“Perfect,” he said without hesitation. “Thanks for tonight. I need this so I’ll remember…”

“Remember what?” I prompted when he went quiet.

“Come on. It’s late.” He opened the door and nudged me past the threshold. “I need to get you home before Aunt Dot comes looking for me with a rifle slung over her shoulder.”

“She’s a Gemini,” I reminded him, not missing the fact he hadn’t answered me. “She’s all the weapon she needs.”

The warm night caressed my cheeks when we stepped outside. The scent of pine hung in the air, and the chirp of crickets blanketed the yard with comforting sounds. I gripped the rail with one hand and took my time crossing to the well-worn trail we had taken. Now that I was full and relaxed, I noticed there were no cars or trucks, none of the SUVs I knew the pack owned. The only transportation visible were a few Mule ATVs parked under porches and a pair of cherry-red go-karts snuggled on a flatbed compact, enough for one of the Mules to haul with ease.

I made it all of three steps before white-hot pain blazed up my left side. Holding the brownies in front of me, I glanced down as Graeson yelled. Thanks to the heads-up, I spun aside in time to avoid the second furious swipe of claws. When the dirty-brown wolf lunged again, I whacked it in the face with the plastic container, and baked goods went flying. A whimper escaped the wolf as Graeson reached me, and the standoff came to a standstill.

“You know the rules. You can’t interfere,” a darkly masculine voice intoned. “Let your aspirant face her challenger.”

“This is not what we agreed,” Graeson snapped. “Ellis isn’t prepared.” His gaze cut to the wolf, and disgust curled his lip. “Ambushing her in the dark was cowardly, Becca.”

“I was alpha last time I checked.” A tall man stacked with muscles stepped into the light cast by the cabin’s windows. “I stand as witness to the first challenge of the selection.” His moss-bright eyes gleamed with liquid gold. “If your aspirant is too weak to compete, she’s welcome to bow out now and save herself the pain and shame of losing.”

A quiver started in my gut, the first stirrings of fear. This was real. This was happening. No sooner had I learned about the selection than its first round slapped me in the face. The small wolf snarling under her breath glared hatred at me. I had no idea who she was, but I doubted it was coincidence she showed up at the same time as the alpha put in an appearance. This was a choreographed move, and it seemed I was the only one unaware of the proper steps.

“You don’t have to do this.” Graeson’s cold hands clamped down on my upper arms. “You can walk away.”