C2

"Thorne, you fine as hell," Ellis said, leaning back on the worn leather couch. He popped another piece of moonroot gum into his mouth. "But you could show a bit more skin with a body like that. You a plain wolf for real, always covered the fuck up. And that thick-ass mane? Always tied back— Do somethin' with it."

My fingers flew to my hair, tugging at the leather band holding it. "I ain't tryna impress nobody," I snapped, though my voice cracked. "I don't need to walk around with my chest half out like you, Ellis."

Ellis smirked, unbothered. "Oh, you got jokes, wolf?" he fired back, his grin widening. "Hell, give me some of that muscle and that face."

"You can have it— ALL!" I teased.

"I do think it's time for you to lose that moon-virgin status, though. You're eighteen, you've waited long enough."

I chuckled, but my laughter felt hollow. My mind drifting to thoughts of Boyd. The idea of giving myself to him twisted in my chest. "I ain't just fucking to say I lost my moon-virginity," I muttered, quieter now. "My body is a sacred temple to the Moon Goddess, and I'm gonna treat it as such."

Ellis softened. "I'm just sayin' bestie— anyway, y'all would make a cute pair, you and Boyd. I could see it."

The words hit me harder than they should have. My heart beat faster, my cheeks warming as I allowed myself, for just a moment, to picture it— being Boyd's mate. I imagined walking beside him, living that Alpha warrior life, leaving Raven Hollow far behind. An intoxicating thought, a tempting fantasy that threatened to grow. But just as quickly as the image came, reality snapped it away.

My moonstone buzzed, the sudden vibration jolting me back. Ellis snatched it off the table and glanced at the glowing surface. "Speak of the Shadowfang," he said with a sly grin. He got up and brought the stone to me. "It's your wolf."

"He ain't my wolf, and you know it," I shot back, but there was no bite. My hands were damp as I grabbed the stone, my thumb hovering over the answer rune. My heart raced as Boyd's voice came through, smooth and easy.

"What y'all up to?" he asked, and I swore I could hear the smile in his voice.

"We just finished putting up my moon-tree," I said, my own voice a touch higher than normal.

"Oh yeah? I gotta come see it," Boyd replied, his words casual, but something about his tone made my stomach flutter.

I let out a laugh, trying to shake off the feelings. "You ain't been back on our side of the territory since that rogue stole your silver rims off your war-wolf," I teased.

Boyd chuckled, the deep sound making my pulse quicken. "Man, I ain't got time to be fuckin' 'round with them thieving ass rogues over there. But for real, we gotta hang out more before I leave for Alpha training."

"Don't we already hang out enough at Moonfang Harvest House?" I teased back, though the thought of him leaving left a heavy ache in my chest.

"You the only reason I'm still working there. My pack elders been told me I could quit."

I shook my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Must be nice. Not all of us were born with silver claws in our mouths." I glanced over at Ellis, who was mouthing exaggerated kissing faces at me. I rolled my eyes and turned my back to my bestie.

"I might've been born with that silver claw, but my Alpha father will quickly remind my ass— don't fuckin' play with our pack."

I laughed.

"That's what got my ass at Moonfang Harvest House in the first place."

"Well, ain't nobody tell you to skip training with that rogue pack."

Boyd chuckled. "Why you ain't take his place then?"

"Boy, you know you don't mean that."

"Wouldn't have said it if I didn't." He shot back.

Although, he and I would tease around often, flirting a little, for some reason this conversation seemed to be crossing that thin line what Ellis was referring to. "Well, anyway," I said, quickly wanting to change the subject. "I'm cleaning the den right now, but when I'm done, I'll hit you back. Tom Hayes outside at the fire-pit. Me and Ellis gon' see if we can talk him into feeding us tonight."

Boyd grinned. "Bet. I'll send a moon-message if I decide to come through," he said before the connection faded.

As soon as the call ended, Ellis pounced. "He don't wanna hang out with me. He wanna hang out with you. This might be his last moon-cycle to try to get them claws on you."

I burst out laughing, shaking my head. "In his wildest dreams. Never gonna happen."

But as the laughter faded, I felt my chest tighten with a truth I didn't want to admit. Deep down, I did want him. Just a taste of what it would feel like to be his, even if only for a moment. The thought was as thrilling as it was terrifying.

The chill of the December night bit at our faces as Ellis and I stepped out of the den, our breath puffing into the cold air. The smell of roasted meat hit us immediately, a mix of charred moon-boar and forest-fowl that made both our stomachs growl. Tom Hayes was stationed by his fire-pit like the territory chef he'd unofficially become, flipping meat and hollering at pups to stop running too close. His portable moon-speaker sat on a rickety wooden table, blasting old-school pack songs.

Ellis's mother, Tian-Chen Johnson, was perched in her usual spot on a sagging wolf-pelt chair near Tom's setup. She had a carved moon-cup in one hand and a smoke-weed in the other, gesturing wildly as she spoke to a small crowd gathered around her. Tian-Chen was in her element, doing what she did best— running her mouth.

"I told her," Tian-Chen said, her voice carrying over the noise of the settlement, "don't let no wolf move in if he ain't paying at least half the territory tax! But she don't listen! Now he laid up on her furs eatin' her food while she at the healing temple. Make it make sense!"

The group around her erupted in laughter, nodding and egging her on. Ellis groaned, pulling the hood of his fur cloak up as if that could shield him from the embarrassment. "I swear, if I could crawl into a moon-cave right now, I would."

I snorted. "You should be used to this by now. She's been the settlement Moon-Whisper since we were pups."

"Yeah, and I been trying to pretend I don't know her since then too," Ellis muttered, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead as we approached Tom's fire-pit.

"Y'all want a plate or what?" Tom asked, his iron tongs clicking together as he eyed us. His tone was gruff but friendly.

"What you got?" Ellis asked, pulling a couple of crumpled silver coins from his pocket.

"Moon-boar ribs, forest-fowl, roasted hare. Take your pick," Tom replied, lifting the iron grate to show off the spread. The smoke swirled into the air, carrying the rich, savory aroma with it.

"Two plates of ribs with some of those moon-beans on the side," I said, glancing back at Ellis for confirmation. Ellis nodded, handing Tom the silver. It wasn't but five coins, however, Tom accepted whatever they gave, even if it was just a smile and a howl.

As we waited for our food, Tian-Chen's voice drifted over again. "And you know Mary down in 4B? Heard her wolf-mate just got out of the Shadowfang Wilds. Seen him sneaking in last night with a battle-sack. Ain't nothing good in that sack but trouble, I tell you."

Ellis groaned again. "I swear, I need to move to another territory."

"You know she's harmless," I commented with a laugh. "Annoying, but harmless."

"Harmless don't pay pack dues," Ellis snapped. "She's too damn content living here. No ambition, no drive. Just... here runnin' that mouth of hers."

Before I could respond, the rumble of a war-wolf engine cut through the chatter and music. A sleek new black moon-carriage rolled into the settlement, its enchanted lights bouncing off the painted den walls. I froze, my heart skipping as I recognized the vehicle.

"Boyd," Ellis smirked, nudging me. "Your wolf-thang."

"Quit saying that— he ain't my wolf," I responded quickly, but the words didn't match as I watched the carriage come to a stop.

The driver's side door opened, and Boyd stepped out, all six feet three inches of him, dressed in a fitted Moonweaver cloak and dark leather that showed off his lean, athletic frame. His handsome face with those perfect white fangs, low cut temple-fade, all that— His signature swagger was on full display as he rounded the carriage to open the passenger door.

That's when my stomach dropped. A male stepped out, slim and muscular with long, bone-straight hair that glinted under the moon-lights. I recognized him immediately— Trudy Bennett, a male who'd been on Boyd's radar since our first moon-cycle in the training grounds but had always played hard to get. Apparently, he wasn't playing anymore.

"Damn," Ellis muttered under his breath. "He finally gave in. Guess he want that future Alpha Warrior title."

I forced a laugh, but it came out brittle. It wasn't like this was new, Boyd always had wolves hanging around. But tonight, with Trudy hanging onto his arm like he already had Boyd's pack mark on his neck, it felt different. It stung.

Boyd spotted us and grinned, his smile easy, sexy, and genuine. "What y'all doing out here in the cold?"

"Getting some of Tom's ribs," Ellis answered, recovering quickly. "What you doing over here? Thought you swore off this side of the territory after they stole your silver rims."

Boyd laughed, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. "Man, I'm still mad about that shit. Slick ass rogues. But nah, I wanted to stop by and see what was going on. It's sho' smellin' good out here."

"So, you came to the settlement for some ribs or for Thorne to see you with your newest wolf? 'Cause I ain't never seen him on this side of the territory, either." Ellis quipped, his tone sharp.

Trudy glared at Ellis, but Boyd tried to defend himself. "Ellis shut yo' ass up."

I stayed quiet, forcing a smile as the banter continued. Boyd caught my eye for a moment, and something unreadable flickered there— something that made my chest tighten. But then he turned back to Trudy, his arm resting casually around his waist, and the moment was gone.

"You always poppin' yo' shit. Let a wolf live… Damn." Boyd added.

"Aight, you got that— tonight," Ellis commented. "But we'll talk 'bout this lil' pop up visit later."

"Yea, Yea," Boyd fanned him off. It was nothing for them to go back and forth, sometimes clowning around— sometimes on some serious shit. Either way, they loved each other like pack brothers, even though they weren't.

Our plates were ready, and Tom called us back. We turned back leaving Boyd standing there with Trudy. Tom handed our food over with a nod. We grabbed our wooden takeout boxes, as Boyd called after us.

"Y'all coming back? Y'all know I ain't got much time left before I'm out for Alpha training."

"We'll see you around," Ellis replied, dragging me away before I could linger any longer. "You apparently got other shit you tryna do tonight. We'll holla!"

As we walked back toward the den, Ellis glanced at me, his expression softening. "You okay?"

I shrugged, my face a careful mask. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Ellis rolled his eyes. "Wolf, don't play dumb. You know you got it bad for him."

I didn't respond, my thoughts swirling as I took a bite of the rib. The flavors were rich and smoky, but my appetite had vanished. I kept going, as the sound of Boyd's laughter and Trudy's voice echoed faintly behind us. I looked over at my bestie and before I knew it, I blurted out, "Is it that obvious?"

"What?" Ellis asked.

"I mean, is it written all over my face?"

Ellis laughed. "Ohhh, you talkin' 'bout your feelings for Boyd, huh?"

"Don't laugh. It's not funny."

"Well, I can see it but that's because I know you damn near better than you know yourself. However, crazy ass must be blind 'cause he's ignorant— he don't peep a damn thang."

I grinned with a shake of my head. "Well, I'm glad he don't. I think it would make things awkward between us."

Ellis shrugged. "Eh— maybe," he commented.

Nothing else was said as we made our way back to the den to eat our food. The only thing I wanted to do was anything other than thinking about Boyd.