Chapter 1

Cassian rose without hurry and took the glass vial of healing potion from Garrick's hands.

When he reached Lilith his step paused, and then he handed the potion to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You just came out of a fight with the rival pack. You must be exhausted. Drink this and get some of your strength back."

Lilith's cheeks went red, but she still waved a hand and refused. "Cassian, this is too precious, I can't take it..."

"I told you to take it, so take it. Garrick gave the potion to me, so it's my right to give it to whoever I want." Cassian did not wait for her to refuse again. He pushed the vial into her hands.

"You're wasting a healing potion just to help some lowborn Omega recover her strength!" Nora shot to her feet, looking ready to charge over and snatch the vial out of Lilith's hands.

I used every bit of strength I had to hold Nora back. "Nora, let it go. It's one potion." That was what I said, but a thin thread of bitterness rose in me anyway.

If Lilith had been badly wounded, I could have told myself Cassian was saving her life. But Lilith had barely lifted a finger in the war. She had not even gone to the front.

The arm I was holding Nora back with ached faintly. I knew it was from the war, where a wolf from the rival pack had clawed me.

Wolves heal fast, but because of the dark witch's curse my wounds closed far more slowly than any other wolf's.

Nora saw the pain on my face and sat back down. She poked my forehead, exasperated with me. "Evelina, you're too soft. That's your whole problem."

My mouth pulled into something stiff. I was about to say something when I saw Lilith catch Cassian's hand and shake it.

"Cassian, thank you for the potion. I want to pay the healer back, so I'm going to the Northern Forest to pick herbs. Will you come with me?"

Cassian hesitated. As the Alpha's heir, he never had to do that kind of bitter, exhausting errand.

But a gentle smile came over him almost at once. "All right. I'll go with you."

Watching Cassian walk toward me, Nora ground out, "What is this helpless act? Does she really not understand, or is she doing it on purpose? Has Cassian forgotten how far the Northern Forest is? After a round trip like that, will he even make it back for the Full Moon Ceremony? The four of us grew up together. We agreed that on the day we came of age, we'd enter the Moon Temple together and receive the Moon Goddess's blessing. But now he's running off to pick herbs with that Omega."

I did not answer. I only watched Cassian come over and sit down beside me. He seemed to notice I was unhappy and reached out to ruffle my hair. "Evelina, are you angry? Lilith is only an Omega. Life in the pack is hard for her. I was just trying to help her. You understand that, don't you?"

Nora laughed in pure anger and opened her mouth to fire back at him, but I clapped a hand over it fast and forced a smile at him. "It's fine, Cassian. I understand."

Seeing how reasonable I was being, Cassian relaxed almost immediately.

Beside me, Nora would not give up. She shot a look at Theo, standing a little way off, then leaned in close to my ear.

"After the meeting I'll have Theo talk to Cassian again. He's supposed to be your Alpha. We agreed on that when we were pups."

I looked at Cassian, whose head was down as he turned something over in his mind, and did not object.