owl came be

ful enough to shake the wind

pright

Then another howl followed, this time

t began

aph

stirred ins

ing is

t aside and hurrie

were running through the courtyard, carrying swords and spears. Several pack me

n sou

n

ic

third

signal only dur

proaching Bloo

reading through the pack, i

y boots and r

ng?" I asked a

ly glanc

l guards

mach d

oyal

s's warning from t

ilver Moon heir is alive, h

toward

r uniforms bore the royal crest of a crowned wolf, and

ood a tall man wea

istance, I re

n Bla

rmer

ejected me before

st tig

here?" I

for you, N

ok my

n you

d that was broken. Something ha

at that meant, but I d

house, fastening the belt around h

gates!"

ards o

ith the confidence of a man who beli

anned the courtyard. Two royal warriors followed closely b

k membe

idn

building, my fingers curled

e moved acro

it fo

ression

dness in his eyes gave way to

pri

even d

a step t

ely steppe

w tigh

aphi

s of the rejection. The pain. The laughter. The f

tened my

Maje

appro

odmoon territor

idn't lo

for th

sion remained c

ch w

lly turned

t my intellig

owed his he

ldn't

l me wher

rd before Marcu

nding ri

turned

studied

ok diff

ost l

ly rejected by one's

ession h

ifted unc

ina," h

nore

another st

with

red a

hy

se I s

mile touch

have that aut

yes f

he Alph

u rejec

ll over th

rs exchanged n

's jaw

not chang

"It only changed

ickered acro

hought he might s

turned tow

accompany me to

s sti

jesty, Seraphina is no

aze became

allenging m

u that she is a m

reat to the

art s

hre

ped fo

you talk

eyes retu

ed within the borders of this territory.

d not

ne," he continued. "A bloodline that was belie

ers tig

old yo

question,

red a

shoul

es nar

will not

anger ros

d before your court and declared me unworthy of being your mate.

moved

threatens my king

to protect your kingdom witho

ession d

air between us s

oice int

Maje

rward and whispered some

's face

mean the mark

glanced

he silver crescent

s wen

wly turned

ropped to

ly covered it

get that neckla

pped

s mi

it t

N

ze sha

show me th

irectly in

ght to demand a

anothe

n Nyra

him touch

iffe

n not

t is

thi

es nar

hiding s

im a col

know how

oyal

everyone into

m lined with old books, hunting trophies,

standing ne

sitting beside the man

r the fireplace,

ppened last nigh

glanced

ienced an

waken

lf mani

gaze retu

ave a

red a

aren

his never

ugh escaped

use nobody bo

gnored t

kind o

s hes

lve

m fell

rs tightened a

s impos

we believed,"

disappeared c

ll of

ooked at

simply contemptuous. There

pic

erhap

bout your blood

ded m

me what you know abo

closed

head turn

r mo

odd

of the Silver

ent comple

had entered the packhouse,

d you th

rcu

shifted towa

told

no ch

stepped

have you

know that her fam

xpression

eful, M

raid she'll disc

stared at

into a conversation that had

explain what is

looke

atters that threatened the sta

row

matt

t could challenge the auth

red a

't make her

't say

y was sh

answer i

walked towar

Her council accused the royal family of treason. Several powerful Alphas fought o

't disappear. S

en t

old yo

ae

eemed to i

ae

of the Moons

expressio

no place in th

ore about my family

looke

s voice

has spent years gatheri

he has

se rebellion

pped

nfuse power w

ment, the kin

he

overthrow the royal throne. Her bloodlin

accusat

lence was a

er rising

King. You should

es nar

h is as simple

explai

me for seve

her was not the only person

row

oes tha

s jaw t

ing the fall of Silver Moon that hav

red a

at involve

yes f

oug

word shoo

used to b

e anything to do wit

me, Draven looke

my family wit

ence that proves t

ped tow

r words, S

ted m

going to rej

ression

landed exactly

ntin

th you. So don't stand here pretending to care about my family when you

ze dropped

nt is not an ordina

tively co

you know

d to know is inside

ake me

N

red a

hy

you are n

laugh e

everyone ke

n in the

nally int

this discussion shoul

lanced t

yone

looke

na, wait

N

ession t

eas

sita

had ever asked me for somet

gh secrets whispered

sta

studi

gave a s

y we

rd the wall be

d a woman with long silver hair, bright blue eyes,

own made of s

pped

eath

w tha

in the mirror

s were almost i

she?" I

oice was q

en E

es wea

mot

lothing, but her smile was the same ge

ed cl

inscription bene

of the Ancient Bloodline. The l

hed th

as bea

looke

ore than b

ed tow

you show me

dn't

a drawer. He removed a folded piece o

ruins of the Silver Moon pa

ched cau

edges burned and its surfac

nter was

f beneath a

nt began

asp

rom the desk, and silver markin

iately stepp

ed something u

toward the

touched it, a flash of

rd a woma

ou are seeing this, th

art s

y mother

new

cognize it

the

ht inte

ed by itself, reveal

her is n

ped br

fat

her had never spoken much about him, and whenever I as

archment

he man who wears it. The truth about y

ght va

fell flat ag

dy s

urned towa

ring at th

become dang

her?" I w

didn't

her say not to t

w tigh

uld have been wr

re ly

er eyes

care

ed towa

warn me again

yal family was responsible f

she w

ence made my

arcus

e is something else

turned

ha

s have been searching

expressio

n't I in

ly learned of

looke

ll you about

odd

oodline was co

rsed under

ooked at

oyal carriage.

row

ing w

oyal c

red a

I'm going

e becam

whether you l

ed in d

g the same mi

pped c

t about you

't about yo

seemed to

flickered ben

ticed imm

yes w

l your

ll me wha

pread acros

gro

not co

ith a low rumble from so

oment, I felt the

gh to re

sense something buri

a

pa

ushed the f

iencing, it was no lo

ed at

until I understand wha

nodded

st go to the

urned to

lutel

ar. The truth lies

has been seale

was waitin

d at bo

future as though I wasn'

ped fo

to the Mo

men t

oner, Draven. And I won't go

ession h

y would

ed my p

want to know why my mother died. And I wan

g stare

ent, the room

gave a s

y we

d toward

t a place for the unprepared. If you enter it without

d him wa

remaine

h an expression I c

ave been proud of yo

allo

u make me believ

d no

d his head and f

ng from

guards had begun pr

, watching servants load supp

ere still waiting nea

peak to him b

urtyard and followed the n

e emerged almo

ver

top callin

wered h

wish, Se

ked a

others

e keepin

ed an

en

sita

essage. She said my

eyes

the old rogue looked

t you a

odd

ow who my

wered h

w his

began t

ll

ard the dista

me is L

ian

e last High Alpha of t

red a

seemed i

er was

igh Alpha of the ancient k

he a

t answer i

e have been try

re i

n to the Moon Temple be

eath

need to g

nod

The temple does not reveal

ens if it

en eyes

he power inside you is more d

nd, a familiar voice

aphi

urn

at the edge

sion was t

remain near t

d at hi

u that you don

nced a

ave

didn'

nothing to h

s eyes

not your

e's lips

he blood that flows

ought the two woul

en steppe

he royal carr

d towar

speak

ered h

Goddess guide

Draven without

ollo

ke until we reach

d into the carriage,

fr

s tightene

"Whatever happens at the Moon Tem

down at

oked into

hy

sion was u

person who wore

d turne

y wrist fr

person m

didn't

back and opened

mbed

oked through the window at the pack

ieving I had no family, no pow

n ancient temple to search fo

the man who ha

ght have destroyed ever

face towar

tched me

crossed the boundary of Blo

aph

sed m

t i

lled with an unf

another w

ned m

massive silver wolf wa

unlight, and its eyes were the same b

palm agains

is

voice t

fat

the silver wolf lift

hoed across

ly ordered the c

as he stared th

le," he w

ked a

is

dn't

ched for the sw

thing in the Alpha King's expressi

e