erse long before I foun

ughing outright, others refusing to meet my gaze at all. The celebration that

pect

they returned toward the

ut sym

hout

he center of the ancient stones, still dress

overhead, brigh

cki

ay how long I

ep through the thin ceremonial s

the truth to be

fec

ro

rth

wo

ma

ilvermere Pack the only

responded, they near

f the standing stones. Its surface was rough beneath

were the words that had defi

gh Unity. Unity

ced the inscrip

d the

the wolf, I h

hout str

place in t

f laugh, half sob-echoing shar

N

uldn'

ive them that

rd the manor, every step deliberate despite the way m

e main

n't face

the shadows beyond, moving like something insubstantia

the east wing, far from the

ce to study," the

under

ng their distance

hear it-fragments of conversati

something was

of good bl

ade the ri

r away before she emb

aking, her disappointment rol

llowed b

enough to lean cl

ot so special af

ceremonial grounds ha

ack retreating toward the manor witho

ath

I'd spoken until

n said, dismissive and sharp. "We'

cuss

heir is

shamed o

n worthy of bein

ched my room, my h

d leaned against it, finally al

ress clung to me

expensive fabric slide to th

r, I forced m

too bright, too human. Not t

r tumbled down m

y sign of the beast that s

enough by hu

ng w

thi

def

I would find out wh

over what was

would

T

who had laughed ton

should have f

Aurelia Veythorne

one last look at the room I'd grown

a w

t y

hing d

ngr

ted to se

in

I could find jeans, a sweat

e b

he esse

h here that was t

he door, it opened be

n stoo

er than I'd ever heard it. "That you're an ambitious coward w

ression

self very clear

idn't sound entirely convinced. "You understa

not st

he opened his mouth again.

pped p

bye, D

will y

ng back over my s

become what you

tr

the Forbidden Woods, leaving be

ight and laughter as the Silvermere

ly already for

oo

urelia Veythorne t

paths by instinct, trails I'd

ery shadow f

sound s

e Alpha's daughter

as p

something mo

ith nothing

when I

ld com

t recognize w

t swallowe

y life, I felt something

se e

eed