Chapter 2: A Place at the Edge of the Pack

By sunrise, Blackthorn Pack was already awake.

The mating ceremony was only two days away, and excitement had spread through the settlement like wildfire.

From my bedroom window, I watched warriors carrying wooden benches toward the ceremonial grounds while several women decorated the packhouse entrance with silver ribbons.

Children ran between the houses, laughing as they chased one another.

Everywhere I looked, people were preparing for the most important event of their lives.

I stood there for a few minutes, wishing I could feel the same excitement.

Then someone knocked on my door.

"Nyla! If you're awake, open this door before I break it!"

I smiled.

Only one person in Blackthorn would threaten to destroy a perfectly good door before breakfast.

I hurried to open it.

Mara Quinn stood outside, holding two wrapped pieces of bread and a small container of fruit.

Her dark curls were tied into a messy bun, and her brown eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Good morning to you too," I said.

"Good morning? Girl, I've been standing here for five minutes."

"You knocked twice."

"Four times."

"Two and a half."

She pushed past me.

"One day, your stubbornness will be the death of me."

I closed the door and followed her inside.

Mara was the closest thing I had to a sister. We had grown up together, and unlike most people in Blackthorn, she had never treated me as though being wolfless made me less human.

She placed the food on my table.

"Eat."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Why does everyone suddenly want to feed me?"

"Because you look like a strong breeze could carry you away."

"I'm not that thin."

"You're right. A strong breeze and a determined squirrel."

I burst out laughing.

She grinned, pleased with herself.

For a few precious minutes, we ate together while she told me about the preparations for the ceremony.

Then her expression changed.

"Have you spoken to Blake?"

"Yesterday."

"And?"

I looked down at my bread.

"He asked whether I was nervous about the ceremony."

Mara waited.

"He told me not to let anyone make me feel worthless."

She sighed.

"Nyla."

"What?"

"He's good at saying things that make you feel better."

I frowned.

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

"No. But sometimes I wonder whether he understands what his words do to you."

I fell silent.

Mara had always been honest about my feelings for Blake.

She never mocked me, but she refused to pretend that everything was as perfect as I wanted it to be.

"He cares about me," I said quietly.

"I know."

"He has always been kind to me."

"I know that too."

"Then why do you look worried?"

She reached across the table and squeezed my hand.

"Because I don't want you to confuse being cared for with being chosen."

The words settled between us.

I pulled my hand away and stood.

"I should get ready for work."

Mara didn't stop me.

But as I gathered my things, I could feel her concern following me.

---

The packhouse kitchen was already busy when I arrived.

Large pots simmered over the stoves, and the cooks shouted instructions over the clatter of dishes.

I tied an apron around my waist and began sorting vegetables.

For the next two hours, I worked without stopping.

It was easier to concentrate on peeling potatoes than to think about the ceremony.

Every time someone mentioned fated mates, I felt a small ache beneath my ribs.

What if the Moon Goddess had never intended for me to have one?

What if I was destined to spend my life alone?

I shook the thoughts away and reached for another basket.

"Nyla."

I turned.

Mrs. Harlow stood behind me.

"Take these supplies to the eastern storage room."

I glanced at the boxes stacked beside her.

"All of them?"

"Unless you expect the warriors to carry them themselves."

I bit back a response.

The boxes were heavy, and I had already spent the morning on my feet. But refusing would only earn me another lecture.

I lifted the first box and carried it toward the storage room.

The corridor was crowded with people preparing for the ceremony. I had to squeeze past two servants carrying flowers before reaching the eastern wing.

As I turned the corner, I heard voices coming from the open council-room door.

I recognized Blake's voice immediately.

"...the ceremony must proceed as planned."

Another man answered.

"What if the Goddess chooses unexpectedly?"

Blake was silent for a moment.

"Then we will deal with it."

I slowed.

I knew I shouldn't listen to a private conversation.

But something about his tone made me hesitate.

The second man spoke again.

"And the girl?"

My heart stopped.

Which girl?

Blake answered in a lower voice.

"Leave Nyla out of this."

The box nearly slipped from my arms.

There was a pause.

Then the man said, "You know that's not entirely possible."

I stepped backward.

My heel struck a loose board.

The sound echoed through the corridor.

The voices stopped.

"Who's there?" Blake demanded.

I hurried away before anyone could open the door.

By the time I reached the storage room, my heart was pounding.

What had they been discussing?

Why had someone mentioned me?

And what did Blake mean when he said they should leave me out of it?

I placed the box on the shelf and leaned against the wall.

Perhaps the conversation had nothing to do with the ceremony.

Perhaps I was being foolish.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening behind my back.

Something everyone knew about except me.

---

At midday, I took a basket of fresh bread to the main hall.

Several warriors were eating at the long tables, their voices filling the room.

I moved between them, placing bread where it was needed.

Then I heard a familiar laugh.

Sienna Vale sat near the windows with two of her friends.

She wore a pale blue dress that complemented her golden-brown hair, and a delicate bracelet glittered around her wrist.

She looked like the kind of woman people naturally wanted to admire.

I had never understood why she seemed to dislike me so much.

We had never been friends, but I had never deliberately offended her.

Still, whenever Blake spoke to me, Sienna's eyes followed us.

Today was no different.

"Careful, Nyla," she called as I approached her table. "You almost missed a spot."

I looked down.

A small piece of bread had fallen onto the table.

I picked it up.

"Thank you for pointing that out."

She smiled.

"You're welcome. I know how difficult it must be to keep track of things when you're always distracted."

Her friends giggled.

I placed the basket on the serving table.

"Is there anything else you need?"

Sienna leaned back in her chair.

"Actually, yes. I have a question."

I waited.

"Do you really believe the Moon Goddess will give you a mate?"

The question was loud enough for the nearby tables to hear.

Conversation began to fade.

I felt my cheeks grow warm.

"I don't know what the Goddess has planned."

"Of course you don't." She tilted her head. "But surely you understand that a mating bond requires two wolves."

The women beside her laughed.

I gripped the basket.

"I understand perfectly."

"Then why are you still hoping?"

I looked at her.

For years, I had allowed people to speak to me however they pleased because I was afraid of making my life even harder.

But something about the way she asked the question made me tired of being silent.

"Because hope is free," I replied. "And I don't remember the Moon Goddess asking for your permission."

Her smile vanished.

A few warriors exchanged surprised looks.

I walked away before she could respond.

My heart pounded, and my palms were damp.

I had never spoken to Sienna like that before.

Part of me expected Mrs. Harlow to appear and scold me for causing a disturbance.

Instead, I heard someone laugh behind me.

It was a warm, familiar laugh.

Blake.

I turned.

He stood near the entrance, watching me.

For a brief moment, pride flickered across his face.

Then Sienna noticed him.

"Blake!" she called sweetly. "Nyla has been entertaining us."

He approached the table.

"What happened?"

"Nothing important," I answered quickly.

Sienna smiled.

"She was simply explaining why she believes she deserves a fated mate."

Blake's expression cooled.

"Nyla doesn't need to explain her hopes to anyone."

The hall fell silent.

Sienna stared at him.

Then she laughed softly.

"Of course. I was only joking."

"Then find something else to joke about."

He turned away from her and approached me.

"Are you all right?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

He glanced at the basket in my hands.

"Have you eaten?"

I almost laughed.

Mara had asked me the same question that morning.

"Yes."

"Good."

His eyes searched my face for a moment.

"Don't let Sienna get to you."

"I won't."

He seemed satisfied with that answer.

Then someone called his name from the entrance.

He turned toward the sound.

"I'll see you later, Nyla."

I watched him leave.

Sienna watched him too.

When he was gone, she rose from her chair and approached me.

Her smile had returned, but her eyes were cold.

"Enjoy his kindness while you can," she whispered.

My stomach tightened.

"What does that mean?"

She stepped closer.

"Blake is the Alpha. He has responsibilities. He can't spend his life protecting someone like you."

I wanted to ask why she cared so much about how Blake treated me.

Instead, I said, "That's for him to decide."

Her expression hardened.

Then she walked away.

I stood there for several seconds, wondering why her words had frightened me.

Perhaps because some part of me had always feared she was right.

---

That evening, Mara found me sitting on the low stone wall behind the packhouse.

The sun was sinking behind the trees, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple.

She sat beside me without speaking.

For a while, we watched the pack prepare the ceremonial grounds.

Then she nudged my shoulder.

"You're thinking too loudly."

I smiled faintly.

"I didn't know thoughts made noise."

"Yours do."

I told her about the conversation I had overheard outside the council room.

Her expression grew serious.

"Blake said to leave you out of it?"

I nodded.

"And the other man said that wasn't entirely possible?"

"Yes."

Mara stared toward the trees.

"That doesn't sound good."

"I know."

"Have you asked Blake about it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

I picked at a loose thread on my sleeve.

"Because I'm afraid he'll tell me it has nothing to do with me."

Mara turned toward me.

"And if he does?"

"Then I'll have to decide whether to believe him."

She was quiet for a moment.

Then she reached into her pocket and produced a small silver hairpin.

"I brought you something."

I stared at it.

"Mara, you don't have to keep buying me things."

"It's not a purchase. It's a gift."

She placed it in my hand.

The hairpin was simple but beautiful, shaped like a crescent moon.

"I want you to wear it at the ceremony," she said.

My throat tightened.

"What if nobody chooses me?"

Mara's expression softened.

"Then you'll still have me."

I looked down at the hairpin.

For the first time that day, I felt the pressure in my chest ease.

"Thank you."

She pulled me into a hug.

"You don't have to earn your place in this world by becoming someone's mate, Nyla."

I closed my eyes.

"I wish everyone believed that."

"Everyone doesn't have to believe it. You do."

We sat together until the sky darkened.

When I finally returned to my room, I placed the hairpin beside my pendant.

The two silver objects caught the moonlight.

For one strange moment, I thought the crescent on the hairpin looked identical to the symbol on my pendant.

I picked them up and examined them closely.

The resemblance was unmistakable.

A crescent.

Three tiny circles.

My breath caught.

The hairpin had no circles.

I turned it over, searching for an engraving.

Nothing.

Perhaps the light had played tricks on me.

I placed it beside the pendant again.

Then I remembered the dream.

The woman in the forest.

The baby in her arms.

The voice telling me to find her.

A shiver travelled down my spine.

I sat on the edge of the bed and touched my pendant.

"Mama," I whispered, "what aren't you telling me?"

The room remained silent.

Outside, a wolf howled in the distance.

I had heard that sound my entire life.

Usually, it reminded me of everything I lacked.

Tonight, something about it felt different.

The howl seemed to linger in the air, reaching toward me.

I pressed my hand against my chest.

For a brief moment, I felt a strang

e warmth beneath my skin.

Then it disappeared.

I sat perfectly still, waiting for it to return.

Nothing happened.

But when I finally lay down, I couldn't stop thinking about the council-room conversation.

Leave Nyla out of this.

Whatever Blake was hiding, I had a terrible feeling it was already connected to me.

And with only two days remaining before the mating ceremony, I was beginning to suspect that the biggest change in my life would have nothing to do with finding a mate.

It would begin with discovering why everyone seemed so determined to keep me in the dark.