go to her nightly rendezvous with Arric. She was in the middle of preparing a calming herbal tea when a light knock on her door made her jump with surprise and nearly knock the kettle to the floor. Sienna took a deep breath and went to see who it was.
“You’re back,” she said when she saw that it was Esther at the door. “Come in, come in.”
Esther looked at her with what looked like a mixture of fear and hesitation. She fidgeted with a slim envelope in her hand and finally thrust it out without saying a word.
Sienna ripped the envelope open and looked at the computer printed words covering the page. Her mind skimmed quickly, ignoring most of the medical jargon, until she saw one word printed in bold green letters:
POSITIVE
“Is this completely accurate?” she asked.
Esther nodded her head. “It’s never been wrong since they started using the test. You’re got the alpha gene alright. First female in longer than I know when.”
“You can’t tell anyone about this.”
“ Are you kidding me? I’d be in just as much trouble as you if anyone found out. What are you going to do, Sienna? Why did you want to know about this?”
“ I wish I could tell you more, but stay alert for danger in the coming days. I’m doing everything in my power to minimize who gets hurt, but bad things are about to happen to our pack, and I had to know this about myself before going any further to protect us.”
“ I trust you,” said Esther. “Be careful, okay?”
“ You too,” she replied.
Esther left her alone then, and Sienna looked at the piece of paper, confirming that she had indeed tested positive for the alpha gene. It was rare enough in a male wolf, and only Kane’s first in command had tested positive for it since she’d been alive, but the fact that she was a female alpha was nearly unheard of.
Sienna dropped the envelope and the letter into the fire. The technical proof of her alpha status meant nothing if she didn’t challenge Kane for her right to become pack master. Now that she knew what her real potential was, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep before it was time to go out to meet with Arric.
C HAPTER SEVEN
It was clear that something was wrong the second Sienna emerged from the woods and saw Arric waiting for her in the clearing. He seemed agitated and restless, and was constantly glancing around him as if expecting someone to jump out at them any second.
“ What’s wrong?” she asked.
“ I can’t stay tonight, but I snuck out to warn you. My pack will be raiding yours within the next forty-eight hours. If you’re going to run, now is the time. I can try to find you when it’s all over but—”
“ Arric, wait,” she said, cutting him off. “I had myself tested. I’m alpha. In fact, I’m the first female alpha in as long as anyone can remember.”
“ Sienna, that’s amazing,” he pulled her into a fierce embrace. “I knew there was something special about you. I sensed it from the first time I looked into your eyes.”
“ You’re the only one who ever saw that in me,” she said, wondering if it was okay for an alpha wolf to cry in front of someone. “You’re the only one who ever believed in me.”
“ There’s no time for pity.” He held her out at arm’s length. “I have to go now, but will you promise me that you won’t do anything rash? When the fighting begins, you’ll need to convince as many wolves as possible to surrender instead of fighting. I’ll then do my best to convince my alpha to let them live.”
“ Wait a second.” She couldn’t believe she was hearing this. “What do you mean convince them? Even if some of us surrender, there’s a chance we might not live through it?”
“ Our packs have been at war for so long that I can’t promise anything. My alpha is strong-willed and has not been known to show mercy, but it’s my hope that if we both stand together and show him that your pack mates
“You’re back,” she said when she saw that it was Esther at the door. “Come in, come in.”
Esther looked at her with what looked like a mixture of fear and hesitation. She fidgeted with a slim envelope in her hand and finally thrust it out without saying a word.
Sienna ripped the envelope open and looked at the computer printed words covering the page. Her mind skimmed quickly, ignoring most of the medical jargon, until she saw one word printed in bold green letters:
POSITIVE
“Is this completely accurate?” she asked.
Esther nodded her head. “It’s never been wrong since they started using the test. You’re got the alpha gene alright. First female in longer than I know when.”
“You can’t tell anyone about this.”
“ Are you kidding me? I’d be in just as much trouble as you if anyone found out. What are you going to do, Sienna? Why did you want to know about this?”
“ I wish I could tell you more, but stay alert for danger in the coming days. I’m doing everything in my power to minimize who gets hurt, but bad things are about to happen to our pack, and I had to know this about myself before going any further to protect us.”
“ I trust you,” said Esther. “Be careful, okay?”
“ You too,” she replied.
Esther left her alone then, and Sienna looked at the piece of paper, confirming that she had indeed tested positive for the alpha gene. It was rare enough in a male wolf, and only Kane’s first in command had tested positive for it since she’d been alive, but the fact that she was a female alpha was nearly unheard of.
Sienna dropped the envelope and the letter into the fire. The technical proof of her alpha status meant nothing if she didn’t challenge Kane for her right to become pack master. Now that she knew what her real potential was, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep before it was time to go out to meet with Arric.
C HAPTER SEVEN
It was clear that something was wrong the second Sienna emerged from the woods and saw Arric waiting for her in the clearing. He seemed agitated and restless, and was constantly glancing around him as if expecting someone to jump out at them any second.
“ What’s wrong?” she asked.
“ I can’t stay tonight, but I snuck out to warn you. My pack will be raiding yours within the next forty-eight hours. If you’re going to run, now is the time. I can try to find you when it’s all over but—”
“ Arric, wait,” she said, cutting him off. “I had myself tested. I’m alpha. In fact, I’m the first female alpha in as long as anyone can remember.”
“ Sienna, that’s amazing,” he pulled her into a fierce embrace. “I knew there was something special about you. I sensed it from the first time I looked into your eyes.”
“ You’re the only one who ever saw that in me,” she said, wondering if it was okay for an alpha wolf to cry in front of someone. “You’re the only one who ever believed in me.”
“ There’s no time for pity.” He held her out at arm’s length. “I have to go now, but will you promise me that you won’t do anything rash? When the fighting begins, you’ll need to convince as many wolves as possible to surrender instead of fighting. I’ll then do my best to convince my alpha to let them live.”
“ Wait a second.” She couldn’t believe she was hearing this. “What do you mean convince them? Even if some of us surrender, there’s a chance we might not live through it?”
“ Our packs have been at war for so long that I can’t promise anything. My alpha is strong-willed and has not been known to show mercy, but it’s my hope that if we both stand together and show him that your pack mates
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