Page 55 of Pack Captive

She stepped back and leaned on the stick, nodding for me to begin.

I did a quick stretch first, rolling my neck and shoulders.

It had been a while since I'd had the time and safety to practice the ritual dances; as of late, I'd only performed them quickly and silently, gathering what power I could while the moon was high.

I angled my feet and began dancing, following the steps my mother had taught me years ago for the dark moon ritual.

Unlike the full moon dances, these movements were more deliberate and controlled; the power needed to be coaxed out while the moon hid its face, and held onto tightly.

I spun all the way around the circle, ending on the opposite side as Yasemin.

The Elder Caller nodded, frowning consideringly. "There are enough similarities that I believe we can work with this. I see there's a touch of the southern packs' influence in those steps. Again."

I danced again, trying my hardest to keep my mind blank. My efforts didn't matter.

I thought of Ryden and Calian, and how odd it was that a man like Ryden came from such a stringent mother.

That I was sure I hadn't slept alone, even though Calian made no secret that he disliked me.

The fear and sympathy I'd felt for Merikh, who hadn't been far from my thoughts.

I also thought of what Yasemin had told me. I needed to let go of pack loyalties; I could serve them best by being a proper Caller, and if I defended Lykos, I defended them.

I spun to a stop for the second time.

"Again."

I held back a sigh and began again.

When Yaseminfinally let me stop, it was well past noon. Kadin had joined us, and she began to teach me slight changes.

By the time the Elder Caller had proclaimed herself satisfied enough for tonight's ceremony—I would dance the circle, Kadin would join me, and Yasemin would bind the power as we gathered it—I was ravenously hungry again.

They led me into the temple, where there was a small resting room. Maids had brought steaming dishes in for us.

We all sat down, and my mouth began watering. Kadin reached over the table for the butter and pushed a covered pot my way.

"Try the beef stew," she advised. "You'll need it for tonight."

I obeyed, and Yasemin picked at a plate of food as she watched.

"You need to put more weight on," she chided. "With the physical training, you'll be burning through your food as soon as you eat it."

I couldn't answer, because as usual, when I was around food, my mouth was stuffed.

The switch from sneering harridan to concerned fussing was a welcome one, although it had given me a bit of emotional whiplash.

Maybe once I'd proved I was willing to learn, I'd somehow shown them that I wasn't going to be a new Tyra.

I was still burning with curiosity to know exactly what she'd done, but I had a feeling nobody was going to be forthcoming in public.

The Elder brought me a small book as Kadin and I were finishing our meal.

"Meditation techniques," she said, putting the book on the table and tapping the cover. "This will be your next course of study, between physical training and the rituals. Once the dark moon has passed, we'll begin with basic lessons."

I pulled the book towards me and opened it, looking at the diagrams of different poses and breathing methods.

A loud bell chimed from the city below, and Kadin jumped up, rushing out of the room.

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