Chapter 3

A howl unlike anything I’d ever heard brutally shattered the supercharged air. Aldrich crashed through the barrier surrounding the courtyard. His usually sleek body moved with deadly grace, and his clothing was torn in several places as if his form had simply gotten too big for the material. His eyes blazed black, as dark as his hair, and his smoldering gaze settled on me. Adawolfa stood slowly while he huffed, violence spilling from his every pore. “Mate.”

His voice pounded in my ears, laced with murder. All of the wolves in my immediate view took a hurried step back, falling to the ground in a show of absolute submission. Adawolfa was the only one who stood standing and even she tilted her head, revealing the thundering pulse beneath her skin.

Aldrich would never hurt me, yet my survival instincts screamed at me, heightening as his fingernails lengthened into harsh stiletto knives. The fight-or-flight reflex that had told me to step under a barrage of arrows suddenly wanted to hide under the covers and get as far away from danger as possible.

Ignoring it, I dragged my throbbing body up. Blood from my wounds collected in a puddle at the base of the Irminsala, vanishing from view as I stumbled forward. “I’m okay, Aldrich. Don’t worry…”

An animalistic snarl was my only answer. He crouched low, his form ready to spring. The eastern wall trembled and Ulric appeared with the rest of the hunting party. They pushed a boy I’d never seen forward. He was a set of squares stacked onto squares and connected with rectangles. Lanky but chunky. He would be huge when he filled out, though for now he was little more than blocky feet and hands. He lumbered forward, almost hitting the ground when his body swayed with more momentum than he could compensate for.

Behind me, I heard the snap of bone breaking and remolding as Aldrich morphed into his Alpha form, a hulking hybrid of man and wolf. The rest of his clothing fell off as the hair on his head spread down his muscular form. Instead of the purple-grey I was used to, the inky fur was completely black. His muzzle stretched and a mouthful of sharp teeth gleamed in the darkened depths. “Kill him.”

No one moved. I’m pretty sure no one but me breathed. Adawolfa finally spoke, her voice thready and fearful. “Al, what’s going on?”

The boy was the one to answer, his huge eyes leveling on me. Something flashed beneath those watery depths and I heard the same voice that had warned me of danger before. Only this time the voice commanded I protect. “I didn’t attack anyone! Let me go!”

Aldrich threw his head back and howled again. The sudden movements made my already traumatized body vibrate and my knees weakened. As I came crashing down, I couldn’t help but smile. There was no way Aldrich would attack the boy if I needed him.

And for some reason, I desperately wanted the boy intact.

* * * *

I must have lost consciousness for a few minutes, because when I woke up Aldrich was kicking the door to our bedroom closed. He settled me carefully on the bed and ignored my weak protests when I tried to warn him about the blood.

A lethal claw arched through the air and cut through my clothing, leaving the fragile and abused skin underneath untouched. My head swam but I was too weak to do anything more than scold him. “That was brand new.”

“Be quiet and heal.”

I had no intention of obeying him, but my eyes slid closed on their own. My wounds were just too much.

Ice and pain spiraled through my mind. All I knew was the jaw-clenching throb of exhaustion as I did my best to keep from crying out. My teeth chattered, even as I knew sweat was running over my body.

There was no way for me to tell how much time slid by, but I slowly became aware of Aldrich outside of my sick world. He bathed me, feeding me warmth when all I knew was freezing cold. His energy was intense and worried and I could almost hear his thoughts singing in the air. “I command you to get better. Now.”

I chuckled and it came out a harsh, pathetic sound. “I don’t think it works like that.”

His face appeared in the hazy line of my vision. Distress marred his hard mouth and I would have reached up to touch him if my arms weren’t so heavy. “No, you must stay still.” He remained in his Alpha state, his elongated teeth and modified jaw making his words clumsy and harsh.

“I don’t want to.” I could have wept at the sorrow in his voice. His eyes tracked over me and I wondered at their once again darkness. While before they had been a whorl of black and white, now they were nothing but jet black, the same black I’d noticed his hair was earlier.

He spoke again and there was unchecked pain in his voice. “This is my fault. If I hadn’t put my claws to your thighs you might not have stumbled before making it to the Irminsala.”

“That’s not true. I was down before…”

His big hand reached up, as if to push me down again when I tried to pull myself into a sitting position. He jerked away before he made contact. “Roux, just … lay down. Please. You’re already sweating with fever.”

I collapsed backward and my eyelids immediately fell. I dragged one open and did my best to glare into his shining black eyes. “You didn’t cause this … so put Wolf away.”

Atop his head, one black-furred ear twitched. I did my best to smile, even as the scowl deepened across his face. “Rest.”

“Okay … just for a little while.”

* * * *

I don’t know how long I was out. He was gone for a time, only to come back … different. I immediately felt the change. Suddenly, the energy that was him shifted violently. It felt wrong … angry, like something was threatening it.

I cracked my eyes and thought for a moment that I was seeing things. Aldrich was covered in blood and naked from head to toe. He left crimson streaks on the window, where I assumed he crawled into the room, but I couldn’t figure out why. Lines of strain marred his overly-bulky muscles. The cords on his neck stretched taut and I could almost hear the hum from his vibrating body.

He was in full Alpha form, a sleek but powerful creature that stood up on its hind legs. Every inch of him was covered in black, glossy fur and a thick tail swept the ground as he walked.

I opened my mouth, but his head jerked to the side. Flat black eyes leveled on me and a frisson of fear crawled up my spine. I pushed it to the side trying to force my weak limbs to obey my commands. “Don’t look at me like that.”

He paused his advance, seemingly confused by my tone, the blood covering his body seeming to swirl under my stressed eyes. “Like what?”

“Like I’m an enemy. Usually you reserve that look for people who are attacking me.”

He took a threatening step toward me, his claws sliding free. Hot saliva dripped from his mouth and hissed as it landed on the polished ground. I knew of the healing properties of wolves’ saliva, but never knew it could also react like acid in other situations. The knowledge certainly didn’t bring me any comfort.

“They’re never going to let me in. Never.”

His elongated teeth made it hard for me to understand what he said. “What?”

“You’re keeping me out, aren’t you? You’re the reason they won’t accept me.”

He stalked toward me, but my neck wasn’t doing a good job holding up my head. The bed dipped slightly and I laid back. It took all of my strength but I managed to pry my sticky eyelids apart again. Aldrich loomed over me, his body poised for attack. “You have to die. They will let me in after. After.”

I couldn’t have heard right. He would never hurt me. Laughter spilled out of my throat and I reached for him. I was still cold, still shivering, but he was so warm. I managed to pull him down onto my chest, even while he snarled and snapped. “Stop that.”

In my mind’s eye, I saw flashes of where he’d been. The Alten stomped their feet and blood smeared their faces. I shook my head, trying to ascertain if this was something I was remembering or something Aldrich had seen tonight. I wracked my brain, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. It must have been the hunt. I could vaguely recall someone mentioning the ritual was bloody. Of course, I didn’t have any details since I wasn’t invited. Still, it made sense if they’d continued the set up for the Storm Ceremony.

He stilled, little by little and I pressed my face to his neck, inhaling deeply. “You reek … of blood.” I said it with deliberate slowness, giggling afterwards.

“I’m going to kill you.”

A snort left my face. “No you’re not. You’re going to be nice to me because I don’t feel well.”

“You’re a danger. You’re a danger to the Pack, to our way of life. You’re a danger to me.”

I giggled again, reaching up to capture one pert ear between my fingertips. I stroked it playfully. “If I do this long enough, will your leg start to kick?”

A low rumble of pleasure hit my ears and for some reason I could tell this was different. It was as if Wolf had snuggled up against me and decided to take a nap. This was the wildness inside of Aldrich. His animal liked me.

I deepened my caress, scratching behind his ears. That big tail thumped against my leg and I laughed before letting my arms drop back to my sides. “I love you, my Wolf. You wouldn’t hurt me.”

He paused and I felt, rather than saw, his body relax. The scent of blood slowly vanished, leaving nothing but wonderful Aldrich behind. The fur receded, along with the ears. I clung to him, burying my face in his neck while he panted against my skin.

“You are correct … I don’t know … what came over me.”

“It’s all right. We all have our moments.”

His lips captured mine, tongue sweeping into my mouth. I moaned, the weakness weighing me down slowly receding as he gently worked me over. He stole my breath, dragging it into his own lungs and leaving me with nothing but fire in its wake.

His hands cupped my breasts lightly and I was able to open my eyes and wind my fingers into the hair at his nape. My blurred vision cleared just as his fingertips were about to find my hard nipple. “What happened to the blood?” I gasped.

He paused and I giggled drunkenly. He looked so confused, all dark hair and barely contained fury. He may have shed his lupine form, but his eyes were still the same shadowed color. His nostrils flared and bent down to take my scent in deeper. “What blood? You are still injured?”

A hand waved dismissively in front of my face. It took me a moment to realize it was mine. I must have imagined the blood as well as his transformation because now all I felt was hard, happy Aldrich. “How is everyone else?”

He hesitated, visually coming to the same conclusion as me when I didn’t answer him about the blood. “The arrows contained no silver. All will recover, though you are the most injured.”

I smiled dreamily. “I’m glad. That boy seemed so scared.”

A rumble of anger hit my ears and I was forced to pry my eyes back open –when did I close them? The fur around Aldrich’s neck was sticking straight up and his head was lowered threateningly. Running my tongue over my lip, I focused enough energy to poke him in the chest. “What’s up with you?”

“You would defend the boy who attacked our family?”

It took me a muddled minute to grasp that he thought I meant the captured bear boy. I chuckled at his anger. “No, no. There was a pup. A wolf. He was trapped and I tried to protect him. Though I didn’t do a very good job. I think he was hurt.”

His featured softened as I spoke and by the time I was finished, the fur on his body had begun to bleed back to the purple tone I liked. “Irit will be fine. The moment his hand was healed, he demanded to be allowed to see you.”

My mind was working sluggishly but my body was responding just fine. I ran my tongue over my lips, hoping he would kiss me. Maybe he would do more. It’d been too long since he’d gotten in a good grope.

I frowned, realizing I’d been out for longer than I thought. “How long ago was that?”

“You’ve been asleep only a few days. Your wounds were extensive, but most of them healed under my ministrations.”

I would have blushed but I don’t think my body had enough blood to move around. He’d had his tongue on my skin –healing only, of course. Still, I was glad I hadn’t missed the Storm Ceremony. Shifting my weight I tried to sit up, only to have him gently push me back down. “Have you been like this the entire time?” I asked grouchily.

He shrugged and I couldn’t help but notice that even though his fur was back to normal, his eyes remained jet black. It felt like he was seconds away from snapping back into lupine state.

“Finally, you’re awake.” A breathy sigh sounded from the entrance of our bedroom. Adawolfa took a hesitant step forward and for the first time I could remember, she looked frazzled. Her usually flawless crown of curls was frizzy, as if she’d repeatedly run her fingers through it. There were stress lines around her mouth and she looked like she’d been without sleep.

Cundrie appeared behind her, looking just as torn up. “Princess, I’m so glad that you’re–”

Aldrich moved so fast I never saw him leave the side of the bed. His lips peeled back over his teeth in a snarl. “Get away from her.”

Cundrie practically collapsed on the floor and Adawolfa quivered with fear. He looked as if he wanted to tear both of them into ribbons of bone and blood.

“Aldrich!” I snapped it before the wave of fear could become contagious.

He didn’t turn, but his tone softened. “Shadows. Both of them. Their only duty was to ensure your safety. Both of them failed. They’re lucky they’re still breathing.”

Moving was painful, like my body wanted to rip the seams of the shiny pink flesh holding it together. Even so, I hobbled over to Aldrich. The wolf ears high on his head twitched when I got close but he never took his eyes off the women.

I kept my tone low and even, smiling at both of them in order to keep them from screaming when he jerked his head from left to right.

“You know they did their absolute best. No one in this room wants me hurt.” I ran my hands up and down his back, ignoring the way he flinched. “Someone tell me what happened.”

Adawolfa’s voice cracked but she muscled forward. “A boy was found after the attack. A bear. He’s being held for questioning.”

I frowned. “Questioning?”

Cundrie didn’t bother getting up from the ground. “No one has tortured him. He’s mostly been left alone, though he’s not allowed to leave.”

“Mina convinced Al that’s what you would have wanted.”

My shoulders slumped under the weight of my relief. Good old Mina, always knowing what to do. “And where is he now?”

Aldrich snapped his teeth angrily. “That doesn’t matter, since you will not be going near him. Ever.”

I kept my mouth shut, willing to let go of this argument for now. But I had no intention of letting the boy be harmed. “Is the moon up yet?”

Everyone in the room went still. Aldrich turned his head slowly, looking me up and down. I shrugged a delicate shoulder, swallowing my wince when everything tugged along in pain. “You cannot be serious, mate.”

I counted to three before continuing. “Look at you. You’re a mess. A second ago, you were a heartbeat away from striking Adawolfa down. Adawolfa.”

His chest rumbled with displeasure but he allowed me to continue.

“You need the Blut-kette. It must be summoned and tonight is the best chance we have to do so. Also, Hrodulf is tired. He only has one day a month he can step down without being killed. Tonight is the night. I will not have him suffer because I needed more downtime.” I held up my hand when Cundrie opened her mouth to disagree. “Go. Find Frauke and tell her I’m ready to begin the rituals.”

Strength like nothing I’d known until this moment flooded me when she stood slowly, tilting her chin far back in respect. She was gone in the next breath, hastily doing as I bid. I’d never been much of a person for authority, and the acknowledgment of my own power left me trembling inside. On the outside, though, I was steady as a rock. My body hummed with pain but I refused to falter. There was too much riding on this. Too many people needed this to happen. Aldrich, most of all.

And I would do anything for him.

“Adawolfa, if you are well enough, I need you to get everyone else in gear. I don’t know if the preparations continued, but we need to make the Ceremony happen. Now.”

She mirrored Cundrie’s sign of respect, her steady heartbeat bared to me. When she straightened a corner of her mouth was uplifted. “As you wish, my Princess.”

I flashed a grin, touched by her show. She left me alone with Aldrich and I did my best not to deflate with a sigh. Several moments of heavy silence ticked by and with them my bravado fell apart. There, in the quiet of our bedroom I wasn’t sure I was ready to be the person they seemed to need me to be.

“You don’t have to do this.”

Aldrich had summoned enough calmness to regain his human body while I issued my orders. His eyes remained as black as before but I looked past them, seeing the warm gaze of the man I loved. “You know I do. This is my life now, I’ll just have to get used to it.”

He watched me for a moment. I felt as I always did, like he saw through my shields and saw how scared I was. “I … do not doubt you.”

I smiled, but in my heart of hearts, I could only wish for his confidence.

* * * *

I asked for this, I asked for this. I asked for this. I repeated the mantra in my mind as Frauke and I walked down the long hallway leading to a different courtyard than the one that had been attacked earlier in the week.

After Aldrich and I spoke, there was nothing left to do. He kissed my mouth and I made to wrap my arms around his neck. He jerked away when his canines lengthened, sinking into his bottom lip. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, mate. You are what you are and I love every bit of you.” I put on my brave face and reached up to stroke one of the wolf ears sitting on top of his head. “Even when you can’t control half of yourself and are forced to walk around with cute little fuzzies on your head.”

He pulled away, that strange half-man, half-beast form once again. I thought I saw the flash of his Wolf in his hot gaze but it vanished as quickly as it came.

Frauke arrived only a few heartbeats later, leading me to believe she’d been standing outside the door the entire time. She took one look at me and mewled softly in the back of her throat. “It’ll be okay, Princess. Give me just a couple of minutes and we’ll get you all cleaned up.”

She led me out of the bedroom and across the hall to the massive bathroom meant for only Aldrich and me. It was more like a pool than a bathroom, with little water closets discreetly moved to one side. The tub took up most of the room and a huge skylight settled right over the top of it. On the furthest wall from me, a pair of gushing waterfalls kept the water steaming hot and fresh, while it ran out of little jets all through the bottom of the surface. They could be turned off, but I never bothered, enjoying the steady streams of movement and pressure.

Frauke removed the bandages and cloth covering my skin in a makeshift bodysuit. I hissed as the water hit my bruises but sat quietly as she bathed me with cereus soaps and oils from the night-blooming flower. I wasn’t sure if it was the medicine or the hot jets, but together they pounded out the last of the aches and pains. Lounging there, I was brought golden trays of fruit and sliced meat, which I ate without a word.

When I finally felt my strength building back up, I tilted my head back to look at Frauke. She didn’t make eye contact, simply kept her focus on her task. “What will it be like?”

Knowing exactly what I wanted to know, she shrugged one shoulder before sinking her comb back into the tangle of my hair. “The Storm Ceremony isn’t something many of us get to see. It’s deeply, deeply personal. Hrodulf is the one who selects those who enter.”

I closed my eyes, allowing her to finish combing through the thick mass. When she was done, I ducked my head to rinse and stepped out of the tub at her behest. Naked and flushed, I saw how my skin shimmered once again in the mirrored panels set in the walls. The dark stain at my shoulder seemed at odds with the swirling color signaling that I had the power to summon the Blut-kette. I shivered, wondering if the glow had ever been given to someone unworthy and the pale glow faded from my vision.

With a casual shrug I didn’t quite feel, I stood still as she dressed me in a flowing kleid, this one as silver as moonlight and just as light.

She crushed some more flowers into my skin, perfuming me with their heady scent. A low chant tumbled from her lips but I couldn’t make out the words or the tone beyond the familiar undulations of the wolf tongue.

Now we were marching toward the dais set up in the courtyard. Not a soul was in sight, but there was a certain kind of energy in the air. Even though the entire Pack hadn’t been invited, I could feel the weight of their eyes. Curiosity warred with caution and echoed in every soft patter of my naked feet. My heart pounded in my chest and I was pretty sure that if my tongue got any thicker it was going to crawl down my throat and choke me to death. “I asked for this, I asked for this.”

“No one asks to go to the Storm Ceremony.”

I blinked, confused by her soft response before I realized she was answering my murmured mantra. I silently cursed myself before I caught on to what she said. “Why does no one ask to go to the Storm Ceremony?”

“This is where I stop, Princess.” Frauke’s voice was a whisper.

I hesitated for only a moment, trying to fill in the blanks myself. Frauke gave me a look that clearly stated she wasn’t planning to elaborate. When no answers came, I marched forward, tilting my chin up and stepping out past the stone and gold doors which seemed to slide open on their own.

“Oh my.” The words of wonder escaped my lungs with the breath I had been holding. I’d never been to this courtyard and it was draped with shimmering curtains of white gossamer fabric, a light layer of snow covering the ground. I stepped into a forest of silver and gold, meeting a tree that seemed to radiate supernatural presence. This one had slender white limbs and a spindly trunk I would have thought breakable, if I didn’t know that these Guardians of the Forest were friends of the Pack. This, much like the Irminsala, was no ordinary tree. It had power and I knew it would be foolish to think of it as anything other than a formidable tree spirit.

Crystal leaves and brilliant blue fruit hung from those shaking branches and I took an unconscious step forward. There was a small stone stage underneath the waiting branches and beneath them, Aldrich stood beside Hrodulf. The ancient wolf looked weary and every one of his formidable years, but he stood tall, his broad shoulders proud and his brown eyes sharp.

Frauke’s earlier instructions echoed in my head and I sank to the grass with one leg tucked under me and the other outstretched. I bowed my head, touching my forehead to my knee and resting my stacked palms against my shin.

Hrodulf’s voice was a boom of thunder off in the distance. It was low—startlingly so—but it carried the threat of power. “Show your face, human child.”

I lifted my head without moving from the position and offered him the same kind smile he offered me. For once, the reminder that I was human didn’t sound like an insult. Instead, it was laced with a kind of reverence I didn’t know if I was worthy of. His tone held awe, an awe that I had accomplished so much without the power of the Pack behind me.

“You are welcomed here.”

Finally, I unwound my body, straining to stand on my shaky limbs but determined not to show how weak I still was. Out of the corner of my eye, I slowly became aware of the fact that there were other wolves in the courtyard. They were off to the side, their hands steepled before them while they kneeled on the snow-covered ground. They kept their eyes averted and hardly seemed to be breathing. I noticed several of the Elders were among the small group, their mates sitting beside them, though they didn’t appear to be participating in the same way.

Hrodulf’s own mate, a mountain of a woman named Otsana, was also to the side, her head bowed as if she were praying. A scrap of blue velvet hung between her clasped palms. I alone stood beside the tree , which I saw was now throwing off shafts of glittering light over my head. Silver leaves brushed against me even though I should have been too short to reach them.

“Go on,” they seemed to whisper. “You are indeed welcome here.”

I stepped forward and Hrodulf continued. “Aldrich. You are the first Alpha we have had under the Storm Moon in many years. It gives me great honor to see you as you are, and also as you could be.”

His knowing voice brought my attention back to my mate. Aldrich stood in his lupine state. His eyes never left me and they blazed with blackness even as he was under no threat of attack. “It is an honor to be before you.”

The words sounded harsh in his throat as if dragged through the gravel before reaching him. I flinched, knowing he wasn’t saying what he should. Ceremonial scripts were being ignored.

Hrodulf continued as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He even smiled. “It will be up to you, my successor, to lead our people.”

Aldrich rolled his shoulders, his eyes still on me. I made a small gesture toward the Primogen, knowing he was supposed to be focused on him. His flat, shiny eyes only narrowed in my direction.

“With this ruby gift, you take into your body the memories and strength of those who have come before you.”

Aldrich shifted only a little, but the motion was filled with menace. I gasped softly, preparing to take a step forward if needed. It was in that instant I realized I couldn’t move. My legs were stiff and quivering, like the string of a bow. No matter how hard I fought to make them move, they refused to obey my commands.

A chant rose up, thrumming in the air. I tried to focus, tried to hear the words dancing around me, but there was nothing but noise. For several minutes, my eardrums hummed with the promise of understanding, while my mind refused to take part.

I sat on the brink of knowledge but never managed to cross the threshold. What I did hear was worse. Cold, emotionless voices slid into my mind like ice picks.

“She could ruin him.”

I jerked, hearing the sound in my head. They whispered under the currents of the chant but there was no confusion as to what they said.

“Is she weak? She looks weak.”

“Humans are easily destroyed.”

Otsana shifted a little and sharp eyes met with mine. Was she the one I heard? No. The depths of the determination I saw there made the breath in my lungs cold. Something unshakeable and absolute swam in her expression. Something strong and unwavering.

Aldrich’s voice cut through the chant, an explosion of dark energy and vocal malice. “Why is my mate here?”

Gasps sounded all around me and I raised my hands on instinct. The force of his displeasure was as tangible as a slap in the face. I winced, confused to my core.

“She wanted to be here. In order to petition the Ancients.”

“She won’t understand.” I wasn’t sure what Aldrich was referring to, but I noticed immediately he dropped his gaze from mine.

For some reason the beseeching tone in his voice irked me. Everything Aldrich had done since meeting me had been for my protection, safety, or comfort. I drank in the sight of him once again, noting the signs of stress on his muscular body. Even now, he seemed half ready to pounce to my defense.

“He’s on the edge. Waiting for danger.”

I swallowed against the low, harsh voice rasping in my ear. A second glance around confirmed my suspicions. No one but me heard the voices.

“Afraid he will lose her.”

“His soft little human.” My back stiffened when something sharp scraped across my exposed shoulder.

Hrodulf continued as if there’d been no interruption. “We are surrounded by the elements. Here to take. Here to give.”

Aldrich grew steadily more agitated as he droned on and I forced myself to stay focused and not panic. He whispered. “From vessel to vassal, the contents gathered through lives and life times.”

“We pour what is treasured through blood and fruit.”

A shiver wound up my spine but I kept my eyes on the prize. Aldrich and his wolf seemed to split from one another a little ways, until I could see a clear outline of the Wolf moving in sync beside my mate. They sank into a sitting position and both watched me expectantly. Waiting for what?

“I can’t do it…” Aldrich sounded pained. “Not while she watches.”

Otsana stood, drawing my attention. She looked to me, her eyes wide and steady. “You must be strong.”

Aldrich hissed but I nodded. Steeling my shoulders.

The cloth she held unfolded. A flash of silver hung in the air only for a second before she plunged the blade into her chest. I may have cried out but the chanting began again, loud and oppressive.

Aldrich jumped to her side even as blood spread across Hrodulf’s wide chest in an identical pattern.

“Do it, Alpha!” The scream slammed into the air, a scorching hot command. “Do it!”

The tree beside me exploded with a puff of snow and wood. It spread through the clearing like an overgrown forest, taking over. It only took a second for that forest to wrap around Hrodulf and his fallen mate. Aldrich vanished from my view.

My feet were suddenly released from their immobility. I shoved forward, instinct blazing in the back of my head.

“Are you worthy? Prove it. Prove it.”

I pushed through silver leaves and blue fruit. The branches gathered around me, only offering me flashes of the scene before me. Blood splattered the dais, mixing with the sparkling white snow. Aldrich’s broad shoulders hunched over Hrodulf.

The white limbs of the tree seemed to expand into a wall of brush. “Prove it. Prove it.”

“How?” I rasped, still trying to force my way to Aldrich. His howl sank into the night, deep and mournful, but every time I made progress toward him the silvery tree limbs picked me up and moved me away. I scratched and clawed at their clinging branches, but nothing I did worked.

“You don’t have to be afraid, Roux.” I swung around and came face to face with the shimmering form of Otsana. She stood leaning against one of the trees, her stance relaxed even though she should have been on the dais.

“I’m not afraid, I’m confused. In fact, I’m considering changing my middle name to Confused. It seems to be the most common state I’m in these days.”

Otsana laughed and somehow the sound seemed to come from all around me instead of just from her. She held her hand up to one moving branch of the tree and I winced as it seemed to bite into her flesh. Blood spilled out over the frosted ground and was absorbed into the thick roots that pushed through the dirt.

“You have so much potential, little Red. It wars with what Aldrich is trying to give you. You are making him unstable, but you also have the ability to make the Pack more powerful than ever. It is time for the Wolf to have a happily ever after.”

I stared dumbly—again, a new habit that I couldn’t seem to shake—while Otsana leaned more heavily into the tree. She pushed so hard that she seemed to sink into it, vanishing right before my wide eyes. I took a step forward, unsure of whether I should try to help her or call for someone.

Then her voice piped up in the air, just like the other voices. “You cannot accept what he is offering. Not until you have peace within yourself. Enough not to burn him out when you take.”

There was no time for questions. A sparkling blue fruit was lowered before me. This one pulsed with energy, sweet and promising. I wanted to snatch it up and sink my teeth into it so badly I thought I would lose my mind if I didn’t reach for it.

“Are you ready?”

Something stilled my hand. Doubt, thick and oozing, sank into my mind and I pulled my hand back. The fruit, with its sparkling coating of frost, was a gift. One I would ruin if I wasn’t able to hold onto it. I wasn’t entirely sure what those words meant but I knew without a doubt that I wasn’t ready.

“Not yet.” I held my breath as my answer was taken.

“We will help her. Unlock her.”

The tree shuddered and quick as a whip a branch shot out. A gray thorn sank into the skin at my shoulder and I yelped, unable to pull away. Something was pumped into my body even as another branch slashed forward. This one sank into my thigh, pulling blood from my veins before throwing me forward.

The forest around me shimmered brilliantly before exploding into a kaleidoscope of snowy light. Then it vanished. The only thing left in the empty courtyard was the gossamer curtains I’d walked through before.

Aldrich stepped out from one of them, dragging wind into his chest. He blew out, even as he moved toward me, the air weaving a new set of pants that wrapped around his powerful legs. Something was different about him but I couldn’t exactly make it out. Not with the way the lashes left behind by the tree throbbed.

It was all I could do to remain in a standing position. “Well, that wasn’t so bad.” I laughed.

The first wave of sheer agony sent me tumbling face-first to the ground.