22. Shya

Chapter twenty-two

Shya

M y heart raced as I smoothed down the cream ceremonial robe, a mix of excitement and nerves fluttering in my stomach. The intricate silver embroidery on the cream fabric caught the light, symbolizing the union of moon and night. It was beautiful and fit me as perfectly as I knew it would when Tristan brought it to me yesterday. I wished I could wear the one Mom wore for her ceremony with Dad, but Tristan said it we couldn't wait until we had taken over the Pack. We needed to show ourselves as a united force now so we could present ourselves to Mom and Dad as a fully mated couple, one ready to take over the Pack.

Tristan said that after the ceremony, we'd send a video message to my parents, telling them the good news. They could then abdicate, and Tristan and I would step in and start to make the changes needed to build Bridgetown into a Pack to be reckoned with. I closed my eyes as I remembered I'd pointed out that my parents were unlikely to just abdicate. He'd gotten angry, told me not to concern myself about the details, that he had it all in hand. He'd been right, of course. It was my place to support his decisions, not question them.

"You look beautiful, Shya."

Lena stood behind me, carefully adjusting the folds of the robe. Her fingers were gentle as she arranged the fabric to fall just so, emphasizing the curve of my waist and the slope of my shoulders.

"Tristan won't be able to take his eyes off you when you enter the sacred circle," Asha agreed. They'd been sent to help me get ready, and I was grateful for them being here. My wolf felt distant and muffled, and I missed her. And a discordant chord had started to repeat itself in my mind. One word repeating over and over, slipping into the gaps in the words of the chant. Mason, Mason, Mason. It was driving me crazy, especially as I wasn't sure who Mason was.

I smiled nervously, meeting Asha's eyes in the mirror. "I hope so. I just want everything to be perfect. This ceremony … it's so important."

Lena squeezed my shoulders reassuringly. "It will be perfect. You two are meant for each other. The mating ceremony will bind you together forever, as true fated mates should be. This is it. After tonight, you're going to be so happy."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "I know. It's just … I thought my family would be here. My parents, my … I think I have brothers as well. I thought they'd be beside me."

"We're your family now, Shya," said Lena. "And we're going to be right here next to you. You just have to remember this is what you want."

I nodded, the chanting in my head growing louder, drowning out the repeating word. Yes, this was right. This was what I wanted. Even if my wolf felt strangely absent, even if part of me still felt uncertain, this was the path I had to take.

"Man, I can't believe the boss is finally doing it," a gruff voice said from outside the tent.

"Doing what?" another replied, slightly slurred. "Finally getting what he's wanted for years?"

Lena, Asha, and I exchanged glances, stifling giggles. Two of Tristan's men had obviously already started celebrating.

"Yeah, that," the first voice continued. "Never thought I'd see the day Tristan would persuade her that he's her mate."

We moved closer to the left wall of the tent, all of us wanting to hear more.

"Well, he's had help," the second voice agreed. "Besides, it was about time she learned her place. Strutting round Bridgetown, thinking she was going to be in charge of us."

"I just wish I could be there when he tells her about the old man."

The other man laughed. "Fuck yeah! Can you imagine her face when she finds out her new mate killed her dad? I hope Tristan tells her right after he's fucked her."

The words knocked the breath from me. My father … Michael … Tristan had killed him? I turned to Asha, hoping to see confusion or disbelief on her face. Instead, I saw horror and guilt. The truth was written plainly in her expression.

"Come on, I want another drink before it starts!" the first man hissed. "And I know Jolie has some stashed in his tent."

As their footsteps faded away, the world around me began to tilt. Nausea rose in my throat, and I barely made it to a corner of the tent before retching violently.

Something snapped inside my mind. The constant chanting suddenly ceased, replaced by an anguished howl.

My wolf was back, and she was furious.

"Lena," I turned, reaching out to her. "Asha, please. I can't stay here. You have to help me escape."

For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of sympathy in Asha's eyes. But then it was gone.

"Shya, honey, you're not thinking clearly," Lena said, her voice unnaturally calm. "You're upset and confused. This isn't the time to make rash decisions."

"Rash decisions?" Goddess, what the hell had I been thinking? I'd been about to mate with Tristan Munroe!

My dad … could it be true that he was gone? And Mason Shaw! My eyes widened as I suddenly knew exactly who he was and what he meant to me.

What the fucking hell had I been about to do? I felt the bile rising in my throat again and swallowed it down. I didn't have time for that, not now. I had to get away before Tristan's men came to take me to the ceremony. "Lena, they said he killed my father."

She nodded. "I'm sorry. We have to cull the old order so that the new one can bloom, Shya. Some of them are too stuck in their ways. If they can't adapt, if they can't see the opportunities that are open to us, then they need to go. Your family stands in the way. You must see that?"

My jaw dropped. "My family? You mean my brothers, Henry and Tucker? Asha, you know them. You played with them. You ate in our house!"

Asha took a step toward me, her hands outstretched. "It's okay. I know this is a shock, but we just need to talk to Tristan. He'll make everything better."

As she spoke, I saw her eyes dart to the tent entrance. They were stalling, keeping me here until Tristan's men could arrive.

"No," I said, backing away from them. I had to think, had to find a way out. Something deep inside me knew that if I saw Tristan, I would lose myself again. His actions would suddenly make sense, and I'd wake up as his fucking mate tomorrow. I'd do anything to make sure that didn't happen. "I have to get out of here," I whispered.

Lena's expression hardened. "I'm sorry, Shya, but I can't let you do that. Tristan will know what to do. He always does."

Perhaps, but at that moment, I knew what to do, too.

I spun left, my fist connecting with the side of Lena's head. Her eyes widened in shock before she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Asha lunged forward, trying to grab me. "Shya, stop!" she yelled, her fingers grazing my arm.

I pivoted, using the momentum to drive my elbow into her solar plexus. The air whooshed out of her lungs, and she doubled over, gasping. I followed it up with a round kick to her head, knocking her out.

"I'm not sorry," I whispered as I backed away from their prone forms. Lena and Asha, they were people I'd thought were my friends, but they'd known about my dad, had been all for killing my brothers. They deserved what they got.