noticed when I wok

my chest the previous night. Instead, it lingered like a deep wound

my eyes

iling stared

mber where I was. Then the events of

yal ga

lpha

reje

flew to

nd was

feel Drav

me that somewhere in the world, my fated mate existed. There wa

face towar

inn outside the royal city. The room smelled of damp wood and old blankets. A single woode

the magnificent castle where I ha

up car

ad th

ted by the most powerful Alpha

all laugh, but i

a knock at

fr

's t

ast del

legs were still weak, and I had to

young innkeeper stood ou

awake,"

aren

ray, but her eyes l

feeling

sita

at bad la

s expressi

lking about what hap

ach tig

rse th

probably knew that the Alpha K

ted mate was a

" I whi

per lowere

hem. What happened

ked a

h a simple

those words to me

nk y

and start

she p

e early this morning. He asked whether a wo

ightened aro

d you te

t know anyone

red a

hy

shru

ike the way

time that morn

nk y

closed the door an

oyal family l

ejected me before the entire kingdom. Surely he had no

to make certain

t made my

self to eat. The bread was stale, and the te

ed str

tory, collect what little belonged to

emain in the

and every conversation

I had lef

couldn't afford one. I had spent most of my savings on the room, and the

wal

through the branches, creating golden patterns on the ground. Birds sang above

d have found the

ry sound i

uld hear the rustle of tiny creatures beneath fallen leaves. Once, I

ped wa

was s

In fact, I had often struggled to hear conv

sounded as though

ok my

was simply

inued

, an unfamiliar sce

oo

h bl

pped

se wr

s clearly as ordinary werewolves, but this sm

heard a

un a

wolf emerged

eath

gu

s or been banished from their territories. Some were harmless wanderers, but others

ked anything

ng its shoulder. Yellow eyes fixed on me as

a step

" I wh

olf g

ned t

lun

threw my arms

ected impac

nge force erupt

light exploded t

ible hand had struck it. It crashed against a t

d at my

ere gl

ordinar

skin, forming delicate patter

at.

w inten

ough my chest, and the grou

bled b

but the moment it looked into

attackin

as b

mmered agai

ogue wolf b

able to understand

sensation f

vo

ine, and im

are

asp

s spe

bers what your m

hands again

Who a

was a

voice a

ey buried benea

es wea

other question, the s

lifted

moment, ou

and disappeared

e on the roa

looked no

lver

ange m

prove what

I hadn't

inside me

ing po

idea how to

oodmoon territory, the s

pillars carved with the image of a howling wolf. Beyond t

g the paths, chasing one another while olde

have felt

felt like

entrance recogni

ouldered warrior named

ook who'

red my

vening,

lau

l castle send

nd guard

discovered what the re

d not

stepped

eraphina. I

row

hat t

jected you in front of

oat ti

es

t into

oman without a wolf could become

d guard j

he king has

ked a

. That I hadn't begged the Moon Goddess to choose me.

was

lked pa

ink you're going

om

ughed

teful Alpha Marcus still

t turn

heard

, I thou

s unusually busy

Several servants carried baskets toward the kitchens, whi

slip inside

aphi

top

voice cal

pha Marcus descend

trimmed beard, and sharp green eyes. He wore the black uniform of th

was anything

you been?"

allo

yal gather

ere. I asked why yo

d somewhere t

king reje

ed through the

versation

red my

, Al

ughed wit

mbarra

around the strap

sor

"Do you have any idea what

oked

do you

the royal gathering has made

red a

hoose to be

ish enough to acknowle

o tell him whe

dn't keep you

thing twist

e Moon Goddes

the Moon Goddes

lin

he watching pack members

st time. The king has made his decision. Y

d at th

erst

s have been moved out

ad li

ed w

You'll sleep there until I

led to u

my

to stay here because of your mother.

ame struck me

't bring he

es nar

your

ely lowere

sor

your ne

rned

case, I heard two wome

ught she could be

ted by the Alpha Kin

t wal

g was differ

fe, their words didn't make

eath my skin, as though a smal

t under

e servants' building, the old wood

fr

himmer passed ac

t disa

over my

y had

room and clo

rdrobe, and a small window overlooking the

g on the floor

tes, I simply st

oticed s

ant was

from benea

e markings covered its edges, formi

ne with my

it, a sharp flash of

, I was no l

ding in a

r pillars stretched toward a ceiling filled with stars

of the hall

wn. Her long silver hair fell around her shoulders, and h

her without

oon G

ed to m

whispered.

n approa

chi

, but it carried the

where

ory your blood

red a

t under

ended o

d above her palm, form

owing blue eyes. It stood taller than any ordinary wolf, a

dn't b

hat..

ddess

has slept f

ok my

lers said I

nly what they were

something like

's expressi

ared what you

tion crept d

hy

ient power. A power that existed long

the silver

n't you

emain hidden until

ction part o

ess fell

to my

s i

ze sof

ackwood to reject you. T

ened at the so

id you allo

a truth that even the Alpha

t tr

ss steppe

unworthy may be the only one c

ok my

want to s

out before I

our bond in front of every

y is greater than yo

oked

r word people use when

time, the go

wer does not exist to control you. It ex

ised h

wolf step

lowly and lowered

ion spread th

ice enter

ed a long t

eath

are

s blue ey

me is

ache

lver fur, and an explosio

voice echoed t

ina Vale. Remem

ion sha

with

in the serv

the floor, and the air around

the power did

body like a river br

nes a

les tig

hest, followed by a sensation

g was in

hing

aph

fr

was no lon

as c

ing directly

yr

e

embling hand a

ld he

tually hea

silence, I was no longer

illed m

're

lways be

't I hear y

one sealed o

ile f

meo

feared what w

ther question, a loud

ed to

d through th

a Mar

or was

e have a

toward t

gate. Several carried weapons, and Marcus was

pened?" h

pointed towa

eastern border. They've c

expressio

w m

they're not behaving

scaped one of

drive t

us n

teams. Nobody enter

ed them

ard somet

gr

m the w

om the

here deep

sti

ng

way from t

ha

e comin

t began

ho

wer, the first scream tor

se erupted

urried to gather the children, and the so

ozen in th

g moved betwe

yellow eyes appear

stepped into

d direct

ed back, expo

attacking, it l

lf emerged

ano

rogues stepped i

ingle one o

d in di

re they

ice fille

gnize the

od ran

ue

t she meant, a deafening howl

l that every wolf in the

ned toward

drained

oked direc

e I had known him, Alph

an

disg

ra

lized that he knew

spent years tryin