Adam must have given the orders telepathically because Elle and Joe stood from their bent positions and came to me. I noticed all of the men were dressed like Adam: linen pants and nothing else, whereas the women were sheathed in swaths of steely gray silk. Elle and Joe both smiled at me, but did not say a word. Together they undressed me, slipping the silk gown off my body so that I stood in my bra and underwear. Thank goodness I’d known about this part and had made sure to wear some decent underwear. I kept my eyes forward, not allowing my modesty to ruin this moment for me. At least I wasn’t naked in front of all of these people. Once Elle and Joe were done, they took their places back in the circle.

The drums grew louder and louder, mimicking the rapid beat of my heart. My pack began to fidget around me, their bodies writhing almost sensually. Clothes began to shred from their bodies as their wolves pushed forward. Within moments, a pack of wolves surrounded me. They sat waiting, their heads tipped back so that their noses faced the now dark sky. A cool breeze whipped across my stomach causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.

My gaze shifted when a group of women ascended the stage, each holding a small clay bowl. They formed a circle around me and knelt down, placing the bowls in front of the wolves. When each wolf had a clay pot sitting in front of him or her, the women disappeared off the stage. My eyes found the icy stare of Maggie and Donald. They sat in the front row, Anthony beside them. Maggie arched a sculpted brow at me, her displeasure loud and clear. Donald’s face was all hard lines and scorn. His jaw was clenched so tight; I wouldn’t be surprised if he cracked a few teeth. Anthony, on the other hand, smiled and winked at me, but there was something mischievous in his eyes that put me on edge.

“We’re here tonight to pledge our loyalty to you, Anna,” Adam said, coming to stand beside me. I smiled down at him, that tingly warmth bursting through my stomach. “Each wolf is here on their own accord. They have acknowledged you as their alpha female and wish to give themselves to you, as do I.”

My smile turned into a cheesy grin, and I had to restrain myself so I didn’t look like a teenager who’d just been asked to prom by her crush. Grinning like a fool wouldn’t help the witnessing wolves change their minds about my ability to rise to alpha status. I had to be serious and controlled. The smile slipped from my lips and straightened into a straight line while I looked ahead, chin held high.

“Let the ceremony begin,” Adam announced. He reached out a hand to me and helped me descend the small stage I stood on. Together, we walked over and stopped in front of Joe.

“Joe, do you promise to protect and obey Anna Avery, putting her life before yours and others as your alpha female?”

Joe, a salt and pepper wolf, lowered his head in a bow. When Adam nodded toward him, he dipped both of his paws into the clay bowl and stepped toward me. Sitting on his hind legs, he pressed his paws against my stomach, leaving two perfect prints on my skin. I watched in awe as the red liquid slowly faded as though my body had absorbed them. Energy swirled through my body, causing my wolf to bristle beneath my skin.

Adam moved me around the circle, asking each wolf the same question, and each one dipped their paws in the red liquid and stamped my body with their paw prints, only for my body to absorb them. By the end of the line, I was so amped up, I felt like I’d taken a bunch of speed. Power surged through my veins like I was connected to a live wire.

“How are you doing?” Adam whispered in my ear as he helped me back onto the small stage.

I had to take a deep breath before answering—afraid if I didn’t, my response would come out as a squeal. “I’m fine.”

“Now it’s my turn.” He winked, and all of that energy racing through my veins headed between my legs. All of my senses amplified, my sudden desire for Adam caused my panties to dampen. Realizing that there was a huge crowd watching us, I tried to reign in my desire. Easier said than done, especially since Adam was stripping out of his linen pants. A couple females in the crowd whistled, and I growled in response, my eyes zeroing in on the admiring females. The clarity of my vision told me that my wolf was waiting right at the surface. I was sure my eyes were burning orange as I searched out the women ogling Adam.

When a hand brushed the small of my back, I looked down to find Adam smirking at me, an almost proud sparkle dancing in his eyes. With a wink, he shifted, and an ebony wolf now stood in front of me. He was huge, his shoulders coming to my feet on the stage. Adam dipped his paws in a clay pot, and just as he was about to place them on my body, a whizzing sound caught both of our attentions. Adam faltered, his ear perking up as he looked toward where the sound was coming. A deep growl echoed up his throat as he opened his mouth and roared. Momentarily distracted by his anger, when I looked up, it was at the silvery sharp edge of a broad-head arrow sailing right for me.

Adam leapt up, knocking me over right before the arrow found its way into my heart. I fell off the stage in a hard thump, Adam’s wolf a mass of fur and teeth acting as my shield. The adrenaline from the pledging part of the ceremony surged through my body making any and all pain I’d feel tomorrow nonexistent. But a tight wrenching in the pit of my stomach told me something was wrong with Adam. When he shuffled off me, I could see the cause of my panic. The arrow meant for me was sticking out of his side, buried at least four inches.

“Adam,” I yelled, crawling on my knees. I ran my fingers through his long, dark fur and tried to move around him, but he nudged me back with is head. He stood at attention, ignoring the arrow and my worry. The surrounding wolves all formed a tight circle around us, and the witnessing wolves all scrambled to their feet. I wasn’t sure if they knew what had happened, but it was evident enough that someone disrupted the ceremony.

Joe shifted beside me and grabbed my arm, trying to haul me up and away from Adam. I fought against him, needing to help Adam before another arrow found its way into his body. Through our bond, I could tell he was in a lot pain.

“Adam wants you inside,” Joe said.

Using both hands, I shoved against Joe’s body. “Too fucking bad. He’s been shot. He’s the one who needs to get inside. The arrow could have punctured his organs.”

Adam spun on me and bared his teeth, nodding with his head toward Joe.

“Uh-uh, not until you go inside, too. Let the pack figure out what happened. You’re in no shape to go running after the shooter.”

Adam’s black wolf made a sort of huffing nose, his eyes cutting to Joe. I didn’t need to know what he was saying to his second-in-command to know it had to do with me.

“So help me, Joe, if you touch me, I’m going to drop kick you in the balls.”

Joe’s eyes widened as he looked from me to Adam. Now that he was pledged to both of us, Adam couldn’t pull rank on me.

“Anna, it’s for your safety,” Joe said. “Adam wants you inside, please.”

I wasn’t paying attention to him or Adam. Movement in the distance caught my attention. A black figure scurried along the forest edge, disappearing through the trees. Anger coupled with my extra dose of energy caused my wolf to surge forward. Whoever the shooter was, they were still on my mountain and fair game.

Chapter Ten

I leapt off the stage and took off running. I could feel two more wolves with me, but my focus was on the forest ahead. Whoever was lurking on my mountain was after me. That arrow was meant for my heart. The fact that they got Adam, instead of me, only pissed me off more. If someone wanted to kill me, fine, but in his or her failed process they’d hurt my mate and, for that, I would make them pay.

My wolf pushed forward, her nails digging into the earth as she propelled herself onward. The wind whipped across our face and it smelled faintly of smoke and blood. As I reached the tree line, I came to a halt. Raising my head, I inhaled the spot I’d seen the perpetrator. It didn’t take long for my spidey senses to kick in and catch their scent. I edged through the trees, my eyes darting back and forth looking for any semblance of movement. The person couldn’t have gotten far.

“Anna, get your ass back here now.” Adam’s voice penetrated my mind and sounded as angry as I felt.

“No can do, sugar buns. Whoever shot at me is still on our mountain.” A crack of branches sounded just left of me. My wolf let out a low growl. The two wolves that had followed flanked either side of me. With a quick look, I realized it was Elle and Joe. Though the ceremony had been interrupted, their pledge was complete. Trying something, I thought about what I wanted to say and tried to direct it toward Elle. I never understood how Adam communicated with us telepathically. I assumed it was one of those mysteries I’d never understand.

“Keep your eyes peeled to the left,” I told Elle. To Joe, I said, “Eyes to the right.”

Both of their ears perked in surprise of my voice being in their heads, but they bobbed their thick, furry heads in an agreeable nod. Together, we proceeded forward and in the direction of the sound.

“I swear, if my life wasn’t linked to yours, I’d kill you myself,” Adam said.

“Pft. And here I was thinking we were still in the honeymoon phase.” I sent the message back with what I hoped was a humorous tone. It didn’t take much to upset Adam, at least where my safety was concerned. As much as his possessiveness of me was a turn on, I wouldn’t allow it to turn me into a damsel in distress. Sure, I wasn’t the best fighter, but the power surging through my veins made me feel invincible. Whether it was a false sense of superiority, I had yet to find out.

“I’m fine,” I sent the message to Adam. “Elle and Joe are with me.”

“Only because I ordered them to follow you,” Adam responded. “What rational person jumps headfirst into what could possibly be a trap? Just stay where you are; I’m sending Asher, Sawyer, and Wade.”

I wasn’t sure if wolves could roll their eyes, but I tried. Another sound echoed through the trees, this time to the left. Elle, Joe, and I all stopped and listened. I couldn’t see anything except for trees, a raccoon, and a mouse scurrying along the forest floor. Both animals were too small to create the crack of branches we’d heard.