Connor POV - “What was that?” Connor rounded on Nala as the door closed behind him, shutting all four of them into her room. Though Autumn and Inga were there, he had checked for any nearby guards, but everyone was waiting in the foyer for the results of the first elimination presentation. It was as private as he was going to get for the time being. “She said to make him like me.” Nala jerked her head toward Inga, then shrugged. “That’s what I did.” “Yeah, you did.” The Beta winked. It had been obvious to every wolf in that hall how Nala had made Aaron like her enough to keep her in the Games, despite showing up in her training gear, covered in mud and sweat. Connor didn't like it. The Grey Stone pack was still too unknown to risk piquing the heir's attention like that. “You’re not helping.” He grunted. “I need to keep my place in the Games. I did that. So, what’s your problem?” Nala’s eyes narrowed on him; her arms folded tight across her chest. Connor was all too aw
Nala POV - When a warrior is woken abruptly from sleep, it always sends a rush of adrenaline through their system, readying them for an attack. However, a warrior who had seen battle, who had woken up to the sounds of their pack mate’s howls of pain, it was worse. When the door to her bedroom flew open, so did Nala’s eyes. She jerked awake, took a sharp inhale, and was on her feet before the sleep had left her vision. A blurred mass rushed towards her. She reacted. Instinct took over. She charged forward to meet the intruder. In two strides they collided. Nala watched for weapons and grabbed the wolf by the collar and threw them to the floor. In the next minute she was on them, pinning them to the ground, with her arm firmly pressed across their throat. A sea of orange clouded the edges of her vision as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. “Autumn?” She frowned. It took a few more moments for her body to get the message and realise she was hurting the poor girl. Nala pulled her
Nala POV - Nala’s good mood was over as soon as the presentation was finished. It had swelled at seeing the other Luna candidates half-dressed and half-asleep, completely unprepared for the event. There was only one other wolf who was ready for the presentation; Stacey. The Red Dawn wolf glared at her, as if she should’ve been the only one, but Nala didn’t give her the satisfaction of being disgruntled. It was clear she had also been warned, but it wasn’t a surprise. Not with how Nala saw her sucking up to every wolf she came across. Aaron had been intrigued to see Nala well presented as he walked down the line of Luna candidates, picking apart the girls like they were pieces of meat. He took his time looking over her, her skin prickling under his gaze, but simply nodded before moving on. The heir hadn’t even asked for an explanation as to why she was fully dressed and prepared at five in the morning. It suited Nala, and she turned to give Autumn a smile, but the woman had receded
Connor POV - Without any form of cover, the Grey Stone territory was difficult to move secretly within. Wolves had fantastic senses, so it wouldn’t take much for the border patrol to spot an intruder on their lands. With the flat, open plains before him, Connor kept that in mind as he moved forward under the blanket of night. He remained vigilant, watching for Grey Stone warriors on the horizon but their patrols were few and far between. They didn’t seem to be concerned about attacks from other packs, or rogues, considering how easy a wolf could move on and off the territory without being seen. Connor used that same disregard, for their defences, to make his way across the Grey Stone border. As if it held like an invisible wall, he felt the moment he stepped foot off the territory. It washed over him in a wave of relief, easing the tension in his body. He had only been in the pack for three days, but he had already gotten used to the constant strain of being on enemy land. He only
Inga POV - It was hard to maintain her grin as Inga opened the door to Connor and a Grey Stone warrior. It wasn’t one of hers, so she didn’t care to know his name. She beckoned Connor inside, trying to hide the rolling waves that were churning her stomach, and reassured the warrior that everything was okay. It only took one smile to comfort him, and he was soon backing away, looking like he had been threatened. Not that Inga cared. She just shut the door and prepared herself for the talk ahead. The moment she had spotted Nala hanging around her home, Inga had known it was time. A part of her was relieved to finally share the truth, but another part of her twisted away from it, trying to stay hidden for fear of being seen. However, she was no coward. She’d face the consequences head on, no matter who turned their back on her for it. The moment she had invited Nala inside, Lewis had come down from his room, tension gripping both wolves. Now, the pair were waiting in the living ro
Inga POV - There was a lot of fidgeting around her as Autumn brought in five mugs of steaming tea, three of which got immediately disregarded. Inga accepted hers gratefully and took a long slurp from its edge, enjoying stretching out each second as the eyes on her narrowed. She sighed as the liquid warmed her insides then went for a second sip. “Oh, for fucks sake.” Nala grumbled. Inga met her eyes over the rim and offered her a wink before handing her mug to Connor. “Could you hold this for me, Mr Dark Night? It’s difficult with my hands tied.” When he didn’t take it immediately, she shrugged. “I’ll start after its finished then.” Before the mug reached her lips a third time, he took it from her, his expression tight as she thanked him. Tension flickered in his jaw, and she found herself remembering the small smiles she had seen on his lips and wishing them to come back. She doubted she’d see them anytime soon, but the longer she dragged out the truth, the more his scowl wou
Connor POV - The night air chilled against his skin, the open territory doing nothing to shield against the light breeze rolling over the land. It was late, or early, Connor wasn’t sure, but he could feel the hour weighing on him as much as the information Inga had shared. His head ached from the whiplash of their changing situation. His mind was trying to break apart everything he thought he knew and piece it back together again with the new truth. It felt like he had been flung back to the start again, with the last few days being a complete waste of time and new challenges set before him. Those challenges were the true reason him and Nala were at Grey Stone. Their chance to win the Luna Games, and gain an alliance, a lie that had been orchestrated by Inga to reel them in. He should be angry, he knew he should, but the feeling never came. Maybe it had been her honesty, the desperation in her voice when she asked for help, or the imploring gleam in her eyes, but he couldn’t
Connor POV - Connor’s stomach dropped, twisting in the face of her loss. An apology burned on his tongue, trying to figure out how to say such words without caring about the wolves that endangered his home when, suddenly, her hard look cracked, a giggle bubbling past her lips. “Your face.” She snorted. “So, they’re not dead?” He grumbled. “Oh no, they are.” She shrugged and waved off the issue “Don’t worry about it, though, they haven’t spoken to me for years. To them, me and my parents were tools to be used to keep their alliance to Red Dawn strong. Even now, after Red Dawn left them in the attack, they’ll still be their lap dogs, making whatever sacrifice they need.” She sneered. “They weren't real family. I don’t associate with spineless wolves.” Simple words helped to piece together more of the puzzle that was Inga. Grey Stone’s situation was much like Wild Shore’s, with their upper ranks making decisions that sacrificed their wolves to maintain a strong alliance. It