: R

up sc

effort, my entire body shaking with whatever sound should have been tearing out of m

where it hurt. It felt like someone had reached inside my

onlight streamed through my window, bathing my enormous bedroom

t the one thing

rushed in, his sleeping robe hastil

" he said. No

till grippi

bbing circles on my back. At eight years old, I probably should hav

it?" Father's voice was qui

gainst his

twin is somewhere nearby. That's

ng last week after I'd drawn that picture of two children holding hands. I

e you still sure about this? You don't have to sneak out

'd already waited eight years without knowing what I was waiting for. Now that I knew she

ll don't know why you were separated as babies. Someone deliberately sent you down that

o show I u

our strength. And remember, you have to be back before dawn. If Vivienne or

s probably had a very different life than you. She might not

more time,

ceiling. My chest still ached with that terrible pul

o

t my sister. Tonight I was

state, dressed in my formal dinner suit and trying not to f

Moon Pack. Everyone who mattered had been invited, which meant

looking uncomfortable when I couldn't answer. Too many pitying loo

l. With this many people around, no one

was on his other side in an emerald dress, playing the perfect hostess. She

Alpha approached. "Wonderful part

d smoothly. "Rafe has been making

learned to hate. "Such a shame. Have you considered that specialist school i

ial made it sound lik

der. "Rafe is exactly where he need

led by Father's sharp t

er muttered. He glanced dow

tting stronger every minute. It felt like an invisible rope was

d the

ard

minutes. That's when you slip away. Everyone will be focused on the

his hand

he whispered.

inner bell finally rang, the crowd started moving toward the formal dini

ward the servant's entrance at the

ol and crisp and filled with the scent of the full m

eemed to whisper. F

my chest, letting it guide me. My feet carried me down the paths of

grounds. They nodded as I passed, probably

f their sight, I

ging me forward. I ran through the commercial district with its closed shops. I

changing. The houses became shabby. The st

he place Father always t

care about anything except following th

district, to a building that looked slightl

led and had to catch myself against a tree. This wa

ter wa

the windows were dark except one on the third floor. A

t window. When I reached the right height, I carefully

's when

e was on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor with a brush that looked too big f

her

ace was like loo

outh and nose. We looked exactly alike except she was a girl and I was a boy,

ad suddenly snapped up. Her eyes l

rld st

. Not just that I knew her, but something deeper

t some girl who

e other hal

as my

r chest in the exact same spot where mine ached, from the way her mou

ust as completely a

without knowing what I was looking for, of feeling