Zara

"As long as you live in this pack, Zara is your Luna." There was an ominous calm in her dad’s voice, a calm that told Chelsea she’d be better off retreating if she had any sense of self-preservation. "What a shame, Alpha! Kane will hear of this. He won’t take kindly to you disrespecting his mate."

Chelsea paled, likely remembering the horrific rumors surrounding Kane. Rumors that he killed cruelly and mercilessly, rumors that he took prisoners for the slightest offense, and kept them hidden.

Chelsea had no idea that most of the rumors were true, but they only told half the story. Alpha was cruel, dominant, and fought with a ferocity that made most men pale in comparison. He was also selfless, brave, and did everything for his people.

Every act of cruelty, every brutal action, was for the good and safety of his pack. When he took the pack from Marcus and merged it with his own, it took a full month for the people of that pack to see him for who he was, for what an Alpha should be.

"Danial," I called out before Chelsea could leave in a huff. His wandering gaze met mine, tense with grief. "I’m sorry about Isaac. The people who hurt him will pay, I promise."

"Thank you, Luna." He nodded, his voice rougher than usual.

He headed for the coffee shop, leaving Chelsea to stagger after him. Dad gave me a mocking smile, though his eyes glittered with both anger and sadness.

"That girl will learn some manners sooner or later. Someday she’ll say the wrong thing to the wrong person." He snorted. "You did well, Zara." I wish I could say the same about myself."

"She needed to hear what you said." I shrugged. "You’re right, she’ll say the wrong thing to someone someday."

It nearly killed me to turn away from my dad, let him get into the car, and watch him drive away. There would be no long goodbyes. My family would only try to stop me.

They wouldn’t understand that I had no choice, that this meant so much more to Sophia than my life. I swallowed the guilt and fear bubbling in my stomach, gathering my courage to move on.

I headed for the edge of the forest at the very end of the road. I needed to be away from the pack’s territory. From there, I would summon the shadows and ask them to tell Marcus my location. From there, everything went downhill.

"Are you gone yet?" Alpha’s hoarse, slightly husky voice rushed into my head. "In five minutes, I’ll drop all this and drag you home."

"You won’t," I chuckled softly, enjoying the sound of his voice. "I’m heading into the forest right now. I’ll be leaving our territory in an hour." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Too bad there’s no other way," Alpha replied, and I almost saw the grimace that crossed his face.

"I know, but Sophia would have done the same for me." I smiled, and his voice filled me with a ray of peace. "When I get back, we’ll have plenty of time to make up for it all."

"You don’t need to remind me; I know what I’ll be missing," Alpha chuckled, though his laugh sounded dry and somewhat strained. "Remember, you need to get back here before your heat starts."

"I know," I nodded, stepping over rocks and pushing aside branches as I continued through the forest. "In two weeks, tops."

"Let’s do it," Alpha countered. "I’ll be waiting for your voice the whole time. And one last thing: if that Marcus tries to get you, kill him. As much as I’d like to do it myself, I’d prefer him dead as quickly as possible. You should have only my mark on your body."

"Oh, that’s exactly what I plan," I chuckled. "He won’t touch me, I promise."

Alpha sent a warning to the patrol on this side of the forest, ordering them to keep away so I could pass. He didn’t explain why, and they didn’t ask. I crossed the border of the territory, and not a single wolf was in sight.

I could have transformed into a wolf; that would have sped up the transition considerably, but I wanted to prolong it. I tried to prolong my freedom. Within the next hour or two, I would officially be a prisoner.

I was almost certain my father would keep me close until I changed my mind, or else use a purebred Marcus to try to influence my mind. I remembered what my dad had taught me and developed my own methods of protecting my mind. Marcus might try, but I would never condone the death of my people.

I walked for two hours before stopping. Thirty minutes ago, I was far enough away, but I wanted to make sure there were no brown wolves nearby. Birds chirped in the trees; leaves rustled; squirrels scurried away from me.

The forest was teeming with life, and despite the situation, it was beautiful. Sunlight filtered through the trees, turning the emerald leaves soft and translucent. As much as I hated to disturb the peace of this forest, I had things to do.

I closed my eyes and mentally turned to the shadows lurking in every nook and cranny. A sick feeling settled in my stomach, and I shuddered as the forest around me grew silent.

The birds stopped chirping, and the leaves stopped crunching under the tiny feet of squirrels. The air around me grew uncomfortably cold, sending a chill through my bones and up my spine.

I opened my eyes and saw that the forest had darkened, the sunlight no longer filtering through the treetops—shadows slithered from every dark corner, some large patches of darkness, others small, like leeches.

They slithered to my feet, wrapped themselves around my body, and waited like patient pets. Larger shadows lingered at the edge of the forest, and I felt them watching me with a burning intensity. I sensed their barely contained anticipation.

They liked me as much as shadows could like a human. They liked that I made deals with them, that I fed them my blood. I’d only tasted blood twice in my life, but each time it was an unforgettable experience.