Daughter of the Moon (The Moon People, Book Two) (25 page)

"Then it pains me that I must refuse," Adel said. "I cannot force such a parting upon my pack. They have sacrificed enough already."

Octavia pursed her lips. "Two males, then. It will be difficult, but perhaps one of my other men can be gifted away to another pack to make room."

Adel shook her head. "I cannot. My followers are not like yours. But even if our packs are not to be joined, I would still be glad to lend you the talents of my seers in exchange for your friendship."

The other woman bowed her head, remaining silent for a long time. The alpha knelt beside his mistress's throne, eyes flitting anxiously between the pair. Adel's heartbeat quickened, waiting for the answer that might decide the fate of her pack at the gathering.

"I am greatly saddened," Octavia said. "But you will need help to survive among the other alphas." She looked up with a smile, and Adel let out a silent breath of relief. "Miral will be the one to watch out for. If he can find no success in harrying my pack, he will turn on yours."

"Any assistance you can offer would be well received," Adel said. "I do not have the strength to fight him, but perhaps there are other ways."

Octavia nodded, climbing back into her seat. "His hunters are strong, but they are poor trackers. I have remained hidden from them for many years. If you wish to remain safe, you must make your den somewhere difficult for them to find. There are valleys to the north—"

"Yes, I found them also. To the east of Miral's hunting grounds."

Octavia nodded, massaging her neck in consideration. "You cannot rely on hunting in his territory. You have food? And water?"

"Before long we shall. There are waterfalls and fresh springs, and ground for cultivating plants."

"Very good. You must train your followers to mask their trails and hide their scents. The best way to distract Miral is to divert his anger toward the other alphas, so when you speak with them..."

Octavia continued to offer her advice, calling for a wooden seat to be brought in along with fresh food. She and Adel talked long into the night, sharing their plans and parleying future favours. They spoke with the guarded restraint of two leaders who were not yet friends, but by the time the den mother slipped back into the trees behind Octavia's camp shortly before sunrise, she suspected she had won her first genuine ally.

She had not been accepted into the circle of alphas yet, but with Khelt and Octavia's assistance she now stood a chance.

—16—

Dark Magic

Netya awoke the following morning cold and stiff, her eyes still sore from last night's tears. Caspian had not returned to her side, and the memory of what had happened made her feel his absence more keenly than ever. She had been worried when he did not return, but reassured herself with the knowledge that he was more than capable of keeping himself out of trouble. He would not be dragged into some brawl like the men from the other packs.

Except he had. Was it Khelt's doing? Or had Caspian's patience finally worn out? She knew he was upset with the lack of intimacy they had been sharing, and the strain of adapting to his new role in Adel's pack. Had she driven him away?

Rather than moping, she wiped her face with a handful of morning dew and dragged herself out of her chilly furs. The mornings were the quietest time for the Moon People, especially at the gathering. Long nights spent in revelry or hunting under the stars finally came to an end when the sun came up, leaving the merrymakers to sleep their weariness away till noon.

It relieved Netya to see the form of Caspian's wolf curled up at the foot of the hill, still dozing with his bushy tail draped over his muzzle. But her relief was not enough to overcome the lump of hurt still weighing in her throat. She left him to sleep, finding no one else awake in the camp save for Adel. She was sitting up outside her tent with a bowl of tea bubbling in the fire, sipping from a steaming cup. She looked as though she had been awake all night.

"Den Mother, have you not slept?" Netya inquired as she huddled up beside her mentor and filled a cup of her own, blowing off the steam as it cooled.

"There is much to be done now that the alphas have assembled. I will find time to sleep another night."

"When will that be?"

Adel gave her a faint smile. "Hopefully this evening. But tomorrow I may end up saying the same thing."

"You need your rest, Den Mother. You said yourself that we must keep our wits about us at the gathering."

"Very wise, my young seer. Though is it really me you are worried about this morning?"

Netya sighed, glancing again in Caspian's direction. Nothing ever slipped past Adel. "Do you know?"

"I overheard."

"I am sorry for not coming to you. I was upset. Caspian... I did not expect this from him. Do you think he was hurt? He did not look hurt, but— Oh, I did not even think to check properly!" Netya almost rose to her feet in distress, but Adel motioned for her to calm down.

"Spirits help you, girl, and they wonder why I have no time for love! Caspian is fine. He drank too heavily and fought for his woman's honour. This is the way of men, even the wise ones sometimes. Do not worry yourself to distraction over your first quarrel."

Netya gave her mentor a sceptical look. She was not convinced, and she was not a foolish girl any more. "What do you know of love?"

Adel grunted and sipped her tea. "Enough to know there are greater concerns in life to fret over."

"Did you have a love once?"

The den mother stared out over the assembled gathering, though if her eyes strayed anywhere in particular it was impossible to tell. "Perhaps, before the world showed me her true face..." She caught herself and grunted again, looking back into her tea. "No, it is a forgotten memory. Do not ask me of such things, for I have nothing to tell. Let us worry over you. What of your wolf? Has she been responding better since our arrival?"

Netya did not like her mentor's abrupt changing of the subject, but she knew better than to argue with Adel. "I suppose so. I have not sought her out again, but she feels a little more contented."

"And what of your dreams?"

"Some have been troubled, but not many."

Adel nodded. "It will take time for you to overcome this, but every step is an important one. Perhaps soon you will be ready to commune with your animal side once more."

"And my training as a seer? Is that to continue again too?"

"I hope so. If this gathering goes well for us, then with a little fortune I will be able to devote myself to training you once more. I still believe in your talents, Netya." Adel glanced at her, a strangely distant look in her eyes. "The path we have chosen is a dangerous one. If the spirit world claims me before my time, then I must know there is a woman who can lead as den mother in my place."

"That woman is not me," Netya replied.

"No, not yet. But perhaps one day."

Any more discussion of the sombre topic was averted when the sound of hurrying paws reached their ears. Adel put down her cup and rose to her feet suddenly. A large, distinctively marked wolf was beating his way toward them, skirting around the camps of slumbering bodies until he was at the foot of the hill. Caspian snuffled awake with a start, a growl in the back of his throat as he rose up to challenge the intruder. The wolf paused, but a moment later Caspian seemed to recognise him, dipping his head respectfully and moving aside.

When the male approached Adel he stepped out of his wolf's body and made his own bow of greeting. No longer clad in his coat of fur, Netya recognised him as Alpha Turec.

The den mother ignored the formality and hurried forward, eager to hear whatever news he had brought for her. "Have the alphas spoken?" she said.

Turec nodded. "At first light this morning. It was not a long discussion."

"And what of it? Have they agreed to accept my clan?"

The alpha's hesitation and the grim look on his face were enough to tell Netya all she needed to know. Fear crept its way into the pit of her stomach, and she thought she saw her mentor's fingers tremble.

"I am sorry, but the alphas refuse to acknowledge your authority," Turec said. "A clan of women with no warriors of its own cannot stand equal to the rest of the great packs. You still have our respect, Den Mother, but you must pledge yourself to a true alpha before the gathering ends." He lowered his voice. "And I would suggest doing so soon. You and your seers will be seen as the greatest prize this gathering has to offer once word spreads that you are no longer under our protection."

"I will pledge myself to no alpha," Adel said.

"For the sake of your followers, you must," Turec insisted. "I would offer you my clan's protection, but we have not the strength to contest Miral if he desires to claim you for himself. If you do not find a strong alpha, then a strong alpha will find you."

Netya's unease was building. The hundreds of slumbering bodies spread out across the clearing around her no longer seemed quite so friendly. How many pairs of eyes were gazing in their direction from afar already, hungry for an unclaimed prize?

"What about Khelt?" she said hurriedly. "He will protect us, surely!"

"Quiet, girl!" Adel snapped, holding up a palm to silence her before turning back to Turec. "Thank you for sharing this news, Alpha. Now leave me and my clan to make our decision."

"Make it quickly," Turec said, then turned and disappeared down the hill with his wolf's tail bouncing behind him.

"Khelt is our only choice," Netya whispered, trying to still the fear in her voice. The others were waking up, roused by the conversation. Caspian strode toward them with a look of concern on his face.

"No, girl," Adel said. "I came to this gathering prepared to make a place for myself with no allies at my back, and I still mean to."

"How?! What power do we have to do such a thing?"

The den mother glanced around as her followers began to draw close. "A power the other alphas may not yet believe. But when they gather tonight, I will show them why I am worthy to sit at their side."

Adel called for the others to gather around the fire, and began to explain her plan.

The lingering tension that had underpinned their time at the gathering built like the slow beat of a drum as the hours passed, straining within Netya's chest like a bough on the verge of breaking. All she knew was that they were to assemble before the alphas that evening, stand their ground, and show no fear. Adel had spoken with Ura and Yenna within the privacy of her tent, but aside from the two elder seers no one had been told anything more than Netya. It was not unlike Adel to keep her plans private and guarded, but the secrecy did little for Netya's peace of mind.

She tried to speak with Caspian as they waited anxiously within the camp, but the precariousness of their situation made it difficult for her to find the right words. She would have liked to have his comfort that day, but the events of the previous evening made their moments together uncomfortable and awkward. The time was not right for them to reconcile, and so Netya resigned herself to yet another gnawing worry in the back of her mind as she sought our Fern and Wren's company.

No one else approached the camp that day, perhaps thanks only to Caspian's surly-looking wolf pacing tirelessly around the base of the hillock, but Netya could tell the news of their predicament had begun spreading. Mid way through the morning she noticed a group of Miral's hunters building a fire nearby, and the nauseating feeling in her stomach only grew every time she looked up to see they were still there, watching with the silent eyes of predators.

Some of the lesser alphas came and went with their own groups in tow, watching and conversing with the others for a short while before either settling down to keep their own vigil, or disappearing back into the crowd. Sooner or later the tension would break, and the first alpha would make his move. Netya could only guess at what might happen then. Those who desired Adel and her seers for themselves might challenge one another, or come to the den mother directly with their demands. From what she knew of the Moon People and their ways, she doubted it would end without bloodshed.

By the time the sky began to fade with the first touch of dusk, Netya's worry had almost exhausted her. She hated to sit and wait with so much uncertainty hanging unresolved. Many times she considered seeking out Khelt on the other side of the clearing, but with so many eyes on her it was impossible to slip away unnoticed. And would she even make it through the gathering on her own? She was now just as much a prize as Adel, and she doubted many of the eager young alphas would be able to restrain themselves if the opportunity of bringing a promising young seer into their fold arose, even if she was a sun wolf. Without an alpha to protect her, she was as vulnerable as she had been the night Khelt first found her on the edge of her people's farmlands.

It was almost with relief that she rose to her feet and turned to face the gathering once night had fallen and Ura touched her shoulder with a whisper that it was time. She was ready to do anything; even confront her greatest fears if it meant putting an end to the awful strain of waiting.

She donned her white wolf pelt as she had been instructed, joining the other seers in wearing their ceremonial garb of gowns and animal headdresses. She had not seen Adel for several hours, but the flicker of flame shone through the stitching in the sides of her tent.