The games halted while Jason was led from the field by two Silver Moon warriors. He was being taken to the packhouse to grab his belongings and then would be escorted off the territory to go home. Maddie didn’t envy the day he had ahead. He was the only Wild Shore wolf to make it through the scent trial and now he had to go back to his pack to tell them he was bested by the Luna-to-be and then injured her in an unprovoked attack. She watched him go with an air of satisfaction. He wasn’t suitable to be an Alpha, nor her mate, and now she was one step closer to winning. “Are you alright?” Her father drew alongside her, his eyes dropping to her wrist. A dull ache throbbed deep in the bones and she had it cradled to her chest while her other hand tried to rub away the feeling. The cut on her forearm was dripping blood down her leather armour and hurt like a bitch, but she disregarded it under his gaze. She set her jaw and met his eye. “I’m fine.” The Alpha stared at her for a moment lo

Nine of the ten wolves, still in the Alpha Games, attended the warrior training the next morning, Maddie included. The only one not there was Jess, but she hadn’t heard from her since before the date yesterday. It had been amusing trying to guess where her and Erik had stayed the night, but by the look on Lewis’ face, she was the only one who saw the funny side of it. Instead, he grumbled about his sister being irresponsible and putting her needs before the pack, but Maddie didn’t see it that way. Jess was doing her a favour by entering the games, and she was glad doing so had led her to someone special. Lewis stayed by her side during the warrior training and always partnered with her unless his father demanded otherwise. He gave her some pointers and took the time to explain attack and defence moves that the other wolves already knew, getting her up to speed. He did it despite the order the Alpha had given him, and Maddie was grateful. Not only was his help priceless, but he also

The moment her pheromones flooded out from her control, Michael was at her side. His arms wrapped around her, pulling Maddie tight to his chest as his head dipped to her neck. His scent surrounded her, filling her mind with a heady lust that had her baring her throat and curling into his to find the source of the delicious scent. Its thick, musty aroma was rich like a dark coffee, and she nuzzled into his skin, letting it transfer to her as she fisted his t-shirt, keeping him close. Warmth rushed through her form, spreading through her veins like a wildfire. Her body hummed; its call answered by his touch. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?” Michael asked, cupping her face and rolling it from side to side while he searched her expression for a glimmer of pain. Her skin tingled under his palm, and she leaned into his hand, her nose searching for the pulse point at his wrist. “Why did you go into a dark alley with him? He could've hurt you." Through half-lidded eyes, Maddie sear

Maddie’s muscles were bunched, ready for anything, as she crouched down. She controlled her breathing though her heartrate inched higher as she waited. The sea breeze brushed against her skin, playing with her ponytail but she couldn’t take a moment to enjoy it. She was too focused; eyes ahead of her and determined to win. At the sound of the first whistle, her feet pushed off the ground with a bruising force, propelling her forward. Erik had taught her that starting position at the start of the week and it had boosted her time dramatically in the shorter sprints. She was twenty paces, and a good chunk of the way across the field, when the second whistle blew. Immediately, she felt a prickle on the back on her neck as her opponent closed in. The wind against her face felt like nothing compared to the rush of movement behind her. Maddie tried to pick up the pace, but she was already running as fast as she could. Even if a group of starving rogues were chasing after her, she doubted

The speed at which the other contestants belted off the line had Maddie’s eyes flying wide. The moment her father started the race, a rush of air pushed into her side as the wolves all launched off the starting line. She was right behind them, propelling herself forward into the fray, but was already a few steps back from those with the fastest reactions. The contestants all clumped into one group, and she saw elbows flying around as they jostled to get to the front. The commotion slowed them down giving her a chance to catch up. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of movement heading towards her. She flinched, mid stride, unable to avoid the blow, but it never reached her. Instead, a hand intercepted the stray elbow that belonged to none other than Ryan, Daniel’s lackey. Her eyes narrowed to a glare on him, but his attention was on the wolf who had grabbed his arm. With a simple flick of the wrist, he was thrown away and sent stumbling into Nala, whose snarl was any