sie

turned to ash, but the fire in my

lower abdomen. There was a life there.

cely protective, offering a low, vibratin

in

nd-Link* vibrat

mpletely. But a dark, masochistic curiosity took hold. I wante

el, but I kept my

ig's voice filtered into my mind, clear and careless. He wa

ale voice. Chanel. Her tone was

ll. "She's a Beta. They always need security. Besides, she'

using drama when I take the Luna title. Are

the spine. That's why you're the Luna, an

followed made bile rise in

shut, severing the link wi

the concret

sp

a pathetic little follower who would sta

into the silence, the w

gone, replaced by a clarity

And I couldn't let the

sticking to the blind spots I knew better than anyone. I headed for t

orest floor. Elder Martha was an outcast, tolerated by the Co

ocked. Her milky, sightless eye

d, her voice like dry le

into the gloom. "I need to hide it. A

ut smelled of dried sage, b

stone bowl with rhythmic precision. "It is forbidden by

m leaving. If he senses the pup... if

u," Martha finis

aste that tingled against my flesh. She chanted in

in

u there? I think the link cut out. Just checking in.

checking on his emp

" I tol

the back of my neck, right over the

ing the nerves out of my spine one by one. I bit down on a leather st

commanded, impatience

t it burn away the love. I

ected back. My mental voice was icy, de

center of my chest. The constant, nagging pull toward Cra

sping for air, sweat

h a rough cloth. "The child's scent is hidden. Your

you," I

eft-a gold watch my father had given me. She

ck lands felt different now. They didn't feel lik

My personal laptop,

igns. My strategies. The irrefutable p

I sa

ad access because I was the one who had

ed *C. Murph

ened

logs. Encrypted messages between Ch

clueless. Craig is ea

n begin the extraction. The White Wolf

carrier. And when I do,

, freezing the ma

odline of the Moon Goddess. I

g for it. And she was

a secure drive, my ha

a cheating ex. I was