Seraphina POV:
The wind howled past my ears as my warhorse galloped toward the tree line.
"Stop her!" Freya's shrill voice pierced the night air.
Several Warriors lunged forward to grab my horse's reins, but I cracked my leather riding crop through the air, forcing them to back away.
"Are you insane, Seraphina?" Freya screamed, her face pale in the moonlight. "You are throwing yourself at death just to get a man's attention! The forest is crawling with Rogues tonight!"
Rogues were wolves who had lost their minds and their humanity. Driven only by bloodlust, they tore lone travelers to shreds.
I looked past my sister and saw Liam pushing his way to the front of the crowd.
His face was pale, his eyes wide with a fear so raw I could smell the sour stench of it on the air.
But he wasn't afraid for my life.
He was terrified that I would actually kill a Shadow Beast.
If a female Warrior completed the sacred hunt alone, it would tear his fragile facade to ribbons. It would prove to the entire territory that he was a weak, incompetent Alpha.
"A female Warrior hunting alone is a violation of the Moon Goddess's teachings!" Elder Silas bellowed, waving his fists in the air.
"You are bringing shame and disgrace upon this entire Pack, Seraphina!"
I pulled hard on the reins, making my horse dance nervously in place. I looked down at my father with eyes as cold as ice.
"Then I will be the first to set a new precedent," I sneered.
I shifted my gaze to Liam, who was trembling slightly.
"And don't flatter yourself, Liam," I added, my voice dripping with venom. "This prey is not for you. You don't deserve the dirt under my boots."
Elara stepped forward, clutching her chest as if she might faint.
"Oh, please, Seraphina, it's too dangerous!" she cried, her Omega scent spiking to manipulate the crowd again.
Silas spat on the ground. "Let her go! I curse her to be torn apart by the Rogues! She is no daughter of mine!"
Freya frowned, looking slightly uncomfortable with our father's deadly curse, but she did nothing to stop him.
I didn't wait to hear another word. I spurred my horse and plunged into the terrifying blackness of the Gothic forest.
The trees here were ancient, their twisted branches blocking out the moonlight. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth, rotting leaves, and the distant, metallic tang of blood.
I unslung my silver-enchanted bow from my shoulder.
Suddenly, I heard the heavy thud of hooves behind me.
Liam had mounted his own horse and was chasing after me. He had completely forgotten to limp.
"Seraphina! Stop this madness!" Liam shouted, his horse pulling up alongside mine.
"Go back to your Omega, Liam," I growled, keeping my eyes scanning the dark underbrush for the glowing red eyes of a Shadow Beast.
"You are being irrational!" Liam argued, his voice taking on a honeyed, placating tone meant to twist my reason. "I know you are hurt, but this is not the way. You are a female. You are not built for this kind of slaughter. Let me protect you."
"Protect me?" I laughed harshly. "Like you protected me from the Wolfsbane?"
Seeing that his sweet words weren't working, Liam's face darkened. His true, ugly nature surfaced.
A Shadow Beast leaped from the bushes ahead of us, its dark fur smoking in the cool air.
I instantly drew an arrow, pulling the bowstring taut.
Just as I released the string, Liam violently yanked his horse's reins, steering his massive beast directly into my line of sight.
My arrow thumped harmlessly into the trunk of a dead oak tree.
"Oops," Liam mocked, a nasty smile twisting his lips. "My horse got spooked."
He did it again. And again.
Every time I tracked a beast and aimed, Liam would aggressively cut me off, using his horse to block my shots or making loud noises to scare the prey away.
Because of his malicious interference, the beasts scattered.
Through the Mind-Link, I could hear the other hunters from our Pack claiming the kills.
Got another in the western ravine! a Warrior cheered in my head.
That makes nineteen! another laughed. Hey, has anyone seen Seraphina? Heard she's out here throwing a tantrum.
Let her wander, Freya's husband chimed in through the link. She's just an unwanted she-wolf desperately trying to show off.
I stopped my horse in a small clearing. The silence of the forest pressed in on me.
I did the math in my head.
The Pack seers had predicted exactly twenty Shadow Beasts in the forest tonight. Nineteen had been claimed.
There was only one left.
I took a deep breath, letting the cold air fill my lungs. I was not going back without that beast. I would fight him to the death if I had to.
Suddenly, a frantic voice burst through the Mind-Link.
Alpha Liam! Alpha Liam!
It was one of the border guards.
What is it? Liam snapped back telepathically.
Alpha! That crazed Omega from the lowest caste, the one who's always staring at Elara... he found a dead Shadow Beast! He's dragging it toward the Great Hall right now! the guard panicked. He's shouting to everyone that he's going to use the beast to claim Elara as his mate!
*Liam's horse shifted restlessly, his knuckles white on the reins. That filth wouldn't dare! I'll tear him apart!
He's almost there, Alpha! The whole Pack is watching! the guard screamed. The thought of some lowly Omega making a public claim on his prize, using the very symbol of power he was supposed to provide, sent a jolt of pure fury through him.
