Maddie cast her gaze along the breakfast table, eyeing each of the contestants. There was a tension riddled between everyone that morning, suspicious glances thrown left, right and centre as they ate in uncomfortable silence. Even Ryan and Mark kept their mouths shut. The uneasy truth was that one among them was a murderer, who had stabbed the Grey Stone warrior the night before and left as he bled out. The death was messy and dishonourable, and someone among them was capable of doing such a thing. There were only two wolves at that table that she knew to be innocent; Lewis and Michael. That left four others as suspects, if Lewis was right that one of the contestants was responsible. It made sense, but Maddie was struggling to see a murderer among them. Yes, Daniel was an arsehole who enjoyed messing with her, but he also placed in the top three for the speed trial and was one of the strongest contenders to win the games. His two lackeys were another option, but with Red Dawn hav
When Maddie stormed past the warriors on the stairway of the packhouse, she knew her father would be ready for her arrival. As expected, the door to his office had been left open and she unceremoniously marched into the room, slamming the door closed behind her. The unease in her chest had grown with every step. Her father was supposed to be investigating the murder of the Grey Stone contestant, not throwing accusations at innocent wolves. “Michael didn’t do it.” She slammed her hands down on his desk, demanding his attention. Her father peered at her over his glasses. With papers in hand, he looked as if he had been working in that office all morning, and she was disturbing him, not that he had only arrived minutes before her. “Madeline, please not now. I have much to do.” He peeled off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. The exhaustion there almost made her back down but giving him some clarity on the Dark Night heir should take one suspect off his list, narrowing his work.
It was strange how being pissed off can make training go so much better. Maddie was reaping the benefits of her mood, pushing herself much farther than she usually did in sessions. She could feel the sweet burn in her muscles, but their ache just coaxed her to continue. She wanted to keep going until her body was numb, then maybe her mind would follow and relinquish its hold on the anger swirling within it. A calming bath didn’t work, a long walk along the cliffs didn’t work, a swim didn’t work. The only thing that touched the edges of her annoyance was pushing herself to the brink of exhaustion. “Maddie.” A voice called from the edge of the field. She tensed but ignored it, continuing with her push ups, despite the deep ache in her arms and core. “Maddie, stop and talk to me.” She only answered because he was coming closer, and she needed to stop for a breather. “I’m trying to train.” She glared at Lewis, eyes narrowing at his approach. “You can’t be here for that. Alpha’s orders
The afternoon was already drawing to a close, but Maddie didn’t stop training. If anything, having Lewis come and talk to her gave her the rage energy for another few hours of hard work. Her only issue was not knowing what to do. The intensity of her usual training, the training her father had taught her to follow, was quite low. It was just enough to keep herself fit and safe, but wasn't enough for the games. She had never trained with the intention of beating warriors before and becoming the Alpha had never even been an option to consider. Each training session with the Silver Moon warriors made her amateur level crystal clear. No matter how hard she tried, she still couldn’t keep up with the modified exercises. Maddie decided to copy some of the harder drills Beta Rowan had given them, trying to work on her stamina and the execution of each one. However, she didn’t know how to progress. She was already struggling to do a full set of each exercise and she knew that there was no ch
Michael’s breath brushed across her ear in a sweet caress that made her melt. The tension ebbed from her body for the briefest moment before Maddie snapped out of it and scrambled away from him. A violent heat pooled into her cheeks, almost illuminating the encroaching night. “F-Following you? Of course not.” She fumbled, managing a strained laugh. The edges of the Dark Night heir’s lips curled. Amusement danced in his eyes as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall. Maddie tried to not squirm under his gaze or let her own explore the tight bulges of his biceps. “Then, what are you doing all the way out here?” Indignation straightened her spine. “I could ask you the same.” She huffed and she folded her arms. The chuckle that slipped past his lips made her soften. “You know, if it wasn’t for your awful stealth skills, I might actually believe this was a coincidence.” “It is a coincidence.” She insisted, but the words sounded false even to her. Maddie twisted her lips
The moment the words left his lips, Michael’s presence slipped away. As if it was on his side, the wind blew into her face, carrying away any hope of catching his scent, while any sound he had been making melted away. Maddie frowned and slowed her breathing. She piqued her ears, listening for any sign of him, but, for the silence around her, she could’ve been alone. The thought relaxed her. Her favourite place was the cliff side, enjoying the solitude while breathing in her home and letting it calm her spirit. However, she knew she wasn’t alone. A thrill flashed down her spine. She knew it was only Michael, but his null presence crept across her bare arms, drawing goosebumps over her flesh. Her breathing cut through the quiet, its rhythm unsteady and climbing as she waited for him to reappear. Each breath she took rustled the cloth of her top, and she was certain her heartbeat was loud enough for him to hear over the waves below. “Isn’t it cheating to have me close my eyes when
Her stomach rolled like an unsettled sea as Maddie headed down the path she had taken the night before. There was a lightness in her chest that bubbled with excitement, but she schooled her features to a perfect neutrality. They had decided to not broadcast their training to the rest of the contestants and agreed to meet at the southern cliff edge after breakfast. Though still sore from the early morning warrior training, a new energy filled her, and she was at the edge of the township before long. There was a quietness in the pack that morning that was unusual for the hour. Maddie looked up at the dark clouds blanketing the sky, which had brewed overnight. She felt the oncoming storm on her skin like a warning. The other Silver Moon wolves would feel the same and be staying in their homes to shelter from the rain. Instead of doing the same, she awaited its arrival with the same eagerness she had as a pup, when her father had taken her outside to watch the lightning dance across the
Maddie moved away from the Dark Night heir, settling into a stance away from the cliff side, ready to begin the hand-to-hand sparring. The rain was getting heavy, soaking into her clothes and softening the ground at her feet, the distant roll of thunder stirring an excitement in her belly. She wiped a few drops from slipping over her brow and then set up her guard. She wondered if Michael would finally put on a t-shirt. She watched as the rain drizzled against his body, tracing the path of the droplets as they smoothed over his chest and caught on his abs, before soaking into his waistband. Her tongue snaked across her lips, wanting to taste the trail it had drawn over his skin. A sharp cough snapped her eyes to his. Heat pooled in her cheeks at the knowing look that greeted her. Michael held her gaze for two beats of her heart before he slowly prowled his own downward. It was his turn to roam her form and she stood still, like she couldn’t trust her next move around him. Her t-shi