“Is this dangerous?” Rem asked as they waded through more shifters. She missed the height of her horse already. “I thought being a Silver meant they wouldn’t stare at me like this?” It’s not that Rem demanded that behavior, but she could tell that she was marked as an outsider here.
“Apparently, not here,” Nia said, the concern in her voice not missed by Rem. “Weshouldbe okay, though. There’s Warden wolves following us. You just can’t see them.”
They pushed forward, making their way to what looked like an immense space of manicured grass with trees, a stream, and tents. The sound of gentle music in the air begged for Rem to find the source, especially once she heard singing; the rest was easily forgotten when the enchanting melody stole her focus.
Ethereal singing became clearer as they continued forward, crooning a song in words foreign to Rem. Beautiful, long notes carried in the air to the sound of lightly beating drums, and other instruments she had never heard before but were smooth and deep.
"That music..." she said, spotting the source in the distance at the village green, surrounded by towering trees. The performers moved slowly with their music, adorning animal skulls over their faces, deer antlers sewn into their hair. A giant tree shrouded them from the sun.
The singer’s voice raised in pitch as she shook her head slowly, as if lamenting, others joining in to sing alongside her, wooden instruments matching her tone.
"I want to get closer," Rem eagerly said, enthralled by something so removed from everything.
That music soothed her in a way she didn’t know she needed.
Nia allowed her to watch for a time as Rem just stood there and listened. How did humans never create something like this? It wasbeautiful, goosebumps rising on her skin with each new note.
In a way, it was perhaps the first time that Rem felt like she might have been born to be with these creatures.Well, I was, with my silver hair. Although, this was different. This music filled a part of her that she didn’t realize had been empty.
When a male took over to sing, Nia tugged at Rem's arm. "We should go. There will be plenty more performances like this to watch."
Rem reluctantly walked away, her ears constantly in tune with the melody. "You know, we never had music like that back home."
"Do you not have Spirit Songs?”
"No, we don’t have this. We have guitars and sing, but not like this. I like your music better."
Nia beamed. "Maybe Freya is right. Maybe you'll enjoy us more than you think."
Rem sighed and didn’t protest. What if that was true? In more ways than just music? She never expected to battle this when she saw Deacon in her home nearly a month ago.
They walked toward tables and tents that had been set up in the green space, counting ten distinct sitting areas in total. Rem’s heart fluttered when she recognized Ronan for his loose tunic, once again tucked into the thick belt around his waist. It hung off of his shoulders in just the right way, his dark hair also a dead giveaway. He sat at a large table with a tall, lavish red tent overhead.
Her excitement dropped to the bottom of her stomach once she took the scene in.
There were at least five females fawning over him. Rem didn't recognize any of them. Something ugly and distasteful caught fire in Rem’s gut, feelings of betrayal and jealousy overwhelming her.
She also felt like an idiot, as it finally hit her that she'd have to vie for theAlphaof Warden. How could she compete withthat? How much opportunity had she wasted? Should she have visited him late last night after her bath? Should she ask for him to join her?
Should she go over now and claim what she wanted?
Hehadtold her to be bold.
"Who are those females?" Rem asked with defeat as they sat at the furthest table away from the Alpha, the tent overhead shielding them from the sun.
“Where? Oh—with Ronan? I don’t know. I don’t recognize them,” Nia said, undisturbed by them.
"Does he do that often?" Rem asked.
"He's always like that, but he won’t engage in anything with them in public. Which is ironic because it just makes the females act evenmoreridiculous. But he really doesn't engage in public displays of affection. Not even with Jemma.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah. He likes to keep it to a minimum, to ensure his reign is more abouthimand not his private relations. He hates rumors."
Rem huffed. “So, I have to sit here and watch that? And why the emphasis onpublicdisplay?”
"He, uh, is known for his relations in his ownprivatebathhouse." Nia raised her brows knowingly with a grin, then frowned. “Oh, don’t look sad, Rem… Look, don't mat your fur over it; he can't engage in it. He needs to be celibate until he chooses a mate. The Elders say it keeps the body pure to ensure that the Alpha chooses his mate based on the goddess's guide and pure chemistry.”
