ed of m

gently in a breeze I couldn't feel. The sky above her was neither dark nor bright. It shimmered

actly as I re

tiful eyes carried the same warmth I had spent six years

the

ile wi

rave

et wouldn't move. It was as though s

ed you," I

, sweet

thered i

anything about our family? Why did you let m

sion becam

ous, Luna. I wanted you to ha

ok my

t under

the silver flowers benea

our father's words when he called you defective. You believed the people who

red a

t tr

ted her hand t

dest Alphas fear. Your wolf has been waiting

t began

g about? I'm just an omega.

es sof

lways could. Your wolf was

en by

swer, the moon abov

to wither, and a cold win

ooked over

're c

ho

ttention to me, su

e to take your silver blood. Never l

y stomac

t ri

hed for

uture, but he doesn't. Remember that, my

e tell me what

finally to

mth travelled

something that made

never trust the dark

ound t

s face beg

amed. "Don't l

miled

a. More than you

verything

with

beating so violently that I could hear it in my ears

ins, the enormous bed, and the

ood Fo

still

e silver wedding ring on my finger. The metal was glowi

up s

continued echoin

never weak.

d at my

med during training, I remained behind, struggling to connect with the creature inside me. My father had event

ent because I had no rea

f he had b

had been hidin

the centre of the room. My feet touche

who you really a

lf st

you

sed m

hteen years. I

, searching for the familiar presence t

there wa

I fel

low growl that seemed to come f

he

clearer than i

art l

trying to

kn

n't you

s a brie

were never

she meant, warmth began

gers t

essure built beneath my skin. I stumbled

he pai

ything I had exp

My muscles tightened, my spine arched, and

pping the marble

t it, my w

can

n. Tru

n inten

ry bone shifting into a new position. I strugg

y, everythin

eyes, I was lyi

ned. My body felt different, lighter and stronger,

ted m

ere no lon

overed in thick,

fr

and stumbled toward the enormous

not the weak omega I had sp

as a

cross a stormy sky. Her body was lean but powerful, her shoulders strong, and her leg

y reflection

n't she? my w

allo

e're actua

urse

irror, studying the sil

this po

a low, sati

were neve

red my

oes th

didn't

ody. It was as though something enormous had awakened s

the silver markings

ard a dis

ewhere beyond th

ediately be

fel

h

spond, the glowing

rmation beg

moments, I was human. I collapsed

l minutes, trying to unders

uld

inally

here was a reason nobody had

and wrapped it around myself b

e silver necklace res

my mother's mysterious past had somethi

rived far

y time I closed my eyes, I remembered the powerfu

derstand what had happen

ntered witho

t u

g the blanket ar

rning to

dle of black clo

ourtyard. T

at the

ain

whether you're capable

ed an

ed to learn how to beha

e me a d

hat keeping you alive is more import

gener

lded h

Luna. He's alr

enly remembering the previ

anced toward

my mind, but I could still feel her presence

l them? I as

t

h

now who we

ked a

g impatiently

follow my w

ng the night, I wasn't rea

ard was already cro

hers worked in pairs, testing their strength and spee

tered, the conv

he Alpha'

he can't e

s she

ored

wo senior warriors. He wore a fitted black training shirt

nd me almost

e bond

me, and for one strange moment, I

ios

t disa

late,"

toward

k the sun agr

ession h

ways have

ne asks an unrea

ghed be

the two warrior

ate whether you deserve

sed my

ing your wife

xactly why you need

row

akes no

ing questioned. My warriors need to know that you'

udie

you intend

rd the far end o

vy iron cage into the cent

was a la

an unnatural red. It threw itself against the bar

hain was attache

red a

is t

rog

ure snarl

ers near our northern border

ked a

s this have t

d toward

ht h

mach d

re jo

k like I'

t the enor

y pack wolf, and the madness in its eyes mad

me to fi

e what you're

what w

inst

round the

lready smiling, clearly

tepped

you're

his

d you're too foolish to recognize the differ

ors exchang

ssion became

me the di

led to th

e door

xploded out

toward me. I threw myself sideways, hitting the ground har

owd er

t u

s fin

myself on

me, its lips pulling bac

lf gr

its sh

d on the

ck. Its left shoulder dropped whenever it p

f charg

moved before

um to carry it past. Then I struck t

a sharp vibratio

gered but reco

and snapped a

ed bac

ents fel

I could hear the warriors breathing around the courtyard, smell the du

wolf was moving my body bef

me, sh

e attack

thick fur around its shoulder, and us

d onto th

avelled throug

ckward, brea

time, the ro

eyes stu

my scent seeme

ed its head a

row

re you

took a slow s

ong with him, m

silver chain a

dark marking engra

bol on my necklace, except that it ha

ach tig

it properly, the rogue

s, but it knock

through my

he grou

over me, its teeth

wd went

's voice somewher

un

ely regis

rose i

t

ng surge of power sp

the world seem

, rolling away just as the

I s

the creature stumbled. Before it could recover, I

sed against

to

gue st

tened

figh

eyes f

t, I saw something

e

ar of bein

of being

let out a w

ened m

e slowly

man with dark hair and several scars across his c

ered. "Don't let t

red a

ho

ved toward

oked direc

r mo

d turne

one of the guards rushed forward and

n coll

" Kael c

tyard fe

moving from the uncons

d he say

d at th

thi

studi

lie t

m n

toward t

cells. Nobody questions h

the unconscious man

appear through the

d was

ad recogniz

new something a

asn't going to

roached

re in

down at m

y training shirt, and blood wa

noth

hed tow

ped ba

and s

sed between us, carrying an emo

nc

ly conce

coming w

he

infir

alk ther

sn't a r

igh

rse it

toward the

re that every warrior in th

the entrance, Rhea

ai

ked a

t is

oward Kael, t

r ey

ach tig

about

ged during

yself to r

you ima

hook h

I saw

aned c

weren't the eyes o

oked

not an ordi

ression

d respond, Kael

un

urn

the entrance, his

wed him

ress. It was a large room filled with medical supplies, s

healer ap

ha K

e her s

estured tow

ile she exami

said. "But you'll n

a small bottle o

lied it, s

ved toward

id you g

oked

er gave

's express

your mothe

le

ipped slightl

ately turne

's wr

uickly compo

ing,

eady noticed

directl

ow that

oided

eople in the o

know my

ced the bottle

ment is fin

st

sn't an

pped bet

ou're comi

ked a

ome frightened wheneve

es nar

sking questions you

someone should

t me for a

ned toward

this conversat

n bowed

urse,

infirmary, but my thought

gnized my mo

more people in this fortress knew El

e entrance to the

wn the long

far end was different. It was made of dark silver me

ppeared on the old B

iced my

en think

ed tow

about

g in

's in

that conc

im a tir

hat about

ou refuse

the silver

our mother's bel

ion became dan

old yo

d not

ze sha

answe

ioned Lady

seconds, he

steppe

m the archive. And most importantly, stop we

ed the

hy

ice lo

gnizes it, you won't live long en

espond, he turne

tanding in t

answered questions, and the silver neckl

one thing I kn

ad recogniz

had recog

ver connection existed between

to my room with more

behind me and sat

as unusua

sed m

you

wa

pened to

d silent fo

bered wh

down at

oes th

t be careful. There are people who

ng settled i

are

ho feared

od ab

ll me ev

gave a l

. But I know this: our mother d

oonlight shining

y fallen ill. I had believed her death was someth

wasn't

or the silv

appeared bene

beneath the fortress

n ordinary

nded a

nded f

I knew it was

ainst my chest as my

wake, she

allo

ho

wer cam

emember the fi

dark corridor beyo

t discovering my wolf might be the m

wakened, something els

was, it knew e