by Tamara White
She’s appraisingly me warily, while the others are smirking and my father looks very smug.
“Well done, child. You have completed the first trial. We didn’t expect it to happen so soon,” she says, clearly confused.
The man on the floor, my grandfather apparently, groans, grabbing our attention.
“What happened?” he asks the woman, who I’m assuming is my grandmother.
“You got your ass kicked,” my dad says before she can open her mouth.
Me, however, I’m stuck on the first trial.
“What do you mean about the first trial? What was it?” I ask extremely confused and frustrated. I thought the first trial was some form of combat with my mates.
My ‘grandmother’ turns to me and stares me straight in the eye. “We’ll explain soon, we have much to discuss,” she walks to her mate, my grandfather, and helps him off the floor. Tim, Laura, and my father all follow them out, leaving us standing behind, gobsmacked.
They just walk out, ignoring us as if we were not important and didn’t deserve an explanation to their behaviour.
“Do you any of you understand what just happened? Because I’m stumped,” I am clearly confused.
“I’m not sure, but I have a theory,” Jason says from behind me.
I face him, waiting for an explanation, theory or not.
“Well, none of us knows what the first or fifth trial is. It’s been kept secret, but it was known the first one had to do with some sort of mental challenge. Seeing what just happened, I think I know what it is.
I think you have to break the rules. Push the boundaries. Show them you’re strong,” he says fiercely.
I go over what he said, and it hits me at once.
I had three rules to follow. Three. Respect your alphas, Respect your Elders, and Submit. I just broke them all.
Oh, god. My mind goes into overdrive. What does this mean? Does this mean the trials start now? What have I done?
“Dani, hey stop freaking out! You’re making our wolves anxious,” Nate says, grabbing me by the shoulders and giving me a good shake.
I look into his eyes, seeing the flare of amber from his wolf. I know if I don’t calm down, they’ll shift to try and protect me from what they think is a threat.
I close my eyes, blocking them out while I take a few deep breaths. I learnt this technique after my first run in with rogue wolves. They tried to hunt me, and I almost panicked, but breathing deeply helped me remain calm while I fought them off.
“Okay, I’m calm. What happens now? You told me not to break the rules and I broke them. All of them. How much trouble am I in?”
“Jason didn’t mean it like that. Yes, you broke the rules. What he was saying was the first trial was you breaking them. As the Alpha, you have to be ready to defend your pack. Sometimes to do that, you’ll have to break a few rules.
You showed your grandfather you were willing to break the rules for your mate, and so he used it to his advantage. Now the trials have started,” Jonnie explains, pulling me from Nate’s arms and into his own.
“Okay, then,” I say unsure of how to respond. I knew subconsciously the trials would happen, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon.
“Do you want to go listen to see what they’re saying? I know a secret passage way to listen in to what is said in Dad’s office,” Nate says with a cheeky grin.
I laugh, “Okay, but if we get caught, I’m blaming you.”
He just shakes his head and walks out the door, the rest of us following after.
“We have to be quiet, so no noise or they’ll hear us,” Nate suddenly draws to a stop looking accusingly at Pete.
He gives Nate such an innocent look that I realize they must have spied on Nate’s parents before and had it blown by Pete’s playful nature.
He zips his lips and starts sneaking down the hallway almost causing me to burst out laughing. He’s creeping along like a cartoon character, knees reaching his chest with each step, only the tips of his toes touching the floor when he takes a step.
Jonnie places a hand over my mouth when a giggle slips through, and I have to do the same for him when he starts laughing. Next thing we know, “Ow!” echoes from down the hall, causing us all to lose it.
Jonnie and I are laughing so hard that tears are running down our faces, while Mitchell, Jason and Cam are off to the side chuckling and shaking their heads. Nate is down beside Pete just glaring at him in annoyance, while Pete rubs his head where Nate smacked him.
“Why do you always have to be a dick?” Nates glares at him.
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ever remove that stick from you’re a-,“
Cam’s there, slapping a hand over Pete’s mouth before he can finish that lovely sentence.
“No Cam, let him say it,” Nate says calmly.
Cam groans, taking a step back, while I watch on, enraptured. It’s so funny watching how well they interact. Even though Nate’s demeanour shows he’s relaxed, maybe slightly irritated, I can see the humor in his eyes.
“Well, if you had let me finish, I was saying how much I love your friendship,” Pete says with a straight face before Cam busts up laughing.
“You were never going to say that,” he says between laughs.
“Maybe not, but I realized we have a lady in our presence. It would be rude of me to finish that sentence in her company,” he says with a British accent, bowing from the waist.
“Sure,” Mitchell grins.
“Okay, now that you’ve gotten that out of your system can we go? If we don’t hurry, we’ll probably miss everything.”
We all sober up and follow Nate when he takes off down the hall. I don’t know about the others, but I really want to know what’s being said.
We walk, barely making a sound and take a sudden left, making me almost walk into a wall. Jason grabs my hand at the last moment, making me blush from my stupidity. I’m a wolf for God’s sake, I shouldn’t be clumsy.
“Thanks,” I whisper as we catch up to the guys. They’re waiting by the door to a room I haven’t seen and push their way in when they see us.
I look around, taking in the room. I’m a little shocked to see how bare it is. Maybe it’s one that Laura hasn’t decorated yet?
I hear voices and watch as Nate pushes open a secret door, in the wall.
We all clamber inside, it’s a tight squeeze, but we make it work. I have no idea who’s pressed against me, but I’m being touched from all sides.
“You can’t start the trials yet, she’s not ready!” I hear Laura say through the wall. I press my ear to it, so I can hear better.
“We didn’t, she did. Besides, she has at least two mates, from what we can tell, and more will step forward later once she meets the wolves that have been sent with us. Luke’s on his way. He’ll be here in a week. She needs to be ready for the second trial to begin when he gets here. If we delay it, he’ll find a way to get the Elders on his side. If the second trial begins before that happens, we can finally get rid of his arrogant ass. I still can’t believe he killed our baby girl,” my grandmother ends with a sniffle.
I feel the sting of tears in my eyes and try to stop them, but they fall anyway. Arms close around me from behind, and I lean into the scent of mint. Pete’s hugging me, while the emotion grips me. I only knew my mother for five days, but her parents lost their only child.
“Are you sure it was him?” Walter asks heatedly. I’m not sure who his question is aimed at but Laura answers it.
“Do you honestly think Greg would lie about it? Why would he bring his daughter here otherwise? You know she’s Blair’s daughter. They’re pretty much the spitting image of each other. Even though Dani hasn’t shifted, she’s her mother’s daughter.”
There’s silence following Laura’s heated reply, and I wonder where the rules come in for them? Is it because they’re all Alphas that they don’t have to treat my grandparents with more respect or is it just because of what happened? I don’t even know i
f my dad’s an Alpha.
“Okay, I accept what you’re telling me is the truth, Greg, but you know there’s nothing I can do now. She broke our three sacred rules on an Alpha Pair, that’s all it takes to start the trials. Luke will feel his power weakening as she gets stronger. He may have felt it already, so we need to be prepared for his arrival.
My suggestion would be to meet as many of the wolves as she can tonight, maybe we can have a pack party, so she can interact with the wolves. We’re going to have to tell them who she is. They need to start showing her respect. Those that don’t, will need to be put in their place. We won’t be able to interfere, it will be up to Dani and her mates to step up to prove they’re worthy.
I would also like Monique and I to spend some time getting to know her. We missed her growing up, and I think it’s fair for us to have that time now,” Walter says in his gravelly voice. To be honest, it kind of grates on your ears when he talks for more than a minute at a time.
“Look, spending time with her is going to be totally up to her. You can’t just ask me and expect me to give my daughter no choice. Besides, even if I told her to, she’d probably refuse and make me submit to her. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s stronger than any wolf I’ve ever come across,” Dad says, a tinge of pride seeping into his voice.
I smile, knowing how highly he thinks of me. If he thinks that now, I hope I make him proud through the trials.
“I’ve had some thoughts about that. Monique, Walter, did you notice anything about the boys in the room with Dani when Walter grabbed one of her mates?” Tim asks, trying to play coy, but it sounds more like he’s teasing them.
“No!” Monique gasps.
All I want to do is burst through the wall and ask, ‘What?’ but it doesn’t take long before Laura adds in again.
“Yep, they’re all Pack Alphas or will be. You know what this means, don’t you?” she asks, the excitement in her voice extremely clear.
I look at each of the guys waiting for some kind of explanation, but no one says anything. They all just start leaving, with Cam pulling me away. I don’t want to leave, I want to know what this means. What’s so important with all of them being Alpha? Why are we leaving?
We get to just outside our rooms when I snap.
“What just happened? And why did you take me away? I wanted to hear what they said,” I growl out frustrated, and stomping my foot for extra measure.
“We left because we suspected what they were going to say, and we don’t think you’re ready for it. If we’re right, it would be too life changing for you. You need to adapt to wolf life before you hear that.
I’ve had my gut telling me that what’s happening is right, and now that our parents have pretty much confirmed it, you need to take some time. After the pack party, we’ll tell you, I promise. For now, relax. If you know this now, you won’t be able to enjoy it and have fun, which is what you need,” Nate says seriously.
I look between each of them, hoping for someone to speak up, but they each hold a similar expression of melancholy on their faces. None of them will meet my eyes, and I know this is a lot more serious than just information.
“Okay, I’ll leave it, but I want answers. Tonight, my room. Anyone not there will be hunted like a rabid animal,” I saunter into my room, slamming the door shut behind me.
Just because I understand their reasons doesn’t mean I’m entirely okay with it.
Chapter 11
“No! I’m not wearing it!” I adamantly refuse to wear something so frilly.
Dad came to my room not long after I slammed the door in the boys faces. I was lost in my own world, going over everything I heard, trying to come to my own conclusions about this big secret. Unfortunately, I’m unable to form a concrete theory. It could be anything.
“Dani, you need to be dressed appropriately when we introduce you. You can’t just walk out there like a grub,” Dad says, exasperated at my refusal.
What did he think? He’d walk in with a big, pink, poufy dress, that’s so huge, it would be impossible to walk in. Where the hell did he get it anyway?
“No Dad, I don’t care that my grandparents want to announce me, I won’t wear that!” I cross my arms over my chest, making it clear I mean business.
A knock at the door stops my dad from responding, while I rush to the door grateful for the reprieve.
“Hey, Laura, come in,” I say, inviting her into my room, glancing at the bags she’s carrying.
“I brought back up,” she says, grinning when she sees Dad still holding the dress.
“Oh, thank god,” I sigh relieved, taking the bags from her hands, laying them out softly on my bed.
“You’re welcome, honey. When I saw that hideous, pink thing your grandmother called a dress, I knew I had to intervene. Now, Greg, I know you want her to wear a dress, but if she’s with the pack tonight and decides to go on a run, then she needs to be able to run without ripping her clothes. Unless you want her running through the woods naked with her mates?”
God, I love Laura. I can see my dad caving. The ‘naked’ comment made him pale considerably. He may be okay with me having mates, but being naked around them is too much for his mind to handle.
“You’re right. I’ll just leave you two alone. I trust your judgment,” Dad says, hurrying out of the room as if we’re pushing him out the door. Once it closes firmly behind him, Laura and I break out laughing.
“Thank you so much. I would rather die than wear something that gaudy. So, what did you bring if not a dress?”
“Well, I brought some nice, classy, black jeans that I got on sale a while back. I’m glad I got a few sizes because I doubt you’d fit into mine with those hips of yours. I must admit, I’ll be jealous watching you pull them off better than me. I barely have a butt or hips to fill them out, you, however, have the perfect figure to accentuate these jeans.
Now to the tops, I have three that I think will be perfect, so I’ll let you decide which one.
There’s a silver one,” she says, opening the first garment bag on top to reveal a beautiful, button up silk blouse.
“That’s way too pretty to wear at a pack get together. What else?”
“Well, there’s this one, though, if you thought the silver was too pretty then this one might be too under dressed for a party,” she says, pulling out a cerulean blue tube top that is definitely not party material, especially when being announced to a whole pack of wolves.
“Yeah, I thought so,” she adds, laughing at the look on my face.
“Okay, now I know this is the one. I’ve had this sitting in the back of the cupboard waiting for someone who could use this. I send it to the dry cleaners every 6 months, to keep it in good condition.”
I’m speechless. The top she pulled out of the last bag is nothing short of amazing. It’s a halter top in a deep forest green. It will go remarkably well with my pale skin.
“Yes! That’s perfect!” I pull the top from her hands pressing it against my chest. I can’t believe I get to wear something so nice. It must have cost a fortune.
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re happy. I’ll leave you to relax for the day, but, if you’re interested, I can come back at around three and help you do your hair and makeup?”
Laura brings tears to my eyes with such an innocent question. I never do anything special with my hair or makeup because I don’t know how. Any friends I’ve had at school never really showed me how to match the colouring to my skin tone, so I ended up looking like a circus clown when I tried on my own. It’s something a mother would do for her daughter.
Her gesture is so sweet.
“Sure, that would be lovely,” I tell her.
When she opens the door to leave, she almost runs straight into Pete with his hand raised to knock.
“Um hi! Sorry, if you’re busy, I can come back?” he asks, hesitating at the door. Laura slips past him, sending a subtle wink sent his way.
She doesn’t seem to show a preference towards an
y of the boys, giving them all little nudges my way. It just makes my decision even harder.
“Come in, I’m done now. Laura was just helping me choose an outfit for tonight, rather than the big, pink dress my grandmother recommended. Look,” I say, holding the dress in question up for him to see.
“Oh, god. Burn it, burn it now before anyone else sees that hideous thing called a dress,” he says, holding a hand over his heart like he’s absolutely appalled being caught in the same room as something so atrocious.
I laugh at his antics and throw the dress over a chair by the door. I’ll make Laura take it when she comes back later.
“So, I was sent by the others to make sure you’re not mad,” Pete says, flinging himself onto my bed.
It’s sweet to know they all sent him even if I don’t need it. I understand the need for secrets. I just have to trust my mates know what they’re doing.
“No, I get it. If it’s really that life changing, it’s probably better I don’t know before meeting a pack of wolves. I’d be hostile, well more than I normally am,” I smirk.
“Yeah, if this is you bright and happy, I don’t think I want to see your attitude when you’re hostile.”
I laugh taking a seat beside him wondering what the real reason for him coming in is. I sense there’s something he’s holding back.
“Pete, is there something else? You guys don’t seem like the type to just check on a girl because of her feelings,” I say, trying not to be too bitchy. I don’t want to be coddled if there’s some more bad news around the corner.
“Jeez, you’re good. I did want to check on you, but I guess I may be a little nervous. If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it but with you meeting more wolves tonight, I’m worried. Not that you’ll be hurt because I know you’ll give them an ass whooping if they try something. It’s just alarming if there are more mates. At least with my friends being your mates, I know any one of us would be lucky to be with you, but if you end up with someone we don’t know, it will be harder to accept. You know what I mean?”
