LPH

: THE NAME THAT

eighteen years belie

survive without drawing attention, and ordinary enoug

Sanguinara looked at her sugges

s had c

nto the walls began to glow. Rose felt the strange pressure in her chest again, the same sens

hate

to destroy them. Most of all, she hated the way Xander looked at her-as if h

u here?" sh

ed the door

t for turning a simple si

t a disbeli

mate, your people nearly dragged me out of the royal hall, and now you

w tigh

nderstand wh

explai

nt, he sai

ted her more than a

what I t

he door, but Xander

't l

ared a

ov

til you

happens if

mplicated, something that made him look less like the untouchable heir of the Blood Moon dy

not survive th

ritation

cere

anced at

and the first silver edge of the moon

t. They witnessed what happened in the hall, and th

epeated. "I don't even hav

't matter

tell your council to find

y wo

oice sent an unwelcome

sing to let him see how mu

makes me so

at her for a

ared in the anc

blin

na

e Lu

med to shrin

before she co

cognized pack has their fate recorded through the traditional rite. The royal fam

hook h

id I wasn't

wer

did my nam

expressio

t I intend

ogance she had come to expect. She found some of it, certai

t Xander Sanguinara might be just as

mething els

most l

rse the

t display your name. It

She remembered the gasps, the sudden silence, and the way the royal elders

oes tha

n't k

tudie

eally

N

me too quickl

r more than anythi

him further, three sharp k

ression chan

nt

stepped insi

, the council

nodde

I'll be the

ard he

that Miss Luna be b

tomach t

repeated. "How

kept his e

tter concerns the securi

ssed him wit

losed, Rose tur

not g

't have

me ma

d for the

Xander didn

spoke quietl

ithout knowing what they believe you are

paused on

hat he migh

she turn

e what they

y to the small crescent-shap

answer in his eyes was darker

ar bloodline was dest

fro

hat have to

answer i

d closer, lowe

at bloodline appeared in the royal re

*

er was older than

felt as though she had stepped into a place that

of the chamber stood a circular table surrounded by twelve seats. Each seat bore the crest of

e turned

t her ch

her to tremble, they were

anguinara family. His presence commanded immediate respect, but Rose noticed that

th silver hair ro

hrone. You were instructed to secure the gir

pression re

is not a

not what

ave answ

aveled arou

ed at him,

efend her. Not after the way

truck his staff a

a discussion about yo

othing to do with t

ve no objection t

didn'

s eyes n

he was watching two predators circle each ot

ther council

you know who yo

stiff

ourse

ate thei

e

members exch

were yo

ans

claimed yo

belong to

ossi

your records n

il members lo

rceptibly, as though he were fighti

man ignored

rthmark.

tively cover

N

ber fell

expression

anding before the ruling

side down. If you want me to cooperate, perhaps you should start by spe

seconds, n

of the female council

the same

y man turn

len

e had h

defiance

an look

d closer to

you talki

eclared. "The girl must undergo a b

nfidence

wha

hether the registry's reaction was a mistake or

f I re

ed to consider you a

before Rose

no examination wit

rose fully, gr

ur position, P

the Blood Moon dynasty, and I will not permit the council to co

er crossed the

stry responded to a girl who has no recorded pack, no

gaze turn

y what we are try

ond, the silver crest above t

amiliar pressur

ooked

d mark on her wris

from somewhe

ano

g a pattern that resembled a crescent moo

umbled

happeni

ht her befo

round her wrist, a pulse of s

cil cham

stellations painted across the ceiling shimme

illed the

le nor female, ne

from the stone b

ood has r

dy m

the glowing mar

looked at him, she saw something she h

e

ear o

her existenc

ce spok

ir shall stand befo

ght va

Xander, struggling

l member sank slow

ispered. "I

from Xander, he

oes tha

as though the dead had sud

Its heirs were erased from our records. We w

mouth w

, I d

ed weak, even t

spoken earlier r

seal has

oken it," another

rd the glowing cre

ed the bl

rly man

evening, his authority

t Blood M

went

fa

ance

e very bloodline that the regis

again, a deep howl echoe

llowed by

dozen

toward the t

lves were answering a

rk on her wri

that had begun to darken unnaturally, an ancient

ng had

at recognize

een waiting

*

back to her quarters under the

spoke until they

ned to f

to tell me t

e wall, looking more exhauste

you what

council was willing to adm

her for a l

ful about what you

assuming I can be fri

less smile tou

markably d

been

thing almost warm

xpression becam

xisted before the first packs. The old stories clai

nced at

hink I'm o

il is terrified. And I think the first Blood Moon king left beh

your fami

n't k

rched h

ep sayi

admit what I don't know

caught he

ld respond, he

t let anyone inside unless I

fro

hy

, you're no longer just an unkno

gaze settling

kingdom who might expose what t

rned and w

he disappeared ar

, locked the door, a

ieved that her life was a simpl

ect that the missing pages we

room and stood b

ad faded, but a faint s

touch

I?" she

nt, nothin

ed from somewhere d

er of the for

spun

om was

irror had

ring a crown of silver branches, her fa

and pressed it against t

uldn't

's eyes were iden

in ancient silver letters, were three

TE WAS C

umbled

ion returne

remained burne

e palace, a bel

n

ic

e ti

gh the corridors, annou

Xander Sanguinara stared at an ancient page

ned a sin

SE L

that had been hidden from every

R SANGU

, a line of silver wr

as bound, no kin

blood r

ate ritual h

een inte

away from the royal family was the one