Chapitre 15

Pure excitement swept through my body. We had been walking for a few hours and I still couldn't get enough of the view. While some trees were completely bare, others wore a green spiked dress.

Eros led the way through the valley, his eyes roving over and over the landscape. He glanced back at me every now and then, as if to make sure I was still there.

The fresh air flowed through my body and invigorated all my senses. I sighed contentedly. Even though the coat was a bit heavy on my shoulders, I enjoyed the warm rays of sunshine on my face.

I thought back to Gamma Johnson and the deal I had with him. Once I was through with the ceremony, he would search for his mate.

"Eros, what kind of ceremonies are there up north anyway?" I asked as casually as possible.

He turned to me and waited for me to catch up with him.

"Who did you talk to about this?" he asked, eyeing me.

"No one important," I replied with a small smile.

Eros raised an eyebrow before sharing his knowledge.

"There are many different ceremonies: One for puppies that are transforming for the first time. Another is paying last respects when someone has died. But I think you're getting at the ceremony that's waiting for you."

Caught, I could only nod.

“The appointment of a new Alpha or Luna is sacred to the pack. However, there is a requirement," he continued.

"And which would be?" I asked instinctively.

His blue eyes darted to my lips for a second and then to my neck. I hastily turned my gaze to the glittering snow in front of us.

"You must be marked."

My cheeks flushed as images of our kiss flooded my mind. In my mind I condemned Gamma Johnson. He knew it. He'd bought himself as much time as he could get.

"Are there any books about it anywhere?" I asked, trying to reduce the level of redness on my face.

"You'd best ask Demetrius. He takes care of the old library."

I nodded relieved. Now I knew where I would spend my time after this trip. But first I had to focus on these adventures.

As if on cue, my stomach began to growl. We had already left the pack far behind, as well as breakfast. The cold combined with the hike drained my energy reserves incredibly quickly.

Something had to be done about it.

"Can we set up camp here? I want to learn how to make fire," I asked excitedly.

Who knew I'd ever be happy to survive in the wild with a werewolf, even an alpha one? Times don't always change slowly.

Eros nodded and led me between the trees that towered over our heads.

"Well. But first I want to see what you can do."

Ambition flared up in me. I wanted to prove to him that I wasn't just a helpless little human. Eros pulled a knife from his pocket and handed it to me.

"It's your only resource."

I took the wooden handle of the knife and weighed it in my hand. It was sharpened, but the blade was only as long as my index finger. Should I cut down a tree with it?

"You need wood for fire," I said before realizing how ridiculous I sounded.

Eros had an amused grin on his lips but said nothing. I warned him with my eyes before taking a closer look.

We were surrounded by trees, between which grew a few small bushes that bore nothing on their bare branches. How are you supposed to find food here?

In the meantime, Eros had leaned against a rock and watched all my movements.

I walked over to a spruce whose bilious green branches hung low to the ground. I was able to break off the small mini branches without the help of the knife. After a short time I had collected a few and looked at the pile in front of me.

"Are these even flammable?" I asked loudly, looking over at Eros.

The expression on his face gave me the answer, but he still made no move to give me any advice. I sighed annoyed and turned away from the spruce.

I walked to a smaller tree and hesitated before banging the knife against the bark. It left nothing but a small cut. I turned to Eros to see if it was the right thing.

His eyes lit up with amusement like he had never seen anything so amusing. With that, he had knocked my patience down the mountain.

"Eros, that's not funny! Better help me," I whined.

He pushed off the rock and came toward me.

"You want me to cut down the tree? I thought we were going to make a fire," he replied, enjoying my desperation too much for my liking.

"How would you do it?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips and holding out the knife.

He seemed to take my words as a challenge and took the blade from my hand. Instead of using it, he put it in his coat pocket and walked toward one of the bare bushes.

With ease he broke off branches and gathered them in a heap in front of the rock.

"Oh," I just said.

I could only stand and watch as, with a few precise movements, he created a few sparks and then a small fire from the dry wood. I stood next to him in amazement.

The orange flames radiated warmth that settled over my freezing skin. I crouched down to get as much of it as possible. I took off my gloves and put them in my coat pocket.

“You should always use these branches in the beginning. They store little water and because they are so thin, air can circulate better. After that you can take larger branches, but never ones with green branches."

I only listened with one ear, with the other I listened to the pleasant crackling of the wood. The flames danced in different colors and occasionally cracked with a shower of sparks.

Don't let the beauty fool you.

Ero's words rang in my head and immediately my thoughts went back to the fire in which I was trapped. There the flames had left me no way out. Without hesitation, they had destroyed everything in their path.

I gulped and felt my heart start racing as if the nightmare had caught up with me. Suddenly I felt a warm hand on my shoulder that pulled me out of my thoughts.

Eros looked down at me anxiously. His eyebrows were drawn together.

"What's going on?" he asked, his eyes darting over me.

I swallowed. He must have heard my heartbeat. I put my small hand over his big one.

"There is nothing. I just had to think about the fire."

He immediately lifted me out of the snow by my waist.

"Whoever the traitor is, I will find him and he will regret it."

"Please don't get upset," I said hastily, studying his stormy eyes. "I'm glad about this trip. It's a good distraction from...everything."

His gaze calmed down a bit, but I could still see the tension behind it. The hole in my stomach slowly widened and sapped the strength of my legs.

"So, Alpha Eros," I said, letting his title come out a little mockingly, "where do you get decent food around here?"

Ero's mouth twitched up.

"I admit it's harder in human form, but not impossible. Come."

He took my hand in his and a cloud of excited mist escaped my lips. Lightning crackled up my arm at his touch.

We walked a little away from the fire and I realized that red berries were hanging on some bushes. I let go of Ero's hand and walked toward the bushes. I eyed her skeptically. The berries were smaller than pearls.

"Are these edible?" I asked, turning around.

But Eros was gone. Panic flared in my chest.

"Eros?"

There was concern in my voice. How had he disappeared so quickly? The berries were completely forgotten.

I looked at our footprints in the snow, my little ones next to his big ones. His had turned on the spot and led behind a large tree.

He-"

A scream escaped my throat as a large wolf pounced on me. I landed in the soft snow and held out my hands to the beast. A warm lick pulled me out of my shock.

A black wolf stood over me.

Eros.

Relief and indignation rushed through my veins.

"How can you scare me like that?" I asked accusingly.

Eros just seemed amused, as always when I was uncomfortable. Cozy warmth radiated from his wolf form to me.

Suddenly his gaze darted from me to the trees.

Then something new burned in his eyes.

The hunting instinct was awakened.

...

THE JOURNEY HAS BEGUN...