist in the air and shouted.
“Yes! We’re home!”
Like a dam break, Nik’s words released the Pack. They cheered and hugged each other, and then the Herdmembers surged forward, greeting them with warmth and welcome.
Rigel trotted to Mari, wagging his tail and grinning a canine smile. Mari bent and took his face in her hands, kissing his nose.
“Since I met you, my life has been filled with surprises.”
Nik and Laru joined the two of them. Nik put his arm around Mari’s shoulder and Laru pressed against her side. “I hope the surprises have been good.”
“They have been magnificent! And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she told her mate and their Companions as she wrapped her arms around Nik, Rigel, and Laru, feeling more belonging than she had ever felt before in her life.
And Rigel agreed with her—one hundred percent.
ALSO BY P. C. CAST
TALES OF A NEW WORLD
Moon Chosen
Sun Warrior
HOUSE OF NIGHT
Marked
Betrayed
Chosen
Untamed
Hunted
Tempted
Burned
Awakened
Dragon’s Oath
Destined
Lenobia’s Vow
Hidden
Neferet’s Curse
Revealed
Kalona’s Fall
Redeemed
The Fledgling Handbook 101
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
P. C. CAST is the author of the House of Night novels, including Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, and Untamed. She was born in the Midwest and grew up being shuttled back and forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with quarter horses and mythology. After high school she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for fifteen years before retiring to write full time. Ms. Cast is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. With more than 20 million copies in print in more than forty countries, her novels have been awarded the prestigious Oklahoma
Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, and the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and Laurel Wreath Awards. Ms. Cast lives in Oregon surrounded by beloved cats, dogs, horses, and family. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Afterward
Also by P. C. Cast
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
WIND RIDER. Copyright © 2018 by P. C. Cast. All rights reserved. For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
www.wednesdaybooks.com
Cover design by Ervin Serrano
Cover illustration by Cliff Nielsen
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-10078-8 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-31354-6 (international, sold outside the U.S., subject to rights availability)
ISBN 978-1-250-21538-3 (Walmart edition)
ISBN 978-1-250-10080-1 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250100801
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First U.S. Edition: October 2018
First International Edition: October 2018
