LOGINWhoever tied me up either really didn't like me, or was extremely paranoid. The ropes were coarse, and bound so tight that they bit into my skin enough that I could feel the stinging of little tears across my wrists, arms, and ankles. Slowly, I regained consciousness, blinking repeatedly so my vision could clear up faster. When it did, I saw I was in a large, basement style room with minimal furniture. There was a large, bare table in front of me, the wooden chair I was currently tied to, and another wooden chair in front of the table. Julietta was sitting in that chair staring at me as I came to. She sneered when our eyes met, the expression ugly. "Nice dress." I glanced down. I was still in the Luna ceremony dress, and the rope was crisscrossed over my torso and bare arms, securing me to the back of the chair. My wrists were tied behind me, and under the huge dress, I could feel my ankles tied to the front legs of the chair.My mind felt empty, so when I yanked at the ropes with
Once again, I was too late. Nothing could describe the feeling of arriving at the top floor after racing up more than a dozen flights of stairs, only to find Lily and Saoirse passed out in the middle of the hallway, with Iris nowhere to be seen. All that was left of her was her sweet scent, still lingering in the air. My heart pounding, I raced to the door to the Alpha suite, praying fervently. I yanked the door open and stormed inside. "IRIS!" I bellowed. In less than a second, I'd run through the whole space, and had found no sign of my mate."Alpha!" Max came running into the room too, his expression wild. "Where—""Fucking sound the alarm!" I snarled. "I want all warriors at the border on high alert. No one is to leave or enter this pack. Now!"He didn't need to be told twice. Max raced back in the direction he'd come, his eyes fogging over as he rushed to mindlink my orders to everyone concerned. She was gone. Iris was gone. Taken from right under my nose. "FUCK!" The so
Cassian and I made our exit from a side door and the moment we were alone, our bodies crashed, and our lips joined. My head still throbbed slightly from the sheer stress of the new pack mindlink added, but at the moment, I didn't care. My hand fisted in the lapel of Cassian's jacket, and his held me steady as he tilted me backwards a bit, deepening the kiss even more. I was hot, and my dress was getting in the way. I was just about to suggest going somewhere a bit more private — like up to the Alpha suite — when the door was pushed open with enough force that it slammed into the wall. Cassian and I jumped apart like we'd been caught doing something we weren't supposed to be doing. Standing in the doorway, Lily stared at us like we were naughty children, and Saoirse stood behind her, sniggering. Cassian cursed and reached for me again. "What do you want? Go away." Rolling their eyes, they strolled into the room. "We're here for Iris. You go away." "What?" He asked incredulously.
CASSIAN "Are you ready?" Max asked. "The hall is filled up. Looks like every single person in the pack is here. And a few ass-kissers from Red Moon.""Better don't call them ass-kissers to their faces," I sent back, wiping the sweat from my hands for what felt like the hundredth time. Max was mindlinking me from the Great Hall downstairs, while I waited for Iris to emerge from the bedroom. She, Saoirse, and Lily had been in there for almost four hours now, and occasionally I'd hear them giggling at some pretty outrageous stories. Tonight was the night of the Luna ceremony, so Iris had chosen to get ready in the Alpha suite above the pack house just so she wouldn't have to make the long walk from the alpha house to the pack house."I'll try not to," Max was saying, "but you know me. They'll probably read my distrust for them on my face.""Mmhmm."He was silent for a while, then, "Are you nervous?" "No. Why would I be nervous." Max laughed. "Maybe because today is an important day
"Are you ready?" Max asked. "The hall is filled up. Looks like every single person in the pack is here. And a few ass-kissers from Red Moon.""Better don't call them ass-kissers to their faces," I sent back, wiping the sweat from my hands for what felt like the hundredth time. Max was mindlinking me from the Great Hall downstairs, while I waited for Iris to emerge from the bedroom. She, Saoirse, and Lily had been in there for almost four hours now, and occasionally I'd hear them giggling at some pretty outrageous stories. Tonight was the night of the Luna ceremony, so Iris had chosen to get ready in the Alpha suite above the pack house just so she wouldn't have to make the long walk from the alpha house to the pack house."I'll try not to," Max was saying, "but you know me. They'll probably read my distrust for them on my face.""Mmhmm."He was silent for a while, then, "Are you nervous?" "No. Why would I be nervous." Max laughed. "Maybe because today is an important day and you a
In the history of Luna ceremonies, probably none had been planned as fast as mine was. Only a week had passed since Cassian made the announcement, and everything was already set. The formalities of the ceremony would happen in the Silver Creek pack house, and the reception afterwards would be held at a point halfway between Silver Creek and Red Moon to make it easier for people from both packs to attend. The little bit of no man's land in between Silver Creek and Red Moon had been incorporated into both packs, making them seem like one very large pack with two names. That would change on the night of the ceremony though — which was tomorrow. I was with Saoirse and Lily, at what was supposed to be my dress fitting, but was currently a shopping session for both of them. "How does this look?" Lily asked, holding up a stunning black dress. "I like it," I replied. "It's black," Saoirse said. Lily looked confused. "And?"Saoirse blushed a little. "Well...I'm wearing black. We'd be







