Chosen

47

We began getting ready almost immediately. The warriors around us fell into formations and broke up in groups to establish themselves around the packlands, their black robes making them look like silent shadows creeping through the trees. Rykor and I, adorned in our own black robes, were going to enter the territory from the front entrance, taking with us one warrior to be a witness. When Kent was selected to be the Lycan that traveled with us, I relaxed, smiling gratefully at him. He perked up at my attention, puffing out his chest with an air of importance.

Pride and gratitude for being his Alpha's first choice, and for being a choice that made his Luna relieved. Both were compliments, and Kent recognized that.

Together, we left for the main entrance. We took the same route as the messenger, looping down and back around so as not to give away the position of the captured guard post. This meant a longer travel time, which for me meant expending more energy. By the time we reached the entrance, I was a sweating, panting mess. Rykor and Kent, of course, looked fine. They may as well have just begun the trek.

Rude.

It didn't escape my notice, however, that we were moving much slower than I knew the two able-bodied Lycans could travel. Nor did I miss the look Rykor gave Kent, and the even slower pace they adopted as we got closer to the gate. They were giving me a chance to catch my breath and compose myself.

Okay, maybe less rude than I'd originally thought.

As we approached the gate, Rykor stopped, turning towards me. He adjusted the dark hood over my head, shadowing my face. He and Kent did the same.

"Keep the hood up, Lahla. They may not yet know you found your way to us, and it will give us an advantage." I nodded. We had discussed the possibility of me staying back at the camp – and by discussed, I mean Rykor had suggested it and I'd immediately shot the idea down. There was no way I was staying behind while he went and fought my battle for me.

Rykor and Kent exchanged a look, then the former nodded and stepped away for a moment, giving us privacy. "Lahla, listen to me carefully. I want you to stay back with Kent. You will still be with me, but if anything happens, I want you near Kent. His main goal throughout this meeting is to make sure you are safe. You are his only goal, Lahla. If anything happens, he is to protect you. Do you understand?"

Again, I nodded. I wanted to be present, but I wasn't stupid. I knew that in a fight, I was more a liability than an asset.

"They will think I've brought my Betas with me, and I want to encourage that thought. They don't yet know that you've found your way back to me, and we want to keep that information from them for now."

Kent and I hung a few steps back as our trio approached the main gate. This time, the Lycan guards didn't even bother to stop us; they knew Black Moon was coming, and they knew better than to delay us.

There was an eerie silence that followed us as we trekked to the main square of the pack. Nestled between the pack house and the Alpha's house, the main square was where many of the pack meetings were held during the warmer months. It was where Gatherings had been held in the past, where pack picnics had been staged. And now, it was where a public demonstration would take place.

Alpha Reynolds and his Luna stood in the middle of the square, the Betas off to the side. There was another figure behind them, crouching so we couldn't fully make out his form. I was wary of that figure, but the way the Betas were angled made it seem as though he were more a threat to them than us, which was odd.

White Moon members were loosely gathered around the square, and it was quieter than I'd ever heard it before. The surrounding Lycans dared not rustle about, nor even breathe too loudly, lest they incur the wrath of an Alpha wronged. I tried not to let my eyes wander, though I desperately wanted to look for my family.