The roar that lifted from the crowd was deafening. It vibrated through Maddie’s bones, filling her with the support of her packmates. Lewis was the first to pull her into a crushing hug and she couldn’t help but laugh. Relief swelled in her. She had truly done it. She had made through the speed trial. Yes, with a lot of help from Jess and only by the skin of her teeth, but she had done it all the same. As her father listed the other successful wolves, most of the crowd weren’t listening. She was passed between them; being pulled into hugs, her hand being shaken, her cheeks being pinched. It was a whirl wind of faces and smiles, and she was lost in the excitement, letting it swirl within her. Maddie was on cloud 9. The adrenaline of the final lap was finally burning off, leaving her with a heady exhaustion. She only just managed to hear the placing of the other wolves. Surprisingly, Lewis didn’t come first like she expected he would. That place was awarded to the Grey Stone wolf, wh

As the tang of blood began to thicken the air, Maddie’s stomach dropped. She picked up the pace, now drawn to swell of noise coming from a couple of streets over. Her feet slapped on the paved ground, the cold night air whipping past her face, her breath blowing like steam from her lips. Her speed was as frantic as her heart, her only comfort was knowing Michael was beside her, keeping pace. She wasn’t alone. She had never heard a noise like that in the streets of Silver Moon. Only once before she had heard a shout so full of pain and terror, but her father had kept her shielded from the horror that had caused it that night. He wasn’t there to protect her now, though she couldn’t help but feel like a young pup again, fear pounding through her veins as she trawled her memory to place the voice and pray that whoever it was was okay. When Maddie turned the last corner, she saw a growing crowd of wolves all standing at the entrance to an alley. Gasps and small shouts rose from them,

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.

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

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