Chapter 20

Kimble

Moonlit Choosing Ritual?

Dread coiled in my belly like a cold, heavy stone. My heart pounded erratically like a frantic drumbeat of fear. I felt utterly vulnerable and… exposed. The blindfold only amplified my sense of isolation and helplessness. The uncertainty of knowing who would be watching me filled me with a paralyzing fright. I was trapped, blind to my surroundings, and at the mercy of whatever sinister fate awaited me.

It wasn’t the chill of the icy wind that shocked my senses, it was the unknown I was exposed to.

Kenzie kidnapped me and brought me here to participate in the Choosing. Who was going to choose me? Werewolves abhorred humans. There were no marriages recorded between them. So why had I been thrown into the competition? That didn’t make sense.

The clock struck midnight.

Happy birthday to me?

I recalled what Talon had said.

There are seven she-wolves participating in the Choosing this year.

A tear rolled out of my eye but got absorbed by the blindfold. “Let me go,” I said in a raspy voice, my body numb. I didn’t want to be the seventh female in the Choosing because I knew. I knew that I would be humiliated. They would make an example out of me to show that no human should be amongst them.

The eerie silence, broken by the occasional rustle of leaves and distant call of animals, shrouded me like a coffin. And then I heard it: a low, deep and menacing growl that sent shivers down my spine. It was followed by another growl, then a third, until the air was thick with the guttural sounds of snarling and growling wolves.

I whipped my head to the left, hearing a fast, rapid movement. There was a scuffling sound and then a thud as if someone fell on the ground. It was followed by a heavy grunt and the rustling of grass.

Blood pounded in my ears as a terrible fear gutted me. Gusty winds blew, making my nipples pucker to the point of pain. It touched my core, making the pussy-lips quiver.

The ground beneath my feet vibrated as I felt the werewolves begin circling. I heard the heavy thud of paws, the snapping of twigs and the occasional thump of bodies colliding.

Oh God.

How many were there? And who were they all fighting for? I didn’t know the Choosing was going to be so gory.

The sound of blows, thick heavy smacks of flesh on flesh, emanated. Someone growled and then the growl turned into a roar, which was followed by a crunching of bones. A wave of nausea washed over me when a loud and painful howl echoed through the forest.

The cacophony of rage and aggression intensified as the wolves fought. The sounds grew louder and more intense, punctuated by sharp yelps of pain, the crunch of bones, and squelching of flesh.

I could smell the musky scent of werewolves, now mixed with the metallic tang of blood. My stomach plummeted to the ground.

The wind picked up to whistle through the woods. A heady scent of apples and mist invaded my nostrils. Was it Talon? Another shudder rippled through me.

Feeling extremely uncomfortable, I arched my body. And, as I did that, I heard groans and a rush of bodies toward me through the grass, then a choked gasp as if he’d been stabbed in the back or worse… killed. The noises increased and so did my trepidation. A chill settled in my bones, breaking the visceral barrier.

A wolf fell and grunted, but I heard him rolling and then again, a crunching sound. With a roar, someone tore a branch from a tree, the movement followed by a loud thwack as if he struck it against another wolf. A low grunt later, there was a loud thud as if the two had fallen on the ground and engaged in a fight.

A hand brushed my leg and I recoiled. Was it Alpha Liam? His touch was enough to freeze me. I heard his heavy breathing. His palm was wet and the metallic scent in the air was enough to tell me he was bleeding. Dread slithered inside me like oil.

Somehow, I abhorred the idea of him near me. Memories of my time with him flooded my mind, and each memory only pointed to one fact—that I was afraid of him, repulsed by him. Inside my heart, I knew he was faking his charm.

But, moments later, I heard another crunch and the hand was gone with a painful yelp.

So there was someone who wanted to mate me. I wasn’t so unwanted. Why did I feel… happy?

As the battle raged on, the sounds turned more frenzied. I heard the snap of jaws, the rip of flesh, and the labored breathing of the combatants. The wolves snarled and howled and roared, their voices a terrifying symphony of primal fury. I could feel the vibrations of their movements through the ground and the tree I was tied to, each impact reverberating through my body.

Suddenly, the sound was replaced by a low keening and series of whimpers. The blood froze in my veins as I heard heavy footsteps approaching me.

And then someone grabbed my waist with both hands, their big fingers digging into my flesh.

The fighting continued but it was distant now. He pressed his body against me and I sensed he was naked. His warm skin was pressed against mine, and his heavy cock rested against my belly. Apples and mist…

Something inside me whispered, ‘Mate.’ Shocked, I clenched my jaw as I tipped my head up, wondering if my body responded from desperation or instinct.

My surprise washed away when the Elders began to chant incantations. It seemed they were far away because their voices were distant.

My teeth chattered so badly that I clenched them hard. “Who are you?” I whispered. My blindfold hurt so much that my temple throbbed in pain.

Suddenly, the wolf against me was ripped away. Eerie silence fell in the woods and the incantations stopped. It was so uncanny that I broke into a sweat. With a low growl, two wolves crashed against each other. I heard punching and then a loud thud against a tree that creaked on impact. The other wolf must have been defeated because the werewolf who was with me earlier came back and leaned against me, hugging me possessively, his chest rising and falling as if in panic. I could feel the warmth of blood on his body. And now the scent of apples and mist was mingled with that of blood and sweat.