Blood Solstice: Part Three in the Tale of Lunarmorte by Samantha Young Page A

war, Caia.”
    “ I understand,” she replied softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t speak
to you about it first.”
    “ Uh hello!” Alexa called, taking a step closer to Reuben with
a flirtatious shake of her hips. “I think, daddy, you’re forgetting
one thing.”
    Morgan
raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her.
    “ I’m eighteen. I don’t need your permission.” She smiled up at
Reuben. “I’m still in.”
    “ You still live under my roof, so you will do as I
say.”
    “ No-”
    Sensing a
huge disagreement brewing Caia stepped forward. “Alexa, your father
is right. I don’t think you’ve thought this through. You will be
fighting to the death and fighting magiks. The closest you’ve
gotten to fighting is tussling with the pack.”
    She
whirled on Caia so fast she almost gave Reuben whiplash with her
long, thick hair. “I can’t believe you of all people are trying to
stop me.”
    Jaeden
growled from her position on the coffee table. “And what does that
mean?”
    “ Can’t she talk for herself?” Alexa cried, gesturing towards
Caia. “Jeez, you’ve got so many champions it’s a wonder you need to
fight at all. Speaking of which… you had no fighting experience when
you went in after Ethan. And you let Jae take those guards on
outside.”
    “ Jaeden hunted with me for months before that and has become a
proficient fight,” Reuben reminded them quietly. Jaeden began to
smile at him in thanks and then seemed to remember at the last
minute that she hated him.
    “ Arggh!” Alexa spun around and glowered at her father. “Daddy,
let me do this! I am fed up of being a useless pretty ornament… uh
one, btw, who didn’t even land the pack Alpha or Rogue
Hunter!”
    Wow, you
had to admire her honesty… she didn’t give a rat’s ass who knew how
shallow and ambitious she was.
    “ Oh dear goddess,” a soft female voice entered from the
hallway followed by its owner, Alexa’s mother, Natalia. Alexa was
the spitting image of her mother and they could easily pass for
sisters. The only difference being that Natalia wore her thick,
dark hair cut short, and whereas Alexa’s eyes were constantly
spitting fire, there was a gentleness to Natalia’s. At the moment
that gentleness was replaced with weary indignation. “Please don’t
tell me you want to go off on this suicide mission because you
think it’s the way to gain a mate?”
    Malek
snorted but Alexa merely shrugged, apparently not embarrassed that
this conversation was occurring in front of not only the Elders but
Reuben and Vanne. “It’s not just that! OK maybe I thought about it…
Caia and Jae have done pretty well for themselves and their not as
pretty as me so I have to conclude that it’s their willingness to
fight-”
    “ An admirable quality but one that I don’t want my daughter to
share.” Morgan sighed.
    “ But I do,” Alexa whined. “Daddy, I feel useless and stupid.
But Caia is giving us a chance to do something amazing… something
important! This is bigger than finding a mate… this will like
totally change everything.”
    For a
moment they were all stunned by her sincerity. And as Caia watched
her plead with her father she decided right there and then to start
acting like a leader. This was a decision she was taking away from
him. Alexa wanted to do this. She deserved the chance to show them
all what she could do.
    “ Then you’re in,” Caia said quietly and all eyes turned on
her.
    Alexa’s
were bright and for the first time she threw Caia a genuine smile.
“You really mean it?”
    “ I really mean it.”
    “ No!” Morgan yelled. “I swear to you, Caia-”
    Before
Reuben could make that next unmistakable move towards him, Caia
moved across the room with speed that surprised her as much as it
did them. She stood in front of Reuben facing Morgan down (well as
much as she could at her diminutive height).
    Pulling
on her best acting skills, Caia scowled at him, and used just a
little of her magik to force him back from