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I h the quad and past the stares Each surrounding building was only a few stories tall The dark brick was lit by lights hidden in the trees People stood around, chatting as they waited for the ceremony to start Everyone was dressed in robes, but theirs were plain black like the one Meredith earing

"This looks really cultish"

Meredith laughed "You’d rather see everyone in their birthday suits?"

"Well…I h the crowd, and I rolled nized that special timbre "It was a joke Jeez"

"Cherie" Dastien’s voice had more than a little wolf in it

The crowd parted and I finally saw him He wore a red robe, too His dark curls were tucked back behind his ears Iback now, and crowd or not, I didn’t care I didn’t want to turn back "Let’s do this"

Wein the woods Thethrough me My skin itched as the wolf rose to the surface Only Dastien’s fir

Why do I feel like I can’t hold this for the full moon That’s e have the cereet out in the wild The newer or less dominant the wolf is, the harder it is to keep the huets worse as the moon rises

Perfect I scratched my arm, but it didn’t help alleviate the itch at all

When we got to the spot for the cerenized it We’d held the ene out of the pack Thethe unlit bonfire area off to the side Slightly deeper into the woods, piled rocks and boulders from the nearby creek formed a circle of seats, and a stone dais sat in the center of the ring The platforhed a million pounds

Mr Dawson, Donovan, and Sebastian all stood on the oblong stone wearing black robes with the hoods down Donovan and Sebastian were both members of the Seven--the council that ruled all olves--and Mr Dawson ruled the local pack All three were seriously strong alphas I was sure some of the other alphas called in for the Tribunal were around, but I wouldn’t know them if I saw them Not unless they tried to push their power atuntil ere standing in front of the dais Everyone else crowded around behind us, so for the ceremony to be over so they could shift

Mr Dawson and Donovan stood in relaxed poses, while Sebastian stood a little off to the side He was grinning, and his blue eyes glowed bright

Donovan had been really easy to get along with He was only inti when he needed to be, but Sebastian was a little ot to St Ailbe’s, he’d pushed himself into my mind, which wasn’t fun at all, but ever since that one unpleasant experience, he’d been really nice Super smiley It was kind of weird, but I’d take that over scary Sebastian any day I’d never fully gotten over that first impression

Donovan stepped forward and the fehispers of the gathered wolves immediately died "The in Have you both approached clear of heart and mind?"

"Yes," Dastien said

Donovan turned tonow "Yeah" My voice cracked "I mean, yes" God I’d been over it in my ed to ave et started"

Sebastian stepped to the edge of the rock His white-blond hair looked even whiter against his stark black robe "This is the joining of tolves whose like I’ve not seen before Both more alpha than Dono or I were in our youth When I was called here to assess them and determine what had happened, I was not prepared for this one" He pointed to ic will do well for the pack"

I was really grateful that my hood blocked out e could see

Donovan held up his hands, and the whispering crowd finally settled He looked atinto led not to move under his inspection "Before we proceed with the incantation, you e of flesh"

Dastien turnedeach other He held out his arm