The Wolves and the Vipers

Chapter 16 - One Step Closer

The sanctuary was not what I'd expected it to be. It was isolated in the woods, for starters, and the walls were built of rough-hewn stone. The ceiling was moss-covered and dripped on us like a cave roof. I was too busy staring at the place to listen to much of what the man at the centre of the room was saying. It was nothing like my synagogue.

"Who is he?" I whispered to Jace. It seemed to be acceptable to whisper in here — he had been doing it already to explain a little bit more about the Goddess we were here to honour. I had to admit that I'd never been taught about the Celtic religion in school — it was mostly extinct.

"Our derwydd," Jace replied at the same volume. He was holding my hand for show, and every few minutes, I'd wriggle my fingers in a hopeless attempt to get him to loosen his grip.

"Okay," I said. "What does derwydd mean?"

"In English? Druid, I suppose. He was born during a lunar eclipse, so he has charge of the temple and all the priestesses. Sometimes, he has visions, but certain individuals think they might actually just be dreams."

I smiled at him. "Are you one of those individuals?"

"Oh, yes," he said. "His visions never make any sense, and every now and then, he'll see money raining down on the sanctuary, or the walls turning to gold, or something along the same lines. It does make me the tiniest bit suspicious. I'm the one who decides their budget for the year... Let's just say they got a lot more in my father's day."

"So he might not be well disposed towards you?" I asked very, very quietly. I couldn't help seeing ill intentions in half of the pack now. Someone had been involved in that fire. And somehow, I doubted it was just the Beta.

"Yes and no," Jace told me hesitantly. He had switched to the link, which was sensible. "He definitely wants me in charge of this pack. He's under the impression that the Goddess blessed my parents, when they managed to complete their mate bond against such overwhelming odds, so that makes me some kind of promised child."

"But ... if you're a promised child, then maybe your sister is, too," I mused. "Maybe she has just as much value in his eyes."

"Goddess, I hadn't even thought of that. But I think it's unlikely. He's too old to become Alpha if he mated with her. And besides, he wouldn't have done anything to hurt my mother and break the bond. That would be sacrilege."

Silence had fallen in the sanctuary. It made me look up sharply, embarrassed that I hadn't been listening. I realised that the old man at the centre was looking directly at me and smiling broadly.

"This week," he said, "we have some excellent news to share with you all. I'll let the Alpha make the announcement."

That was our cue. Jace stood up, and I joined after only the briefest of hesitations. I could feel hundreds of eyes on us as we made the walk to the centre of the room. The derwydd stepped back to make way for us. And then Jace's arm was around me. His hand came to rest on my hip, pulling me towards him. I knew he wanted us to act like a lovestruck couple until everyone had lost interest in us, so I was all smiles and blushes. If the pack wanted a show, they could have one. I'd deliberately worn a shirt with a low collar so they could see my mark.

"I'm sure most of you have heard the rumours already," Jace told them, "but last week, I found my mate. This is Emma. She's from the western packs, and she's your new Luna. I expect you'll all make her feel very welcome here."

There was a round of enthusiastic applause and a good deal of murmuring from the crowd. I stayed by Jace, making sure the smile stayed on my face. There was a sea of faces out there. It was hard to pick out anyone in particular — not that I knew many pack members yet. It was reassuring to see that a lot of them seemed to be smiling.