Contestants,The next Trail will be held tomorrow at 11:00.“Damn,” Anton murmurs, leaning over Laila’s shoulder and reading her note. “That is…concise.”I had my note to Orion so he can see too and he nods once, his face tense.“I guess…we’re expecting more of the same?” I say, my voice growing mor
I sit up straight against the back of the couch, staring in awe between Orion and Anton as they face off against each other because these two –Honestly, despite all of this nonsense, I’ve only ever seen them be kind to each other.What – what the hell is going on here?“You need to back off, Tony,”
“Can we have a minute?”Anton and I both go quiet and turn towards the big Alpha behind the bar in the corner of the room, glaring at us all tense and upset.“A minute?” I ask, dropping my hands from my temples and again sitting straight.“Yes, a minute,” he says, giving a stern nod. “You and I, Jun
Things are…tense in my room all afternoon.Anton and I sit on the couch for most of it, passively watching TV, not speaking much. The show we watch is a pretty funny one – a familiar old slapstick sitcom. But neither of us laugh. When the hour grows late and it’s time for me to get changed, Anton is
“Hi, Beatrice,” Anton says, looking down at me as he walks by Orion and me to take his place at Beatrice’s side. Anton smirks when his eyes alight on my sharp little fangs, pressing into my lower lip.I only bare my teeth more as I see the two of them standing next to each other, my eyes darting bet
“A bond?”“Yes, Orion, a bond!” she snaps, leaning forward to glare at him. “How do you know that I’m your mate!?”“Because of the prophecy, June!” he says, leaning forward to stare at her. “You know as well as I do – it’s been very clear! You fit all the bills – way more than any of the other girls
I narrow my eyes at Orion when I see him stiffen in his chair, see his lips flicker like he is fighting a snarl. His eyes move past me to where Anton and Beatrice are presumably sitting, on their own stupid date. But I resist the urge to turn too – even though it’s one hell of an urge – and instead
He just stares at me, shocked and I think…angry and devastated and confused. And jealous – that I can almost feel.Jealous as hell.Orion – has he ever been jealous before? Has anyone ever given him occasion to be jealous, or have all the girls he’s met just immediately said yes?He stares at me for
“No!” she sputters out, stumbling a few steps towards me, shaking her head so hard her pretty blue-green hair flutters out all around her. “No, Junie, don’t make me go! I want…I want to stay here! And help! I mean…” she bites her lip. “It will be nice to be able to visit home. But I want to stay wit
“I’m sending you home too,” I say quietly, doing my best to look each in the eyes. “I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m sorry if you’re disappointed that you didn’t get the wish.” They murmur a variety of responses back to me, most of them relieved. One by one they step forward and I take their ha
“Does…” I whisper, my eyes still fastened to Orion as my eyes move over him, feeling the powers that radiate from him now. “Does that mean you have all of the powers of Darkness too? From…from the wish?” “No,” Orion murmurs, looking down at his hands and flexing them, experimenting with the feel o
Beatrice is the last to go, staring at me in shock, realizing finally that she bet everything on the wrong horse. I bare my teeth at her, fangs extended, and Beatrice’s eyes go wider as she trembles and finally submits, going to her knees and bowing her head. “Good,” I say, my voice returning to n
Laila’s knife sinks deep between Death’s shoulder blades and the final scream of a God fills the air as Death falls to his knees. The magic stops mid-stream, like a tap being suddenly turned off. I groan and tilt forward against Anton, who catches me and holds me against his chest. “Shit, June,”
“Just a little longer, June. She’ll do it.” But what if she doesn’t? What if…what if I’m inches from oblivion, and this is it? My heart strains in my chest, my wolf shaking like a leaf from snout to tail. But still, I will myself to hope. To trust in my friend. “I know,” I reply, letting my ey
I gasp, my shoulders trembling under the sheer weight of Death’s magic that flows over and around us, my shield barrier straining and buckling under its might. “June,” Anton breathes, eyes wide as he looks up at the magic streaming over us in an unending torrent. “Shit – are you –“ I crouch besi
The wish presses against Death for a moment and then sinks into him, dissolving into his chest. He sighs with happiness and what looks like ecstasy, tilting his head back to the sky as the magic disappears into him. Beatrice steps away, tucking her hands behind her back, beaming at the God she jus
Before I can get more than three steps after Laila, Anton lunges forward, his paws landing on either side of me as he snatches at the back of my gown with his teeth, holding me back. His fierce growl reminds me that I need to stay here – that Death took Laila because he wants me to come rushing onto