The next morning.
Jenna was given a tent. She had said the last night that she had flown from a place very far from the encampment.
This morning seemed less chilly than the usual winter ones. Or maybe it was the tension that was heating Helena up from the inside.
Elliot was at the clinic recovering from the previous day's wounds. Helena and Priya narrated the story which had been originally told by Jenna.
Elliot couldn't believe the words the two were uttering. "I've known Jenna my whole childhood. But I wasn't aware that Kyle was the one who bit her. That she was a tribrid!"
Helena and Priya did have more questions for Jenna. Sure, she was the Phoenix but how did Kyle become the first vampire, then Elliot the second one?
They were about to ask Elliot but the nurse walked in and dismissed them.
**
Priya consulted her own maternal aunt on how a human witch can become a werewolf. Her aunt gave her an ancient tome to read and within the day, Priya found out how to change into one.
She remembered she had Helena's blood from the ritual that had awakened Kyle. The blood of a hybrid was rare. So, Priya chanted in an unknown language and drank the small vial containing the blood.
She felt excruciating pain rip through her body like molten silver flooding her veins. Her bones cracked and reshaped themselves beneath her skin, forcing her to collapse onto the cold stone floor. Her fingernails split as claws erupted from the beds, and her jaw dislocated with an audible pop. When the transformation reached her vocal cords, what started as a human scream twisted into a primal roar that shattered the silence of the room, announcing to the world that her inner wolf had finally broken free.
**
Later that night.
Ray was told Jenna's story by Helena. Both of them were in a tent belonging to the Moonwalker pack.
"That's just great." Ray sighed. "Jenna is a good person after all. But now she must choose between Stephen and Damien."
"Wrong." Helena corrected him. "Damien must choose between Nina and her. And Stephen…"
She didn't know how to continue that sentence.
**
The inside of Marcus's tent glowed with the warm amber light of a dozen scattered candles, their flames dancing shadows across the canvas walls. On the enormous four-poster bed draped with crimson silk sheets, two silhouetted figures moved together in a primal rhythm, their breathing growing heavier with each passing moment.
"Are you sure you can take it?" Marcus asked.
The brown-skinned girl replied. "Shove it deep inside my ass, baby."
Marcus didn't hesitate. His powerful hands gripped her hips with possessive urgency, fingers pressing into her soft flesh as he claimed her completely, their bodies joining in the most intimate way. Priya's gasp caught in her throat as pleasure and pain blurred into a single overwhelming sensation that left her trembling beneath him.
**
"I will never let you go." Damien told Nina.
They laid side by side in their bed, chests still heaving, skin glistening with sweat that caught the amber glow of the lantern hanging from the center pole of their tent. The furs beneath them were tangled and damp, bearing witness to their passion.
Outside, the distant howls of the Moonwalker pack echoed through the forest, but inside, the only sounds were their gradually slowing breaths and the occasional snap of the dying embers in the small iron stove that kept the winter chill at bay.
"Promise me." Nina said.
Damien gave her a hot kiss on the lips. "I swear on my life."
All of a sudden, the warning bell rang throughout the camp. Usually, it was to warn of an attack but rarely, it was also about an important announcement.
Damien and Nina walked outside hand in hand both wearing matching robes. The night was chilly but they were warm due to having had sex.
Helena and Ray also exited their tent. Soon, all the occupants of the camp had gathered near Marcus and Priya, who were unusually holding hands.
"I present to you all, my future wife, Priya!" Marcus announced. "And she is to be your Queen."
Ray scoffed then whispered to Helena, "Priya could only be the queen of taking it up the ass."
Marcus heard that line due to his supernatural hearing ability.
Ray was about to crap his pants when Marcus started laughing.
"Ah, you jest." Marcus laughed then pointed at Ray. "He just made a funny joke, everybody!"
Most of the pack members also laughed but some were clearly taken aback by Marcus's announcement and enthusiasm.
Stephen appeared behind Helena kissing her on the head.
"Well, we all know what he's going to say next."
"Tonight we feast!" Marcus announced and the bell rang again even more loudly.