Now I understood.
This was what he trained me for. Every sparring session, every run through the woods, throwing knives, pinning Ellie to the ground until she’d submit, it was all to prepare me for this.
“We’ve stripped your beds and rubbed your scent around your pack’s territory. You’ll have to use your nose to scent out the other packs’ borders. At the center of each territory is a flag, in plain sight—and ripe for the taking,” she bellowed.
I jumped on the balls of my feet to dispel the nervous energy I was feeling.
“If at any time you fear for your life, shoot your colored flare gun into the air. If you do this, you’ll forfeit and be out of the game.” She paused, and I leaned forward in anticipation of her next words. “If you forfeit, you’ll be expelled from the school as well. Banished. Never allowed to become the alpha of your clan.”
Uh … what?
A guard walked up with a green flare, and I glanced sideways to see what the others were doing.
Just as I thought.
One by one, they declined to take the flare gun.
Well, there was no way I was going home, forfeiting my place in my pack.
“No thanks,” I muttered, and the guard nodded.
“A strong bunch this year!” the king yelled from the stage.
The crowd roared in approval.
Not one student took the flare. We were all in this to win. No matter what.
The headmistress chuckled nervously. “Okay, we have a network of night-vision cameras and spotlights throughout the entire game field. Your judges—” she pointed toward the king and five high mages on stage “—will be rating your magical ability the entire time. The game only ends when all four flags have been torn from their trees.”
Lights flickered, and then the forest appeared on the white cloth behind the stage. It was a projector screen.
Oh, Mother Mage, please don’t let me do anything stupid on live TV.
Dozens of little squares appeared, each one broadcasting a different patch of trees, and the four corners of the screen showed flags.
“You have sixty seconds to plan your strategy with your teammates. When the horn blows, the games begin, and I suggest you run to find your territory.”
My stomach dropped as I turned to face Nolan. “Okay, here’s what I think we should—”
“You think you’re in charge?” Fury glittered in his eyes. “I don’t answer to you.”
“What’s your deal, Nolan? We’re supposed to be a team.” When he said nothing, only sneered, I pressed on: “I know you and your mom have always hated me and my dad. But are you going to let jealousy screw up this game? Lose because of it?”
If he wanted to spend our sixty seconds together fighting, then so be it.
He shrugged. “I don’t like people who are born into privilege. Status needs to be earned.”
I laughed. As if his mother had ever challenged my father and won. “It was earned.”
He nodded. “And tonight it will be again.”
I glared at him, incensed at his stupidity, but before I could reply, I overheard Daybreak Clan next to us talking loudly.
“Let’s take out the green flag first. There are only two of Crescent. They’re weak.”
Looking at Nolan, I raised my eyebrows. “We should both defend the flag first, let the teams come, and when they see we are united, they’ll go for other flags, and then we can separate and go on the offense.”
He laughed. “You do whatever you want. I’m going for Midnight’s flag.”
“Nolan!” I shouted. This idiot was going to screw this up for the both of us. How did he even make it through last year on his own? The only thing I could think of was that he was the only air element in the school. So he had an advantage with that.
Before I could say any more, Rage walked right up to me, stealing the breath from my lungs, and Nolan walked away.
“Nai, I need to talk to you.” His voice was rough, and his eyes reflected remorse, but I shook my head. I couldn’t do this right now.
“Go plan with your brothers.” He had sixty seconds to plan with his brothers, and he was going to waste them on me? My voice held barely-contained fury as I met his gaze. “I’m not doing this right now.”
The horn sounded, and before he could say anything, I took off after Nolan, running away from Rage, away from my mate problems, away from the marks.
Guilt twisted my stomach, and I glanced over my shoulder. I’d expected to see him tearing after me, but instead, he stood where I’d left him, head hanging low.
Pushing it from my mind, I hit the thick tree line. The second I dipped into the woods, Rage’s scent washed over me. Less strong, I picked up the smell of other males: Honor, Noble, Justice. I noticed little strips of their bedsheets tied to trees. We were in Midnight territory.
A black Midnight wolf blasted past us, probably to make it to the center of the territory and protect their flag.
I couldn’t tell them apart, except it wasn’t Rage.
I veered right, and Nolan went left. Running to the edge of Midnight territory, I inhaled as I scented new fragrances.
Harvest.
Fiona’s scent washed over me, and then Nell, Rue, and finally Kaja, the forest permeated with my bestie’s vanilla and sage scent.
I pumped my legs hard, desperate to find our flag. I curved to the left, assuming the four territories were set up in a circle. My heart thundered against my ribs as I plowed through the woods. Relief washed over me as my own scent filtered past.
Crescent.
But I wasn’t alone. Footsteps pounded behind me. I considered shifting, but it could take too long, and my elemental powers were more reliable, at least for me. And wasn’t that the point of the game anyway? To show our elemental powers?
Where is that flag?!
I ran deeper into our territory, picking up both Nolan’s and my scents. Twigs snapped behind me, but I didn’t take the time to look. As much as I wanted it to be Nolan, I doubted it, especially considering his declaration to go on the offense and get other flags first. I wasn’t going to stop until I found our flag.
My goal was to defend our flag the entire time, alone if necessary, just as I would defend my pack. I’d never leave my territory in a war, never abandon my people. Never be like the slimy alpha king.
The second I spied the lime green cloth whipping in the cold night air, I squealed in triumph. I crossed the last ten yards and, planting my feet at the base of the tree, spun to face my oncoming attacker.
Mallory.
Of course.
Heat rolled down my arms, but I pushed away my fire power. Mallory was a fire elemental too, so I’d fight her with water.
As the semester had progressed, I’d discovered my two forms of magic were like a tangled mass of yarn filling me. I needed to only tease what I needed from the bulk of energy. The power of cool water trickled down my arms like spring rain, and I grinned when Mallory launched a fireball.
The orange sphere sailed through the air in a clean arc, and I shot a stream of water to meet it.
The flame extinguished with a hiss of steam.
“Going to have to do better than that,” I growled.
A twig snapped behind me, and my heart plummeted.
Mallory was the distraction.
Her brother and elder sister leapt out from the woods behind me and started climbing the tree, heading right for my flag.