C3

Eloise Hollowmere POV

"Selene is helping me now," I say. "Half of my plan is ready."

"What else did those bad wolves do?" Selene asks over the phone.

"Meredith wants to take all the top singing spots in the Silverhowl Bard Guild," I say. "She is using Rowan to steal everything from me. And that is not all. She carries Rowan's baby right now."

"They are the worst wolves in the woods!" Selene yells.

"I will make them pay," I say. "I will give them back every bad thing they did to me."

I put on my heavy powder and my dark clothes. I fix the wolf mask over my face. I walk right into the Silvermoon Royal Lodge on time.

"Oh, Meredith!" Caedmon Frostfang shouts very loud in the hall. "You look so sick today! Hurry up and get ready for the Moon Trial Elders!"

He talks so loud because he wants everyone to think I am Meredith. He is a very sneaky manager. I do not show my face yet. I want the big show to start first.

"Look at the clock!" Caedmon snaps as soon as the elevator doors close. "You think you are a queen? Why are you so slow?"

He barks at me like I am a dog. He thinks I am just a fat human slave. He forgets I was the biggest star before I stopped singing for Rowan.

"I had to fix my mask," I say in a small whisper. "People here know Meredith. I had to look just like her."

Caedmon looks at my eyes and my white powder. He thinks I am her.

"Rowan fixed everything with the Moon Trial Elders," Caedmon whispers. "When you walk inside, just fall on the floor and fake a faint. They will give Meredith the spot."

"Is it really that easy?" I ask. "The elders are very strict."

"Just do what I say and move your feet!" Caedmon pushes me.

He thinks they already won. This role is for a sad human girl who is forced to marry a mean wolf leader. It is a big deal in the guild.

"Meredith, sit here and rest your paws!" Caedmon yells out loud for the other packs to hear.

I pull my hat down and sit on the bench.

Inside the Alpha Dominion Hall, Lucan Ashcroft looks at his desk.

"Alpha, Eloise is at the lodge right now," Beta Aide Corwin says. "She is wearing a mask to sing for Meredith."

"She is doing a trick?" Lucan asks. His eyes get very bright. "Get the truck ready right now."

"Where are we going, sir?" Corwin asks.

"To the lodge," Lucan smiles. "I want to see my new human wife play her game."

"The Moon Trial Chamber is full of wolves now," Caedmon whispers in my ear. "When you walk up to the pack stage, just pretend to look at the song paper. Then fall down and fake a faint. I will carry you out to the rest room and our trick is done."

"So this is how Meredith gets her wins?" I ask, looking at him through my wolf mask. "She just cheats?"

"Stop talking," Caedmon snaps. "She has Rowan helping her from the top. Just do the faint and do not try to act smart or do anything extra."

"I understand," I say, but inside my head I am laughing.

"Meredith, you are next for the trial!" the pack helper shouts.

"She is coming!" Caedmon yells to the elders. "Meredith has a huge pack fever today because she worked too hard singing for the Moon Bard Guild. She is very sick, but she loves the Moon Goddess songs so much she came anyway!"

"Is she going to be okay?" a Moon Trial Elder asks, looking worried.

"She is very brave," Caedmon says, shaking his head like he wants to cry.

"Watch me now, Caedmon," I whisper under my mask.

"What did you say?" Caedmon asks, but I am already walking away from him.

"I am ready," I say out loud.

I step onto the middle of the pack stage. I take off my big hat and let my long hair fall down. I keep the mask on my face. I walk in three small circles on the floor. I feel the sad spirit of Jane, the human girl who lost everything to the wolves.

"Get ready to catch her," Caedmon whispers to a guard, waiting for me to drop.

"Why did you leave me alone in the dark?" I scream out loud.

I drop to my knees hard. My shoulders shake back and forth. Big tears run out from under my mask and wet my face. I do not faint at all. I let out a loud, sad human cry that echoes in the room.

"Look at her!" a Moon Bard Master whispers. "This is real pain!"

"How can a wolf sing like that?" another elder says.

I sit on the cold floor and pull my knees up to my chest. I say the next line from the ancient story book. My voice is small but strong, like a person who is ready to fight back.

"She is amazing!" the lead Moon Trial Elder shouts, standing up fast.

The whole assembly hall goes wild with loud shouting and clapping. All the wolves are hitting the tables with their paws. They never saw anyone perform like this before.

"We found her!" the head elder cries out. "The part of Jane belongs to Meredith Thornvale!"

"Thank you," I say, standing up slowly.

"You did it!" Caedmon runs over, his eyes big and greedy. "You saved her spot!"

"Do not happy too fast," I whisper so only he can hear. "I am not finished with my show yet."

"What do you mean?" Caedmon asks, his face turning pale.

I look past him to the very back row of the dark room. A huge, scary wolf man is standing there with his hands in his pockets. It is Lucan Ashcroft. His golden Alpha eyes are staring straight at me, and he looks very shocked by what I just did.