Moonfire Queen

nstone (Silve

e cold stone floor of the ceremonial chamber, cheek pressed to the ground, her skin mottled with bruises and sha

o

bove her. Dust floated like dying stars in the stillness. Her wolf-the inner

t like swallowing knives. She touched her mark's absence with trembling fing

returned in

voice colder than the ice-blasted cliffs

n any wound. And behind him, wrapped in silver and smugness, stood Lyla Ve

agic," Lyla had hissed to the Counc

d her. They alwa

behind her eyes. She wouldn't cr

f footsteps reached her ears. Two enforcers app

"The Council has ruled. You a

dry. Her heart shattered. The second guard yanked her to her feet. Her legs bu

Lyla's laugh

nd her, Aria knew one truth: she was no lo

the pack border, hidden among

nst the bark of a gnarled oak, the shadows hidin

etrayal. And that look in her eyes when she was dragged a

d heat: "That girl just lost everything..

rogue vanished de

-

soaked the dirt beneath Aria's bare feet, stainin

ind them, the Silver Hollow Pack watched like vultures, their eyes

see the she-w

her bones. Her wrists were bound behind her back, her once-pro

, Ryker Thorne stood

perfume. The one who had always lingered in

if Aria's fall were just a formality. She wore a n

ad clai

th heartbreak, but with someth

ray

u stand accused of treason, of using forbidden magic to bind a mate unwi

er chin desp

"that you all look into your own r

across her cheek-the Beta enf

tongue, wolf

the ground. "I have n

gone, your bond broken. You're bare

. "She could still be dangerous. We should strip her

Aria snapped. "You only e

n't falter. "And

looked

. The flick

nbreak bonds. It do

For blood. For removal of the las

words?" Ro

Her wolf remained si

e back of her soul,

t

she whispered. "But

low Council, Aria Moonstone is hereby cast out.

s seized

rough spit and curses, down the mounta

ed the shadow watching

st an ancient pine, golden

seen

spered into the wind, "They

n he fo

-

as never meant to be taken al

on her thighs, her lip split from where Lyla had struck her. The bruises from the trial still bloomed like wi

eak. Not a whisper. Not

s trul

d her, jabbing the butt of his spear against her

ed his back on her. When he let them tear off her mating mark like it meant not

her-tall, skeletal sentinels watching as her shame was marched through snow and sha

her knee

s didn't stop. One muttered, "Not our problem anymore," and turned back, their footsteps c

led into

r blood seeped into the earth. An

g," she whispered.

st didn'

ething

should've been-a warmth flickered. A pulse. A breath of gold

something ancient, someth

to melt beneath her

-

wallowed A

her body unmoving as her blood cooled on the s

narrowed in

urne had s

wed-silent as a ghost, deadly as winter. He hadn't planned to interfere. Rogues did

discarded corpse-when her blo

a

to one knee beside her. His black coat billowed w

artb

stubborn.

red. "You don't throw

gone, ripped clean off her skin. But it was the absence

nder her skin. Not pack magi

nfi

round her shoulders. She was freezing-bones shar

d once, eyes

ispered. "I'v

ritory only he commanded. Trees grew denser. Magic tangled the

cabin near the cliffs, she was d

acticed hands, and stared down at her-this girl with a b

g in Silver Holl

d to someth

if he let the pac

-

(wa

gas

vy stone walls, the low crackle of fire, or the scent of cedarwood and

pa

en

fr

hing

, a man leaned against the wall-arms cro

safe,"

.. wher

e. "Not where

hand touched her shoulder-w

. "Why did y

vered. "Because you'

, and in that light, somethi

't speak... b

in the marrow of

asn't

the beg