se for the first time in two decades. Clouds twisted like restless spirits around its
She had been reminded every d
at morning, slamming a bowl of porridge onto the wooden ta
low. Hide your face. Stay qui
strange warmth in her blood during full moons, and the way her senses shar
teen. Elara passed her eighteenth birthday with nothing
called her. "Hal
t, she was
er, the village slept. The elders had warned of rogue wolves running wild during blood moons. They called it the Awakening N
ed into t
nce. Every rustle, every owl's cry, every cold gust that
hum beneath her skin. To hear wolves howling at moons she could never run under. Ton
ns, she found the clearing. She had dreamed of it countless times-a
wasn'
is shoulders were broad, his body inked with markings that looked ancient and cerem
he tu
they wolf. They glowed, like twin
e said, voice
Elara said, straighteni
blood moon brings truth. And
flinch. "Wh
rsaken Pack. The last of the
rt thudded.
ou
k a ste
She hadn't even noticed until now. A stone her mother gave her before vanishing
d," Fenric said.
e said. "I'm not part of any pa
y told you," he
lm outward. Symbols
hesi
touched
The forest roared to life-birds shrieked, wolves howled, trees groaned. Her
suddenly,
Fenric stood over her
sed," he said. "
ling to breathe. "Wh
thing. The bond
e w
od is older than the packs. The elders sealed your shift t
sts clenched. "
storm they tried to silence. A
n the trees-fast,
Shadows circle
he asked, h
ric said.
armor, marked with silver wolves. Their
magic. "You are under arrest for contact with the exile
She hadn't even kno
d. "You can't
hoice," she said.
In a blur of silver and shadows, Fen
he growled, "and
s eyes. "That war ended lon
ic said, voice low.
raised the
cracked-something buried deep. Her skin bur
ame th
eat. But
der. Stron
p-th
ipple. The red moon above puls
n she s
in f
nsform
fall. She rose. Her spine arched, her fingers extended int
shif
ean or gentle. It was raw. Violent. Beauti
rouched a silver wolf with eye
nters
head."You are a
und echoing through t
t, she knew every
n't jus
their re