Chapter 2

Claire burst into an exaggerated laugh. "You're pregnant? Oh, gods. But you don't have a mating mark… Don't tell me…"

She and the others exchanged vile, knowing smirks.

I knew what they were thinking—that I’d been used and abandoned by some rogue wolf.

The truth was, I’d deliberately used a special spray to hide David’s scent. That man's possessiveness was off the charts; anyone could smell his claim on me from a hundred feet away. It was mortifying.

I had no desire to waste another second listening to their garbage, and I ignored the dark look on Mattew’s face.

"Aren't you here to pick me up? Let's go."

Mattew stared at me for a beat.

Then Marcus, standing behind him, exploded into laughter as if he’d just heard the funniest joke of his life.

"Hahahaha—what did she say?" Marcus laughed so hard tears streamed down his face. "She said we're here to pick her up?"

"Gods, Georgia, are you out of your mind?" another she-wolf wheezed, clutching her stomach. "Who do you think you are? The Queen?"

Claire stalked toward me in her high heels, looking down her nose at me. "Georgia, you must have gone crazy after getting knocked up by some mutt."

"Read the sign, Georgia," she said, pointing a manicured finger at the "Luna of Blackwood Pack" sign in Marcus’s hands. "We are waiting for the Luna of the Blackwood Pack—Alpha King David’s cherished mate!"

She deliberately stressed the words "cherished mate."

"Of course, a rogue like you wouldn't know. The Blackwood Pack is the most powerful pack in all of North America. They rule every territory from the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains."

Mattew’s pack members eagerly chimed in.

"I heard he worships his Luna."

Claire's voice was a mix of excitement and envy. "And just last month, King David himself went to Europe and took the priceless 'Moon's Tear' necklace back from the Dracula Coven! All as a gift for his Luna."

"They say that necklace is carved from the purest moonstone and set with one hundred and eight starlight diamonds. The wolf who wears it is blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."

"That Luna must be the happiest woman alive…"

As their envious chatter filled the air, I couldn't help but touch the necklace at my throat.

This was the "Moon's Tear."

The night before last, when David had fastened it around my neck, he’d just said casually, "Wear this while you're away. It'll keep the vultures at bay."

At the time, I was too busy fussing over the silver burns on his hands—injuries he’d gotten fighting the vampires for it.

I had no idea the necklace was this legendary.

"So you see, Georgia," Claire said, turning back to me with pure malice in her eyes. "We are waiting for a true Luna. A woman showered with love and devotion. And you…"

She gave me another dramatic, head-to-toe scan. "You're a rejected omega, a slut who sleeps with stray wolves and carries their bastard pup. What on earth makes you think we are here for you?"

"Yeah, take a look in the mirror!"

"This is hilarious."

I said nothing, just let them have their little show.

My silence, to them, was an admission of guilt and shame.

"But speaking of which…" Claire's eyes suddenly locked onto my neck, her voice growing shrill. "Why does that thing you're wearing look so much like the 'Moon's Tear'?"

Before I could answer, she gasped as if hit by a brilliant realization. "You're wearing a fake!"

Mattew’s brow furrowed as he stared at me.

"It's a good knock-off," he said, reaching out and grabbing the necklace. He looked at me with an all-knowing glare. "Which rogue gave this to you?"

The chain snapped as he ripped it from my neck.

A sting of pain shot through my skin as the clasp scraped me, drawing a thin line of blood.

"Mattew!" I lunged for it, but Claire had already snatched it from his hand.

She dangled it in front of her face, tapping a fingernail against the moonstone. "Tsk, tsk. Someone really spent some money on this. It's the best fake I've ever seen."

She swung the necklace in front of my face, taunting me. "Did you have to trade your body for it? I guess that's all you're worth now."

"Did you really think wearing this would make you the Luna?"

Snickers erupted around me.

I stared at the gift David had risked his life for, now in her filthy hands. I couldn't stop myself. I lunged. "Give it back! David gave that to me—"

SLAP!

A sharp, ringing slap sent me stumbling backward. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.

"Shut up!"