by Claudia King
Rather than anger, it was surprise that registered on Khelt's face. He hesitated, looking at her curiously, then before anyone could say a word he stepped forward and scooped her up in his arms, letting out a bark of laughter as he strode into the middle of the camp. He bellowed a few words in his own language, a grin on his face as he carried Netya to a seat by the fire and set her down in his lap.
"A fine greeting for a weary alpha," he said in Netya's tongue. "I told them I was glad to be reminded of what would welcome me back to my bed this night."
Netya looked around, her cheeks colouring as the momentary tension began to dissipate. The others were smiling and sharing in their alpha's mirth, clearly surprised, but reassured by their leader's good humour. Khelt leaned closer and murmured into her ear.
"Any member of my pack would not approach me so boldly. Your eagerness may get you into trouble yet."
She could only think to nod. Her heart was still beating fast, but for quite another reason now. The alpha's bare chest was warm beneath her palms, the scent of the day clinging to him as it had when she lay with him in his den. She would be his again that evening, and at last she would relive all the things she had fantasised about since his departure.
"You have made yourself at home among my pack?" Khelt questioned her.
"I have tried. Your ways are still very strange to me, but I am doing my best to learn."
"And you are content? You are not unhappy here?"
"No. Fern has been a friend to me, and your land is beautiful."
The alpha nodded, satisfied by her simple answer. He did not question her about how she was adapting to pack life again.
"Sit with me here tonight, I would enjoy spending the evening with a female by my side. Our journey was long, but tonight I will rest and enjoy the simple pleasures."
"Where did you go?" Netya asked. "Was your journey important?"
Khelt dismissed her question with a wave of his hand. "It is nothing for you to concern yourself with. Just know that our pack is safe, as are you." From his tone it was clear that he had no desire to speak further about his business of the last two days. He groaned and stretched, allowing Netya to unfasten his cloak and work the tension from his shoulders with her fingers.
A strange sense of duty came over her in Khelt's company. She imagined it was similar to how the others felt around him, but she couldn't be sure whether it was due to the alpha's natural presence or because of the role she had been given to serve him. She had spent the last few days collecting berries and helping to prepare some of the food, yes, but those were small chores compared to the work of the hunters, the mothers, the craftspeople who made clothes and tools, or the seers who spent their time in Adel's cave communing with the spirits. Netya could do none of those things, but sitting there on the alpha's broad lap, entrusted with his personal comfort and satisfaction, she finally felt that she was fulfilling a role unique to her.
She had been brought here to be the alpha's consort, and a consort she would be.
After a time Khelt eased Netya off his lap, but he kept her close by his side, an arm resting around her shoulders or waist more often than not. He was brought food and water, and Netya found herself enjoying her time spent beside him, made all the more eager by the way his palm sometimes roamed to stroke up and down the curve of her hip. Not a tender or lustful touch; that would come later, she suspected, but a pleasant reminder that he could and would lay his hands on her in a way no other man was permitted.
Once Khelt had eaten he congratulated his pack on the successful hunt in his absence, and called Vaya over to speak with him personally. For all her fire and confidence, even she seemed humbled in the presence of her alpha. Netya understood nothing but a few stray words of their conversation, but she did notice the way Vaya's eyes flicked in her direction impatiently. The huntress was uncomfortable. Could it be that she envied Netya's position? Or was it something else?
Netya watched her carefully, made confident by Khelt's presence, but she failed to grasp exactly what it was that Vaya seemed to dislike about her. She was a strange, intimidating woman, and by the time Khelt dismissed her Netya still felt that she was no closer to understanding the huntress.
"She would try to rise above even the men, that one," Khelt said once Vaya had departed. "And if her victories continue, one day she will. A pack needs strong wolves like her."
"Would she become den mother? That is the highest rank of a female, is it not?"
Khelt snorted in amusement. "The den mother is a seer of wisdom and insight; the great powers of a woman. She embodies that which allows all women to thrive and stand as equals among their pack, just as the alpha must possess the greatest strength and cunning of all men. Vaya may be a woman, but she does not bear the power of a den mother."
"Instead she bears the power of a man?"
Khelt nodded. "I see the way you watch her, and the way you watch the others. I think you see much, Netya."
"Fern told me something similar."
Khelt chuckled. "That," he said, "is the power a den mother must hold." He picked up her dark braid of hair, massaging it between his thumb and forefinger. "Had you been born of our people, perhaps that would have been your destiny one day."
Netya expected them to retreat to the privacy of the alpha's den once night fell, but Khelt seemed to enjoy the time spent in the company of his people. Though they all treated him with great respect, he was not at all aloof or detached like Adel. Once he had eaten and addressed the important matters that required his attention he called the others over readily to share his place by the fire. Most of his company seemed to be the senior males, but he excluded no one else who also wished to join. When the hunters spoke of Vaya claiming her prize Khelt roared with laughter, tossing Tal his fur cloak with a bawdy comment that stirred even more amusement from those around him. Not to be outdone, Tal threw the cloak back with a retort that included Netya's name, and more bellowing laughs filled the air as Khelt feigned offence, clapping a hand to his chest as he rebuked the comment.
"Tal asks whether you are even more of a beast than Vaya!" he said in words Netya could understand. "They wonder whether their alpha has been humbled by a fierce little female."
She grinned, glad to be included in the joke. She had never been welcome when Layon and the other young men enjoyed such evening banter back home.
As the night wore on the high spirits around the alpha's fire gave way to yet another celebration of sorts. Netya got the feeling that these things happened often among the Moon People. More meat was brought out to be roasted, and the men began passing around a strange-smelling bowl of drink that Netya could manage no more than a sip of before it burned her tongue and made her choke, much to their amusement.
For the first time since her arrival she began to feel truly welcome. The conversation and laughter that surrounded the fire was warming to her soul, and in her place by the alpha's side she no longer felt like an awkward guest to be regarded with suspicion and discomfort. She would have sought out Fern if not for Khelt's arm around her, but before too long she spotted the other girl on the far side of the fire, giggling as one of the young males she had introduced Netya to on her first day nuzzled into her neck and put his hands on her body. The pair of them seemed in playfully good humour, and when Netya caught Fern's eye she grinned, wondering whether her new friend would have some exciting tales of her own to share the next morning.
Taking her lead from several of the other adventurous couples around the fire, Netya rested her chin on Khelt's shoulder, letting her hands creep across his chest and back as her heart beat quicker with excitement. She did not feel clumsy or nervous, only eager to share in the things the other young women were enjoying.
When he noticed her teasing fingers Khelt turned to her with a knowing look, yanking her suddenly closer by the hip and claiming her mouth with his own. Heat rushed through her body as a smile spread across her lips, the pressure of the alpha's kiss forcing her head back until he w
as leaning over her, his tongue eagerly exploring her depths until she was left gasping. It was a clear show of dominance, not just to her, but to any who might be watching, and Netya found herself happy to submit. When Khelt withdrew she lay there panting in his arms, curling her toes into the grass as she giggled breathlessly.
"I am glad you have taken well to this," he said, smiling, but with sincerity in his eyes. "I wondered whether you would still be willing when I returned. That you might long to return to your own people by now."
Netya shook her head, keen to change the subject. "There are many things for me to enjoy here," she said simply.
Khelt kissed her again, running a hand down over her tingling belly to cup the space between her legs. "Then I will make sure you enjoy all of them, my concubine."
The alpha began to rise to his feet, but the sound of raised voices nearby caused him to stop. Netya sat back up, leaning in close to him as she tried to make out the source of the commotion. At one of the smaller fires two young men, barely of age, were on their feet, glaring at one another with fire in their eyes as they argued. They seemed oblivious to the voices of the friends who tried to calm them, standing toe to toe as they pointed and yelled, growing louder by the second.
Khelt curled his lip in annoyance, glaring at the two. By now most of the pack was looking their way.
"What's going on?" Netya whispered.
"They are arguing again. Erech and Nathar. I had hoped the two of them would be beyond this by now."
"What are they arguing about?"
Khelt gave her an impatient look. "You ask many questions of me."
"I am curious," she responded, refusing to wilt under his gaze. "It is difficult when I do not understand the words of your people."
"They are arguing about you. They disagree on whether they would allow you to stay in our camp if the decision was theirs to make."
Immediately Netya's warm feelings began to dissipate. Perhaps her ignorance of the language of the Moon People had been shielding her from their true thoughts.
"I would not worry yourself over it," Caspian said from his seat nearby. "Those two would argue the colour of the sky if it meant avoiding an agreement on something."
"And yet they are men now, not children," Khelt growled. "They say these things even in the hearing of their alpha."
"They are young," an old man with a single lick of white hair on his forehead joined in. "Their anger makes the world small until they can think of nothing else. Give them a moment, and they will realise."
It suddenly occurred to Netya that her language was not being used solely out of courtesy to her, but as a way for the senior members of the pack to converse in relative privacy. She grew quiet then, keen not to intrude on something that had clearly become a matter of concern.
"I have already given them many more years of patience than were granted to me at their age. They cannot continue this way," Khelt said.
"You are not so much older than them yourself," the old man observed, with a hint of a smile.
"Next to you every man is young," Caspian said. "But I agree with Khelt. This anger of theirs has been given time enough to burn itself out. We cannot keep placing them apart on hunts when they should be working together."
Khelt grunted. "They are of age. They will settle their differences like men for once. Perhaps then they will understand that this bickering of theirs is the refuge of fools and children." He moved his hand off Netya's waist and rose to his feet, bellowing a single, sharp command that silenced the entire gathering. The two young men froze, staring at their alpha like startled animals.
Khelt picked his way through the group and strode toward them, gesturing in Netya's direction and then yelling something that sounded like a question. The pair remained silent, paling before their alpha's anger. Khelt folded his arms, staring at them one at a time, then said something else. One of the young men tried to respond, but the alpha silenced him curtly, his tone calm and controlled now. He had lain down an ultimatum for the two, and with the eyes of the pack on them it seemed they had no choice but to comply with it.
"Your people do not have this custom, do they?" Caspian said to Netya.
"What custom?"
"We must learn respect for one another. Not just for those of higher rank, but for every member of our pack. If we are to lose control of our emotions in anger, we must understand the consequences of doing so. Holding our feelings in check is a small price to pay for what might happen if we submit to the beasts inside us."
An uneasy prickle crept up Netya's spine. "What does that mean for them?"
"If Erech and Nathar continue to howl at one another like wild animals, then they will settle their differences in the same way. Once they are done, at least one of them will realise the value of keeping a good temper."
"And the stronger wolf will have his way," the old man said, glancing at Netya. "You saw Vaya's victory in the hunt, yes? That is but one way for a wolf to demonstrate their power."
"A better way." Caspian grimaced. "But there is power in violence too."
It chilled Netya to hear the whoops of excitement that filled the air the next time Khelt spoke. Unlike Caspian, they seemed just as excited as they had been when Vaya returned from the hunt. Whatever violent contest was about to settle the dispute between the two young males, it had awakened some primal urge in the others that had them jumping to their feet and cheering in anticipation as Khelt lit a torch and led the pair away from the central fire.
Even Fern, her arm entwined with that of her male companion, seemed excited as she joined the procession filing after their alpha.
Caspian said something in his own language and rose to leave, heading back toward the tents. Netya was left sitting alone with the old man, apprehension twisting in her stomach. Part of her wanted to return to Fern's tent, go to sleep, and wake up tomorrow none the wiser about what had transpired. The Moon People were not monsters. They were welcoming, fascinating, enthralling creatures. She did not want to be given reason to think otherwise.
"You are eager to learn the ways of our people?" the old man said.
"Of course."
"Ignorance sees only what it wants. Half-truths." He nodded in the direction of the group. "Go, if you truly wish to learn. Or stay, and do not."
Curiosity and fear fought in Netya's mind, but she found herself rising slowly to her feet and following after the group, shielded by the darkness, beyond the reach of the torches they carried.
The procession continued all the way down the broad path that split the front of the outcropping, heading out on to the plains where the long grass drifted in the breeze and the warming lights of the fires were no more. Seemingly forgotten, Netya kept her distance, wrapping her arms across her chest against the cold. The pack found an open area and set their torches in the ground at the edges, lighting a broad circle around their alpha and the two young men.
Netya crouched down in the grass, letting it hide her as she watched. She could have joined them, but she was afraid to. She was afraid of seeing something terrible. Fern's smile and Khelt's arm around her waist would not bring her any comfort if she did. Quite the opposite. And yet she watched with morbid fascination as the alpha spoke to the two young men in turn, waiting for them to nod in understanding, before retreating to the edge of the circle and folding his arms once again. The voices of the pack grew louder, whooping and jeering as they called out the names of the pair, working themselves into a frenzy of excitement.
Erech and Nathar stared at one another, fear and anger and anticipation clear to see in their expressions. Did they fear submission? Dishonour? Injury? Or something even worse. Netya recalled again the bleached skulls on the farm wall.
The bodies of the two young men contorted, shifting almost simultaneously into the shapes of hulking wolves. Even in the light of the torches the transition took place so quickly that Netya could make no sense of how it happened. One moment they were men, the next their features were a blur, their fu
r clothing peeling like frayed skin as it melded with their bodies, and within the blink of an eye two beasts stood facing one another.
A cry went up from the group as one of them lunged, both wolves rearing up as claws flailed and teeth snapped, wisps of fur torn into the air. It was sudden and vicious and desperate. When the men of Netya's village fought for sport it was a slow and measured practice, more of a game than a fight. This was nothing like that. She clutched at the stalks of grass between her fingers, watching with wide eyes as the two wolves scrabbled and thrashed, knocking over one of the torches as they rolled into the edge of the crowd.
The group pulled back to make room, but the cheers of encouragement only increased in volume. As Netya grew tenser by the moment, the Moon People became more and more elated. Only Khelt was silent as he watched, but he wore a satisfied smile, as if the bloodsport pleased him just as much as it did his pack.
The noises they made were horrible. Heavy, growling breath. Barks and yelps and howls, the sounds made by animals when they were either killing or dying. This was no game. Erech and Nathar were trying to kill one another, and their pack was cheering for it. Netya glimpsed Fern's smiling face in the crowd, and immediately began to feel nauseous. Dark blood spattered into the grass as one of the wolves howled in pain.
She could not watch any longer. She felt her stomach would turn if she witnessed the fight play out to its bloody conclusion. All the thoughts of home she had been suppressing since her arrival flooded back to her, and in an instant she wanted nothing more than to be back there. Her urge to turn and run across the plains was so strong she feared she might actually do it.
These were not the people she'd thought they were. They might look and act like her own kind, but they were different. This kind of violence was the sport of barbarians. Monsters.
Hot tears stung Netya's eyes as her will broke. She turned to run.
