Page 70 of Wild Wolf

I stepped closer to him, noticing that the rivalry between us was present, but I didn’t feel it as sharply as I did towards the other Vampires around us. And I was pretty sure it was because I respected him. I wasn’t sure when that had happened, but it was impossible to deny now that it was staring me in the face. “Then that’s where you belong, Mason. No one should be forced to be anything but who they are, not by themselves or anyone else in this world. You get to choose, don’t forget that.”

“Mm,” Cain grunted again but something told me he had heard me.

We moved along the line and finally made it to the booth, securing our places in the first hunt under our code names.

“Okay Lawman and Nightkeeper, you’re all signed up. You’ll need to wear these.” The woman passed us two simple white masks that would cover the top half of our faces. “Put them on just before the hunt. They will remain fixed to your face until the hunt is done and will allow ample room for biting your prey.” She took each of our hands, casting a spell that made a silver fang glow on the backs of our wrists along with the number one. “Head through the gate to my right and make your way to the starting point where private rooms will allow you to change your masks in secrecy.”

We followed her directions, passing through the iron gate, showing our fang marks to a bulky guard on the way and taking a winding passage onward.

“Keep close to me during the hunt,” Cain said firmly. “Focus on my instructions. If you feel you are starting to lose your head, then tell me and I will direct you in how to refocus.”

I nodded, my pulse quickening as the cry of the crowd rumbled through the sandstone walls. “And if I fuck up and lose my head entirely?”

“You won’t,” he said firmly. “Think of Rosalie, of your brother. Of all the reasons you have to remain rooted in your own mind.”

I nodded again as we rounded into a chamber where doors led off into private rooms. Vampires were walking in and out of them then making their way on down another passage with their white masks in place for the hunt.

It didn’t take us long to change into ours, leaving our masks behind and following the directions of another guard as we headed toward the start point.

We arrived before a long row of iron gates set into the wall, all of them leading out into a wide, brightly lit passage where the clamour of the crowd was loudest. There were Vampires already standing before many of the gates and a woman dressed in a leather jumpsuit waved us over, her mask that of a panther with glittering rhinestones around the eyes. She checked our marks then directed us to stand before two gates that were beside one another.

Cain gave me a nod as I stood in front of mine. I glanced at the Vampire to my left. Golden curls fell around the brow of his white mask and he casually flicked them back as he glanced my way.

“First time?” he asked smoothly, moving to lean his shoulder against the wall between my gate and his like he had all the time in the world to kill.

“How can you tell?” I growled, assessing him and trying to figure out if he was a threat. He was dressed in casual clothes fit for running just like the rest of us, but his voice suggested he was more highborn than most of the cretins here.

“You’ve got that jittery look about you,” he taunted, his lips lifting into a grin.

“Leave him be, Hornrider,” Cain drawled and I turned to him in surprise.

“You know this asshole?”

“He’s been running here the last year or so,” Cain said with a shrug. “Thinks he can take my place as the Elite Hunter, but I’ve been running this hunt since he was just a school boy with hopes and dreams that crashed and burned.”

“You’re just bitter you have a real challenge these days, old man. I’m faster than you by a mile,” Hornrider said.

“Faster maybe, but speed doesn’t equal skill,” Cain clipped.

“You sound like my old professor, and he was always such a sore loser too,” Hornrider said, his grin only widening.

“Nice name by the way,” I commented and his casual smile dropped a little.

“Someone else signed me up when I first came here and you can’t change it once it’s assigned,” he grumbled.

“Sure,” I said like I didn’t believe him and he opened his mouth to curse me out, but his voice was drowned out.

“Take your positions!” the woman in the panther mask shouted and Hornrider moved back in front of his own gate, readying to run.

I looked to Cain, preparing for what was to come, but how was I really supposed to do that? I had no idea what to expect beyond this gate.

“Follow me,” Cain said firmly. “Do not stray. The volunteers will have hidden themselves in the maze already. Our job is to find and bite as many as we can without killing them.”

“Got it,” I growled, planting my feet, the energy in my blood building and building.

“Hellion Hunt – begin!” a voice boomed throughout the entire cavern and the gates flew open all at once.

I took off with a bolt of adrenaline making me move in a blur of motion. Cain was a step ahead of me and Hornrider proved his word about his speed as he kept pace several feet ahead of both of us. The three of us were the fastest, gaining momentum by the second as we tore out into the maze, winding left and right through the ten-foot sandstone walls. One glance up showed the roaring crowd staring down at us from the huge balcony high above, and though I sought Rosa among the masses, there was no way I could pick her out within the throng of faces.

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