“Does it hurt?” Her voice was barely above a whisper but the young woman had no trouble hearing.
“The first time is…difficult, but you needn’t worry about that. You won’t be changing for the first time tonight. Tonight Nafarius will make you one of us but it takes time for the…infection to move throughout your body.”
“How will he…infect me?” Sam was beginning to wonder if she shouldn’t have asked Nafarius these questions last night. She would rather have had him tell her what was in store for her than some stranger.
“Nafarius has asked someone to come and explain these things to you, I think you should wait until then.”
“You cannot tell me?”
“I was not given that honor.” The young woman stood and with a reassuring smile turned to leave.
“Wait,” Sam called out after her. “What is your name?”
“Maddie.”
“Thank you, Maddie.” Sam was left alone to finish her stew. When she was done eating she stood up and walked around the alcove. There were small niches in the wall that held everything from candles to clothes. She was curious about the man she was about to commit herself to for life and went around the room trying to get a better picture of the life she was about to enter. There was a small statutes tucked away in one niche making her think that this was a deity these people worshipped. There were other pieces of art some of which appeared to trace back to early Native Americans as well as recent news publications. That and the modern cut of his clothing led her to believe that these people mingled with the rest of society even if it was only long enough to acquire necessities.
Having finished exploring Sam settled back down amongst the pile of blankets and pillows with a book and read for the next few hours.
It was after six o’clock by her watch when Roland announced his presence and asked to enter.
“Of course.” Sam set the book aside and smiled up at the tall man. It was the first time she had seen him close up in human form and she was surprised to see that he was of Middle Eastern decent. Nothing in his appearance as a wolf would have indicated his heritage and she chided herself for making any sort of assumptions.
Roland stood just inside the alcove; his arms crossed in front of his massive chest and stared down at her. “I see you’ve made yourself comfortable.”
“What else was I suppose to do?” Sam couldn’t keep help the tone of her voice. For some reason Roland was able to push all of her buttons with only a few words.
He had nothing against the woman personally, Roland’s concern was for his leader and the trouble this female was sure to cause. The women within the pack were already resentful of the fact that Nafarius had chosen an outsider as a mate and the neighboring packs were sure to be offended. Nafarius was by far the most powerful leader in the area, as his mate this woman would acquire considerable power but she had yet to prove herself to the rest of the pack. There would be problems both from inside and outside of the pack. Nafarius had already been forced to defend against several challenges regarding this female.
“Nafarius sent me to see that you are prepared for this evening’s events. Is there anything you wish to know?”
Roland hadn’t relaxed his stance and Sam found his inquiry to be less than warm. Looking down she plucked nervously at the blanket covering her legs. “Well, Maddie mentioned that I would be…infected when I mate with Nafarius.”
Hearing the fear in her voice Roland finally relented. It wasn’t this woman’s fault. She had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. She was completely unaware of the power struggles taking place among the packs and the part she would play in them. Nafarius was using her for his own ends and while they were perhaps in the best interest of the pack Roland knew that he had selfish reasons for wanting this woman as well.
Moving to sit down beside her Roland spent the next few hours explaining what was expected of her and what she could expect. He was surprised when she asked intelligent questions that showed an obvious concern for the pack. More than once she remarked on the fact that she didn’t want to cause any unnecessary problems. By the time Maddie arrived to announce that the pack had gathered Sam was informed and while still obviously nervous seemed to have gathered some comfort from their conversation.
Roland took her arm and led her to the entrance of the cave. “Remember, the pack will be watching to see what kind of show of strength you can give them. You need to prove to them that you are strong enough to be their leader’s mate because they will be depending on your strength to protect them.”
“I will do my best.” Sam stepped out of the cave and caught her breath. There were at least a hundred men and women filling the clearing and overflowing into the trees. She hadn’t expected there to be this many. The cave seemed hardly big enough to house them all and she wondered where they all came from.
Roland started to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder but stopped when she stepped forward. It was obvious that she didn’t want the pack to see it as a sign of weakness.
Sam started to walk towards where she thought the center of the clearing would be. Instantly a path appeared, the men and women parting to show her the way. She was relieved when she finally made it to the center and found Nafarius waiting for her. Maddie also stood to one side and offered her a small smile of encouragement.
It wasn’t until Nafarius reached out his hand that Sam realized he had been hurt. He had a black eye and his upper lip had been split. “What happened to you?”
Nafarius smiled. “I told you I had to prepare for tonight.”
“By getting in a fight?” Sam’s curiosity was peaked by the small, embarrassed smile she saw playing at the corner of his lips.
“When one of us wishes to mate we must answer any challenges. It seems I’m not the only male in the pack that wanted you.” Nafarius hoped she wouldn’t ask any more questions. He was afraid that she would be upset by the fact that he had fought with several of the younger pack members. In truth very few of them actually believed they could beat him and win her as their mate but it was tradition that the male be made to fight for what he wants. As leader he had to suffer through twice as many challenges.
Sam just shook her head and smiled. “Men.”
In a blink of an eye the atmosphere surrounding the clearing changes. Nafarius noticeably grew tense; gone was the light, laughing smile and in its place was a fierce hunger. His eyes went dark and predatory.
Sam felt herself tense in response. Her body tightened and she felt a jolt of adrenalin enter her system. It would seem that her fight or flight response had kicked in. Like all animals humans still possessed the instinct that told them when they were in danger.
As she watched, Nafarius rolled his shoulders forward, his arms hanging loose at his sides and took a step towards her. Sam held her ground, waiting for the attack she knew was sure to come. In the next moment he was air born and headed straight for her.
Sam hesitated just long enough for him to mark his target and then moved to her left. Nafarius wasn’t expecting it and landed on the ground with Sam just inches out of reach. She was faster than he had anticipated and he hadn’t been expecting her to remain calm. He thought that she would panic at the sight of him moving from friend to foe and run but instead she continued to think logically. Nafarius smiled; she was going to be much more of a challenge that would only add to his enjoyment.
Sam watched as Nafarius assessed the situation and changed tactics. This time he didn’t jump for her but instead started moving slowing. Each step he took forced her to take one in retreat. He was stalking her, turning her into the prey.