The Panther's Rival

by Emilia Hartley

  “Throughout these trials,” Nemoy continued, “you and your beloved will be placed in situations where her fragile state of being could hinder your success. Her human traits mean she is not as strong, not as fast, and she is not Pack. You may be asked to choose whether your allegiance is to your love,” he held out a hand to indicate Amara, “or to your Pack.” The Council members behind him bowed their heads obediently. Nemoy looked his brother straight in the eye, and Amara held her breath. “Do you consent to participate in these trials?”

  Nova never wavered. He stood straight up, his shoulders back, and he stared his Alpha down before meeting the gaze of each Council member in turn, including his own mother. Each look was like a challenge in and of itself. “Yes,” Nova declared, his voice clear as day. “I consent.”

  “Very well, then.” Nemoy clapped his hands together. “The ceremony will begin tonight. You may enter the Trial Chamber.”

  Behind him, one of the Council members opened the heavy flap and they all filed inside. Amara stared at her surroundings in wonder. The last time she had entered the Council Chambers, there had been a large throne at the far end surrounded by a compilation of benches, all of which were situated around a stone fire pit in the center of the room. It had all been open and airy, not at all claustrophobic. The smoke from the fire had gone straight up and out through a hole in the ceiling which was open to the night sky. The only decorations at all were the few tapestries which depicted the history of the Pack that had adorned the walls.

  Now, everything was different. No longer could she see the entirety of the room. In fact, if she hadn’t just come from outside and seen what building they were going in to, she never would have believed it was the same place. If the throne and benches were still there, Amara could no longer see them. The tapestries had been moved, their ends fixed around the opening in the ceiling to form a sort of dome around the fireplace. Flames bloomed from the embers in the center of the pit, and the smoke was so thick and pungent from herbs that it was almost suffocating. Heavy, embroidered pillows lined the bottom tapestries in a semi-circle, while on the other side they had placed what looked like two beds on the ground, each one lined with elaborate cushions and blankets. Next to the fire, opposite the beds, was a rectangular tray made completely out of stone. On it were five little stone bowls filled with herbs, as well as three larger bowls of varying sizes—one of which was filled with some kind of water—and a mortar and pestle.

  Amara glanced nervously at Nova. What was this, some kind of séance? Had she really just agreed to participate in some kind of spirit quest?

  “Please, sit,” Nemoy instructed, indicating the beds. “Make yourselves comfortable.” The rest of the Council members took their seats among the cushions. Amara had expected Nemoy to sit before the tray as Alpha of the Pack, but instead, he stood off to the right and helped an old man in deep green robes take his place in front of the fire. Nemoy sat down beside him.

  “Our Great Shaman, Ianto, will mix the sacred brew.” As if on cue, the old man began to toss the herbs into the mortar and grind them into dust. Then he put them in the bowl of liquid, swirled it a few times, and held the bowl over the fire. Amara was amazed he didn’t burn his hands, they were so close to the flames.

  “The Trials will take place in the Spirit Realm,” Nemoy continued. “Each test is set up to test the strength of your loyalty to each other, as well as the strength of your loyalty to the Pack. When the test is completed, you will wake up.”

  Wake up? When were they falling asleep? Was that potion or whatever some kind of drug?

  After a few moments, the shaman handed the bowl to Neveah—Nova and Nemoy’s mother—and she carefully made her way around the stone pit to where Nova and Amara sat. She walked with her deep purple robes gathered in her hand to avoid the soot of the fire. Neveah knelt down in front of Amara and held out the bowl. The look she gave her was almost warm.

  Amara supposed she should be grateful. Neveah was her most vocal opposition when the Pack discovered Nova had fallen in love with a human. But, after the attack on Strathford by the Valley Clan and Amara’s willingness to keep their secrets, Neveah finally came around. Well, Amara definitely wouldn’t call them friends, but at least they were no longer enemies.

  “Drink, darling,” Neveah murmured. “It’s not poison. It will be just fine.” Her lips turned up in what was unmistakably a smile. “I went through this before my marriage as well.” She held the bowl up again. “Drink.”

  Reaching out, Amara reluctantly cupped the stone bowl in both of her hands, grateful that they were no longer trembling. She brought the potion to her lips and sipped. It was sweet, with just a hint of something bitter. And, despite the heat from the fire, it was surprisingly cool on her tongue. Yet, it tingled on the way down her throat.

  Amara began to feel sleepy. Try as she may, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. She was only vaguely aware of Nova beside her as he drank from the bowl, and then suddenly, she was laying back on the pillows, staring at the smoke that rose in curls and tendrils from the fire into the night. And then it all went black.

  Chapter 5

  Nova woke in a dark room that smelled musty and dank. Mildew invaded his nostrils, turning his stomach. He couldn’t see anything, but from what he could feel, he was chained to a straight-backed chair. When he tried to move his wrists, he found them zip tied to the arms of the chair.

  In the distance, somebody screamed. The sound echoed off the metal walls. Was he in some kind of crate? He was somewhere near water. Nova’s blood turned to ice.

  Amara.

  Nova pulled so hard on his restraints that the chair moved, but the plastic bindings didn’t budge. Amara screamed again.

  “Damn it!” he shouted. Nova forced himself to calm down. If he was going to get out of this, if he was going to get to Amara, he needed to concentrate. Taking a deep breath, he focused on his canine side, pulling forth the Shifter genes circling through his DNA.

  The muscles in his arms became thicker and stronger. The bones became denser, his wrists became wider. The plastic fastenings locking him to the chair strained as his hands became the paws of a wolf. Nova flexed his muscles, and the zip ties bulged again, then snapped with a loud crack. He used the sharp claws that had replaced his finger nails to remove the strappings around his ankles.

  Nova flew from the chair, sending it flying across the room. The metal legs and back crashed against the wall with a clang that bounced around him so intensely that it hurt his sensitive ears. Nova screamed his rage and rushed to the door. Gripping the handle, he wrenched it open and let it bang against the wall.

  The hallway outside the small room he had been locked in was eerily silent. He’d at least expected there to be someone guarding his cell, but there was no one there. Nova crept through the labyrinth as stealthily as he could, intent only on finding Amara.

  From her own cell, Amara screamed again. Kal pulled the knife away from her neck with a wicked grin. She was cuffed to her chair and chained to the back, completely unable to move. The fluorescent lights shined down in her eyes. She wasn’t sure if her eyes were watering from the brightness or the pain. Kal slid the blade across her collarbone again.

  The pain. Definitely the pain.

  Amara grit her teeth and glared at him. Thick, hot blood dripped down her chest.

  Leaning forward, Kal got right up in her face. “No one is coming to save you, Amara. We got to Nova, too. You’re all alone. Give us the Alpha’s location, and we’ll let you go.”

  Fear gripped Amara. What had they done to Nova? Was he still alive?

  No. She couldn’t think that way. He wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be. And she wasn’t about to let Kal see her fear.

  Kal was so close she could smell his breath. And if she didn’t know any better, she would bet he was about to kiss her. Amara spit in his face.

  Rage passed through Kal’s tawny eyes and he raised his hand. Flesh hit flesh as the back of his hand cracked against her cheek
.

  Amara’s head whipped around and her ear slammed into the back of the chair. Yet, she stubbornly turned to stare at Kal, swiping her tongue past the blood dripping at the corner of her mouth.

  “I don’t know where he is,” Amara said, watching him with cold satisfaction. This time, it was her who smiled. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

  “Bitch,” Kal spat, raising the knife again. The blade sliced through her skin, and he pressed down so it bit deeper. Though she tried to stop it, the scream ripped from Amara’s throat.

  Just as the door burst open.

  Nova stood in the doorway.

  Chapter 6

  Amara sat up back in the Council building, and inhaled the fumes from the potion. She was shaking hard. With a trembling hand, she wiped the sweat from her brow and glanced at Nova. He was slowly coming to. When he opened his eyes, his gaze immediately sought hers.

  After the fear and adrenaline that had been coursing through her veins in the vision, seeing Nova was like sinking into a hot, calming bath. Which they should probably do, come to think of it.

  “Congratulations,” Nemoy told them from where he sat next to the shaman. “Nova, you and Amara have passed the first Trial.”

  Amara’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute, that’s it? Just a little vision quest and we’re done?”

  Nemoy’s face warmed in a way that reminded her of someone who was hiding a secret. “There is more to it, yes. You will need to return two additional nights at sunset to continue and complete the Trials. For tonight, however, yes that’s it. We will see you in two days.”

  ***

  They didn’t talk on their way back to Amara’s house that night. Neither of them wanted to stay in Nova’s cottage. If he was anywhere near Kal, even though he was locked up, he would probably kill him. And Amara was seriously shaken, Nova thought. The only thing he wanted to do right then was get her as far away from the Compound as possible.

  He understood the need for that Trial. Really, he did. Being part of the Pack was dangerous. Sometimes things happened, and as Beta of the Pack, Nova would need a clear head to do what needed to be done. He would need to be able to set aside any feelings he had for whoever it was and think logically about the best way to get them out. And Amara was human, which put her in even more danger. He needed to stay level headed to make sure he could protect her.

  Pulling the truck into her driveway, he cut the engine and wrenched up on the emergency break. He reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek. “Hey. You okay?”

  Closing her eyes, Amara shook her head.

  “No,” he agreed. “I didn’t think you would be. Come here.” Unbuckling her seatbelt, Amara scooted closer to him, letting his arms come around her, and she leaned back against his chest. He breathed deeply for a moment or two, letting their heartbeats align. “That’s never going to happen,” he assured her. “Kal is locked up. He’s under twenty-four-hour guard. We aren’t going to let him get away.”

  “You don’t know that.” Amara fidgeted with her hands. “And last time he was out and running around, he kidnapped my sister and almost killed you. You know, along with like half my town.”

  Despite the seriousness of the situation, Nova chuckled. “Don’t worry, love. He isn’t going anywhere. And I promise you, I am not going to let him hurt you—or your town—in any way, shape, or form. Nemoy is negotiating peace with the Valley Clan as we speak. You are completely safe.”

  Still, she didn’t look convinced. “It just doesn’t feel right trying to start a life together, start a family together, when danger follows us everywhere.” Amara sighed. “Nova, I haven’t really felt safe since I was twelve years old. When my dad was killed by wolves…and then Sadie with Kal last month. I just, I can’t lose you, too. I’m not sure I would survive it.”

  Nova pressed a kiss into her hair, holding her tighter. If he could, he would take all her worries away. “You won’t lose me.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  This time, it was Nova who sighed. She was right, and he knew it, but her answer didn’t have to be the only answer. “Look, love, there are always going to be dangers. Always. That’s part of being a wolf. But that doesn’t mean that danger is all there is. We’re getting married. We’re starting a life together. I want to build a home with you. I want to start a family with you. Are you really telling me that you’re willing to give up a family, a future, because of fear? Because that isn’t the Amara Townsend I know. That isn’t the woman I love.”

  For a moment or two, she was silent. “I’m scared,” she admitted. Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

  Lifting her hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to the tip of each finger. “I know,” he told her. “And honestly, I would think you were crazy if you weren’t. But we can get through this, Amara. We’re stronger together. We’ve proven that repeatedly, haven’t we? No matter what the Valley Clan tries, no matter what the Trials put us through, they won’t break us.” He placed a gentle kiss on the center of her palm, then gave her hand a squeeze. “I promise.” Though he could tell she didn’t quite agree with him, Amara nodded. “It’s just you and me, baby,” he told her with a wink of his eye. “Just you and me.”

  Getting out of the truck, Nova went around to the passenger side and opened her door for her. There were clouds in her eyes, and he promised himself that before the night was over, he would make those clouds disappear. In fact, he was looking forward to it. He always was one who was up for a challenge. Offering his arm, he helped her climb down and held her hand as he walked her to the door.

  “I’m sorry,” Amara told him, and he could hear the nerves coating her voice. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Kal is…well, I know he’s locked up. I do. And I know he’s being watched around the clock.”

  “Both Nate and Ian insisted on being in the rotation.”

  Amara smiled. “Good. That’s good. And I know that should comfort me. In a way, I guess it does. But still, I can’t help but feel anxious. You weren’t there, Nova. You didn’t see the look in his eyes when he cut me. He didn’t just want to kill me, Nova. He wanted to torture me first. He wanted to make me suffer.” Frowning, she rubbed her fingers over the mound of scar tissue at her collar bone—a remnant of the first time Kal Vann had sunk his teeth into her. Literally. Amara’s voice shook when she spoke, and her eyes were haunted. “I can still feel the steel of the blade biting into my skin.”

  Nova resisted the urge to let go of her hand. Fury ripped through him, stirring his inner wolf, and his hatred for Kal burned like an inferno in his soul. He and Kal had never gotten along. Even as kids, they had been enemies, though Nova had never truly understood why. He had always assumed Kal’s dislike for him and his brother, Nemoy, had stemmed from jealousy or some other useless emotion. Nova and Nemoy were the sons of the Mountain Clan’s Alpha, destined to inherit the throne and become the next Alpha and Beta of the Pack—if they could prove themselves worthy. They were legacies. The Lowery line had been in existence for generations, and each generation, one of them ascended those steps to the throne, and participated in the ancient ritual that would grant them leadership and a direct line to the spirit of the First Wolf. From the moment they were born, every wolf clan in the area knew who they were.

  Nobody knew Kal Vann.

  When Nova had first met him, Kal had merely been the son of one of the Valley Clan’s guards. Callahan Vann hadn’t even fought his way up to his pack’s Beta yet. No one ever believed he would have the balls to make it all the way to Alpha. And yet, somehow, he had. But Kal had never forgotten that feeling of inferiority he had when he was around Nova and Nemoy. Nor, it appeared, had he forgiven them for it. Whenever they were forced to spend time in each other’s company at Clan summits, Kal would seek them out to prove his dominance. And every year when he and Nova would fight, Kal would lose. Although, Nova had to admit, each time, Kal got just that much more lethal. And he hated Nova just that much more. Over the years, Nova had got
ten used to the animosity.

  But this thing with Amara was different. It was like he was obsessed.

  Before she was attacked, Amara was just another human. She didn’t stand out to Nova or Kal, as far as he knew. Not as much as she did now, at least. Nova could admit (even if it was only to himself) that he had been watching her for weeks before he finally made himself known. There had just been something about her that called to him. Something about the way her dark hair flowed around her shoulders in shiny waves, or the way her gray eyes seemed to look right through him even though he had been certain she had never even known he was there. And the wicked look that filled her face when she laughed, or when she smiled that wild smile of hers, had drawn him to her like a moth to a flame.

  And apparently, he hadn’t been the only one.

  Before Kal had set his sights on her, Amara Townsend had only been a pipedream for Nova. He hadn’t even considered breaking Pack Law for a human. Even that human. She was forbidden, and therefore, untouchable. He hadn’t even known her name, for crying out loud. But all of that had changed when Kal and his friends attacked.

  Nova remembered it like it was yesterday. He and Nemoy had been on patrol that night. Nova had heard the enemy before his brother had. He had already been running when the wolves attacked the three girls. He had seen Amara get separated from her friends as she had run for her life. And he knew—beyond reason or explanation—that Kal would go after her. It was like a rule of the Universe or something. Because she appealed to Nova, she would call to Kal’s senses as well. It was almost as if the two of them were connected. Maybe even the three of them.

  He had been terrified he wouldn’t reach her in time. Just as he had been terrified when Kal attacked her again ten years later. But after he had defeated Kal and sent him loping off with his tail between his legs, Nova had stood over Amara’s still body, and he had never been more mesmerized. In that moment, he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe.