The Awakening: Book 1 of The Bloodmoon Wars (A Paranormal Shifter Series Prequel to Luna Rising)

by Sara Snow

  “Good luck, Raven!”

  She nodded, then turned away too. I was immediately reminded of something my father had said—many wolves would hate the idea of a firstborn, or an Alpha-born in general, joining the Guards, thinking they had an unfair advantage or ulterior motives. However, that wasn't my problem. I was joining the Guard to help others.

  Werewolves, as a rule, were protectors. Only a lot of them had forgotten that, blinded by the popularity that came with being a Guard. It was a prestigious position, no doubt about it. Yet there was so much more to it. Our Guards were responsible for the safety of the entire pack, not to mention the other humans and supernaturals they served.

  Beside me, Skye and Cyrus were still bickering about him visiting Ruelen without inviting us, whereas I was just trying to keep my composure as I watched more werewolves join the line to enter the arena.

  How many would pass once this was over?

  “Hey . . .” Cyrus placed his hand on my shoulder. “You’ll do great, okay? We’ll be in the stands, cheering you on.”

  “You’ve got this, Elinor. You’ve been training hard, and I know it’ll pay off,” Skye added. “Cyrus and I are going to find an inn for us, and then we’ll come back to the arena.”

  I inhaled deeply. “Okay. Thanks for being here with me.”

  I turned and joined the line of wolves. Just outside the double doors stood a Centaur—half-horse, half-man. His long blond hair with a few beaded twists cascaded down his back, and he had swords on both flanks. I eyed the gold bracelets around his wrists and the crown-like golden headband across his forehead.

  He took the names and pack details of each wolf before letting them inside. Once I had registered, I slowly made my way inside as well.

  I was stunned for a moment at the size of the place. It was so much bigger inside than it appeared on the outside. The arena was circular, with step line seats overlooking a large sandy pit where all the action happened.

  I descended the steep steps down to the fighting pit. An official-looking woman with a clipboard immediately divided us into two groups—men on the left and women on the right.

  “Council Member Levi, a word?”

  A woman with dusty blond hair and dark skin like Skye’s approached a stern-looking man that had been standing in the center of the arena, watching the applicants make their way inside.

  His purple and white cloak shielded his entire body, but even so, I caught a glimpse of piercing eyes that appeared almost yellow. I found myself mesmerized by them, unable to look away. He tilted his head as he listened to the woman, her voice so low I was unable to hear what she was saying.

  All supernatural groups had their own leadership bodies. For us, it was the Werewolf Council Members who set the rules. There were only four of them—one for Asia, another for Europe, one for Africa and another who looked after both North and South America.

  Council Member Levi was in control of the Americas. From the whispers traveling through the applicants, it was odd that he was present. Although this was the first time I’d ever seen him, there was something about his eyes that bothered me. It took me a minute to figure it out, but eventually, I realized what it was.

  There wasn’t a drop of kindness in them. It was as if he was utterly without a soul. Inwardly, I shuddered.

  The blond woman walked away, and Council Member Levi stepped forward, his dark eyes scanning the group.

  "Welcome, everyone!" His lips barely parted, but his voice traveled loudly throughout the arena. Everyone fell silent. "Welcome, applicants. It's nice to see so many faces, so many eager faces. I will keep this as short as possible. For those of you who may not know who I am, I’m Levi Bluebone, Council Member for North and South America. I'm honored to be here to witness this year's examination process. I know many of you are anxious, so let's get right to it. This year, only one hundred applicants will be accepted." A whisper erupted from the onlookers on the stands. "We're aware that this doesn’t seem like much, considering how many of you are here, but we need to make sure we get the absolute best. There will be three tests conducted this year." He walked along the line of applicants.

  "The first elimination process will involve duels. The women will go first, then the men. This will give us a good indication of strength among the genders. During the second elimination process, women and men will duel each other." He stopped pacing.

  "The third and final examination will be conducted tomorrow, and details will be given then. For today, just focus on doing your best so that you can make it to the third elimination test." He lifted his head, the authority he held showing clearly in his voice. "Werewolves are one of the pillars of this society—we're protectors, and we're guardians. We are the ones that fight for the safety of all. Therefore, I will accept nothing but the best from all of you."

  He stopped talking, then took one final look at the applicants before turning away. The blond woman who had been speaking to him earlier made her way towards the female applicants while a bald man with green eyes walked towards the men.

  "Alright then!" the blond woman called out. “You may all call me Noela. If any of you have any questions or need anything, I’m the one to ask.” She stopped walking. “Meeka Snowbrook?”

  “Here!” A hand with a violet swirl shot upwards, and soon a young woman with freckles, curly honey-colored hair, and hazel eyes stepped forward. She looked way too young to be applying to become a Guard, even younger than I was.

  Noela nodded to her. “Good.” She then turned to the rest of us, her gaze moving quickly, and my breath hitched as her eyes landed on me. “You’re Elinor Blackwood, yes?”

  Shit, what’s this about? Did I do something wrong already?

  I stepped forward. “I am. Is something wrong?”

  She shook her head. “No. You’re both Alpha-born. Meeka is the third born of the Willowcreek Pack, and you're the firstborn for the Blackmoon Pack. Therefore, neither of you will be taking part in the first elimination process. You’ll automatically move on to the second.”

  I looked at Meeka and found her already staring at me curiously.

  “Why?” I asked, frowning because I could already feel the looks of hatred being sent my way. I didn’t really care but standing out wasn’t what I’d wanted—at least, not like this. “I can take part in the first elimination process, like everyone else.”

  “That will be a waste of time,” Noela replied. “You’re both stronger than most of the women here because of your parentage. You’re better suited to duel with a man in the second round. However, keep in mind that this isn’t a given. You’ll have to work hard to prove yourselves.”

  “This is why Alpha-borns shouldn’t be allowed to join the Werewolf Guard. It isn’t fair to the rest of us,” a voice in the crowd protested.

  I couldn’t tell who’d spoken, but many women began nodding in agreement.

  “Who said that?” Noela’s easy-going demeanor suddenly changed. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped forward. “Who said that?” When no one answered, she slowly clasped her hands behind her back. “Okay, answer me this, then. How many of you would reject going on a vampire raid with an Alpha-born?” She waited for a moment. When no hands came up, she continued, “So, all of you would rather have an Alpha-born, someone with natural strength and power, by your side in a raid. But you think it's okay to reject them here because you feel they have an unfair advantage? That’s just jealousy talking. You’re thinking more about what is best for you than what is best for the group and for the people we protect. If that is how any of you think, leave this arena now. We don’t need wolves with your selfishness. Your priority as a Guard isn’t to stand out, it’s to protect lives! We’re all equals here with a singular purpose. If you don’t feel that way, feel free to go home now, and take your attitude with you.”

  She began walking away, and Meeka and I followed.

  I have a feeling I’m really going to like Noela.

  She led Meeka and me to the stands to watch. "Both
of you have to wait until the first elimination process is completed. Do you need anything?"

  “I’m okay,” Meeka replied, her voice surprisingly husky.

  “I’m fine as well,” I answered.

  She turned away.

  “So you’re a firstborn, huh?” Meeka turned to me, a smile curving her lips. “A female firstborn at that.” The first two she-wolves to duel began to shift, their growls grabbing our attention for a moment. “I think it’s great that you’re joining the Guards, although I don’t understand why. Aren’t you meant to be a Luna?”

  That was exactly my problem. I was not meant to be anything other than what I wanted to be.

  “Trust me, getting here wasn’t easy.” I shook my head. “But how are you here? I mean, no offense, but you look young.”

  She chuckled, and her cheeks turned pink. “I’m twenty-one. I just look like I’m seventeen. And it took me a few years to get here. My—” Her smile faltered. “My parents only asked that I turn twenty-one years old first.”

  We were unable to speak after that as the examination progressed. Soon the women’s elimination process came to an end, and we were allowed to take a break before the men’s contest began.

  During the break, I learned more about Meeka—including the fact that she had met her mate when she was sixteen years old. When he’d rejected her, it had taken her three years to fully recover.

  A werewolf rejecting his or her mate was rare, but it happened. Our mates were our other half, and if rejected, I could just imagine it was like having a limb suddenly ripped off—extremely painful physically and emotionally. Wolves who had been rejected sometimes even committed suicide. It was hard to even think about, but luckily, it didn’t happen very often. Meeka was the first person I’d met who’d been rejected.

  I tentatively listened as she explained how she had thought of ending it. Looking back now, she felt foolish for having contemplated it. But at the time, after meeting someone who invoked so much emotion with her, only to have it ripped away . . . well, it had been almost too much to bear.

  Over time, she discovered that she found her love of fighting by staying active and helping the Beta in her pack. That's when she decided she wanted to become a Guard. However, her parents insisted she wait until she was twenty-one years old before applying. She thought they needed to see that she had truly recovered from having her heart broken.

  “Hey, Elinor!”

  Skye’s voice echoed through the crowd, and I caught sight of her immediately. She was sitting on Cyrus’s shoulders, not bothered by the stares she was getting from bystanders.

  “You’ve got this!” She gave me a thumbs-up, and Cyrus did, too.

  “Who are they?” Meeka asked as I waved back at them.

  “Skye and Cyrus. They’re my best friends. The rest of my family couldn’t make it.”

  I had turned back around to watch the men’s first round when Meeka asked, "He's not a werewolf, is he? Cyrus, I mean."

  “He’s not. He’s an Incubus, but we’ve been best friends since we were kids.” I glanced at her, gauging her reaction, but all she did was smile, then turned her attention back on the arena.

  “That’s pretty cool. You know, I find it funny how werewolves don’t mingle with other species—even the Guards, who are always out and among others. I plan on changing that.”

  In the short time I’d known her, Meeka had proven how determined she was, and I respected that. I was happy to have met another woman with the same ambitious attitude I had.

  It didn’t take long for the men’s elimination process to come to an end. Before we knew it, the second half of the contest was upon us. As expected, many of the women lost. Those who came out triumphant, fighting and defeating their male opponents, received thundering cheers from the crowd.

  There weren’t many women in the Werewolf Guard, but those who did make it through earned every ounce of respect they got.

  “You know, we’re not going to go easy on you, ladies,” a voice said. Meeka and I looked around to find a male applicant leaning towards us, a cunning smirk on his lips. “Especially since you’re both Alpha-borns.”

  He glanced at his friends, who were nodding and laughing in agreement. I somehow managed to resist the compelling urge to smash his face in, while Meeka simply smiled, as if she knew a little secret they didn’t.

  “I see you’re only thinking with one head today because if you were thinking with the other head, you’d know today would not be the day to fuck with me. And tomorrow doesn’t look good either. Why don’t you run along and play with the other little boys and let the big girls talk, okay?” Her eyes flashed black, and a burst of dominance left her body.

  His face fell. He backed up quickly, his eyes flashing with rage, but she ignored him, turning her attention back to the fight taking place.

  I bumped her arm, and she winked at me, making me chuckle. Skye and Cyrus were definitely going to love her.

  I sat forward when she was called next to fight, and she didn't disappoint. Within five minutes, she won her fight, throwing the crowd into a frenzy as they cheered for her. Her wolf was dark brown with white at the tip of her tail, and while she was small in size, she was incredibly fast. When that was coupled with her impressive strength, her opponent didn't stand a chance.

  As the elimination process progressed, my anxiety shot through the roof, and by the end of the day, my worst fears came true.

  They saved my duel for last.

  Noela finally called me forward, and I took a deep breath before making my way towards the center of the arena. "Now, we have Elinor Blackwood, Alpha-born, and firstborn from the Blackwood Pack." She pointed towards a man making his way towards us, and the crowd began to roar. He was at least 6’8”, heavily muscled, with angry, dark eyes and brown hair. "She'll be dueling Ramsy Nightbane of the Blood Wolves Pack!”

  I didn't think it was possible, but with his introduction, the crowd began to cheer even louder. I realized he must be a local.

  Great.

  Elinor

  "Don’t embarrass yourself out there, firstborn," Ramsy growled as he started to shift.

  I said nothing in response, not giving him the power to distract me. I started to shift, the pain from my shoulder, and then my knee dislocating brought me down to one knee.

  I expected the gasp that echoed from the crowd as I completed my shift, so I didn’t let that bother me either. My stark white coat was surely a shock to everyone, including Ramsy, who could only stare at me for a moment. He snapped out of it quickly and rushed at me at top speed.

  Our growls echoed through the arena as we battled, nails tearing through fur and teeth sinking into flesh. He was strong, very strong, but I was quicker. Still, that didn’t prevent him from causing some serious injuries.

  I yelped in pain as he swiped a paw at my face, and I backed away quickly, so his nail only scratched me under the eye. He was a skilled fighter, his gaze watching my every move. Our fight stretched on until he did exactly what I'd been hoping to avoid. He acted like he was going to lunge at me but then dove in the opposite direction. I caught the action just in time, but he was strong and he knocked me off my feet.

  I saw his jaw coming towards me, aimed directly for my throat, and I tried to get away. He jumped on my back, his jaws sinking into my fur and skin. I yelped loudly as he bit down on the back of my neck, attempting to dominate me and end our fight.

  I’ll be damned if I lose!

  I howled loudly, my body shaking as I pushed onto my back legs and caused us both to fall over. I quickly pulled away from him, tearing the flesh at my neck, but I didn’t care. I was pissed.

  I called on my final form, my bones once again breaking as I turned into a human and wolf hybrid. I growled low as I widened my stance, my arms hanging limply at my side, and he shifted as well. His wolf was taller than mine, with twice as much muscle.

  I'd been too focused on his size before and not taking advantage of my strength, skill, and natural-
born power. Mainly, I'd been avoiding using my Alpha-dominance. I wanted to win this fight fairly and not from such influence.

  His mouth hung open as he growled loudly, his ears pressed against his head as saliva dripped from his mouth. I didn't move, waiting patiently for my prey to come to me. I was not a weakling, and my strength didn’t only come from my father. I’d worked hard to get here, and I'd be damned if I let Ramsy Nightbane steal my dream from me.

  He rushed forward, and I curled the claws on my feet into the earth beneath me. The moment he was within arm’s reach, I leaned back slightly, pouring my strength into my arms. I retracted my claws on my right hand so as not to cut myself as I made a fist. The sound of his jaw breaking as I punched him echoed in my ear, and he was thrown back, his head spinning.

  The cheering crowd fell silent for a moment with shock. Punching wasn’t something a werewolf did. It was too human-like, and in this form, we became more enraged. Our attacks became a little more chaotic since we could use our arms to easily rip our opponents to shreds. In our first form, we focused on attacking vital points, but our attacks were limited. But why limit our skills? In this form, we could fight like humans, making calculated attacks if we were focused enough to balance the human and wolf within us. I decided to use it to my advantage.

  Howling with rage, Ramsy rushed forward once more, and I waited, my body trembling with power. This time, I didn't wait so long before acting. I threw myself forward and grabbed his face, my nails suddenly elongating to pierce his skin. I picked him up. As I slammed him onto the ground, the sound of his bones breaking echoed through the arena.

  A deafening silence followed as I growled loudly. When I stopped, the arena was silent, then Skye’s cheer cut through. Her scream brought me back to reality, and I finally let go of Ramsy’s face and stood up.

  Hovering above the crowd was Cyrus, his red wings flapping wildly with Skye on his shoulders. She howled loudly, and I matched her with the same vigor. The crowd erupted, chanting my name loudly.