a sense of belonging, as if you were a member of a pack, family, or

ilent war in which I fought for attention, reco

ood. On Pack lands, most Omegas were assigned at least a shared cabin, but since I had no family and no title, I

lf that it had once belonged to my mother. She was hardly in my memory. A lullaby, a laugh, the sensation of her a

Pack kitchens. The other Omegas hurried about, their feet moving in unison and their hand

the others avoided me as if I were carrying a silent curse thanks to the re

e one who

f. Not

" they say. However, it doesn'

gered in the recesses of my consciousness, lik

kitchen as the sun rose higher. She was tall

tea?" She le

before anyone else could. I lowere

ng me a look. "Lyra, you're

with contempt. I rem

ibility had taught me.

he area, where birds sang songs I would never be able to repeat and trees swayed like s

s. I listened to the rustling while leaning back and closing my eyes, listening

she sai

till not ready," not sure if I

st of a thought pressing against the back of my mind. At

. I leaped to my feet. Out of the brush came three boys, young warriors in tr

hift end an hour ago?

I

s probably hoping her invisi

ply evading kitchen d

Despite my heart pounding in m

I muttered. "I c

en it's possible that you're searching for a part

d to yell at them and let them know that I w

have to acknow

her

, Rina, entered the clearing, but she had e

ves and crept off, their laug

re, you shouldn't be by yourself.

d, "I'm us

houldn

atched her go. She was unabl

Families, elders, and warriors occupied long tables. The high wooden beams reverberated with l

en, I waited for the final p

him

Kael,

. He was wider and taller than I had anticipated. The room stoo

e didn't, of cou

Moonblade royalty.

ough, and his piercing storm-gra

g stirred de

i

ing vanished as f

y and went ba

ded myself o

y L

with a broken pas

much

t