"Every she-wolf between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three, within the borders of Bloodmoon and its vassal packs is summoned to the Great Hall at first light, two days from now. No exemptions. No excuses." His eyes swept the crowd.
He paused, and I could have sworn his gaze landed on me, just for a moment.
"Every she-wolf," he repeated. "Without exception."
My blood ran cold.
I looked at Roman. Surely he would say something.
Surely he would say not her, she is nothing, she has no wolf. And for once I bet I would agree with him.
I don't want to join any damn race!
His jaw was tense. His gold eyes were fixed on the scroll.
He didn't say a word.
Despite my gaze boring holes through him, he ignored it.
Jerk.
***********************************
Roman didn't speak to me for two days after the announcement.
And I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.
He was in the training yard every morning, and every morning he ignored my presence.
No commands, No jabs, No scolding.
The Beta ran my training now. He shouted less and corrected my stance more, he once tilted my elbow into the right position with two fingers and walked away.
On the morning of the summons, a maid brought me a plain grey dress to wear. The Great Hall was on the east side of the castle.
By the time I arrived, it was already full.
Twenty-six she-wolves stood in scattered rows.
Some were in leather and boots, like they were ready to march out that minute. Others wore silk and jewels and stood like queens waiting for a crown.
I slipped in at the very back, my head ducked, hoping to reduce my presence to the barest. It didn't work.
One by one, heads turned.
"Who let the servant in?" a woman near the front said loudly.
Laughter rippled through the hall.
I pretended it wasn;t directed at me.
"That's the one, isn't it?" someone whispered. "The one the Alpha bought."
"Heard she's been staying in the Alpha's castle" the jealousy in her voice unhidden.
I'm just a slave i thought bitterly. What's there to be jealous of. I nearly screamed expasratedly.
"Brielle" another voice called out. "Heard the Alpha's been training her for the race, is that true? She must be special." The warm voice carried no good intention.
And I knew those weren't supposed to be kind words. Whoever that was intentionally put a target on my back.
The words quieted the girls' murmurs, and I felt their gazes cutting through my skin like blades as they accessed me.
We haven't hit the woods yet and the race have started. I bit down my frustration.
"A girl like her? Not worthy" A sharp voice retorted. Probably the girl referred to as Brielle.
I kept my eyes on the marble, resisting the urge to clench my fists. 'Don't react,' I told myself.
Then the doors at the far end opened, and the hall went quiet.
Roman walked in alone. He crossed to the chair on the platform and sat without looking at anyone. Three elders followed him and took their places at his sides. I recognized the man in the silver-threaded robe from the yard.
I looked at Roman. He looked at the far endwall as if he didn't want to be here.
Well that sure makes two of us. I'd give anything to bolt out of that door.
"Silence," the robed elder said, though no one was speaking. "I am Elder Corwin. By decree of the Council, and with the Alpha's blessing, the Luna Race begins at first light tomorrow."
Tomorrow.
My stomach tensed.
"Every contestant will take one item, and one item only. You will enter the Blackwood forest at the eastern boundary and find your own way back to the Great Hall. You have seven days." He unrolled a scroll. "There are no rules. There are no restrictions. There is no aid, and there will be no rescue. The first to return, or the only one, will be crowned Luna of Bloodmoon."
"And if, if someone stands in our way, can we take them out?" a tall woman asked, almost lazily, her gaze passed over me briefly at those words, sending a chill down my spine.
what the fuck?
The Elder went quiet for a while before responding.
"The winner is crowned." Everyone understood the meaning behind those words, as a few of the women smiled.
A scribe began to call names. Each woman stepped up to a stone table where a heavy ledger lay open. She pressed her thumb to a needle, let a drop of blood fall on the page beside her name, and stepped back.
"Blood binds the entry," Elder Corwin said. "Once given, it cannot be withdrawn."
Then two names made the room quietened a bit.
"Brielle Hart," the scribe called. "Guardian, Elder Hesper."
A broad-shouldered woman walked over in confident strides, chin lifted like she already won.
I stared fixadely at her face, trying to remember every little feature of every woman here.
As much as I hoped I won't participate in the race, I know I have to be mentally prepared. These are people who can determine my life and death in seven days.
"Isolde Crane. Guardian, Elder Corwin."
This one moved slowly. Small, pale, honey-coloured hair, a gentle face. She smiled at the scribe. She thanked him. She glanced around the room, and for one second her eyes brushed over mine and stopped.
She gave a soft smile then turned away.
And that smile unnerved me the more.
Then the scribe said, "Sharon Thorne."
My blood ran cold.
I hadn't given my name to anyone.
My eyes snapped to Roman. I didn't even know what I was hoping for.
Nobody moved. The hall was so quiet I could hear the scribe's pen scratching.
"Sharon Thorne," he repeated. "Gaurdian, The Alpha." His voice skeptical.
"Wait." My voice came out cracked and small. I forced myself to walk to the front. "I don't have a wolf. I can't shift. I can't... I'm not even..."
"You are a she-wolf of age within our borders," Elder Corwin said flatly. "The decree makes no exception."
"But I'm not a contestant. I never asked to..."
"Alpha." The elder turned his head. "The girl belongs to you. If you wish her exempted, say so now, and we will strike the name."
I looked up at the platform.