Pack of Wolves by Maggie Claire (read along books .TXT) 📕

Your bond with me changed everything, Iris, Siri elaborates through our minds’ links, keeping one eye on the crowds for our safety. Our Dadeni bonds break all previous naming binds, and even then, the “side effects,” as you call them, are vastly reduced. Our connection as Ddraig and Cadogan far supersedes any other mind link you’ve ever known. You belong to none but me. Her voice turns possessive, jealously proud of our mutual intimacy. It’s an unspoken loyalty that radiates through Siri’s tone, and despite how all-encompassing it is, I find her intense trust to be endearing. Reaching up to brush her snout, I wordlessly hope to convey that even though I may question our future, I am proud to belong to my Ddraig.

“Think it through carefully, child,” the elderly leader advises from her hiding place behind an overturned table, her voice quiet and feeble as she faces me. She intently assesses me and Siri, evaluating our body language, as she adds, “If you share your name, it cannot be undone.”

“Would it give you some courage if I told my true name first?” I question, hoping to put her at ease. Then, a more pressing worry occurs to me. “Will knowledge of my true name hurt those that are not bonded to a Ddraig, Siri?”

“I…I don’t know,” Siri replies, her brow scrunching up as she considers my question. “Perhaps you should whisper your name only to this woman, just in case.”

“Will that be okay?” I wait for a response before I move, afraid that if I take even one step closer, a war will begin right here. The woman nods hesitantly, and I slowly ease forward until I can touch her shoulder without having to stretch out my arm completely straight. “My true name is Iris.” The woman shudders as my name washes over her, the mental binds snapping to life in her mind. Until she is bound to a Ddraig, she will bear the weight of this connection.

“What if I’m not a warrior?” The woman stutters, her eyes lifting to the Ddraig before me. “What if your naming bond cannot be undone? What if it causes me to go mad?”

“That Ddraig up there is singling you out for a reason,” I reply smoothly, confident in my explanation. “I have no doubt that he will belong to you. But if he should be wrong, then you will travel with us until we find a way to break the mental bonds. It can be done; I’ve witnessed it.” I try not to sneer as I recall the moment when Antero revealed his true nature, breaking my mind, heart, and body as he attempted to kill me in the Pith caverns.

“Your name!” The teal Ddraig hovering overhead drops to the ground without permission, snaking closer to my side. Men of the minor houses race forward, pitch forks, swords, and spears aimed at the creature they view as an assailant. He advances no farther as the blades of the men press into the thick hide near his heart. “Tell me quickly! Please!” Desperation forces his eyes open wider, giving him a crazed expression. It’s as though the woman’s name is the only antidote to a poison running through his veins.

The woman stumbles forward, opening and closing her jaw a few times before she manages to whisper, “My name is Enomena.”

“And you are Anemone?” I face the Ddraig in question, certain that he has found his Cadogan by the way he roars in triumph. Turquoise flames circle Anemone’s body, forcing the men holding swords to back away in fear of getting burned.

Anemone races up to the terrified woman’s side, dropping his head to study her face as though he is memorizing its every curve. “You are my Cadogan. Will you bond with me as Iris has done with her Ddraig? It is abrupt to ask such a thing of you when you’ve only just met me, but it is necessary we move quickly. Will you?”

Enomena turns an uncertain eye to me, chewing her lip with her indecision. “I…I’m not sure.”

“I can’t answer for you,” I reply, hoping to be as truthful with the woman as I can. “Nor can I guarantee you that joining us will keep you safe. However, I can attest to this: if I had chosen to turn my back on my Ddraig, I would have regretted it for the rest of my days.” As I hear the words, I feel their truth burning in my blood. Despite my indecision, I would not trade my time with Siri for anything. “The Ddraigs will challenge you, probably scare you, and cause you to do things that you once believed impossible. There is danger and the chance of a violent death. But there is also an adventure that you’ll find nowhere else in Cassé.”

“You belong with me,” Anemone cries possessively, curling his body in a loose circle around the woman. “Will you bond with me?”

Enomena runs a tentative hand out to touch Anemone’s nose. Her eyes widen as he nuzzles her gently, his scales shifting to a soft, iridescent green in the light. Slowly she loses the terror in her eyes, a sparkling hope for adventure replacing her worry. “Y…yes, I will follow you.”

“Remove your mask, and I will claim you,” Anemone growls, and I can already hear the love and devotion in his voice.

Remove her mask? I snort, staring hard at Siri. You practically burned my mask off my face when you could have just asked nicely?! Why?

You are tougher, Siri replies with a mischievous wink. You could handle the heat.

In that moment, I don’t know whether to laugh or strangle my Ddraig, and I have the distinct suspicion that this juxtaposition of love and irritation will be a constant marker in our relationship. Before I can respond to Siri’s quip, the Dadeni rituals are completed. Enomena stares at me in stunned silence before she turns to the