Slaved By The Moon God

12

Chapter Five

It was nearly dark by the time I emerged from the woods. I’d had to slow down for a lot of the trail. Once the adrenaline had worn off, I’d been tired and kept stumbling. I’d almost twisted my ankle a few times. The edges of the camp were all but deserted, and I hurried through them toward the dull roar of voices. The area where the babies were blessed this morning had been widened, the food tents pushed out of the way, and the place thronged with shifters. The twelve packs were all arranged in a circle facing inward, where the ritual would be performed.

I searched out my family, finding Wesley seated beside our dad. At my arrival, Dad looked up and his eyes flashed, and I realized that I’d made a mistake showing up after everyone was already gathered.

“Where have you been?” he asked.

I sucked in a breath. Surely he’d keep his voice down? “I was walking through the forest.”

“You didn’t embarrass me in front of anyone, did you?” He still hadn’t lowered his voice, and the nearby packs were going silent, most looking at us. Usually he made it a point to keep up the act in front of everyone, but I realized this was an exercise in humiliation. I hadn’t followed orders, and he was punishing me for it. Showing how tough he was as an alpha.

“No,” I said. “I didn’t talk to anyone at all.” Anyone except a hot male I can't stop thinking about.

Dad raised his eyebrows. “So you were being antisocial then. You’re representing our pack tonight, even if you aren’t really a Cancer. You disappoint me constantly, Ayla.”

“You make sure of that." The words slipped out as I looked up at him defiantly. He just had to make sure everyone knew I was an outcast. “If you hadn’t screwed around with a human, maybe you’d have a daughter you could be proud of.”

Dad’s eyes flashed, and for a moment I thought he’d hit me right in front of everyone. But no. That would admit that I’d gotten to him. He’d never show that kind of weakness in front of this many shifters. He simply sneered at me and gave me another alpha command, just because he liked to see me bend to his will. “You’d better sit down now before you inconvenience us more.”

I gritted my teeth and sat next to Wesley. When I chanced a glance up at him, his lips were pressed together in a tight line, but he didn’t dare to speak up against an alpha command, especially in front of everyone. I wouldn’t get any help from him. Jackie was ignoring us entirely, staring into the fire in the center that illuminated the clearing. Probably for the best.

As true night fell and the moon peeked out of the clouds, the silence dragged on, and I felt all eyes on me. I burned with shame, even though I hadn’t actually done anything wrong. I wished I could sink into the ground and cease to exist. But no, that would give them all too much satisfaction.

I kept my chin held high as I glanced between the different packs, refusing to let them cower me. It was probably the one and only time I'd ever see them all gathered like this anyway, and I was curious. I spotted the Gemini pack, with their twin alphas—they always ruled in pairs—and the Virgo alpha, who was female and unmated. Unlike the rest of the packs, the Virgos were matriarchal and their women made all the decisions. I often secretly hoped I'd end up in their pack.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the Sun Witches arrived. They walked through the crowd, shifters moving out of the way for them. I relaxed a little as they passed by, and the rest of the attention was taken off of me.

One woman stood out from the cluster of warm-colored clothes. She was the only one in bright red robes and was practically dripping with gold jewelry. She was beautiful, platinum blonde, and pale, but she didn’t look human. It didn’t take extra senses to feel the power radiating off her. My teeth buzzed as I looked at her, and I found myself focusing on the other women around her, unable to keep staring at her for too long.

“Greetings,” the woman intoned as the other witches fanned out around her. “For those who are new, I am Evanora, the High Priestess of the Sun Witches, and it is my honor to lead this Convergence. This morning we welcomed the newest members of the packs, and tonight we will take those who have come of age and unlock their full potential.”

As she continued in her smooth, sonorous voice, I found myself looking around. I knew what would happen already—I’d been preparing and reading about it for years. The others were all enraptured by her voice, but I found my mind elsewhere. Where was the male I’d seen in the forest? He wasn’t with any of the alphas, and as I scanned faces, I didn’t see him or the other men he was with either. The strange feeling roiling in my gut intensified. There was something off about tonight.

“Once you’ve gained your wolf, there is the potential to meet your mate tonight,” Evanora said, and I felt her gaze heavy on me. A chill went through me as we locked eyes. Everything in me screamed to look down, to show my submission, but I froze in place, fighting the urge. Before I could look away, she moved on, her gaze finding the others who would be part of the ritual tonight. I drew in a breath. Maybe she hadn’t been singling me out, as I’d originally thought, just doing whatever it was that Sun Witches did to make us feel their power.

A gasp went through the crowd, and for a moment, I thought it was because they were reacting to what she said. It didn’t make sense, everyone knew of the ritual to meet their mate. It was what many of us looked forward to most at the Convergence, as much as unlocking our full powers.