A hushed silence falls, and I know we’re all thinking the same thing, but no one will say it out loud.
The alpha of Silver Valley, my father, died from the disease. My mother soon followed, and the alphas of Diamond Springs and Kingsville, Shane’s grandfather and Owen’s uncle,took to the hills to search for answers in the old caves… and they never returned.
Darla takes a sharp breath, and I try to keep my eyes down.
Owen’s uncle is her mate… and she won’t appreciate my sympathy.
“Moving on,” Sylvie says briskly. “We found an ancient ritual that will connect an alpha wolf to his true mate. It fell out of use years ago, when marriages began to be arranged for connections between families. This ritual promises ‘restoration of the primal soul in the alpha, full power to his mate, and through this union, strength to the entire pack under their rule.’”
“Ritual?” Owen asks. “That sounds a bit like magic.”
Tension builds in the air, and the anxiety in me rises a notch.
Magic is forbidden. Witches are to be executed on sight. Never waste seed on a human—protect the bloodline at all costs.
These three tenements have been passed down through the generations as law. The strength of our packs depends upon it, and any wolf who breaks these laws can be subjected to imprisonment or even death.
“I am aware of that,” Neville says. “But it isn’t strictly magic. In any case, we really have no choice.”
“There is always a choice,” Darla hisses. “If we darken ourselves with witchcraft, it will only bring our end to us sooner.”
“People are dying!” Thorne roars, suddenly standing up and smashing the table with his fist. “I don’t like this—but I’m willing to try anything at this point.”
“Even breaking the ancient law?” Darla shoots back.
“The ancient law is a result of The Rift,” Neville says calmly. “Now, if you would just—”
“No!” Darla snaps. “I can’t believe we’re even contemplating this.”
“We all agreed, Darla,” Faye says in a low voice.
Darla folds her arms and shakes her head, tears shimmering on her eyelashes. I look over at Owen, and he gives me a little shrug.
“Rhys,” Rafe says, leaning forward a little. “You’ve been chosen to go first. This does blur the lines of what we consider magic, but honestly, we think the risk is worth it.”
“What does the ritual do?” I ask.
“It leads you to your true mate,” Faye says. “And once you marry her, the union should bring a wave of power and good health to the entire pack. It will heal any… disease.”
I can tell from the way her voice trailed off that she really wanted to say “curse.”
“I suppose I don’t have much choice in this,” I say. “As alpha, I have to step up and take any measure necessary to help my pack, don’t I?”
“Yes,” Rafe agrees, nodding.
“I want it officially on the record that I have predicted disaster if we go through with this,” Darla says. “It will only kill us off faster if we poison ourselves with magic. These rules have kept us safe for generations—it was the only way we survived The Rift.”
The Rift…
Everyone goes quiet, and it’s as if the shadows are hissing at us, filling the air with paranoid whispers.
When we first settled here, shifters and witches lived in harmony. They worked together to build this community and the manor itself. Details have been lost to time, but all we know is that the alpha wolf and witch queen became enemies overnight, and the rift between them tore the community apart. Witches were hunted almost to extinction and driven out of the area, and laws were put in place to protect our bloodlines and only produce pureblood shifters.
“I don’t believe that,” Neville says, replying to Darla. “There is magic here still—”
“I don’t care what you believe,” Darla hisses. “You have no right to sit on this council.”
“Elected by the majority, just like you,” Neville replies in a challenging tone.
