Read Online Blood Challenge by Kit Tunstall - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kit Tunstall
Tags: Demonoid Upload 3
Ads: Link
Mating Moon this season? Three? The woman will infuse our bloodlines with new purity. She will give her mate cubs to continue our way of life. It would be foolish to send her away, just because she’s human.”
“She’s not one of us!” A beautiful girl jumped to her feet. Her long hair flowed down the back of her fur robe like a waterfall of moonlight. “I won’t have my Mating Moon Ceremony upstaged by a human.”
Rica fixed a hard stare in her direction. “I suggest watching your tongue, Lia, unless you plan to challenge me.” He said the words calmly, but the others didn’t hold back their derisive laughter. Rica raised his arm, and they fell silent. “If she can best me, she can be Alpha. Do you want to try, child?”
Lia’s head bowed, obscuring her features. She sounded humble when responding, but the proud line of her spine didn’t soften. “I am content to lead by your side, Alpha.”
Rica didn’t reply. He turned his back on her and raised his voice. “The men will meet at this spot in three days to announce who they will challenge for. Next week, we claim our mates.”
Ellie saw the group getting to their feet and moving up the hill. She darted away from the tree and ran through the snow as quickly as her boots would allow, desperate to outrun the Pack and her own thoughts. How did she begin to process everything she had learned in the space of a few short minutes? Everything she had believed about the natural order of the universe was wrong. She had an agile mind, but how could she hope to accept revelations of such magnitude?
* * * * *
She didn’t return to Viggo and Davinia’s. Instead, Ellie sought shelter in the forest, detouring away from the village. She knew she would have to return to Necheau soon, but she had to process her thoughts first.
She slowed down as she approached a fallen tree. Ellie bent down to brush off the snow before sitting. The log was cold, and snow still seeped into her jeans, but she didn’t notice. She focused on taking deep breaths.
Breathing deeply, practicing a modified form of meditation, she wondered why she wasn’t more frightened or disbelieving. Already, a strange calm had filled her. Was it because she hadn’t truly begun to believe what she had seen, or was it because that wasn’t the first time she had seen something extraordinary?
During her first few months with the tribe in Africa, she had witnessed the funeral of the leader after he was killed during a hunt. The tribe gathered at night around a fire, passing a bowl of some noxious-smelling brew among them. Ellie had taken a cautious sip and immediately felt light-headed. She passed it on without taking her full share.
Minutes later, when the medicine woman began chanting as she danced around the fire, Ellie had watched with fascination. She attempted to make notes in her notepad, but her eyes had blurred. She had looked up just as the medicine woman transformed into a cheetah and draped herself over the leader’s body. Later, she had convinced herself she had imagined things because of the dram. Surely, the woman had only slipped on a cheetah skin during the seconds she had been distracted.
Now, she wondered about that conclusion and countless other things she had dismissed over the years as illusion. She certainly couldn’t blame what she had seen on a potion, and she wasn’t ill. She couldn’t doubt what she had witnessed, especially in relation to the culture of the Pack. No wonder they modeled their community after a wolf pack.
She jerked with surprise when she heard footsteps behind her. Ellie’s thoughts scattered as she turned her head to see Rica standing behind her. She looked at him impassively, while wondering if he were a wolf too. He had to be, or he wouldn’t bear the title of Alpha. Judging from the stir Rica’s announcement about her inclusion in the Mating Moon Ceremony had created, werewolves wouldn’t allow a human to lead them.
He kept walking, until he
“She’s not one of us!” A beautiful girl jumped to her feet. Her long hair flowed down the back of her fur robe like a waterfall of moonlight. “I won’t have my Mating Moon Ceremony upstaged by a human.”
Rica fixed a hard stare in her direction. “I suggest watching your tongue, Lia, unless you plan to challenge me.” He said the words calmly, but the others didn’t hold back their derisive laughter. Rica raised his arm, and they fell silent. “If she can best me, she can be Alpha. Do you want to try, child?”
Lia’s head bowed, obscuring her features. She sounded humble when responding, but the proud line of her spine didn’t soften. “I am content to lead by your side, Alpha.”
Rica didn’t reply. He turned his back on her and raised his voice. “The men will meet at this spot in three days to announce who they will challenge for. Next week, we claim our mates.”
Ellie saw the group getting to their feet and moving up the hill. She darted away from the tree and ran through the snow as quickly as her boots would allow, desperate to outrun the Pack and her own thoughts. How did she begin to process everything she had learned in the space of a few short minutes? Everything she had believed about the natural order of the universe was wrong. She had an agile mind, but how could she hope to accept revelations of such magnitude?
* * * * *
She didn’t return to Viggo and Davinia’s. Instead, Ellie sought shelter in the forest, detouring away from the village. She knew she would have to return to Necheau soon, but she had to process her thoughts first.
She slowed down as she approached a fallen tree. Ellie bent down to brush off the snow before sitting. The log was cold, and snow still seeped into her jeans, but she didn’t notice. She focused on taking deep breaths.
Breathing deeply, practicing a modified form of meditation, she wondered why she wasn’t more frightened or disbelieving. Already, a strange calm had filled her. Was it because she hadn’t truly begun to believe what she had seen, or was it because that wasn’t the first time she had seen something extraordinary?
During her first few months with the tribe in Africa, she had witnessed the funeral of the leader after he was killed during a hunt. The tribe gathered at night around a fire, passing a bowl of some noxious-smelling brew among them. Ellie had taken a cautious sip and immediately felt light-headed. She passed it on without taking her full share.
Minutes later, when the medicine woman began chanting as she danced around the fire, Ellie had watched with fascination. She attempted to make notes in her notepad, but her eyes had blurred. She had looked up just as the medicine woman transformed into a cheetah and draped herself over the leader’s body. Later, she had convinced herself she had imagined things because of the dram. Surely, the woman had only slipped on a cheetah skin during the seconds she had been distracted.
Now, she wondered about that conclusion and countless other things she had dismissed over the years as illusion. She certainly couldn’t blame what she had seen on a potion, and she wasn’t ill. She couldn’t doubt what she had witnessed, especially in relation to the culture of the Pack. No wonder they modeled their community after a wolf pack.
She jerked with surprise when she heard footsteps behind her. Ellie’s thoughts scattered as she turned her head to see Rica standing behind her. She looked at him impassively, while wondering if he were a wolf too. He had to be, or he wouldn’t bear the title of Alpha. Judging from the stir Rica’s announcement about her inclusion in the Mating Moon Ceremony had created, werewolves wouldn’t allow a human to lead them.
He kept walking, until he
Similar Books
