Nala POV - Nala couldn’t help but half-ass the usual warm up routine she did before any bout of training. It would usually take a good thirty minutes of stretching and light cardio to loosen her muscles and get her blood pumping enough to be ready to take on the strenuous exercise that followed. However, she was the only one doing anything. All the other Luna Candidates stood on the training field, clumped together, all dressed in brightly coloured sweat suits and twirling a water bottle on their fingers. It took Nala a lot of effort not to scoff when she first saw them. Never before had she seen such naivety in a group of wolves about to spar. Not even new warriors were that wet behind the ears. Lots of looks were thrown her way as she arrived in some baggy grey shorts and a dark t-shirt. The chill of the afternoon air brushed her skin, but she knew she’d warm up soon. She also knew the other Luna candidates would be burning their asses off as soon as the sparring began. Nala s

Connor POV - When Connor first laid eyes on the man in the kitchen, he was pretty sure it was Lewis, the Beta of Silver Night, however he had never actually met the wolf. Though they had both attended the Alpha Games finalist ball, he had spent a long time talking to his brother rather than scoping out the Beta. Then, he had met a pretty wolf who had been more than happy to keep him occupied for the night. By the next evening, Lewis had already been taken to Wild Shore by Daniel, and he hadn’t made it back to Silver Night since, despite two rescue attempts. Connor hadn't been involved in either attempt, and he was confident that he could figure out a way to get Lewis home. They had pre-empted the issue of him not recognising the wolf, and he had Nala give him a full description of the Beta. When she had told him a male, warrior version of Jess, Connor had scoffed, but now he saw the resemblance. The same eyes, the same hair colour, the same features. It was uncanny. If they shaved

Connor POV - Connor paced before the door, the guard’s eyes watching his every step. He wanted to wipe the stupid smirk off the wolf's face for keeping him out of the hall. Nala was in there, facing whatever bullshit Grey Stone had cooked up for the presentations, and he couldn't shake the unease that had settled on him the moment they parted. He should be in there, supporting her, ready to draw the line and protect her if the heir tried anything. No, he knew she could handle herself. Though she took her assignments seriously, they both had agreed that this one was a lost cause. Aaron wouldn’t choose her to be his next Luna. She was too strong willed, too powerful, not a wolf he could tame to be his submissive mate. Part of him hoped their mission would end there and then. He hoped Nala was cut from the Luna Games. He'd have to find some excuse to keep them on the territory for a couple of days, while he found a way to get Lewis home, but at least then Nala would be free from tryi

Nala POV - When a warrior is woken abruptly from sleep, it always sends a rush of adrenaline through their system, readying them for an attack. However, a warrior who had seen battle, who had woken up to the sounds of their pack mate’s howls of pain, it was worse. When the door to her bedroom flew open, so did Nala’s eyes. She jerked awake, took a sharp inhale, and was on her feet before the sleep had left her vision. A blurred mass rushed towards her. She reacted. Instinct took over. She charged forward to meet the intruder. In two strides they collided. Nala watched for weapons and grabbed the wolf by the collar and threw them to the floor. In the next minute she was on them, pinning them to the ground, with her arm firmly pressed across their throat. A sea of orange clouded the edges of her vision as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. “Autumn?” She frowned. It took a few more moments for her body to get the message and realise she was hurting the poor girl. Nala pulled her

Connor POV - Without any form of cover, the Grey Stone territory was difficult to move secretly within. Wolves had fantastic senses, so it wouldn’t take much for the border patrol to spot an intruder on their lands. With the flat, open plains before him, Connor kept that in mind as he moved forward under the blanket of night. He remained vigilant, watching for Grey Stone warriors on the horizon but their patrols were few and far between. They didn’t seem to be concerned about attacks from other packs, or rogues, considering how easy a wolf could move on and off the territory without being seen. Connor used that same disregard, for their defences, to make his way across the Grey Stone border. As if it held like an invisible wall, he felt the moment he stepped foot off the territory. It washed over him in a wave of relief, easing the tension in his body. He had only been in the pack for three days, but he had already gotten used to the constant strain of being on enemy land. He only