THE ALPHA WHO COULDN'T FORGET ME

rejected me, my wolf s

tween a wolf and her mate. I had imagined finding mine beneath a silver moon, feeling our wolves rec

e Black Moon Pack while the man I loved looked

t Hall w

their black uniforms reflecting the firelight. Families crowded together beneath the enormous windows,

noticed a

on was fix

his ceremonial black coat. His dark hair was neatly combed, and the

xactly as h

gh to make me forget every sensible t

ed at me once since

d me more than

ain," whispered Mara, my

ile. "I'm allowed t

ression

ait until after the ceremon

ed tow

you talk

answer, the cer

n

ic

e ti

ations died

itness the recognition of newly awakened mates. His white hair fell across his sh

Goddess, we gather to recognize the bond

art l

hosen

o silence every doubt I h

iting the old oak tree where we used to talk until sunrise, and refused to

at everything would make

that promise be

ame oak tree and told me that no matter what the elders wanted, no

believ

my firs

an raised

forward and speak

l m

, I thought he would take my hand. I even lifted mine slightly, remembering how he used

ropped to

d past my out

eople n

h me, but I lowered my arm befo

front of the c

he began, "I have a

ce was

st

pped

ae

not loo

lpha, the future of this pack, and the cons

s made n

bilities? Wha

sked him to choose between me and his pack. I had never de

s the man who had p

're fright

w tigh

second, his

there that I cou

ha

ndiff

e

ned toward

accept t

rupted int

, certain I had

ha

fac

ession h

Moon Pack, I reje

o deeply that I fo

against the ins

a

ntered a room, she had stirred. Every time his scent reached me,

des, searching for a bond

ed Kael

Look

ced at

t g

romise

sion did n

in everything after the cerem

en

em you'r

n the cro

ickly swallowed by the

eeks

imagined the pack celebrating us, Mara crying happy tears, and the elders finally accepting

tnesses, begging the man I loved to ac

ed his wr

romised yo

hat I almost wished he

wanted child

es fli

You said that when everything was over, we would leave this place for a while and remember what

ice b

forget al

el looked as though he

s curled i

der Row

lpha has made

toward th

o this withou

nsible for the sur

ot part of

s silence

inside m

e humiliation he had created. I had been waiting for him to look at

s were alread

were watchi

allowing the entire pack

sed his

me," I

d

y of it

hroat

e man beneath the oak tree, holding my hands and telling

e became unr

N

sound I had nev

not a

as a

sudden emptiness frightened me more than the pain. My wolf had been with me since

re was

ered ba

ught my

come wi

ok my

tion. I wanted him to see what he had done. I wanted him to understand t

ce with the b

well,

xpressio

tened my

re this pack. I will not b

ssed throug

irectly in

authority to reject me, but you do not have

d away

e steps when pain exp

cre

stop it. I dropped to my knees, clutchin

nial bowl

n the Great H

swallowed

hundreds of wolves stoo

indows beg

panes. The red moon hung above the mountains, brighter

hispered

e shouted fo

my name, but her voice s

was waking

not m

w my

t I had never felt it before. It moved through my veins like

e spoke ins

u

fr

are

of terror so powerful that

e he reme

ted m

ned hall, Kael w

lost every tr

you do?" I

not a

ooking a

y face, but before I could touch i

man stumbl

hand clutched his side. Two guards rushed toward him, but h

ound me,

fell to

's a

the silver staff h

's face had

pered. "That

looked toward

oken. The bloodl

returne

orgotten daug

erupted i

shaking so badly that

alking about

e ans

d towar

eady movin

y from me

s though I h

listen

er is happening, it has

ckered towar

n't und

explai

known him, Alpha Kael looked li

peak, the strange

shouted. "The master wants

drew thei

iled at me, revealing t

ready changed, kill ever

mach t

he largest win

across the

d to shield the elders. Somewhere i

eized

to pul

t tou

want t

tion sto

s voice low enough t

son to. But if those men take you, ther

hy

ip tig

er did not die the

seemed

my life. There had been no grave, no funeral I could remember, and no

s learning not t

e person I had never been allowed t

red a

u know abou

ips p

aze shifte

changed from

ered. "Don't loo

rse, I

eneath the crimson moo

ll dark. My fac

yes had

center, surrounded by a r

nt voice

t did not te

spered

ad never h

mind, every warrior in the

Kael bowe

nd the mountains,

t inside

ath the Black Moon Pack for c

was com