As soon as Ashelin's bare feet touched the smooth wood of the dock, it was as if an electric storm zapped through her body. She was acutely aware of each hair, each nerve ending, the tickle of the breeze through her sheer white robe and the snug embrace of the silk ropes wound artfully around her arms beneath the garment. Her long crimson tresses hung down her back, the waves unruly from swishing back and forth beneath the robe.

But she'd opted to be completely natural on this day. No clothes, no makeup, no careful hair styling. Just her bound body beneath her ceremonial robe, nothing to mask or taint the scent of her.

She took a step, a step away from the boat, away from her old life. The moment she'd prepared for was now closer than it had ever been—the point of no return.

And her veins thrummed with it.

It was as if her wolf knew this was the place she was supposed to be. And it wasn't just about the undercover espionage mission, either. There was the other thing, the other layer of excitement and anticipation that licked her spine as she took another step.

The thin robe she wore was nothing more than wispy fabric, ghosting over her bare skin beneath, and she closed her eyes as she continued to walk, enjoying the sensation.

Freedom.

Despite the chains she was about to don, despite the ropes currently encircling her upper body, she felt more free than she ever had in her life. The danger ahead set her blood aflame, and it was all hers. She'd spent her life serving alphas, facing danger to protect them, but now it was only her, all by herself.

She was free to enjoy the experience without having to worry about protecting anyone else.

Two sentinels stood a metre apart at the mouth of the dock, their stances identical as if standing at attention. They wore all black, and while the outfits weren't army fatigues, to Ashelin they looked like soldiers. Especially considering the rifles across their backs and the knife and sidearm at their belts.

She stopped an arm's length away from them as a man got out of a white SUV on the parking lot side.

He wasn't dressed like a soldier. He was dressed like a tourist.

"Heyo," he drawled, dragging out the word as he slid his oversized sunglasses onto the top of his head. "Look at you in your ceremonial robes, all trussed up."

He had a swagger to him, but he didn't carry himself like an alpha. He was nothing but a chauffeur, it seemed. The breeze rippled his floral-print shirt as he moved closer, raking his eyes over her easily visible nakedness beneath the thin fabric.

Ashelin's breath caught in her throat as he raised a hand, palm hovering over her breast, quivering as if he were fighting the urge to touch.

"It ain't fair that you get to look like that," he murmured, and then dropped his hand. The unspoken rest of the sentence that she could almost smell on his breath was and I'm not allowed to touch you.

Part of her had been hoping he'd done it, just to see how the sentinels would react. An offering for the alpha was not to be touched by any other wolf once they arrived on the pack's grounds. This ensured that the offering was coming without coercion from the pack, offering herself to be collared by the alpha himself.

This particular man seemed to be having difficulty with the rules, but would the guards defend their alpha, and in turn, her? Or would they have looked the other way?

Despite the drama it could have caused, it would have been useful information to know.

"Well, let's get rollin'," Flower Shirt said, and turned, waving for her to follow.

Ashelin glanced between the guards, and when they didn't move, she realized they were likely going to flank her, creating a protective V.

"You're the first to come by boat." Her guide opened the back passenger door and stepped away, motioning her in with a flourish.

She made sure to lean forward, adjusting her balance to hop up into the car without her arms free. She slid across the seat to allow him to jump in next to her, the guards taking the front seats.

"You're a quiet one, huh? I'm likin' you more and more."

And I'm disliking you more and more, Ashelin thought bitterly, but instead of saying so, she adjusted her position so that she wasn't leaning back against her bonds. "How far inland are we going?" she asked, voice a touch hoarse.

"This is Bermuda, there ain't no inland," he drawled. "You're goin' to Horseshoe Bay, and that's all you need to know."

Ashelin had figured that the ritual events would be away from the main pack, but if she played her cards right, she'd be sightseeing soon enough. "Beachfront property is cheap in the apocalypse," she murmured.

Flower Shirt let out a deep guffaw. "Sure is, sure is. And y'all get the best hotel on the beach. Boss' gotta keep his harem comfy cozy."

She bristled a little, but jammed her tongue into her cheek to avoid snapping at him. This man wasn't in any position of power, that much was clear, however he was trusted enough by the alpha to fetch one of his Offerings and deliver her safely, so she figured it would be safer not to make waves.

She stared out the window, taking in every building of note that she could. The area was like a ghost town, which made sense considering what he'd said about everyone using planes. If they didn't bother with the boats, then there was no point in populating the marina. She wondered how many people had lived here, come in and out of here, before humanity was wiped from the planet.

Or, as her pack had recently discovered, mostly wiped from the planet.

Horseshoe Bay had a little more activity than the old naval dockyard, with more of the black-clad guard wolves standing sentinel along the beach. Behind them, spectators had gathered, some on towels and folding chairs under umbrellas as if it were just a normal day of vacation.

As the SUV turned into a parking space, Ashelin squinted to try to get a good look at the other Offerings. They stood in the sand, facing the ocean, far enough from each other and from the sentinels that they would have to shout to each other to be heard, even with heightened wolf hearing.

Before she could count how many women there were, or ask how many more were coming, Flower Shirt was already out of the vehicle. The driver opened her door and stood back to allow her the space to slip out.

Ashelin emerged as gracefully as she could, the asphalt scorching her bare feet. She relished in the burn, the reminder that she was alive, that she was finally here, in this moment.

The men resumed their triangle of protection, and she moved with them, down a sand trail winding through a grassy slope leading down to the bay. Flower Shirt led her to her place, and she discreetly glanced back and forth at the women to either side of her. From what she could see of the silhouettes, only one other offering donned robes, but she couldn't tell if they were legitimate or newly made. She'd been hoping her dedication to tradition would endear her to the alpha, and her odds looked good considering all of the offerings wearing street clothes.

"Have fun, sailor girl," Flower Shirt said as she took her place.

"Ashelin," she replied.

"Don't matter to me what your name is unless you win." He licked his lips and lowered his voice. "Though between you and me, I'm hopin' you fail hard and quick."

She jutted out her chin, raising it. "You'll regret those words, one day." The threat left her lips before she could stop it, but there was no taking them back, now.

"We'll see." He rubbed his chin and sauntered away, snapping his fingers at the two sentinels.

"For your sake, I hope you stay in as long as possible," one of them breathed, so softly she only caught the quiet words on the breeze.

Ashelin straightened her shoulders. You don't know who I am, she thought. Whoever Flower Shirt was, he was no threat to her. But for the time being, she'd let him think he was. Especially until she found out what his place was in this pack.

She flexed her fingers a few times, and wiggled her toes in the sand. The skilful knots kept her limbs from losing circulation. She'd been bound enough times that she knew she could stay this way for days without being sore.

Which was a good thing, because there was no way to tell how long they were going to be standing here. This part of the ritual could last an hour, or it could last a week. The Offerings would stand in their spot, no food or water, awaiting the alpha.

Showing their dedication. Their devotion.

She closed her eyes, the sheer fabric fluttering across her naked skin, and took in a deep, long breath through her nose. She held it for a beat and then let it pass through her slightly open mouth, healing, relaxing, falling.

That feeling of awareness returned, that electricity across her nerve endings like she'd felt when she was on the dock. Her feet planted in the sand as if rooting her there, the silken ropes wound expertly around her torso and arms like a warm blanket of security and safety, but also freedom and danger, holding her on a precipice of comfort and excitement all at the same time.

The swish, swish of the ocean waves caressed her senses as a conduit for her relaxation, that delicious subspace where she was most herself, most at peace. She paid no attention to the wolves around her, her opponents, the guards, the spectators, none of them mattered.

All that mattered was that she held herself, and as she tentatively nursed the broken bond from her old pack, she realized that it wasn't raw and jagged anymore. Leaving had been difficult, though admittedly more difficult for those she left behind, but it was a necessity for the future of the world, the future of this empty apocalyptic world that belonged to the wolves now.

She would miss her pack. She knew she was doing something important. But Ashelin couldn't lie to herself. The main reason she'd volunteered had been less about the mission and more about the opportunity.

The opportunity for a fulfilment she'd never been able to quite reach.

Nolan Frosaker, Alpha of the Valknut Pack, descended from Vikings and reputed to be one of the most ruthless and brutal wolves in the world...he was that opportunity.

And she couldn't wait to meet him.

What do you think so far? Are you excited to meet Nolan too?