Page 60 of Moonlit Choosing Ritual

My thoughts returned to Talon. What was he doing? Was he looking for me? I needed to call him, to listen to his voice just once. Did he think I had betrayed him? My heart thundered at the idea. It was a bitter feeling. Just when I was going out to search for a phone to call him, I saw Vandil coming to me with rage written all over his face.

“Talon’s here!” he hissed. “His warriors have surrounded the Viking pack, and he’s demanding you be returned to him by dawn, otherwise he will attack us!”

“Talon’s here?” Goosebumps prickled my skin as excitement and joy made me dizzy. “Where is he?” I started running toward the main door, but Vandil seized my upper arm and pulled me back.

“You won’t go to him!” he snarled. “He’s going to kill all of us whether you go to him or not. With you here, we’re still safe! There are thousands of werewolves surrounding our pack. But understand, Ylva, we’re going to fight every last one of them and die protecting our fortress.”

“Are you insane?” I shouted. “Talon won’t attack you if you return me to him. He wants me.”

“Oh, please!” Vandil scoffed. “Talon’s pissed off because I kidnapped you. You think he’ll spare any of us? He’s so fucking furious that he won’t listen to anyone, including you! He’s after me and Jackie.”

“No, you’re wrong,” I cried. But doubt crawled into my mind. Talon was the fiercest, most ruthless, and strongest werewolf. He could annihilate my entire family easily. My newfound family. “Just let me go and talk to him,” I requested.

“Shut up!” Vandil growled and dragged me back to my room. He shoved me inside and closed the door. “You’re staying in thisroom. Don’t you dare come out.” He locked the room from the outside.

I pounded the door with my fists. “Vandil!” I shouted. “Don’t be crazy. Let me out!” But the only response I heard was his fading footsteps.

This was plain stupidity. I wanted to talk to Talon, be near him, feel his body’s warmth. I’d never felt this desperate in all my life. Anxiety swarmed inside me like an angry hive of bees. “Thyra!” I shouted. “Please let me out!” But there was so much commotion on the outside that no one could hear me. I battered the door, hoping someone would hear, but everyone must have gone to face the enemy. The enemy which wouldn’t be an enemy, if only they’d let me out.

I slid down the door, sitting on the floor as a loud sob escaped me. Why was I so weak?

The commotion on the outside got louder, and panic rippled through me in waves. I wanted to get out and see Talon before he killed everyone in the Viking pack. Why was my brother so stubborn? Couldn’t he see reason?

Suddenly, the door opened and I was pushed aside. “Jackie?” I said in a raspy voice. “What are you doing here?”

She placed her finger on her lips as she closed the door. Her face was covered in sweat and she looked frightened. Then she whispered, “I’m here against Vandil’s orders. He wanted me to stay in the room, but as soon as he left to meet Talon, I rushed to you.”

“You’re Vandil’s mate!” I squeaked, surprised as hell.

“Yes, I am. But we can talk about that some other time. Right now you have to come with me.”

“Where?” I asked, wary of her actions.

“To meet Talon, silly!”

My eyebrows shot to my hairline. “Are you mad?” I scolded her in a low voice. “Talon’s going to kill you the moment he seesyou!” I didn’t know why, but the moment I saw Jackie, all my anger toward her vanished. It was like seeing an old friend.

“I don’t care,” she said, her eyes turning moist. “But I can’t let anything happen to Vandil. He’s my mate. I’ve just found him, and I can’t—” She blinked the tears from her eyes. “I can’t lose him. I love him madly, and I know why he’s gone out to face Talon. He’s certain Talon blames me for your abduction and Liam’s fiasco.” She grabbed my hands in hers. “Please, Kimble. Do it for him, if not for me. He’s your blood brother.”

I stared at her as the weight of her words fell on my shoulders. My blood brother. Her mate. Talon. On an impulse, I made a decision. “Do you know where Talon is? I mean which side of the pack’s territory?”

“Yes, he’s in the south,” she said, gasping when we heard the loud crash of a wall falling down.

“Fuck!” I knew Talon’s warriors had broken the south wall. “Okay, hear me out. Take me toward that side, and then stay back. I don’t want you to face Talon. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “But I want to be with Vandil!”

“No!” I snapped. “You’ll stay behind if you want this over quickly.”

Jackie was trembling so much that her teeth chattered. I could hear her loud heartbeat. “I’m scared, Kimble,” she said with a wobbly chin.

“I’m scared too,” I said, resting my forehead on hers. “This is so messed up!”

“Yeah!”

With Jackie, I sneaked out toward the corridor which led to the south exit. Alpha Frode, Luna Thyra, and my brothers were nowhere to be seen. They must have gone to fight Talon. Suddenly, I wanted to vomit. What if they attacked him all at once and killed him? My body shuddered in terror and I stifled a whimper. I silently prayed to the Goddess that if she let me seemy mate, I was going to mark him with whatever human teeth I had.

“There!” Jackie pointed toward the exit. As soon as I opened the door, I saw numerous wolves fighting Talon’s warriors. It was complete mayhem. There was bloodshed everywhere. Wolves sank their teeth into each other while others were ripped limb from limb.

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