Elements Unbound by Lorie O'Clare Read Free Book Online Page B

few pack members already lingered in the dark rocky area. Old ruins reached for the inky black sky, as if pointing toward a place free of all the worries and stress that surrounded each one of them. Their strong, age-old strength seemed to soothe her, and she focused on the old formation, before glancing again in the direction of her parents.
    Surprisingly, her sire didn’t approach her. Instead, he exchanged a few words with Giovanni. Her mother stood quietly behind her mate, and glanced toward Renee. She wore her black hair piled high on her head as she always did. In simple jeans and a sweatshirt, her mother had never been a bitch who stood out. She was quiet, reserved, the perfect mate. And the kind of mate her sire hoped his daughter would be. Renee smiled at her mother, and the smile was returned. Warm and reassuring, the softly spoken bitch who’d raised her offered her silent support. That warmth filled Renee. She had her Mom’s blessing. Her sire’s would come in time, even faster once Bruno was pack leader. She loved the werewolf who’d raised her but knew he viewed the strength of a werewolf on what he had to offer. That would never change in him.
    Cars pulled in, parking at different angles. Pack members moved around her. Renee heard the whispers.
    They tickled her ears and put butterflies in her stomach. As she’d guessed, the pack grapevine was as strong as ever. Right along with the buzz of the challenge, word was out that they’d have a new queen bitch within the hour.
    Apparently everyone had confidence in Bruno winning.
    Large rocks stuck up from the ground. Cubs began climbing them, fighting among themselves.
    Renee ignored them, glancing over to where Bruno stood with werewolves surrounding them. Already he had his shirt off, the glowing moonlight accentuating the rippled hardness of his chest. The file://C:\Documents and Settings\Chrissy\My Documents\My Ebooks\ElementsUnbound\El...
    5/4/2006
    Elements Unbound
    Page 29 of 44
    werewolves growled and laughed, taking potshots at each other, and wrestling to the ground.
    Energy sparked in the air. Adrenaline, excitement and waves of testosterone charged the area around them. It made her skin prickle.
    Blood would be drawn. A life would be lost. It was the way of their world. They were as violent as they were compassionate. Traditions laid out for them centuries before would be honored tonight. Renee clasped her hands behind her back, lowering her head while quietly wishing the best for the souls that would leave this Earth, and for the souls who would lead the pack. The wind blew around her, lifting her hair off her back. For a moment the earth trembled under her feet, not strong, and it was over so quickly she might have believed it never happened. But she knew—understood. The elements were on her side—there for her—for them. For her and Bruno.
    Without notice, their pack leader bounded through the crowd. He charged into Bruno, screaming obscenities that were garbled due to his half-changed body.
    Renee almost jumped out of her skin. She opened her eyes, lifting her head barely in time to see the older werewolf lunge at Bruno. “Shit. Isn’t he supposed to wait until it starts?” she asked no one in particular.
    “Pack leader says when it starts.” One of the older woman who’d washed her scrapes and pulled her out of trees more than once as a cub, put her hand on Renee’s shoulder and pulled her back toward the rocks.
    Renee’s stomach jumped into her throat. Not fair! What if Bruno wasn’t ready? She’d never thought of her pack leader as a cheat. He was an old man, but he hadn’t ever treated anyone unfairly.
    Yet now he bulldozed into Bruno, knocking him off his feet. Howls tore through the night while werewolves scattered and the two of them rolled over the uneven ground.
    Renee sat down on cold stone, barely noticing it chill her ass through her thin dress. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs, and