Chapter 4

My fingers trembled slightly as I dialed my mother's private line. Three days had passed since I discovered Marcus's betrayal, and each hour since had been an exercise in restraint—maintaining the façade of the perfect, oblivious Luna while meticulously planning my escape.

"Victoria," my mother answered on the first ring, her voice instantly shifting from warm to businesslike. "Is it safe to speak?"

"Yes," I whispered, though I'd taken the precaution of driving to the edge of pack territory, parking my car by the forest line where no one could overhear. "He's in a territory meeting for another hour."

"Good."…