la Cr

. I could run, or

uld catch me in seconds, so I stood up slowly and

t time in my life I saw real fear on

ying on me,"

against me," I said

ean, with black hair and cold green eyes. I had seen him at the welcome

ale," I w

ext in line for the Alpha seat if

ou. Marcus is too soft. He rules with his heart, and Ironclaw needs an Alpha who rules with his

ke the pack from you

e what he doesn't

he was smiling again,

neaking out at night to meet a lover. Everyone knows how desperate you are,

right. I had no proof, and the

d softly. "Get some sleep.

knees felt weak. I decided that I would not tell Marcus tonig

I heard S

g stones with a flat altar in the middle. By the next night, every wolf in Ironcla

the old tradition of the trial required. It also hid the m

orian stood behind her with his arms crossed. My parents

e Trial of the Moon begins. Veril

while the crowd murmured behi

silently. *Wh

lling at my seal tonight, and I will hold it

, I lose e

*I cannot tell you all of it yet, little moon. But if this pack

I still didn't know what she w

my face t

nder the veil, and I felt something huge and slow turn over deep inside me, held back

ng ha

re at the back, then another, and

lfl

old

lly think sh

hosen this, the shame was real, and i

owd. "The moon has spoken. Verila Crawford has no wolf. The council

she was sad for me, but I saw

N

uiet, but ever

pped into

is jaw set and his amber eyes burning. I felt the weight of his Alpha power rol

decide thi

e law-" Co

arcus's voice rang through the stones. "It does not say I mu

d defy th

efy the mo

arcus turned to the pack and l

other. Wolf or no wolf, she is the Luna of this pack, and she will not be

ce went still, and I saw

his head stiffly. "A

some muttered, and some looked aw

and steady around mine. "I told you," he

loved him completely. I would remember that moment for a

hed. She was staring at our joined hands wi

my forehead at the door and told me to sleep, and I stood in the dark hallway f

one,* I thought. *And I have a sister and Mar

my door a

oor just inside the threshold, as if someone

was small and slanted, as thou

nd I can prove it. Come to the old ch

e bottom, only a single

hree times, and m