I picked a few names from the ones suggested for the Grey Stone heir to name some other characters and made a note of the others for my other planned stories. Thank you for all your suggestions! :)
Nala POV - What the fuck. Nala paced the small room. Back and forth, like each step would subdue a piece of her frustration. What she wanted to do was charge out of the room and demand answers. She wanted to grab the heir and show him just how strong she was and how fit she was to be in any position of leadership. Not only was the act itself not Luna-like, but it would make her situation even rockier. With her need to form the alliance much more desperate than Grey Stone’s, she had to be careful. She couldn’t jeopardise her position. Without knowing the full situation, storming from the room would be a one-way ticket to being kicked off the territory and thrust into war. It was possible that it was a performance, a way to test her. She was a stranger in their pack, someone chosen by the enemy to bridge the gap between their packs and form their alliance. However, even with Maddie’s tips, it was clear Nala wasn’t a natural Luna. She was a warrior through and through. Could that
Connor POV-“Shit.” Connor hissed, as Alpha Phelan announced the start of the Luna Games.His unease had grown with every woman paraded in front of the pack announcing themselves to the Grey Stone upper ranks but now he knew they were well and truly fucked. He followed Nala across the room with his eyes, a part of him relieved just to see she was okay and had kept to the plan despite the sudden blow. He didn’t know what he would’ve done if she hadn’t. Chased her down? Forced her to continue? No. There’s no way he would’ve done that. Not a single part of him could’ve.He should’ve known something was going on, that they were being set up. He had found it odd exploring the small pack and finding it busier than Silver Night on a regular day. It had given him a great cover to be able to gather information on the general layout of the pack without drawing suspicion, but he had passed by many wolves who were looking around as if they were in unfamiliar territory too. He had considered Grey
Connor POV - “You do know that I’ve already been to our rooms, right? I can show Nala the way.” When Nala clocked the Beta on his arm, he had given her a quick shake of his head, warding off any comments, but the longer Inga stayed latched to him, the stranger it felt. The only benefit was the way the lingering Grey Stone wolves parted for them. Connor thought it was to steer clear of him and Nala, but he noticed their attention was on Inga. No one even bothered more than a glance toward him. It was like she shielded them from the scrutiny he had been expecting. However, once they were out of the crowds and headed up to their rooms, he no longer saw a need to be locked together. “I don’t know.” She toyed the words on her tongue. “You seemed rather lost earlier when you wandered the pack. You must’ve gone down every single side street. Twice.” She peered up at him, her false innocence not as charming as she seemed to think. He’d much prefer for her to speak straight to him and
Nala POV - Nala couldn’t help but half-ass the usual warm up routine she did before any bout of training. It would usually take a good thirty minutes of stretching and light cardio to loosen her muscles and get her blood pumping enough to be ready to take on the strenuous exercise that followed. However, she was the only one doing anything. All the other Luna Candidates stood on the training field, clumped together, all dressed in brightly coloured sweat suits and twirling a water bottle on their fingers. It took Nala a lot of effort not to scoff when she first saw them. Never before had she seen such naivety in a group of wolves about to spar. Not even new warriors were that wet behind the ears. Lots of looks were thrown her way as she arrived in some baggy grey shorts and a dark t-shirt. The chill of the afternoon air brushed her skin, but she knew she’d warm up soon. She also knew the other Luna candidates would be burning their asses off as soon as the sparring began. Nala s
Connor POV - Sneaking away from the crowd of Grey Stone wolves was easier than he expected. At every turn he waited for a warrior to spot him, but he seamlessly slipped away from the strength trial without so much as an eye batted in his direction. He had arrived with Nala, but only watched her join the other Luna candidates before leaving. She looked sorely out of place and pissed off to be fighting the other women, but the sight got him moving. He was reminded his priority was to get the three of them out of the territory safely and get them back home. He had to find Lewis to make that happen, however he was also looking for ways to take down the pack. A break in their defences, a way to cause friction between them and Red Dawn, anything to act in their favour when it came to war. Connor moved against the flow of wolves, heading back to the centre of the pack. Though he remained alert of every glance thrown his way or any footstep shadowing his, he was left alone. The freedom was
Connor POV - When Connor first laid eyes on the man in the kitchen, he was pretty sure it was Lewis, the Beta of Silver Night, however he had never actually met the wolf. Though they had both attended the Alpha Games finalist ball, he had spent a long time talking to his brother rather than scoping out the Beta. Then, he had met a pretty wolf who had been more than happy to keep him occupied for the night. By the next evening, Lewis had already been taken to Wild Shore by Daniel, and he hadn’t made it back to Silver Night since, despite two rescue attempts. Connor hadn't been involved in either attempt, and he was confident that he could figure out a way to get Lewis home. They had pre-empted the issue of him not recognising the wolf, and he had Nala give him a full description of the Beta. When she had told him a male, warrior version of Jess, Connor had scoffed, but now he saw the resemblance. The same eyes, the same hair colour, the same features. It was uncanny. If they shaved
Nala POV - The crack of her fist against solid skin felt good. Each strike sent a flash of pain up her arms, but it was a familiar pain. One that grounded her and had saved her many times over the years. She followed the punch with another, then another, then swept her opponent’s feet from beneath him. However he jumped clear of her attack just in time and then retreated out of her reach. Harsh, ragged breaths pulled from her chest, wisps of hair coming loose from her braids and sticking to her forehead. Nala grinned, feeling its stretch through her entire body. That was what sparring should feel like. Not the silly show she had had to put on earlier. Ten minutes. Ten whole minutes, she had to extend her fight in the strength trial waiting for Connor to return to the training field. It must’ve felt pitiful to watch, it was pitiful to do. The only benefit of it was that the young wolf she had been paired with was trying her hardest to land a hit and kept trying new moves to do it
Connor POV - Connor paced before the door, the guard’s eyes watching his every step. He wanted to wipe the stupid smirk off the wolf's face for keeping him out of the hall. Nala was in there, facing whatever bullshit Grey Stone had cooked up for the presentations, and he couldn't shake the unease that had settled on him the moment they parted. He should be in there, supporting her, ready to draw the line and protect her if the heir tried anything. No, he knew she could handle herself. Though she took her assignments seriously, they both had agreed that this one was a lost cause. Aaron wouldn’t choose her to be his next Luna. She was too strong willed, too powerful, not a wolf he could tame to be his submissive mate. Part of him hoped their mission would end there and then. He hoped Nala was cut from the Luna Games. He'd have to find some excuse to keep them on the territory for a couple of days, while he found a way to get Lewis home, but at least then Nala would be free from tryi