Chapter Twenty-Six

"Everyone here?" Ryker barked, looking around the gathered collection of shifters. Some I recognized, some I didn't, but that was no surprise—there were shifters from all three years here, and I only knew those in my own year. The common room wasn't my favorite hangout. I spotted Linc and Leilani, the other mated couple from our year, hands entwined and wearing identical looks of determination. This was their first moon hunt. Usually, they were too wrapped up in each other to cause trouble or catch Ryker's attention, and I wasn't sure if that was because their newly formed and sealed mate bond was so distracting, or just that Linc was naturally a slacker. He didn't strike me as the type though. Would me and Cole become like that if we sealed the mate bond? We'd become more connected, I knew that from my studies in the library last year with Ling when we'd been trying to understand how I'd ended up fated to Cole. We'd share emotions and thoughts, and even lifespans. But would claiming me distract Cole from what he would need to do as alpha of the Iron Shadows?

Cole nudged my shoulder, pulling me from my concerns. He arched a brow at me and I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring nod. The way his eyes narrowed told me I was nowhere near pulling that off as well as I thought.

"You're going to be fine," he murmured, and I nodded again, more confidently this time. Whatever lay ahead of us, whatever tough decisions we would or wouldn't have to make, tonight was our night. We would show the other shifters here that we were as good as many one of them, and Cole would show them how ready he was to lead his pack. When the time came, there would be no doubt left in any of them.

"Hold your places in the pack," Ryker said as he stalked amongst us. "Any wolf breaking rank will get a fuckload of other breaks, too."

Subtle, as always. I hid a smile as Ryker scowled at the group, the anticipation palpable in the air.

"Anyone hunting anything not sanctioned tonight's outrunners, Selene and Leon—" He nodded to the two third years in turn, so we all knew who they were, "will find themselves prey for the rest of the pack. A moon hunt is a sanctioned trial, meaning any blood spilled at my command is spilled legally."

I shivered at the word ‘blood', recalling Cole's divine flavor, and quickly steeled myself before anyone could notice and think I was trembling in fear, because I had a bad enough reputation here as it was.

"You know the rest of the rules, and if you don't, you shouldn't be here. Anyone who needs to leave, do it now."

Ryker waited a beat, and no-one moved. He nodded his approval.

"Good. Wolf forms." He looked over at me, regarding me coolly. "Don't keep me waiting."

There was no alpha command—Ryker used it only when he had no other choice. Using it now would draw attention to me, and I really, really wanted to avoid that. There were fifteen wolves here, only a handful from my year, and I didn't need to rest of them knowing about my weakness.

On the other hand, it was going to become pretty fucking apparent when I didn't, in fact, shift.

"You've got this," Cole murmured in my ear. I nodded, even though I quite clearly did not have this, and yanked my clothing off, ignoring the other shifters around me doing the same. Nudity paled in comparison to the thrill of the hunt, and we were all so used to seeing each other in our regular lessons anyway that no-one batted an eyelid. I was pretty sure I was the only one who'd ever cared in the first place, having been raised with human sensibilities, and I was long over it now.

Yeah, I totally wasn't buying that, either. I turned my back on the others.

"With me," Cole murmured, crouching in preparation to shift, and I crouched beside him. He briefly touched his forehead to mine, then drew back. His outline began to shimmer almost immediately, and I prepared myself for the long, frustrating, and ultimately futile process of attempting to shift unaided.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Come on, just shift. It's natural. I've done it dozens of times now. Come on, body. Think wolf.

My shoulders bunch and a gasp slipped from my throat. White hot pain tore through my spine, and my legs buckled under me, only to almost immediately reform into something stronger, better. One shoulder then the other popped, and I bit back a growl of pain as my face elongated. I fell forward onto all four legs, and stood there for a second, dazed.

I'd just shifted.

On my own.

I twisted round to look at Ryker, who was watching me closely. He dipped in his chin in approval and I spun round to look at Cole, my mouth hanging open in sheer joy. I'd done it. By myself.

Fierce approval shone in Cole's eyes and he lowered his head, butting it softly against mine. I leaned into him, enjoying the contact, the closeness of his body heat to mine, and the steady sounds of his beating heart.

His blood!

That had to be it. Drinking his blood must have allowed me to tap into his shifter skills, or brought mine to the fore, or…something. I didn't care. Because if I was right, then Ryker compelling me was a thing of the past. Jubilation surged through me.

Ryker tossed his clothing, and his human form just as readily, embracing his wolf with a warrior's grace and throwing his head back in a loud howl that echoed through the grounds. I raised my head and joined him, the voices of all the gathered wolves coming together to weave an ethereal song of joy and unity.

The big alpha threw himself forward, Selene and Leon on his flanks, and the rest of us fell in behind him, each wolf holding their place in the pack as we loped through the grounds.

The forest was dark and quiet as we ran through it, following Ryker's lead. There was no rush, no urgency in our strides, but the air hummed with our collective excitement, and a feral energy seemed to surge between us, contained with the pack like a single entity.

I savored the feeling of running in my wolf form, the ground gliding effortlessly beneath my paws. Each stride came smooth and easy, my muscles bunching and stretching with lupine grace. My senses were alive, taking in every scent and every sound of the nighttime woodland. I could hear the steady breathing of the wolves around me, smell the richness of the earth and trees. And my fur tingled with the electric energy of the moon hunt.

We ran for what felt like hours, the exertion warming my blood, limbering my body. The moon rose high above the treetops, turning the world silver-blue. Still we ran on, the pack's stamina endless.

Cole stayed close by my side, a shadow keeping pace with me between the trees. I didn't need a sealed mate bond to sense his excitement, his desire to run and never stop. I saw it shining through his eyes, and felt it beating in my heart.

At last the trees began to thin, moonlight spilling into the spaces between trunks. Ryker led us from the close press of the woods into an open meadow. Here he slowed, lifting his great head as he tasted the air, listening for what lay ahead. The rest of us stilled, waiting for his signal, and he chuffed out a loud breath, turning to the two outrunners. They slipped forward, one going left and the other right as they began to search in earnest for tonight's prey. Ryker took up a steady lope again, taking center space between the two distant outrunners, and the rest of us fell in behind.

A high, eerie howl split the silence—one of the outrunners, signaling they'd found prey. My heart raced, blood pounding in my ears as we altered our course, the whole pack moving in on the prey as one. Ryker howled, a rich, deep timbre that I felt through every fiber of my being. As the breeze shifted, I lifted my head, catching the myriad of scents it carried: rabbit, mouse, owl, fox. And beneath it all, the heady scent of our prey: moose. My mouth watered at the promise, and it was all I could do not to surge forward to the head of the hunt as we began to run in earnest.

A glance at Cole was all it took to keep myself under tight control. There was more at stake tonight than just the joy of the hunt. There could be no mistakes.

A yip went up ahead—the prey had been sighted. We fanned out slowly, surrounding our quarry. I could smell it now, the hot metallic tang of blood, hear the frantic thunder of a heart, and I didn't know if it was my shifter senses or my vampiric ones that drew me to it, and I didn't care.

Ryker pounced, his heavy bulk smashing into a powerful bull moose, and the hunters leapt a split second behind him. There would be no cows or calves tonight. Only game that matched our own strength and power. There was no glory without risk.

The bull ducked its head and butted Leon, easily tossing him across the clearing to smash into a tree, then rounded on the other two wolves, the sheer speed and power of its spin tossing Selene clear. Ryker kept his grip on its flank and the stag thrashed powerfully, its antlers slashing against Ryker and dislodging him. The rest of the pack circled as Ryker bounced back to his feet, fangs bared and eyes alight with the thrill of the hunt.

He darted in, twisting at the last second to make a grab for the moose's throat, but the animal twisted with him, ducking its head to catch him in its great antlers and tossing him again. Ryker hit the ground and rolled, narrowly avoiding being trampled as the animal kicked out and then rounded on Leon, still prone under the tree he'd been flung into, striking out with its front hooves.

Place in the pack be damned. Cole and I surged forward at the same time. I threw myself into the bull's path, fangs bared and snarling loudly. It drew up short, slashing a hoof at me, and I held my ground, hackles raising all along my spine as I faced down the great creature, nearly twice my size and three times my weight.

Cole thudded into it, landing on its back, his teeth clamping on its exposed withers. The creature threw its head up, trying to gore him, and losing all interest in me. I watched for just one moment to be sure he was out of its reach, then turned to Leon, nuzzling him quickly. A sharp stab of relief ran through me as he opened his eyes, and I urged him to his feet. His front leg immediately collapsed under him, hanging at an unnatural angle, and a whine of pain slipped from his maw. Crap. That was a break if ever I saw one. He needed to get out of the way of the pissed off moose. I met his eye and he tried again, leaning his weight against me and letting me take the place of his shattered leg as I eased him further from the fight zone. It wasn't until he was sheltered between the trees that I allowed myself to turn back to the fight, where Cole still grappled with the furious moose—alone.

My gaze swept across the clearing and I saw Ryker standing, watching the fight with an inscrutable expression on his lupine face. The other wolves held back, following his lead.

The moose bucked and kicked, whirling as it tried to dislodge Cole. My breath caught in my throat as it spun and Cole's paws slipped, scabbling to keep himself up and out of the reach of the creature's deadly antlers. I darted another glance at glance at Ryker, but whilst he made no move to drive Cole away from what should have been his kill, he clearly wasn't about to let anyone help him, either.

It was only a matter of time until the bigger, stronger animal managed to dislodge him, and then he'd be at the mercy of those deadly hooves. Wolves didn't hunt alone. They hunted in packs.

Fuck it. I was his pack.

With a snarl, I lunged forward, snapping my teeth at the bull's face, distracting it and demanding its attention as Cole managed to regain his footing. It made to spin and I darted again, getting in its face and snapping my teeth, blocking its path. I could see the big animal weakening, its movements less coordinated, its legs less steady.

I drove it back once more as Cole flung his weight sideways, and almost in slow motion, the animal crashed down onto its front knees. I locked eyes with Cole as he jumped down from the bull's back, and in the split second, a silent understanding passed between us.

Movement flashed in the corner of my eye and I whirled round as Selene circled round, two wolves on her flank, ready to close in and finish the moose.

I snarled and snapped my teeth at them, warning them back, and Cole's furious growls joined my own. We stood guard over the exhausted creature, because I was not going to let the pack claim this kill. The big bull had fought bravely: it deserved to live. To run through these woods for years to come, populating them with its strong and fearless progeny.

Ryker watched us silently, assessing, then grunted his acquiesce. The pack turned away at his command, their interest in the kill gone. We'd proven our strength together. There was no need for unnecessary slaughter.

We watched them leave, standing guard over our fallen adversary until his exhaustion passed and he rose to his feet, trotting off into the trees with a wary snort.

Our task complete, there was no more reason to stay wolf. The pack had gone to find other prey, but no part of me was in a hurry to join them. I wanted nothing more than to be here, alone, with my mate. One look at him told me he felt the same way. Our part in the hunt was done.

It took me a little longer to shift back than him, and when I rose in my human form, it was to find him watching me with a heated gaze.

"You were incredible tonight," he said recently. "The way you faced down that moose, you were fearless."

He reached for me, and I went willingly into his embrace. "I was pretty badass, wasn't I?" I said with a grin.

"Oh, very," he assured me, his hands wrapping behind me to hold me close.

"Tell me how badass," I pressed, squinting up at him, and he laughed.

"I could spend all night telling you that," he agreed, and then his voice dropped to a seductive rumble. "But I'd rather take you to our dorm and finish our…conversation there."

And all at once, I was very on board with that plan. We hurried back to the clearing to reclaim our clothes, and then turned for the academy.

As the large double doors came back into sight, a shadow moved in the doorway. I hesitated, turning to Cole in time to catch the tension ripple across his shoulders.

"You saw that, right?"

He nodded. "Two people in the doorway."

"Two?" I looked again, and then picked out the second one. "Right. Missed that one."

"I'm surprised you spotted either of them."

The word ‘rude' was on the tip of my tongue when I realized he was right. I shouldn't have been able to see them from here.

"The blood?" I murmured. It had only been a few hours since I'd fed from him, but it hadn't been that much blood. Maybe supe blood was more potent? It was probably was one of those things that all vamps grew up knowing. I canted my head, watching the two figures. "Does it seem weird to you that they're just standing there, this time of night?"

"Yes."

"Do you think they might be…waiting? For us?"

"I do."

"Well, that's probably not good. We're definitely not at war yet, right?"

"We're not. But they're not students."

I looked again, and then shook my head. "They could be. No-one wears uniforms this late at night."

"It's not the clothes. It's the scent."

"The scent?"

"One of them's fae. And I know the scent of every fae in the academy."

"Fuck." I gaped at him. "I am so far behind."

"I think that's about to be the least of our worries, princess."

I notched my chin and shrugged. "We've got nothing to hide."

We walked the rest of the way in silence, though I couldn't help but notice how close Cole stayed to me, and how the tension never left his shoulders, nor the protectiveness his eyes.

"Callista Ellis?" the one on the right, the one who was unmistakably fae—though I couldn't have told you why—said, stepping from the shadows. The guy on the left hung back, and in the same way, I knew he was a shifter.

"Who's asking?" Cole said coldly.

"No-one's asking you, pup," the shifter said, his eyes locking onto my mate. Cole squared his shoulders in response, and both men bristled. Shit. In about three seconds this was going to become a blood bath.

"Yes!" I said, stepping quickly. "That's me."

The fae nodded and stepped forward, then grabbed my arm before I could react. Something cold snapped around my wrists and I stared down at them…and the set of cuffs binding them together.

"Callista Ellis, by order of the council I am placing you under arrest."

"What for?" I demanded, as the shifter moved to block Cole, who glared at him. Shit. I needed him thinking straight, because someone had to get me out of this mess, and I was pretty sure no-one else round here was in my corner. I shot him an urgent look, and shook my head. He settled back, turning his attention to the fae.

"She asked you a question," he ground out. "On what grounds are you arresting my mate?"

"She's under arrest for leaving the academy grounds in direct violation of a council order. Do you deny it, Ellis?"

"No, but—"

"I don't buy it," Cole said. "Since when do you arrest people for taking a walk against orders?"

"Since she used that walk to arrange for another person to violate a council remand order."

"What?" I looked from him to Cole and back. "I didn't— I don't… Who are you talking about?"

"Like you don't know," the shifter snapped.

"I don't!"

"Your mom," Cole said quietly. "They're talking about your mom."

"No, but she's…" I felt the blood drain from my face, and I looked pleadingly at the fae. "Please, she's safe with the Iron Shadows."

"Very convincing," the shifter said, rolling his eyes.

"Please, you've got to be mistaken." I twisted round. "She's with…"

My stomach turned over. The answer was clear to read in their eyes. She wasn't. My mom was gone.

"Enough of this," the fae said, grabbing my arm. "Time to go."

"No! Let me go!" I twisted in his grip and the shifter started forward, grabbing my other arm as I thrashed and kicked out. "I have to find her! Let me go!"

"You're just making this worse for yourself, mongrel," the shifter snarled as he twisted his head aside, narrowly avoiding me breaking his face with the back of my head.

The fae held out a hand, shouting a word, and a portal sprang into existence.

"Cole!"

"I'll find her," he vowed.

The shifter dragged me toward the portal and Cole glared at him, tension bunching his shoulders. For a moment I thought he was going to attack him, then he reluctantly backed off a single pace to let us pass.

"Promise me, Cole."

"I swear it, Cali. I'll find her. And if you," he snarled, rounding on the fae, "hurt a single hair on her head, I will kill you both."