Chapter 2 - Bailey

Three days of absolute torture.

That’s what this feels like. I’m tired, hungry, and freezing my ass off up near the top of Dallas Peak. My wolf is snapping and growling inside me, desperate to be free. I need the thick fur to keep me warm, and I’m so hungry all I can think about is the hunt.

The fire in front of me crackles, and a sudden rush of sparks spirals up into the sky. One of the elders throws a handful of dried herbs into it, and white smoke billows from the flickering flames. I pull the robe tighter around myself and try to focus on the ceremony. I have to harness my wolf, show that I can control it. This ritual is hundreds of years old and performed by every potential alpha.

Not all of them have made it through. Fasting, sleep deprivation, and hard physical exercise for three days straight have broken many men who wished to be alphas. Some lost the battle with their wolf and shifted during the ritual, becoming locked in their wolf form forever. Some became so exhausted, they couldn’t shift at all. Some died.

I will not fail. I can’t.

The pack needs a strong leader. It is my destiny to be alpha, to lead the pack. This ritual will show my strength as both wolf and man… and reveal my mate.

Today is the last day of the trial. The pack elders got me up at the crack of dawn and rushed me out into the middle of the forest before I was fully awake. I wasn’t allowed to eat anything before they made me run the length of the mountain and return to the sacred fire.

Running the length of the mountain almost completely did me in. Several times, I thought I’d fall and not be able to get up. I had to fight my wolf constantly as the rage and frustration grew. Even half-starved and exhausted, the wolf can run much further and faster than I can.

But that is the test. If you cannot rule the wolf, you cannot rule the pack.

I can barely remember all the details of the last few days, and I’m fairly grateful for it. I do recall on the first day, I was pretty confident. Cocky, even. The hunger didn’t really start to take hold until well into the night. My body was exhausted from physical trials designed to break me. I needed sleep, if not food.

I was ordered to sleep on the cold ground in the forest. That was when my wolf started to really howl inside me. I managed to get comfortable enough to doze, looking forward to recovering my strength in any way I could.

The elders woke me only three hours later. Under the frozen stars, I was made to recite all the old legends and repeat the alpha’s creed.

My memory begins to blur after that, but I remember I had to track and hunt in human form. Even after running down a deer, I had to kill and dress it, but was not allowed to eat it. The blood-rich scent rings in my memory, making my stomach growl loudly.

After that, a night of being hammered with questions about our pack and territory. I have to be able to answer all of them. I have to know all about the members of the pack and the land we rule.

A short sleep… then today. The mountain. Now.

I’m really drifting now. I can barely pay attention to what the elders are saying. It’s a chant, I think, not something I’m expected to follow. Besides throwing stinky herbs on the fire, they are brewing some kind of potion for me. I hope it’s laced with a painkiller or will at least knock me out for a while.

Apparently, the trial doesn’t end until the primal forces reveal my mate.

This is an age-old tradition, and it has never failed. The alpha-to-be is run through a long set of tests to prove his strength over the course of three days. Tests of physical power, heart, and courage as well as willpower and mental control to prepare me for the trance in the final ceremony.

Hours have passed—I can tell by the changing light—but I have no idea what time it is now. The potion has been brewed for me, and I drink it obediently, standing by the fire and staring at the flames.

My bride, my one true mate, is supposed to appear out of the forest. Even though I know the ritual has worked in the past, I have heavy doubts about this. We’re all naked, except for ceremonial robes, and even with the fire, it will get very uncomfortable up here after the sun sets.

The pain in my bones increases sharply as I contemplate another night without sleep or food. The potion tasted like brewed pine needles and is hitting my guts like bad moonshine. I feel dizzy and weak, almost sick. Sweat breaks out across my shoulders and dampens my temples.

Maybe I’ll at least get to lie down and sleep. Surely, my mate will still emerge from the forest, even if I’m knocked out. That might even be how it’s supposed to happen. I could dream about her, only to open my eyes and find my dream come true.

My gaze is lost deep in the fire now as I begin to separate from my body and my physical pain. I’m full of questions that, before this, I’d never thought to ask.

What will she look like? Where, exactly, does she come from? The town isn’t big—does that mean I will have seen her before, maybe even know her name? Does she come from somewhere far away?

How does she know to come here right now, at this moment?

Such a woman would have to be a dream. I’ve purposefully avoided thinking about who my mate might be because I know it isn’t my choice. I don’t want to be disappointed or end up wanting something I can’t have.

I know who I would choose, though.

My mind reels, and my heart thuds hard and fast, feeling like it’s hammering right up into my throat.

Don’t think about it. Don’t think about prom night!

With extreme effort, I drag my mind back to the present moment. The cold wind blowing from the peak feels like it’s rushing straight through my skin, freezing my bones. I’m so hungry, any thought of food makes me weak.

I have to get off this fucking mountain! How long will this take?

When I asked Carson, the elder priest, what happens if she doesn’t show up, he told me that we wait here until she does.

I grapple with this thought, fighting panic. I can do this; I know I can. I’m destined to be alpha. The strongest alpha this pack has ever had.

After some time staring at the flames, I realize the potion they gave me has slowed down all my bodily functions, but I don’t feel sedated. I’m quite clear and alert, even though my breathing is slow and light, and I can barely feel my heartbeat. I look into the fire and periodically close my eyes, letting my thoughts wander as they will.

For some reason, I’m thinking about prom night again.

Gina .

I feel a slight twinge of pain in my chest. She annoyed me for a long time, even though she barely ever spoke to me. I couldn’t ignore her, even though she was so quiet and could blend into blank walls.

Every time I sent a nasty joke her way, it was to cover the fact that I’d been staring at her and someone had noticed my attention. Just the faintest hint of a raised eyebrow from one of my friends, and a sharp wisecrack would whip through the air, deflecting any idea that I found Gina attractive.

A shy, plump girl like her was not a suitable mate for an alpha. How could she be? If I gave in to my attraction for her, my eligibility as alpha could be questioned. My every rejection of her was born from the fact I wanted her so much, and I knew we could never be together.

I was protecting her, as well as myself.

Daily, I’d make the halls ring as I threw insults her way and ripped her down.

But nothing was as bad as prom night.

I close my eyes tightly, drawing myself into the darkness of my thoughts. I can still hear Jill’s voice telling me that Gina loved me. Of course, I brushed it off with scorn, but Jill couldn’t leave it there. She had to keep coming, telling everyone about Gina’s undying obsession with me.

When I caught Gina’s eye, she was clearly mortified, but I detected the faintest hint of hope in her eyes. When the crowd fell silent, and people began to look between Gina and me with real worry—and some scorn of their own—I shattered all of Gina’s fantasies with my hateful words and a torrent of cruel laughter.

I had no choice. I was on the spot, right in front of the whole school. I cared too much about my reputation, about looking weak in front of the rest of the pack.

She fled the gym. I never saw her again.

I feel terrible for what I did that night. I really didn’t want to hurt her, and I know I took it too far. I just couldn’t let anyone know what I was really feeling.

Horny as hell.

She looked so lovely in that pale blue silk gown. It matched her gorgeous, sky-blue eyes. I remember how her long, thick, glossy black hair fell in curls across her shoulders. It was the first time I’d ever seen it loose and free, not trapped in a neat bun.

I harden my heart, staring into the flames. I was the fucking prom king, and the next alpha To maintain status and respect, I couldn’t be seen with a woman like that.

No matter how much I wanted her.

More details crowd into my mind. The low-cut, heart-shaped neckline of the dress framing her huge soft breasts. The tight waistline flowing down into a thick, full skirt, showing off all her luscious, generous curves. Jet-black curls framing her face that made her eyes look wide and deep, like forest pools frosted with ice. Her lips were painted a bright warm red, and all I could think about was kissing that perfect mouth with my own.

Through my intense thoughts, a strong, fast rhythm starts to throb in my ears. I look around, wondering where it’s coming from. There is a new scent teasing me, too. It’s like someone is baking cookies nearby, and I can smell the butter as well as the chocolate chips. My mouth starts to water as I imagine filling my mouth with that delicious and wonderful scent.

Then, I see her.

Gina .

My heart seizes in my chest as if it’s been grabbed by a hand made of steel and crushed to a pulp. Shock crackles through me as if I’ve been hit by lightning.

Her ice-blue eyes arrest my gaze. I stare at her, thinking I must be dreaming, or completely whacked out by whatever the hell they put into that tea.

The longer I stare, the more real she becomes. The drumming sound is her heart, pounding faster and faster. Behind it, the soft rush of her breath. Her eyes still look like iced-over pools in mid-winter, crystal surfaces hiding dark, cold secrets.

The scent is getting stronger, and I’m so hungry now I’m in real physical pain. My mouth is watering so much, I’m about to start drooling. I flick my tongue across my lips and catch a hint of the aroma again. Sweet, rich, delicious, luscious …

The scent—it’s coming from her!

Before I can even think about this for a second, Carson turns towards the woods, making a grand gesture with one hand. He calls on the ancient forces that rule our hearts. He begs them to reveal my mate by the ancient rite and then points into the trees.

At Gina.