Chapter 2
A branch snapped right outside my door.
Slowly, I turned my head toward the window.
Two glowing yellow eyes stared back at me — watchful, predatory, unblinking.
Oh my god.
I twisted the key once more with my left hand, praying for anything to work.
Please. I cannot die out here like this.
The massive wolf stepped fully out of the shadows.
Thick fur swallowed what little moonlight there was, forming a towering silhouette of pure menace. In the dark, I could not make out its markings.
Suddenly, the engine roared to life.
I slammed my foot on the gas. Tires screeched as the car raced down the mountain road.
My heart raced in time with my panic.
I glanced back. The wolf ran alongside the car through the trees, matching my speed with terrifying ease.
A sharp howl cut through the night — a clear promise that this chase was far from over.
Eventually, the cluster of homes that made up our pack compound came into view.
I pulled over and slammed the car to a halt.
My hands shook so badly I dropped my keys twice before grabbing them.
I threw open the door and ran for the porch, my legs trembling. I was almost safe.
A heavy, foul scent of damp fur and malice washed over me.
I spun around, clutching my keys like a weapon. My blood turned cold.
The wolf stood just a few feet away on the grass, lips pulled back to reveal huge, sharp fangs.
Its reddish-brown coat gave its identity away instantly.
Gavin Reed. My childhood tormentor.
He made no move to attack tonight. He simply watched me with cruel amusement as I threw open the front door, scrambled inside, and locked it tight behind me.
I leaned against the wood wall, gasping for breath.
Dread settled in my chest at the sight of the cracked windshield.
“Audrey. In here. Now.”
My stomach sank.
I straightened my shoulders and walked into the living room, nerves coiling tight inside me.
My father said not a word about the wolf lingering on the lawn.
He chose not to see the cruelty happening just outside his door.
He sat stiff in his leather armchair, his face hard and unyielding. My mother stood directly behind him, her cold gaze fixed on me. They paid no mind to my swollen, throbbing wrist, either.
I did not speak.
My father cleared his throat. “ Be grateful our Alpha has permitted you to join us. You will attend the Lunar Gala this year. I assume you have earned enough money from your job to buy proper clothing.”
Shock left my limbs feeling numb.
The Lunar Gala. They had forbidden me from attending for two years running.
This annual summit gathered shifters across the entire Northern Territories of the US, hosted just across the border in Montana.
Hundreds of unmated wolves attended, all searching for their fated mates.
Ostensibly a social event after regional council meetings, it was in truth a high-stakes ball for forging alliances between powerful bloodlines.
The Blackthorn Pack had always avoided this gathering. Old feuds between our Alpha and other pack leaders ran deep. Even my sister Lila had never been permitted to go.
I now understood their real motive.
The council had grown suspicious. Bringing me along was a calculated show of unity for the other packs. A public performance, nothing more.
My father refused to meet my gaze, like my very presence disgusted him.
“Eli and Lila will be there,” he warned coldly. “Do not bring shame to this family name.”
With that, he dismissed me and walked away.
I kept my features blank, yet nervousness coursed through my veins.
My mother stepped forward and sneered, “Try not to look like an outcast, Audrey.”
Her cold distance hurt more than my father’s anger ever could.
“I will behave,” I whispered.
They sent Eli and Lila to secure powerful political matches for the pack.
I was only here for appearances, a prop for the council.
My mother sighed heavily. She lifted a hand as if to pat my shoulder, then froze, letting it hover inches from my skin. She could not bring herself to touch me.
“Lila will take you shopping. Fix your hair, and buy something decent. You have money from the coffee shop, do you not?”
Of course. They would not spend a single cent on me.
“Yes, Mom.”
She turned and left, expensive perfume trailing in her wake.
Even so, my pulse raced. Excitement tangled with terror.
The Lunar Gala was my best chance to run.
Perhaps I would find a mate. Perhaps I would finally be free.
Everything was about to change.