Chapter 15 The Hunt Display [ NYX ] Nyx runs . Her paws drum the earth , her thick fur rustling against the wind . The forest stinks of sweat and blood where the pack scatters , tearing after rabbits and foxes . Their growls and yelps charge the air . Nyx is unimpressed because these are small prey . They're not enough for her . She veers away from them , nose lifting to the wind . She will not waste her jaws on scraps . The Moon Goddess demands more . Bigger , she thinks . Prove it . Prove her worth . She slips through brush like smoke , cars flicking . The others crash loudly and carelessly . But Nyx listens . A twig snaps in the distance . She knows it in her heart - it's not a hare or a fox . A pristine stag bursts into the clearing , antlers wide , and eyes wild . Its hooves strike sparks on stone as it leaps . Nyx bares her teeth , joy flooding her veins . Yes . This one . She lunges . Muscles coil , claws slash bark as she launches high . Her fangs sink at the throat , clean and deep . The stag shudders , then collapses . Nyx stands over it , panting , chest blazing with triumph . The Moon Goddess has her proof . She noses the stag once , then steps back . She will come now . She will carry what I have won . And so she lets go . [ FREYA ] I blink hard as the wolf peels back , leaving me in my skin again . I quickly pick up my robe from where I left it on a large boulder and slip it over my head . My arms burn , but I grab the stag by the antlers and heave . Nyx's strength drones in my muscles , helping me drag it toward the clearing , By the time I stumble out of the treeline , most of the hunters are already gathering . Carcasses litter the grass - hares , foxes , even a scrawny boar that Jax managed to find . The pack buzzes with voices as kills are weighed and displayed . 1/4 21:34 Wed , Oct 15 Chapter 15 The Hunt Display Finished The Hum Display is no simple sport . It is our way of proving ourselves to the Moon Goddess each year , a ritual older than the pack itself . The Alpha calls it to measure strength , to remind us we are hunters first - wolves , humans second . Each kill is offered to the altar fire , a sign that the pack is fed , that we can still take what the land offers . Izel stands at the center , her green gown draped hastily over her shoulders . She cradles her kill -a rabbit so limp and spotless I wonder if it was even alive when she caught it . She tilts her chin high , eyes shining like she's led the hunt herself . " The Moon Goddess smiles on us ," she declares , voice clear across the crowd . Murmurs rise in agreement , though thin . And then the gasps begin . Because I drag the stag into the circle . Its body is whole , antlers catching the light like silver branches . I let it drop with a heavy thud that echoes across the stone . " By the Moon ... " " No wolf has brought a stag in years ... " " It's perfect - untouched ... " Heat flushes my cheeks , but I hold my head high . Izel's smile cracks . She laughs too brightly . " Well . Some luck is always needed ." " Luck ? " I answer calmly . " Or blessing . The Moon Goddess deserves no less than the best . " Her eyes narrow . " Don't flatter yourself . " I ignore her . My gaze strays , caught by something small - something that almost undoes me . Finn . He stands half - hidden behind a guard , his hair tousled , his eyes locked on me . For one moment , he doesn't frown . His lips curve upward , tentatively , like a memory surfacing . My throat burns . I nearly sob right there . Brin's charm - the cloth with my scent - is working . My son is remembering . I drag my eyes away before I break . Kade takes his place on the throne , bearing that same grim look he has had since the envoy accused me of dealing with rogues . He takes in the pile of offerings . One by one , he 2/4 21:34 Wed , Oct 15 hapter 15 The Hant Display acknowledges them- " Well done . " " Strong kill , " " The Moon Goddess is pleased . His voice remains firm , his nods curt . And then me . I kneel and lower the stag at his feet . " Alpha . For the Moon Goddess . " He stares at it , at me , his jaw clenching visibly . Finally , he gives me a curt nod . Nothing else . No praise . No word . No pride . The silence spreads like wildfire , and every wolf watches . I lift my chin , a smirk tugging at my mouth . Fine . Let him give me nothing . Silence can be louder than applause . And right now , silence is respect . Izel sneers , clutching her rabbit tighter . I can almost taste the bitterness bleeding off her . Kade clears his throat , breaking the weight in the air . " The Moon Goddess is honored . The Hunt is concluded . Let the feast be served . " The pack cheers , but it's not as enthusiastic as usual , and begins to scatter toward the fires . I stay near the altar , catching my breath , when Brin and Tamsin hurry to my side . Brin smiles with his eyes . " The stag ... Luna Freya , you've no idea what this will mean to them ." Tamsin grins fiercely . " You just made half the pack question why Izel stands where she does . " I almost laugh , almost cry , but the moment doesn't last . Kade strides toward me . His hand clamps around my arm , hard enough to bruise . He yanks me aside , into the shadows of the cloister . " Alpha- " Brin starts , but Kade silences him with a glare . When it's just us , his voice drops into a growl . " Do you enjoy this ? Do you enjoy making a spectacle ? Humiliating her in front of them ? " 1 jerk my arm , but he tightens his grip . " I honored the Moon Goddess , " I hiss . " You stirred rebellion , " he snaps . " You think the whispers help you ? They make you dangerous . To me . You threaten my hold on this pack ." Nyx growls deep inside me . ' Do not cower . Let him know you're not weak . I meet his eyes without flinching . " Maybe that's what they need . Maybe they deserve someone they can respect . " His teeth grit together angrily . For the first time , he looks scared of the power I possess . Of the power I can still claim ... if only I reach out and try . As the High Luna . 3/4 21:34 Wed , Oct 15 The Alpha & Betrayal Price Of The Rejected