Chapter 3

Before I went home, I stopped to clean my mother's headstone.

When I opened the front door, Silas was sitting on the couch.

A box of egg tarts, my favorite, sat on the table in front of him. When he saw me come in, he waved me over.

"You've been busy all night. You must be starving. I got you egg tarts. Didn't you always say you missed these?"

I shook my head.

"No, thanks. I'm not hungry."

Silas came over and took my coat.

"Quit sulking. I got these just for you. If you don't eat, I'm going to worry."

Then he poured me a glass of water, his tone light.

"I'll take you to the procession tomorrow. You love a big crowd, don't you?"

I froze where I stood.

The procession always comes right after the election. It's a big event for the pack.

I'd only entered the election because I wanted someone to truly choose me. I'd never once cared about being Moon Envoy.

But in the end, not one person chose me.

And now Silas was going to be the Moon Escort, the one who's supposed to be closest to the Envoy, and he still wanted me there to watch it all.

My voice came out cold.

"I'm not going."

Silas wouldn't hear of it.

"Don't be like that. You're the only one of us who knows how to take good pictures. If you don't come, who's going to take photos of Vivian?"

He said it like it was obvious, the same way he always did when he wanted me to do something for Vivian.

Vivian was human. Silas had used a witch's potion to pass her off as a wolf.

Three years ago, outside pack territory, Silas had saved her from a group of wolves who were picking on her.

Back then, Vivian's family had suddenly gone bankrupt. Her father had gone to prison, and her mother was sick.

She'd had no choice but to risk taking a job in werewolf territory to pay off their debts.

She'd never expected to be picked on her very first day.

Silas always stood up for what was right. He jumped in without a second thought and chased those wolves off.

He was used to wolves who considered weakness shameful.

He'd never met a human like Vivian, so beautiful and fragile.

So he handed her a tissue.

After that, Vivian became a real part of our lives.

Silas explained it to me.

"Vivian's whole family is human, and none of them are here with her. It's hard for her.

"We value strength, but we're supposed to help the weak too."

So he helped Vivian get into the pack as a wolf.

He even got her father out of prison and saw to it that her mother got well.

At first, Vivian just tagged along with the four of us.

Wherever they went, they always brought me too.

But over time, Silas and I fought about Vivian more and more.

They said I killed the mood, so they just stopped inviting me.

I only found out from Vivian's Instagram posts. I confronted Silas about it.

He just smiled and kissed me.

"It's not like I went out with her alone. There's nothing to get upset about."

After that, they left me behind plenty more times, and I made a scene over it again and again.

But every time, Silas just brushed it off with a few easy reassurances.

"I'm the one who brought Vivian into the pack. I'm responsible for her.

"She doesn't have any other friends. I just feel sorry for her. But you'll always be my only mate."

Then Scott, who'd grown up with me, took their side too.

"Flora, try to understand how hard it is for Vivian, being a human in a werewolf pack."

In the end, even my own brother started trying to talk me around.

"You're so jealous. How is Silas supposed to have any kind of normal social life? Grow up a little!"

I got angry. I cried. I caused scenes.

In the end, all I could do was tell myself they'd just made a new friend, and it wouldn't change anything between us.

Only now did I understand. Vivian and I were like oil and water.

They could never have both of us.

If they chose one, they had to give up the other.