Chapter 3

That night, I went to the Moon Goddess Temple to attend the prep meeting for the New Moon Ceremony. I'd barely reached the gate when Drake rose from a lounge chair off to the side.

"There you are." He lifted a glass of wolfblood wine, smiling like he'd already won. "Aria, I knew you'd show. Next time, just call me. No need for a staged 'chance meeting.' I'll come for you next Friday."

I didn't even look at him. I headed for the elders' hall.

He stepped in front of me halfway down the hallway and gave a helpless shrug.

"Aria, be reasonable. The High Council has already reclaimed half of your father's lands. One offering in here could buy your apartment. You came to a premium event like this just to see me? Do you even know the entry fee? Imagine how your father would feel."

Dad hated excess, sure. But Damien's privileges didn't come with limits. Last month, our son's naming rite used three ancient altars.

Tonight, they were allocating rare offerings. Damien had told me to request the Moonstone for our son's first full-moon blessing.

"Move," I said coldly. "You're in my way!"

Drake froze for a second, then his tone turned sharp. "Drop it. You expect me to believe you're here for the rite? Come on. Isabella's upstairs in the VIP lounge. You two should meet, since you'll be living together."

"Oh? Is this Ms. Bennett?" Isabella appeared as if she'd been waiting for a cue.

She wore a robe crusted with silverwork that flashed under the moonlight. Four-inch rhinestone heels clicked across the stone as she stopped in front of me, let her gaze skim from my hair to my boots, and curved her mouth into a practiced smile.

"I heard Ridgefield's in a rough patch," she said, sipping moonlight wine.

"Family is family, though." Her smile turned syrupy. "Drake says we're picking you up next week. Once you're in the territory, just treat me like a sister. I'll look after you."

She pulled a credit card from her clutch. "Here. A supplementary card. The PIN is Drake's birthday. The limit's not high, but it should be enough to buy some clothes. You need something a bit nicer. This outfit is... Hmm, too plain."

Drake chimed in. "Isabella's thought of everything. Look at you. You don't even have a proper dress. And that necklace... is made of iron? Aria, come on, be realistic."

I touched the chain at my throat.

To anyone else, it looked like a plain, black chain. In truth, it was forged from meteoric iron Damien spent three years tracking down, then warded by a witch.

On the inside, it was engraved in Lupine script: Eternal Guard.

"Honey, if you're short on silver, I'll loan you some," Isabella said sweetly. "No interest. We're practically family."

"Honey?" I repeated.

"Not used to it?" She hid a mock gasp behind her fingers. "Right, maybe you haven't experienced this kind of intimacy. No worries. Next week, we'll be family."

I didn't bother answering her. I glanced at the guard behind me and said, "Slap her."

No one could call me that, except Damien.