Learning to Love... Book 1: Shade
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M. L. Knight
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The Choosing Ritual
SHADE
âSunshine,â our father, the alpha of the Thunder Moon, began. âIâm sure youâre wondering why I called you here.â
I stood at attention behind my sisterâs chair, my back straight and hands clasped behind me as she sat before him. My father barely acknowledged my presence as he beamed at Sunny, but it no longer bothered me as it had when I was young.
This was the way it was. The way it was supposed to be. I was forever indebted to them for the pain Iâd caused, and my penance was undying loyalty and service.
âIt isnât often that Iâm summoned to your office,â Sunny responded. Has there been another threat from Dark Moon?â
The Dark Moon Pack bordered our territory to the north. Their leader, Alpha Huxley, was a brutal wolf, power hungry and determined to take over our lands by any means necessary.
Heâd already made several attempts on my fatherâs life, but now that Sunny was of age, heâd shifted his approach. His requests for Sunny to be his chosen mate had gone from thinly veiled threats to outright kidnapping.
His last attempt had been an absolute failure, his warriors returning beaten and empty-handed. Unfortunately for them, theyâd tried to take the wrong twin.
It was only a matter of time before he tried again, and though I didnât relish causing any wolves pain, protecting Sunny was my job. I couldnât fail her or my father.
âNo. Nothing like that,â our father chuckled with a wave of his hand. âIt seems that Alpha Caelan of the Harvest Moon Pack is ready to take over for his father, but he needs a mate. His efforts to find his fated mate have been unsuccessful, so heâs decided to undergo a choosing ritual.â
A choosing ritual hadnât occurred in a long time, most wolves preferring to wait for their fated mate.
However, high-ranking wolves would occasionally be forced by the Elders to choose a mate from the unmated females from theirs and any surrounding packs. Particularly if the mating was essential to the packâs survival like with the role of an alpha.
âAs Iâm certain youâre aware,â our father continued, âsolidifying our alliance with Harvest Moon would be a huge benefit to our pack, making us strong enough that Dark Moon would think twice. And I think we have a good chance for you to become his chosen mate. Your mother was always very close to the luna of Harvest Moon.â
He paused at the mention of our mother, his eyes flicking to me.
I straightened, baring my neck in submission as a low growl issued from between his clenched teeth. My father would never forgive me for ripping away his fated mate. Though heâd chosen another, the loss of my mother still pained him whenever he was in my presence.
Sheâd been killed in a rogue attack when Sunny and I were seven after sheâd followed me to the border when I was upset. I was stupid. I was reckless. And itâd led to the death of the only person whoâd ever truly loved me. For that, my family had never forgiven me. And neither had the Moon Goddess whoâd cursed me for my mistake.
Though to be fair, his dislike for me stemmed from well before that. He detested having a daughter who was different. Even before my curse, I was something to be ashamed of. A freak to be hidden away. As far as he was concerned, Sunny was his only child and itâd been that way for as long as I could remember.
âHarvest Moon has requested that every eligible female be sent for the choosing,â he began again, returning his attention to Sunny. âYouâll be the only candidate from our pack, Sunshine. No one else would be worthy.â
His eyes flicked to me as I stared blankly ahead. Iâd never be considered an appropriate mate for a high-ranking wolf like Alpha Caelan. My father would sooner see me die alone than suffer the shame of such a humiliation.
Honestly, I felt relieved. I knew nothing about mates other than the bits of gossip Iâd picked up from my sister and her friends.
Who would even want a mate like me? I was an omega. My rank had been stripped from me after my motherâs death along with my last name. Not to mentionâŠcursed.
No, it was better that my father didnât claim me. I would accompany my sister as her guard like I always did, doing whatever it took to keep her safe. She was most important. Honoring my duty to her and my father was a way to atone for my past sins.
âSunshine, I canât stress how vital it is that youâre made the luna of Harvest Moon,â our father continued. âNot only would you make a fine mate for Alpha Caelan, but our packâs survival may depend on that alliance.â
His eyes narrowed as he turned his attention to me again. âShade, your assignment is the same as always. Keep your sister safe at all costs and do everything in your power to help her win Alpha Caelanâs favor. Is that understood?â
âYes, sir,â I replied.
âDonât fail me,â he growled, the threat of what would happen if I did clear in his tone. âNow, go help your sister prepare. Youâre dismissed.â
***
That night, as I lay on my pallet outside Sunnyâs bedroom, I pulled a faded, crumpled photo of my mother from where I kept it hidden in my pillowcase.
I stared at it, softly whispering to it as I told her all about how weâd be traveling to Harvest Moon for the choosing ritual and how Sunny could be named luna. I hoped she was excited for her daughter as I promised to do everything I could to help her succeed.
âGood night, Mom,â I said, tucking the photo beneath my head before I lay back and stared at the ceiling.
My mind whirled as I waited for sleep.
Could this be some elaborate hoax to lure Sunny away from the packâs protection? Harvest Moon has always been friendly, but itâs been years since weâve been there.
Weâd gone to Harvest Moon often when we were pups, but that all stopped after my motherâs death. My father had pulled away from our extended friends and family, wrapping himself in his grief and focusing on raising Sunny while ruthlessly overseeing my training in secret.
My stomach had been in knots since we left our fatherâs office. I couldnât help feeling like something big was coming. Something I wouldnât be prepared for, despite all my training, and that worried me.
Truth be told, I wasnât even sure Sunny had what it took to be a luna. Could she be a benevolent and gracious figure to a whole pack?
I rolled onto my side, closing my eyes as I offered up a prayer to the Goddess. I rarely spoke to her these days, convinced sheâd forsaken me long ago, but I hoped she might hear me tonight. Maybe sheâd help everything work out as it was meant to.
***
âShade,â my father called as I loaded the last of our bags into the car.
âYes, sir,â I replied, snapping to attention.
âRemember your responsibilities. Keep your sister safe at all costs. The future of our pack rests on her. Nothing else matters, understood? Not even your life.â
âYes, sir.â
âWhatever you do, keep your damn wolf under wraps. I donât need word of your affliction getting out. Itâd be an embarrassment to our pack and could hurt your sisterâs chances,â my father warned. âDonât let anyone know that you and Sunny are related.â
âYes, sir,â I said, pulling my silver hair back as my sister emerged from the house.
I waited as she bade our father goodbye, holding the door open for her as she climbed into the car before coming around to get behind the wheel. I glanced at her in the rearview mirror as I turned the key.
Technically, Sunny and I were twins, but her hair was a rich, golden blonde like our motherâs was, while mine was a silvery gray like the moon. The few occasions where Iâd act as her double always required the use of a rather itchy wig.
Even our eyes were different now. Before that fateful day, theyâd been a similar shade of blue, but after my curse, mine had changed to a blue so pale it almost disappeared into the whites of my eyes.
When we did appear together, I was always dressed in a simple uniform as Sunnyâs servant, usually hiding my face with a mask, a scarf, or a pair of chunky glasses. When my father disowned me, heâd told the pack I died. No one ever suspected we were sisters or if they did, they didnât dare say anything.
âDonât ruin this for me, Shade,â Sunny said harshly, glancing at me with disdain. âI deserve to be luna of Harvest Moon, and nothing will stop me from taking whatâs rightfully mine. Youâll do whatever I ask, whenever I ask without question. Understood?â
âUnderstood,â I replied as I pulled out of the driveway.
***
I was surprised by how modern the pack house at Harvest Moon was as we pulled into the parking lot. Large white buildings with clean lines and massive glass windows gave the place a subtle elegance.
This is beautiful. Thunder Moon looks nothing like this.
I turned off the engine and came around the car to open the door for Sunny as a rather frazzled woman with a clipboard approached us.
âNames?â she questioned.
âSunshine Mallory,â Sunny chirped with a confident smile. âThunder Moon Pack.â
The woman swiftly checked her list and made a quick note before turning her attention toward me.
âName?â she prompted, looking a little aggravated that she had to ask a second time.
âIâm Miss Malloryâs personal security.â
âAll eligible females are considered candidates,â she sighed. âAlphaâs orders. So, name?â
I hesitated, my eyes flicking to Sunny. Her smile faltered for a second before she composed herself.
âIâm afraid you donât understand. Shade isnât a candidate. Sheâs nothing more than a servant, an omega,â Sunny said brightly. âWeâld never wish to offend the alpha by offering someone of her rank as a candidate.â
âShade what?â the lady pushed.
âUh, just Shade,â I said softly. âNo last name.â
She made a note, writing in my name and pack beneath Sunnyâs.
âEach of you will be assigned a room for the duration of your stay. Niral will show you to your accommodations once youâre inside,â she said in a bored tone. âThereâll be a group tour of the pack lands in an hour. Guests are encouraged to dress accordingly as youâll be expected to shift for the outing.â
She said goodbye and hurried off to the next car.
âI canât believe this,â Sunny snapped. âGet my bags. You can come back for the rest later. I need to speak to whoeverâs in charge immediately before this turns into a complete disaster.â
I nodded, my stomach doing a somersault as I turned to open the trunk.
Does this mean Iâm a candidate in the choosing? Please, Goddess. Let this be a mistake.
