It’s official. John has made a formal announcement. The pack usually celebrates the harvest festival within their own grounds, but this year it would be different. The Triumvirate has been assembled which means we would travel to a distant land that is neither a wolf territory, nor the witch kingdom, nor the Shadow lands where the vampires dwell from the eternity.

Anadin Peaks. The name gives me shivers. Legend has it that this is where the Moon Goddess first appeared on the earth in her human form. She rested here, took succour and put her roots down. Millenia later, this is where the First Wolves were born. It is a place of worship for all magical races and hence is a chosen venue for the Triumvirate gatherings.

“It’s two days journey.” Tammy tells me, her eyes cold and distant. “The last time I went, I was so excited. Now I wish I hadn’t gone.”

“You mean…you met him at the Anadin Peaks?” I ask in a low voice.

“Yes. Father had some work there, and I tagged along. I so wanted to see them. Everyone said they are breath taking. Adam tried to stop me, but I did not listen. The worst decision of my life.”

Looking lost, Tammy walks away. I watch her with a sinking heart. She has changed in the past few days. Her eyes are hard, devoid of emotion. She has stopped spending time with the family. Instead, she roams the pack grounds, flirting with passing soldiers. It’s not anyone in particular, just whoever catches her fancy.

Two days ago, I saw her with a sixteen-year-old GreyHide boy. They stood snogging in the square right in front of the house, then disappeared behind the bushes. An hour later, she emerged giggling and laughing, only to rush back there with another boy.

That night, I pulled her away to talk some sense, but the next day was the same. She was with a middle-aged RedPaw with crooked teeth and tattooed body, running around the fields half-naked. The next morning, a group of rough-looking soldiers came to drop her to our doorstep.

The whole family watched but did not interfere. Tammy nowadays is like dry kindling, volatile and unpredictable. Even a little spark sets her aflame. It’s only me she sometimes feels like talking to, like just now when we are in the square.

It's Friday. I have dragged Tammy to the square with a promise of portrait. It’s four days since John’s announcement and Tammy has all but run herself ragged.

“Make me pretty Danny. I want to be remembered as a beautiful woman.” Sitting on a stool as I sketch her away, she bats her lashes. I raise an eyebrow.

“You are a beautiful woman, Tammy. I can’t make you look ugly even if I want to.”

“You could if you are a terrible artist.” She smirks mischievously.

“Which I assure you I am not.” I shoot back promptly.

I turn the aisle towards her to show her my work. It’s a beautiful girl with haunted dark eyes and a chiselled, heart-shaped face. Her wide forehead shows intelligence and thick eyebrows indicate her thoughtfulness. The curve of her lips means she is a sensitive person, too sensitive, in my opinion, for this cruel world.

I shake my thoughts to watch her reaction, expecting her eyes to light up, but a flicker of shadow passes them.

“I am beautiful Danny.”

“Yes, you are.” I frown, puzzled.

“Then why do none of them love me?”

My heart skips a beat. “Who doesn’t love you, Tammy?”

“Mother. Father. My brothers. These young men. I give them everything I have. I hold nothing back. Yet no one wants me. No one says I should stay back. Why is that, Danny?”

“Rubbish!” I splutter, my heart twisting. “They all love you, Tammy. Your mother, father, brothers. I love you, too. You are my best friend, the only one I can trust with my life. And I do not want you to go. I want you to stay here.”

“But you cannot help.” She tilts her head, the dark eyes glinting in the midday sun, unsettling the hell out of me. “You cannot help as you want to save the thousands. It’s okay if I go. It’s good for the others.”

“I don’t want you to go, and I don’t want the thousands to die. And if there is a way out of this, Tammy, rest assured I will make sure I’ll find it to save you.”

I drop my pencil and stride towards her to offer her a glass of water. She needs to cool down. Her eyes look fevered, as if she is suffering some mental disease. Or maybe she is drunk. Her talk certainly startles me out of my skin.

“Drink this.” I drop four sugar cubes into her water to sweeten it. I do not care if it tastes ghastly. Tammy needs it at this moment.

She takes a sip and makes a face. “You are a liar, Danny. You do really hate me.”

“Yes, I do.” I plant my hands on my hips to glare at her. “And if you do not finish that right now, I’ll hate you even more.”

She laughs, then drinks the cloudy liquid like an obedient child. She is just about to finish it when a group of men passes us on the road.

Tammy’s eyes light up.

“Guys…wait for me!” She scrambles to her feet, forgetting her sketch to run and join them. They laugh and pull her in as she vanishes behind a wall of uniformed backs. I stare as they walk away, a wretched gloom descending on me as they disappear down the road.

“Leave her alone…” Gabe’s warning sounds in my head. “It’s her destiny and no one can change it for her.”

With shaking hands, I wrap up my stall for the day. Tomorrow, we will leave for the festival. I need to pack my stuff and Tammy’s too. It’s unlikely she’d think straight in her current state.

*****

The morning arrives at its leisurely pace. We are all up and ready at an early hour. Breakfast is a quick and quiet affair as we gather in the front yard with our backpacks. Adam is already out with his Gamma Arthur, taking a stock of arrangements. A sea of people clad in blacks and greens bobs in the central square, the soldiers from the other packs having departed the previous day to join their own packs for the festival.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Adam stands tall with his hands on his hips, casting his eyes over the crowded place.

“Arthur. I hope everything is ready for our departure?”

“Yes, Beta.” A tall and muscular man steps forward. “As you instructed, two of our battalions have already departed for the Anadin Peaks. They will set the stage and make everything ready for your arrival. One more battalion will travel with you. We have the rest positioned around the grounds to protect the pack, although I hope we will not need them.”

“I hope so too.” Adam looks grim, running his eyes along the pack boundaries as if he can see far and beyond the dark forest. Which he might, given his abilities. Raising his head, he closes his eyes to sniff the morning air, to taste the bitter-sweet taste on his tongue. It must be some kind of test, as everyone stops to watch him spellbound.

My eyes still on him. There is something different about him this morning. He oozes power, an aura of command and authority. Everyone is hunched in front of him, or rather, he dwarfs them with his imposing persona. It’s nothing like John’s Alpha status. This is more inherent, something that radiates through his sheer physicality and strength.

The air heats between us. Something nudges him to turn. His eyes land on me in a scorching heat. Panicked, I turn away to see Gabe walking towards me.

“Hi,” Gabe smiles. I exhale, feeling relieved. Gabe looks like his usual self, handsome and sweet. There is no unsettlement here, no scorching heat.

“All set?” He raises his brow.

“As much as I can be.” I answer, glancing at Tammy. She is standing on a side, chatting with some obscure young man I have never seen before. A wide smile is plastered to her face as if she has no care in the world.

“She will be alright.” Gabe says, following my line of sight. “She is a strong girl.”

I smile and nod. Yes, she is a strong girl, but the way she is being made to prove it breaks my heart.

We stand together as the others gather around. Jeff, Billy, Tina and Myra. Olly too saunters towards us to stand next to Jeff. Soon, the Alpha and Luna come out and Gabe leaves me to talk to them.

Adam chooses that moment to glance at me. I purse my lips as the magnetic pull tugs my mind, but this time, I am ready. I turn my head down to examine my nails to save myself from another embarrassment.

To my surprise, he stalks towards me to stand right in the front.

“Look at me, Danny.”

Huh?

I suck a breath to squint and look up, holding my gaze somewhere beyond his head.

“Yes?”

He looks irritated.

“Look at me Danny. I don’t have time for this. We need to get going.”

“Yeah. Let’s go then. I am ready.” I am confused as hell, but still don’t look ‘at him’. My eyes hover somewhere over his forehead. Then in his thick dark mop. Then on his left ear, before sliding to his half-and -half crooked nose.

That makes him even more grumpy.

“I said, look at me!” He steps forward to physically turn my face. My startled eyes meet his. As usual, the arrow hits the bull’s eye. But before the effect paralyses me, I scrunch my eyes shut.

“Wh…what are you doing? Have you gone mad?”

His hands leave my face. “Look at me. I need to enable your connection.”

“What?”

“I. Need. To. Enable. Your. Connection.” He chews each word out slowly for my benefit. “The pack members all share a bond that helps them communicate. You don’t have it as you are not yet initiated. This is a temporary measure that will enable you to communicate with the others while we are away.”

Ah!! My face clears as understanding dawns.

“So, you are giving me a cell phone? Finally!”

A muscle twitches in his face. “Something like that.”

“Thanks! I really need it…” I extend my hand to take the phone. I didn't even know the wolves used phones. Maybe they didn't but they had this special facility just for people like me?

I wait, but he doesn't give me any phone. Instead, he grabs my wrist and with a slight tug, pulls me in. Before I could utter another startled protest, our eyes meet.

His eyes pierce mine and I stand rooted to the spot. His left hand tightens on my wrist as the right palm covers my head. The red-black deepens to shoot inside me, invading, caressing, probing on its way in. Something stirs inside me, from the root of my core to the edge of my being. My head swirls with as a sudden power surges through me. It crackles like an electric current as it connects me to Adam. There is a static as both ends play a tug-of-war. I try to resist but cannot stop the invasion.

I clench my fists, my body shuddering with unease. All I know is that I have just given him the power to look into my head. He can read my thoughts, while I can only hear what he chooses to let me hear.

“Let me go!” I struggle to shake him off, but he is too strong for my feeble protest.

“This is called the Chain of Command.” He smirks as my face flushes with embarrassment. The whole pack is watching. Some smirk, some laugh. Many gather closer to watch in amusement.

Adam, of course, is unconcerned. “Do you understand what it means? It means from henceforth, I am your commander. You will obey my orders, and do as you are told while we are on this trip. And I will bode no insubordination.”

Insubordination? I bristle. “How dare you! I will have you know that I am your guest and not a measly subordinate. I don't want this stupid chain!”

“You are a guest while within these boundaries, Danny. But while we are away, you are not even a proper pack member. I need to take precautions to protect you and the pack. And you are a known troublemaker.”

“Troublemaker?” I colour furiously. “When have I…”

Adam raises an eyebrow.

“Just count the number of times I have had to save you, Danny. And don’t even get me started on the wild goose chase you led us while searching for your Mrs. Bates. I know you were the mastermind behind the whole fiasco.”

My head snaps to Olly. She is smirking. Looks like she had spilled the beans to Adam about Mrs. Bates’s tobacco pouch. It was a genius idea while it lasted. But now that the secret is out, I am the villainess.

Hmph. My eyes dart back to Adam only to see him slipping it out of his pocket. He flicks it in his hand, surveying it with a feigned serious expression.

“Let’s just say I am not impressed. And I will not like it if your antics lead to another attack. Hence the preventive measure.”

He steps back, leaving my hand. I seethe in anger.

“It was not just me. Olly was in it with me. Why doesn’t she also get this dog-leash?”

“It's a Chain of Command." He corrects me with an amused smile. "I have enabled it for Olivia too. But it’s you who I need to watch out for. So, remember my warning.”

“This is unfair! I have done nothing wrong. You cannot treat me like this! I protest!”

“You protest in vain.” He looks bored. “And you totally deserve this. Now stop complaining and come along.”

“Bollocks!!” I blurt loudly to everyone’s amusement. Jeff and Billy howl with laughter. Tammy winks at me, giving me a thumbs up. I kick the ground under my foot, huffing like a wild dog.

“This is exactly why you need it.” Adam says wryly. “And now if you are done bickering, maybe we can start our journey.”

Yeah. Whatever. I curse under my breath. He shakes his head, then turns away.

The ‘leash the wild woman’ ceremony done; all are ready to go. Adam starts walking, John and Phyllis following him. Behind him, everyone falls in order. I stay back, seething. I have a good mind not to go on this trip.

“He has a point.” Gabe says as he falls in step with me. “It’s important that we can mind-link on this trip.”

“What’s the use? I don’t even know how to do it. Your brother is just a big show-off, nothing else.”

Gabe laughs. “It’s simple. You just focus on the person and say what you want to say. If it’s a pack member, they pick the connection.”

I grunt. Right now, I cannot focus on anything but Mr. High and Mighty leading us to God knows where. Aren't we supposed to go to the front gate where the trucks are parked? But no. Mr. Know-It-All leads us in the opposite direction, to the back of the camp grounds.

I grind my teeth. If I possessed his red-black gaze, it would have ripped his t-shirt apart, burning holes into that stiff, arrogant back. My eyes slide to his toned butt covered by baggy combats. Images from our naked ride flash in my head, and I lick my lips. How I would like to spank that butt. How I would love to teach him a lesson.

I tingle runs down my spine as I catch myself. I wonder if at this moment he can read my thoughts. The good girl in me furiously hopes he doesn't. The troublemaker smirks evilly.

I hope he hears me. I hope he sees what's on my mind.

A wicked grin crawls my face when Adam stops abruptly. Mortified, I hang my head low and hide behind the crowd separating us.

Soon we reach a familiar grove. I frown. I do not see any trucks or cars to ferry us to the peaks.

“How are we travelling?”

“On our feet.” Gabe smirks. “It’s customary to travel to the festival in our wolf form. So be prepared, Danny. You are in for the ride of your life.”

***** *****