E


    My father’s and Margaret’s faces both reddened at the same time.


    “You didn’t tell me he was off eating when he should be socializing,” he whispered, turning toward my stepmother. Her mouth just worked uselessly. The damage had been done.


    My father took Margaret by the arm, muttering some excuse or another, and the two of them hurried away. I watched them go with a satisfied feeling curling in my chest.


    Socializing at events like this was paramount for people of our status; it was an opportunity towork, to get to know other Alphas and Lunas, and in the case of someone like my younger half-brother, who would one day inherit Stormhollow-it was a chance to him to build his name and maybe even meet his future Luna.


    But Margaret, believing Brian could do no wrong, had let him run around doing whatever he wanted. If she had any real authority over me, she would have forced me to talk to each and every socialite in attendance, remember every name, even prepare greeting cards. But Brian…


    “Liam,” Kristoff suddenly said, turning, “I didn’t expect to see you here today, either. Have you ever attended the Spring Market Celebration before?”


    Liam shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”


    Maria giggled. “That’s because your father is quite the workaholic. I assume he rubbed off on you in that regard.”


    A muscle in Liam’s jaw jumped at the mention of his father, but he nodded. “It’s true.” He gestured to me with a smile. “That’s why I have wonderful friends like E. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here at all.”


    “How did you two meet?” Maria asked.


    “In grade school,” Liam replied.


    “Aww,” Maria cooed, beaming. “Childhood friendships are precious indeed. You two should hold onto each other—always cherish your connection.”


    Alexander, prompted by something that felt an awful lot like jealousy, suddenly moved closer to me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his side. The gesture was all too simr to the way he’d acted at the banquet, and although I expected it this time, it still took my breath away.


    “Yes,” Alexander said, turning his gaze on Liam, “childhood friends. How sweet.”


    Liam’s eyes guttered, but only for a moment. The tension was swiftly diffused as another Alpha and Luna duo approached and beganmenting on Alexander’s and my rtionship. To everyone else, we seemed like the sweet, loving couple who could do no wrong.


    And Liam? Liam was just the childhood friend, the adorable third wheel in our rtionship.


    As the others were talking, I suddenly felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I flinched slightly, lifting my hand to run it across the nape of my neck, and turned slowly.


    That was when I saw her.


    Sophia.


    “Of course,” I muttered, nudging Liam.


    Liam followed my gaze and growled at the sight of her. “I take it Daddy Dearest let her out of her room.”


    “Yep. I knew sending her home wasn’t much of a punishment.”


    And the way she was looking at me now… That cold re, the way her upper lip curled faintly to reveal partially extended fangs…


    It left me unsettled.


    I sighed inwardly, wondering if I should go and talk to her. But just as I was about to, she turned away and swiftly disappeared into the crowd.


    Sparks flew into the air as a log popped from the pressure, red and golden flecks disappearing into the midnight blue night sky. Bodies twirled andughed around the fire, skirts ring and drinks sloshing.


    I stood off to the side, smiling softly as I watched the dancers. The cup of warm wine in my hands was sweet and just a little. bitter, the perfect treat to end a long and tiring day.


    Alexander was standing not far off, hardly looking at me as he talked to his Beta. He didn’t ask me to dance. Not that I expected him to.


    Maybe, if I made it out of this arrangement with my life intact, I would someday be one of the women dancing with a male around the bonfire. I was still young-only twenty-two. If I lived, I would have plenty of time for such things.


    And I would make time for them. I would live life to its fullest, every day, no matter what.


    As the music swelled, I moved closer to the bonfire, savoring its warmth against my cool skin. I swayed slightly to the sounds, shutting my eyes momentarily.


    It was nice. Lively but peaceful. The sort of night where I could be surrounded by life and love and happiness, even if it wasn’t my own.


    And then I heard it.


    A scream.


    “ROGUE!”


    Before I could react, the crowd surged. People screamed and ran, wine forgotten on the ground, bodies mming into one another. I was jostled so hard I nearly copsed, each wave of frightened people pushing me closer and closer to the fire.


    Somewhere through the throng, I saw a wolf leap from the treeline. A rogue, its fur matted and patchy, foamy saliva dripping from its jaws.


    As the crowd moved around me, I knew I had to act quickly.


    I caught my footing just before someone jostled me into the fire, the heat from the mes nearly singeing my face, and shoved my way back through the crowd. My heart stuttered as I saw the rogue stalking toward a little girl who was crying, standing frozen, her ice cream cone melting at her feet.


    “Hey!” I shouted, waving my arms. “Over here!”


    The rogue snapped its head toward me, its gaze locking onto me. It snarled and leapt in my direction.


    I widened my feet, lowering my stance, and waited.


    Sure, I didn’t have my wolf anymore. But I had been trained as a female warrior in Stormhollow long before I ever became


    the docile Luna my dad and stepmother wanted me to be. It was my first passion, the one thing I was good at.


    Training with the other warriors in my pack… it was my pastime. I used to train day in and day out, following them on their missions, learning how to not only fight as a wolf, but also in human form-hand-to-handbat was my favorite, although archery was a close second.


    That had all been taken from me when my father essentially sold me to Alexander. But the instincts still remained.


    Just as the rogue was about to m into me, I sidestepped, making it run straight into a nearby tree instead. While it was momentarily dazed, I grabbed a fistful of its fur and swung myself onto its back, wrestling it to the ground.


    The rogue writhed and snarled beneath me, bucking so hard it nearly sent me flying into the forest. But I held on tight, refusing to let go-I had to keep it distracted long enough for more help toe.


    As the rogue struggled underneath me, I scrabbled at my boot, fumbling around for the small knife I always kept on me. I slipped it out and jammed it with all my might into the wolf’s scruff over and over, piercing the leathery skin, grimacing as blood sttered my dress, face, and hair.


    Finally, the rogue let out a whimper and began to falter, even if only a little.


    Two wolves-one white, the other a deep chestnut-came running then. Liam and Alexander. When they saw me struggling, they pounced, pinning the rogue to the ground as I leapt out of the way.


    There was a crunch and a final howl, and then it was over.


    I gasped, stumbling backwards, as Alexander and Liam shifted back into their human forms and ran over to me.


    “E,” Liam gasped, reaching me first. He grabbed my shoulders and turned me this way and that, checking me for injury. “Why didn’t you use your wolf form? You could have gotten killed!”


    “I… I didn’t think,” I lied, breathless. Even now, in the heat of the moment, I knew I couldn’t tell him the truth about my wolf. “I just acted.”


    Before Liam could respond, we heard screaminging from the direction of the bonfire. Wanting to ensure no one had gotten hurt, I stumbled after Alexander, who was running that way.


    As we approached, there was a small crowd standing near the bonfire, forming a circle around a person in the middle.


    The circle parted to reveal who was standing within. Sophia. Her skirt had been burnt by the fire, still smoking, the fabric so badly destroyed that itpletely exposed her legs and part of her panties beneath.


    Alexander swiftly turned away, face reddening. Acting on instinct, I pulled off my shawl-which was covered in the rogue’s blood-and tossed it to her.


    Sophia’s face turned red, but she took it and wrapped it around herself before scurrying away.


    There was a long, tense silence. It seemed no one could figure out what to do, how to react to what had just happened.


    And then: “To Luna E!”


    Kristoff and Maria raised their wine, and soon, the entire crowd was toasting my name. I stared at them, not sure how to respond or even how to breathe.


    Suddenly, Alexander appeared at my side. He wrapped his arm around me, but there was something more tender about it this time, less possessive.


    When I looked up at him, his eyes were soft.


    “To Luna E,” he said quietly, pushing a cup of wine into my hand and clinking his own cup against it.