Chapter 1

Astrid's POV

My older brother, Sten White, forced out the words, "Say that again!"

There were three elders in the office. When I pushed the door open, the four of them were in the middle of a heated discussion. However, as soon as I said that, all eyes were instantly on me.

Sten strode over and yanked me into the inner room. "You're telling me that the only sister of the Alpha of the White River Pack is going to the Moon Guard Pack?"

He still had a tight grip on me. "Have you lost your mind, or have I?"

The Moon Guard Pack was located in the snow-capped mountains at the northernmost edge of the continent. There were no she-wolves there. Hence, for years, they had relied on marriage alliances, trading salt and grain with other packs across the continent in exchange for she-wolves.

Snow wolves were unlike ordinary werewolves. They were brutish and powerful, and once they set their sights on someone, it was for life. Anyone they marked would be tracked down and brought back, no matter where they fled.

No she-wolf was willing to gamble her entire life on that snowy mountain, knowing that once she went up there, she would never be able to come back down. At that moment, all the she-wolves who hadn't been marked were anxiously waiting for the lots in three days.

Sten led me over to the table, pushed the contract in front of me, and told me to read it. The parchment had already begun to yellow with age, its corners worn smooth and glossy. The inions on it had been added by generations of werewolves.

It detailed how much salt and grain the White River Pack owed the Moon Guard Pack, which years they were required to send a she-wolf over, and what goods had been offered in place of a she-wolf in the years they failed to do so. It even specified how many years those goods would cover.

The last entry on the parchment was from this year.

"For generations, we've been using other goods to make up for the she-wolves we're supposed to send. I didn't want to let any she-wolf in the pack suffer in a place like the Moon Guard Pack," Sten explained.

"The Moon Guard Pack has been unwilling to accept that arrangement for a long time. They demanded that we send a she-wolf over this year. We just haven't decided who yet."

He stared at me. "But I hope it won't be you. You know as well as I do that if I want to, I could pull you out of the lots right now."

His gaze darkened, turning sinister. "Did someone say or do something to you? Was it Dorian, Kieran, or Ronan?"

When I didn't answer, he lowered his voice even further. "Or was it all three of them?"

Sten turned on his heel and was about to head toward the training grounds.

I charged at him and wrapped my arms around him from behind. "Don't go, Sten!"

It was useless.

When I first noticed Dorian Blackwood and Kieran Holloway starting to distance themselves from me, Sten had stood up for me in the exact same way. He called both of them to the council hall to demand an explanation.

Dorian and Kieran insisted that nothing was going on and that I was just being paranoid. Yet, as soon as Sten left, Dorian told me, "Can you stop acting like a pup? I have my own things to take care of, too. My life doesn't revolve around you."

To this day, I still remembered the look on Dorian's face at the time. He despised me.

Back then, I'd cast a pleading look at Kieran, who was standing beside Dorian.

"It's all in your head. What did Maeve ever do wrong? I can't believe you want to drive her away just because the two of us haven't been paying you much attention lately!

"Your older brother's the Alpha of the pack. That's the only reason you get treated like you're the center of the universe. Without him, you're nothing!"

He sighed. "I can't believe I used to think I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I must have been blind."

Every word cut deeper than I could bear. I cried until I was completely drained, and Ronan Sinclair stayed by my side all night to watch over me. However, now, no one wanted me anymore.

"You're my only sister, Astrid." Sten let out a soft sigh. His tone softened. "Other people might not cherish you, but I always will."

He cupped my face in his hands. "You just turned 18; you're still just a pup. How could I possibly feel at ease sending you off to a place so far away all on your own? But it breaks my heart even more to see you so miserable here in the pack.

"The lots will be drawn in three days. The members of the Moon Guard Pack will arrive before the first heavy snowfall blocks the roads. If this is what you truly want, as long as you can ensure your own safety, I'll support you."

He looked at me and pressed his lips together, as though he was trying to hold back his tears.

I walked out the door first. It was freezing outside, and a blast of cold wind instantly rushed down my collar.

I bumped right into someone.

Ronan had his back to me, holding an invitation.

He turned around and noticed it was me. "Is your brother in?"

"Yeah, he is."

"Alright, I'll go have a word with your brother." He briefly held the invitation up in front of me, as if he wanted me to see it, though it could have just been an absentminded gesture while opening the door.

"Maeve's birthday is tomorrow. I want to invite your brother to make it a proper celebration. If you're free, you're welcome to join us."

It felt as though there was a huge boulder on my chest. It throbbed while my throat burned so badly that I couldn't make a sound.

I nodded numbly and started heading home.

My thoughts were a complete mess as I turned back around to look at Ronan. He hadn't gone inside yet. The invitation in his hand was blindingly red.

"Ronan."

"Yeah?"

"Do you know about the lots between the White River Pack and the Moon Guard Pack three days from now?" I asked. "Will you be there?"

"I will," he responded. "You'd look pitiful standing on that stage all by yourself, so I'll be there with you. But this is the last time, Astrid. It's time you learned to grow up."

A faint chuckle escaped my lips.

There were three days left before the members of the Moon Guard Pack arrived at the White River Pack.