Chapter 20: The Rite

Wynne's POV

The Frost Moon Court met on the twenty-second of November, under a black sky full of stars.

There was snow on the stone benches in Stonehaven's roofless hall.

Every Alpha in Montana sat in his place, in a heavy coat, with his breath showing.

In the middle of the floor, someone had cleared the snow from a circle of bare ground and poured a ring of salt around it.

Three elders stood at the edge of the ring, white-haired, hooded.

The eldest of Silver Creek was one of them. He had come two hundred miles in a car, at ninety, to stand in the cold.

I sat in the second row beside Agnes.

My mother sat behind me. She had asked to, and I had said yes.

Corbin sat two seats farther down, with his silent wolf and his hands between his knees.

Alaric stood alone inside the salt ring, where the Speaker had ordered him, with his hands behind his back, in the black suit.

He had not looked at me once since we sat down.

I knew why. He thought I had come to watch him lose.

I had never told him what I meant to do.

I hadn't known, until I walked in and saw the salt.

My father sat in the front row. My sister sat at his side.

She was wearing white. Her hair was pinned up with a long silver comb, and she was calm and pale and lovely.

"The Court opens the Choosing Rite," the Speaker said, "by petition of Fellow Delphine MacAulay, who has named the Alpha King."

"Fellow MacAulay. Step into the ring."

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